In one embodiment, a basic service set (BSS) color assignment apparatus includes a processor, and a memory to store data used by the processor, wherein the processor is operative to calculate, for each one BSS color of a plurality of BSS colors, a BSS color assignment metric at least based on use of the one BSS color in at least one neighboring BSS neighboring a BSS of an access point in an infrastructure wireless local area network (WLAN), yielding a plurality of BSS color assignment metrics for the BSS of the access point, select one of the plurality of BSS color assignment metrics associated with an optimal choice BSS color of the plurality of BSS colors for the BSS of the access point and assign the optimal choice BSS color to the BSS of the access point.