Women's Sports
Angel Reese rejoining Unrivaled for a potential midseason boost
Sky F Angel Reese “rejoining” 3x3 basketball league Unrivaled for the remainder of the season could be “just what the league needs,” according to Alissa Hirsh of the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES. She will join Rose BC, the team with which she played last season. Though Unrivaled recently set the attendance rec...
Oregon launches GoDucksW platform to centralize women’s sports coverage, NIL opportunities
Univ. of Oregon athletics launched GoDucksW on Feb. 4, a dedicated social media platform for its women’s sports programs, as part of a broader effort to expand visibility and long-term NIL opportunities for female student-athletes.
Bay Area aims to be one of the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup cities in U.S. bid
The Bay Area Host Committee -- fresh off hosting Super Bowl LX on Sunday -- has “already set its aim” on landing the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup as part of the U.S. bid, according to Evan Webeck of the San Jose MERCURY NEWS. The Bay Area -- which will also host matches during the upcoming FIFA men’s...
Names in the News
Outgoing Univ. of Oklahoma AD JOE CASTIGLIONE will be replaced by ROGER DENNY on Feb. 15 and next for Castiglione is him serving in an emeritus role. He said they are “working through that” but it is “not fully defined yet.” Castiglione wants to “make one thing clear: he’ll only be offering his help...
Can the U.S. sustain multiple women’s pro volleyball leagues?
The Pro Volleyball Federation, launched in 2024, is no longer the only traditional U.S. professional women’s volleyball league after the debut of League One Volleyball in 2025 -- and everyone involved in the sport “acknowledges that America cannot sustain multiple leagues,” according to Weisberg &am...
On My Mind: Karen Leetzow
What’s on Karen Leetzow’s mind? The president of the Chicago Stars discusses why women’s sports deserve equal investment.
Sources: WNBA’s latest revenue share offer doesn’t exceed 15%
The WNBA’s latest collective bargaining proposal, submitted to the players’ union Friday night, did not include a revenue share split beyond 15%, sources told SBJ Saturday.
Santagiulia Arena opens smoothly for Olympic women’s hockey
Women’s ice hockey at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics “kicked off without any issues” at the newly built Santagiulia Arena in Milan, “helping shrug off previous concerns” that the arena would not be ready for the event. Italy beat France 4-1 “in front of a raucous crowd.” Organizers “worked around t...
Denver Summit reach 40,000 tickets sold for inaugural home match, eye women’s sports record
NWSL club Denver Summit FC, which debuts next month in San Jose, has “passed” the 40,000 mark in ticket sales for its home debut at Empower Field on March 28, according to Sean Keeler of the DENVER POST. Controlling owner Rob Cohen said their first goal “was to break the record for the largest (prof...
LPGA’s Kessler takes accountability for canceling final round of season opener
LPGA Commissioner Craig Kessler took “accountability for the decision” Sunday to “cancel the final round” of the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, according to Jill Lopez of GOLF DIGEST. Kessler was “on hand during the week in Florida as unprecedented freezing weather an...
Unrivaled’s Philadelphia success gives players momentum in WNBA CBA talks
Unrivaled’s stop in Philadelphia last Friday drew an “outpouring of fans and palpable energy,” and if that is “any indication, the players came to the table with momentum” in their ongoing labor dispute with the WNBA, according to Ken Makin of ANDSCAPE. More than 21,000 fans packed Unrivaled’s doubl...
Marketplace Roundup
BEAUTY INC’s Noor Lobad noted Ulta Beauty has launched its Ulta Beauty Roster, an “inaugural collective of six women athletes across games and ages who will collaborate with Ulta on social content and on-the-ground activations.” Members of the roster’s first cohort include pickleball player Anna Lei...
Boston Legacy FC signs Hyundai as jersey sleeve sponsor
Incoming NWSL expansion club Boston Legacy FC has signed Hyundai Motor America to a five-year jersey sleeve sponsorship agreement ahead of the team’s 2026 debut season. The Hyundai emblem will appear on the right sleeve of the club’s jerseys, one of five available brand placements on an NWSL uniform...
WNBA charts from latest CBA talks show advances, but players are unmoved
A day after a WNBA collective bargaining session yielded no new proposals, ESPN obtained a confidential league presentation from the meeting that itemized its salary projections and listed its movement on mindful issues such as 401(k) contributions, pregnancy clauses and retired player benefits.
Bay FC hires LAFC executive Stacy Johns as CEO
NWSL club Bay FC has hired LAFC Chief Business Officer Stacy Johns as its new CEO, a role in which she intends to focus on strengthening supporter culture and game-day experience at PayPal Park. She will formally begin her new role on March 2 ahead of the team’s third season in the NWSL.
Ariel Investments’ women’s sports fund raises $250M
Ariel Investments has “closed one of the largest funds ever dedicated exclusively to women’s sports” at $250M, and plans to “acquire stakes in teams and leagues in the U.S. and Europe.” Ariel’s Project Level Fund plans to “continue raising more capital,” but the firm declined to disclose how much it...
Report: WNBA, union in-person meeting ‘valuable’ for CBA talks
The WNBA and WNBPA’s Monday CBA meeting was “valuable for both sides to meet in person, ask questions and receive direct answers” as they look to break the stalemate, according to sources cited by Alexa Philippou of ESPN.com. Sources said that the gathering was based “more on sharing the sentiments,...
SBJ Women’s Sports: Winter Games a showcase for PWHL
The Feb. 3, 2026, edition of the SBJ Women's Sports newsletter reports on the PWHL's efforts to tap into the Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina for even more fan engagement and growth, data on the rising audience for women's college gymnastics and the philanthropic efforts supporting Team USA in Italy
Fundraising arm putting the focus on Team USA women
For more than a decade, women have led Team USA’s Olympic success — and that’s drawn the interest of the philanthropic community.
Women’s sports executive transactions
Togethxr named MAHIN AMINIAN SVP/legal; BEN MEYERS as head of development; BRANDON LIM is director/social media; and HOPE BARKER and KATIE RIETZKE as senior managers/brand partnerships.
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Quote of the Day
Our inability to acquire the true valuation of our media rights was exposed by the NBA contract. ... If we have $20B to deal with versus $4B, all the ills of what a lot of owners struggle with today will be resolved and it will not be a labor issue.-- MLB agent Scott Boras, on how the issues in MLB that people think would be resolved by a salary cap would actually be solved if the league could bring in more revenue from things like media rights.
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