You’ve probably heard by now that women’s sports are booming. Investment, viewership, and salaries are all higher than ever, and women’s leagues have become big businesses. Fans of the WNBA, PWHL, NWSL, and other leagues have long known that there’s more than athleticism on display; professional women’s sports are ripe for off-field storylines and drama.
The spike in interest didn’t come from nowhere. Yes, the athletes themselves have been building these leagues, but content creators on social media have also been instrumental in bringing eyeballs to the games. On platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Threads, creators have made the case for women’s sports, offering compelling narratives in bite-sized packages. The captivating content has helped build massive followings for both creators and the athletes they cover. And just as queer women have been central to many of these leagues as athletes and as fans who sustained franchises before anyone else paid attention, they make up a sizable portion of these online tastemakers.
The diverse voices behind the most beloved women’s sports accounts are sparking cultural conversations that differ drastically from those centered on men’s sports—and are often far more interesting.
Emily Anderson and Lesley Ryder, “Gal Pal Sports”
Instagram and TikTok: @galpalsports
Where They’re From: Berwyn, Illinois
Game of Choice: Soccer
Emily Anderson and Lesley Ryder are wives, better known to their followers as Gal Pal Sports. Their content is lighthearted and satirical, often parodying current events. Best known for their women’s soccer content, they occasionally branch out into other sports if something catches their eye. “When you start making content, it can start feeling like a chore, which I never want,” Ryder says. “We are here having fun.”
Gal Pal Sports has spoofed everything from Holly Rowe’s tear-inducing draft interviews to journalist Christine Brennan’s hyperfocus on Caitlin Clark, while also previewing teams through an “Is my team okay?” format. They often cover large sporting events like the Olympics, Paralympics, and World Cup.
“With the commentary and podcasts in men’s sports, the vibe is, ‘I think this and I am right and debate me,’” says Ryder. “I don’t have fun with that. Women’s sports content tends to be more conversational, less one-sided, and there’s an opening for a response. It makes it a more welcoming space, so it’s no surprise that women’s sports creators are generating huge followings.”
Maddy Brown, “WNBAdata”
Instagram and TikTok: @wnbadata
Where They’re From: Seattle, Washington
Game of Choice: Basketball
In a world of content dominated by game recaps and off-court drama explainers, Maddy Brown is filling the gap in data and analytics. She’s known for using numbers to tell stories about women’s basketball, or quicker hits like “WNBA things I coded this week.” Her videos analyze everything from players’ assist rates to whether WNBA fans hate A.I. to LSU coach Kim Mulkey’s crashouts.
Brown never intended to make WNBA content, but as she became a fan of the league in 2022, she noticed a lack of video content dedicated to its stats. A doctoral student in mathematics, she decided to take on the project of analyzing WNBA statistics as a way to learn data science.
“When I was first making videos, there were a lot of men watching my content,” says Brown. “Since this isn’t as much of an established lane for women’s sports, it’s important to take the storytelling route rather than just presenting an advanced stat. I focus on the players that people know and can grab onto.”
Cassie Chantel, “Coach C”
Instagram and TikTok: @cassiechantel
Where They’re From: Athens, Georgia
Game of Choice: Basketball
Cassie Chantel’s videos—socially conscious content where women’s basketball meets analytics and culture—started as a personal outlet; she wanted to talk women’s hoops with other people but didn’t know anyone who shared her passion. A high school basketball coach, Chantel brings a sharp understanding of X’s and O’s, while her fluency in off-court culture broadens her appeal.
Chantel cites an exchange with WNBA icon Candace Parker on one of her videos as one of the most productive conversations her content has sparked. And players like Saniya Rivers and Natasha Cloud have said they appreciate her takes. Still, Chantel knows that the women’s basketball world is adjusting to having the same critical eye applied to it as to the men’s game.
“A lot of people take things as personal attacks on players even when it’s not personal—it’s about basketball,” Chantel says. “Socially, we want to protect women and we know historically there are these nasty conversations about women and there are double standards, but at some point we do have to find a way to be able to have these conversations so that they’re constructive.”
Lacey Conine, “Double Hockey Stix”
Instagram: @double.hockey.stix
Where They’re From: Anaheim, California
Game of Choice: Hockey
“I’m known for being loud and opinionated about everything,” Lacey Conine jokes when asked to describe her Double Hockey Stix content. “Most people who follow me would say ‘social justice within hockey,’ but that’s the macro of what’s going on in the world.”
Conine’s account is unique in that Double Hockey Stix is a merch brand as well as a meme account. “My shirts are memes, so I don’t really see them as separate things,” Conine says. They specialize in pumping out timely content and jokes related to current events in hockey, never taking themselves too seriously while also recognizing that hockey culture is a microcosm of the larger world—and, therefore, very serious.
“The women’s hockey creator community feels like family,” Conine says. “I have seen these people come up from a brand-new account to having 20,000 followers. Because other sports are bigger than hockey with larger followings, the PWHL fandom is really intimate.”
