The GIST

Portland’s NWSL, WNBA teams launch local women’s sports channel as joint ownership unlocks powerful opportunities

Last week, the NWSL’s Portland Thorns and the WNBA’s Portland Fire announced that the organizations — both owned by the Bhathal family — will create a local women’s sports channel in Portland, OR, to showcase content from both teams on Fox 12 Plus. The Fire are also partnering with streaming platform Kiswe to create a dedicated team app.

March 03, 2026

PWHL, NHL navigating post-Olympics injury reality

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It’s hard to believe the Milano Cortina Olympics ended just over a week ago — unless you look at the PWHL and NHL injury reports. With the second half of both seasons underway, superstars from the hockey leagues find themselves sidelined by injuries sustained while competing for their countries in Milan.

March 02, 2026

Why Rebel Girls resonates with Gen Alpha sports fans

In December 2024, girls empowerment brand Rebel Girls entered the sports chat for the first time, making a splash through partnerships with two emerging women’s sports leagues: LOVB and AUSL. Rebel Girls saw its audience of Gen Alpha girls organically respond to its sports-centric content, so the brand leaned in. Over a year later, Rebel Girls is going even deeper into the sports world. Rebel Girls announced four new sports-inspired series this week, while also naming 14-year-old Pepper Persley as its first-ever brand ambassador and Emma May-Bradley as chief content and marketing officer.

February 28, 2026

World No. 2 USWNT and No. 10 CanWNT headline 11th annual SheBelieves Cup

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The 11th annual SheBelieves Cup — an international four-team friendly tournament hosted by the USWNT — begins in Nashville, TN, on Sunday, featuring the world No. 2 Americans, No. 10 CanWNT, No. 20 Colombia, and No. 30 Argentina. 2025 was a year of experimentation for both the USWNT and CanWNT, but now it’s go time.

February 27, 2026

Flavor Flav encourages brands to close the gender gap in sports after President Trump’s hockey debacle

Things happen fast when you’re rapper Flavor Flav. The ‘90s icon is known for his avid women’s sports fandom after supporting athletes during Paris 2024. Initially a fan of the Team USA women’s water polo team, Flav extended his endorsement to many more athletes, and the same happened at the Winter Olympics.

February 26, 2026

Emma Raducanu leaves Nike for Uniqlo as smaller brands provide unique opportunities for tennis players

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This week, British tennis star Emma Raducanu left Nike to ink a multiyear deal with Japanese clothing brand Uniqlo, following in the footsteps of heavy-hitters like Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. The move illustrates how athletes and smaller brands have more leverage than ever when it comes to sports apparel giants. Let’s dive in.

February 26, 2026

The latest on the WNBA’s CBA negotiations

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According to the WNBA, a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the league and its players’ union (the WNBPA) needs to be agreed upon by March 10th, otherwise the 2026 schedule will be affected. That’s *checks notes* less than two weeks away — and there’s lots of work to be done.

February 25, 2026

Playoff seeding on the line during Friday’s Unrivaled regular-season finale

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Playoff seeding on the line during Friday’s Unrivaled regular-season finale

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February 25, 2026

Unrivaled is rocking straight into today’s regular-season finale with four games hitting the hardwood starting at 1 p.m. ET. And that’s only the beginning of the high-stakes hoopla because the first round of the single-elimination playoffs tips off tomorrow.

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The GIST of It Podcast

Ep #535

UCLA women’s basketball head coach Cori Close is leading with joy this March Madness

March 03, 2026

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UCLA women’s basketball head coach Cori Close is leading with joy this March Madness

Let the Madness begin.

Now that it’s officially March, we’re kicking off the month with one of the best head coaches in the NCAA women’s basketball game: UCLA’s Cori Close. Tune in for a stellar conversation between Coach Close and co-host Alessandra Puccio, who discuss everything from the Bruins’ chances this season to their 2025 Final Four run, which was captured in the new documentary YOU SEE L.A., available to watch tonight at 6 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1 and stream on YouTube worldwide.