ICYMI, Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark’s autographed memorabilia sold out in mere minutes last week — a sign that collectibles are just the latest space where the WNBA is making waves.

The WNBA’s in its transformation era after a record-breaking season, but what does all this growth mean specifically for league sponsorship? Data platform Relo Metrics released a report this morning exploring how brands are thriving thanks to their women’s hoops investment.

As discussed on yesterday’s episode of The GIST of It, the WNBPA announced it’s opting out of its historic 2020 collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The news was expected, meaning yet another precedent-setting CBA is imminent — let’s hoop to it.

As the WNBA reaches new heights on and off the court, we chatted with basketball icon Candace Parker about her latest gig — curating a hoops trading card collection with eBay — and her vision for the W’s future as the popularity of women’s basketball continues to surge.

Former University of Florida track star Parker Valby inked a deal with New Balance last week as she ramps up to her first year as a pro. In an interview with the GIST, Valby said she had a gut feeling New Balance was the right fit for her, opting not to re-sign with Nike after she became the first collegiate women’s runner to sign an endorsement deal with the brand in 2023.

The Athena Pledge, a first-of-its-kind, collaborative project between AT&T, Capital One, Cisco, and Deloitte, was announced last week with the aim to rally other brands to increase their women’s sports spend as well as to prioritize women’s sports in their own strategic planning.

Unrivaled, the new 3x3 league founded by WNBA superstars (and current Finals opponents) Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, inked an exclusive multiyear media deal with TNT on Wednesday.

Launch day didn’t go as planned for NWSL expansion club BOS Nation FC, but it did successfully announce celebrity investment from actress Elizabeth Banks and gymnast Aly Raisman yesterday. The franchise uniquely boasts an all-women ownership group, but its incoming celeb investment follows an NWSL trend that’s helped franchises shine bright and far.

With an uncertain future looming, the latest reimagination of college football (CFB) — called “Project Rudy” — is being spearheaded by former Disney executives as an umbrella-style solution buoyed by private equity (PE).

The NY Liberty and Minnesota Lynx battled it out on the hardwood in last night’s thrilling Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, but the cherry on top of the women’s hoops cake has been the league’s postseason viewership numbers.

As covered in yesterday’s episode of The GIST of It, the pro softball space has been thrown yet another curveball. Last week, several prominent pro softball players spoke out against subpar working conditions during the 2024 Women’s Professional Fastpitch (WPF) season, which they allege breach their signed contracts.