The GIST

How Edmonton is becoming a Canadian women’s sports haven

Edmonton, Alberta, is a unique place. At roughly 1.2M residents, it’s dwarfed by larger Canadian cities like Toronto and Metro Vancouver — and though it doesn’t have its own professional women’s sports team, it’s become a hot spot for major women’s sporting events. That’s largely thanks to its tourism board, Explore Edmonton, which sees the economic and social value in these events. We spoke with sport and culture events director Cindy Medynski about why this strategy serves Edmonton and what other cities can learn. Small but mighty.

April 25, 2026

Cameron Brink refuses to be sidelined

As the LA Sparks seek a fourth WNBA championship, they’re building a roster around big-name veterans like Kelsey Plum and Nneka Ogwumike. But one young superstar is also at the heart of the team and the WNBA at large: third-year forward Cameron Brink. Last week, we caught up with her to learn about how she’s built her illustrious brand portfolio with “intentional” partnerships — and how she turned a difficult injury setback into an opportunity to build her entrepreneurial skills.

April 18, 2026

New data on Gen Z teens underscores the generation’s appreciation for athlete advocacy around social issues

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation released a national study involving Gen Z teens yesterday, highlighting that sports and athletes heavily influence how teens perceive societal issues.

April 16, 2026

Women’s sports memorabilia is the next big thing, and The Realest is ready

In sports, fashion, media, and beyond, we’re seeing a multigenerational interest in nostalgia, one that women’s sports hasn’t always had the resources to meet. But that’s changing fast thanks to companies like The Realest, the authenticated memorabilia platform that raised $12M in funding earlier this year. In February, we spoke with founder and CEO Scott Keeney about how the new verified memorabilia brand has been able to break into the market, address authentication issues, and serve the women’s sports community like no one has before.

April 11, 2026

Kim DeCarolis and Terése Whitehead explain the power of women athletes in NIL marketing

With March Madness finally here, we spoke with Terése Whitehead and Kim DeCarolis, who lead NIL and commercial strategy at Michigan and Georgia, respectively. Both are embedded on campus through their work with Altius Sports Partners, which launched in 2020 and has quickly become a leading strategic advisor for college athletic departments.

March 24, 2026

Bank of America Institute shares new data insights on women’s sports fans

This week, the Bank of America Institute — the bank’s internal think tank that analyzes consumer behaviors and trends from customer data — shared insights into how customers are engaging around women’s sports. The data supports trends we’ve seen, with these new numbers further strengthening the business case for women’s sports. Let’s dive in.

March 19, 2026

Flau’jae Johnson’s confident smile is her not-so secret weapon

Flau’jae Johnson’s confident smile is her not-so secret weapon

This feature is brought to you on partnership with Invisalign®.

March 11, 2026

Sports Business

Data from Nielsen, SponsorUnited highlight brand opportunity among women’s sports audiences

March 10, 2026

Last week, Nielsen shared impressive statistics illustrating the growth of women’s sports U.S. viewership in 2025 across many disciplines and audiences. SponsorUnited also shared its own YoY data on trends in women’s sports investment, spanning leagues and industries.

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The GIST of It Podcast

Ep #551

Our unfiltered PWHL playoff reactions

April 28, 2026

Listen on Apple Music Listen on Spotify

Gonna have a good day.

It’s always a good day on The GIST of It when co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz chat women's hockey and WNBA free agency drama — and today’s no different as the PWHL wrapped up the regular-season over the weekend. A full playoff preview is coming your way on Thursday, but today, the girls are taking off the filter: El and Steph have thoughts about everything from the first-round matchups to expansion team rumors, as well as what’s happening with the WNBA’s Natasha Cloud. Drop that puck.