Celebrity Name: Tiffany Hayes
Brand Name: Adobe Express
Deal Type: Educational Campaign Partnership
Announced: March 2026
Impact: Promotes “The Edit” video-journalism challenge for U.S. students in grades 6–12, with a submission deadline of April 16, 2026
- Tiffany Hayes, the Golden State Valkyries guard and 2024 WNBA Sixth Player of the Year, has officially partnered with Adobe Express and NBCU Academy to promote “The Edit,” an educational video-journalism challenge.
- The Edit is designed for middle and high school students across the U.S., this year centered on the theme of “Sports & Well-Being,” encouraging teachers to use Adobe’s tools to build real-world storytelling and digital skills.
- Teachers of grades 6–12 can register their classrooms for free, and students can win prizes from Adobe and NBCU Academy like GoPro equipment and Fandango gift cards.
- The competition opened February 5, 2026, and entries must be submitted by April 16, 2026 at 8:00 P.M. ET.
WNBA veteran Tiffany Hayes is taking her talents off the court and into the classroom. The Golden State Valkyries guard has announced an exciting new educational partnership with Adobe Express and NBCU Academy to promote “The Edit,” a video-journalism challenge built for middle and high school students nationwide.
Hayes, who won the WNBA’s Sixth Player of the Year award in 2024 after coming out of retirement to join the Las Vegas Aces, is using her platform to champion youth media literacy.
The campaign centers on this year’s theme of “Sports & Well-Being,” encouraging teachers to guide students in using Adobe Express to produce 90-second video news reports.
“As an athlete, I’ve learned that great performances start with confidence, discipline, and the ability to tell your own story,” Hayes shared. “Young people already have powerful stories to tell. This is their chance to bring them to life.”
Adobe and NBCU Academy developed classroom-ready lessons and resources for The Edit, including tutorials and guides on how to script, record, publish and use Adobe Express, the all-in-one, AI content creation app.
Winners will have their reports featured on NBCU Academy and Adobe’s social media channels, giving students a real platform to share their voices with the world.
Hayes joins a growing list of athletes turning their influence toward brand partnerships with a purpose. Similar deals include Lexie Brown being named a brand ambassador for Curel and Cooper DeJean teaming up with Renpho, demonstrating how athletes across leagues are expanding their off-court influence.
Even big-name signings like Travis Kelce’s deal with Six Flags show brands are increasingly betting on athlete personalities to drive cultural conversations.
Takeaways
Athletes are no longer just selling sneakers, they’re becoming bridges between major brands and real-world causes. Hayes’ partnership with Adobe Express and NBCU Academy is a smart, mission-driven move that aligns her identity as a disciplined, veteran player with a message about storytelling and confidence.
For Adobe, attaching a credible WNBA name to an education initiative signals a push to make digital creativity more accessible beyond just tech-savvy audiences. And for NBCU Academy, a recognizable sports face gives The Edit campaign the reach it needs to land in classrooms across the country.
It’s the kind of deal that benefits all three parties, and more importantly, it benefits kids.
Could athlete-driven educational campaigns become the new normal for brand partnerships in 2026? Will partnerships like this push more WNBA players into brand deals that go beyond traditional endorsements?
