The GIST: And they’re off — the puck dropped on the inaugural PWHL Finals last night, with No. 3 Boston taking an early series lead over No. 4 Minnesota in the best-of-five championship action. Just getting started.

Unexpectedly high-scoring Game 1: Billed as a battle between two goalies at the top of their game, Game 1 turned out to be a scoring fest that included a flurry of five goals in nine minutes during the second period, with Boston winning 4–3 after both teams traded genos.

• One of those goals, the eventual game-winner, belonged to defender Jess Healey, who went from Boston’s last pick in the inaugural draft to their Game 1 hero. Any given Sunday.
• On the other side, Minnesota’s Taylor Heise notched two goals and an assist, giving her an impressive five points in her last four games.

Previewing Game 2, tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET: The series stays in Boston for Game 2, where the home team will try to remain undefeated in the postseason. After the abundance of scoring in Game 1, both standout goalies (Aerin Frankel for Boston and Maddie Rooney for Minnesota) should settle in, but if this postseason has taught us anything, it’s to expect the unexpected.

The GIST: Heart rates soaring and Stephen A. Smith memes flying — there’s truly nothing like Game 7 Sundays. With history made and the Conference Finals now set, here’s how it happened.

Minnesota Timberwolves upset defending champion Denver Nuggets: After trailing by as many as 20 points, the Wolves stormed back to win Game 7 98–90 and knock MVP Nikola Jokić’s Nuggets out of the playoffs. Minnesota’s comeback was propelled by the explosive confidence of Anthony Edwards and the Wolves’ rock-solid defense, which shut down an exhausted Joker.

• For the first time since 2004 (aka the same year Kelly Clarkson released Since U Been Gone), the Wolves are so moving on to the Western Conference Finals, facing Luka Dončić’s Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.

Indiana Pacers shoot the lights out to eliminate NY Knicks: The Pacers fought back from a 3–2 series deficit to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals (ECF), capping off the comeback with yesterday’s 130–109 Game 7 win over the injury-plagued Knicks.

• NY notably lost their fearless leader, Jalen Brunson, to an injury in the second half, and Indy shot a playoff record-setting 67.1% from the floor, with all five starters contributing at least 17 points. Teamwork makes the dream work.

ECF tips off tomorrow: Back in the ECF for the first time since 2014, the Pacers face the intimidating Boston Celtics in Beantown at 8 p.m. ET. The well-rested Cs have considerably more postseason experience than the Pacers after qualifying for six of the last eight ECF, but Indy boasts a fully healthy roster and played well against Boston in the regular season. It’s anyone’s ball game.

Did you know that the most distinctive shift in sports in the last 50 years has been the rapid rise in the importance, influence, and value of female fans?*

Did you know that 80% of all consumer spending is controlled by women?**

Did you know that The GIST reaches over 900K newsletter subscribers, 85% of whom identify as women or nonbinary?

Did you know that you could grow brand love and affinity by aligning with a women-founded business that’s challenging the male-dominated sports industry?

If this sounds intriguing to you or your company, let’s talk.

* Data from Nielsen

** Data from CNBC

With spring in full swing, now's the perfect time to prep for outdoor sport mode with our outdoor adventure giveaway.

• The grand prize pack has over $4K worth of goodies including polarized sunglasses, sustainable adventure essentials, gift cards, and so much more.

There’s no time like the present to enter to win outdoor adventure gear. May the odds be ever in your favor.

Unbreakable, the Las Vegas Aces' new weekly series that takes fans behind the scenes of the championship-winning team. Watch episode one here.

With this tumbler. Keep your drinks cold (or hot) with this sleek, reusable bottle that’s perfect for summer iced coffees.

The DONUT. If you’re looking for impartial news that’s enjoyable to read, The DONUT has you covered. Take a bite out of their fun and entertaining updates.