Sports Business | The GIST

Adidas announces multiyear partnership with Unrivaled

Adidas signed a new multiyear partnership with Unrivaled yesterday, becoming the league’s official uniform and performance apparel partner starting in the 2027 season, a switch from its initial deal in 2024 with Under Armour.

September 24, 2026

Upshot league continues making moves after completion of inaugural season

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In case you needed a reminder, the Upshot League debuted in May in hopes of fulfilling a much-needed development gap for the WNBA. While the 5v5 league isn’t associated with the W like the G League is with the NBA, it allows more women to stay game-ready and offers professional scouts an easy way to track talent when roster spots open up from inevitable injuries.

September 22, 2026

Looking at three decades of the cultural impact of WNBA fashion

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The WNBA is the most-followed women’s sports league in the world, and its 30th anniversary has been a celebration of the players and the everyday people contributing to that achievement. From a branding perspective, the W has always been one-of-one, and the look and feel of this league is just as remarkable and impactful today as it was in the 90s.

September 19, 2026

New data underscores a record-breaking regular season for the WNBA

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Over 1.2M people watched Team USA win its fifth consecutive FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup despite competing with the US Open men’s final and the NFL’s first Sunday of the season. Needless to say, fans are ready for more hoops.

September 17, 2026

Racing Louisville FC’s future in doubt following unprecedented league growth

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There are a lot of questions surrounding the future of Racing Louisville FC in the NWSL. While most clubs are making (or considering) major infrastructure investments and looking to capitalize on the bright future of women’s soccer, Racing Louisville is falling behind despite only being in the league for five years.

September 15, 2026

Disastrous Sydney Sweeney ad sparks empowering social response from women athletes

We said it once and we’ll say it again, that ad sucked. Whether it was intended as rage bait or just the most recent flop in a series of problematic sports adverts, it’s exhausting. Content creators are leading the backlash against said ad, and no one is doing it better, or more empowering, than actual women in sports.

September 15, 2026

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert to retire at end of the year

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ICYMI, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced her retirement on Friday after seven years in the position. Her last day on the job is December 31, 2026, with this epic 16 weeks’ notice launching a highly competitive job search that already has the rumor wheel spinning.

September 10, 2026

Minnesota Lynx seek new streaming partner after Victory+ folds

Sports Business

Minnesota Lynx seek new streaming partner after Victory+ folds

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September 03, 2026

Things have gone from bad to worse for Victory+ after its parent company announced the dissolution of the Dallas-based streaming service yesterday. Surprisingly, the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx and Atlanta Dream kept their contracts until the end despite previous partners like the NWSL terminating its agreement earlier this summer.

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The GIST of It Podcast

Ep #592

A women’s college hoops star is being detained by ICE

September 24, 2026

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A women’s college hoops star is being detained by ICE

Kentucky State University women’s basketball star Amina Seck was detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, aka ICE, a month-and-a-half ago and remains in custody at the Grayson County Detention Center. Seck is from Senegal and was arrested while traveling with her team in August, reportedly over an expired student visa. On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz discuss this important story, as Seck remains in custody.