There’s been a dip in YoY NWSL attendance, but that stat doesn’t exactly tell the whole story. Last week, the league shared insightful data on attendance, viewership, and social media records that women’s soccer fans smashed this year, all of which point to who’s winning the most with NWSL growth: Young women fans.

The NWSL served up peak playoff anarchy this weekend, with a whole lot of extra time, a record-breaking expansion announcement, and enough adrenaline to last until next weekend’s semifinals. See how your playoff bracket’s holding up, then relive the thrilling quarter-final action with us.

Today, The GIST is exclusively sharing that Pro Athlete Community (PAC) — an organization that supports retired athletes in their post-playing careers — has named WNBA legend Candace Parker as a co-chair on its board of advisors. This is a pivotal move for the org as it recruits more women into its community of over 1.6K retired pro athletes, many of whom are men.

Last week, collegiate NIL platform Opendorse shared data-backed insights on why brands should partner with women athletes. The platform points out only 8%-12% of House vs. NCAA settlement payments are allocated to women athletes across more than a dozen programs, totaling roughly $2M of a $20.5M maximum budget.

We’re more than halfway through the NFL season, and after ten weeks of exhilarating plot twists, this year’s standings remain as tight and confusing as ever. Is any team good? Let’s get into it (and more) below.

We’re back in your inbox because the NWSL playoffs begin tonight, with the reigning champ and No. 4 seed Orlando Pride hosting No. 5 Seattle Reign in the first of four quarter-final (QF) games. To celebrate, we have a full playoff preview, including the storylines you need to know before the first whistle, a match-by-match QF breakdown, and of course, where to catch all the action.

Yesterday, League One Volleyball (LOVB) shared a flurry of announcements about new ownership and sponsors getting more involved with its current team in Austin and its forthcoming franchise in Houston.

Project B, a new women’s basketball league set to launch in November 2026, announced its first player signing on Wednesday: WNBPA president and 10-time WNBA All-Star Nneka Ogwumike. There’s a lot to unpack, so lace ’em up and let’s hoop to it.

On Sunday, India won the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup for the first time ever, doing it on their home turf in front of more than 40K fans. It’s a transformative moment for women’s cricket in the country, which, despite its storied legacy on the men’s side, is just building up its women’s fandom thanks to recent domestic investment and increased exposure.

Caitlin Clark has turned millions into Iowa and Indiana Fever fans, but we’re just beginning to see Clark’s lasting impact on her alma mater. Two years on, Iowa has retained much of that fanbase as it continues to sell out games and afford players celebrity status, per The Athletic.

Buckle up, because the Team Canada vs. Team USA Rivalry Series is so back, with the sixth edition of the annual exhibition matchup beginning tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET — it’s a thrilling dose of women’s hockey before the PWHL season starts on November 21st. What’s more, the series marks the final time the two powerhouses will meet before the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics, adding extra spice to this already-heated showdown.

The heartbreak of the Toronto Blue Jays’ 5–4 extra-innings loss to the LA Dodgers in Game 7 of the World Series may never fade, but neither will the magic of the blue birds’ postseason run. From the power of friendship to the nationwide vivacity, let’s be romantic about baseball one more time.