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The GIST: Pop those bottles and queue up Frank Sinatra — the Toronto Blue Jays are heading to the American League Championship Series (ALCS) for the first time since 2016 after eliminating the NY Yankees on Wednesday.

• With their ALCS opponent still TBD, let’s recap the Jays’ team effort that has them just four wins away from a World Series appearance.

🐦 Lights-out pitching, clutch hitting when it mattered most: As manager John Schneider so eloquently put it, “It takes everybody,” and that’s exactly how Toronto won their Divisional Series vs. the Yanks. From Wednesday’s 5–2 bullpen Game 4 dub — featuring eight different pitchers — to utility player Ernie Clement’s breakout performance, the entire roster played a part.

• And we have to mention the Canadian kid, first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. After inking a 14-year contract extension to stay in the Six this offseason, Vladdy posted an incredible .529 series batting average, powering his squad to the first ALCS of his career. You can’t help but smile.

⏩ Toronto will face either the Detroit Tigers or Seattle Mariners in the ALCS: The Tigers vs. Mariners series comes down to a decisive 8:08 p.m. ET Game 5 tonight, pushing those teams to the limit while the Jays enjoy some extra rest.

• The Blue Birds hold the regular-season edge against both squads — they went 4-2 vs. Seattle and 4-3 vs. Detroit — and will certainly be flying high from the Rogers Centre energy when the ALCS begins at home on Sunday. Can’t come soon enough.

The GIST: The WNBA expanded its Finals to a best-of-seven series, but it looks like the Las Vegas Aces might not need the extra games after taking a commanding 3-0 lead with Wednesday’s 90–88 win over the Phoenix Mercury.

• Ahead of tonight’s potentially series-ending Game 4 in Arizona, let’s revisit an absolutely thrilling Game 3 before pondering two pressing questions as the playoffs enter their final act.

🤯 A’ja Wilson’s game winner lifts Aces in Game 3: Despite Vegas leading by as many as 17 points in the second half, a ferocious Mercury comeback meant Game 3 came down to the wire. The four-time MVP shined in crunch time: Part of a game-high 34 points, Wilson’s turnaround jumper put the Aces up for good…and set records along the way. Because of course.

🪐 Is it over for the Mercury?: Yes and no. Phoenix has authored multiple comebacks this postseason, but this is uncharted territory. It’s the W’s first seven-game series, but in the history of the NBA playoffs (where seven-game sets are the norm), no team has ever bounced back from a 3-0 deficit — and Phoenix will be without three-time All-Star Satou Sabally after she suffered a concussion.

🃏 Are the Aces a dynasty?: Almost. Before our next newsletter, Vegas will have two chances to clinch their third title in four years: tonight at 8 p.m. ET and Sunday at 3 p.m. ET. Another win, and the Aces will join a very short list of dynastic squads, cementing their legacy alongside Maya Moore’s Minnesota Lynx and the now-defunct Houston Comets, who won the league’s first four ’ships. Talk about good company.

Spooky season may only come once a year, but if you’re a woman in sports, you know the chills don’t stop with October.

You’re hyped to celebrate your team, but instead you run into… 😱 Mansplaining and gatekeeping. 😱 Cruel, sexist comments. 😱 Trolls waiting around every corner.

It’s enough to make even the biggest fan want to log off.

That’s exactly why we launched The GIST back in 2018 — to create a more inclusive sports landscape, where diverse voices are celebrated, equal coverage is championed, and where all sports fans are welcomed.

• Together, we’ve built something pretty darn special…but we also know fandom isn’t one-size-fits-all.

When we hit 1M subscribers last year, we asked: what’s next? We didn’t guess. We asked you. And you told us loud and clear: you don’t just want a relationship with us — you want a relationship with each other.

✨ Enter The GIST Plus: a new community and members program designed to be your haven from trolls, toxicity, and tired old sports gatekeeping.

• It’s the supportive, inclusive sports community you’ve always deserved. A place to connect, celebrate your fandom freely, and dig a little deeper with The GIST you know and love.

🇨🇦🏈 CFL: Toronto Argonauts vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders — Tonight at 9 p.m. ET — TSN

• Four CFL games will grace our screens over the long weekend, and every single one has playoff implications. The gridiron gauntlet kicks off from Regina as the Roughriders try to claim the West Division crown for the first time since 2019.

⚽ NSL: Vancouver Rise FC vs. Montréal Roses FC — Tomorrow at 12 p.m. ET — CBC

• It’s the penultimate week of the Northern Super League (NSL) regular season, and with all four playoff spots clinched, the focus remains on seeding — particularly for these two squads.

• A Roses dub could lift Montréal into second place, while a Vancouver win would mark their first in over a month as they try to move up from fourth place.

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

• Whether it’s Ring Around the Rosie or running backs in quarterback-dominated fields, always expect the unexpected under the primetime lights. Case in point? The NY Giants stunned the defending Super Bowl champ Philadelphia Eagles 34–17 last night on Thursday Night Football.

🏒 NHL: Detroit Red Wings vs. Toronto Maple Leafs — Monday at 4 p.m. ET — Prime

• Grab a pair of stretchy pants, pile your holiday plate high, and settle in for an Original Six showdown. The best way to celebrate the Red Wings’ centennial season? Reminding them that hockey is Canada’s game.

Being first means you have to be fearless — and CanWNT trailblazer Quinn is exactly that. Not only was the midfield maestro the first openly transgender, non-binary athlete to win an Olympic gold medal, but they’re also the highest-drafted Canadian player in NWSL history, and they scored the Northern Super League’s first-ever goal. Smashed ceilings? All in a day’s work.

👏 Why we’re a fan: Quinn dazzles the opposition with pinpoint passing and surgical precision, but their advocacy is just as fierce as their game. Consider us sat.

🚨 Feeling fired up about footy? So is FanDuel. That’s why the sportsbook offers a wide range of women’s soccer markets to bet on. May the ball always bend into your favour.