Former Exec Sues Adidas Over Alleged Gender Discrimination

April 16, 2026

Lindsay Gregg, who was Adidas’ head of women’s basketball sports marketing from January 2022 to February 2026, has filed a lawsuit against her former employer, charging she was fired for raising concerns about gender discrimination and the treatment of female athletes. She also charged Adidas with whistleblower retaliation.

In the lawsuit, Gregg, a former professional basketball player, said she was hired to sign collegiate and high school female basketball players for the brand. Gregg played basketball at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee from 2007 to 2011 as Lindsay Laur and then played professionally in Puerto Rico, Europe and Australia.

Her job at Adidas entailed “acting as those athletes’ agent” within the company as “she advocated for them, promoted them and ensured they had resources to be successful on and off the court,” according to court papers.

The suit states Gregg grew Adidas’ women’s basketball program “exponentially,” including signing Olivia Miles, the second pick in the Monday, April 13, 2026, WNBA Draft; Aliyah Boston, the top pick and WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2023; and others. She also re-signed Candace Parker and managed relationships with athletes, including WNBA All-Stars Chelsea Gray and Kahleah Copper.

However, Gregg claimed that she managed twice as many athletes as her male counterparts, was alone in her “one-woman department,” and “was vocal about needing more investment and support.”

In 2023, Gregg was allowed to hire an employee to work with her, but the suit claims she still “did not receive nearly enough resources to adequately staff and support the program.” She said she was outspoken about the gender disparity, but her supervisor “dismissed” those concerns.

In January 2026, Gregg met with Adidas’ senior human resources director and “reported her belief that Adidas treated her differently than her male counterparts in sports marketing,” but she does not believe any action was taken, according to the suit.

Greg also accused Adidas of mistreating WNBA players Sophie Cunningham and Erica Wheeler at the NBA’s All-Star Weekend held in Los Angeles this past February. According to court papers, Cunningham and Wheeler were provided a trailer to get ready, change clothes and store items. When the women were headed inside, a man they did not know was leaving, while three individuals who had access to the trailer were inside and had moved the personal belongings of the Adidas endorsers.

The lawsuit states the individuals in the trailer were family members of an unidentified former NBA player, and a male Adidas marketing manager falsely told the company’s head of security that Gregg had authorized that player’s use of the trailer. SGB