Putting the “W” in Wednesday
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Happy Wednesday!
Or should we say hoopy Wednesday: Sunday’s historic game between then-No. 6 Iowa and then-No. 2 Ohio State averaged 3.39M viewers — the highest NCAA women’s basketball ratings since 1999 — as folks tuned in to see Caitlin Clark’s record-breaking performance. Another day, another stellar women’s sports viewership stat.
— Newly-retired and future Hall of Fame Philadelphia Eagles center, Jason Kelce, holding back tears while honoring his wife, Kylie, during his retirement press conference on Monday. Love is beautiful…and also a swift kick in the ass from time to time.
WNBA
🏀 Back in the Headlines
The GIST: Canadian billionaire Larry Tanenbaum is reportedly working to bring a WNBA franchise to Toronto after previous efforts stalled last year. Tanenbaum is chairman of the Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment sports group — owner of Toronto’s NHL, NBA, and MLS franchises — and is hoping to add women’s basketball to his sports portfolio. This that new Toronto.
The details: Per a CBC report, Tanenbaum wants to acquire the new franchise through his holding company, the Kilmer Group, and is expected to meet with WNBA leadership soon. If Tanenbaum succeeds, he will likely propose the 8K-seater Coca-Cola Coliseum as the team’s home venue.
The backstory: There’s a long history of WNBA talks up north, but the first major step was last May’s WNBA preseason game hosted in front of a sold-out crowd at the NBA’s Toronto Raptors’ Scotiabank Arena. At the time, commissioner Cathy Engelbert confirmed that Toronto was on a shortlist of potential expansion sites, but the city surprisingly withdrew from the running last October.
Zooming out: If Toronto revives its bid, the Canadian city will still have to compete with other markets like Denver and Portland, an expected favorite if it also rekindles interest. There’s definitely an appetite for women’s sports in Toronto, but cross-border complications like travel and tax rates might make an American city more appealing.
- Toronto does have a renewed edge after landing PWHL Toronto, the city’s first pro women’s sports team, which also recently sold out Scotiabank. Something to think aboat.
Concacaf W Gold Cup
⚽ It’s go time
The GIST: The inaugural Concacaf W Gold Cup semis kick off tonight with two must-see matches between four regional powers from San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium.
- As a refresher, this first-ever tourney pits the continent’s best against each other as a tuneup for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics. Fan-footy-tastic.
No. 11 Brazil vs. No. 35 Mexico — Tonight at 7 p.m. ET: Brazil is learning to fly even without their fearless leader, Marta, who retired from international competition after the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. As Canarinhas have been displaying their famous footwork all tourney long, seriously outscoring their opponents along the way.
- Meanwhile, Mexico is demanding attention as they thrive on the cheers of their large fanbase and capitalize on their competition’s mistakes. But their defense will have their hands full against a flourishing Brazilian offense.
No. 2 USWNT vs. No. 10 CanWNT — Tonight at 10:15 p.m. ET: Bolstered by their strong defense, Canada is undefeated in Gold Cup play and boasts four straight clean sheets, thanks in large part to central defender Kadeisha Buchanan and standout goalie Kailen Sheridan.
- But in order to top the newly-vulnerable Americans for just the fifth time in 65 (!!!) meetings, the red and white will need to improve upon their biggest weakness: scoring. Forward Adriana Leon, don’t stop now.
NFL offseason moves
🏈 Everybody one, two step
The GIST: Move aside, Love is Blind altar day — yesterday marked NFL franchise tag deadline day, bringing with it a flurry of massive decisions as teams prepare for free agency to open one week from today.
Denver Broncos will release Russell Wilson: Broncos country, let’s ride hide. On Monday, Denver announced they’ll release their much-hyped quarterback (QB), ending his dismal two-year tenure in the Mile High City. The Broncos signed Mr. Unlimited to a hefty — like, nearly $250M hefty — contract back in 2022, but Wilson has struggled mightily since signing on the dotted line.
- Speaking of hefty, Denver will incur an NFL-record $85M dead cap hit for releasing Wilson. Dead money refers to salary cap space allocated to a player that’s no longer on the team’s roster — essentially, releasing Wilson and taking the hit makes it harder for the Broncos to sign other players. No cap.
Eight players receive franchise tag: Elsewhere, eight NFL teams used their one franchise tag on players about to enter unrestricted free agency, keeping them around for one year and ensuring they’ll have the right to match any contract offers from other squads.
- That said, the biggest news might be who didn’t receive the tag. That list includes NY Giants running back (RB) Saquon Barkley, who’ll now hit free agency and headline a stacked RB class.
What’s next: An anticipated free agency frenzy when the new league year (as in their business year) begins next Wednesday. With Wilson, Barkley, and a whole host of other stars set to hit the open market, the chaos is just getting started.
🏀 Toronto-born veteran Kelly Olynyk and the Raptors agreed to a two-year, $26.25M contract extension on Monday, the same day that All-Star Scottie Barnes underwent surgery to repair a broken bone in his left hand.
🇨🇦 On Monday, the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Committees requested an additional $104M in federal funding that would go directly to the country’s national sports organizations in order to address inflation and growing deficits.
🏒 With the NHL trade deadline set for Friday, questions are mounting as to whether or not the playoff-contending Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, and Winnipeg Jets will add to their rosters to propel deep postseason runs. Tick tock.
🎾 The Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced 2019 Wimbledon champion Simona Halep’s four-year doping ban to nine months yesterday, allowing her to return to play immediately.
⚾ Former Toronto Blue Jay and 2015 American League (AL) MVP Josh Donaldson announced his retirement from baseball on Monday, ending a 13-year career that included an electric 2015 Jays playoff run to the AL Championship Series. Thanks for the memories.
🤕 In more Jays news, ace pitcher Kevin Gausman is sidelined with shoulder fatigue, throwing more questions than answers Toronto’s way with Opening Day just over three weeks away. *gulps*
Recs from our roster!
🎧 What to listen to
Player's Own Voice. Two-time Canadian Olympic speedskater Anastasia Bucsis hosts engaging and light-hearted chats with high-performance athletes, infusing her backstory along the way.
🛹 Who to know
Leo Baker, the pro skater who withdrew from the 2020 Olympic Games to come out as trans and is now inspiring others to live authentically through this documentary about their life.
📚 What to read
Sidelined: Sports, Culture, and Being a Woman in America by award-winning sports journalist Julie DiCaro, this month’s pick for The GIST Book Club. Read with us on Fable today.
Take Your Pick
The NBA Finals are still three months away, but this matchup is giving potential Finals preview, with the NBA-best Celtics visiting the Mile High City to face the seemingly unstoppable Nikola Jokić and the reigning champion Nuggets tomorrow at 10 p.m. ET. Let us know who you think will come out on top.
Today’s email was brought to you by Lauren Tuiskula, Alessandra Puccio, Marga Sison, Lisa Minutillo, and Briana Ekanem. Editing by Janine Kiefer, Emma Leishman, Rachel Fuenzalida, and Lindsay Jost. Fact-checking by Parul Kanwar. Ops by Briana Ekanem and Marga Sison. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster, Alexis Allison, and Dee Lab. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.