The GIST

Fanfare around Team USA women’s hockey win illustrates how far game has grown thanks to PWHL

We’ve seen Olympic popularity spark the growth of year-round leagues, from track & field to fencing. However, the best example may be women’s hockey: As recently as 2022, there was ongoing debate about whether women’s hockey belonged at the Olympics, but the PWHL is helping rewrite the narrative.

February 24, 2026

Women’s college volleyball gets the college basketball treatment with first-of-its-kind Paradise Invitational

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Yesterday, GS Sports — a sports event company that primarily hosts elite youth basketball competitions — announced its first foray into college sports with the Paradise Invitational. This will be a first-of-its-kind NCAA women’s volleyball showcase featuring four top teams facing off in the Bahamas.

February 24, 2026

A double dose of heartbreak for Team Canada after men’s hockey gold medal loss

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Hockey heartbreak likes company, apparently, after the worst kind of déjà vu saw Team Canada men’s hockey fall 2–1 in overtime to Team USA in yesterday’s gold medal game. Whichever stage of grief you’re experiencing, another red-and-white–clad fan is right there with you.

February 23, 2026

Everyone is playing (and paying) women’s flag football

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While there’s still higher male participation in the U.S., flag football is rapidly flourishing among women and girls. During the 2023–2024 season, nearly 43K girls played in high school (105% increase YoY), while other data suggests about 500K girls aged 6 to 17 years old participated at some level in 2023.

February 21, 2026

Team Canada’s hockey heartbreak marks end of an era

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Hearts shattered across the Great White North yesterday as Team Canada women’s hockey fell 2–1 to Team USA in overtime of the gold medal game. It certainly wasn’t the outcome Canadians wanted, but still a thrilling battle despite the odds. Always proud.

February 20, 2026

Underdogs and overtime winners: The latest from the Milano Cortina hockey rink

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Grab a Tim Hortons double-double and throw on that lucky jersey — it’s officially the time of the Olympics when Canadian joy is intrinsically linked to a small rubber puck. Let’s skate through the latest hockey headlines from the rink.

February 19, 2026

Olympic, Paralympic brands dazzle in front of record global audience at Milano Cortina 2026

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Americans dig the Winter Olympics. Last week, the first five days of the Winter Olympics wrapped with 26.5M viewers across NBC platforms, a 93% increase over a comparable period at Beijing 2022. This has been followed with record-breaking global audiences fueled by digital and social growth: Social engagement has doubled since Beijing 2022, with Olympic digital platforms surpassing 100M users.

February 19, 2026

American skier Mikaela Shiffrin aims to end eight-year medal drought

Sports News

American skier Mikaela Shiffrin aims to end eight-year medal drought

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February 18, 2026

American skiing star Mikaela Shiffrin, the winningest Alpine skier of all time, hasn’t won an Olympic medal since 2018 — and her final chance to reach the podium at these Games is in today’s 7:30 a.m. ET slalom. Drop right in on today’s story as her Olympic journey continues.

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The GIST of It Podcast

Ep #533

How Dawn Staley fosters confidence in her student-athletes

February 24, 2026

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How Dawn Staley fosters confidence in her student-athletes

It’s time to take it to the hardwood.

Today’s episode is the absolute perfect way to segue into the next major sports moment: March Madness. The Milano Cortina Olympics are done and dusted, but while some of the greatest athletes in the world were duking it out in Italy, there were major college hoops moments happening in the U.S. Who better to join the pod today to discuss March Madness, plus empowering young girls on and off the court than South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley? Co-hosts Steph Rotz and Lauren Tuiskula agree: this convo is a must-listen for any woman. Thanks again to Dove for fostering this important episode about body confidence.