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The GIST: The LPGA announced an extended partnership with energy corporation Chevron yesterday, which includes continued title sponsorship of the Chevron Championship through 2029 and a $7.9M prize purse this year. More greens, please.

The prize money: Along with the considerable prize money increase, up from its $3.1M value in 2021 before Chevron became the major championship’s title sponsor, the energy company doubled the compensation for athletes who miss the cut to $10K, making it the highest missed-cut stipend on the tour.

• Plus, the purse increase brings the LPGA Tour’s total combined prize money for the season to $123.25M, up 78.6% since 2019. The bump among the five major championships has been even more significant, growing 97% to $45.4M in just three years.

The company: Chevron has transformed the 52-year-old championship by airing it on NBC rather than the Golf Channel, which resulted in historic viewership for the 2023 event. It also works closely with the LPGA Foundation on programs encouraging STEM education and diversity and inclusion, like spending $2M on community initiatives supporting women and girls in 2022.

• But the oil company has also fielded criticism for “greenwashing,” the environmental equivalent of sportswashing, something women’s soccer players have called out FIFA sponsors for in the past.

Zooming out: Golf wants pay parity as much as any sport, but in this particular game, brands are the key driver of prize purse growth. Chevron has changed the game for the LPGA’s first major, while the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the AIG Women’s British Open extended deals with their respective partners for record purses. Getting by with a little help from our friends.

The GIST: The WNBA has come a long way from basketball’s problematic dress code and gendered expectations, finally allowing players the freedom to wear what they want. Women’s sports leagues are leaning into this now more than ever thanks to increased exposure, which makes athletes worthwhile investments for luxury brands. It’s her time to shine.

The 2024 WNBA Draft: Fashion won big on the “orange carpet” at this year’s draft. Angel Reese was dressed by Vogue editor Naomi Elizee, while Caitlin Clark made basketball (fashion) history as the first NBA or WNBA athlete to be decked out in Prada, furthering the Italian luxury brand’s foray into women’s sports after outfitting China’s 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup squad.

The context: The connection between sports and fashion has been recently deepened by male athletes as they opt for designer pre-game looks, but the area is still ripe for development in women’s sports. Women are responsible for 85% of luxury purchases, and targeting fans of women’s sports through its top athletes could help reach the new, younger demographics dominating the market.

The partnerships: Some companies are already trying to tap into this opportunity — WNBA partner Google helped create a tool that allows fans to search items in players’ pre-game ‘fits, Nike created its own fashion week in Paris last week, and the WNBA just forged a collaboration with luxury watchmaker Tissot and the league’s basketball provider Wilson.

• Tissot CEO Sylvain Dolla told The GIST last week that the 171-year-old Swiss watch brand has seen its biggest growth in the past five years from Gen Z, which he believes is linked to its partnership with the NBA and WNBA and the generation’s high interest in basketball.

Zooming out: The Tissot product partnership and Prada’s work with Clark are likely the first of many moves from luxury brands to capitalize on the iconic hype of this draft class, especially as they bring influencer experience to the W. She’s a fashion killa.