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From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Happy National Hot Dog Day!
What better way to celebrate last night’s Home Run Derby–decided National League All-Star Game win over the American League? Planning out our glizzy dinner plans as we dig into the rest of today’s sports news.
— Women’s soccer legend Marta, who at the age of 39 is weighing the possibility of playing for Brazil’s national team when her home country hosts the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Guess it’s never really over.
WNBA
🏀 At tea time, everybody nobody agrees
The GIST: The star-studded All-Star Weekend three-point contest lineup was revealed yesterday and Sunday’s Dallas Wings vs. Indiana Fever showdown drew historic numbers — but that’s not even the buzziest W news so far this week.
🔥 The Portland Fire are back: Turns out the rumors were true — the W’s newest expansion squad is returning to its roots, officially dropping their name and logo yesterday ahead of the team’s 2026 debut. And in an epic women’s sports crossover, the fiery logo is both an ode to the Rose City and ties into the city’s NWSL team, the Portland Thorns.
- And that’s not the only commonality: The Fire and Thorns, who are both owned by RAJ Sports, will split state-of-the-art training facilities starting next year. Sharing is caring after all.
👀 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations resume this weekend: And according to NY Liberty superstar Breanna Stewart, “it’s going to be spicy.” The league and the Women’s National Basketball Player’s Association (WNBPA) reportedly remain far apart on CBA negotiations with players stating the league wasn’t “entirely responsive” to their goals in the initial proposal.
- WNBPA president and Seattle Storm icon Nneka Ogwumike (pronounced oh-gwoo-MIH-kay) is hoping for clarity at this weekend’s in-person meetings, especially with expansion fees sitting at a cool $250M, a metric Ogwumike says should be reflected in revenue sharing.
- Commissioner Cathy Engelbert remains confident a “transformational” deal will be done, but WNBPA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson isn’t so optimistic as she’d hoped for more progress ahead of All-Star weekend. Caliente, indeed.
UEFA Women’s Euro
⚽ Splish splash
The GIST: From attendance to international viewership and the 89 (!!!) goals already scored, records on records are falling at the 2025 UEFA Women’s Euro — and that’s just through the group stage. The win-or-go-home knockout round begins this afternoon, with four quarter-final matches today through Saturday. Here’s a peek at the first two on the docket.
🇳🇴 No. 16 Norway vs. 🇮🇹 No. 13 Italy — Today at 3 p.m. ET: The Italians are on to the quarters for the first time since 2013 and will face a familiar foe: the inspiring veteran Maren Mjelde–led Norwegians, who they drew with twice in last year’s tourney qualifiers.
- Norway swept Group A and is coming in hot, but Italy’s playing with joy — as evidenced by defender Elisabetta Oliviero’s brilliant group-stage goal against favorites No. 2 Spain.
🇸🇪 No. 6 Sweden vs. 🏴 No. 5 England — Tomorrow at 3 p.m ET: Yes, England are the defending champs, but perennial bridesmaid Sweden is the sleeper team of this tourney, armed with a perfect group stage record and undeniable chemistry heading into this quarter-final.
- The matchup to watch? Ruthless Blue and Yellow forward Stina Blackstenius against Lioness keeper Hannah Hampton, who’s only improved throughout the tournament. Guess it’s time for a summer Thursday.
Take Your Pick
No. 6 Sweden
No. 5 England
Now that you’re primed for the upcoming UEFA Women’s Euro quarter-final action, are you still sleeping on No. 6 Sweden or do you have faith in the defending champs, No. 5 England? Chime in on which team you think will advance to the semis.
⛵ Anything is possible with a woman at the helm
It’s not easy being a woman in a man’s world — just ask SailGP athlete and Rolex Testimonee, Martine Grael. For years, Grael has dominated the women’s sailing world, but now she’s taking on a new challenge: driving the F50 catamaran for Mubadala Brazil in the Rolex SailGP Championship.
- Grael is the first woman driver in the co-ed sport, commanding the seas to lead her squad to their first-ever race win during June’s Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix.
- And that’s a huge deal. A SailGP driver is the de facto team captain, responsible for both steering the F50 catamaran and determining the team strategy, which means Grael’s guidance led her team to victory. Hell yes.
With Grael at the helm, Mubadala Brazil is bound to go the distance — and you can see the legend at work during the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix, July 19th and 20th in Portsmouth, England. Download the SailGP app today to stream all the action.
🏀 WNBA: Phoenix Mercury vs. Minnesota Lynx — Today at 1 p.m. ET — WNBA League Pass
- These squads are sitting atop the league standings for a reason, and it’s not just because their superstars — the Mercury’s Alyssa Thomas and Lynx forward Napheesa Collier — are balling out. Both teams shoot the lights out and play lockdown defense. This is going to be good.
🥎 AUSL: Blaze vs. Talons — Tonight at 8 p.m. ET — TSN+
- With a spot in the upcoming championship series already booked, the league-leading Talons are only getting better after reinstating pitcher Montana Fouts from the injured list. See if they can keep soaring against a recently-scorching Blaze team fresh off their first series win.
⛳ PGA: The British Open — Tomorrow through Sunday — TSN
- Rain or shine, the fourth and final men’s major of the year tees off from Northern Ireland’s Royal Portrush, with the world’s best competing for the claret jug on a notoriously tough links-style course.
- Keep an eye on last year’s winner and world No. 3 Xander Schauffele, who’s made 68 (!!!) straight cuts (aka advancing to the final rounds of a tourney) since 2022. Casual.
Now that you’ve been properly introduced to Rolex SailGP superstar Martine Grael, let’s dig deeper. Here’s a look at Grael’s astounding sailing career by the numbers.
- 1: Grael made history as the first female driver in the Rolex SailGP Championship, joining the competition with Mubadala Brazil for the 2025 season. She’s one of one.
- 2: Grael has won two Olympic gold medals, first crushing the competition at her home Rio Games, and then defending her title at the Tokyo Games. Can you say “elite?”
- 2014: The year Grael was named the Rolex World Sailor of the Year, the highest award a sailor can receive.
Grael redefines excellence — from her recent win in NY to her leadership in ocean conservation, it's no surprise she's a Rolex Testimonee. Catch her at this weekend’s Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix, available to stream on the SailGP app.
Recs from our roster!
⚽️ What to check out
This piece on the joy of women’s football. Fashion, friendship, and finding your people through the beautiful game — there's nothing like it.
👀 How to support female leaders
Tune in to the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix. The aforementioned Martine Grael will be looking to lead Brazil Mubadala to their second race win on July 19th and 20th in Portsmouth, England. Watch the fun on the SailGP app.
👟 What to wear
Oofos. Designed for distance runners, the recovery footwear is perfect for all types of foot pain. A total game-changer.
Today’s email was brought to you by Alessandra Puccio, Lisa Minutillo, Lauren Tuiskula, and Briana Ekanem. Editing by Molly Potter. Fact-checking by Marga Sison. Ops by Briana Ekanem and Marga Sison. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster, Alessandra Puccio, and Lisa Minutillo. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.