This week, the European Union’s (EU) top court ruled that some of FIFA’s rules around player transfer fees violate EU law following a successful suit by former Chelsea and Real Madrid men’s player Lassana Diarra. The decision is expected to have far-reaching implications, but one overlooked aspect is its potential effect on the new and improved NWSL market.

Shortly after Sportico confirmed ACFC as the hottest NWSL club on the market, the publication exclusively revealed that a top MLS team also wants in. Los Angeles FC (LAFC) — the league’s highest-valued franchise at $1.15B — activated a tenet of its stadium-sharing agreement with ACFC to acquire a small stake in the women’s side.

In an exclusive conversation with The GIST yesterday, pro track competition Grand Slam Track’s (GST) director of athletes and racing Kyle Merber shared that the new league recently signed three Olympic medalists. As the Diamond League raises its prize money and Alexis Ohanian’s Athlos happens tomorrow, GST’s additions prove the sport is ripe for development — it just needs a little repackaging.

When Caitlin Clark declared for the WNBA Draft, interest in the Indiana Fever — one of the WNBA’s worst teams in 2023 — spiked overnight. Now that Clark has a full season under her belt, the regular-season numbers prove just how much she changed the WNBA — and there’s still more to come in the postseason.

Billionaire investor Marc Lasry has put his hat in the ring for NWSL ownership in the past, and he seems to finally have an in. An exclusive Sportico report indicates the former Milwaukee Bucks owner is close to finalizing a deal for a control stake of the NWSL’s NC Courage, which is currently valued at about $108M — more than double the team’s $52M valuation in 2023.

Ion bet early on the WNBA with a media rights partnership, a move that’s paying off more than ever in 2024. The network released historic viewership numbers and advertising sales for the latest WNBA season yesterday that should spur the network to re-sign with the league.

The numbers are finally in for NBCUniversal’s coverage of the 2024 Paralympics, and the athletes weren’t the only ones shattering records. After offering 1.5K hours of coverage this year, the network reached a record 15.4M total viewers, proving there’s an immense audience opportunity for the Games.

For Soccer, a North American leader in soccer marketing, media, and experiences, released its annual fan insights report on U.S. soccer fans yesterday. Its numbers illustrate that the beautiful game’s American fanbase is becoming more diverse, especially when it comes to women and people of color.

After tipping off in August with eight corporate sponsors, elite girls’ high school basketball tournament Overtime Select (OT Select) held their championship this weekend in Atlanta, Georgia. The month-long tourney hosts America’s best up-and-coming hoopers and is run by popular Gen Z–focused youth sports media brand Overtime.

Leading U.S. commercial real estate firm Transwestern recently named Morgan Bartelstein as a company VP and a member of its sports and entertainment team. In this new role, she will work on leveling up WNBA franchises by finding top-tier real estate for teams to enhance their operations.

The Solheim Cup began in Gainesville, Virginia, yesterday, capping off months of hard work by the LPGA to level up the biennial tournament. While the last stateside event drew a record 130K fans in 2021, the LPGA has garnered more ticket interest, corporate partners, and TV coverage than ever before, positioning the tourney to break some records.

As mentioned, the PWHL unveiled new names, logos, and colors for its inaugural six franchises, which sparked intense reactions across the hockey community. Part of what caught fans off guard is that the PWHL decided team branding without major input from teams, players, or fans, which Front Office Sports explained is a result of the league’s structure.