The GIST

Disastrous Sydney Sweeney ad sparks empowering social response from women athletes

We said it once and we’ll say it again, that ad sucked. Whether it was intended as rage bait or just the most recent flop in a series of problematic sports adverts, it’s exhausting. Content creators are leading the backlash against said ad, and no one is doing it better, or more empowering, than actual women in sports.

September 15, 2026

VOYAGE KC | Inspiring Conversations with Ellen Hyslop of The GIST

A conversation with Ellen Hyslop of The GIST.

September 08, 2026

New reports reveal feature key data around women’s sports fandom

Not one, but two major reports have dropped since our last newsletter and the results overwhelmingly show that women’s sports are no longer a trend, but a triumph. From increased viewership to brand loyalty and women impacting the growth of men’s sports, the data is singing the praises of this movement and it’s a song we love to hear.

August 18, 2026

New data shows market gap in fans wanting to watch women’s sports

Sports Poll by SSRS — the world’s longest-running market research study on sports fandom — dropped some data proving what we’ve known all along: it shouldn’t be this hard to watch women’s sports.

August 13, 2026

Simmons paves the way with Women’s Sports Business MSM Program

Women’s sports will conquer new territory in 2026: the classroom. Simmons University in Boston makes history this fall with the first cohort of its Women’s Sports Business Program. Matriculated students will earn a Master of Science in Management (MSM) with a Business and Leadership in Women’s Sports Concentration, the first of its kind. The development is unsurprising for the historically female institution. At the time of its founding in 1974, the Simmons School of Management (SOM) offered the world's first MBA program designed specifically for women, and over 50 years later, Simmons is making way for even more progress.

August 01, 2026

T.J. Maxx marketing head Emily Trent discusses women’s sports sponsorship strategy

Budget-friendly retailer T.J. Maxx has been stepping up its women’s sports sponsorship game in recent years, partnering with ESPN, Boston Legacy FC, and over 55 women athletes, coaches, and broadcasters. At this year’s ESPYs, it doubled down on visibility with one of its top athlete ambassadors: rugby star Ilona Maher.

July 23, 2026

Misha Sher’s next chapter is helping women athletes achieve true stardom

You’ve heard of mega-agencies serving hundreds of athletes, boutique ones catering to a select few, and emerging ones focusing on women athletes only. Last month, industry veteran Misha Sher launched his own agency, One of Not Many (ONM), after seeing gaps in the way women athletes build their careers after hanging up the cleats. Sher chatted with us last month about why he launched ONM and how he plans to make his roster of four athletes — which includes former USWNT and NWSL standout Ali Riley and Arsenal forward Alessia Russo — stars in their next chapter, too.

July 18, 2026

AT&T assistant VP Sabina Ahmed chats about going all in on women’s sports

Sports Business

AT&T assistant VP Sabina Ahmed chats about going all in on women’s sports

July 14, 2026

This summer, AT&T featured Angel City FC captain Sarah Gorden and Texas Tech soccer standout Kylie Bahr in its popular “She’s Connected” campaign, which the telecomms brand launched in 2020 to spotlight women athlete entrepreneurs. Last week, we spoke with AT&T assistant vice president, sponsorships & experiential Sabina Ahmed about the success it’s seen by investing in women athletes.

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The GIST of It Podcast

Ep #591

It got worse: Investigating NFL scammer Daejon Love

September 22, 2026

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It got worse: Investigating NFL scammer Daejon Love

In the September 1st episode of The GIST of It, #586: Exposing fake NFL players, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz briefly discussed two men who made headlines for posing as NFL players: Daejon Love and Uras Agee IV. At the end of August, Love was arrested for allegedly scamming 26 women out of $1.3M while posing as a wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers. On September 18th, the FBI announced that another 35 women have been identified as victims of Love’s scheme…and there might be more on the way. In today’s One Big Story, the gals will share everything we’ve learned about Love, including how he created such a vast internet footprint that he was able to effectively impersonate an NFL player, despite never playing in a single NFL game.