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The GIST: Yesterday, the WNBA and its Changemaker Collective — a group of community-focused brands — extended a key partnership with women-focused digital platform Voice in Sport (VIS). By collaborating with VIS, the W and its partners are able to reach a passionate Gen Z and Gen Alpha fanbase that’s looking to stay involved in basketball, both as players and fans. Easy buckets.
The details: After the initial year of their partnership provided virtual mentorship for 50K girls, the W and VIS are offering mentorship for a total of 100K participants by the end of 2025. Virtual mentorship includes one-on-one time with 16 WNBA athletes and league executives, which is meant to inspire young girls to stay involved in basketball and develop career goals beyond the court.
This year’s partnership will also include a Build Your Career in Sport Leadership Series — led by women executives from Changemaker brands like AT&T, CarMax, Deloitte, Google, and Nike — and the introduction of the VIS App, where virtual resources will be available for girls 24/7.
The strategy: While staying in sport has numerous benefits for young women, such as improving mental health, building body confidence, and developing leadership qualities, it also keeps girls interested in the game as fans. One of the highest ratings boosts the W saw last year was from girls aged 12 to 17, and a program like this further strengthens bonds with the basketball league.
The demographic targeted in this partnership is active and engaged, but it’s also one that’s twice as likely to drop out of sports compared to boys. The good news is that this program seems to be reaching them: VIS reports anecdotally that the girls who accessed resources last year were inspired by their connections with WNBA players.
Zooming out: The W is already trying to reach younger generations, with Gen Z and Gen Alpha proving to be digital natives interested in personal connections with their favorite athletes. Gen Zers are particularly interested in following sports on social media, so VIS has found a way to meaningfully reach this audience to keep them in basketball and foster lifelong fandom.
Meanwhile, more Gen Alphas tend to be avid fans compared to adults, and a personalized experience like this is sure to speak their language. We think we like.
