And he took that personally
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Leveling The Playing Field
Hi there!
The postseason party continues on this fine hump day, with a potential trophy-clinching showdown on deck, plus a full slate of other high-stakes matchups. How lucky are we?
— World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, officially withdrawing from Wimbledon yesterday. The seven-time Grand Slam champ is already missing the upcoming French Open due to a lingering wrist injury. Hopefully the Big Two rivalry will be back in time for this summer’s US Open.
PWHL
🏒 Keep going, keep growing
The GIST: On Wednesdays, we wear pink talk about women’s hockey. Well, that’s every day really. Today we’re covering tonight’s best-of-five Walter Cup Finals Game 4 and dissecting the PWHL’s latest expansion news. Drop that puck.
💪 Ottawa Charge keep trophy hopes alive: With just 54 seconds left in regulation in Monday’s Game 3, Charge forward (and local legend) Rebecca Leslie scored the game-clinching geno. Montréal (up 2-1) has another chance to clinch on the road tonight at 7 p.m. ET, barring a repeat performance from Ottawa, who are undefeated on home ice this postseason.
👀 San Jose confirmed as league’s 12th team: With its third season almost in the books, the PWHL has already doubled in size since its 2024 debut after adding another West Coast team yesterday. That’s right, four expansion squads — Detroit, Las Vegas, Hamilton, and San Jose — will debut next season.
- It’s incredibly rapid growth, especially compared to other North American pro women’s leagues. The WNBA will gradually add three teams beginning next season through 2030, while the NWSL has steadily grown by one or two teams every two years since 2022.
❓ So why now?: The PWHL experienced a ticket sales boost following the Milano Cortina Olympics as interest grew in women’s hockey. There’s also the largest ever (and totally stacked) upcoming draft class, plus the league’s single ownership model that allows business decisions to be made quickly and without conflict. Up, up, up, it’s their moment.
🏒 And then there were four — NHL Conference Finals begin in earnest tonight
The puck drops on the Western Conference Final between the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights tonight at 8 p.m. ET. The juggernaut Avs offense has looked virtually unstoppable, averaging a playoff-best 4.11 goals per game. That said, the Knights can light the lamp too, led by forward Mitch Marner’s postseason-leading 18 points. Goal horns on repeat.
- Then, the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens hit the ice tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET in a tale of vastly different playoff journeys: The undefeated Canes authored two sweeps en route to the Eastern Conference Finals, while the Habs advanced through two thrilling Game 7s.
🏀 San Antonio Spurs stun defending champ Oklahoma City Thunder in double overtime
Spurs standout Victor Wembanyama took his MVP snub personally. The 7-foot-4 Frenchman’s 41-point, 24-rebound masterclass powered the Spurs to Monday’s 122–115 Western Conference Finals Game 1 win, overcoming 21 team turnovers and De’Aaron Fox’s absence in the process.
- Clear your calendar for tonight’s 8:30 p.m. ET Game 2, when back-to-back MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder try to clap back. OKC’s seen this film before, but this year feels different: They’ve lost five of six games to San Antonio this season.
- As for the Eastern Conference, the NY Knicks (up 1-0) were down 22 points in the fourth quarter, but then Jalen Brunson (38 points) decided to turn it on. The end result? A 115–104 overtime Knicks win ahead of tomorrow’s 8 p.m. ET Game 2 in NY. It’s giving whiplash.
TOGETHER WITH Lilly
💪 Want to protect your long-term health, but don’t know where to start? Lilly believes that movement can be one of the best preventative medicines. That’s why they’ve teamed up with superstar Caitlin Clark to get more people moving.
- It’s part of Lilly’s 150-year commitment to putting health first. So if watching Caitlin makes you want to get up and play, consider this your sign.
♥️ Taking care of your body can be a lot more fun and relaxing than you think. Think: more activity, fresh air, and a game of catch in the park. As if you needed a reason to play outside with your pals…
*Reminder: before beginning any exercise program, be sure to talk to your doctor.
⚽ NWSL: San Diego Wave vs. Houston Dash — Tonight at 8 p.m. ET — Paramount+
- Houston took down league-leading San Diego back in their March season opener. Will lightning strike twice for the recently-struggling Dash or will the league-leading Wave prove they’ve learned their lesson?
⚾ MLB: LA Dodgers vs. San Diego Padres — Tonight at 8:40 p.m. ET — MLB.TV
- This feisty National League West showdown has delivered, with the dads holding on for a 1–0 Monday win before the two-time reigning champ Dodgers responded with last night’s 5–4 dub. Next up, LA superstar Shohei Ohtani takes the mound tonight. Say less.
🏀 WNBA: Dallas Wings vs. Chicago Sky — Tonight at 9 p.m. ET — USA Network
- Sky standout Rickea Jackson’s season-ending knee injury has thrown a wrench in the Windy City’s glow-up plans, but this new-look roster is nothing if not resilient. Their next test? A Paige Bueckers–led Wings team that seems to have found its groove.
🎓🥎 NCAA softball: Super Regionals — Tomorrow through Sunday — ESPN networks
- The road to the Women’s College World Series continues with two of the eight best-of-three Super Regionals — No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 3 Georgia and No. 1 Nebraska vs. No. 4 Oklahoma State — getting underway tomorrow. Last weekend’s regionals brought plenty of stunners, so expect the unexpected as the stakes get higher.
🇫🇷 Kylian Mbappé (pronounced em-BAHP-ay) (forward, France)
The French captain nearly pulled off the impossible four years ago, scoring two late goals and taking charge of a tremendous comeback in the World Cup final, but it wasn’t enough as France lost to Argentina in penalty kicks. This time, it’s trophy or bust for outspoken Mbappé, who’s ready to win it all despite struggling with a knee injury and club team turmoil. Allez!
Today’s email was brought to you by Alessandra Puccio, Lisa Minutillo, Lauren Tuiskula, Grace DePaull, and Charlotte Mackenzie. Fact-checking by Elisha Gunaratnam and Mikaela Perez. Ops by Elisha Gunaratnam and Briana Ekanem. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula and Alessandra Puccio. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.
