Women’s sports is big business—and the momentum is only growing.
Ahead of the AU Pro Basketball Championship game, we’re bringing the sports and entertainment community together in Nashville for a half-day summit that celebrates progress, sparks conversation, and accelerates action. On Feb. 26, industry executives, athletes, brands, and advocates will gather for a series of high-impact sessions exploring the opportunities and challenges shaping the women’s sports ecosystem.
Through thought-provoking discussions, expert perspectives, and real-world insights, we’ll examine the business surge behind women’s sports, innovations in athlete development and leadership, and the next era of fan engagement and storytelling.
Following the summit, attendees are invited to an AU Pro Basketball Champions Week doubleheader at Nashville Municipal Auditorium (Game 1 at 5:30pm; Game 2 at 8:00pm).
Champions Week is the culmination of four weeks of fast-paced, 5-on-5 full-court competition featuring 40 elite women’s professional basketball players. With $500,000 in prize bonuses on the line and player-designed rules, every possession matters as athletes compete for the AU Pro Basketball Championship.
The 2026 AU Pro Basketball roster features a dynamic mix of WNBA veterans and rising fan favorites, including Tina Charles, Alysha Clark, Isabelle Harrison, Lexie Brown, NaLyssa Smith, Kaitlyn Chen, Odyssey Sims, Deja Kelly, Aneesah Morrow, Kia Nurse, Jaylyn Sherrod, Ariel Atkins, Aaliyah Nye, Te-Hina Paopao, Kiah Stokes, Jacy Sheldon, and more.
Women’s basketball is experiencing unprecedented momentum—from the growth of the WNBA to new models like Athletes Unlimited. There has been additional increased investor interest across all leagues. Can multiple professional leagues continue to grow and succeed?What does a stable, long-term ecosystem for professional women’s basketball ultimately look like? This panel will discuss the leading players and will forecast what is on the horizon.
Speakers: Donna Orender, Founder & Commissioner, Upshot League; Sydney Colson, Pro Basketball Athlete, Athletes Unlimited; and Megan Perry, VP, Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball
Moderator: Annie Costabile, Women's Sports Reporter, Front Office Sports
From traditional news reporting to content creation and podcasting how should we be thinking about the media landscape in women's sports? This panel explores how coverage of women’s sports has evolved—and how it must continue to evolve—engage audiences while building sustainable growth for athletes, leagues, and media creators.
Speakers: Sports broadcaster Ros Gold-Onwude; Nancy Dubuc, Executive Chair, TOGETHXR; and Susie Piotrkowski, VP, Women’s Sports Programming & espnW, ESPN
Moderator: Dan Roberts, Editor-in-chief, Front Office Sports
Five new sports have been added to the Olympic programming including softball, baseball, lacrosse and flag football. In anticipation of the games what is happening within these leagues now (specifically AU) to ensure the hype from the Olympics translates to more success in women's sports in between the games?
Speakers: Lara Krug, CMO, Kansas City Chiefs; Emily Oberst, Paralympics Medalist, Team USA; and Natasha Watley, Two–time Olympic Medalist, Three-time World Champion and Four-time All American, Softball
Moderator: Baker Machado, Host & Producer, Front Office Sports
Brands hold the key to the continued growth, sustainability, and legitimization of women’s sports. What are the best practices in brand development that are unique to women’s sports and how are the biggest brands maximizing their returns with less visibility (shorter seasons, broadcast windows, etc.)
Speakers: Nicole "Sis" Bates, Professional Softball Player, AUSL Portland Cascade, and Adidas Ambassador; Carolyn Braff, VP, Sports & Entertainment, PepsiCo; Uzma Rawn Dowler, CMO, Major League Baseball; and Joseph Krassenstein, Director, Sports Marketing & Partnerships, goodr
Moderators: Baker Machado, Host & Producer, Front Office Sports
The success women’s sports is seeing today is the direct result of women who took steps where there wasn’t a paved path. What was required of these women and in areas do women’s sports need more disruption?
Speaker: A.J. Andrews, Lead Host, MLB Network & Reach TV; Odessa "OJ" Jenkins, CEO, Women’s National Football Conference and Sarah Fuller, Chief Athlete Officer, NOCAP Sports
Moderator: Annie Costabile, Women's Sports Reporter, Front Office Sports
The meteoric climb of women's sports is driven in part by historic investment. What role has private equity played and what’s the key to ensuring the future of women’s sports includes women owners?
Speakers: Charles Baker, Partner, Sidley; An Le, VP, Inner Circle Sports; and Emma Rodriguez-Ayala, CAO, Ariel Investments
Moderator: Dan Roberts, Editor-in-chief, Front Office Sports
