The GIST - Hoopy weekend

WTF is in the water these days ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

The Latest

From The Gist Team

Hello, Friday!

Still finalizing your weekend plans? Look no further. Not only is there plenty of March Madness action on deck (more on that below), but the new NWSL season kicks off tomorrow and the puck drops for the PHF championship game on Sunday. You know the drill: watch your inbox for special edition previews of both marquee events.

  • And if you’re in the market for extra screens to keep up with all of those sports, enter here for a chance to win a $2K shopping spree to any brand of your choice. No strings attached, just a whole lot of moola on the line.

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Quote of the Day

Quote

I know you expect women to just be thankful…but…some of us are bald.

ydney Leroux #2 of Angel City FC poses for a portrait on media day

— Angel City FC forward Sydney Leroux, poking fun at EA Sports’ not-so-spitting-image first attempt at including NWSL player avatars in their new FIFA 23 game.

The Latest

Men’s March Madness

🎓🏀 Four down, four to go

Source: Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

The GIST: Three upsets in one night, heroics from fan favorites, a new NCAA tourney assist record — baby, this is what you came for.

  • After yesterday’s thrilling first day, the men’s round of 16 continues tonight with more can’t-miss basketball. Buckle up!

Yesterday’s rollercoaster: Look up mayhem in the dictionary and you’ll see last night’s Sweet 16 matchups. From No. 3 Kansas State’s thrilling overtime dub over No. 7 Michigan State to No. 9 Florida Atlantic’s 62–55 demolition of No. 4 Tennessee, hoops hearts were pounding all night long.

  • The West Coast saved the best for last: Historic rivals No. 2 UCLA and No. 3 Gonzaga’s electrifying nightcap featured truly wild momentum swings. The last-minute dagger by ’Zags guard Julian Strawther to seal the 79–76 dub? Perfection.

Tonight’s throwdowns: With the two remaining No. 1 seeds expected to buck last night’s trend and roll to the Elite Eight, all eyes will be on this year’s Cinderella squad, No. 15 Princeton, who take on No. 6 Creighton at 9 p.m. ET. Princeton more than handled No. 7 Missouri in the second round, leaving no reason to doubt they can do it again.

  • Then at 9:45 p.m. ET, No. 3 Xavier will tip off against the No. 2 Texas Longhorns, who’ve survived and thrived through a dramatic season and seem primed to hook an Elite Eight berth. If it’s anything like last night, you won’t want to miss a single second.
Women’s March Madness

🎓🏀 Brawl out

Supported By
Source: Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

The GIST: Record-breaking attendance? Check. More parity than ever? Check. Here’s to even more growth when the first four women’s Sweet 16 games tip off tonight before four more tomorrow. To the moon, baby.

  • But there are no surprises in tomorrow’s orbit — all four games feature No. 1, 2, 3 and 4 seeds. Today’s matchups are the Madness epicenters, especially with some giant-slayers on the docket.

No. 9 Miami Hurricanes vs. No. 4 Villanova Wildcats, 2:30 p.m. ET (ESPN): Miami already squeaked past two higher-seeded opponents by one and two points, respectively, but they’ll need their best scorers to show out against Player of the Year finalist Maddy Siegrist’s Villanova Wildcats, who crushed their way through the first two rounds.

No. 8 Ole Miss Rebels vs. No. 5 Louisville Cardinals, 10 p.m. ET (ESPN): Chaos has reigned supreme in the wacky Seattle 4 region, and this matchup is mayhem embodied: Both teams’ last games were extremely physical and more than a little chippy, so schedule a nap and sharpen your elbows before tonight’s tip-off.

Together with

🕶️ Future’s so bright

Source: Nike

The GIST: Pumped for the April 5th release of Air, the new movie chronicling how Nike went all in on His Airness, Michael Jordan? Trust us, Nike’s commitment to the women’s game is even more exciting.

The next play: Nike tapped superstars like the WNBA’s Diamond DeShields and DiDi Richards and future W rookie Haley Jones to launch the Sisterhood collection, a capsule dedicated to honoring the history and the future of the women’s game.

