This weekend, Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson made WNBA history by winning the league’s MVP award for a record fourth time, shortly after earning her third WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) and warranting the first-ever share of the award.

As the NWSL builds toward its future (one commissioner Jessica Berman plans to lead), the league is making key decisions to level up its on-field product, including through its recent digital media partnership with The GIST. Let’s review a few of the NWSL’s moves announced this week, and what they might mean for the league and interested sponsors.

On Monday, iconic tennis (and sister) duo Venus and Serena Williams announced the launch of their Stockton Street podcast, which debuts on X today. The podcast — a notable get for X as it competes for original content — celebrates their legendary status through an accessible, storyline-powered medium.

Front Office Sports recently examined a trend among leagues like the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) and Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL): Traveling teams and exhibition matches are a smart way to identify prime markets before establishing permanent teams. Let’s explore when traveling teams work and what this format means for sponsors.

Last week, Oofos teamed up with Her Campus Media (HCM) to offer over 1.5K college women athletes a chance to partner with the recovery footwear brand. The open-ended opportunity could mean the first NIL deal for many of these athletes, who still offer significant value as microinfluencers.

On Monday, Unrivaled shared that after last December’s successful Series A investment round, the league’s recent Series B round brought its valuation to $340M, or almost 10x its initial May 2024 valuation. With investors and sponsors circling the next big thing in women’s basketball, let’s dive into why the league works and what makes it truly unrivaled.

Athlos — Alexis Ohanian’s elite women-only track competition — entered a multiyear partnership with Scripps Sports yesterday to make its Ion network the domestic linear broadcast partner for this year’s Athlos NYC competition taking place October 10th.

Last week, the Barclays Women’s Super League (BWSL) — the top flight for UK women’s soccer — enacted a multiyear partnership with global sports marketing firm IMG to exclusively handle its international media rights. The powerhouse agency has experience securing deals with top channels in emerging markets as well as wide-reaching platforms in popular regions.

Alyssa Thompson is the latest NWSL star headed to Chelsea on a five-year deal that is commanding a $1.3M transfer fee. This follows the Blues’ play for Naomi Girma — when Chelsea paid a record $1.1M fee in January — and a general trend of USWNT standouts being courted across the pond.

Add Althea Glitterson to the list after WTA world No. 24 Naomi Osaka debuted her fourth bedazzled Labubu at the US Open yesterday. The Grand Slam, already known for its “cool factor” was the perfect backdrop for Osaka, who has made the tennis court her runway and accessorized with the trendiest dolls on the market: Labubus.

Traditionally American sports pushing for international growth is nothing new — look no further than college football’s annual showcase in Dublin, Ireland, just 11 days ago — but now, ESPN and London-based streaming service DAZN are taking things to the next level with a groundbreaking college sports broadcast agreement.