The Call Up | The GIST

The commercial cost of the short NWSL postseason

After the electric, weeks-long narrative buildup of the WNBA Finals, the NWSL playoffs — kicking off this Friday — feel uncharacteristically flat. And that’s not saying this was a boring season: The NWSL does so much right, and the soaring franchise valuations, record-breaking attendance, and skyrocketing retail sales are proof of that.

November 03, 2026

Leela Srinivasan on being an outsider with transferable skills

Leela Srinivasan’s role as CEO of Parity, a women’s pro sports consultancy, is her first job in sports. She started in tech and found her way in at the highest level. Her insights are useful for anyone seeking a new role in sports, whether you’re just a rookie or a vet looking for a new corner of the industry.

October 29, 2026

Scheduling conflict moves Game 6 of WNBA Finals to unprecedented midweek time slot

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Yesterday, the WNBA announced that Game 6 of the WNBA Finals Game 6 between the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream will be played at State Farm Arena on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. ET. After the Valks’ victory last night, this contest could crown a new champion and the decision to hold it in the middle of a weekday drew…intense reactions.

October 27, 2026

Finding where your skills, passions, and the industry intersect with Sarah Spain

A longtime friend of The GIST (and hero of our newsletter team), Sarah shared incredible advice on carving out a space for yourself in sports: Find your ikigai (more on what that means below). Spain discussed her pivot from her original passions — acting and comedy — to her iconic sports career as an ESPN journalist.

October 22, 2026

Why Canadian Tire’s 50/50 milestone is a masterclass in sports business

In 2023, Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC) gave itself a three-year deadline to hit a 50/50 split of sponsorship dollars going towards women's and men’s professional sports. On Wednesday, the company achieved it. More than a milestone, this is a seismic shift in the sports business ecosystem.

October 20, 2026

Being authentic in the workplace with Susie Piotrkowski

Susie Piotrkowski is one of one: At ESPN, she drives the growth of women’s sports across the network’s massive portfolio. It’s a pretty big job, so she’s all about incremental progress — what can we do today to make women’s sports easier to find, watch, and be a fan of?

October 15, 2026

Using tentpole moments to break into or grow within the sports industry

The cyclical nature of sports means there’s always something big on the horizon. These tentpole moments — from the Super Bowl and Grey Cup to FIFA World Cups and playoff pushes — represent the best of competition and golden opportunities to accelerate your career.

October 13, 2026

The Call Up

Being entrepreneurial with Kirby Porter

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October 08, 2026

Kirby Porter isn’t just any C-suite exec: She was named Unrivaled’s CBO at just 27 years old, after a career that spanned working for corporate and venture capital firms, launching her own podcast, and founding a startup called New Game Labs. At Unrivaled, she’s responsible for crafting how the league shows up in the world — and making sure more of the world gets to see it.

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The GIST of It Podcast

Ep #601

Does anyone want free agent Sophie Cunningham?

November 03, 2026

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Does anyone want free agent Sophie Cunningham?

The Golden State Valkyries are your 2026 WNBA champs which means at long last, the WNBA season is over. That said, we’re looking at yet another important offseason, with some splashy free agents officially on the market and a certain commissioner role up for grabs. Today, we’re going to share some off-court storylines that will certainly impact next season and beyond when it comes to the future of the WNBA.