Strike a pose
From The GIST Sports Biz (hi@thegistsports.com)
Hey there!
The dreaded day has finally come: Diana Taurasi officially retired from the WNBA yesterday after 20 seasons with the Phoenix Mercury. While Taurasi told TIME she’s uncertain about what comes next, fellow W legends Sue Bird and Candace Parker offer a promising blueprint on the business side if Taurasi so chooses. If the shoe fits…
Women’s sports
👕 In vogue
The GIST: Women’s sports are the moment, but they’re more than a temporary zeitgeist. Women athletes are being centered in pop culture beyond just being athletes — they’re becoming beacons with sway in fashion and lifestyle trends, something streetwear and high fashion brands should try to capitalize on. Walk, walk, fashion, baby.
The latest: Women’s sports–focused media and lifestyle brand Togethxr recently announced it generated $6M in revenue from its “Everyone Watches Women’s Sports” merch line last year. The line included offerings in multiple languages and collaborations with teams like the Golden State Valkyries, and was popularized by celebrities like Dawn Staley and Jason Sudeikis.
- They’re not the only ones making women’s sports even more mainstream. UConn star Paige Bueckers — a noted NIL marketing genius — found time in her busy schedule to grace the cover of GQ Hype this week, reminiscent of Angel Reese’s WNBA Draft declaration in Vogue last year.
The trend: Bueckers and Reese embody a rising trend in stepping beyond athleisure into the luxury realm. Caitlin Clark made history in Prada and Louis Vuitton last spring, while Olympic freestyle skier Eileen Gu has made millions modeling for brands like Tiffany & Co. Dior has recruited women athlete ambassadors in several sports, from Paralympic fencer Bebe Vio to boxer Estelle Mossely.
- Their influence is also felt in the streetwear scene. Bueckers has sported the aforementioned Togethxr tee and boasts collabs with Round21 and Bucket Culture, while Reese has modeled for Good American jeans.
Zooming out: The latest numbers from Togethxr prove the hype around women’s sports is something brands can activate around with smart partnerships, merch offerings, and even strategic input from legendary athletes. Women’s sports fans are interested, loyal, and seeking options to support athletes beyond just buying jerseys and signature shoes.
- Luxury and streetwear brands have the opportunity to not only feature women athletes on merch, but work with them in meaningful ways that can unlock new audiences. Striking a pose.
🎸 Athletes Unlimited enjoys record attendance in Nashville amid city’s WNBA push
Athletes Unlimited (AU) Pro Basketball is thriving in its first season spent in host city Nashville. The Tennessee city was recently shortlisted as a favorite for a WNBA bid and has been making its case all month with record AU Pro game attendance.
- As of last week, YoY attendance was up 137% overall and 183% in Week 2 alone, with its February 12th game notching the highest attendance in league history. This comes after AU Pro saw a 123% YoY viewership jump in 2024 thanks to having its games broadcast on the WNBA App.
💰 Grand Slam Track eyes sports betting opportunities with new partnership
Yesterday, Grand Slam Track (GST) named sports AI company Stats Perform as its exclusive global data and betting stats partner. Set to launch in April, GST is hoping to capitalize on established betting interest to bring a broader audience to track.
- GST president Steve Gera told Sportico that major sportsbooks like DraftKings and FanDuel successfully took bets on track events at the Olympics, but there just hasn’t been another major track competition outside of the Games that gets booked regularly. Double down.
💸 Caitlin Clark’s agent contextualizes her impact on WNBA landscape
Last week, Erin Kane — the Excel Management superagent that represents Caitlin Clark — argued that it’s not possible to compensate Clark for the value she brings to the WNBA. While the W is under pressure to up salaries (especially to compete with Unrivaled), Kane may be right that there’s no way to repay Clark for what she’s done for the league.
- In December, Indiana-based associate finance professor Dr. Ryan Brewer found that Clark generated more than $36M in economic impact for Indianapolis and spurred 26.5% of league-wide activity, like ticket sales and merch.
👀 Powerade launched a new ad in its March Madness campaign, adding that an exclusive track from LSU star Flau’jae Johnson will feature later in the campaign. Gotta get reimbursed.
📈 Nike is enjoying a stock high after a difficult year: It was Monday’s top-performing Dow Jones stock and saw the third-best gain among S&P 500 members.
🍺 Beverage giant A-B InBev extended its global IOC sponsorship as a TOP Program member until 2032, with membership estimated at $200M per four-year cycle.
🏛️ U.S. Congress will undergo its first NIL–related hearing on March 4th.
📉 Manchester United plans to lay off around 200 employees as the club suffered a cumulative $470M net loss over the past five years.
🏎️ TWG Global launched TWG Motorsports, a new division encompassing its F1, IndyCar, and NASCAR teams. Right on track.
Together With Little Bean App
💄 When the less fun parts of pregnancy start to, ahem, weigh you down, self-care becomes even more crucial. But some parts of your routine could have hidden risks for your baby (looking at you, retinol), and clear information can be hard to come by. Enter: the Little Bean app.
- Little Bean scans your cosmetics labels for potentially harmful ingredients, then provides clear and concise summaries to help you make informed choices and protect your tiny bestie. It’s a huge weight off your shoulders (if not off your belly).
Celebrate Black History Month with these recs:
👟 What to read
About Nike x Skims, the collab we didn’t know we needed.
💥 What to shop
The Savage X Fenty Men’s Lounge collection. MLB pitcher Marcus Stroman fronts this comfy and fresh collection.
💪 What to wear
Vertical Activewear’s Black-owned, eco-friendly, and sustainable gym ’fits that are all made with recycled and plant-based materials. Flex on them.
Today's email was brought to you by Aryanna Prasad and Briana Ekanem. Fact checking by Bonnie Lee. Editing by Dee Lab. Operations by Elisha Gunaratnam and Marga Sison. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster, Alessandra Puccio, and Lisa Minutillo. Managing edits by Molly Potter and Ellen Hyslop. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.