At the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2026, Women's Sports had its own main stage. And Courtside was holding court, talking to mega star athletes and entrepreneurs like Allyson Felix and Sue Bird; massive brands like Catalyst, Athlos, and Sequel; and teams like Man City and the New York Liberty. Everyone came together to offer proof points of the Courtside thesis: that women's sports is a massive opportunity for any brand, the fandom is the bomb, and no one needs to be convinced that we matter anymore.

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We take a look back at a huge through line of the Courtside show: how important it is to pay attention to how we're developing health infrastructure around all athletes. You can make the business case for it; the human case is obvious. With the influx of attention, money, and partners pouring into women's sports, we highlight the people who know what to do with it.

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Yael Averbach West grew up the lone girl on a boys' soccer team in Montclair, New Jersey, went on to wear the UNC kit and earn USWNT caps, and now runs one of the NWSL's most decorated clubs as two-time champion GM of NJ/NY Gotham FC. She joins Laura for a Jersey-girl conversation about the grit it took to get here — and the vision it takes to stay on top. They dig into how the women's professional game has transformed from survival mode to sold-out stadiums, why winning isn't enough if no one knows your players exist, what Gotham actually needs from commercial partners, and what it means to build a club culture that reflects the community that raised you.

00:00 Welcome Back to Courtside

01:00 Growing Up Soccer in Jersey: The Boys Team Decision

04:45 UNC and Finding Her People

07:30 From the WPS to the NWSL: Surviving to Thriving

11:00 What's Actually Changed for Players (and What Hasn't)

15:30 Building the Gotham Standard: Infrastructure, Facilities, and Player Care

21:00 ACL Injuries, Data, and Making Insights Actionable

23:30 Connecting the On-Field Product to Commercial Growth

28:30 How the GM Role Has Evolved

31:00 What Gotham Actually Needs from Partners

33:00 The Season Ahead and Citi Field Announcement

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