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The GIST: It’s Black History Month and National Girls and Women in Sports Day, so it just makes sense to start with four ceiling-smashing women.

• The sports media landscape has long been dominated by white men, but that’s changing with an increasing number of women clipping on mics and crushing it on air — and that’s exactly where these four hoop-tastic Black women thrive.

🐐 Candace Parker: One of the most dominant players in WNBA history, CP3’s drive to be the best extends to her broadcast career. Parker started commentating in 2018 — while she was still playing in the W — appearing on TNT, NBA TV, and March Madness broadcasts before joining the iconic Inside the NBA studio show in 2020.

• As if Parker didn’t have enough “firsts” to her name as a player, in 2023 she became the first woman to provide in-game analysis at the NBA All-Star Game. Shining bright and far.

⭐ Then there’s the ESPN trio of some of the best analysts in the business: Andraya Carter, Chiney Ogwumike, and Elle Duncan. Forget the Miami Heat Big Three, this is the only basketball superteam we need.

• Not only was Carter the first full-time woman panelist on men’s College GameDay, she’s also the only ESPN analyst who regularly covers college and pro women’s and men’s basketball, providing insightful analysis for all facets of the game. She truly does it all.

• Ogwumike is another player-turned-analyst, and, like Parker, she began her broadcast career while hooping, becoming one of the youngest full-time basketball analysts in ESPN history. Then, in 2020, she became the first Black woman to host a national radio show.

• Duncan’s been in the game since 2003; she’s an industry expert with the spiciest of takes. From starting her career as an on-air radio personality to anchoring SportsCenter (and winning two Emmys), Duncan’s been a sports broadcast staple for decades. We bow down.

The GIST: The PWHL is on international break, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get your women’s hockey fix. The Rivalry Series — aka the spicy, icy five-game showdown between the Canadian and American national teams — is back on the ice. Drop that puck.

Team Canada shooting for third straight series win: After being thoroughly dominated in the opening game back in November, the red and white were on a mission in games two and three, snagging a pair of wins for a 2-1 series lead.

• Now back on home soil in Halifax, expect forward Marie-Philip “Captain Clutch” Poulin to shine on the international stage once more in game four tomorrow at 6 p.m. ET.

Zooming out: It’s no secret that women’s hockey’s recent growth has been exponential — look no further than the PWHL Takeover Tour’s sold-out arenas. But it didn’t happen overnight: Many trailblazing women in the sport paved the way for what’s happening now and the bright future that lies ahead.

• From Team USA boycotting the 2017 women’s hockey worlds because of inequitable treatment to the trials and tribulations of forming a sustainable women’s professional hockey league in North America, today’s women’s hockey product has truly been a labor of love.

As Canada Hockey’s all-time points leader, Hayley Wickenheiser knows a thing or two about assists. And that’s why the legendary Canuck is one of Kruger’s Big Assist ambassadors.

• With more than $1M committed to 45 grassroots hockey organizations across Canada, for the fifth year in a row, Kruger’s Big Assist program is ensuring that Canadian kids have equal access to the sport.

Know a local hockey association worthy of a big assist from Kruger? Nominate them for a $100K grant today.

🏐 LOVB: Houston vs. Austin — Tonight at 8 p.m. ET — YouTube

• Intrastate matchups are spicy by nature, and even in its inaugural season, LOVB is already packing a Scoville-level punch. Definitely grab some milk for this one, with middle blocker Chiaka Ogbogu and her Austin squad dressing for revenge after falling to Houston in a thrilling five-set match in January.

🏀 Athletes Unlimited Basketball: Team Harrison vs. Team Colson — Tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET — TSN+

• AU, the original domestic hoops offseason destination, tips off its fourth season tonight. And things are starting off with a bang in this tilt featuring the dynamic (and hilarious) duo of Sydney “newest member of the Indiana Fever” Colson and Theresa Plaisance.

🎓🏀 NCAA women’s basketball: No. 5 UConn vs. No. 19 Tennessee — Tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. ET — TSN

• After a 13-year hiatus, this iconic rivalry was renewed in 2020, and the Huskies have won all four meetings since. Can sophomore Talaysia Cooper help the Lady Vols buck the trend, or will senior Paige Bueckers and UConn reign supreme once more?

⛳ LPGA: Founders Cup — Tomorrow through Sunday — Golf Channel

• With a title sponsor secured, the star-studded Founders Cup field is ready for a par-tee — American Lexi “back like she never left” Thompson joins world No. 1 Nelly Korda, world No. 2 Lydia Ko, and Canada’s own world No. 23 Brooke Henderson in the quest for a chunk of the $2M purse.

Chappell Roan really is that girl — and GISTers agree. Last week, 44% of GISTers correctly picked that the Midwest Princess would win Best New Artist at the Grammys. It’s a femininomenon.

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