Entertainment Sports Sue Bird, Nneka Ogwumike Among WNBA Stars to Pose for 'Sports Illustrated' Swim Edition — See Photos Five of the WNBA's brightest stars appear in the 2022 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition By Natasha Dye Natasha Dye Natasha Dye is a writer-reporter for PEOPLE covering sports. Her previous work appears in The New York Post and Popstar! Magazine. People Editorial Guidelines Published on May 9, 2022 02:11PM EDT Photo: Laretta Houston/SPORTS ILLUSTRATED The WNBA season is in full swing and Sports Illustrated is giving fans an extra serving of their favorite female ballers. The highly-anticipated annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition features five of the league's brightest stars on and off the court. Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart, Te'a Cooper, Nneka Ogwumike and Didi Richards were photographed by Laretta Houston in the U.S. Virgin Islands for the 2022 issue, which hits newsstands May 19. "We are so excited," SI Swimsuit Editor-In-Chief MJ Day said in a statement of featuring the athletes. In the photos, the women wear all-black swimsuits — some in cut-out one-pieces, while others wear bikinis with a variety of accessories. New WNBA Brand Anthem Spot Teases What's to Come This Season - Watch "This is who we are; this is the makeup of our league," Bird, 41, told SI Swimsuit. "We represent a variety of things: of course women, women of color, members of the LGBTQIA2+ community and much more. "My dreams are now reality," Cooper, 25, said of the cover when sharing the news with her followers in an Instagram Reel. In addition to their hard work on the court, the five featured women have lent their voices and platforms to fighting for social justice issues. "These players not only dominate on the court but are tirelessly leading the charge in speaking out on social justice issues- fighting for racial justice and equality and working together to create sustainable change," Day said. Day added that the issue coincides with Sports Illustrated's Pay with Change initiative. "Their participation in this year's issue couldn't come at a better time with the launch of Pay with Change and the work that we are doing to evolve and grow our brand," Day said. WNBA Players Association President Speaks Out on Brittney Griner's Arrest: 'We Want Her Home' Sports Illustrated announced the initiative in January. "Starting now, the annual Swimsuit issue and SI Swim's digital outlets will accept advertising only from companies with demonstrated programs to advance gender equality and drive progress for women's empowerment," according to a statement from the outlet. Day added, "We couldn't be more thrilled to have such a badass group of women come together for this specific issue." The 2022 Sports Illustrated Swim Edition is available May 19.