Basketball

WNBA eyes international expansion as global athletes, fans develop ties to league

For the WNBA’s 30th season, the league is looking back — and abroad. Three of the first 12 WNBA Draft picks were international, including No. 3 Awa Fam Thiam from Spain. It makes sense to lure stars stateside as the league hopes to build fandom abroad: W commissioner Cathy Engelbert said she’s “heavily looking at” staging international WNBA games.

April 16, 2026

WNBA, NY Liberty launch campaigns to celebrate 30-year anniversary

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On Tuesday, the WNBA launched its campaign to celebrate its 30th season. The initiatives play into the nostalgia love among W fans, and we chatted with WNBA business growth AVP Keri Lenker last week about the league’s plans, the data that informed the campaign, and why brands are jumping on the bandwagon. All aboard.

April 09, 2026

WNBA star Lexie Hull explains power of word-of-mouth recommendations among women consumers

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On March 31st, WNBA star Lexie Hull co-launched Forta, a skincare brand designed for athletes. She’s amplifying her brand on Faves, a new platform that allows athletes to recommend products they actually use.

April 09, 2026

Angel Reese’s move to the Atlanta Dream to have massive business implications

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In a shocking, blockbuster trade yesterday, the Chicago Sky sent Angel Reese to the Atlanta Dream for Atlanta’s first-round picks in 2027 and 2028. It’s a bold move that the Dream believes will revamp their roster, but also has implications beyond the court. Does this mean Chi-Town Barbie is now A-Town Barbie? Let’s explore.

April 07, 2026

How Flau’jae Johnson is taking notes and putting on a clinic in NIL entrepreneurship

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In March, we chatted with Flau'jae Johnson about her collaborations across sport, music, and business as she prepares to pick up her cap and gown in a few weeks before entering the WNBA. Let’s ball.

April 04, 2026

Connecticut Sun sold to Houston ownership with plans to revive vintage Comets franchise

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On Friday, the Mohegan Tribe — the longtime ownership group of the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun — reportedly sold the team to Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta and family for a record $300M. The move solidified months of speculation that the W would steer the sale toward Houston after the league reportedly denied Boston’s even higher bid for $325M.

March 31, 2026

Overtime’s first-of-its-kind UConn partnership heralds a new era of NIL brand integration

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This month, Gen Z–focused basketball media company Overtime (OT) announced a content partnership with UConn women’s basketball — a first-of-its-kind deal for college sports. While embedded content studios aren’t new, head of OT Select and women’s basketball Sascha Malas told us earlier this month that universities haven’t partnered directly with media companies before.

March 28, 2026

How the Bhathal family is running Portland

Sports Business

How the Bhathal family is running Portland

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March 20, 2026

The Bhathals are changing how the women’s sports game is played, from building the first-ever dual WNBA and NWSL practice facility to creating the first local channel dedicated to women’s sports. That synergy is helping the teams become a major draw for high-profile brand deals. This week, we spoke with Bhathal Merage in a rare interview ahead of her appearance at the Power Play Sports Sponsorship Accelerator about the benefits of owning both teams, both from an ownership and sponsorship perspective. As she put it, “one plus one equals five.” The math is mathin’.

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The GIST of It Podcast

Ep #548

Puck off — the NHL postseason is here

April 16, 2026

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It’s giving icy and spicy.

It’s once again time to talk about the hardest trophy to win in professional sports, the Stanley Cup. The puck drops on the NHL postseason this Saturday, so today’s episode of The GIST of It is all about the best game you can name, from how the playoffs work to the teams co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz are keeping an eye on. Let’s do that hockey.