Brackets so busted
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
How’s your bracket doing?
Your men’s entry might already be busted (same), but there’s still time to submit on the women’s side. Enter The GIST’s bracket challenge before the women’s tourney tips off today at 11:30 a.m. ET, then sort through all the madness and more with us.
— WNFC founder and chair, Odessa Jenkins, praising the full-contact women’s football league after inking a deal with ESPN, which will now air their June championship. And not to brag, but The GIST’s very own Lauren Kelly is an WNFC All-Pro. Hut hut, hell yeah.
March Madness
🏀 Hoopin’ and hollerin’
The GIST: After an edge-of-your-seat opening day, the rest of the men’s field hits the dance floor today, gloriously converging with the women’s first-round tip-off for a thrilling 32 high-stakes games in one day.
- There’s no telling where the next upset will come from in this verified hoops hurricane, but there are a few games you’ll definitely want to make time for. Here’s a recap of yesterday’s action plus a road map for the hoop-la ahead.
No. 10 seed Arkansas men survive legendary coaching battle: When former Kentucky head coach (HC) John Calipari took on a rebuilding project at Arkansas this offseason, fans wondered how much success he’d find with the historically mediocre program. But Cal proved that good coaching works anywhere, leading the Razorbacks to a wild 79–72 upset of No. 7 Kansas.
- It was a devastating blow for the Jayhawks, who’ve now fumbled away two straight preseason No. 1 rankings with early March Madness exits. Kansas HC Bill Self, who’s every bit as legendary as Cal, has some offseason soul-searching to do.
No. 12 seed McNeese State men score biggest upset of the day: Their 69–67 dub over No. 5 Clemson made them the lowest-seeded team to advance on Day 1. Don’t let the scoreline fool you, the Cowboys controlled this one nearly the entire game — Clemson couldn’t buy a bucket until the very end. That’s how you make a budding March Madness icon proud.
No. 11 seed Columbia women prove the Ivies belong: This is the first year the Ivy League has sent three schools to the women’s bracket, and although one of them is already out, the Lions showed they can hang with the big dogs when they beat Big Ten competitor Washington in a 63–60 First Four thriller.
Up next: A whole lot more hoops. The women’s first round starts at 11:30 a.m. ET with a scorcher: No. 6 seed Michigan takes on the formidable Audi Crooks and her No. 11 seed Iowa State Cyclones, who already earned a statement win, Wednesday’s 68–63 First Four dub over Princeton. A physical forwards battle over brunch? We’re so there.
- And for the men, No. 11 seed Xavier pulled off a massive comeback in Wednesday’s 86–80 First Four victory over Texas. Can the Musketeers do it again against No. 6 seed Illinois tonight at 9:45 p.m. ET? Only one way to find out.
Women’s rugby
🏉 Try, try again
The GIST: A hot new bombshell has entered the villa women’s sports space: Women’s Elite Rugby (WER). Before the league’s inaugural season (literally) kicks off tomorrow at 3 p.m. ET, let’s maul over everything you need to know.
The context: Women’s rugby isn’t new to North America. In fact, the Women’s Premier League (WPL), a player-run and -operated amateur league, has existed in the U.S. since 2009. However, the WPL’s pay-to-play model was deemed unsustainable, ushering in a new era of professional women’s rugby in the U.S.
- And their goal is simple: keep American talent at home. WER is hoping to follow in the footsteps of leagues like the NWSL and Unrivaled by creating domestic opportunities for women athletes to be paid. Already hooked.
How it works: The league’s six teams — the Boston Banshees, NY Exiles, Chicago Tempest, Twin Cities Gemini, Denver Onyx, and Bay Breakers — will play from tomorrow through June 29th. The regular-season slate includes 30 games total (all of which you can watch for free), with each team playing the other squads once at home and once on the road.
- Unlike the Olympics where teams compete in “Rugby Sevens,” WER is traditional 15-a-side rugby, meaning the games are slower paced and significantly longer (80 minutes vs. 14).
