I N S I D E
STORIED
We care about women’s sports as much as you do, and we want to connect a growing community of fans to the legacy of women’s sports.
Our newsletter will bring you the best of Storied, with perspective from co-CEOs Laura Gentile and Jaymee Messler, led editorially by Editor Jane McManus, with sharp insights and original storytelling from Erin Foley and contributors across the Storied network.
If you care about ownership, equity, and what comes next for women athletes, you’re in the right place.
With legends like Michelle Akers, Cheryl Miller, and Angela Ruggiero, we explore the intersection of performance, power, and legacy through storytelling—because it’s not enough to understand the industry; we have to know the people who built it.
As a subscriber, you’re on the ground floor for new merch, events, and storytelling like Origin Stories: The 85ers.
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Past Issues
Volume 15 of Inside Storied reflects on Dawn Staley’s commencement speech at Smith College, and the message resonated far beyond campus: “There is no rivalry among women.” Erin Foley teases her attendance at the upcoming WCWS this weekend, and gives her sports watch recommendations. Also in this edition, Laura Gentile shares reflections from the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City, examining why the WCWS has become one of the most electric environments in sports and a defining stage for the next generation of legends.
Volume 14 of Inside Storied explores the continued rise of the PWHL following the Montreal Victoire’s Walter Cup win. The issue features Erin Foley’s conversations with players Renata Fast and Alex Carpenter on the league’s growth, including expanding audiences, increased visibility, and key priorities for sustaining momentum.
Also in this edition, Foley’s Take highlights the best games of the week, and Storied Sports founder Jaymee Messler reflects on Jason Collins and the importance of shaping and owning your own story.
Women’s sports are on a rocket ship but one number still haunts the space: from 1989 to 2019, just 3–5% of ESPN’s SportsCenter coverage was devoted to women’s sports according to academic research. World Cups, Olympics, NCAA tournaments, still 3–5%. That gap didn’t just limit visibility; it stalled the creation of history.
Also, Foley’s Take on the best games of the week, and she rounds up the best in women’s sports media that’s out there right now.
The WNBA players have signed a historic CBA, one that will create real wealth. The question is, how do you transition from a pay scale that puts you in a whole new tax category? We spoke to Ellevest, a fiduciary that focuses on women as clients, to understand what WNBA players should consider as they add a few zeroes to their earnings.
Also, Foley’s Take on what to watch this week and Jane McManus ads up all the streaming services and channels to watch the New York Liberty this season. The total might surprise you.
When it comes to player paychecks, tennis is the GOAT, not just because it’s individual, but because its structure created real parity with the men. We break down what that actually means, where it works, and what translates (and doesn’t) to the rest of women’s sports.
Plus, don’t miss Foley’s Take, your guide to what to watch this weekend.
Legacy is the throughline of this edition of Inside Story. Michelle Akers opens with a reflection on what it means to build something that lasts, connecting Emma Hayes's bold team-building approach with the USWNT to the upcoming Netflix film about the 1999 World Cup team. Erin Foley covers a packed sports weekend headlined by the Chevron Championship, the PWHL playoff race, and an NCAA softball showdown. Erin and Jane close with a love letter to women's sports bars, the community spaces turning game days into shared experiences from coast to coast.
Women's sports are generating record revenues, sold-out arenas, and growing media deals — but less than 10% of total sports media investment still flows their way. This edition of Inside Story examines what it means to move from proving the value of women's sports to actually building the ecosystem that rewards the athletes who created it, while covering a packed weekend of volleyball, gymnastics, and soccer action on the field.
Women's sports had a landmark weekend and Inside Story was on the ground for all of it. Laura Gentile and Erin Foley launch "Storied On Site" with dispatches from two historic events happening simultaneously — Erin in Phoenix watching UCLA stun the field to win the Women's Final Four, and Laura at Madison Square Garden for a sold-out PWHL thriller that went to overtime. Erin Foley's column looks ahead to a WNBA Draft loaded with drama, LOVB semifinals, and a USWNT reunion with returning stars. Jane McManus closes with the Naismith 5 passing the torch — five legends reacting to the players who won the awards named after them, with nothing but genuine excitement and zero jealousy for the spotlight the next generation is finally getting.
Inside Story this week is riding the energy of one of the biggest weekends in women's sports. The Naismith 5 roundtable brings five basketball legends together to settle an irresistible question — could Cheryl Miller, Lisa Leslie, Ann Meyers Drysdale, Nancy Lieberman, and Katrina McClain beat anyone, in any era? (They think yes, emphatically.) Erin Foley previews a Final Four that looks identical to last year on paper but feels completely different, with Texas running hot and UConn facing South Carolina in a rematch that deserves its own documentary. The NWSL is three weeks in and already defying expectations — last year's powerhouses are stumbling while Angel City looks like a genuine threat. Jane McManus puts the record-breaking attendance numbers in context, with 63,004 fans filling a football stadium in Denver as the headline. The week closes with two South Carolina moments that capture exactly why women's sports have captured the culture right now.
This edition of Inside Story covers a landmark moment across multiple women's sports simultaneously. Angela Ruggiero opens her Good Stick column making the case that 2025 is the greatest year in women's hockey history, with the NCAA Frozen Four, the Olympics, and a booming PWHL all peaking at once. Katie Richman exposes a blind spot in AI bracket tools — they're trained almost entirely on men's sports data, making them unreliable for women's basketball picks. Erin Foley rounds up a wild week of March Madness upsets led by Virginia's Cinderella run, plus the volleyball boom across two professional leagues. Jane McManus closes with a meditation on what real coaching leadership looks like, using Maryland coach Brenda Frese's viral sideline moment with player Oluchi Okananwa as the lens.
March is a test of who can handle pressure, as Cheryl Miller highlights the mental toughness required for top teams like UConn to stay in control and avoid letting the moment slip away. While the tournament reveals who rises under the spotlight, it also marks a pivotal time for the women’s game off the court, with a new WNBA deal securing the league’s growth and pushing toward better pay and long-term sustainability for players.
This issue explores the rise of live experiences in women’s sports. Jane McManus examines how Unrivaled’s traveling tour is packing arenas and challenging the traditional sports league model. Katie Richman looks at why in-person moments—from surprise giveaways to limited-edition partnerships—are becoming more valuable in the age of AI. Erin Foley returns with Foley’s Take, covering Indian Wells, Team USA’s FIBA World Cup qualifying roster, and NCAA track championships, before closing with Best Seat in the House, a reflection on the unmatched energy of seeing women’s sports live.
This edition features a powerful guest column from USWNT legend Michelle Akers, reflecting on the growth of women’s soccer—from the early days of the 85ers to today’s packed stadiums—as she heads to the SheBelieves Cup in New York. Erin Foley delivers a quick-hit roundup in Foley’s Take, covering the USWNT, March Madness conference championships, and the upcoming 2026 Winter Paralympics. The issue closes with Jane McManus, highlighting the rising momentum across women’s sports and the cultural legacy of the USWNT.