On Monday, Unrivaled shared that after last December’s successful Series A investment round, the league’s recent Series B round brought its valuation to $340M, or almost 10x its initial May 2024 valuation. With investors and sponsors circling the next big thing in women’s basketball, let’s dive into why the league works and what makes it truly unrivaled.

Athlos — Alexis Ohanian’s elite women-only track competition — entered a multiyear partnership with Scripps Sports yesterday to make its Ion network the domestic linear broadcast partner for this year’s Athlos NYC competition taking place October 10th.

Last week, the Barclays Women’s Super League (BWSL) — the top flight for UK women’s soccer — enacted a multiyear partnership with global sports marketing firm IMG to exclusively handle its international media rights. The powerhouse agency has experience securing deals with top channels in emerging markets as well as wide-reaching platforms in popular regions.

Alyssa Thompson is the latest NWSL star headed to Chelsea on a five-year deal that is commanding a $1.3M transfer fee. This follows the Blues’ play for Naomi Girma — when Chelsea paid a record $1.1M fee in January — and a general trend of USWNT standouts being courted across the pond.

Add Althea Glitterson to the list after WTA world No. 24 Naomi Osaka debuted her fourth bedazzled Labubu at the US Open yesterday. The Grand Slam, already known for its “cool factor” was the perfect backdrop for Osaka, who has made the tennis court her runway and accessorized with the trendiest dolls on the market: Labubus.

Traditionally American sports pushing for international growth is nothing new — look no further than college football’s annual showcase in Dublin, Ireland, just 11 days ago — but now, ESPN and London-based streaming service DAZN are taking things to the next level with a groundbreaking college sports broadcast agreement.

The WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries are hitting the runway tomorrow for an inaugural fashion show presented by Sephora. A celebration of basketball, fashion, and beauty, this is just Sephora’s latest foray into the sports arena — a place the brand is thriving in.

This week saw three major partnerships between women-forward companies and men’s sports leagues and athletes, demonstrating a new movement to recognize and celebrate female fandom of men’s sports. It drives home what The GIST has known since the beginning: Women fans love all sports, so brands and leagues are finally seeking to serve them.

On Wednesday, women athlete sponsorship platform Parity released a report on the distinct brand opportunity among women’s soccer fans. While we’ve known that soccer fans tend to create uniquely passionate communities, Parity’s survey uncovered just how much that camaraderie extends to sponsors.

This week, nailcare brand Orly celebrated its 50th anniversary by launching its first-ever sports partnership with the LA Sparks. As nailcare brands begin tapping on women’s sports, we enjoyed an in-depth conversation with Orly about how consumer trends and its LA roots led to this partnership.

On Tuesday, The Women’s Game — the women’s soccer side of the Men In Blazers (MiB) Media Network — released its first capsule collection in collaboration with Olipop (with an assist from Yeti) for its popular podcast, Good Vibes FC.