Investors include Will Ventures, Thirty Five Ventures, Drive by DraftKings, and Women’s Sports Superstars Elena Delle Donne, Hilary Knight, Sam Mewis, Kelley O’Hara and Arike Ogunbowale

May 10, 2021 – Just Women’s Sports, the fastest growing media platform for women’s sports, today announced it has raised $3.5 million in seed funding, capitalizing on an explosion of interest and investment in women’s sports. The round was led by Will Ventures with participation from Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman’s Thirty Five Ventures, Drive by DraftKings, OVO Fund, Supernode Global as well as an all-star roster of women’s sports superstars including Elena Delle Donne, Hilary Knight, Sam Mewis, Kelley O’Hara and Arike Ogunbowale. Launched in 2020 by CEO and Founder Haley Rosen, Just Women’s Sports provides news and analysis of women’s sports through exclusive interviews, podcasts, videos and other media content, and has quickly grown a passionate audience of fans, followers and listeners.

“The audience for women’s sports is both massive and growing, despite a lack of investment in consistent, high-quality coverage,” said Rosen. “For women’s sports to take the next step, the games have to be more accessible and there also needs to be more content around the games, including news, highlights, analysis, and storytelling. Even when they can find a game to watch, fans of women’s sports are too often left wondering who they’re watching and what’s at stake. Just Women’s Sports is here to change that.”

In addition to a significant investment, Thirty Five Ventures will utilize its network and resources to help grow Just Women’s Sports, including amplification across its Boardroom media network.  Rosen will also be a featured guest on Boardroom’s “Out of Office” podcast with Rich Kleiman and Kevin Durant.

“In order to grow women’s sports, fans need to see how great the games are, and they shouldn’t have to look hard to do that,” said Thirty Five Ventures co-founder and two-time NBA champion Kevin Durant. “Just Women’s Sports is creating a much-needed platform centered around game and player highlights and analysis that shows fans exactly how good these players are and why they’re worth watching.”

“We’re excited about this investment in Just Women’s Sports not only because we recognize the huge opportunity for growth in the space, but because Haley is exactly the kind of founder we want to be in business with,” added Rich Kleiman. “She uniquely understands what’s missing in the conversations around women’s sports, and she’s also building her business with incredible knowledge and foresight.”

In addition to its Just Women’s Sports podcast hosted by USWNT star Kelley O’Hara, Just Women’s Sports recently launched Snacks, a podcast co-hosted by USWNT stars Sam Mewis and Lynn Williams, Off the Ball featuring Olympian and NWSL star Ali Riley, and The Soccer Show, a first-of-its-kind digital weekly highlights-driven show covering the FA Women’s Super League (FA WSL) through an exclusive premium content partnership with Ata Football. In addition, beginning May 27, Just Women’s Sports will feature Tea with A & Phee, the popular podcast hosted by 2020 WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson and 2019 WNBA Rookie of the Year Napheesa Collier.

“It’s hard to believe that the founders of ESPN struggled to convince investors that a 24/7 sports network was a major opportunity. We expect to look back at the opportunity in women’s sports and feel the same way,” said Brian Reilly, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Will Ventures. “There’s nearly a 50/50 gender split when it comes to sports participation, but only ~4% of coverage is dedicated to women’s sports. That gap represents a venture-scale opportunity, and we’re confident that Just Women’s Sports is uniquely positioned to seize it.”

“I’m so excited for what Haley is building with Just Women’s Sports. I believe in her and her vision for this company and platform,” said WNBA champion and two-time WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne. “We know fans of women’s sports are an underserved audience, and there’s a huge opportunity for growth. The fact that this is the first female-led media company that is fully VC funded is amazing. I’m beyond thrilled to be part of what they’re doing.”

“Despite growing conversations and interest in women’s sports, media coverage is still lagging way behind, which leaves a massively undervalued and untapped industry ripe for growth, support and opportunity,” said Meredith McPherron, Drive by DraftKings CEO and Managing Partner. “Just Women’s Sports has taken an early leadership role in promoting equality in sports and bringing visibility to the exciting success and stories behind exceptional female athletes. We’re so pleased to have them join our portfolio.”

This funding will enable Just Women’s Sports to expand its production of high-quality content featuring the biggest stars in women’s sports, as well as continue building out its executive team, production and editorial staff. Recent hires have included former Google and Uber Eats exec Ali Braverman as Head of Revenue, former ESPN producer Ashley Braband as Head of Content and Production, and former The Athletic editor Hannah Withiam as Managing Editor.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Just Women’s Sports: Jeff Heckelman, 631-312-7327, [email protected]

Will Ventures: Kirby Porter, [email protected]

Thirty Five Ventures: Jessica Sciacchitano, [email protected]

About Just Women’s Sports Inc.

Established in 2020, Just Women’s Sports Inc. is a digital-first consumer media brand 100% dedicated to covering women’s sports. Through daily content including podcasts, newsletters, online content and social media, Just Women’s Sports brings you everything you need to see and know in the world of women’s sports. Find Just Women’s Sports online, subscribe to our newsletter, and follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.

Teams around the WNBA are under pressure to finalize their 12-player rosters before Monday's league-enforced deadline.

Teams must cut their 2024 rosters down to just 12 spots from as many as 18 training camp players. And while this year’s WNBA draft class is undoubtedly rife with talent, only 18 draftees remain rostered ahead of Monday's final cuts. Last year, just 15 of the league’s 36 draftees made it onto their team’s opening-day squad. 

