The GIST

Sephora's truly making a splash in the world of women's basketball. 💅 • The Golden State Valkyries and Sephora have announced a multi-year partnership, making the leading prestige beauty omnichanel retailer a founding partner of the WNBA's 13th and newest team, set to make its debut this upcoming 2025 season. 🏀 • The 31,800-square-foot, state-of-the-art performance center will feature Sephora-branded elements throughout its spaces, including the three basketball courts, a locker room, strength and conditioning areas, recovery zones, and a player lounge. 👀 • The beauty retailer will also stock the Sephora Performance Center with beauty products and cosmetics. Their branding will be visible on the team's practice jerseys. 💄 • On top of that, Sephora will bring fans closer to the team with exclusive digital content, giving them unprecedented behind-the-scenes content through the Valkyries' digital and social media channels all season long. ⭐ • "Partnering with Sephora is a natural fit for the Valkyries. They are not just a beauty leader, but a company with deep Bay Area roots like us," said Golden State Valkyries President Jess Smith. "Having Sephora’s support as a founding partner is a significant milestone for women's sports and the Valkyries." 🙌 #thegist • #sportsbiz #womenssports #basketball #wnba #goldenstatevalkyries

LeBron James is taking over toy shelves everywhere – but this time, in Ken doll form! 🏀✨ • Mattel has teamed up with the LeBron James Family Foundation to create the first-ever athlete-inspired Ken doll. 👏 • Standing 1 inch taller than a regular Ken, this doll features custom clothing honoring LeBron’s Akron roots and his iconic Nike shoes. 👟 • "I was fortunate to have role models who inspired me... Now it's my turn to show kids they can achieve greatness." – LeBron James 🙌 • The Lakers star has been crushing it in his 22nd season, averaging 24.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game. 💪 • Keep an eye out for this collector's item! 👀 #thegist • #menssports #basketball #sportsbiz #kendoll #nba #mensbasketball #nbafinals #barbie

Shocking Trend in the NBA. 🚨 • The Denver Nuggets' firing of head coach Michael Malone marks a surprising pattern: 4 of the last 6 NBA champions have seen their head coaches fired shortly after winning the title! 🏆 • Nick Nurse was let go by the Raptors 4 years after winning in 2019, Frank Vogel out by the Lakers 2 years after the 2020 title, and Mike Budenholzer dismissed by the Bucks 2 years after the 2021 championship. 👀 • The only ones still standing? Steve Kerr with the Warriors and Joe Mazulla with the Celtics. 💪 • Malone, who led the Nuggets to their first-ever championship, was fired just two years later, despite a 471-327 regular season record. Denver's GM, Calvin Booth, was also let go. Now, lead assistant David Adelman will step in as interim head coach. • The Nuggets finish their regular season with 3 more games — can they bounce back? 🤔 #thegist • #menssports #basketball #sportsbiz #headcoach #nba #mensbasketball #nbafinals

History made: For the first time ever, female athletes will be the majority at the Olympics. 💪 • Thanks to a groundbreaking decision by the International Olympic Committee, the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games will feature a 50.7% female athlete quota — marking a historic shift toward true gender equality on the world’s biggest sporting stage. 🌎 • One of the biggest wins? The women’s soccer tournament will include 16 teams, surpassing the men’s tournament, which will be reduced to 12 teams. This flips the script from Paris 2024, where the men’s competition was larger. ⚽ • The IOC also announced equal team sizes for men’s and women’s water polo, plus the addition of an extra women’s boxing weight class — both helping to level the playing field. 📈 • LA28 will also feature a record number of mixed-gender events in sports like golf, track and field, gymnastics, archery, rowing, and table tennis. 🔥 • This progress wouldn’t be possible without global advocacy, bold leadership, and a clear vision for the future. And in another powerful milestone, Kirsty Coventry — a decorated Olympian herself — is set to become the first-ever female IOC president in June. 🤩 • The countdown to LA28 is on… and the future is undeniably female. 🔥 #thegist • #sportsbiz #ioc #la2028 #la28 #olympics #womenssports #womeninsports #futureisfemale

Kelsey Plum just dropped the 2025 Dawg Class roster — and it’s filled with some of the most exciting young talent in women’s basketball. 🏀🔥 • The Dawg Class isn’t just a camp, it’s a game-changing experience. Founded by Plum to empower the next generation of hoopers, it gives college stars the mentorship, training, and tools they need to transition from the NCAA to the pro level with confidence and impact. 💪 • This year’s class features returning names like Azzi Fudd, who helped lead UConn to the national title and was named the 2025 Final Four Most Outstanding Player. Fudd, a member of the very first Dawg Class in 2023, is proof of the program’s power to elevate greatness. 👏 • KK Arnold, another UConn standout, returns after her breakout season, while South Carolina guard Tessa Johnson makes her debut following her pivotal role in the Gamecocks’ 2024 championship run. 🙌 • Georgia Amoore, one of the most consistent college ballers in recent years, is back for her third Dawg Class appearance — the definition of dedication and growth. With additional rising stars from powerhouse programs like Duke, USC, NC State, and Maryland, this year’s class blends elite talent with a shared commitment to pushing the women’s game forward. 👑 • The Dawg Class is about building the future of women’s basketball — and from the looks of this roster, the future is in great hands. 🔥 #thegist • #womenssports #basketball #collegesports #marchmadness #dawg #dawgclass #kelseyplum #wbb #ncaawbb

