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.

May 13, 2024

WNBA announces Toronto as the location for its 14th franchise

🏀

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.

May 13, 2024

WNBA makes the most of opening night with first-ever Disney+ simulcast

🏀

The WNBA is looking to leverage all available tools to build interest in the game, and that means taking a winning move out of the men’s sports playbook. ESPN announced yesterday that for the first time ever, the WNBA’s opening night doubleheader will be available on Disney+ in addition to streaming on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

May 08, 2024

Angel Reese forges path as a cultural icon in women’s sports

🏀

The spotlight might be bright on Caitlin Clark, but Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese is also becoming a cultural force — on Monday, she became the first WNBA rookie to make a Met Gala appearance. Reese is uniquely positioned to become a sports and fashion icon, reflecting a moment where women athletes are appreciated for their marketing and trend-setting potential.

May 08, 2024

WNBA pivots to airing on League Pass app despite marquee preseason matchups

🏀

The WNBA saw the Caitlin Clark Effect play out on the court this weekend in a sold-out preseason game between the Indiana Fever and Dallas Wings. But the league’s decision to keep the game — and the popular WNBA Canada preseason game — exclusively available on WNBA League Pass in the U.S. may have been a missed bucket for the league.

May 06, 2024

Candace Parker outlines future business plans in her retirement announcement

🏀

WNBA legend Candace Parker announced her retirement yesterday, and like everything else she does, Parker did it differently. In the announcement, she outlined plans to ramp up her business aspirations, which include owning a WNBA team and an NBA team.

April 29, 2024

Caitlin Clark’s marketability continues to rise

🏀

Caitlin Clark continues to dominate headlines as she heads into her first WNBA season. While we wait for Clark to bring her game to the Indiana Fever’s court, here’s the latest on how she’s changing the women’s basketball (business) game.

April 22, 2024

Sports Business

Caitlin Clark reportedly nearing eight-figure Nike shoe deal

🏀

April 19, 2024

We’ve got news for the “Caitlin Clark is taking a pay cut” crowd: She’s expected to hit another payday as she steps into the WNBA limelight. Recent reports indicate Clark is close to signing an eight-figure signature shoe deal with Nike worth over $20M with the potential for bonuses.

Read Full Story

The GIST of It Podcast

Ep #365

WNBA prepares for charter flight takeoff and a USTA WTF

May 09, 2024

Listen on Apple Music Listen on Spotify

WNBA prepares for charter flight takeoff and a USTA WTF

Hey there!

Content warning: Today’s episode contains mention of sexual assault.

Today’s episode of The GIST of It starts out with nothing but net, as co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz discuss a plethora of league-altering WNBA news, most notably the announcement that charter flights could be implemented for all teams as soon as this season.

Part 2 sadly brings a WTF, after a federal jury ordered the USTA — tennis’ governing body — to pay a $9M settlement to a player who alleges the organization failed to protect her from being sexually assaulted by a coach. Just awful.

Thank you to Aflac for powering today’s episode! Just like The GIST tackles the gap in women’s sports coverage, Aflac closes the gap that health insurance leaves behind. Learn more at aflac.com/thegist.