Bling it on
From The GIST Sports Biz (hi@thegistsports.com)
It's Friday!
Nike’s Sabrina 3 — the new installment of NY Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu’s signature shoe — hit shelves yesterday as part of the baller’s third signature apparel collection. To promote the shoe’s “Blueprint” colorway, Nike dropped a hilarious homage to Home Improvement.
- NBA Hall of Famer Steve Nash starred alongside a team of current NBA players, ESPN host Andraya Carter, and USC Trojans commit Jazzy Davidson, who inked a multiyear NIL deal with Nike last year. Time to go to work.
Insights from a CEO
💰 Rev it up
The GIST: Yesterday, sponsorship insights platform SponsorUnited released its inaugural WNBA Partnerships Report, covering 12 WNBA teams over 2024 season and the 2025 season so far. The report — which Lynch says has been three years in the making — notes a 17% surge in deals during the 2025 WNBA season alone.
- We spoke with SponsorUnited CEO Bob Lynch this week about why brands are joining the WNBA sponsorship roster and where there’s still room to grow. So much potential.
💸 Team sponsorship revenue reached a record $76M: This revenue boost is thanks to a 52% increase in average number of deals per team since 2022, when each WNBA team had around 29 deals. Now, each squad is averaging 44 deals worth $143K apiece, with the league engaging over 450 brands for 531 sponsorship agreements.
💼 Finance, healthcare, and insurance dominate spend amid newcomers: These three industries led all categories in sponsorship spend, with the top 10 industries generating over two-thirds ($50M) of WNBA team sponsorship revenue last year. Ally — which inked a Las Vegas Aces deal before signing with the league — spent big, as did Partake Foods and Bumble.
- Lynch highlighted increased spend from the betting sector, including the Phoenix Mercury’s Bally Bet deal and DraftKings’ entry into the space. He also expects technology and hospitality to become more involved in the coming years thanks to WNBA fans who are tech-savvy and willing to travel to marquee events.
📱 Angel Reese and Breanna Stewart are tied for most athlete endorsements: These two stars each had 22 deals, followed by Cameron Brink (20), Kamilla Cardoso (20), and rookie Paige Bueckers (19). Reese and Bueckers have managed to win over brands thanks to their powerful social media following, with Reese earning 4.4M branded engagements and Bueckers earning 4.9M.
- This generation of ballers is why the WNBA has a unique marketing advantage over the NBA, where most of the league’s most-followed athletes are nearing retirement. By contrast, young W stars are fluent in social media engagement and branding due to their NIL experience, which didn’t exist for older athletes.
🔥 Indiana Fever explode with more brand deals: The Fever remained on top with 92 sponsorships, up from 85 in June and 65 last season, illustrating how Caitlin Clark’s brand is continuing to pay off. Next up are the Washington Mystics (65), the Chicago Sky (57), the NY Liberty (56), and the Phoenix Mercury (52).
- While the Mystics aren’t the most popular team or in the biggest market, Lynch explained how parent Monumental Sports & Entertainment has the sales team and infrastructure to go out and find deals, something fellow NBA–powered teams like the Fever and Golden State Valkyries have and the Dallas Wings could certainly use. Just wanna fly.
🍅 Trader Joe’s releases limited-edition tote for Bay FC activation
Last week, Trader Joe’s teased a tote giveaway in partnership with the NWSL’s Bay FC, which signed a multiyear agreement with the trendy U.S. grocery chain last year. On August 2nd, fans will cop an exclusive limited-edition mini tote while supplies last, which has spurred ticket sales for the game.
- This may create a lucrative resale market for these bags across the pond, where Trader Joe’s totes have become a must-have summer accessory in London despite the U.K. lacking any physical stores. Cat’s out of the bag.
⚽ UEFA Women’s Euro enjoys record viewership in Europe and the U.S.
England’s triumph over Italy on Tuesday in the 2025 UEFA Women’s Euro semifinals notched 10.2M in peak viewership on ITV, marking the network’s highest viewership this year. The record UK viewership was compounded by over 4M viewers from Italy, but the Euro excitement is also winning over viewers who aren’t necessarily tuning in for their national teams.
- U.S. viewership for the group stage round nearly doubled from 2022, jumping to 306K average viewers for the round’s 24 matches. It’s why Euro broadcaster Fox Sports is doubling down on women’s sports and international soccer, where it’s seen over 90% growth.
💸 Tipt Ventures announces first close as investment fund looks to power women’s sports economy
Founded by VC duo Ami Galani and Fielding Jamieson, Tipt Ventures is seeking $50M in total capital after successfully investing in Ida Sports. They launched the fund after working together on the 2022 Trailblazer Venture Studio, which partnered with Elysian Park Ventures, Billie Jean King Enterprises and the L.A. Dodgers to fund companies like Togethxr, LOVB, and The GIST.
🏐 Skims signs on as LOVB partner as the sport becomes cultural force
Volleyball brand LOVB named Skims as its official loungewear, intimates, and sleepwear partner on Tuesday, with both sides highlighting how volleyball is an emerging intersection between sports and culture. We’ve seen brands like Rebel Girls, Spanx, and Revolve consider LOVB thanks to its reach through its youth-to-pro pipeline.
- Volleyball is still growing, and fast — it’s the No. 1 team sport for U.S. girls and has seen record-breaking crowds since the launch of LOVB and PVF, with brands like Skims looking ahead to its inclusion at the LA28 Olympics. A golden opportunity.
🔥 The new-look Portland Fire has surpassed 12.5K season ticket deposits ten days after the team celebrated its new branding with over 6K fans. Fired up.
🏈 Seattle Seahawks legend Bobby Wagner joined the ownership group for the Seattle Storm, making him the first active NFL player with equity in a WNBA team.
💅 LA Sparks star Cameron Brink partnered with Etsy seller Bling It On Nails for an exclusive set of press-on nails inspired by her style.
🥎 AUSL shared it has seen 19 sellout crowds during its inaugural season as championship weekend approaches. We’ll see you there!
🌎 Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson became the first-ever global ambassador for the Jr. WNBA and will serve as a strategic advisor for the Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA Court of Leaders developmental program.
🏟️ Angel City FC is hosting the USL Super League’s Carolina Ascent FC in a friendly for the first-ever match between the clubs and the second between an NWSL and USL Super League team.
🌊 The World Surf League appointed former LPGA partnerships executive Nicole Metzger as its chief revenue officer.
📺 Production for the fourth season of Ted Lasso, which will focus on a second-tier women’s team, is underway in Kansas City. So good.
Here’s what passed The GIST squad’s vibe check this week:
⚽️ What to read about
The downside to the rise of women’s football. Burnout, overtraining, and shrinking recovery time are sadly side effects of the sport’s explosive growth.
📍 Where there's investment
Boston. WNBA star Aliyah Boston recently joined the ownership team of the NWSL’s Boston Legacy FC, which will join the league in 2026. The ultimate crossover.
🎟 What to (re)watch
"Hamilton." The first 10K fans at the August 25th NY Yankees game will score a co-branded cap. Theater kids and baseball fans, unite.
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