And other than wear pink, what do we do on Wednesdays? Support women and non-binary folks in sports. That’s why we just re-launched our job board featuring GIST-approved opportunities in the industry. Exciting, right?

• Check it out or share it with a job-seeking pal, then keep on leveling the playing field with today’s newsletter.

The GIST: In a press conference on Monday, LSU head coach (HC) Kim Mulkey cut off a reporter, who said he hadn’t “seen anything” from her on WNBA star Brittney Griner’s wrongful detention in Russia, with a curt “and you won’t.”

• The controversial former Baylor HC’s callous response quickly and rightfully drew ire from the basketball community.

The history: Before taking the job at LSU, Mulkey was near synonymous with Baylor women’s basketball, having led the Lady Bears from 2001 to 2021, including three national championship wins.

• Griner suited up for Baylor from 2009 to 2013 and was essential to the 2012 squad that ran a 40-0 season record all the way to claim the natty.

The backlash: Mulkey’s silence on Griner’s 223-day detention has deservedly sparked outrage. Indiana Fever rookie and member of Baylor’s 2019 championship team, Queen Egbo (pronounced EGG-bo), tweeted, “A player that built Baylor…Yet her former coach refuses to say anything or simply just show any kind of support…”

• USWNT star Megan Rapinoe also called out Mulkey, commenting on Instagram, “This is honestly just cruel and evil and even more honestly….ITS SHOWING SIS. That hate is seeping out.”

Louder than words: It’s not the first time Mulkey’s worrisome beliefs have been exposed by her silence. The coach has notoriously remained mute when confronted with racial and LGBTQIA+ issues, creating an environment where non-heterosexual athletes, including Griner, were encouraged to hide their sexuality.

• And when she has used her voice, it’s been detrimental. Mulkey was dismissive of campus sexual assault concerns in 2017, and required the majority-Black 2019 championship team to visit the White House under Trump’s racist and sexist administration.

The new coach: Though horrifying, Mulkey’s lack of comment aligns with her problematic attitudes. But current Baylor HC Nicki Collen, who never coached Griner, proved what leadership should look like.

• Speaking for five minutes about Griner, Collen said, “BG is family. She’s Baylor family. To me, anything we can do to help her and her family is important.”

P.S. For more coverage on all things college (women’s and men’s, of course!), check out our three-times weekly college sports newsletter.

The GIST: With just one week remaining in the regular season, the race to October is heating up. And while (nearly) every division title is basically locked in, there are still plenty of Wild Card (WC) spots up for grabs. Wild, indeed.

The context: Quick refresher: 12 teams will make the postseason this year — six from the National League (NL) and six from the American League (AL). Within each league, the winners of the three divisions (East, Central and West) earn a spot, plus three WC teams (aka the squads with the next best records).

NL: The LA Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals have clinched their divisions while the NY Mets and the defending champ Atlanta Braves are tied at the top of the NL East. That leaves the San Diego Padres, the Philadelphia Phillies and the Milwaukee Brewers all duking it out for two yet to be claimed WC berths.

• Every squad wants to make the playoffs, but it would be especially embarrassing for the Padres to miss after they picked up star outfielder Juan Soto at the trade deadline. The intrigue…

AL: The Houston Astros have long clinched the AL West, the Cleveland Guardians just stunningly secured the AL Central and the NY Yankees nabbed the AL East last night, but, like a game of musical chairs, it’s a four-team hunt for three spots in the AL Wild Card.

• The contenders? The Toronto Blue Jays, the Tampa Bay Rays, the playoff-starved Seattle Mariners and the Baltimore “shock the world” Orioles. This chase could come down to the wire.

The good news? The USMNT is gearing up to compete in their first World Cup (WC) since 2014. The bad news? Well, just about everything else.

• After failing to score in six out of seven matches against other WC qualifying teams (including yesterday’s 0–0 draw with Saudi Arabia), the red, white and blue are shaping up to be an underdog at best. Hope they prove us wrong.

The nation’s women, however, are thriving (of course!). Team USA closed out the group round with a whopping 121–59 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Monday, notching their record-setting 27th straight tourney win.

• What’s next? The knockout stage. It all tips off with a quarter-final clash against Serbia, tonight at 10 p.m. ET.

Week 4 begins with a battle between the undefeated Miami Dolphins and hot-and-cold defending AFC champ Cincinnati Bengals tomorrow at 8:15 p.m. ET.

• The headliners? The Bengals’ white helmets quarterback battle between Cincy star Joe Burrow and the Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa (yes, despite serious concussion concerns).