Courtside with Laura Correnti

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 AnnouncementSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Laura joins the Possible NOW Podcast with Christian Muche to discuss why women’s sports isn’t charity—it’s business. Drawing on her career identifying white space and turning it into opportunity, Laura unpacks the myths keeping advertisers on the sidelines, how athletes are redefining ownership through their own media platforms, and why the next billion-dollar growth story in sports will be led by women.   02:08 Laura's Early Love for Sports04:17 The Transferable Skills from Sports to Leadership08:34 The Business Case for Women's Sports17:08 The Impact of Media and Athlete Platforms25:11 Innovative Sponsorship Models31:35 Future Visions and Partnerships37:31 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For nearly 20 years, Karina LeBlanc was known for defending Canada’s net. Now she’s defending the future of women’s sports as EVP of Strategic Growth at RAJ Sports, where she’s helping lead both the Portland Thorns and the new WNBA expansion team, the Portland Fire—which also happens to be Portlands original WNBA team. She joins Laura to talk about playing the long game—creating generational impact, measuring success beyond wins, and why Portland might just be the global epicenter of women’s sports.   03:15 The Impact of Sports on Personal Growth05:53 Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Failure12:09 Transitioning to Executive Roles25:50 The Unique Appeal of Women's Sports27:42 The Power of Representation and Role Models31:10 Innovative Partnerships and Community Impact34:52 The Epicenter of Women's Sports: Portland's Vision42:09 Personal Reflections and Future AspirationsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joining Editor in Chief of Marie Claire Nikki Ogunnaike, Laura traces her journey from college athlete to successful partner at Giant Spoon, and how she founded Deep Blue to drive commercial investment in women’s sports. They explore the critical role sports play in achieving career leadership, the impactful intersection of advertising with women's sports, and the innovative strides being made to elevate women's sports through creative investments and new business models. 01:55 Laura's Journey: From Soccer to Advertising03:03 The Impact of Sports on Corporate Careers05:15 Early Career in Digital Media06:54 Building Giant Spoon and Entrepreneurial Insights15:01 Deep Blue's Mission and Market Challenges17:12 Partnering with Sue Bird and Strategic Vision19:21 The Economic and Social Impact of Women's Sports23:22 Future Vision for Deep Blue and Women's Sports35:25 Lightning Round: Money, Style, and PowerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Nichols has spent nearly two decades proving women’s sports are undervalued—and he’s putting his investments where the returns are. The former LPGA exec turned Chief of Sponsorship Strategy at Group 1001 joins Laura to talk about Gainbridge’s partnerships with the USL Super League, Caitlin Clark, and more. They get into why 40% of his sponsorship dollars go to women’s sports, how $5,000 grants can create outsized impact, and where the opportunity lies for brands willing to get in from grassroots to the ground floor.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UCLA WBB head coach Cori Close joins Laura to talk about a culture that outlasts banners and awards—sweeping the sheds, nurturing the roots, and why “coaching people’s hearts” is her real playbook. She opens up about the Final Four learning curve, the NIL and transfer-era noise, and what infrastructure college programs actually need so coaches can coach. Plus: the service work that connects teams—and how gratitude, discipline, and “uncommon” choices turn talent into titles. 01:18 Coach Cori Close's Journey and Early Influences03:35 The Coach Close Basketball Method06:28 Achievements and Reflections on Awards09:11 Mental Conditioning and Player Development13:13 Challenges and Lessons from the Final Four17:43 Navigating NIL and Financial Conversations23:50 Future of Women's College BasketballSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Constance Schwartz-Morini, CEO of SMAC Entertainment, has turned sports talent across sports into household names along with her partner and client Michael Strahan. She shares how she helped Strahan become a media mogul, why Deion Sanders is the ultimate CMO, and how she’s shaping the future in women’s sports with clients including Emma Hayes, Brie and Nikki Garcia, and Erin Andrews. They dig into what it takes to build athlete-led content, how to expand careers beyond the game, and why the women’s side of sports is ready for a bigger stage.   00:31 Introduction01:50 Constance Schwartz-Morini's Early Life and Career06:28 Building SMAC Entertainment with Michael Strahan08:40 Developing Athlete Brands: The Case of Deion Sanders12:48 Empowering Women in Sports15:16 Challenges and Strategies in Women's Sports Management20:10 Future Directions and Final ThoughtsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Laura founded Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment, the first firm dedicated to commercial investment and growth opportunities in women's sports, she changed the game. She dives into how she did it: explaining inspiration she drew from the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team, why she’s torn up her five-year plan so many times amidst the growth of women’s sports, and what needs to be done to create more “multi-hyphenates” amongst female athletes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.