Breaking Barriers: Sequel Becomes First Menstrual Care Company to Sponsor a WNBA Team

The startup, founded by two Stanford graduates, is the official tampon brand of the Indiana Fever.

Amanda Calabrese and Greta Meyer / Courtesy of Sequel

For the first time in WNBA history, a tampon brand is on the roster.

Meet Sequel: the Stanford-engineered women’s health startup that just signed on as the official period care sponsor of the Indiana Fever.

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The exciting collaboration, which includes free product access for players in the locker room and free samples in Gainbridge Fieldhouse restrooms for fans, sends a powerful message: women’s bodies are not taboo. And as Sequel’s cofounders Greta Meyer and Amanda Calabrese have long emphasized, it’s about time the sports industry started treating period care as essential equipment.

“Partnering with the Fever means being able to work with the best organization, athletes, and fans in the world right now.” CEO Meyer said in a press release. “Whether you’re on the court or cheering on in the stands, Sequel’s goal has always been to be a reliable and trustworthy option, and with this partnership, we’re getting the chance to do that on one of the biggest stages in women’s sports.”

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What makes this partnership even more special is the connection that brought it to life. Lexie Hull, a guard for the Fever, is also a Stanford alum—one who earned her master's in management science and engineering while competing as a Division I athlete. During her time on campus, two of her classmates were developing a tampon engineered specifically with athletes in mind. Hull is now one of Sequel’s athlete ambassadors, a full-circle moment that illustrates how innovation, community and representation can converge.

“We’ve been building Sequel for six years for this moment,” CMO Calabrese tells SI Swimsuit. “After years in research and development, working hard to build the best product possible, being able to launch at such an exciting time for women’s sports has been incredible. From day one, we’ve intended to partner with the best athletes in the world. We knew it would be a critical and authentic way for us to build trust with our future customers. But getting to partner with teams? We don’t think we could have imagined in 2019 the cultural shift that would unfold to make this opportunity possible.”

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At the center of the brand is the Sequel Spiral Tampon—a first-of-its-kind product in a category that hasn’t seen major innovation in over 80 years. FDA-cleared and designed with a patented helical shape, the tampon is built to help prevent leaks and support movement. Sequel already partners with Stanford Athletics, Athletes Unlimited, Unrivaled Basketball, DC United and DC Power, earning praise from top organizations in women’s sports.

The Indiana Fever, currently the most talked-about team in the WNBA thanks to second-year sensation Caitlin Clark, are no strangers to making headlines. This partnership proves they’re just as bold when it comes to breaking taboos around women’s health.

“Building our brand in this way, alongside partners like the Fever, gives us such a unique and specialized opportunity to destigmatize periods in a way that is true to Sequel’s origin story,” Calabrese adds, noting that she represented the U.S. in Lifesaving for nine years while Meyer played D1 lacrosse at Stanford. “Sequel was born from the real challenges we faced as athletes competing on our periods. Greta has stories of her teammates whispering ‘Can you check me?’ on the field in their white Stanford uniforms. I had plenty of personal leakage incidents from lifeguarding on the big white chair to sprinting in and out of the water in my bikini competition outfit, distracted by discomfort.”

Amanda Calabrese and Greta Meyer / Courtesy of Sequel

The duo knows firsthand how frustrating it can be to compete without reliable period care. That experience, shared by countless classmates and teammates, is what drives their mission.

“Greta and I are building the tampons we wished we had on game day, with the same determination we had to score goals or win championships,” Calabrese continues. “Honestly, starting a company feels a lot like being on a high-level sports team: the pressure and stakes are high, and it takes relentless work, but that makes the wins even more meaningful, especially when you’ve been the underdog from the start.”

For more on Sequel’s spiral design and mission to elevate the standard of period care, visit trysequel.com or follow @trysequel on Instagram and TikTok.

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