Got our big coats on
From The GIST Sports Biz (hi@thegistsports.com)
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It’s official: NBA all-time 3-point leader Steph Curry will face reigning 3-point WNBA All-Star champ Sabrina Ionescu in a first-of-its-kind competition during NBA All-Star Weekend next month. After the two stars expressed mutual interest in facing off, the NBA made it happen. Challenge accepted.
WNBA
🏀 A sisterly assist
The GIST: Athletes Unlimited (AU) — the women’s sports league offering month-long pro tournaments — returns for its third basketball season in February following two big announcements. Yesterday, AU released its 2024 roster, which features 29 current and former WNBA athletes, and announced that games will be available for free on the WNBA App for the first time ever. A bank shot.
How it works: The season runs from February 29th to March 23rd, with athletes competing for points on the leaderboard based on individual performances and team wins. Four teams are drafted weekly and captained by the top four players in the standings. The 2024 tournament is sponsored by Air Force, Gatorade, and Nike, among others.
The roster: The 40-person field includes 29 athletes with WNBA experience — up from 18 players in 2023 and 15 players in 2022. Nineteen of those 29 are on active W rosters, including new additions like Haley Jones and returning veterans like Natasha Cloud. Plus, Syd and TP will be returning to AU this year. One shot away from world domination.
The assist: While 25 AU games streamed on WNBA League Pass last year, which required a subscription, this season will feature 18 of 24 games for free on the relaunched WNBA App. Australia’s WNBL also recently signed a deal with the WNBA App, another savvy move from the W as it works to provide 24/7 women’s basketball coverage.
- The WNBA is supporting its athletes in the offseason, while also serving its bottom line. Not only does this incentivize staying in the U.S., but it allows players to remain available to fans throughout the year. More basketball for us, thank you.
WTA
🎾 A full-court approach
The GIST: After tennis brass spoke with athletes at last week’s Australian Open, a proposal for a WTA–ATP merger is picking up steam. The women’s tour is particularly receptive to the concept, which would produce a new “Premium Tour” to exist alongside the Grand Slams — and offer women athletes equal pay. Love.
The proposal: The proposed elite tour would feature around 11 to 14 combined men’s and women’s tournaments, similar to F1’s global motorsport series. Remaining WTA and ATP tournaments would form a secondary development level featuring men and women competitors outside the top 100.
- The combined tour has several goals, the biggest being to amass WTA and ATP media rights and sponsorship deals under one brand, which could generate more revenue than the tennis tours do separately. Better together.
- This could also ease the WTA’s financial stress and allow non–Grand Slam tournaments to reward women’s tennis stars with even more moolah. And with fewer annual commitments, the proposed tour would lessen the travel burden on players — a major issue in tennis.
The reactions: WTA boss Steve Simon is reportedly willing to consider the proposal, especially as it ensures equal pay and billing for women athletes throughout the entire tennis season rather than solely at Grand Slams.
- However, financial issues are at play, including whether or not the WTA opens the tour to Saudi Arabia. The Gulf nation has been targeting women’s tennis — it’s currently pursuing rights to the BJK Cup and two 1000-level events and wants to host the WTA Finals, something Simon avoided last year amid sportswashing concerns.
- Plus, the ATP is reportedly less open to the plan since it has more to lose and less to gain financially through shared media and sponsorship.
The future: Decentralization is one of tennis’ core issues, which is why WTA–ATP merger talks have been floated before. It remains to be seen if anything will change this time around, but Saudi Arabia has already proven its ability to influence mergers. Watch this space.
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🏈 The NFL reached a rare licensing deal with Kristin Juszczyk for men’s and women’s merchandise after the custom Travis Kelce jacket she designed for Taylor Swift went viral. Got our big coats on.
⛸️ Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva faces a four-year ban for doping retroactively dated to December 2021, meaning she will forfeit all titles, medals, prizes, and appearance money.
💼 WNBA Golden State hired former Angel City FC head of revenue Jess Smith as team president. Like no one has seen before.
📺 Peacock is reaping the benefits of the Caitlin Clark effect thanks to its 2022 agreement with the Big Ten.
🏅LA28 is struggling to secure partners after a slow sponsorship campaign, and it still needs a new CEO after Kathy Carter stepped down in December.
🎓 LSU’s athletics department experienced a $4M deficit for the 2022-23 season despite winning multiple championships, but its new women’s basketball media rights deal with ESPN could get the school back in the black.
👀 Sports Illustrated’s union filed a NLRB complaint for allegations of union-busting after ex-Arena Group chairman Ross Levinsohn accused its board of doing so.
📈 Fanduel parent company Flutter Entertainment began trading on the New York Stock Exchange on Monday.
Peep our squad’s MVPs (Most Valuable Picks):
💻 What to read
This article exploring how the internet built a conspiracy theory around a new spy flick, a debut novel, and Taylor Swift. Truly fascinating.
🍲 What to cook
Chili. If you’re searching for the perfect dish for your Super Bowl party, chili is always the answer, and this recipe looks absolutely delish.
🏎️ What to get excited for
Drive To Survive Season 6. Buckle up for another action-packed ride through the world of Formula 1 racing and all the off-track drama. Engines start on February 23rd.
Today's email was brought to you by Aryanna Prasad and Briana Ekanem. Fact checking by Bonnie Lee. Editing by Lindsay Jost. Operations by Elisha Gunaratnam and Lisa Minutillo. Ads by Lauren Tuiskula, Dee Lab, and Alexis Allison. Managing edits by Molly Potter and Ellen Hyslop.