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Growing up, WNBA star Paige Bueckers says she was huge on sports memorabilia. She collected items across a range of sports from her favorite players, including their posters, autographs, and jerseys. Today, shes having a full circle moment: Bueckers just announced an exclusive, multi-year deal with Fanatics, which will make the sports apparel juggernaut the sole provider of her memorabilia and collectibles. The Paige Bueckers Fanatics collection pulls from both her collegiate career with the UConn Huskies (which she led to four Big East Tournament wins, four Final Four appearances, and a National Championship title) and her current professional career as a guard on the Dallas Wings, and includes autographed and inscribed basketballs, jerseys, photos, shoes, and select game-used equipment. The collection is currently live across Fanatics network of sites, including Fanatics.com and WNBAStore.com. Bueckers, who graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2024, was one of the first college athletes to benefit from the Supreme Courts 2021 ruling allowing amateurs to profit off of their own name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights. She became a trailblazer in using strategic NIL deals to expertly market her own brand, racking up an estimated $1.5 million net worth by her final 20242025 NCAA season. Now, with this Fanatics partnership, shes bringing that honed business savvy into her pro careerand using her own visibility to uplift her fellow athletes. Paige Bueckers [Photo: Fanatics] Inside the new Paige Bueckers Fanatics collection Prior to this deal, Bueckerss likeness was already a sales hit for Fanatics. After being selected first overall in the 2025 WNBA draft by the Wings, Bueckers became this years Rookie of the Year and an All-Star player. According to a Fanatics press release, Her jersey and other merchandise was an immediate hit and flew off the shelves all season long, with sales on draft night becoming the second best by a WNBA player in league history. For Fanatics, this partnership is part of a larger plan to become the Amazon of sports, as Fast Company put it in a 2023 feature. The brand is currently the single biggest manufacturer and distributor of sports fan apparel in the U.S., sitting at a valuation of an estimated $31 billion as of 2022. Still, its set its sights on growing even further by expanding intoand eventually dominatingthe collectibles market. Bueckers says Fanaticss incredible reach will also help her connect with as many young fans as possible, echoing her own early memories of collecting memorabilia of her favorite athletes. Beyond that, the Fanatics deal is a recent example of how Bueckers leverages brand partnerships to give back to young athletes. [Image: Fanatics] Dominating on the court and in the brand world Bueckers is no stranger to brand deals. In fact, shes something of a leader in a new era of financial empowerment for emerging athletes. In 2021, Bueckers became the first college athlete to sign with Gatorade mere months after the implementation of NIL. During the remainder of her college career, she penned deals with major names including Bose, Intuit, Verizon, Madison Reed, Google Chrome, and Epic Games. Just before her pro debut, she joined DoorDash as its first-ever athlete creative director. And, this June, she partnered with Nike and Levis on a sporty, denim-centric apparel collection. In short, Bueckers has expertly curated a portfolio of some of the most recognizable brand partners in the sports world, despite entering college with what shes described as very limited experience managing her own finances. Still, she says, the most important lesson that she learned after being cast into the deep end of sports sponsorships during college was to only work with brands that align with her values. Having a team that understands that and negotiates that in every single one of my deals was really important, Bueckers says. Continuing to give back was the most important thing of all, because you can easily make NIL about yourself only.
