EA Sports’ annual hockey video game NHL 25 launched an update last Thursday that included PWHL players for the first time. The GIST spoke with EA sports brand general manager and SVP Andrea Hopelain last week to gain insight on the company’s success incorporating women athletes in its games, a strategy that resonates strongly with its Gen Z players.

Friday’s WNBA expansion draft is in the books, meaning the Golden State Valkyries have officially selected their first-ever roster. Inspired by the W’s 13th franchise, today’s scroll breaks down expansion drafts across all sports. From the ice to the pitch, the more the merrier.

Last Friday, chief brand and commercial officer of the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and CEO of the Canadian Olympic Foundation Jacquie Ryan was honored as the Canadian Marketing Association’s Marketer of the Year for her work during Paris 2024. While Team Canada is already the top sports property in the country, Ryan’s efforts helped its fandom flourish.

Prominent women’s sports sponsor Ally activated at the 2024 NWSL Championship in Kansas City this weekend as the financial brand continues investing in the women’s game. Ally is working hard to close the sports sponsorship gender gap, which has helped the brand stand out among competitors.

Following last week’s podcast interview with WNBA star and OPill brand ambassador Napheesa Collier, The GIST spoke with Perrigo’s U.S. women’s health brand lead Leila Bahbah on how the innovative birth control brand’s WNBA sponsorship is paying off.

In honor of November being Native American Heritage Month in the U.S. and with American Thanksgiving later this week, we’re focusing on Native American mascots in sports and the work being done to eliminate these harmful stereotypes.

On Wednesday, talent agency Wasserman’s women-focused research branch The Collective released The New Economy of Sports – Part II, produced with the Royal Bank of Canada. The report offers unparalleled insights into how the growth of the WNBA and NWSL will result in huge returns for investors.

On Monday, nonprofit Canadian Women & Sport released the 2024 edition of its annual Rally Report, a groundbreaking study that highlights the continued gender gap in access between Canadian boys and girls in sports. The organization surveyed over 5K Canadians aged six to 65, with a specific focus on including over 2K girls aged six to 18.

With the rise in women’s sports comes an evolution in women’s sports fandom — pull up a stool and let’s explore an exciting facet of the sports industry: the women’s sports bar, where everybody knows her name, and your game’s always on with sound.

With a tense week behind us, we’re taking today’s Scroll to discuss how the U.S. election news will impact the sports world (and women’s sports in particular) before highlighting the long history of athlete activism.

This week’s election results confirm Donald Trump will serve a second presidential term, bolstered by a Republican majority in Congress. As discussed on the aforementioned episode of The GIST of It, these political changes can have adverse effects on women’s sports progress, meaning brands may have to step in to make up some of the difference.

CarMax is scoring glowing reviews after its latest viral ad starring WNBA royalty — but the popularity boost is more than just good luck. CarMax CMO Sarah Lane chatted with The GIST this week to discuss how the brand’s dedicated women’s sports strategy over the past five years has paid off.