’Tis the season for shakeups

The GIST: From the soon-to-be 14th WNBA team Toronto Tempo’s rather quick name drop, to tonight’s expansion draft, to major news in Seattle, the W offseason headlines are flying fast and furious. How’s that for pace?

Golden State Valkyries to take part in expansion draft tonight at 6:30 p.m. ET: The league’s 13th team will start to flesh out their roster tonight, choosing up to 12 non-protected players from the existing WNBA pool in preparation for the squad’s 2025 season debut.

• Prior to tonight’s draft, the W’s 12 existing teams had the opportunity to deem up to six athletes as “protected players,” which keeps them out of draft contention. All to say, don’t expect to see any of last season’s high-profile stars up for grabs.

• Furthermore, the Valkyries may not fill every roster spot tonight and could instead choose to leave space for free agency additions and their No. 5 pick in the 2025 draft. Just the beginning.

Jewell Loyd requests trade from Seattle Storm: A six-time All-Star, franchise leader, and the No. 1 overall 2015 draft pick, Loyd intends to leave the only WNBA team she’s ever played for following an open-and-closed investigation into Seattle’s coaching staff.

• According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Loyd filed a complaint in September alleging bullying and harassment by Storm coaches regarding player performance during the 2024 season. On Wednesday, Seattle said the investigation was over and that no violations were found.

• Loyd’s trade request reportedly came shortly after the news and notably on the heels of the two-year supermax extension she signed with the Storm just last year. Stay tuned.

The GIST: Some drivers are leaning into the brotherly love heading into this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix season finale, while others are choosing a different way to express their feelings. The tea is hot, the beef is well done, and there’s plenty on the line as F1 prepares to cap off another dramatic season this Sunday at 8 a.m. ET.

World Constructors’ Championship (WCC) title up for grabs: It’s a two-car race for the team crown after last weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix saw Ferrari cut McLaren’s lead to just 21. A first-place finish would net the race winner 25 points, second snags 19, and third garners 15 — needless to say, standing atop the podium at Yas Marina would go a long way in securing the WCC.

• As for the drivers to watch, it’ll be up to McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz to bring the estimated $140M prize back to their garages. Vroom, vroom.

Sir Lewis Hamilton set to drive in final race for Mercedes: The iconic pairing of Hamilton and Mercedes set the racing world on fire for more than a decade, claiming six World Drivers’ Championship (WDC) titles and eight WCCs since Hamilton joined the team in 2012 — the longest and most successful driver-constructor tandem in F1 history.

• Hamilton, who won his first WDC with McLaren in 2008, will head to Ferrari next year to race alongside the aforementioned Leclerc. It’s the end of an era but the start of an age.

From her silky mitts to her fire ’fits, Canadian hockey icon Natalie Spooner’s been lighting the lamp and slaying the runway for years — and this season the Toronto Sceptres superstar, alongside the rest of her PWHL pals, will have an extra assist from Scotiabank.

• The official bank of the PWHL is banking on women’s hockey with season two underway.

Even better? With help from the likes of Scotiabank, the league’s sophomore season is expected to surpass last season’s shimmering debut in everything from ticket sales to viewership.

• Supporting girls and women in hockey is nothing new for Scotiabank, who’s been committed to making the game more accessible and inclusive at all levels for years. It’s being built.

🏒 PWHL: Montréal Victoire vs. Ottawa Charge — Tonight at 7 p.m. ET — TSN

• Charge goalie Emerance Maschmeyer will be seeking revenge after last week’s spicy season-opening 4–3 shootout loss to Marie-Philip “Captain Clutch” Poulin and Montréal. Fire and ice.

🎓🏈 NCAA football: No. 3 Penn State vs. No. 1 Oregon — Tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET — CBS

• There’s more than just the Big Ten title on the line in this conference championship: the upcoming College Football Playoff No. 1 seed (and its corresponding first-round bye) is up for grabs, too. It’s not the Big Ten ’ship anyone expected, but boy, is it thrilling.

🎓🏀 NCAA women’s basketball: No. 22 Louisville vs. No. 2 UConn — Tomorrow at 9 p.m. ET — FOX

• It’s another big weekend for ranked women’s basketball matchups, and the lights will certainly be bright at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, where redshirt senior Paige Bueckers’ Huskies are competing against the plucky Cardinals in the Women’s Championship Classic.

🏈 NFL: LA Chargers vs. Kansas City Chiefs — Sunday at 8:20 p.m. ET — TSN

• Week 14 is already off and kicking, erm, running and it’ll culminate with this Sunday Night Football AFC West battle to remember.

• Kansas City quarterback (QB) Patrick Mahomes says the 11-1 two-time defending Super Bowl champs have a “long way to go,” while QB Justin Herbert and the Chargers are looking to snap a six-game losing skid vs. their divisional foe.

When you think of up-and-coming PWHL star Sarah Fillier, you should think of goals. After scoring 93 collegiate career goals and graduating as Princeton’s all-time leading scorer, it’s no wonder Gatorade signed the No. 1 draft pick ahead of the 2024–25 season. Because if she’s on Gatorade’s radar, you know she’s a big deal.

• With goals on the brain, The GIST played “Hard Shot and Hot Takes” with Fillier, where she answered burning questions — like how it feels to win a gold medal at the age of 21.

• And just like Gatorade, an official partner of the PWHL, you can commit to fueling women’s hockey by cheering on Fillier in the league. The puck drops here.