The job opening of all job openings
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Leveling The Playing Field
Happy Thursday!
Although Sunday’s women’s college volleyball debut at MLB’s Wrigley Field between Nebraska and Missouri was a bit of a bust, one major win did come out of it: Adidas announced the signing of Cornhusker stars Bergen Reilly and Manaia Ogbechie to its NIL class, along with Texas A&M’s Kyndal Stowers and Penn State senior Kennedy Martin. Aces all around.
WNBA
🏀 Should auld acquaintance commissioner be forgot
The GIST: ICYMI, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced her retirement on Friday after seven years in the position. Her last day on the job is December 31, 2026, with this epic 16 weeks’ notice launching a highly competitive job search that already has the rumor wheel spinning.
The context: Engelbert became the first commissioner of the WNBA in 2019, as previous league leaders held the position of president. The title change reflected evolving priorities in the W, where it needed less focus on daily operations and more on business growth and league strategy. As the former CEO of accounting giant Deloitte, Engelbert did just that.
- She led a $75M capital raise in 2022, set direction to increase the league from 12 to 18 franchises by 2030, introduced the first airline charter program for a women’s professional league in the U.S. and negotiated two collective bargaining agreements, the second of which included a $3.1B media rights deal.
The controversy: The league reached new business heights during her tenure, but Engelbert will likely be remembered for her relationship lows with the players, particularly when it came to athlete safety.
- From the lack of referee reform that led to more injuries to inaction regarding online harassment of players, Engelbert was rarely viewed as someone in the players’ corner, as Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier famously detailed in 2025.
The search: The Athletic put together a list of potential candidates to replace Engelbert ranging from frontrunners like basketball Hall of Famer Swin Cash and head of WNBA league ops Bethany Donaphin to longshots like former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and newly-announced retiree Nneka Ogwumike — who insists she needs a vacation first.
- On the plus side, the list is mostly women, but whoever takes the reins will inherit a complicated and uneven relationship with NBA leadership and its board of governors. Still, fans and players are (cautiously) excited to ring in the new year with a new leader. Start the countdown.
TOGETHER WITH Spark by Hilton
☀️ There are only a few weeks left to turn that summer trip mood board into reality. And Spark by Hilton can help you do it for less.
- Whether you’re planning that last hurrah road trip or getting a new stamp on your passport, great service, clean, comfortable spaces, and affordable rates are just a few clicks away.
Hilton Honors Members even get up to 17% off, and joining is free, so the only thing you have to worry about is where you’re catching those last summer rays.
🎾 WTA reckons with precarious financial state
The bright lights of the US Open continue to shine, but behind the scenes, the governing body of women’s tennis isn’t doing too hot: The org is reportedly at risk of running out of cash. This year’s operational losses are expected to cost the WTA $23M, a total that would “plunge its accounts into the red” by next fall if expenses aren’t significantly cut.
- An early exit from the WTA’s three-year Finals deal with Saudi Arabia — a partnership that drew ire from tennis pros and fans due to the country’s sportswashing tendencies — is partially to blame for the deficit.
🎓 SEC files to expel LSU from the conference
The pros-returning-to-college saga has another plot twist: The powerhouse conference requested permission via an amendment to an already-filed lawsuit to boot the Tigers. The push for expulsion stems from football head coach Lane Kiffin’s desire to ink former pros (though it’s reportedly off the table for LSU’s 2026 campaign), a stance most NCAA folks vehemently oppose.
- Conference leaders will meet today to make their decision. And it’s not just LSU football’s status at stake: It’d be an all-encompassing decision, removing all the university’s sports — including the juggernaut women's basketball and gymnastics teams — from the SEC. Stay tuned.
🏀 Two men lose jobs after sending racist messages to WNBA players
Recurring instances of of racist and sexual harassment, both online and in person, have plagued the WNBA this season. Thankfully, many businesses are taking action to nip this in the bud: Medical device company Acclaro Medical confirmed yesterday that it fired an employee for allegedly sending a racist text message to LA Sparks star Dearica Hamby.
- The firing comes on the heels of Hilton Grand Vacations terminating the contract of a man who reportedly sent a racist message to Las Vegas Aces point guard Chelsea Gray in July. Ah, if it isn’t the warranted consequences of despicable actions.
📺 Less than 10% of sports highlight shows’ coverage features women
Women’s sports are booming, from record-breaking attendance to sky-high valuations. Equal coverage isn’t quite there yet, but data shows women’s sports account for 21.7% of coverage in daily newsletters (oh, hi there!) and 28.2% on social media. Traditional sports highlight shows are an entirely different story: Only 9.2% feature women’s sports, up a measly 0.5% from 1999.
- And while ESPN is extending its Women’s Sports Sundays into the fall with 11 straight weeks of everything from college hoops to the WTGL, there’s still room for growth related to how large-scale sports media companies report on the games they broadcast.
🎾 World Team Tennis announced its rosters, which include WTA stars Jessica Pegula, Victoria Mboko, and Leylah Fernandez, plus ATP players Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz.
🏒 The PWHL reached a national broadcast rights agreement with Scripps Sports, the league’s first season-long national TV package in the U.S.
⚽ Winnipeg’s NSL expansion team will play in Canada’s second purpose-built women’s stadium, which will be added to the Ralph Cantafio Soccer Complex.
🤑 A new report from design firm Populous and private investment fund Project Level focuses on the growth and revenue potential in women’s sports infrastructure. If you build it, they will come.
🌹 Retired USWNT captain Becky Sauerbrunn is returning to her former NWSL team, the Portland Thorns, as a technical consultant.
🏐 Insecure creator Issa Rae is LOVB LA’s newest investor as she also continues to produce a new show about boxing for HBO.
📉 Nike will exit the S&P 100 as its stock price plummets…but CEO Elliott Hill isn’t worried. Okay then.
🎽 Speaking of Nike, the brand and Michele Kang’s London City Lionesses signed a jersey sponsorship deal which Kang claimed to be the most valuable in women’s soccer.
Today's email was brought to you by Rachel Fuenzalida, Lisa Minutillo, and Katie Foster. Fact checking by Bonnie Lee. Operations by Elisha Gunaratnam. Ads by Ali Haberstroh. Managing edits by Molly Potter and Katie Foster. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.