How Michael Jordan’s Daughter Is Reshaping Business In Women’s Sports

Jasmine Jordan with NIL signee and Penn State guard Kiyomi McMiller.

Jordan Brand

When the Jordan Brand decided to enter the NIL space in its early “wild west” days, they made an important and visible bet on women athletes. The brand did not simply stick to men’s sports; they immediately decided to establish a focus on women athletes. The strategy, conceptualized by Jasmine Jordan, Jordan Brand’s Market Place Manager, was about recognizing untapped business value that others were missing. Jordan shared that in the brand’s early NIL conversations, they were intentional about their partnerships with women athletes and decided, “If we’re going to step into the space, let’s do it from the lens of women and everyone else can play catch up.”

Overall, Jasmine Jordan oversaw the signing of 4 NIL athletes (Kiki Rice UCLA, Kiyomi McMiller Rutgers/Penn State, Mikayla Williams LSU, and Bella Hine LSU). Jordan noted, “Although I transitioned from sports marketing, I’m so happy that The Brand just signed Saniyah Hall (USC) as well to bring the Brand’s NIL count to 5. [It] gives me joy that the team is continuing to grow the roster of incredible female athletes.”

The Jordan Brand’s bet on women has extended beyond NIL deals. During Jordan’s time as a sports marketing field rep, the brand announced their largest WNBA roster in their history with 11 active players at the time. Jordan noted, “I also led the charge on signing our first trainer and Peloton instructor in Jess Sims.” Her insight that women athletes were undervalued and over-talented led to partnerships that now look like precedent. But Jordan’s success wasn’t just about having good instincts. The decision to partner with women athletes was about being in a position where those instincts could become company policy.

Ending The Charity Mindset Toward Women Athletes

According to Jordan, the conversation around women’s sports partnerships needs to fundamentally change and it starts with abandoning the idea that supporting women athletes is charitable work. “I don’t think that charity element of, ‘well, because everybody’s talking about it, let’s do it’ is going to stand anymore,” Jordan explains. “I promise you probably 50% of the consumers today are women and young girls.” Importantly, the shift from charity case to business case is an economic reality.

Jordan argued that brands who are clinging to the charity mindset are missing a massive market opportunity. The numbers support her view. Recent data shows that women athletes are consistently demonstrating higher social media engagement rates and deeper fan connections than their men counterparts. “I definitely think the value is going to continue to increase because of their connectivity and relatability and accessibility to their consumers, to their fans, and to their audience,” she says.

The old model of token women’s sports partnerships as corporate social responsibility is giving way to strategic investments based on actual return on investment. Jordan predicts this evolution will accelerate as women athletes become more assertive about their market value. “Now that those conversations are being able to be had, now they’re setting the bar,” she notes. Women athletes need to understand the value they bring to brand partnerships and seek improved opportunities. According to Jordan, “So yes [an athlete should think]

, I can do the posts, I can do the requests, I can do the appearances, but the next time you have me do X, the amount of dollars [needs to increase] or it needs to be a long-term contract.”

A Versatility Advantage

According to Jordan’s analysis of the market landscape, what makes women athletes superior brand partners is their inherent versatility. “Female athletes don’t have the same constraints or boxes as men do,” she explained. “When you start describing women and female athletes specifically, you automatically can go with versatility, go with unique, you can go with mother, you can go with creative. There’s so many other labels that can be attached to women that are not easily applicable to men.”

This versatility stems from necessity, argued Jordan. Simply put, women athletes have historically had to develop multiple revenue streams and organically grow their personal brands. In the past, women athletes and teams could not rely solely on athletic earnings or earning opportunities stemming from the same types of investments men athletes have historically received. According to Jordan, “[Women athletes] have to show up in so many different avenues just to be able to sometimes make ends meet and be able to live, so their desire and natural fight and grit [they need to] have to succeed in other spaces allows them to be better partners and marketers and branders.”

Jordan’s insights are also supported by recent research. A study analyzing major brand campaigns found that female athletes who embody multiple roles and identities create deeper emotional connections with audiences than their male counterparts. The research showed that consumers respond more positively when campaigns showcase women athletes as multifaceted individuals rather than just sports figures. What’s particularly telling is that this versatility has been mastered out of necessity for women athletes and teams. The study confirms that women athletes who have had to develop diverse personal brands out of economic necessity have actually become more effective brand ambassadors because of it.

The result is athletes who can authentically represent brands across multiple categories and demographics. While men athletes often get pigeonholed into specific marketing lanes, women athletes naturally cross boundaries. “For female athletes, we’re not one thing. You don’t have to just play basketball. You can be a stylist, a singer, a model, you can be a food enthusiast,” Jordan noted.

Taking Control Of The Narrative

Perhaps the most significant shift Jordan has observed is the evolving relationship women athletes are building with external validation. Jordan noted that the current generation of women athletes is no longer waiting for permission to claim their value. “Finally, we were able to say that we’ve been here again. Women’s sports have been going on. We just have decided not to fade back,” Jordan reflects. “Finally, we stopped allowing the outside voices and perspectives to dictate whether or not we’re choosing to show up.”

This mentality shift represents a strategic change in business positioning. Women athletes are no longer accepting arbitrary benchmarks or waiting for approval from traditional gatekeepers. “We stopped looking for the validation, we stopped looking for the approval,” Jordan explained. “I’m going to stand here. I want to play this game because I want to. And if you watch me, good for you.”

Jordan sees this confidence as both cause and effect of women’s sports’ commercial growth. As athletes claim their space, fans respond with increased engagement and loyalty. As business results improve, athletes gain even more leverage to set their own terms. “You either have to allow us to pave the way or you got to move out of our way,” Jordan concluded. “[And] that’s going to continue to grow.”