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From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Leveling The Playing Field
Hiya!
Are “Holiday Season Fridays” a thing? Well, they should be — after all, if the NWSL is making significant rule changes in prime “let’s circle back” season (more on that below), we can all be more flexible. Now scroll on for today’s sports round-up before you sign off to watch “The End of an Era.”
— Soon-to-be-launched Professional Softball League (PSL) spokesperson Ryan Moore, gleeful after the creation of the brand-new, seven-team softball league, which will begin playing in June 2026. Batter up.
NFL
🏈 Fifty in the cast, zero missteps
The GIST: Cuffing season? More like clinching season. The NFL’s playoff picture is starting to take shape with just four weeks left in the regular season: Nine teams have been eliminated from postseason contention so far, but no one has clinched a playoff berth…yet. Here’s who could check it off their to-do list in Week 15.
💙 New England Patriots: Sunday’s 1 p.m. ET tilt against their AFC East archrival, the Buffalo Bills, is the biggest game of second-year quarterback (QB) Drake Maye’s career to date — a win would return the division crown to New England for the first time since 2019. The Pats stunned the Bills in Week 5, and doing it again at home would send them back to the postseason with a top-four seed.
🐴 Denver Broncos: The most straightforward way for the AFC’s top team to secure a postseason berth? Beat the Green Bay Packers on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET. The Broncos boast one of the league’s most fearsome defenses (and a 10-game win streak), but Packers QB Jordan Love has thrown seven touchdowns and just one interception in the last two games. Spicy.
🐏 LA Rams: Rounding out the “win and you’re in” party is an NFC juggernaut that looks virtually unstoppable behind MVP candidate QB Matthew Stafford. Like Denver and New England, punching their ticket this week means topping a very good team: the 8-5 Detroit Lions, who are bringing a high-powered offense of their own into Sunday’s 4:25 p.m. ET battle.
☝️ One more thing: Pittsburgh Steelers superstar linebacker TJ Watt’s status for Monday Night Football is uncertain after the six-time All-Pro was hospitalized because of a lung injury that occurred during treatment at the team’s facility on Wednesday. Wishing him a speedy recovery.
NCAA women's basketball
🎓🏀 Only as hot as your last hit, baby
The GIST: Why let the winter chill bring you down when you can warm up with these searing-hot NCAA women’s basketball stars instead? As teams barrel through cutthroat nonconference play, let’s dig into the hoopers heating up the hardwood. Cozy.
🔥 Junior Audi Crooks, No. 10 Iowa State: Crooks is the talk of the town right now — the league’s scoring leader put up 30-plus points for the third straight game (!!!) in Wednesday’s rivalry win over No. 11 Iowa. That puts her on track to join Philadelphia 76er Joel Embiid as the only players in NCAA (women’s or men’s), NBA, and WNBA history to average at least one point per minute.
🔥 Junior Madison Booker, No. 2 Texas: The preseason All-American recorded her career-first triple-double during Wednesday’s blowout of UTRGV, recording 28 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds. Under her leadership, this talented squad is undefeated through one of the league’s toughest nonconference schedules — can they stay hot against No. 13 Baylor Sunday at 1 p.m. ET?
🔥Sophomore Sarah Strong and grad student Azzi Fudd, No. 1 UConn: Speaking of undefeated teams (of which there are 12), the reigning champs are rolling, powered by this dynamic duo. They’re averaging 17.9 and 18.2 points, respectively, and are in top form for tomorrow’s Elite Eight rematch against the still JuJu-less No. 16 USC at 5:30 p.m. ET. Locked in.
Take Your Pick
UConn will stay undefeated
USC will score the upset
Which team do you think will take tomorrow’s showdown between No. 1 UConn and No. 16 USC?
🇨🇦🏒 Team Canada women’s hockey drops third straight Rivalry Series game in 10–4 drubbing
Well, that’s not how the Canadians drew up their homecoming: Wednesday night’s thrashing exposed holes across the red and white lineup, from a porous defense to a lackluster power play. Thankfully, exhibition dubs don’t win Olympic gold medals — but Canada still has plenty of work and roster-trimming to do with tomorrow’s 9 p.m. ET series finale on deck.
⚽ NWSL’s Board of Governors reportedly approve star player fund
Amid Washington Spirit star Trinity Rodman’s highly-publicized free agency, ESPN reported that the NWSL front office has a plan to keep her stateside: a “High Impact Player” fund that would allow clubs to pay select players who meet certain sport and commercial benchmarks above the salary cap. Now it’s up to the NWSL’s Players Association to consult on the measure.
⚾ MLB Winter Meetings close with monster contract for first baseman Pete Alonso
Pumpkin Pete proved the big winner at MLB’s annual gathering, walking away from the stripped-down NY Mets for a new five-year, $155M contract with the Baltimore Orioles. Meanwhile, the Toronto Blue Jays officially signed Korean KBO League MVP pitcher Cody Ponce to a three-year deal.
🎓🏈 Michigan football head coach Sherrone Moore fired on Wednesday, later arrested
The former coach remains in custody and is expected to appear in court today as the suspect of an alleged assault. Few details are available about Moore’s detainment, which occurred hours after he was terminated from Michigan for engaging in an “inappropriate relationship with a staff member.” The Wolverines will take on Texas in the December 31st Citrus Bowl.
🏀 Defending champ Oklahoma City Thunder headline NBA Cup semifinals
The Thunder haven’t missed a step since winning the franchise’s first NBA title in June, matching the 2015–16 Golden State Warriors for the best start in league history. They’ll face the San Antonio Spurs tomorrow at 9 p.m. ET with a trip to the NBA Cup Finals on the line, just hours after the NY Knicks and Orlando Magic play for the other Finals berth at 5:30 p.m. ET. Buckets, loading.
🎁 The perfect gift for the sports girlie in your life? The GIST Plus, our premium online community. Here’s why it’s the ultimate holiday win:
💪 You’re supporting a women-founded, women-led business that’s leveling the playing field in sports media.
🗞️ You’re backing a women-run sports newsroom. (A not-so-fun fact: Less than 18% of sports journalists are women)
💜 You’re helping us curate a different kind of sports space online — inclusive, smart, and full of good vibes only.
🎧 You’re unlocking perks like early access to The GIST of It podcast and exclusive content all year long.
Gift it, share it, or treat yourself — it’s the rare present that feels really good to give.
💰 Who’s walking the walk
Sun Life, whose Dunks for Diabetes campaign raised a whopping $36K for MLSE Foundation to support programs promoting healthy, active living through sport. Talk about a (Toronto Raptors) slam dunk… literally.*
🏈 What to add to cart
A limited-edition item from the NFL’s collab with Roots, the six-piece capsule collection where football fandom and Canadiana core collide. Touchdown meets toque? We’re so in.
💅 Who’s doing it all
Las Vegas Aces superstar and four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson, who’s adding Met Gala committee member and AP Athlete of the Year to her jam-packed résumé. All hail the queen.
*P.S. This is a sponsored post. Buckets.Today’s email was brought to you by Katie Kehoe Foster, Alessandra Puccio, Lisa Minutillo, Rachel Fuenzalida, Grace DePaull, Charlotte Mackenzie, and Briana Ekanem. Editing by Katie Kehoe Foster. Fact-checking by Elisha Gunaratnam and Mikaela Perez. Ops by Briana Ekanem and Elisha Gunaratnam. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster, Alessandra Puccio, and Lisa Minutillo. Managing edits by Katie Kehoe Foster and Alessandra Puccio. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.