WTF

😡 The sports world is not okay

Source: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

The GIST: The on-court Madness can’t distract from the absolute absurdity off it, with WTF moments spanning track & field, hockey and sports journalism.

World Athletics: Track & field’s international governing body voted yesterday to exclude some transgender women athletes from competition starting March 31st. The org’s new policy bars trans athletes who have gone through “male puberty” from competing in female events, a similar stance to the one world swimming adopted last year.

  • The ban also imposes limits on athletes with sex development differences, meaning Olympic champion South Africa’s Caster Semenya (who is not transgender) must undergo hormone-suppression treatment before “competing to be eligible.” Yeah, this is not it.

NHL Pride Nights: Keep the boos coming because a fourth NHL team is refusing to wear Pride warm-up jerseys on their own Pride Night. The latest offenders? The much maligned Chicago Blackhawks, whose management cited security concerns for their two Russian players ahead of Sunday’s puck drop.

  • Meanwhile, Eric and Marc Staal, brothers on the Florida Panthers, protested their team’s Pride celebration by refusing to come out for warm-ups at all last night, citing “religious differences.” Weird way to spell “homophobia.”

Sports journalism: A Boston sports radio host was suspended yesterday after using an ethnic slur to describe incredible ESPN analyst Mina Kimes. The station initially played the “he’s sexist, not racist” card, claiming that the host was referencing the actress Mila Kunis, not Kimes, when he used the slur that heightened in use during World War II to refer to Japanese people.

  • Wish we were kidding, but true to her iconic ways, Kimes — who is Korean, not Japanese — had the last laugh, briefly changing her Twitter profile picture to a photo of Kunis. No choice but to stan.

Weekend Watching

Source: Philip Fong/AFP via Getty Images

🎾 Miami Open: Round of 64 — Today — Tennis Channel

  • A bevy of American racket slingers will attempt to join compatriots No. 6 Coco Gauff and No. 3 Jessica Pegula in this weekend’s Round of 32. Bring on the heat.

LPGA: Drive On Championship — Today through Sunday — The Golf Channel

  • Sitting tied for 48th after yesterday’s opening round, world No. 2 Nelly Korda needs a major comeback if she wants to win her ninth career title in the first full-field event of the season.

⛸️ Figure skating World Championships — Today through Sunday — NBC

  • After Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier landed a historic pairs silver medal yesterday, this weekend’s slate will feature sweethearts Madison Chock and Evan Bates dazzling in ice dance.

🏀 Athletes Unlimited basketball: Team Harrison vs. Team Smith — Tonight at 6 p.m. ET — Women’s Sports Network/WNBA League Pass

  • It’s the final few days of the exhilarating five-week competition, and everyone’s chasing current leaderboard topper Odyssey Sims. Hoopy weekend, indeed.
Together with

Want to start the weekend with some inspo? Check out this interview collection featuring iconic female athletes speaking about their love for the game and the growth of women’s sports, brought to you by our friends at Buick. Friday vibes? Immaculate.

The GIST's Picks

Dance into the weekend with these star-powered selections.

🕰️ Where to meet

At midnight for Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour, of course. The superstar just kicked off her highly anticipated tour, and it’s as enchanted as can be.

⛷️ Where to ski

Banff’s Sunshine Village. Spring skiing has never been better at this Canadian oasis. While you’re at it, why not stick around for the Slush Cup?

👏 Who to support

CAMP, a family experience company providing unique and immersive excursions that are sure to please your whole roster. Stop asking "what should we do today?" and start checking out their curated list of offerings. 

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Key phrases

Older messages

Supporting women never goes out of style

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Young and wild and free ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Pedro Pascal can do no wrong

Monday, March 20, 2023

Just another manic Monday ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Records are meant to be broken

Monday, February 27, 2023

More power to 'em ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Sunday Scroll: Celebrating Black women in sports

Sunday, February 26, 2023

Leading the way, as per usual ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Special Edition: Kicking things off

Saturday, February 25, 2023

Open wide for some soccer ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

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