A very Conrad vs. Jeremiah weekend
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Feeling Freaky on this Friday!
Be careful with your fortune cookies, because you’ll want to be fully present for this rivalry-filled sports weekend. Let’s get into it.


— Retired WNBA icon Diana Taurasi, letting it all out in “Taurasi,” her recently released Amazon Prime docuseries. So seated.
WNBA
🏀 We’ll always have summer

The GIST: One of the WNBA’s most controversial rivalries has thankfully reached its denouement — but the spiciest on-court drama is still to come with the league’s inaugural Rivals Week tipping off tonight.
- While longtime W supporters have witnessed nearly three decades of fierce competition, this nemesis-packed week will showcase the epic rivalries that are shaping the league’s future. Let’s hoop to it with three of the buzziest weekend matchups.
👀 The wannabe rivals — Chicago Sky vs. Indiana Fever: The future of this rivalry hinges on two of the W’s most impactful stars — the Fever’s Caitlin Clark and the Sky’s Angel Reese — but both All-Stars are sidelined with injury for tomorrow’s 8 p.m. ET tilt.
- Not to mention, the Fever, who also boast 2023 No. 1 pick Aliyah Boston, have dominated this series as of late, winning six of the last seven battles.
💜 The West Coast battle — LA Sparks vs. Golden State Valkyries: How can the expansion team Valkyries have a rival? So glad you asked. The tension between the Bay Area and LA runs deep, no matter the sport. The Valks and Sparks will carry the torch tomorrow at 8:30 p.m. ET, and the crowded standings make this Cali showdown all the more interesting.
🏆 The rematch — Minnesota Lynx vs. NY Liberty: Last year’s Finals were the definition of spice, so expect Sunday’s 12:30 p.m. ET showdown to be just as fierce. Yes, Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier and NY’s Breanna Stewart are still nursing injuries, but this title sequel still has plenty of starpower — and a few new faces.
- Both teams bolstered their lineups in recent weeks, with the newest seafoam superstar, Emma Meesseman, and the Lynx’s newly-acquired defensive standout, DiJonai Carrington, ready to leave their marks on this budding rivalry.
Canadian Open
🎾 They can’t stop and they won’t stop

The GIST: With the US Open just over two weeks away, tennis’ hard court season is in full swing. There are high-stakes tune-up tourneys everywhere you look as players prepare to compete for a whole lot of cash in Queens, NY.
- The Cincinnati Open started yesterday, while the Canadian Open wrapped up in dramatic fashion last night. Scroll on to learn who was victorious in the Great White North — and what it means ahead of the final Grand Slam of the year.
🇨🇦 Unseeded teen Victoria Mboko defeats Naomi Osaka, wins first tour-level event: The 18-year-old hometown hero made history last night, defeating her tennis idol in three sets to become the youngest Canadian to win this tourney — a triumph that included upsets of four major champs. Mic dropped.
- Mboko has cemented herself as a player to watch at the upcoming Slam, but Osaka’s recent comeback deserves applause, too. Last night was her first WTA 1000–level final since 2022, and her performance earned her a seeded spot at the US Open.
👊 No. 4 seed Ben Shelton completes comeback for career milestone victory: The 22-year-old American won his most important tourney to date last night, defeating No. 11 seed Karen Khachanov with a third-set tiebreaker to clinch his first ATP Masters 1000 competition, a win that moves him up to No. 6 in the world rankings. Somewhere, soccer star Trinity Rodman is smiling.
Together With Goldfish
🤝 Shaking off slip-ups, Goldfish style

Accidentally cheered for the wrong team…twice? That’s a Goldfish moment: shrug, snack, and move on like nothing even happened. Goldfish have short memories. Be Like Goldfish®.
🧀 Ahead of next weekend’s WNBA Canada Game, embrace that joyful reset: Every awkwardly-timed burst of enthusiasm is just another reason to grab a handful of Goldfish crackers and root a little louder.
Because unlike the scoreboard, this snack — now an Official Partner of the WNBA — always smiles back.

⚾ MLB: Toronto Blue Jays vs. LA Dodgers — Tonight at 10:10 p.m. ET — Sportsnet
- Fresh off a record-setting sweep of the Colorado Rockies, let’s just hope the American League–leading Jays saved some runs for this three-game set against the reigning World Series champions.
⚽ NWSL: Washington Spirit vs. Gotham FC — Tomorrow at 12 p.m. ET — TSN4
- This historically testy East Coast grudge match features two Ballon d’Or Féminin nominees, but these squads are in very different places. The Spirit are coming in hot following last week’s Trinity Rodman–powered win, while Gotham are barely hanging on to a playoff spot. “So much fun,” loading.
🇨🇦 NSL: AFC Toronto vs. Montréal Roses FC — Tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET — TSN
- Northern Super League fans are in for a treat with the two best teams in the league squaring off. Plus, Toronto and Montreal are neck-and-neck in more than just the standings — respective forwards Kaylee Hunter and Latifah Abdu are near the top of the Golden Boot race. Golazos.
Together With BMO

⭐ It’s no secret that Canada’s an incubator for soccer talent — but do you know why? Four words: investing in the future. BMO helped over 1M superstars for over 20 years through their grassroots soccer programming, including youth clinics heralded by CanWNT star Julia Grosso.
- BMO is committed to growing the beautiful game in North America, investing at the grassroots level so that young kids’ love for soccer grows almost as fast as they outgrow cleats.
- Learn more about how BMO is molding Canada’s next footy fanatics by checking out our Soccer Help Desk.
Hi. It’s us. We’re the recommenders, it’s us.
😅 How to bounce back
With Goldfish®. Don’t dwell on embarrassing blunders — grab a handful of Goldfish crackers. Instant smile, activated.*
⚾ Who to know
Jen Pawol, who’s set to become the first woman to umpire a regular-season MLB game during tomorrow’s doubleheader between the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins. In a league of her own.
👟 Where to go
The club…a run club, that is. Run clubs are the new social hubs, with Strava reporting participation increased 59% in 2024. Fitness, friendship, and fun? Say less.
*P.S. This is a sponsored post. It's snack time.Question of the Day
The rivalries are coming in hot this weekend, and while there are so many out there in the sports universe, which of the following do you think is the most intense and heated of them all? If you have a different take, reply to this email and let us know.
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