Stepping up to the plate
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Leveling The Playing Field
Welcome back!
Serena Williams is making her triumphant return to tennis this week at London’s HSBC Championships, and it’s not just on the court. Online pharmacy Ro, which has tapped Williams to promote GLP-1 medications, will reportedly air ads on the Tennis Channel during the tournament.
- There’s already value in partnering with Williams in retirement, but her return creates an even bigger spotlight and a powerful brand moment. Meal delivery service Factor also jumped on the hype to announce a new partnership with Williams that prioritizes staying healthy despite a busy lifestyle. Great minds think alike.
WNBA
💰 Cashing in
The GIST: Dallas Wings star Azzi Fudd spoke with The GIST last week about her recent community court activation brought to life by Cash App. Last Tuesday, the payment app hosted a community basketball clinic and donated $35K to a local nonprofit that provides sports equipment and programming for young girls.
- Cash App previously activated with Fudd during her UConn days and recently backed a Dallas mural in her honor, but this is one of its biggest investments in her to date. She told us why this partnership is “super special,” and it comes back to this buzzword we’ve heard from Flau’jae Johnson and Cameron Brink: intentional. Let’s dive in.
💸 Know your audience. There are multiple applications with the same premise as Cash App, including Venmo, which launched four years earlier. Paypal is actually the most widely-used platform overall, but Cash App is more popular among Black Americans and its biggest share of users are people aged 18 to 29 (39%), followed by those aged 30 to 49 (35%).
- Considering that Gen Z hardly uses cash anymore, this is a rising demographic that Cash App can reach. Partnering with popular, cool athletes like Fudd — who says she genuinely uses Cash App the most — can win over these potential young users.
🤝 Know your athlete partner, too. Fudd cherishes being able to give back to the community by supporting local kids in need, something she remembers her family doing for her teammates. Letting Fudd design the activation also gave her creative control over how her brand is represented. And when athletes are happy, fans take notice.
- Since she’s touched down in Dallas, Fudd hasn’t had much time to interact with the community and chat with fans. This activation allowed her to more deeply connect with the local fanbase. “This being with Cash App, and then my first time really being out in the community, it made it even more special,” Fudd added.
💫 Embrace the whimsy. Everyone loves free money, but Cash App went the extra mile to make people smile. Fudd loved how they sent out “fairy godmothers” to surprise people with a little magic at UConn a few months ago. “Whoever thought of that needs a raise,” Fudd said, noting this was “a great example of what happens when brands invest in people and not just moments.”
- That matters to Fudd, who says as she’s gotten older, she’s been able to be “more intentional” about her partnerships. Gone are the days of one-time social media collabs — now it’s all about partners investing in the journey. Well worth it.
🥎 Softball interest heats up as NCAA Women’s College World Series (WCWS) wraps
Game 2 of the WCWS championship — where Texas beat Texas Tech to repeat as winners — averaged 2.5M viewers on ESPN and peaked at 3M. That topped 2025’s Game 3 average viewership of 2.4M and a 2.7M peak, making 2026’s Game 2 the most-watched college softball game on record.
- And the ballpark fun is just getting started: Today, AUSL begins its second full season across six hometown markets. Last year, ESPN viewership for the pro softball league rose 88% YoY, with its championship series averaging 230K. Stepping up to the plate.
🌍 Euroleague sees potential partner in Project B
After its launch announcement last October, Project B — the league planning to bring women’s and men’s hoops on a world tour — has made a slew of promising developments. It secured its first stop (Tokyo) in January, signed a World Cup broadcaster this week, and has reportedly drawn the interest of EuroLeague, Europe’s leading professional women’s and men’s basketball leagues.
- EuroLeague CEO Chus Bueno said he previously wanted to invest in Project B, with its women’s league being a particular selling point. Sports Business Journal noted that with EuroLeague’s interest in an NBA Europe partnership and the NBA’s desire to develop a women’s league in the continent, Project B’s women’s league could be a way to make this happen soon.
🏠 Airbnb announces $1.34M fund to cover WSL and WSL2 athletes during club transfers
When athletes switch franchises, they’re pressed to uproot their lives and resettle quickly, which sometimes means months of living out of a suitcase or hotel room. So, Airbnb offered an on-brand solution for this problem through its Player Accommodation Fund, which was announced with its new multiyear WSL deal.
- The $1.34M fund aims to provide short-term accommodation for all WSL and WSL2 players as they search for new digs. And it’s not the first time Airbnb has bridged this gap: As a Worldwide Olympic Partner, it launched the Airbnb Athlete Travel Grant, giving around 1000 athletes $2K to book accommodation on Airbnb. Got it covered.
⛳ LPGA world No. 1 Nelly Korda earned a record $2.5M purse for winning the U.S. Women’s Open, bringing her career haul to $21.5M and making her only the fifth woman golfer to cross the $20M threshold. Just champion things.
👀 The WNBA remains uncertain about making players sport a U.S. 250th anniversary commemorative patch at WNBA All-Star Weekend after a flurry of criticism from players and fans.
💄 E.l.f. Cosmetics, which is partnered with OT Select and OT Select team owner Flau’jae Johnson, spotlighted her mentorship of rising basketball star GG Banks on its socials.
🏉 Quinnipac University women’s rugby players filed a class action lawsuit against the university for allegedly violating Title IX by demoting the sport.
🎵 Billboard is dedicating multiple global covers to the crossover between music and sport in celebration of the 2026 men’s FIFA World Cup.
📺 Omaha Productions is partnering with Roku, Togethxr, and Motion Entertainment for a streaming special that celebrates 25 of the greatest women athletes in history. Simply the best.
⛹️ What to check out
Hoop York City, a women’s basketball brand and collective aiming to close the gender play gap by creating more opportunities for women in NYC to hoop, connect, and build community. Buckets on buckets.
🙏 What to know
The origin of the high five. During a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Houston Astros in 1977, Glen Burke, who was openly gay among his teammates, made the gesture after a home run with outfielder Dusty Baker. That’s right, the high five is younger than Peyton Manning. Wild.
🏀 What to gift
This basketball-inspired 3-Point Power Charging Station which doubles as a mini basketball game for your desk. Perfect for techies and hoop lovers alike.
Today's email was brought to you by Aryanna Prasad Bhullar and Briana Ekanem. Fact checking by Bonnie Lee. Operations by Elisha Gunaratnam. Ads by Ali Haberstroh. Managing edits by Molly Potter, Katie Kehoe Foster, and Ellen Hyslop. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.