Is it clocking for you yet?

The GIST: Forget runnin’ out of time, yesterday’s 6 p.m. ET MLB trade deadline has come and gone, and the American League-best Toronto Blue Jays made moves in spades with hopes of playing playoff baseball deep into October.

🍿 The blockbuster deal: Toronto’s catch of the day came when the Blue Birds stood on business to acquire former Cy Young pitcher Shane Bieber from the Cleveland Guardians yesterday.

• This is a big deal if it’s a vintage Bieber who takes the mound: The right-hander hasn’t pitched since April 2024 after undergoing Tommy John surgery and is expected to make his return in mid-August.

😮‍💨 Bolstering the bullpen: Defense wins championships, and the Blue Jays need more of it if they want to meet the moment. In addition to Bieber, the Jays also picked up a pair of relievers: Louis Varland from the Minnesota Twins and Seranthony Domínguez from the Baltimore Orioles.

• And Domínguez has already been busy, pitching two scoreless innings against his former squad earlier this week.

❓ The big question: It may feel like the Blue Jays bet the farm this trade deadline, and they did. Will this aggressive approach be enough for the squad to win their first World Series since 1993 — or did they trade away too many of their future prospects? Truth and time tell all.

Who isn’t a sucker for a good love story? Edmonton isn’t just the home of women’s sports; it’s a city that makes athletes (and Lonely Planet) swoon — just ask WNBA mainstay Kia Nurse, who penned a love letter to the place that helped shape her.

Inspired by Nurse, here’s The GIST’s ode to Canada’s Festival City:

💌 Thank you for hosting global events — like the WNBA Canada Games and the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup — and inspiring generations of girls and women in sport.

💌 Thank you for nurturing Olympic superstars and helping them reach their potential, including Olympic cycling champion Kelsey Mitchell and Rugby 7s icon Jen Kish.

💌 Edmonton, your winters might be freezing cold, but the people are warm, the food is drool-worthy, and the women’s sports scene is straight fire.

Ready to catch feels? Check out Edmonton’s City of Game Changers campaign to learn more about how the city has become a dream women’s sports destination. Baby, just say “yes.”

The GIST: Footy fans, rejoice — a Bend It Like Beckham sequel is confirmed and the NWSL is finally back after a month-long international break. Life is good. And with that, here are the biggest storylines heading into the second half of the season.

🏆 The champions return: A slew of NWSL players are back stateside with shiny new hardware and hopes of maintaining that winning momentum. UEFA Women’s Euro champ and world No. 5 England boasted three NWSL players: defender Esme Morgan (Washington Spirit), defender Jess Carter (NJ/NY Gotham FC), and backup goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse (Orlando Pride).

• Elsewhere, No. 36 Nigeria’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title wouldn’t have been possible without forwards Asisat Oshoala (Bay FC) and Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash).

• But international duties aren’t over for everyone: There are nine (!!!) NWSL players in tomorrow’s Copa América Femenina final between No. 4 Brazil and No. 18 Colombia, which kicks off at 5 p.m. ET.

🥇 The Golden Boot race is on: The race to become the NWSL’s top scorer is almost as tight as the jam-packed team standings. Gotham forward Esther González leads the charge with 10 goals, fresh off her own Euro Golden Boot win, but Kansas City Current forward Temwa Chawinga (8 goals) and Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda (8 goals) are hot on her heels.

📺 This weekend’s must-watch match — Portland Thorns vs. Washington Spirit: Sitting fifth and fourth in the standings, respectively, these star-studded squads pack a punch. One thing that’s undecided? Whether Spirit forward Trinity Rodman will make her long-awaited return from injury. Tune in on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET on ABC in the U.S. or TSN in Canada to find out.

⛳ LPGA: AIG Women’s Open — Ongoing — TSN

• World No. 5 Minjee Lee’s quest for a coveted career Grand Slam is off to a swinging start: The Australian sits just three shots back of the lead in the final major of the season, tied with a familiar face, world No. 1 Nelly Korda, who’s still searching for that elusive first win of 2025.

🏉 Women’s Rugby: No. 10 USA vs. No. 2 Canada — Tonight at 7 p.m. ET — TSN

• The Women’s Rugby World Cup is three short weeks away, meaning there’s time for one more tune-up tilt. With a now-healthy captain Sophie de Goede back in the line-up, Canada’s 10-game win streak against the U.S. is just begging to be extended.

🏊 World Aquatics Championship: Women’s 800m freestyle — Tomorrow at 8:21 a.m. ET — CBC

• Much to her dismay, Summer McIntosh came up just shy of the 200m butterfly world record yesterday, but still notched her third gold medal of the international competition. Next up? An epic battle against legendary distance swimmer Katie Ledecky, as the 18-year-old chases a record-tying five individual wins.

🏎️ F1: Hungarian Grand Prix — Sunday at 9 a.m. ET — TSN

• F1 is always the drama, whether it’s Red Bull’s Max Verstappen putting an end to the rumors, Mercedes’ (lack of) performance meeting, or the narrow, twisty track the drivers will race on this weekend. Buckle up: It’s the last race before the two-week summer break.