Best budz forever
From The GIST Sports Biz (hi@thegistsports.com)
Happy Monday!
The WNBA was on full display this weekend, which gave players an unparalleled platform to plead their case publicly during ongoing CBA negotiations. More than 40 players met with league officials on Thursday and reportedly walked away disappointed, setting the stage for a surprise All-Star Game demonstration.
- During warm-ups, players donned t-shirts that read “Pay us what you owe us,” while fans joined in by chanting “Pay them!” when league commissioner Cathy Engelbert spoke. Better have their money.
WNBA
⭐ Best budz forever
The GIST: The WNBA’s All-Star Weekend (ASW) drove a variety of online conversation, from ongoing CBA negotiations to the proliferation of StudBudz, the player-powered shared social media profile that offered an entertaining inside look into ASW.
- As the W surges in popularity, its primary tentpole event is managing to break into the news cycle and social media conversation, demonstrating the cultural power WNBA players wield. Real playas only.
The account: Earlier this season, Minnesota Lynx friends and teammates Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman launched a Twitch account under the StudBudz moniker and began livestreaming their off-day adventures as besties and ballers, often featuring fellow W players. On June 2nd, the pair first posted on a joint Instagram account with additional behind-the-scenes snapshots.
- When ASW rolled around, StudBudz was there to seize the moment with unique social content directly from W personalities, and the pair sparked pop culture conversations throughout the weekend. Their Instagram has 72K followers with only 16 posts, while their Twitch account — which hosted a 72-hour ASW livestream — has 68.9K subscribers.
The impact: StudBudz was the talk of the town (Caitlin Clark watched three hours of their stream), but it was bigger than Williams and Hiedeman themselves. The duo requested a song change from world-famous DJ Diplo, who was spinning at Sports Illustrated’s All-Star After Party, and prompted a dance-off with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
- The pair shared other funny moments in the spotlight with stars like Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese, not to mention a crossover with another pair of comedic W personalities, Sydney Colson and Theresa Plaisance.
The shift: As Colson and Plaisance and Williams and Hiedeman have shown, there’s an untapped market for funny, organic social media content from league personalities. StudBudz was part of the reason GQ dubbed the ASG some of the most fun pro sports has had in a while, especially due to its unstructured nature and charismatic athletes.
- Both advertisers and the league itself have been critiqued for not centralizing queer women of color in campaigns, and StudBudz proves why that’s a miss. Brands like Playa Society and SLAM collaborated with the duo in real time, proving their personal brands are a selling point. Hilarious, authentic W players finally have the spotlight, and they’re winning off the court. Love to see it.
Women’s sports
💄 Hot girl summer
The GIST: Today, Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) announced that Sephora will become its exclusive beauty partner and presenting sponsor of its AUSL Championship series, which airs on ESPN this weekend. While Sephora isn’t the first beauty brand to join the women’s game, it’s gaining ground and further cementing its status as the beauty industry’s top dog. Woof.
The details: Sephora is supplying championship weekend fans with photo ops, giveaways, and in-game activations. The beauty retailer plans to extend these offerings through AUSL’s upcoming All-Star Cup, a multi-game tournament in August that will offer a glam suite for AUSL athletes for the cup’s media day.
- Additionally, Sephora is teaming up with select AUSL players for social media content and will incorporate branding into game broadcasts, in-arena signage, and digital marketing campaigns.
The background: The brand first stepped into women’s sports with its Unrivaled partnership, which put the beauty brand front and center in the league’s tunnel walk branding. Days later, Sephora became the first founding partner of the WNBA’s Toronto Tempo, then later linked up with the Golden State Valkyries as the title sponsor of its performance center.
The trend: Sephora is quickly snatching up space in different leagues, but they’re not the only brand turning toward women’s sports. Glossier was the first beauty company to invest in women’s sports in 2020, with brands like Mielle, E.l.f., Shark Beauty, and Fenty following within the past few years.
- Why? While sports remain an underserved market for women fans, companies are catching onto the opportunity in women’s sports — not just to reach women, but to have women athletes promote their products as compelling influencers.
- With marketers turning an eye toward Gen Z, which is spending a record amount with beauty faves like Sephora, aligning with popular athletes and leagues is a win-win. A thing of beauty.
🤝 Unrivaled announced several NIL deals with top college players like Azzi Fudd and Flau’jae Johnson during the WNBA’s ASW. Love a good hard launch.
🇨🇦 The Northern Super League will host its inaugural NSL Final at Toronto’s BMO Field as Canada’s first pro women’s sports team championship at a neutral-site venue.
📺 WNBA viewership for national TV partners Ion, ESPN and ABC, and CBS rose 23% YoY before the All-Star break.
🦆 NY Liberty stars Sabrina Ionescu and Natasha Cloud, who won the 3-Point Contest and Skills Challenge respectively, both benefitted from increased prize winnings thanks to sponsor Aflac. Quack on.
💸 Sportico pointed out that giving WNBA players a share of expansion fees — a negotiating point in current CBA talks — would be unprecedented in pro sports.
⚽ Kickback Soccer Media launched in partnership with social media platform Bluesky as the soccer outlet hopes to capitalize on the game’s growth as the U.S. prepares to host two FIFA World Cups.
🏟️ The KC Current broke ground on the next phase of its infrastructure expansion, which includes a new performance center and a stadium for its developmental team. The grass is always greener.
Giveaway Alert
🏖️ There’s nothing like summer in the city on the beaches of Malibu — and we want to send you there for free. The GIST is partnering with Wine Awesomeness to send the winner of this contest to sunny California for a Beach & Rosé Vacay. Yes, way.
This giveaway includes:
🍷 Two nights at the chic Surfrider Hotel, plus a $100 credit for rosé by the pool,
🏄 Surf lessons for two on Malibu’s iconic beaches,
💰 And a $500 Amex gift card for travel. Sheesh.
Don’t wait — the sooner you enter, the sooner you can submit your OOO to your manager. Cheers to that.
Recs from our roster!
🛏️ What to shop
WNBA x Pottery Barn Teen featuring custom bedding, wall decor, and backpacks repping all 13 teams. A fresh, modern drop that brings hoops and home together.
📚 What to read about
How golf fashion found Gen Z. From preppy polos to creator collabs, golf gear is getting a glow-up and brands are reworking the sport’s buttoned-up image into something cooler and way more inclusive.
🩳 What to wear
Lululemon’s Hotty Hot High-Rise shorts. Perfect for looking cute and staying cool during those summer workouts.
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