Fashion!
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| Subject: | Saturday Scroll: Pink? For women’s sportswear? |
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| Date: | 2026-09-19 12:01 |
| From: | The GIST Sports Biz <hi@thegistsports.com> |
| To: | mark@rauterkus.com |
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Leveling The Playing Field
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| From The GIST Team |
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Greetings, gang |
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Welcome to The GIST's Sports Business Saturday Scroll, where we dive deep into one person, idea, or move that's shaping the business of women's sports. The WNBA is the most-followed women's sports league in the world, and its 30th anniversary has been a celebration of the players and the everyday people contributing to that achievement. From attendance records to social media engagement, fans have shown up for this league in-person, online, and through fashion.
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| The Latest |
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✨ New league, new strategy
Source: Smiley N. Pool/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
The WNBA was not the first women's professional basketball league in the U.S., but it needed to avoid following in the disastrous footsteps of its predecessors. The front office connections and monetary backing of the NBA went a long way, but there's a lesser-known hero that helped define the W: Tom O'Grady.
In 1997, O'Grady oversaw the entire brand identity launch for the WNBA. He brought his signature bold style and worked directly with players, consulting with stars like Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, and Rebecca Lobo to check 'fits and take edits on uniform design.
Those design choices helped create the W's brand identity — and ensured that the soul of the league was stylish and cool, laying the groundwork for it to be the meeting place of fashion and sport that it's known as today.
   
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🛍️ Sorry in advance to your wallet
Source: Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
We are living in a new age of WNBA merch — not just from sportswear giants, but also from independent designers bringing new life to a sometimes stale sportswear scene with officially licensed WNBA gear. Here are some of our favorites that are inspired by, and in turn bolster, the league's undeniably cool identity: 🧡 Playa Society was founded in 2018 by former basketball player and coach Esther Wallace, who still hand-draws the designs and typography. Authentic, trendy, and bold, Playa Society is now carried in major retailers like Dick's Sporting Goods, has collaborated on WNBA All-Star merch, and features player-centric capsule collections that allow Wallace to capitalize on viral moments and big performances. 🖤 Round 21 is on a mission to show that sports have always been an art form. Founder Jasmine Maietta played pro basketball and worked in sports marketing for more than 20 years before founding the brand. She has partnered with over 100 artists and 30 teams and leagues to bring a fresh perspective to sportswear and help fans stand out. 🤍 Peace Collective is a Toronto-based apparel brand founded in 2015 by Lisa Diep and Yanal Dhailieh. Rooted deeply in sustainability and giving back, Peace Collective aims to raise $1M by 2030 for community organizations, with a ticker on their website keeping buyers informed in real time.
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TOGETHER WITH Spark by Hilton
Source: Spark by Hilton
⭐ When your vacation rental comes with a chore list, is it really even a vacation? Spark by Hilton offers great service, clean, comfortable spaces, and affordable rates — and no host reminding you to take out the garbage.
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🏀 The industry impact
Source: Andy Lyons/Getty Images
The diversity and inclusivity of the WNBA have played a huge role in its cultural success. From the first game all the way through this 30th season, women have been able to see themselves in this league, and fashion has always reflected that, especially a certain bright orange hoodie.
Women fans of men's leagues were often subjected to the dreaded "shrink it and pink it" trope — making smaller versions of men's shirts and making them pink or adding rhinestones to appeal to women — and didn't start seeing creative or fashion-forward designs until recent years. The WNBA has always been at the forefront of that change, and it's being rewarded for it.
Major players like Nike are now showing their creativity and meeting the unprecedented demand through its new three-tier jersey system, dropping Heroine, Explorer, and Rebel editions for each team. Focused on specific storytelling, collaborations, and empowerment, these jerseys reflect the growth of the league and the fans that helped get it there. The future has never looked better.
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On that note... |
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If your closet is overflowing with WNBA merch, other leagues are stepping up their collabs, too: 🏈 NFL x Abercrombie: Fashionable and preppy, it's giving 2007...in a good way. ⚽ NWSL x Dead Dirt: Besoke knit polos. That's all you need to know. 🏒 PWHL x Newlife Clothing: Securing one of these custom pieces has to feel like hitting the lottery. 💍 Off Season x Fanatics: Everyone deserves to look as cool as an NFL WAG. |
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Today's email was brought to you by Rachel Fuenzalida. Fact checking by Bonnie Lee. Operations by Elisha Gunaratnam. Ads by Ali Haberstroh. Managing edits by Molly Potter and Katie Kehoe Foster. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.
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