Newest WNBA franchise Golden State unveiled its team name — the Valkyries — yesterday, just before the season tipped off last night. As the Bay Area team starts to take shape ahead of its debut next year, here’s everything you need to know about its brand rollout.

Basketball Australia (BA) announced plans Monday to sell a majority stake in Australia’s Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL). The sale of the stake — which could be worth at least $13.2M — would give the women’s pro league the tools to level up its game in a way its current governing structure can’t support.

It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for: Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson finally has the big-name shoe deal to match her on-court success. Wilson is officially Nike’s latest signature athlete after the brand announced Wilson’s apparel collection on Saturday. The cherry on top? The collection features her signature kick, the A’One.

The rumors are true — the WNBA is coming to Toronto in 2026. On Friday, CBC’s Shireen Ahmed broke the news, with an official announcement expected on May 23rd. Toronto’s selection marks a major turning point for W: international expansion.

It’s been a big week for the PWHL as its regular season wraps up, but it’s been an even bigger season for the brand-new league. We’ve never seen anything quite like it in women’s pro sports, so let’s review the league’s many wins as it continues to reshape women’s hockey.

The WNBA is more popular than ever — which means we’re getting more lame takes from men too ignorant to learn the game. NBA writer Ethan Strauss and The Ringer’s Bill Simmons are the latest male journalists to join the list, but they’re drowned out by a women’s basketball community that’s bigger than ever.

The spotlight might be bright on Caitlin Clark, but Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese is also becoming a cultural force — on Monday, she became the first WNBA rookie to make a Met Gala appearance. Reese is uniquely positioned to become a sports and fashion icon, reflecting a moment where women athletes are appreciated for their marketing and trend-setting potential.

The WNBA is looking to leverage all available tools to build interest in the game, and that means taking a winning move out of the men’s sports playbook. ESPN announced yesterday that for the first time ever, the WNBA’s opening night doubleheader will be available on Disney+ in addition to streaming on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

On Thursday, the Billie Jean King (BJK) Cup extended its partnership with Microsoft through 2026. It focuses on developing tech solutions for the women’s national team tennis tournament by utilizing the Azure cloud platform, allowing Microsoft to flex its computing muscles in women’s sports amid explosive sector growth.

The WNBA saw the Caitlin Clark Effect play out on the court this weekend in a sold-out preseason game between the Indiana Fever and Dallas Wings. But the league’s decision to keep the game — and the popular WNBA Canada preseason game — exclusively available on WNBA League Pass in the U.S. may have been a missed bucket for the league.

Broadcaster Scripps is a relative newcomer to the women’s sports space, but has already seen significant wins by investing in local markets and the emerging women’s sports sector. Scripps Sports president Brian Lawlor spoke with The GIST last month about what’s been working for the thriving platform.

’Ship season is back, back again. Here’s the lowdown on this weekend’s hardware-hoisting: