Of course she has a shoe

The GIST: It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for: Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson finally has the big-name shoe deal to match her on-court success. Wilson is officially Nike’s latest signature athlete after the brand announced Wilson’s apparel collection on Saturday. The cherry on top? The collection features her signature kick, the A’One. She’s so back.

The details: Over the past year, Wilson has collaborated with Nike’s product and design teams to create a collection that captures her style, performance, and persona. Wilson’s signature collection will feature sizes for women, men, and kids when it debuts in 2025.

• Nike and Wilson had a little fun with this one: the collection can be found at ofcourseihaveashoe.com. The playful marketing campaign refers to the fact that virtually everyone was gagged that the two-time champion and MVP didn’t have a signature shoe. Refresh for receipts.

The context: Having a shoe is a major business and cultural accomplishment, reflecting the power of Wilson’s brand on and off the court. Few women athletes have signature Nike shoe deals, and the landscape is generally sparse: Breanna Stewart and Nike athletes Sabrina Ionescu and Caitlin Clark were the only active W players with deals before Wilson’s was announced.

• But college hoopers offer hope for change in this department. The 2023–24 college basketball season began with nine women athletes signed to shoe brands, compared to just two male athletes.

• Plus, Boardroom’s Nick DePaula — who correctly predicted Wilson and Caitlin Clark were due for shoe deals — expects WBB shoe deals to be a 2024 trend, citing “relatability” as the most important trait in building a signature athlete’s brand.

Zooming out: Nike’s long-term work with Wilson proves the shoe space isn’t just reacting to Caitlin Clark–driven hype. Similar to charter flights, things have been in motion. And while Wilson may be the first Black woman with a Nike Basketball shoe since Sheryl Swoopes, the success of this launch will surely kick the door wide open for her peers and other up-and-comers.

• Investing in a sport’s top athlete never fails: It worked for New Balance when Coco Gauff won the US Open, and it’ll work when Wilson takes the court in Tuesday’s season opener. Call her champion.

The GIST: The rumors are true — the WNBA is coming to Toronto in 2026. On Friday, CBC’s Shireen Ahmed broke the news, with an official announcement expected on May 23rd. Toronto’s selection marks a major turning point for W: international expansion. Player with a passport.

The details: After previously favored Portland fumbled their opportunity last November, the winning bid now belongs to Canadian billionaire Larry Tanenbaum, who launched a campaign for a WNBA team this March. While Toronto’s expansion fee is unknown, it’s expected to be similar to the record $50M fee Golden State paid, putting estimated startup costs around $100M.

The backstory: After the inaugural WNBA Canada Game in Toronto last year, MLSE was reportedly interested in bidding for a WNBA expansion franchise. But, the organization — which owns the Toronto Maple Leafs and Raptors — suddenly backed out of their bid due to internal divisiveness.

• This created space for Tanenbaum, who initially supported the MLSE bid, to launch a new Toronto bid under his holding group, the Kilmer Group.

The market: The 2023 WNBA Canada Game not only converted more Canadian sports fans to the WNBA, but it also proved the market for women’s hoops in Canada at large. This month’s WNBA Canada Game in Edmonton saw a 65% increase in viewership over last year.

• Canadian Tire AVP Ashley Curran told The GIST that a team in Toronto means a team all of Canada can root for, citing the MLB’s Blue Jays and NBA’s Raptors as examples.

• The Blue Jays reportedly boast the largest MLB fanbase, while the Raptors rank high in attendance and social media following.

Zooming out: This is just the beginning for the WNBA, which recently announced plans to expand to 16 teams by 2028. Tanenbaum was smart not to pass up on the opportunity: In 2023, the Seattle Storm had a league-high $151M valuation

• Canada has proven itself as a women’s sports market by fully embracing the PWHL, and based on all the metrics (and social media posts), Toronto’s WNBA team will be Canada’s team.