(CNN) – Sports Illustrated is honoring the US women’s national soccer team in a slightly different way than usual.
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The brand has previously printed multiple covers primarily for regional appeal, distributing versions of college and pro season previews around the country, for example, with locally appropriate teams or players.
Sports Illustrated managing editor Chris Stone said the upcoming set – an idea that was conceived last week – will be a first for the magazine.
So, SI made a decision to go whole hog, featuring the players, coach, and one group shot. “The USWNT has plenty of recognizable, even famous names, but we couldn’t think of a group so thoroughly identified with a team as this one”. The photographer we wanted to shoot it, and who had shot the Finals game, Simon Bruty, was headed home to D.C. It wasn’t going to happen on Tuesday.
There are 25 covers in all, which will hit newsstands later this week, and SI says the covers will vary by market.
The team was honored in a rare ticker-tape parade in New York City on Friday. The issue comes out this week and Sports Illustrated needed to have all 23 players, Ellis and the trophy there to take the pictures and have it ready for the cover.
The parade was a special honor for the women’s team, as these parades have only ever featured New York professional men’s teams.
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Lloyd also tweeted #CHAMPIONS from Times Square.
