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Welcome to this week’s edition of The Baseline!

If you’re newly subscribed, I’m a brand marketer, creator, and entrepreneur with extensive experience in the sports industry, having worked with iconic brands like Jordan Brand, SLAM and the NBA.

Every Wednesday, I share business, marketing, and creator insights related to basketball culture.

Let’s get started…

MARKETING BLUEPRINT

Getting drafted is one thing but winning the moment is another.

Here’s how brands activated around the 2026 WNBA Draft:

🥇 Azzi Fudd went #1 to the Dallas Wings, with Jordan Brand celebrating her with a "One in Azzillion" graphic and Cash App hitting us with an "A to Zzi” creative. Jordan Brand also surprised her with a special Precious Medals sneaker pack ahead of her big night.

🐐 The WNBA continued its GOATS campaign with one of the league’s GOATS, Sheryl Swoopes, taking the WNBA Goats for a walk throughout New York City before hitting the draft.

4️⃣ Overtime and Flau’jae hosted their Draft Party with sponsors AT&T and ELF, while Big 4 also tapped in with Foot Locker for a Draft Living Room experience at their Times Square door.

👟 Nike announced a 30-year WNBA footwear collection to celebrate the league’s anniversary with special edition colorways of the AF1, Dunks, Sabrina 3, Book 2, and GT Cut 4. The league also announced a special Legends Pack with Nike as part of their WNBA Legacy Trail program.

🧡 Coach took over the Orange Carpet for the WNBA Draft's arrival, with all the top draft picks showing up with new Coach bags.

🎁 Gabriela Jaquez showed off her WNBA Draft gift haul which included special draft product from Nike, Fenty, and a collection of WNBPA brand partners.

🧢 New Era created the official Draft Cap for the 2026 WNBA Draft, featuring an all-satin design for the league and every team.

🍫 The WNBA announced an exciting new partnership with M&M’s Chocolate that began with photo booth experiences at the draft and will continue throughout the 2026 WNBA season.

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FREE THROWS

Sharing the tools and resources that I’m using this week:

📧 Link In Bio - An in-depth weekly newsletter that breaks down the best social media marketing tactics and strategies, written by social media consultant Rachel Karten.

🗣️ Wispr Flow - One of my go-to AI tools that saves me a ton of time with their voice-to-text product.

💡 VV Visuals - Turn any idea into an article with Visualize Value visuals, created by artist and designer Jack Butcher.

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POST-GAME

Thanks for reading! Here are a few ways we can stay connected:

🤝 Partner With Me: I work with brands, athletes and creators across their brand strategy, digital media, creator programs, partnerships, and marketing growth. Interested in working together? Get in touch here.

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Thanks and see you later this week!

- Jeff Chen | 🏀💡👨🏻‍💻