Today, sports data leader Genius Sports (which acquired Sports Innovation Lab in 2025) published the fifth edition of The Fan Project, Sports Innovation Lab’s long-running report series that examines the economic value of women’s sports fandom. The latest release, “Turning Culture Into Commerce,” shows how the culture of women’s sports is shaped by athlete entrepreneurs.

Building on the success of "Fandom is Female," the new inclusive cultural campaign and community movement challenges the outdated "default fan" narrative.

Many cities have multiple sports teams, but few gather fans together quite like Toronto’s Exhibition Place. The district houses BMO Field and Coca-Cola Coliseum, which is now home to NSL, PWHL, and WNBA teams — all of which have joined the fold within the past three years. In May, we spoke with Exhibition Place CEO Don Boyle about why he’s keen on bringing women’s sports teams to the area and the distinct value of women’s sports fans.

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.

The WNBA is busy celebrating its 30-year anniversary, and a bevy of brands are showing up for the party. Newcomers from all categories are hopping on the Legacy Trail, with WNBA business growth AVP Keri Lenker telling us in April she’d love to continue bringing “new brands into the fold.” Last week, we caught up with CarMax CMO Sarah Lane on why the brand’s WNBA partnership is so valuable, from the benefit of athlete ambassadors to the “squishy” data that indicates W fans notice and appreciate CarMax for being there.

Today, Raj Sports is announcing exclusively through The GIST that it’s bringing back Epicenter Week, a five-day summer celebration in Portland promoting its NWSL and WNBA franchises. But Epicenter Week is much more than that — and it’s bigger and better this year thanks to prominent sponsor and nearby neighbor Nike.

On Monday, ticket resale marketplace StubHub announced a multiyear partnership with the Chicago Sky, marking the first deal of its kind in the WNBA. This isn’t just a win for fans looking for alternative ticket platforms — we’ve seen sports clubs’ ticketing partnerships offer valuable benefits for all parties.

Everyone wants to be in the women’s sports bar business these days, so The Sports Bra is making it easy for anyone to own a piece of the action. Yesterday, the Portland-based enterprise built on its expanding franchise business by rolling out a new investment opportunity: A crowdfunding campaign called “Own a Piece of The Bra.”

A horse named Golden Tempo defied the 23-1 odds during the 152nd Kentucky Derby on Saturday, surging from last-place to win the Run for the Roses. With the victory, Cherie DeVaux became the first woman horse trainer to ever win the famed race — and her story is a true tale of groundbreaking grit.

Two new leagues — the World Fencing League (WFL) and International Dance League (IDL) — are gearing up to serve avid fandoms for niche sports. But are they really that niche? Maybe not, and brands are counting on that wide appeal. Let’s boogie.