Delulu hours
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Hello!
Start your Wednesday by waving goodbye to the GOAT — legendary Stanford women’s basketball head coach (HC) Tara VanDerveer, the winningest HC in NCAA history, announced her retirement yesterday after 38 incredible seasons helming the Cardinal. Smile because it happened.
— Legendary golfer and current world No. 959 Tiger Woods, sharing his high hopes to win his sixth green jacket ahead of the Masters (which we’ll be previewing in a special edition) teeing off tomorrow. Delusion Confidence is key.
SheBelieves Cup
⚽ Back to back to back to back
The GIST: The No. 4 USWNT launched a strong comeback to defeat No. 9 CanWNT 5–4 on penalties and clinch their fifth consecutive SheBelieves Cup title last night, while No. 10 Brazil took third over No. 7 Japan.
- Winning hardware is always nice, but the real benefit of this friendly tourney is learning about the Paris-bound squads with just 107 days until the upcoming Summer Games. Fantastique.
Championship recap: This one was a back-and-forth battle. CanWNT forward Adriana Leon capitalized on a turnover and exposed an American defensive error to put the red and white up 1–0, a lead that was answered by American forward Sophia Smith’s two second-half goals.
- Canada eventually equalized late on a questionable foul call, but in the end, the red, white, and blue prevailed, with goalie Alyssa Naeher recording three saves in the shootout and scoring a penalty kick of her own. Swear it’s déjà vu.
No. 4 USWNT’s keys to success: The Americans maintained possession for most of last night’s game but struggled to sustain their attack until the second half. That’s when, after a few months of inconsistent performances, Smith re-asserted herself as a top offensive option and won the tourney’s MVP award.
- SheBelieves marked the end of interim head coach Twila Kilgore’s successful tenure, as the Emma Hayes head coaching era now begins in earnest. Ch-ch-changes.
No. 9 CanWNT takeaways: The defending Olympic champs played with a combination of patience and tenacity last night, first waiting to capitalize on American mistakes and then moving quickly after turnovers to apply offensive pressure, which resulted in their two goals.
- Unlike the USWNT, whose pace dropped once they were leading in the second half, CanWNT was ready to strike at all times. You can never count the red and white out.
🏒 No. 1 Canada fell 1–0 in overtime to their archrivals, No. 2 Team USA, in Monday’s Preliminary Round Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship finale, but the red and white’s quest for redemption continues in tomorrow’s 5 p.m. ET quarter-final vs. No. 8 Sweden.
🎓🏀 No. 1 UConn men’s basketball are back-to-back champions after taking down Canadian Zach Edey and Purdue 75–60 in Monday’s March Madness title game. Dominant.
🍁 With Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews continuing to etch his name in the record books, the Buds defeated the New Jersey Devils 5–2 last night. Will Matthews inch closer to 70 goals in tomorrow’s 7 p.m. ET rematch?
🔒 With only 10 days until the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin, the Nashville Predators secured a postseason berth last night. Doing that hockey.
🇨🇦 Bayern Munich and CanMNT star Alphonso Davies will miss the upcoming second leg of his European club’s Champions League quarter-final against Arsenal after picking up a yellow card during yesterday’s 2–2 Leg 1 draw.
⚽ Halifax announced yesterday that they are signing up for the Project 8 women's professional soccer league that’s scheduled to kick off in 2025, joining Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary. Coast to coast.
🥅 Hockey Canada granted 14-year-old Calgary defenseman Landon DuPont exceptional player status on Monday, making him eligible for next month’s WHL draft.
📚 The GIST’s Book Club: Reviewing Sidelined: Sports, Culture, and Being a Woman in America
Looking for the perfect book to fire you up this Aries season? Sidelined: Sports, Culture, and Being a Woman in America, is an enraging look at misogyny across sports media.
Author Julie DiCaro unflinchingly shares her personal experiences in the sports industry. As women working in sports, we know firsthand how tough it can be.
TL;DR: This book is a must-read for sports fans. It’s short, hard-hitting, and important — just like DiCaro’s 2016 #MoreThanMean video.
Looking ahead, April’s book club pick is Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey. Read along on Fable, and join our book club list to stay up-to-date.
⚾ MLB: Seattle Mariners vs. Toronto Blue Jays — Today at 3:07 p.m. ET — Sportsnet
- The Jays already secured the three-game series with last night’s 5–3 win over the Ms, but the brooms are ready for a potential sweep with pitcher Yusei Kikuchi on the mound for the series finale.
🦕 NBA: Toronto Raptors vs. Brooklyn Nets — Tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET — TSN1/4
- After posting two straight wins, the Raps were back on their bullsh!t in last night’s 140–123 L to the Indiana Pacers, but, with just three games left, they can push to finish strong when they face the also eliminated Nets in the Big Apple.
🏀 NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets — Tonight at 10 p.m. ET — TSN1
- This matchup is can’t-miss. The top seed in the Western Conference could be decided when Canadian stars Jamal Murray of the Nuggets and Nickeil Alexander-Walker of the Timberwolves square off.
Peep our squad’s MVPs (Most Valuable Picks):
🏀 What to review
The successes and missteps at this year’s women’s March Madness. The tournament saw record-setting crowds and viewership, but also had glaring issues, including mismatched three-point lines.
🍗 What to watch
This episode of Chicken Shop Date with Formula 1 driver Lando Norris. Fingers crossed Amelia interviews the whole grid.
📚 What to read
There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension a personal reflection on basketball, grief, and the impact of LA Laker LeBron James, written by Hanif Abdurraqib.
Question of the Day
Happy National Siblings Day! Celebrate by letting us know who your fave sports siblings are — select from the choices below or reply to this email with your top duo.
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