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E-Commerce
Glassdoor Economic Research has released its Worklife Trends report for 2026. A key theme highlighted throughout is the growing disconnect between workers and their leaders. A notable contributing factor is that smaller, regular layoffswhich the report dubs as “forever layoffs”are becoming more common than less frequent mass layoffs. Rolling layoffs are among several reasons why many employees feel anxious and less secure in the workplace. Let’s review the report findings. ‘Forever layoffs’ are becoming the norm Layoffs are back to pre-pandemic levels. And smaller, more frequent job cuts are now common. Glassdoor refers to these mini, rolling layoffs as “forever layoffs.” Glassdoor reviewed Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) data from 2015 to August 2025. After a layoff spike in spring 2020 and historically low layoff levels in 2021 and 2022, the number of full-time workers laid off each month has crept back up to pre-pandemic levels: The average number of workers that were laid off or discharged each month from 2015 to 2019 was around 1.8 million. Meanwhile, around 1.7 million workers were laid off or discharged in August 2025. Glassdoor also examined Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act layoff notifications (excluding notices for company closings) for further insight. The WARN Act is a federal law that requires most employers with 100 or more workers to provide advance notice before a plant closing or mass layoff. Layoffs affecting fewer than 50 people accounted for 38% of WARN notices in 2015. 51% of layoffs affected fewer than 50 people in 2025. It’s worth noting, however, that the WARN Act doesn’t require filings for layoffs of fewer than 50 workers. Filings may not give a complete picture of the number of smaller layoffs. Glassdoor reviews give insight into how workers feel Company layoffs impact employee morale and job satisfaction. Many workers are feeling less secure in their jobs. “Rolling layoffs may give companies a way to reduce headcount without making headlines, but they create cultures of anxiety, insecurity, and resentment at companies,” the report says. Glassdoor examined 3.3 million Glassdoor reviews from current employees working remote and hybrid roles. The following related terms have surged in Glassdoor reviews in the last year: Misaligned (149%) Miscommunication (25%) Hypocrisy (18%) Distrust (26%) Industries with a noticeable decline in trust in leadership include management and consulting, media and telecommunication, and technology. Remote workers feel dissatisfied as confidence in leadership declines Overall ratings are falling for employees who use the words “remote” or “hybrid” when listing workplace pros. Here are some key findings: Remote employees are seeing fewer career opportunities. The average career opportunity ratings on Glassdoor have fallen from 4.1 in 2020 to 3.5 in 2025. Confidence in senior leadership is weakening. Ratings of senior leadership are now well below pandemic levels. For reviews that mention senior leadership or management, the share of reviews mentioning “disconnect” increased by 24% from 2024 to 2025. Many workers still give high ratings for work-life balance. Work-life balance ratings are still higher for workers who list hybrid or remote work as a pro, but ratings have declined since 2020. More workers are feeling more pressure to RTO Return-to-office (RTO) mandates have pushed workers back into the office. But thats not the only reason more employees are likely to return to in-person work in 2026. Fewer opportunities for career growth also contribute to job dissatisfaction. Many employers are prioritizing in-person workers for promotions and career opportunities. Some remote and hybrid workers may feel pressure to trade in flexibility for more access to career advancement opportunities. Workers feeling the need to take whatever job offer comes their way, and AI adoption are other factors that contribute to the disconnect between employees and leaders. Average early-career earnings are rising Heres one positive trend highlighted by the report: Early-career workers are on track to surpass pre-pandemic earnings levels in 2026. Real wage growth was down 4.1% for early-career workers from 2020 to 2022. But earnings started recovering in 2023 and are expected to surpass 2020 levels next year.
