Women's Sports Alliance

One of the most important shifts happening in sport media right now is that female athletes are centring their own voices.

Through podcasting, they are creating space for deeper conversations that go far beyond post-match interviews or headline moments. They are speaking about leadership, pressure, identity, culture, and the realities of professional sport in their own words.

That matters. It changes how the game is understood. It gives audiences context that traditional formats often miss. And it allows athletes to shape their own narratives rather than being spoken about.

Part 1 of our Top Female Athlete-Led Podcasts highlights the platforms helping to redefine how sport is discussed.

Which ones are you listening to?

From Ella Toone’s reported £1.5m Nike deal to Nike backing The A’ja Wilson Show as its own media platform, February showed how fast the commercial ceiling in women’s sport is rising.

We saw beauty retailers like Ulta building athlete rosters, not one-off campaigns. Wellness brands like Blueair moving into performance and recovery through Jessica Pegula. Long-term investment in Paralympic athletes with Lauren Rowles × adidas. Women’s football ambassadors like Gemma McGuinness signalling a maturing ecosystem. And fashion crossovers with Emma Raducanu × Uniqlo and Jazmin Sawyers × Simone Rocha × adidas.

This isn’t just endorsement culture anymore. It’s athlete IP, long-term brand building and serious commercial strategy.

Which partnership felt the most authentic to you?

       

Nike has launched the 2026 kit collection for the National Women’s Soccer League, introducing a suite of designs built around club identity, community storytelling and cultural expression.

Each NWSL club collaborated closely with Nike to redesign existing kits or introduce new primary and third shirts ahead of the 2026 season. Expansion sides Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC have also unveiled their inaugural identities. The result is a collection that reflects neighbourhood heritage, fan culture, club anniversaries and purpose-driven community moments.

This is part of a broader shift in women’s football marketing. Football kits are no longer template-driven performance garments. They are brand assets. They are storytelling platforms. They are commercial tools that connect players, fans and cities in a more intentional way.

For athletes, this matters. Playing in a kit that feels carefully designed and culturally aware strengthens identity on the pitch. For clubs and leagues, it demonstrates how thoughtful design can deepen fan engagement and long-term brand equity.

At WSA, we pay attention to moments like this because positioning in women’s sport increasingly happens through design, narrative and cultural fluency. This is not about comparison. It is about recognising when women’s football marketing reflects the scale and ambition of the game itself.

Swipe through to explore the 2026 NWSL kits.

SportsDesign WomenInSport AthleteBrand WomenInFootball WSA

The 2026 Winter Olympics will be one of the clearest stages for female athlete personal brands.

This carousel looks at the women whose influence stretches beyond competition.

From fashion and culture, to credibility, craft and global market appeal, these athletes have built recognisable identities around who they are. That clarity is what makes them commercially powerful. It gives fans something to connect to and brands something meaningful to align with.

Which Winter Olympian do you think is setting the standard right now?

Strength doesn’t always look like progress. Sometimes it looks like patience.

Hannah Cockroft CBE is part of the first cohort of our Athlete Branding Playbook, and her story captures a moment many athletes reach, but few are given space to navigate publicly.

A multiple Paralympic gold medallist, Hannah has spent years operating at the highest level of elite sport. Now, as she enters motherhood and a new chapter of identity, her focus has shifted from constant output to long-term sustainability. From proving to becoming.

Working with Women’s Sports Alliance and My Brand Academy, Hannah didn’t come to build more visibility. She came to build clarity. Together, we shaped a brand framework that protects her wellbeing, honours her life stage, and still serves the future she’s working toward.

Her story challenges the idea that athletes must always be in motion to matter. That value only exists at peak performance. That slowing down means stepping back.

This chapter is about foundations. About listening before pushing. About trusting that the quiet work counts.

We’re proud to share where Hannah is right now, not as a destination, but as part of a much longer journey.

       

From Paige Bueckers building with LEGO to Naomi Osaka merging couture and performance, this month showed what athlete partnerships look like when they’re rooted in identity rather than exposure.

What stood out was the way creativity was positioned as a performance tool, technology was normalised through athletes’ everyday training and lifestyle content, and endurance and women’s team sports received long-term brand backing rather than one-off activations. Across it all, athletes continued to shape culture well beyond the boundaries of their sport.

These aren’t isolated posts or short-term campaigns. They’re signals of where women’s sport, fashion, technology and community are intersecting right now.

Which collaboration felt most authentic to you?
And which one surprised you?

We asked athletes in our DMs one question.

What are you excited about building in 2026, on and off the field?

Ali Talbot, softball coach and former player, is focused on growing her coaching business this year through the launch of a new website, expanding her online training and coaching offerings, and continuing to invest in her education while staying open to what comes next.

We are spotlighting athletes early in the year to remind you that you are allowed to think beyond performance, beyond contracts and beyond the next fixture.

If you are an athlete with goals outside of competition, this space is for you. And if you want to be part of this series, our DMs are open.

We asked athletes in our DMs one question.

What are you excited about building in 2026, on and off the field?

Jasmin Salinas, racing driver, is excited to add more races to her schedule this year while continuing to develop her craft both on and off the track.

We are spotlighting athletes early in the year to remind you that you are allowed to think beyond performance, beyond contracts and beyond the next fixture.

If you are an athlete with goals outside of competition, this space is for you. And if you want to be part of this series, our DMs are open.

Mercy Brown is part of the first cohort of our Athlete Branding Playbook, and her journey reflects a new way of thinking about strength in elite sport.

An elite British weightlifter, Mercy is redefining what strength looks like today; moving beyond numbers and medals to explore alignment, intention, and truth. Her approach shows that power and emotional intelligence don’t have to exist in opposition.

Working with Women’s Sports Alliance and My Brand Academy, Mercy has explored who she is beyond the platform alone. Not to soften her edge or dilute her credibility, but to bring clarity to the intelligence, faith, and purpose that have always powered her performance.

Her story reminds us that real strength isn’t just physical. It’s the stillness before the lift. The reflection after loss. The courage to evolve and start again.

Mercy is stepping into a chapter focused on legacy; building a brand that grows alongside her career, amplifies others, and reimagines what strength can mean for the next generation.

We’re proud to share the beginning of where she’s headed.

We asked athletes in our DMs one question.

What are you excited about building in 2026, on and off the field?

Ashleigh Plumptre, Nigerian National Team football player, is focused on growing her foundation after a successful event in Lagos, while also working towards another project that could combine sport with art and culture.

We are spotlighting athletes early in the year to remind you that you are allowed to think beyond performance, beyond contracts and beyond the next fixture.

If you are an athlete with goals outside of competition, this space is for you. And if you want to be part of this series, our DMs are open.

We asked athletes in our DMs one question.

What are you excited about building in 2026, on and off the field?

Jenna Gibson, professional windsurfer, is focused on breaking records in speed windsurfing this year, aiming to break the outright nautical mile and achieve her mission of going 50 knots over 500 meters.

We are spotlighting athletes early in the year to remind you that you are allowed to think beyond performance, beyond contracts and beyond the next fixture.

If you are an athlete with goals outside of competition, this space is for you. And if you want to be part of this series, our DMs are open.