ARTIST SOPHIA YESHI TEAMS UP WITH THE PWHL IN A CELEBRATION OF BLACK EXCELLENCE

When the Professional Women’s Hockey League set out to create its latest Black History Celebration look, the goal was clear: choose an artist whose work didn’t just represent Black culture, but embodied it. Someone whose approach to storytelling, color and identity would bring intention to a moment meant to honor history, visibility and community.

That search led the league to Sophia Yeshi, a Brooklyn, New York‑based illustrator and designer known for bold, dynamic visuals rooted in culture, identity, and representation. Her work—which spans collaborations with community organizations, global brands and a surprisingly (to her) robust group of pro sports leagues and teams—stood out immediately.

“Sophia was selected intentionally for her storytelling ability, visual style, and focus on creating work that feels thoughtful and culturally grounded,” said Saroya Tinker, the PWHL’s Manager of Culture and Impact. “Her approach is very artist‑led and avoids a templated aesthetic, which aligned strongly with what we wanted for our Black History Celebration.”

Yeshi’s artwork, which was unveiled in January, is appearing across the league and its team’s Black History Celebrations, and on a jersey that is available for purchase now at shop.thepwhl.com/collections/black-history-celebration (U.S.) and ca.shop.thepwhl.com/collections/black-history-celebration (Canada).

Yeshi will also be in attendance—and dropping the ceremonial first puck—at the New York Sirens Black History Celebration Game on February 26.

The PWHL’s internal creative team was deliberate not just in selecting Yeshi, but in how they worked with her. Rather than prescribing a design direction, the league empowered her to lead with her own vision.

“This collaboration was rooted in trust and respect for the creative process,” Tinker explained. “We wanted to give Sophia the space to lead with her vision, knowing that authentic representation comes from listening and partnership, not direction.”

Yeshi could not have appreciated the creative freedom more. “I was really excited to work with the PWHL because I feel like the league gave me a lot of ownership in this project,” she said before a recent shoot at her home/studio, a gorgeous, airy apartment in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn. “They came to me and it was also nice that it was a Black woman that I was working with who was a former hockey player [Tinker]....This was something that she was really excited about and in turn, that meant it’s not just for the optics, it was actually really intentional. The league also talked about how it was important to create something that was wearable that referenced street art.

“They wanted to bring this element of cool and fun and create something that was really stylish. That was really important to me as well. Design can have all the symbolism in the world but if people don’t want to wear it, they’re not going to. So that was something that really stood out to me. I felt very empowered with this project.”

Added Tinker, “From the beginning, it was important that this project be led by an artist whose work and lived experience aligned with the intention behind Black History Month. Sophia’s design reflects both the history we honor and the future we’re working toward.”

Yeshi’s lived experiences include growing up in Baltimore, where she was a “latchkey kid” who loved art, discovered photoshop at 12 and pretty much never turned back on the path to becoming a professional artist from that point on.

In the words of her own website, Yeshi “uses her work to shine a light on Black women, women of color, and folks in the LGBTIQIA+ community who are bold, dynamic, and demand attention. Joyful figures, vibrant colors, and organic shapes define her aesthetic.”

Yeshi has worked with blue-chip corporations such as Adobe, Netflix, Nike and Spotify, and despite not being a natural sports fan, she’s done work for the likes of the Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, New York Rangers and the NWSL. “The NFL, even,” she added. “It’s really funny because I have worked on so many sports projects at this point in my career and I never thought that would be the case. Every time I’m always surprised because I’m telling them, ‘I don’t really watch (sports) like that.’ But they tell me it’s fine, it’s not the point. The point is that you’re excited about this project and you have a perspective.”

From the PWHL's perspective, Black History Celebration isn’t just a brand moment—it’s a commitment.

The art and jersey that are being produced this year through the brilliant design of Sophia Yeshi represent one of those stories. And through Yeshi’s voice, the league is sending a message about the diverse fan base it sees, values and celebrates.