Pretty in pink
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Leveling The Playing Field
Good morning!
Since pickleball took over pop culture during the COVID-19 pandemic, the sport has been on a meteoric rise — and now, even Apple TV is getting in on the fun. On Friday, the streamer released The Dink, a pickleball movie starring Ben Stiller and Jake Johnson that promises a midsummer boom for the sport on and off the court. Should be a smash hit.
WNBA
🏆 An all-time All-Star Weekend
The GIST: Any way you slice it, the 2026 WNBA All-Star Weekend (ASW) in Chicago was a true success, from impressive attendance at the game itself to the many brand activations and presidential pep talks. The event celebrated the power of women’s sports and showcased the profitability of the W. Reaching new heights.
The Barbie: No All-Star shone brighter than Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese, who undoubtedly won the weekend after she dropped her signature Barbie with Mattel — complete with a pink jersey, leg sleeve, and the new expressive pink Reebok Angel Reese 1 sneaker.
- Starting with a landmark NIL deal in college that continued when she joined the W in 2023, Reese has been the cornerstone of Reebok’s basketball division and this marks her ninth colorway since her shoe launched in 2025. Pretty in pink, indeed.
The brands: When Chicago last hosted ASW four years ago, a mere six brands participated in the weekend. But this year saw an almost 500% increase in brand activations, including a Skechers pop-up, a Mental Wealth panel from Ally featuring LA Sparks All-Star Kelsey Plum, a coffee-focused Unrivaled experience, and so much more.
The numbers: Attendance was way up for the game with over 19K fans packing the United Center and another 30K estimated to have attended the weekend’s fan festival, which notably required tickets to attend for the first time.
- Television coverage spanned Disney’s many channels, and the company more than doubled its ad revenue for the second straight year. Ads sold out in record time, with six new brands and 13 new categories — including travel, computer games, and automotive — making their WNBA debut.
Zooming out: It’s easy to make the case that this was the biggest ASW for brands so far. Thanks to these players’ star power and cultural relevance, the WNBA’s marquee event has gone from showcasing a league on the rise to highlighting the unmistakable relevance of women athletes, turning an experimental buy into a long-term, high–ROI investment. Believe that.
🏀 Commissioner Cathy Engelbert dodges question about her WNBA tenure
The noise surrounding the seventh-year commissioner’s future is only getting louder. Engelbert was vague at WNBA ASW when asked about her status as commish, saying, "I am so blessed to be at the helm of this league during this incredible hypergrowth period.” Even though this year’s contentious CBA negotiations were resolved, criticisms of Engelbert’s leadership have remained.
- The largest points of contention relate to the league’s handling of recurring incidents of racism and harassment, as well as its officiating crisis. The 2027 debut of a centralized replay center is progress, but there’s still work to be done if Engelbert wants to win back players’ trust.
🏒 Latest PWHL hires feature four women in leadership positions
Five new PWHL business directors — one for each of the four expansion squads and the NY Sirens — were inked last week, four of which were women. Alicia Mullin (Detroit), Marian Agyei-Gyamera (Hamilton), Sheri Hudspeth (Las Vegas), and Amanda Archer (NY) headline the hirings, bringing decades of expertise to the upstart league. As if we needed another reason to love the PWHL.
🔥 Under Armour debuted a new ad with Heated Rivalry actor François Arnaud, leaning into the sexually-charged content that drew millions of fans (especially women) to the show last winter. We’re coming to the cottage driveway.
🎽 Cleveland’s future WNBA team — which will hit the court in 2028 — named Progressive as a founding partner and jersey patch sponsor.
❤️🩹 Nike and recovery brand Hyperice launched a new collab yesterday: a shoe that heats and vibrates for post-workout recovery.
📲 WAG Talk host (and friend of The GIST) Maddy Sells launched a new women’s sports platform, Enjoy Her Game, in collaboration with popular Instagram account Enjoy Basketball.
💃 Starting today, ESPN2 will broadcast events globally for the International Dance League. Let’s boogie.
📺 NBCUniversal-owned Peacock will integrate with YouTube Premium, bringing Peacock’s live sports content to YouTube’s paid subscription platform.
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