Getting chippy in the PWHL Finals, plus our expansion draft rules reaction

The PWHL Finals are off to a raucous start.
The defending champ Minnesota Frost fell in overtime to the upstart Ottawa Charge in Tuesday’s Game 1 — but the box score only tells half the story. On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz share their thoughts on a player that’s making headlines for all the wrong reasons before shifting gears to the latest news about the upcoming expansion draft. Drop that puck.
This episode is sponsored by our friends at SharkNinja. As one of the founding partners of the PWHL, SharkNinja is committed to growing the women’s game and providing unparalleled support for women in sports, from the rink to the podcast booth and beyond. Check out their full line of incredible products, including their viral hair styling tools, at www.sharkclean.ca.
Additionally, this episode is supported by Amazon Business, the ultimate partner for smart business buying. Amazon Business offers a one-stop shop for all of your business needs, helping companies of all shapes and sizes simplify their purchasing process. Learn more by checking out business.amazon.com today.

There’s no place for racism in the WNBA — full stop.
Unfortunately, a hate speech incident marred an otherwise thrilling opening weekend of WNBA action. On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz discuss allegations of racist and hateful fan comments launched at the Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese during a game against her longtime rival, the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark. The WNBA is growing in popularity, but fans like this do not mesh with the league, which has stood for equality and social justice since its inception.
This episode is sponsored by our friends at SharkNinja. As one of the founding partners of the PWHL, SharkNinja is committed to growing the women’s game and providing unparalleled support for women in sports, from the rink to the podcast booth and beyond. Check out their full line of incredible products, including their viral hair styling tools, at www.sharkclean.ca.

Well that ain’t it.
Today’s episode of The GIST of It is all about Ironman (no, not this Iron Man) after the sport’s governing body recently announced that women won’t have their own championship race starting in 2026. It’s only been three years since the sport separated the women’s and men’s events — and the ripple effects of shifting back are vast.
Co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz provide the context you need before digging into the details about the decision itself, including how it will disproportionately affect women competitors. Not cool.