Just Women's Sports

Retired WNBA legend Sue Bird will be honored with her own Barbie doll, Mattel announced this week. "I was really excited when I heard," Bird told PEOPLE Magazine on Tuesday. "I grew up playing with Barbies, so it's kind of a surreal moment when something like this happens." The limited edition release is part of Mattel's 65th anniversary celebration as well as the company's Summer of Sports initiative. Other athletes in US women's sports who've previously received signature Barbies include tennis greats Venus Williams and Naomi Osaka as well as Portland Thorns captain Christine Sinclair. "Now little girls and little boys are going to see a professional women's basketball player in the form of a Barbie and they're going to tap into that story, they're going to tap into that career and they're going to think, 'Oh, this is something I could do,'" added Bird.

Just Women's Sports announced three new digital series on Thursday, headlined by 'The Gold Standard' with Olympic gold medalists and women's sports icons Kelley O'Hara and Lisa Leslie. 'The Gold Standard' debuts on July 27th, covering the biggest women's sports stories from the Paris Olympics over six-episodes by tapping into the insights and opinions of two legendary Olympians. Leslie and O'Hara will record each episode in-studio, with a slate of special guests joining throughout the show's run. 'The Gold Standard' is just one of thee JWS series designed to bring fans closer to the Summer Games from an Olympian's point of view, with additional series '1v1' and 'The 91st' zeroing in on the USWNT's upcoming Olympic run. Each new series leans on the expertise of its accomplished hosts and guest stars, providing fans with candid, personality-driven commentary surrounding this summer's biggest event.

Willow Bay, the dean of USC's Annenberg School, along with husband and Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger are set to become the new controlling owners NWSL team Angel City FC. The acquisition will reportedly run a record $250 million. According to Axios, the deal marks the highest valuation in history for a women's professional sports team.

Athletic brand New Balance announced a multiyear deal with the WNBA on Tuesday, becoming an official partner of the league. They also signed LA Sparks rookie Cameron Brink to a new contract that includes "broadcast, digital, and retail content," according to a press release. Brink first partnered with the brand on an NIL deal while at Stanford in 2023, making history as the first women's basketball player to join the New Balance roster. The new WNBA partnership underlines New Balance's continued investment in both the future of women's basketball and Brink's professional career as she continues to rehab an ACL tear. "This relationship with the WNBA is another example of New Balance encouraging all young athletes, particularly women and girls, to pursue their athletic goals and ignite a new era of female empowerment through sport," commented New Balance head of global partnerships Jess Vassall.

Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese's record double-double streak came to an end on Saturday when her team lost to the Liberty 81-67. A frontrunner for WNBA Rookie of the Year, Reese finished with eight points and 16 rebounds against New York, falling just a couple points short of what would have been her 16th-straight double-double. The LSU grad's record stands as the longest double-double streak in WNBA history, surpassing previous record-holder Candace Parker by three games.

On Thursday night, the ESPYs honored University of South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley with the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance for her continued contributions in the field of cancer research advocacy. After paying tribute to the "immense courage and resilience" of past award recipients as well as her family's personal connection to the cause, Staley spoke about her greater journey as an advocate, both on and off the court. "I try my best to do things in the right way, knowing that some little girl is out there watching me... maybe, she's one of the 13 pairs of eyes that see every little thing I do everyday and make sure to comment on it, that's my team," she said, motioning to her Gamecocks squad seated in the audience. "... How do I not fight pay disparity, when I do the same job and get paid less but win more? I can't ask them to stand up for themselves if I'm sitting down. Nor can I ask them to use their voice for change if I'm only willing to whisper."

On Wednesday, NBA 2K25 announced back-to-back WNBA Champion, two-time WNBA MVP, and six-time WNBA All-Star A’ja Wilson as its latest cover athlete. Las Vegas's newly minted all-time leading scorer, Wilson will grace the cover of the GameStop exclusive NBA 2K25 WNBA Edition. She will also be featured on the dual-league All-Star Edition alongside 2024 NBA Champion Jayson Tatum. "Being featured on the NBA 2K25 cover is a big moment for me and a testament to the ever-growing fandom of the WNBA," said A’ja Wilson in a press release. "Seeing more and more WNBA athletes scanned into NBA 2K25 to best capture the style and confidence of the league has been empowering, and I can't wait for fans to experience it in-game." NBA 2K25 will be available on September 6th on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

On Wednesday, Nike announced the launch of a collection paying homage to the USWNT’s 1999 World Cup team, 25 years after the legendary squad lifted the trophy. In addition to replica jerseys representing iconic players like Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain, Nike will also release a red and blue tracksuit featuring 1999-era USWNT branding. The collection is set to drop on July 18th.

On Saturday, Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark became the first rookie in WNBA history to record a triple-double, registering 19 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds in the upset win over league leaders New York. A 2024 All-Star, Clark currently leads all rookies in average points per game with 16.1 and trails only 2023 MVP candidate Alyssa Thomas league-wide in average assists per game with 7.4. She's helped the Fever to a 9-13 record ahead of the WNBA's Olympic break.

Last Wednesday, the WNBA announced the premiere of YEAR 1, a four-part docuseries offering a behind-the-scenes look at a few of this year's star rookies. Simultaneously released on YouTube and the WNBA app, the series follows Angel Reese (Chicago Sky), Kamilla Cardoso (Chicago Sky), Rickea Jackson (LA Sparks), and Nika Muhl (Seattle Storm) as they transition from the 2024 WNBA Draft to their current professional teams. The first episode, entitled 'Acclimating,' premiered on July 3rd.