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Joy, heartbreak, and a brand new league
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$2.35 billion


— The estimated revenue potential for women's sports in 2025, which also surpassed its 2024 projections, according to a new analysis from Deloitte

Three big stories to know this week in women's sports


1. Joy wins at the Figure Skating World Championships 💜 ⛸️


Alysa Liu was the youngest ever U.S. national champ (at 13 years old), the first woman to attempt a quad lutz at nationals (at 14), and won a bronze medal at the world championship (at 16). And then, burnt out and tired of the grind, she quit. 


After three years of being a normal kid, going to college, prioritizing her mental health, she came back this past weekend to the world championships. Only this time, she said, she was doing it her way: Having fun, taking ownership of her routines, finding the joy in skating.


And this time, joy won 🥇


Liu became the first American in 19 years to win the world championship — and even the defending champ, Kaori Sakamoto, was happy for her 😭


WATCH: Liu's free skate routine and triumphant celebration


LEARN: American Amber Glenn, a favorite going into the competition, ended up 5th — but she was able to bounce back after a fall in her short program thanks to neurotherapy training she's been doing


AND: Madison Chock & Evan Bates won a historic *third* world title in ice dancing

(Photo: Melanie Heaney/U.S. Figure Skating)


2. Is women's March Madness 🏀 still undervalued?


Yes.


As a reminder: Women weren't even allowed to use the term "March Madness" until three years ago. It wasn't until the last two years that the games have been heavily hyped, marketed, and broadcast. It wasn't until 2024 that the NCAA signed an 8-year TV deal with ESPN that valued the women's DI tournament at $65 million/year. Yet, a 2021 report on the potential media value estimated it at $81-112 million.


Another reminder: The top four most followed college basketball players on social media are women 👑


This year's March Madness moments you might have missed

Why hasn't Paige Bueckers gotten as much media attention as Caitlin Clark?


Given Bueckers' stats and dominance, it's a good question. There are likely a few reasons:


- As a freshman, Bueckers won the Wooden Award, AP Player of the Year, and the Naismith Trophy. But she then missed most of sophomore year due to injury and her entire junior year after she tore her ACL — yes, the same injury that just happened to Juju Watkins!! Those missed seasons hurt her stats and the general coverage of her as a player.


- Bueckers also plays for powerhouse UConn, where being a giant among giants likely makes her stand out slightly less as an individual player.


- It's also true that part of the Caitlin Clark hype came out of her rivalry with Angel Reese. It made for a more exciting media story, but was also wrapped up in some really messed up racial framing. Bueckers, to her credit, has always been outspoken about racial injustices.


- Partially, though, Clark was just *the right person at the right time* for an audience that was ready for MORE women's sports stars ⭐ — but she won't be the last


📺 WATCH: The exciting Final Four games on Friday 🏀🏀🏀

  • S. Carolina v. Texas at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN

  • UConn v. UCLA at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN


3. Grand Slam Track starts this weekend 🏃‍♀️


This weekend the brand new high-profile big-money track & field league, founded by gold medalist Michael Johnson, Grand Slam Track, kicks off in Jamaica. 


How it works

  • Four events throughout the season

  • Six race "groups" at each event: short sprints (100m & 200m — for example), short hurdles, short distance, long sprints, long hurdles, long distance

  • Eight athletes race in each "group" and all athletes are signed for the whole season

  • Athletes can win $100K for winning their group at an event and additional money for the overall season title

There's a total of $12.6 million in prize money + a LOT of world champions and Olympians signed to contracts for the year


💁‍♀️ WHO: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Gabby Thomas, Nikki Hiltz, Agnes Ngetich, Jessica Hull. Check out the full list of competitors


📺 WATCH: Friday and Saturday at 6 p.m. ET, Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on Peacock in the U.S., on CBC in Canada, and Eurosport in Europe. And follow @GrandSlamTrack on Youtube

Tip of the week

Thanks to athletes like Allyson Felix and organizations like &Mother, more women than ever are having babies and coming back to elite sport. But that doesn't mean it's easy or that there aren't long-term effects from pregnancy!


A new massive analysis that looked at markers before and after pregnancy for 300,000 births found that the postnatal period is *much* longer than people assume and the toll on the body can last for awhile.


What does this mean for you? Yes, there 1000% still needs to be more research done on women and more clear medical advice for active women during pregnancy and in the postpartum period. But it also means that a gradual and graduated return to sport, taking into account your activity level and symptoms, will set you up best!


Our friends at FASTR and at the Huzzah Hub have shared some insight, but we also talked to experts in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics.


LISTEN: "How to Return to Elite Sport Post-Partum"


LEARN: The Four-Phase Approach to Post-Partum Return to Run


LAUGH: "It takes time..."




The highlight reel


Your Feisty recommendations


📺 What to watch: Netflix's Running Point — a sitcom based on the real life of LA Lakers owner Jeanie Buss 


📚 What to read: "At 76, Jeannie Rice Just Keeps Running Fast. Now, Scientists Finally Know Why."


🎧 What to listen to: "More Than A Moment: How Women's Sports Are Changing the Industry"


🙌 What got us stoked: We want to be like Catherine Kuehn when we're 95 💪
MORE ON WOMEN'S PERFORMANCE
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The Feist is written by Taylor Rojek and edited by Drew Jones. Ads by Ella Hnatyshyn


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