And it's not just rookies. Veteran players are also on the chopping block, even former title-winners: On Thursday, the Minnesota Lynx waived 2021 WNBA champ Ruthy Hebard.

But with every wave of cuts, players that survive dismissal inch closer to claiming a coveted roster spot. The Las Vegas Aces have already reached that magic number 12, opening the door for draft picks Dyaisha Fair and Kate Martin to stay on with the reigning champs.

Additionally, Dallas has whittled their training camp group down to 12. Fifth overall pick Jacy Sheldon and undrafted rookie Jaelyn Brown continue to remain in the mix. 

Other teams, meanwhile, still have decisions to make. Seattle currently lists 13 players, while others like New York still have a full 18 players in training camp. It’s likely that the final preseason game will tip roster decisions one way or another as coaching staffs continue to evaluate performance and playing time. 

But being cut doesn't mean the end of the road for everyone. Should players be waived, they can still be signed to short-term hardship contracts with teams carrying injured players on their permanent rosters. 

The 2024 WNBA season kicks off on Tuesday, May 14th.

Two NWSL teams avoided some major setbacks on Thursday, as both Portland’s Morgan Weaver and Orlando’s Angelina were cleared of season-ending injuries after undergoing scope procedures earlier this week. 

Angelina has been described by her club as "week-to-week," while Weaver has been placed on Portland’s 45-day injury list. 

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The Thorns won their May 4th game without Weaver 2-1, continuing their season turnaround, while the Pride remain one of two unbeaten teams in the NWSL.

In other injury list news, Christen Press posted a video on Thursday of her running with a trainer and doing drills, providing further updates on her road back from a June 2022 ACL tear.

🚨CHRISTEN PRESS IS SHOOTING AND RUNNING 🤩

(yes, we're freaking out)

🎥: @ChristenPress pic.twitter.com/BUjIyzj4xh

— The Women's Game (@WomensGameMIB) May 9, 2024

Angel City coach Becki Tweed has told reporters that Press is back with the team, but has not issued a timetable for her return to the field.

A group led by Toronto billionaire Larry Tanenbaum will bring a new WNBA franchise to Canada, CBC Sports reported early this morning. 

Set to begin play in 2026, the team will be owned and operated by Tanenbaum's Kilmer Sports Inc. Tanenbaum is a minority owner and chairman of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Toronto Maple Leafs, Raptors, Toronto FC, Argos, and Marlies. He originally explored an expansion team via MLSE, but was turned down by other members of the board. 

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The Toronto addition will be the WNBA's 14th team. It follows the Bay Area's WNBA Golden State, which will debut in 2025. 

An official announcement is expected May 23rd in Toronto, according to reports. 

"We continue to engage in productive conversations with interested ownership groups in a number of markets but have no news to report at this time," a WNBA spokesperson said in a statement. Tanenbaum's Kilmer Sports group, meanwhile, told CBC Sports that his organization has “no update at this time.”

In April, commissioner Cathy Engelbert said that Toronto was among the cities being considered for WNBA expansion.

The WNBA has a growing footprint in Canada, as the league's held wildly successful exhibition games north of the US border for the last two seasons. 

In 2023, a preseason matchup between Chicago and Minnesota sold out Toronto’s 19,800-capacity Scotiabank Arena. This past Saturday, the league drew more than 16,000 fans to Edmonton for a preseason showdown between LA and Seattle.

The Toronto team will reportedly play at Coca-Cola Coliseum, an 8,000-seat arena which is currently home to the Marlies as well as Toronto’s PWHL franchise.

The Las Vegas Aces took to the White House yet again on Thursday to celebrate their 2023 WNBA championship victory. 

The decorated team was hosted by President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and First Lady Jill Biden, marking the first time the Bidens have welcomed the team personally.

Last year, Harris hosted the Aces after the Bidens were unable to attend due to a last minute conflict. Harris applauded the team for their 2022 win, pointing to the "grit and determination" they showcased en route to their WNBA Finals win over Connecticut. 

President Biden is ready to PLAY! 🤣

The @LVAces presented personalized jerseys for the @POTUS and @VP 🔥 pic.twitter.com/vm8iWbMpxj

— WNBA (@WNBA) May 9, 2024

The Aces won back-to-back championships in 2023, becoming the first WNBA franchise to repeat the feat since 2002. More impressively, they did so without 2022 Finals MVP Chelsea Gray and center Kiah Stokes, both of whom were sidelined with injuries for the title-clinching Game 4. Star forward A’ja Wilson ended up claiming the 2023 Finals MVP honors.

Following the team’s White House visit, the Aces will visit Wilson’s alma mater South Carolina for an exhibition game against the Puerto Rico women's national basketball team. According to head coach Becky Hammon, the unconventional matchup came about when other WNBA teams lacked interest in facing the reigning champs in preseason play.

"We just started kind of building from there," Hammon told the Las Vegas Review Journal. "It’s really cool for players to go home, and that’s where she’s from. She’s the centerpiece of our whole organization."

Kelsey Plum jokingly called Wilson the "mayor of South Carolina" before citing the trip as an opportunity to build team chemistry ahead of their season opener against Phoenix on Tuesday.

"We have some new pieces, and we’re just trying to figure out where our rhythm is," Plum said, referring to recent roster prospects like Iowa grad Kate Martin, among others. "Because when the season starts, it happens fast."