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E-Commerce
Something is going on with Marjorie Taylor Greene that’s making Americans furrow their brows and say, “What in the MAGA universe is going on?” The thing is, the Republican representative from Georgia, known as MTG, is a suddenly making more senseeven to her detractors. In recent months, the conservative Trump devotee, from whom Americans have come to expect off-the-cuff and often crude commentary, has been undeniably good natured, coming across as astoundingly reasonable during a number of appearances on CNN, Tucker Carlson Tonight, and elsewhere. But if that weren’t enough to cast aside doubts about a major pivot with the congresswoman (who once harassed a school shooting survivor and chased a fellow member of Congress down a hallway), then a November 4 appearance on The View definitely did the trick. On the ABC daytime talk show, Greene was perhaps the most respectful version of herself that we’ve seen. She was calm, poised, and even kind, more upstanding politician than insulting-slinging firebrand. Cohost Sunny Hostin thanked MTG for showing up ready to converse, rather than fight. In response, Greene took the opportunity to do something we’ve rarely (if ever) heard her do before: say she didn’t want to fight. No, I didnt want to do that today, because I believe that people with powerful voices, like myself and like you, and especially women to women, we need to pave a new path,” Greene told the cohosts. “This country, our beautiful country, our red, white, and blue flag, is just being ripped to shreds. And I think it takes women to have maturity to sew it back together. In a comment that felt like an early 2028 presidential campaign slogan, Greene added, Im with women, so I feel very comfortable saying this. Im really tired of the pissing contest in Washington, D.C., between the men.” The View cohosts were clearly floored. In addition to her more focused and practical demeanor, MTG’s positions have seemed more centrist than ever, too. As of late, she has been critical of President Trump on domestic policy, and on the government shutdown, calling it “an embarrassment.” Greene also criticized House Speaker Mike Johnson, who she said she had words with over his “complete and utter failure” in regard to the shutdown. Not to mention, Greene has been consistently fighting, alongside Democrats, for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking client list. She even had kind things to say about Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker and a longtime foil to congressional Republicans, who recently announced her retirement from Congress. It’s all a bit mind-blowing. But perhaps one of Greene’s most compassionate and unexpected positions (especially given her previous Islamaphobic rhetoric) is her stance on Palestine. MTG has been an outspoken voice for the people of Palestine, especially children who are the victims of Israel’s ongoing siege, making her one of the only congressional Republicans to speak out against the slaughter. “It’s the most truthful and easiest thing to say that October 7 in Israel was horrific and all hostages must be returned, but so is the genocide, humanitarian crisis, and starvation happening in Gaza,” Greene wrote in a July 2025 social media post. Critical of party leadership and policies Its been hard to miss MTGs pivot, and Trump certainly hasn’t. He told reporters Monday that the congresswoman is now catering to the other side and that he’s “surprised at her.” Still, Greene herself has seemed to dismiss the idea that she’s rebranding. In a July 16 post on social media, Greene wrote, “My blind loyalty and faith is ONLY in God and Jesus Christ my savior. That is what will guide my decisions, actions, and votes.” And last week, she told the ladies of The View that she is her own personthat she’s always criticized both sides of the aisle. “Here’s something you may not know about me. I think a lot of people on the left are learning that when I ran for Congress in 2020, I ran criticizing Republicans and democrats. Equally.” It’s hard to know what exactly is going on with MTG. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York (aka AOC) has speculated on social media that Greene is on a “revenge tour” against Trump. Still, it seems like something bigger is at play, most logically, perhaps, a 2028 bid for the presidency. Fast Company reached out to Greenes team but did not hear back by the time of publication. Organic or carefully curated? Experts say that it would not be unusual for politicians to change their positions or reign themselves in when gearing up for a campaign. Kevin Mercuri, who teaches public relations at Emerson College and is the CEO of Propheta Communications, says it’s “apparent” that MTG is working with professionals to “soften her persona in preparation for a presidential run.” It’s notable, Mercuri says, that she has been distancing herself from Trump in an effort to show she’s a “more moderate Republican,” in addition to opposing other Republican stances. However, when it comes to MTG, Mercuri says the congresswoman has her work cut out for her. “The question is, can MTG’s past outrageous behavior be easily discarded? Her claims of ‘Jewish space lasers,’ QAnon beliefs, and painful reframing of 9/11 as a ‘false flag’ event will be hard for voters to forget.” (Greene has said that she regrets some of the things she was allowed to believe, including conspiracy theories.) Either way, we’ve seen political rebrands happen hundreds of times before. Candidates gearing up for big elections work to distance themselves from previous statements they’ve made or show that they’ve grown. Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom of California has seemingly been attempting a brand pivot of his own. Still, with MTG, given just how brazen she’s been in the past, the shift is anything but subtle. Even if shes suddenly making sense, rather than screaming into the void
Category:
E-Commerce
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