In a banner year for women’s professional sports, athletes who dominate their game are reaping the financial benefits.
The WNBA is a leading example. Last month, it wrapped up a historic season that notched all-time viewership and attendance records while racking up brand deals and corporate sponsorships for its players along the way. On Sunday, the league will hold its draft lottery for the 2025 season.
Many of the WNBA's young stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese brought deals with them from their playing days in college, including name, image and likeness agreements that became endorsements with such companies as Nike, Reebok and Gatorade. Players of different backgrounds landed a variety of other endorsement deals with companies like CarMax and State Farm.
But for all those enjoying their newfound riches, there are still some players who are being left out. The WNBA recently partnered with Kim Kardashian’s underwear brand SKIMS, which featured women of color as well as LGBTQ+ players in its ads. The company received pushback, however, for excluding masculine-presenting athletes in its May campaign.
“Not the papis of the league being forgotten again,” Phoenix Mercury’s Natasha Cloud posted on X after SKIMS' “Fits Everybody” campaign dropped.
Two-time all star Natasha Howard of the Dallas Wings also criticized the campaign, saying it felt “like a smack” for the league’s more masculine presenting players, and that it is “absolutely” harder for Black LGBTQ+ athletes to get brand deals.
“I feel like a lot of people don’t want to see queer or lesbian people on the face of anything,” Howard told The Associated Press in a phone interview.
SKIMS did not respond to requests for comment.
Cloud and Howard decided to forge their own path. Both women scored partnerships with Woxer, a Latina and LGBTQ+-owned women’s boxer brand that offers a line designed for gender nonconforming customers.
Miami-based Alexandra Fuente, Woxer’s founder, said that working with Howard, Cloud, and Las Vegas Aces’ Kierstan Bell “was just a great match,” and the company is planning to collaborate with many more female athletes in the future.
“I think the major brands give deals to people that fit the box, and that is a great thing because it leaves opportunity for brands like us,” Fuente said. "For us ... everybody’s in the box.”
But for mainstream brands, partnering with athletes who don’t fit the traditional mold in today’s increasingly polarized cultural landscape fraught with anti-diversity backlash creates "this collective risk that some brands are unwilling to take,” according to Ketra Armstrong, University of Michigan professor of Sport Management and director of the Center for Race & Ethnicity in Sport.
Many brands are ”middle of the road, and want to be safe, and don’t want to offend other pockets of their consumers,” Armstrong said.
Risa Isard, assistant professor of sport management at the University of Connecticut, analyzed online articles from ESPN, CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated from the 2020 WNBA season and her peer-reviewed study found that Black WNBA athletes received less media attention than white WNBA athletes. Additionally, Black athletes who did not present in traditionally feminine ways “receive the least amount of media attention, while white athletes have the freedom to express their gender in a variety of ways and still capture media interest.”
Media attention matters because it shapes athletes’ perceived advertising value for brand deals, and is especially important for WNBA players since their salaries are much lower than NBA players and they instead depend on endorsements and playing abroad offseason despite safety concerns to pay the bills, Isard said.
But brands are missing the mark when they overlook Black LGBTQ+ women, said University of Massachusetts Amherst sport management professor Ajhanai Keaton, who studies the intersection of race and gender identity.
Like some of its players, the WNBA’s fan base also holds fluid gender identities, plus companies may underestimate how much consumers with different identities admire and relate to LGBTQ+ players, Keaton said. “Sponsors and brands are way behind the curve on this.”
Nonetheless, there has been progress, including in other women's sports like soccer.
Briana Scurry, goalkeeper for the legendary squad that won the 1999 World Cup, was one of the only openly gay “out” players of her time. Scurry, a two-time Olympic Gold medalist, said sponsorship opportunities in women’s soccer have improved significantly since her time playing.
After making a crucial penalty kick save that helped cinch her team's World Cup win, Scurry said she “thought for sure that I would have a landslide of sponsorship deals," but "I just didn’t.”
At first she thought it was because she was a goalkeeper. “And then it dawned on me, sadly, that it may have to do with my color and/or my sexual orientation,” she said. “I didn’t have any other explanation for it.”
Today, women’s soccer “has come a long way,” according to the former Washington Spirit assistant coach. When Scurry played, she was the only player of color with a starting role. Now, Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman, and Mallory Swanson make up the U.S. Olympic team’s formidable front three, and Scurry said she saw several advertising and marketing campaigns reflect that star power.
“That made me very happy,” she said.
And endorsement opportunities that evaded Scurry 25 years ago? They're now beginning to surface.
“I am having quite a bit of success now that I didn’t have then," she said, which makes her hopeful that sponsorship opportunities for Black LGBTQ+ female athletes also will continue to grow.
“Women’s sports is now seen as a business proposition,” Scurry said. “No longer is it a charity.”
For anyone who questions the marketing potential and social capital of Black LGBTQ+ athletes, Keaton added, they need only glance at the comment sections of their Instagram posts, which are filled with fire emojis, heart eyes emojis, and, “‘Where’d you get those shoes?’”
AP Basketball Writer Doug Feinberg contributed to this report.
The Associated Press’ women in the workforce and state government coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
FILE - Florida State's Natasha Howard holds up an Indiana Fever jersey with WNBA president Laurel J. Richie after Indiana selected Howard as the No. 5 pick in the WNBA basketball draft in, April 14, 2014, in Uncasville, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)
FILE - Dallas Wings' Natasha Howard handles the ball as she works against the Indiana Fever in a WNBA basketball game on Sept. 1, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — On a raucous Saturday night between the hedges, Carson Beck once again looked like a quarterback who could lead Georgia to another national title.
