The WNBA is looking to leverage all available tools to build interest in the game, and that means taking a winning move out of the men’s sports playbook. ESPN announced yesterday that for the first time ever, the WNBA’s opening night doubleheader will be available on Disney+ in addition to streaming on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

The spotlight might be bright on Caitlin Clark, but Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese is also becoming a cultural force — on Monday, she became the first WNBA rookie to make a Met Gala appearance. Reese is uniquely positioned to become a sports and fashion icon, reflecting a moment where women athletes are appreciated for their marketing and trend-setting potential.

On Thursday, the Billie Jean King (BJK) Cup extended its partnership with Microsoft through 2026. It focuses on developing tech solutions for the women’s national team tennis tournament by utilizing the Azure cloud platform, allowing Microsoft to flex its computing muscles in women’s sports amid explosive sector growth.

The WNBA saw the Caitlin Clark Effect play out on the court this weekend in a sold-out preseason game between the Indiana Fever and Dallas Wings. But the league’s decision to keep the game — and the popular WNBA Canada preseason game — exclusively available on WNBA League Pass in the U.S. may have been a missed bucket for the league.

Tomorrow marks the two-year anniversary of Ally’s 50/50 Pledge, which aims to close the gender gap in sports advertising with an equal spend on women’s and men’s sports. The GIST checked in with Ally CMO Andrea Brimmer last week to commemorate the milestone and discuss where the brand hopes to expand next.

Broadcaster Scripps is a relative newcomer to the women’s sports space, but has already seen significant wins by investing in local markets and the emerging women’s sports sector. Scripps Sports president Brian Lawlor spoke with The GIST last month about what’s been working for the thriving platform.

’Ship season is back, back again. Here’s the lowdown on this weekend’s hardware-hoisting:

The U.S. and Mexico have officially withdrawn their joint bid to host the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup (WWC), leaving Brazil and a joint bid from the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany in the race. The North American contingent noted it will instead focus on securing rights for 2031, which they believe has potential for bigger ROI.

After investing millions in women’s soccer and restructuring the WNBL, Australia is turning its attention to women’s cricket. Governing body Cricket Australia (CA) unveiled a 10-year plan yesterday formulated with input from top players on how to grow the game, which includes a goal to boost revenue by $65.3M to reach $79.1M by 2034.

WNBA legend Candace Parker announced her retirement yesterday, and like everything else she does, Parker did it differently. In the announcement, she outlined plans to ramp up her business aspirations, which include owning a WNBA team and an NBA team.

Last September, Boston Unity Soccer Partners (BUSP) announced its successful bid for an NWSL team that would play in Boston’s historic White Stadium. With $100M worth of renovations slated to start this year, the ownership group is fielding community pushback amid concerns about how an NWSL team would change the stadium’s accessibility for the local community.

On Wednesday, President Joe Biden signed a controversial bill that mandates TikTok parent ByteDance either sell its ownership stake in the social media platform or face a ban in the U.S. If TikTok is banned, the move could devastate the economy built around the platform and have unique implications for women’s sports.