The epicenter of the world
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Bonjour!
It’s that time of year again — for Roland Garros, of course, but also for Coco Gauff’s latest New Balance (NB) drop. This time, Gauff took inspo from the City of Light in her edgy, haute couture–inspired look. Grand Slams have become their own kind of runway (just ask Naomi Osaka), making them a moment for apparel giants and athletes to strut their stuff.
- Gauff’s pink and grey palette for her latest Coco CG2 shoe embraces both Parisian style as well as its Grey Days celebration, where NB offers products in its fave color. Ooh là là.
Portland
🌹 (Epi)center of the world
The GIST: 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.
- Raj Sports EVP strategic growth and development Karina LeBlanc spoke with us yesterday about what makes Epicenter Week (and Raj Sports specifically) unique in terms of celebrating the women’s game. There’s nothing quite like it.
The details: Epicenter Week will take place from August 19th to 23rd in Portland, OR, where Raj Sports will host a slew of community programming, corporate events, and sports games (of course). Last year was a smash: Over 530 guests attended and 30K fans participated in 17 events over the course of four days, generating $225K in economic impact for the Rose City.
- This year has even more to offer — people can attend both Thorns and Fire games and witness the opening of the Kaiser Permanente Performance Center, the only practice facility shared by an NWSL and WNBA team. There will also be a gala honoring local women’s sports heroes and a women’s sports global summit at Nike’s Beaverton headquarters.
What’s unique? Activating at every facet of the women’s game: From the community and fan side of things all the way to the leadership and corporate level. LeBlanc’s mantra to make sure they hit all their marks is to “educate on the Thursday, then we collaborate on the Friday, we activate on the Saturday, and we elevate on the Sunday.”
- She wants to prove Portland earned its reputation as an unmatched women’s sports hub. Over 87K fans have watched the Thorns IRL this season, while over 70K total fans have been to Fire games (including 19K for their home opener). LeBlanc says Portland’s passionate fans are the differentiator, and Epicenter Week lets others experience the magic — and try to replicate it.
Zooming out: LeBlanc bills this as an opportunity for everyone to come and see what’s special about Portland’s sports scene — and while they’re the only city with a shared NWSL and WNBA ownership group, every city can take lessons on the power of collaboration and activation through any and all means.
- Stay tuned: There are a lot more sponsors involved, including local PDX ones, but Nike plays a major role in all this. “Nike was the right partner and the biggest partner from the get go,” LeBlanc said. Having corporate support from the sports giant Nike makes a big difference and helps sell Portland as the true “epicenter of women’s sports.” Shaking things up.
TOGETHER WITH FanDuel
💥 Let there be goals
⚽️ The Summer of Soccer is officially here, and The GIST is giving you even more reasons to be excited for kickoff. In partnership with our pals at FanDuel, we’re hosting watch parties for GISTers across the country all tournament long. Think community-oriented, inclusive spaces to catch the biggest matches with like-minded sports fans.
- FanDuel is the easiest sportsbook for beginners, and they’re upping the ante. New customers can bet $5 on FanDuel and get $150 in Bonus Bets if you win.
Let’s kick it together — there’s nothing more magical than taking in a moment in sports history with the best community around.
💸 PWHLPA publicizes player salaries for the first time
The PWHL Players Association published a player salary guide, which included annual income for all 194 players as of April 12th. At least 16 players earned a league-low $37.1K, while one lucky player took home $126K. Only 34% made $60K or more, below the median $83.7K income for American households. Got some work to do.
🎾 WTA players lead the way in French Open media protest about player compensation
Last week, WTA and ATP players began a protest at the French Open by pulling a Marshawn Lynch. Top players, led by world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 4 Coco Gauff, announced they would restrict their media availability and limit pre-tournament press to exactly 15 minutes, highlighting how the player prize pool for tournaments is only 15% of Grand Slam revenue.
- However, the protest hasn’t exactly been hard-hitting: The players are all still participating in the tournament, they’re just keeping it short and sweet.
🏐 Major League Volleyball (MLV) announced a new franchise in LA on Tuesday, bringing the total number of MLV teams to 12 for the 2027 season. California love.
🥎 AUSL signed Texas Tech softball star NiJaree Canady to an NIL partnership, making her the first collegiate player to nab an NIL deal with the league that includes profit participation units, meaning she can earn from the league’s future success.
🏆 The Ottawa Charge set a record for PWHL playoff attendance with over 16.8K fans in the stands last week.
🎟️ Gotham FC has sold 20K tickets for its upcoming Queens Classic match, where the first 7.5K fans will get a special edition Rose Lavelle bobblehead.
🏒 PWHL San Jose and PWHL Hamilton named their respective GMs following hires for Las Vegas and Detroit. Drafting, however, won’t be part of their job description in year one.
⚽ Toronto hosted its inaugural Her Sports Fest for women and girls last weekend that let participants try their hand at several sports. Out for a rip.
📰 What to check out
Snatch magazine. The new women’s sports publication wants readers to slow down, step away from the algorithm, and engage with women’s sports culture differently. Print isn’t dead.
📺 What to watch
Off Campus. If the end of Heated Rivalry left a hockey-romance-shaped hole in your life, Prime Video’s adaptation of Elle Kennedy’s bestselling college sports series might help fill it.
✈️ What to travel with
An Armbie. The portable arm-support sling is designed to make long flights, scrolling sessions, and airport waits way less painful.
Today's email was brought to you by Aryanna Prasad Bhullar and Briana Ekanem. Fact checking by Bonnie Lee. Operations by Elisha Gunaratnam. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster, Alessandra Puccio, and Lisa Minutillo. Managing edits by Molly Potter, Katie Kehoe Foster, and Ellen Hyslop. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.