Jackie Johnston, “Coach Jackie J”
Instagram and TikTok: @jcubedhax
Where They’re From: Washington, DC
Game of Choice: Women’s sports generalist
Jackie Johnston, or Coach Jackie J, as she is known to her nearly one million TikTok followers, pinches herself after making a career out of being the world’s biggest women’s sports fan. She built a following with her queer lens, covering the games and gossip from a fan’s perspective.
What started as a hobby became a full-time job; she was even named the voice of a National Women’s Soccer League broadcast on Victory+ alongside Olympic gold medalist Kelley O’Hara. “The fact that these athletes who I grew up watching know who I am now is crazy,” Johnston says. The content creator knew she “could die happy” when she got to appear on The RE—CAP Show with her childhood idol, soccer legend Christen Press.
“The opportunity that women’s sports has to rewrite what it means to be part of sports media is cool to me,” says Johnston. “I’m proud to be part of the culture that decides what we are going to do. Men’s sports media has been established in its roles and traditions for longer, so women’s sports media has the freedom to be different and better, and to hold ourselves to a higher standard.”
Mariah Rose, “Hoops For Hotties”
Instagram and TikTok: @hoopsforhotties
Where They’re From: Atlanta, Georgia
Game of Choice: Basketball
Mariah Rose is making basketball content for the girls, the gays, and the theys. If there’s a big storyline happening in basketball, you can always count on Rose to break it down for her massive following. “I’m not a pro player or analyst, so I’m not gonna cosplay as one,” Rose says. “I just want to explain what happened in a way that is digestible.”
Rose says that she never wants to gatekeep, and considers herself accessible to the casual fan. Even as her platform grows—she knows that the players themselves are watching and engaging with her content—she’s clear that her audience is her boss. She’s intentional about how she approaches her women’s basketball content versus the videos she makes about the men’s game.
“There are privileges men have in the sports world, and they are rewarded for bad behavior,” Rose says. “Female athletes aren’t provided the same luxury, so I try not to feed into that. I’m a girl’s girl. I try to be sensitive with what I’m talking about; I don’t want to be the source of other women’s pain.”
Nicolette Mason
Instagram and TikTok: @nicolettemason
Where They’re From: Brooklyn
Game of Choice: Women’s sports, fashion, and business
A consultant, strategist, content creator, and co-host of the Full Court Femme podcast, Nicolette Mason’s sports content mixes fashion and business with social justice and politics, often reporting from New York Liberty games alongside the iconic Ellie the Elephant mascot.
“I fell deeply in love with the WNBA during the 2023 season,” Mason says. “The vibe and atmosphere around non-men-centric sport is inherently different. There are safer spaces and environments, and more openness around all types of people being included regardless of the level of fandom you are at.”
As players sign more brand deals and earn substantially higher salaries under the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement, Mason brings the lens of financial literacy to her work. She also highlights the political consciousness of athletes and fans while striving to be “intentional about creating space and conversation around power and equity on the business side.”
Janae Sims, “Auntie Nae”
Instagram and TikTok: @auntienae95
Where They’re From: Dallas, Texas
Game of Choice: Basketball
Janae Sims built her brand as the self-described gay auntie of women’s basketball. Her account started as a place to share her pride in being an aunt, but quickly grew beyond her inner circle into a platform known for showing the fun side of WNBA players. “I’m not just a ‘set up a camera and talk about the games or their stats’ creator,” Sims explains. “My content is showing players as people. I come to TikTok exactly as I am; I’m happy to show up as the gay aunt authentically.”
Watching Sims’s videos, you would think that she had preexisting relationships with the players she dances with. But she says those connections formed organically, through players watching her content and reaching out.
“We have mutual experiences in life,” Sims says. “I did play basketball. The league is super queer, and a lot of players I got close to went through shared experiences in relationships. They saw me telling my story on socials and reached out. When we hang out at games and league events, we are able to talk, and it’s cool that they see me as a friend.”
Ava Wood, “365 Hockey Girl”
Instagram and TikTok: @365_hockeygirl
Where They’re From: Seattle, Washington
Game of Choice: Hockey
365 Hockey Girl is an apt name for Ava Wood’s online persona. It’s all women’s hockey, all the time. “My goal is to be a translator between traditional media and fans,” Wood says. “As someone who came to hockey later, it can be inaccessible.” Her platform is relatively new, but it’s taken off rapidly. Women’s basketball creators paved the way for women’s sports content, but Wood is in the right place at the right time with the rise of the Professional Women’s Hockey League, the 2026 Winter Olympics, and hockey’s sharp upward trajectory.
Wood’s content ranges from satirical takes to spur-of-the-moment reactions to women’s hockey news to 101-level explainers. She knows how unwelcoming the sport can be for newcomers and wants to remove barriers to entry.
“I have intentionally chosen to decenter men [in my content],” says Wood. “I made the decision not to talk about them and funnel my energy into uplifting women’s hockey. My brand is not just what I talk about but what I don’t.”
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