Florida!!!
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)

Hello!
Anything big happen last night? Just kidding, we’ll get to last night’s championship action, but first a quick heads up that we’ll be off on Friday as our U.S. team observes Juneteenth tomorrow. Catch you back here on Monday, but not before scrolling through today’s news, of course.


— World No. 1 tennis superstar Aryna Sabalenka, apologizing for her eyebrow-raising comments after No. 2 Coco Gauff beat her in the Roland-Garros final earlier this month. Onwards — the grass courts are calling.
Stanley Cup Final
🏒 Everybody wants to be a Cat

The GIST: The Florida Panthers are your Stanley Cup champs for the second straight season, earning the title with last night’s convincing 5–1 Game 6 win over the Edmonton Oilers. Me-ow.
🐱 Panthers dominate from puck drop: If you looked up “clutch” in the dictionary, you’d find Florida forward Sam Reinhart. No, it’s not déjà vu — after burying the Stanley Cup–winning goal last season, Reinhart was the hero again last night, becoming the first player since 1957 to score four goals in a single Stanley Cup Final game.
- Just like in Game 5, it was a night to forget for the Oilers. Superstar Connor McDavid managed just two shots on net, while the team’s top forward line of McDavid, Corey Perry, and Leon Draisaitl were on the ice for four of the Panthers' goals. Oof.
👑 Does a Floridian dynasty await?: Maybe. Many of the team’s key contributors will be back next season, including goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and forwards Matthew Tkachuk and Reinhart. But three big names — defenseman Aaron Ekblad plus forwards Brad Marchand and Conn Smythe winner Sam Bennett — are not under contract next year.
- That means general manager Bill Zito might have to pull out his checkbook if the Panthers want a shot at their fourth straight Stanley Cup Final appearance.
❌ The Canadian Cup drought continues: It’s been 32 long years since a Canadian team hoisted Lord Stanley, and the Great White North will have to wait at least one more. There is a silver lining though: The Cup could visit eight different Canadian locales this offseason thanks to the eight Canucks on Florida’s roster, including the aforementioned Bennett, Reinhart, Ekblad, and Marchand.
NBA Finals
🏀 Shake it, quake it, space, kaboom

The GIST: The Oklahoma City Thunder (up 3-2) are one win away from raising their first championship banner since 1979 (back when they were the Seattle SuperSonics). Let’s ball.
⭐ Co-stars take center stage in Game 5: Every Batman needs a Robin, and OKC’s Jalen Williams played the role perfectly for league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Monday. Williams was absolutely electric in the 120–109 win over the Indiana Pacers, dropping a playoff career-high 40 points — the perfect complement to SGA’s 31-point, 10-assist double-double.
- Indy’s Pascal Siakam (28 points) made his case for best supporting actor, but the two-time All-Star was left asking what the helly after his partner-in-hoops, Tyrese Haliburton, managed just four points while playing through a calf strain.
👀 Will the Thunder wrap it up in tomorrow’s 8:30 p.m. ET road Game 6?: It seems likely considering Haliburton’s injury status — but if we’ve learned anything about the Pacers this postseason, it’s that you can never count them out. Case in point? Although their superstar was far from his best in Game 5, Indy cut an 18-point deficit to two in the second half.
- Still, if the Pacers want to force a title-deciding Game 7 on Sunday, they’ll need to take care of the ball: OKC forced Indy into 22 turnovers on Monday, including four straight giveaways during a pivotal fourth-quarter stretch. Defense wins championships, after all.
WNBA
🏀 Bounce to it

The GIST: Last night’s six-game slate was pure cinema, notably locking in the Commissioner’s Cup final before two teams go head-to-head for $500K on July 1st. Read on for who’s through, plus other buzzy headlines from around the WNBA.
🏆 Indiana Fever to face Minnesota Lynx in Commissioner’s Cup championship: The Fever are heading to the W’s in-season tourney final for the first time, clinching their spot with last night’s testy 88–71 win over the Connecticut Sun, while the red-hot reigning Cup champion Lynx earned their berth with a 76–62 win over the struggling Las Vegas Aces. Can’t wait.
👀 Guess who’s back, back again?: Trooper Kaitlyn Chen is officially back in the WNBA, re-signing with the Golden State Valkyries ahead of last night’s 80–71 L to the Dallas Wings. It's all love between former teammates — especially when a certain NCAA legend is in the house.
🙌 Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese cashes in: Criticized by social media trolls for grabbing rebounds off her own missed shots, Reese is hoping to turn those so-called “mebounds” into money, filing a trademark for the phrase on Monday. Iconic.
📺 Caitlin Clark’s return + defending champ NY Liberty = appointment television: The Fever’s 102–88 Saturday win over the Libs averaged 2.2M viewers, making it the third most-watched WNBA game ever on ABC.
🔜 Alyssa Thomas returns to Connecticut tonight at 7 p.m. ET: For the first time since leaving the Sun in the offseason, the former franchise star and triple-double machine is returning to Mohegan Sun Arena, now leading the Phoenix Mercury. Popcorn at the ready.
Question of the Day
With the Commissioner's Cup Final officially set, we want to know: What’s your way-too-early prediction as to which team will hoist the trophy on July 1st?
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Here’s what passed The GIST squad’s vibe check this week:
🧠 What to listen to
Our six-part mental health series Inside the Lines with A.J. Andrews. ICYMI: We dove deep on topics like “Reclaiming Your Joy” and “Navigating High-stakes Moments” in a series of convos with all-star athletes, including PWHL star Kendall Coyne Schofield and USWNT standout Rose Lavelle. Queue it up and share with a pal today.
🏀 What to play
Park basketball. The WNBA’s “Line ’Em Up” initiative is making outdoor hoops more inclusive by painting the league’s three-point line on local courts. Buckets, literally.
🇨🇦🏀 What to read
This article about how four Canadian hoopers are powering the NBA Finals. Eh okay.
Today’s email was brought to you by Alessandra Puccio, Lisa Minutillo, Lauren Tuiskula, Rachel Fuenzalida, Grace DePaull, and Briana Ekanem. Editing by Katie Kehoe Foster. Fact-checking by Molly Potter and Mikaela Perez. 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.