HVL is an SI Swimsuit model! 🏀🔥 • From the moment she picked up a basketball, it was clear Hailey Van Lith was going to be something special. Trained by her dad and mentored by the late Kobe Bryant, HVL built her game with intention, grit, and a fire that never burned out. 👏 • Despite standing 5'9"—on the shorter side for a women's basketball player—she made an immediate impact as a freshman at Louisville in 2020. 💪 • From there, her journey took her to LSU, where she played under Kim Mulkey and alongside Angel Reese and Flau’Jae Johnson. 🤝 • Realizing the style of game didn’t suit her vision at LSU, she transferred again—this time to TCU, a program that went 1-17 just two years ago. Some were surprised. But for HVL, honoring herself meant making the bold move. And it paid off. 🙌 • In her final collegiate season, Hailey led the Horned Frogs to their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2010, earned Big 12 Player of the Year honors, and became the first player in NCAA history—men’s or women’s—to reach the Elite Eight five times. 👑 • Now, as she gears up for the WNBA Draft, all eyes are on what comes next. 👀 • Off the court, she’s making waves too—named Sports Illustrated’s April Digital Cover Star, photographed in Fort Worth, Texas wearing pieces by Vitamin A Swim, WeWoreWhat, Saint Laurent, and LSPAC. 👏 • With 1.3 million Instagram followers and a growing legacy, HVL is just getting started—and she’s doing it all on her own terms. 🤩 #thegist • #womenssports #womensbasketball #basketball #haileyvanlith #hvl #siswim #sportsillustratedswimsuit #collegesports #sportsbiz

Billie Jean King just made history again — and this time, it’s on the streets of Hollywood! ⭐️ • On Monday, the tennis icon and trailblazing activist became the first woman to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame’s new sports entertainment category, joining a legacy of greatness just steps from the Pantages Theatre. 👏 • The 2,807th star belongs to a woman who has never stopped fighting — for equity, for visibility, and for change. 💪 • Surrounded by legends like Magic Johnson and Jamie Lee Curtis, as well as tennis pioneers from the early days of the WTA, King reflected on the moment with grace and power: “I don’t want to be the last one.” 🤩 • The celebration wasn’t just about a star on the sidewalk — it was a reminder of the barriers King has shattered and the ones she’s still committed to breaking down. 🔥 • From co-owning the Dodgers to championing equal pay, her presence on Hollywood Blvd is more than symbolic — it’s revolutionary. 🙌 • As Magic Johnson put it: “You’ve been a winner your whole life… You always stand for what’s right.” And Jamie Lee Curtis echoed that sentiment, calling her a force of “power in the press, power in her public advocacy, power in her fight for freedom.” 👑 • King summed it up best: “Remember — my star is your star.” 💫 #thegist • #womeninsports #hollywood #bjk #billiejeanking #womenssports #sportsbiz #hollywoodwalkoffame #tennis #trailblazer #king

8.5M were absolutely SAT on Sunday. 🪑🔥⁣ •⁣ The 2025 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship between University of Connecticut and South Carolina Gamecocks captivated audiences nationwide, averaging 8.5 million viewers and peaking at 9.8 million. 📺⁣ •⁣ This marks the third most-watched women's championship game ever on ESPN platforms. LFG! 👏⁣ •⁣ Also of note? This year's championship game saw a 75% increase in viewership compared to the same matchup between UConn and South Carolina in 2022. 🏀⁣ •⁣ "The Bird & Taurasi Show," ESPN's alternative telecast, also contributed significantly, drawing 703,000 viewers and adding to the event's overall success.🙌⁣ •⁣ Not to mention there was a total of 8.5 billion minutes consumed, which makes the 2025 tournament the second most-consumed NCAA Women's College Basketball Tournament on record, because this really just is the beginning. 📈⁣

One of the biggest storylines of the 2025 MLB season? The torpedo bat — and it’s taking over the league. ⚾ • The buzz really kicked off when five Yankees players went deep with the bowling pin-shaped bat during a massive 20–9 Opening Week win over the Brewers. 🧢 • Since then, the bat’s unusual design — made to shift the sweet spot and increase damage on contact — has been the center of baseball chatter. 💬 • There’s been some pushback from traditionalists, but MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is embracing the innovation. In a recent statement to The New York Times, he said: “They’re absolutely good for baseball... discussions and debates about it show that something about the game still matters beyond TV ratings or revenue.” 👀 • Despite its odd look, the torpedo bat is fully compliant with MLB rules, and more players are testing it out. 💪 • Dodgers manager Dave Roberts weighed in, saying it’s not surprising that in today’s game, players are more open-minded when it comes to gaining a competitive edge. 🔥 • Whether it's a gimmick or the future of hitting, one thing’s for sure: the torpedo bat is making serious noise this season. 📢 • How do you feel about these bats GISTers? 🤔 #thegist • (c/o @nytimes) • #mlb #menssports #baseball #torpedobats #torpedo #majorleaguebaseball #commissioner #robmanfred #sportsbiz

And the haters said it would never be "a sustainable business." Jokes on them. 😉 • According to Front Office Sports, after reserving around $7M for player salaries, the new 3v3 basketball league still made bank thanks to its exclusive media rights deal with Warner Bros. Discovery and a multitude of corporate sponsors. 🤝💰 • Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell said the league made approximately $1.5M in merch sales, bolstered by the league’s acquisition of WNBA athlete licensing mid-season. 📈 • Bazzell’s next plan to triple revenue? Adding capacity to its 850-seater venue, which Unrivaled will stay in next year instead of touring the country. A second home. 🏠👀 • Where do you want to see Unrivaled go to next, GISTers? 👇 #thegist • #womenssports #basketball #unrivaled #sportsbiz #unrivaledbasketball