| View this email in your browser. November 30, 2021
Good morning, Broadsheet readers! Goldman Sachs introduces pregnancy loss leave, Sweden gets its first female prime minister—again, and UConn’s Paige Bueckers inks a historic deal with Gatorade. Have a lovely Tuesday.
– Cashing in. When the NCAA was considering revamping rules that prohibited athletes from profiting from their image and likeness early this year, supporters of the status quo argued that the rules ensured a level playing field and that rolling back the restrictions would marginalize female athletes. Brands, they argued, would flock to male football and basketball stars, with big sponsorship deals bypassing women in college sports.
Tell that to Paige Bueckers.
The University of Connecticut basketball phenom on Monday became the first college athlete ever to sign a sponsorship deal with Gatorade, making her one of the biggest college stars so far to profit from the NCAA’s rule change this summer. The terms of Bueckers’ deal with the PepsiCo-owned beverage brand aren’t public, but it’s a multi-year partnership that will see the 20-year-old promote the sports drink on TV, in social media posts, and via product collaborations and events. She joins a roster of Gatorade-sponsored athletes that includes some of the top women in sports—Serena Williams, two-time WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne, and Olympic hurdler Sydney McLaughlin, who won two golds in Tokyo.
Bueckers, of course, isn’t your average female college athlete. She was named AP National Player of the Year last year—the first freshman to ever win the honor—and she’s likely to be the top pick in the WNBA draft when she’s eligible in 2023. But her Gatorade coup supports the case made by some who backed the NCAA rule change; they argued that letting college athletes sign endorsement deals would benefit women in sports.
With fewer professional leagues, lower salaries for those who do go pro, and scarce coaching gigs, women don’t encounter as many opportunities to make money from their athletic talent as their male counterparts; sponsorship deals opened a new avenue. And already, female athletes beyond the Bueckerses of the world are cashing in, using their social media followings, entrepreneurial savvy, and yes, looks, to earn income.
The rule change is still new, but the coming months will test another theory of those who championed it: that female college athletes—free from NCAA restrictions—will promote women’s sports better than their schools, leagues, or governing organization ever did.
Claire Zillman
[email protected]
@clairezillman
The Broadsheet, Fortune’s newsletter for and about the world’s most powerful women, is coauthored by Kristen Bellstrom, Emma Hinchliffe, and Claire Zillman. Today’s edition was curated by Emma Hinchliffe.
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- Family affair. New documents from the New York attorney general's office show that CNN anchor Chris Cuomo used his connections in media to get information on women who said his brother, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, sexually harassed them—texting a Cuomo aide updates like "I have a lead on the wedding girl." The documents reveal his role advising the ex-governor to be much larger than previously known. CNN says it's reviewing the new findings. CNBC
- Leading on leave. Goldman Sachs introduced a host of new benefits this week—including 20 days of paid leave for pregnancy loss. That makes Goldman one of the first Wall Street banks to offer paid leave for employees who suffer miscarriages, a growing category of leave among employers. WSJ
- One in three. A landmark report finds that one in three employees in Australia's government have suffered sexual harassment. The government conducted the report after thousands protested sexual violence in Australia and after government workers reported sexual harassment and assault. Prime Minister Scott Morrison says his government will likely support implementing the report's recommendations. Bloomberg
- Home stretch. In Honduras, leftist opposition candidate Xiomara Castro is leading as ballots are counted after an election this weekend. She'd be the first female president of Honduras, and she's been close to the role before; her husband is former President Manuel Zelaya. Supporters have taken to the streets to celebrate Castro's expected victory and the ouster of the long-ruling conservative National Party. CNN
MOVERS AND SHAKERS: Inditex, the retail giant that owns Zara, named Marta Ortega its new chairwoman in a surprise management shake-up. The 37-year-old is the daughter of founder Amancio Ortega, who owns 59% of the company. Solar energy company Heliogen, which just closed a SPAC transaction with Athena Technology Acquisition Corp, added Stacey Abrams and Phyllis Newhouse to its board of directors. Mary Beech, an independent board member at Scholastic, will now become the publisher's chief marketing and transformation officer. HR platform HiBob promoted Adi Janowitz to chief customer officer. Optiv Security appointed retired Army Col. Nichoel Brooks as director, federal services.
CONTENT FROM MCKINSEY & COMPANY My Rookie Moment Ever been put on the spot in a meeting or needed to make a quick course correction? In the latest from My Rookie Moment, McKinsey colleagues describe how handling sticky situations and adjusting to change rapidly helped them grow professionally. See their stories
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
- Back in action. Sweden elected its first female prime minister—again. Days after Magdalena Andersson resigned from the post following a failed budget proposal, she's back in the job. She's set to form a minority government of only her own party, the Social Democrats. CNN
- Smooth sailing. Billie, the women's razor brand cofounded by Georgina Gooley, is selling to Edgewell Personal Care (which makes Schick razors) for $310 million. Regulators blocked an earlier attempted acquisition of Billie by Procter & Gamble in January 2020. WSJ
- Royal road. At midnight, Barbados swore in President Sandra Mason, who replaces Queen Elizabeth II as the country's head of state. Barbados is the first commonwealth country in almost 30 years to become a republic, ditching its ties to the British monarchy. Prime Minister Mia Mottley first announced last year that Barbados would become a republic by the 55th anniversary of its independence. Washington Post
ON MY RADAR
Ghislaine Maxwell's trial opens, with Epstein at its center New York Times
The women behind the thirteen-year-olds of “PEN15” New Yorker
Jill Biden’s first White House Christmas brings back a warmer, simpler vibe Washington Post
PARTING WORDS
"Objectivity is not my strong suit. A b— got opinions."
-Insecure and White Lotus star Natasha Rothwell on why she switched from journalism to acting
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