Basketball

WNBA teams lead the way in social media engagement among pro sports teams

Earlier this month, Sports Business Journal shared data from sponsorship analytics platform Blinkfire on social media engagement among professional North American sports teams. Eight of the top 10 are WNBA teams, led by the Dallas Wings, Indiana Fever, and Golden State Valkyries.

July 23, 2025

Viral success of WNBA’s StudBudz proves the power of authentic, player-driven storytelling

🏀

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.

July 21, 2025

Portland Fire unveils team branding amid mixed fan reactions

🏀

Yesterday, Portland’s WNBA expansion team finally launched its long-awaited brand reveal, showcasing its name and logo as the Portland Fire. While there are some local criticisms about the name, Portland made this decision with significant intentionality, which may have influenced the overall positive response to the name.

July 16, 2025

WNBA sponsors lean into winning marketing trends at this year’s WNBA Live event

🏀

This year will mark the fourth edition of WNBA Live at WNBA All-Star Weekend, where 25 event sponsors will offer IRL activations for fans. The efficacy of experiential advertising pairs well with the impressive purchase consideration from women’s sports fans, who boast higher awareness and devotion to sponsors in women’s sports.

July 14, 2025

WNBA announces three new expansion teams as league favors experienced ownership

🏀

The WNBA tipped off Monday with major news: The league is awarding three new expansion franchises to Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia. Each of the winning bids agreed to pay a record $250M expansion fee — higher than the valuations of half the W — with additional investments committed to team and facility development.

July 02, 2025

Sportico releases WNBA valuations as Golden State tops the list at $500M

🏀

Yesterday, Sportico published its estimated WNBA valuations, illustrating YoY valuation gains for teams across the board. One significant surprise? The financial power of the Golden State Valkyries, which tipped off its inaugural season last month and already leads the league in valuation, just ahead of the NY Liberty and Indiana Fever.

June 25, 2025

Ion bags WNBA on Friday nights as network touts benefits of appointment viewing

🏀

On Friday, Scripps-owned network Ion Television renewed its media rights agreement with the WNBA nearly a year after the league inked a joint multinetwork package alongside the NBA. Despite the WNBA’s attainment of expensive, major network deals, there’s still considerable value in what Ion uniquely brings to the table: A distinct audience and capacity for appointment viewing.

June 16, 2025

Sports Business

Historically male-dominated hoops spaces are becoming more women-forward

🏀

June 11, 2025

You already know that women’s basketball is booming — according to a recent report from Global Sports Properties, the WNBA saw a 322% increase in global online searches last year. However, the sport’s impact extends beyond the pro court: The male-dominated spaces long associated with hoops are becoming more women-forward…and it’s about time.

Read Full Story

The GIST of It Podcast

Ep #479

Game day style with designer Kristin Juszczyk

July 24, 2025

Listen on Apple Music Listen on Spotify

Game day style with designer Kristin Juszczyk

Work, cover girl!

Designer Kristin Juszczyk is that girl on the NFL sidelines, outfitting the league’s hottest WAGS, from Taylor Swift to Simone Biles — and today, she’s sitting down with The GIST’s Associate Managing Editor Lauren Tuiskula. With NFL training camps underway and Juszczyk’s new Off Season collection dropping now, it’s the perfect time to level up your game day style. Tune in to hear her ultimate fashion playbook, including what trends are on their way out as temperatures drop. Football is (almost) back, baby.