Dallas Wings star Azzi Fudd spoke with The GIST last week about her recent community court activation brought to life by Cash App. Last Tuesday, the payment app hosted a community basketball clinic and donated $35K to a local nonprofit that provides sports equipment and programming for young girls.

Missing softball following last week’s epic Women’s College World Series (WCWS)? You’re in luck. Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) begins its second season tomorrow, boasting more teams, more games, and more ways to watch than ever before. Going, going, gone.

The men’s FIFA World Cup is right around the corner, and the U.S. is hosting the global soccer tournament (alongside Canada and Mexico) for the first time in 32 years. A lot has changed since then — for starters, the sport’s fanbase is more diverse than ever, especially in younger demographics. Let’s explore soccer’s changing audience and how this tourney is an unbeatable opportunity for brands to reach and engage diverse audiences.

One less down, the (modified) rouge, longer fields (for now) — there’s nothing quite like Canadian football. And the 68th CFL season started with a bang as the Montreal Alouettes beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 30–27 in overtime last night.

The first-ever Women’s College World Series championship series rematch ended in familiar fashion, with reigning champs No. 2 Texas defending their crown by defeating last year’s runners-up, No. 11 Texas Tech 4–1 last night.

The Women’s National Football Conference (WNFC) announced a multiyear agreement with ESPN yesterday to broadcast its June 21st championship game live on ESPN2. The league has seen recent growth, mostly thanks to increased media exposure and sponsorship, so we chatted with WNFC advisory board member, commentator, and former player Jennifer King to learn more.

Six goals from six different Canes helped Carolina clinch the Eastern Conference crown in Friday’s 6–1 Game 5 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Now proud owners of the Prince of Wales trophy — but of course never touching it — the Canes are hoping to leave their prints all over some different hardware, the Stanley Cup.

The Vegas Golden Knights are back in the Stanley Cup Final for the third time in just nine years of existence. And while folks often love to root for an underdog, this squad isn’t getting that same love for good reason. Let’s discuss their quest to hoist Lord Stanley for a second time.

The WNBA is busy celebrating its 30-year anniversary, and a bevy of brands are showing up for the party. Newcomers from all categories are hopping on the Legacy Trail, with WNBA business growth AVP Keri Lenker telling us in April she’d love to continue bringing “new brands into the fold.” Last week, we caught up with CarMax CMO Sarah Lane on why the brand’s WNBA partnership is so valuable, from the benefit of athlete ambassadors to the “squishy” data that indicates W fans notice and appreciate CarMax for being there.

French Open emotions, drama, and temperatures have reached new heights as the European heatwave rages on. The women’s bracket has mostly kept it cool and played out as expected, but the men’s field is suddenly wide open.

Today, Raj Sports is announcing exclusively through The GIST that it’s bringing back Epicenter Week, a five-day summer celebration in Portland promoting its NWSL and WNBA franchises. But Epicenter Week is much more than that — and it’s bigger and better this year thanks to prominent sponsor and nearby neighbor Nike.