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.

ICYMI, The GIST launched our official MLB partnership this week with a striking data point: It’s the most-attended sports league by women fans. Women are feeling increasingly welcomed by America’s pastime — partially because stadiums across MLB are more inclusive than ever, thanks to additional accommodations and partnerships with companies like Aunt Flow. This week, we spoke with Aunt Flow founder and CEO Claire Coder about the company’s partnership with MLB teams and how the league is considering women fans and their families with improved infrastructure, including access to free period care. About damn time.

Major League Volleyball (MLV) wrapped its inaugural “Match For A Million” championship on May 9th in front of a sold-out crowd of over 4.5K in Dallas. However, the league has been drawing a much bigger crowd all season long — after reorganizing and rebranding, media rights deals and a strong social push (featuring yours truly) brought volleyball to many more households.

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.”

The Golden State Valkyries may as well be in Valhalla (or Ballhalla, as they call it). Shortly after the team shared its season two promotional campaign, CNBC deemed the Valks a billion-dollar franchise — the first in women’s sports history. That’s no accident. Valkyries president Jess Smith and her team have been busy building a juggernaut brand — and in a region full of fervent fans and powerful sponsors, that becomes a billion-dollar pursuit. Last month, we spoke with Smith about the strategies she’s implemented to reach this pinnacle, as well as what’s going to keep the club climbing in year two.

The PWHL is getting bigger and better…literally. After adding an expansion franchise in Detroit last week, the league announced new teams in Hamilton, ON, and Las Vegas, NV, yesterday. If those cities weren’t on your bingo card, you wouldn’t be alone — but each market brings its own value to the league. Feeling pucky.

Earlier this week, Nielsen shared WNBA viewership insights from the 2025 season and the 2026 WNBA Draft. The numbers show impressive overall success, as well as high growth in specific demographics and regional markets. That, coupled with brand-new viewership data from ESPN, illustrates that the league is stronger than ever in year 30. Let’s get into the paint.

Canadian mattress brand Endy is returning as the WNBA’s official sleep partner in Canada, touting a new campaign that stars Canadian athletes across the league. The move doubles down on impressive fan growth in the country, which both Canadian and multinational brands are noting.