Give us 16 months
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
TGIF!
Between Timothée Chalamet’s mustache, Taylor Swift memes, and a podcast featuring Gen Z hoops love, this week was *chef's kiss.* And thankfully for you, today’s newsletter keeps the vibes just as high.
— Taylor Swift commenting on her newfound football knowledge during her Wednesday appearance on New Heights, the podcast co-hosted by her boyfriend, the Kansas City Chiefs’ Travis Kelce and his brother, retired Philadelphia Eagles star Jason Kelce. We know all too well that the showgirl would crush.
WNBA
🏀 Growing pains
The GIST: Tonight’s WNBA Canada game was set to be a victory lap, celebrating the league’s growth and Toronto as its first Canadian expansion city. But some on- and off-court drama is crashing the party before the 10 p.m. ET tipoff, demonstrating the challenges of a rapid rise to the mainstream.
🌋 Conflict erupts on the court: Wednesday’s matchup between the Chicago Sky and Connecticut Sun made headlines for all the wrong reasons — Connecticut’s Bria Hartley and Chicago’s Rebecca Allen and Ariel Atkins were ejected when a fight for a rebound turned into an actual fight.
- The W has always been a sharp-elbowed league, but it’s under a microscope recently thanks to a spate of hard fouls on Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark, prior to her most recent injury.
- Clark’s arrival has been tremendous for the W’s popularity, bringing legions of new fans to the game — and some aren’t used to the W’s history of physicality, meaning not all of this new attention is positive.
🌡️ Off-court tension rising: Behind-the-scenes drama also rocked the league this week. Fever forward Sophie Cunningham continued her public campaign against the W’s referees on her podcast, accusing them of playing favorites with Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers. Equally messy were the conflicting narratives around the Sun’s potential sale and relocation.
- And all of this happens against the backdrop of ongoing collective bargaining agreement negotiations, in which the league is positioned as an adversary against its stars. Eek.
🔍 Zooming out: With the intense scrutiny the league is suddenly enduring, growing pains are to be expected. But while the public infighting draws more eyeballs, some worry that the drama isn’t good for the game. Is it true that all press is good press? Reply to this email to let us know your thoughts.
Question of the Day
Speaking of the WNBA, as mentioned, reports indicate that multiple cities are in the running for the Connecticut Sun’s potential relocation. It’s time for you to weigh in: Where should the Sun go?
⛵ Hannah Mills is the moment — climb aboard
What do you get when you combine the brilliance of a mechanical engineer with the spirit of a feminist icon? SailGP athlete Hannah Mills, a Rolex Testimonee and the one of the most successful women sailors in Olympic history.
- As a Rolex SailGP strategist, Mills is Team Emirates Great Britain’s tactical genius, responsible for reading the wind to steer her squad across the finish line. She’s both a data analyst and a big-picture thinker — and that extends far beyond the open water.
Mills is also going above and beyond to grow the sport for women: In 2022, she launched Athena Pathway with fellow Testimonee Sir Ben Ainslie, a program that encourages young girls to explore sailing, shaking up the male-dominated sport from the inside out. A rising tide lifts all boats.
⚾ American League East–leading Toronto Blue Jays hang on to claim series over Chicago Cubs
Blue Jays outfielder Davis Schneider did not go easy on Burlington, Ontario’s Owen Caissie, the Cubs rookie who made his MLB debut at the Rogers Centre during Wednesday’s narrow 2–1 Jays win. Up next, a big test in ace Jacob deGrom and the Texas Rangers in Toronto tonight at 7:07 p.m. ET. Yeehaw.
⚽ Can the Orlando Pride derail the Kansas City Current?
The top two teams in the NWSL go head-to-head tomorrow at 4 p.m. ET, but as we inch closer to playoffs, the NWSL Shield (awarded to the best regular-season squad) feels like KC’s to lose. Thanks in large part to forward Temwa Chawinga’s Golden Boot–leading season, there’s a 12-point gap between the Current and the next best teams: the Pride and the Washington Spirit.
- That said, if anyone can thwart KC’s momentum, it’s striker extraordinaire Barbra Banda and the Pride. Don’t miss a minute.
⛳ World No. 16 Robert MacIntyre tops the leaderboard at BMW Championship
The penultimate FedEx Cup event is off to a riveting start, with No. 1 Scottie Scheffler trailing behind both MacIntyre and No. 13 Tommy Fleetwood on the tight leaderboard. This is the second of three events in the FedEx Cup Playoffs, and with only 30 spots in next week’s TOUR Championship, the pressure is on to make the cut — and compete for $10M.
Now that you’ve met Rolex SailGP icon Hannah Mills, let’s take a look at her groundbreaking sailing career by the numbers.
- 2: Mills is a two-time Olympic gold medalist who began sailing at just eight years old. Talk about living out your childhood dream.
- 50: That’s how many points Mills’ Team GBR has accumulated this SailGP season, putting them just four points off first place with five races to go. Don’t stop now.
- 5,636: Team GBR generated 5,636 kWh of renewable energy last season as a part of their sustainability campaign, producing enough power to keep their team off-grid in competition.
Whether she’s busting gender barriers in sailing or striving for sustainable sport, Mills is changing the world for the better, making her the perfect Rolex Testimonee. See just how fast this gal can sail at this weekend’s Germany Sail Grand Prix, available to stream on the SailGP app.
🎾 Cincinnati Open: World No. 2 Coco Gauff vs. No. 9 Jasmine Paolini — Today at 8:30 p.m. ET — TSN
- A slay in her fresh New Balance x Miu Miu collection, Gauff is rediscovering her hard court groove at the US Open tuneup. Gauff and Paolini have faced off four times, each winning twice — but Gauff’s never lost to Paolini on her signature surface. Aces all around.
⛳ LPGA: Portland Classic — Ongoing through Sunday — Golf Channel
- There’s a three-way tie atop the leaderboard in Oregon, with world No. 52 Brooke Henderson among the best. The Canadian, a two-time tourney winner, hasn’t lifted an LPGA trophy in two years, making yesterday’s four-birdie start a welcome surprise.
⚽ Premier League: Arsenal vs. Manchester United — Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET — Fubo Sports
- With the 2026 FIFA World Cup looming, it’s time to start talking about the top players in international footy — and England’s Premier League is the perfect place to start. It’s tea time: This spicy season opener between historic enemies is loaded with talent, as Arsenal boasts top winger Bukayo Saka, while ManU counters with captain Bruno Fernandes.
⚽ MLS: Houston Dynamo vs. Vancouver Whitecaps — Sunday at 9 p.m. ET — Apple TV
- Legendary German midfielder Thomas Müller is expected to make his MLS debut on Sunday, having signed with the surging Whitecaps last week after 17 years with Bayern Munich. Müller has only been in Vancouver for two days, but he’s already talking titles. Love a man with ambition.
Here’s what passed The GIST squad’s vibe check this week:
👀 Where to support game-changing women
At the Germany Sail Grand Prix, tomorrow and Sunday in Sassnitz. Check out the SailGP app to see inspiring gals like Mills and fellow Rolex Testimonee Martine Grael dominate the open water.
🎧 What to listen to
The first episode of Fudd Around And Find Out. UConn basketball star Azzi Fudd teams up with sideline reporter and former professional athlete Ashanti Plummer, where they talk All-Star weekend stories and ESPYs mishaps.
🏀 What to relive
WNBA All-Star Weekend. The league’s top players weren’t just competing on the court; the tunnel walk became a draw for fans, and players partnered with fashion houses and designers to showcase high-stakes fashion moments all weekend long that the internet is still talking about.
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