Zooming out: As the first pro women’s 15s rugby league in the U.S., WER’s debut has been a long time coming, especially given the WPL’s lengthy history. But the timing couldn’t be better: The Women’s Rugby World Cup will be hosted by England later this summer.
- And the global women’s rugby boom is undeniable. From strong North American showings in Rugby Sevens at the Paris Olympics, to 2023’s most-attended women’s 15s match of all time, to fan fave Ilona Maher’s new podcast, the appetite for the sport is prop-elling it to new heights.
Together With Smirnoff
🎉 Party planning without the stress? Say less
Hosting can be stressful — just like a hockey team preparing for game day, party planning is all about the details.
Luckily, with an assist from Smirnoff, playing host has never been easier. Here are some cocktail tips and tricks for your next hang:
❤️ For your Montréal amies, try whipping up a Hot Pink Cosmo, complete with a splash of Smirnoff Pink Lemonade Vodka.
💛 For your besties in the Six, you can’t go wrong with a smooth espresso martini — ideal for those late-night puck drops.
🤍 For your Ottawa pals, consider a classic Bloody Mary, the perfect way to kick up the spice.
Boasting flavours that pair with every fandom, Smirnoff gives you the ultimate home ice advantage.*
*Please enjoy responsibly.😠 Trump administration suspends $175M in UPenn federal funding over trans athlete policy
Three years after Lia Thomas, a transgender woman, last competed for the UPenn women’s swim team, the White House is severely slashing federal funding for the Ivy — and directly tying that decision to Thomas in their latest attack on the trans community. Disgusting.
- As a reminder, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on February 5th barring all transgender women from competing in women’s sports. The NCAA followed suit, limiting competition in women’s sports to those “assigned female at birth.”
- UPenn has not received formal notice of the funding suspension and reiterated that Thomas’ participation followed the NCAA guidance at the time.
⚖️ ATP, WTA sued by Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA)
The PTPA, a group of pro tennis players co-founded by world No. 5 Novak Djokovic, is filing an antitrust lawsuit against the sport’s governing bodies.
- The players allege that the current state of the game endangers them physically and is harming them financially, citing long tournaments that permit play at all hours of the night and an inability to capitalize on sponsorships due to a lack of image rights ownership.
- TL;DR? Tennis’ top players are trying to change the game from the inside out.
👏 Olympian Kirsty Coventry elected first woman president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)
For the first time since the organization was founded in 1894, a woman holds the most powerful position in all of global sport. Coventry, a two-time Olympic gold medal–winning swimmer from Zimbabwe, now leads the IOC at just 41 years old. Among her first responsibilities? Meeting with President Trump about the 2028 LA Olympics. She’s got this.
Here’s what has The GIST team currently hyped:
🥌 What else to watch
Canada’s Team Homan competing at the Women’s World Curling Championship, with knockout action starting up tomorrow. Rock on, red and white.
🏒 Who to know
The Ladakh women’s ice hockey team. India’s first women’s ice hockey squad built their own rinks and changed the game. No ice? No problem.
🔴 What to learn about
Red light therapy — it’s making waves, boosting muscle recovery and athletic endurance.
Take Your Pick
No. 2 Duke
No. 15 Lehigh
Toronto’s very own Toby Fournier makes her NCAA tournament debut for the No. 2 seed Duke women tonight at 8 p.m. ET as they take on Patriot League champs, No. 15 seed Lehigh, to begin their March Madness journey. Who’s your pick to win this first-round matchup?
Today’s email was brought to you by Alessandra Puccio, Lisa Minutillo, Katie Kehoe Foster, Lauren Tuiskula, Marga Sison, and Briana Ekanem. Editing by Laura Pastore. Fact-checking by Marga Sison and Rachel Fuenzalida. Ops by Briana Ekanem and Marga Sison. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster, Alessandra Puccio, and Lisa Minutillo. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula and Alessandra Puccio. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.