KAITLYN’S SPORT STORIES RECAP: MARCH 4

In this 14th edition, we learn more about Canadian college basketball player Aaliyah Edwards who became the newest Adidas Canada athlete. We also learn more about jewelry brand Hillberg & Berk’s new Get “Explicit” campaign, which highlights Canadian leaders and athletes in women’s sports. Lastly, we learn about the University of Guelph’s She’s Got Game initiative and the financial milestone they recently achieved.

The stories of the week show young girls in sport and physical activity that:

1. Canadian women athletes are making history with new endorsements and ambassador opportunities with big-name brands. This opens up new potential money-making opportunities for future Canadian women athletes outside of being paid professionally in their respective sports.
2. Intentional and strategic partnerships with women’s sports leaders/athletes and brands are beneficial. We learn more about these leaders/athletes while creating more exposure for a brand that women’s sports fans and consumers can connect with.
3. Initiatives like the University of Guelph’s She’s Got Game show how many little but necessary changes and improvements are needed and can help the university/college women’s sports landscape. Factors like scholarships, women in coaching positions, new programs, and events are all ways to ensure that more girls and women are participating in sports in various ways.

Photo from Adidas Canada 

College basketball player Aaliyah Edwards signs with Adidas Canada

Canadian college basketball player and Olympian Aaliyah Edwards has signed an endorsement deal with Adidas Canada as their newest athlete. This signing marks the first time a Canadian to has been offered a Name, Image, and Likeliness (NIL) agreement. Edwards is a senior at the University of Connecticut and plays for the UConn Huskies women’s basketball team. Approaching the end of the basketball season, it is highly anticipated to see if Edwards will continue her basketball career and play professionally for the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).

Photo from Hillberg & Berk

Hillberg & Berk launches ‘Get Explicit’ campaign highlighting Canadian women in sport

Canadian women-owned jewelry company, Hillberg & Berk has teamed up with Canadian women’s sports leaders and athletes for their Get “Explicit” campaign. The campaign dives into candid conversations about their experiences in sports, touching on topics like competing during your period, being a mother and athlete simultaneously, and creating the first paid women’s basketball league in Canada.

Three women in sports are at the forefront of the campaign: Skylar Park, Keesa Koomalsingh, and Natalie Spooner. Park is a taekwondo athlete, Olympian, and Adidas athlete. Koomalsingh is a former university athlete, entrepreneur, and the founder of Hoop Queens, Canada’s first paid women’s basketball league. Spooner is a professional women’s hockey player for PWHL Toronto, a member of the Canadian women’s national hockey team and a three-time Olympian. 

Click here to discover more about the Get “Explicit” campaign and the candid conversations.

Photo from Shesgotgame.ca

University of Guelph’s She’s Got Game initiative reaches $2.5 million scholarship fundraising mark 

The University of Guelph hosted a fundraising gala this past week while celebrating hitting a new milestone mark of $2,520,613 worth of scholarship fundraising money with the help of their She’s Got Game initiative. 

The initiative, created in 2018, is dedicated to equal access to athletic scholarships for women student-athletes attending the university. In Canada, the campaign is the first and largest of its kind. Since its inception, the initiative has positively impacted 550 student-athletes with scholarships.

She’s Got Games’ three pillars include fundraising, policy, and engagement. Additionally, through this initiative, more women coaches have been hired at the university. There are now women on the coaching staff for every women’s sports team at the University of Guelph. New opportunities and events have also been created with the initiative in place, including Guelph Soccer’s She Can Coach program, She’s Got Game Women’s League and a She’s Got Game Basketball & Hockey Day.

Click here to learn more about the She’s Got Game initiative. 

More women’s sports wins of the week

• PWHL Ottawa sets a new franchise attendance record high of 8,447 fans.
• The Carleton Ravens women’s basketball team won the Critelli Cup during the 2024 OUA Championship.
• PWHL Toronto has been on a seven-game winning streak since January 26, 2024.
• Canadian women’s national soccer team advances to the Concacaf W Gold Cup semi-finals after a 1-0 win against Costa Rica.
• Canadian shot put athlete and Olympian Sarah Mitton won a gold medal at the World Athletics Indoor Championship and broke a Canadian record twice in one day.

Kaitlyn’s Sport Stories Recap are written by Kaitlyn Lehbert, a passionate and driven sport advocate for girls and women. Kaitlyn holds her Bachelor’s degree in Sports Management from Brock University. Learn more about Kaitlyn by clicking here!

Have a sport story you want to share? Contact info@fastandfemale.com and it may get featured in Kaitlyn’s next feature.