Showing off his arm and his legs, Beck silenced his critics by throwing for two touchdowns and running for another, leading the No. 11 Bulldogs to a 31-17 victory over No. 6 Tennessee that gave a huge boost to their College Football Playoff hopes.
Georgia (8-2, 6-2 Southeastern Conference, No. 12 CFP) bounced back from a 28-10 loss at Ole Miss that left the Bulldogs just outside the provisional 12-team postseason field.
Now, they are positioned for a likely playoff berth — and a shot at winning their third national championship in four years — if they can close out the regular season with wins over UMass and Georgia Tech.
“The way we were able to bounce back from last week, I'm just so proud of these guys,” Beck said. “The word that really identifies us is resilient. We stay so composed in high-pressure moments. Although it might not look perfect, it might not look pretty, we're gonna get the job done.”
Tennessee (8-2, 5-2, No. 7 CFP) could have moved a big step closer to a berth in the SEC championship game, but the Vols' postseason prospects are now a whole lot murkier after what had all the makings of a playoff elimination game.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said he has “no idea” where his team stands now in the playoff picture.
“All I know is this league is college football as good as it gets,” he said. "It’s hard to win in this league. It’s a good football team that we just played. ... We’re a good football team, too.”
In the midst of a disappointing season, Beck came up huge for the Bulldogs when they needed him most, guiding them to a 29th straight home victory in an FBS-leading streak that dates to 2019.
Beck connected on a pair of touchdown passes to tight end Oscar Delp in the first half and scrambled for the go-ahead score in the third quarter, darting 10 yards to the end zone for his first rushing TD of the season.
Georgia sealed the victory with a 92-yard drive — its longest of the season — in the closing minutes. Freshman Nate Frazier finished it off with a 2-yard touchdown run with 2:26 remaining.
“A week ago, we were dead and gone,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “People had written us off.”
Beck, who had thrown 12 interceptions in the previous six games, didn't have any picks against the Volunteers. He completed 25 of 40 passes for 347 yards.
With quarterback Nico Iamaleava cleared to play after going through concussion protocol, Tennessee jumped to a 10-0 lead on Miles Kitselman’s 1-yard dive and Max Gilbert’s 52-yard field goal, dampening the mood of more than 93,000 at Sanford Stadium.
But the Bulldogs, after a sluggish start that has become their trademark, grabbed the lead as Beck connected with Delp on similar-looking scoring passes of 19 and 4 yards in the back of the end zone.
Dylan Sampson put the Vols back in front with his 21st rushing touchdown of the season, a 27-yard scamper through a huge hole right up the middle.
Beck guided the Bulldogs into position for Peyton Woodring’s 36-yard field goal with five seconds remaining in the half, sending the teams to the locker room tied at 17.
The Georgia quarterback isn't known as much of a runner, but he posted a career-high 32 yards on three carries — all of them huge plays for the Bulldogs.
A bruising 14-yard run set up his first touchdown pass to Delp, an 8-yard run on third down extended the drive that led to Woodring's field goal near the end of the first half and the touchdown run came on third-and-7 from the 10.
“He's a good athlete,” Smart said. “He can make plays with his feet.”
Tennessee: The Vols defense had not allowed more than 19 points all season, but they couldn't contain the Beck-led offense. Georgia piled up 453 yards and 24 first downs while converting eight of 13 third-down opportunities. Tennessee just doesn't have an answer for the Bulldogs, who have dominated the series with eight straight victories — all of them by margins of at least two touchdowns.
Georgia: The Bulldogs played without top running back Trevor Etienne, who was sidelined by a rib issue, and the offense took another blow when receiver Dillon Bell went out with an ankle injury sustained on a hit along the sideline late in the first half. But Frazier, the first true freshman to start at tailback for the Bulldogs since 2014, rushed for 68 yards and London Humphreys stepped up to make three huge catches for 63 yards. Big kudos, as well, to the offensive line, which did not give up a sack after Beck was dumped five times the previous week by Ole Miss.
Tennessee: The Vols return home next Saturday to take on UTEP before wrapping up the regular season with a short trip to Nashville to face Vanderbilt on Nov. 30.
Georgia: With their SEC schedule complete, the Bulldogs close out the regular season with two nonconference games at home. UMass (2-8) shouldn't present much of a problem next Saturday.
This story has been corrected to show that Georgia's top running back is Trevor, not Travis, Etienne. They are brothers.
Get alerts on the latest AP Top 25 poll throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
Georgia wide receiver Nitro Tuggle (2) loses his helmet as he is tackled by Tennessee defensive back Andre Turrentine (2) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart reacts on the sideline during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Tennessee, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck (15) reacts after a Georgia touchdown during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Tennessee, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck (15) and assistant coach Josh Crawford run off the field after defeating Tennessee in an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel yells to an official during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Georgia , Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Georgia running back Nate Frazier (3) is stopped by Tennessee defensive back Andre Turrentine (2), defensive back Boo Carter (23) and linebacker Jeremiah Telander (22) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Georgia tight end Ben Yurosek (84) run s after a catch during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Tennessee, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) Tennessee
Tennessee running back Peyton Lewis (27) tries to brel free from Georgia's CJ Allen (3) and Jalon Walker (11) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Georgia defensive lineman Warren Brinson (97) react after Bulldogs sacked Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) thros a pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Georgia, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck (15) throws from behind offensive lineman Dylan Fairchild (53) during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Tennessee , Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Georgia wide receiver Cole Speer (83) can not reach a pass as Tennessee defensive back Jermod McCoy (3) defends during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) is sacked by Georgia defensive lineman Xzavier McLeod (94) and linebacker Chaz Chambliss (32) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck (15) looks for an open receiver during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Tennessee, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
