Where does the time go?
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Springing forward!
Since yesterday’s International Women’s Day celebrations were an hour shorter, let’s keep the party going into the new week. Every day is a good day to support women in sports, after all.
— Portland Thorns and USWNT star Sophia Wilson (née Smith), who took the pitch in Portland’s 5–1 preseason win against Mexico’s C.F. Monterrey on Friday, her first game minutes since returning from maternity leave. Just four more days until the NWSL regular season kicks off — can’t wait.
WNBA
🏀 Time keeps on slipping
The GIST: The WNBA’s self-imposed March 10th collective bargaining agreement (CBA) deadline is…tomorrow — and despite the exchange of highly-classified counterproposals over the weekend, the two sides have yet to agree on a new deal. Let’s hoop to it.
📌 What’s at stake?: Tomorrow’s deadline marks the date the league says there needs to be a CBA in place to avoid delaying the 2026 season. Notably, the WNBA is already operating on a truncated timeline with free agency, a two-team expansion draft, and the entry draft all still on the to-do list before the season is supposed to tip off on May 8th. *gulps*
- Not to mention, this year’s free agency period is expected to be the most chaotic in league history: In anticipation of a new CBA (and the increases in pay and benefits that come with it), almost every player is a free agent this offseason. That’s a lot of contracts to sign.
⚠️ Revenue sharing remains a sticking point: Though some concessions have been made in areas like housing, charter flights, and salary caps, neither side has budged when it comes to the type of revenue that’s shared. The WNBPA wants a portion of gross revenue, but the league has called that unrealistic, offering a share of net revenue instead.
- Meanwhile, a private letter that appeared to show fragmentation among the WNBPA executive committee leaked last week. The potentially messy turn provided an opportunity for union realignment, and the numbers don’t lie.
- With the clock ticking, some players, including NY Liberty icon Breanna Stewart and Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, are pushing for a face-to-face meeting, no matter the length, to “iron it out.” Procure some late-night snacks — we’re banking on a buzzer beater.
🏎️ Mercedes dominate Saturday’s Australian Grand Prix with 1-2 finish
That’s what happens when you build a rocketship. The speedy Mercedes duo of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli lived up to the preseason hype, finishing the season opener first and second, respectively. It’s the team’s first one-two finish without Lewis Hamilton in the car since 1955.
- Speaking of the seven-time champ, Hamilton and his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc were hot on Mercedes’ heels…until a blown strategy call cemented Leclerc’s third-place finish, while Hamilton settled for fourth. No ragrets, right?
⚾ Team Canada splits their first two World Baseball Classic (WBC) games
After Miami Marlins prospect Owen Caissie made a big splash in Saturday’s 8–2 tourney opening win over Colombia, Canada was brought back down to earth in last night’s 4–3 loss to Panama. Now tomorrow’s game will be their toughest test yet as the boys prepare to face undefeated Puerto Rico at 7 p.m. ET — no pressure, no diamonds, right?
🎓🏀 No. 3 seed Texas women’s basketball upsets No. 1 South Carolina to win SEC title
Second time’s the charm for the Longhorns, who dressed for revenge in yesterday’s convincing 78–61 conference championship win after falling to the Gamecocks in last year’s SEC title game. The juggernaut SEC is expected to send 10 teams to March Madness, two fewer than the Big Ten, who saw No. 1 UCLA crush No. 2 Iowa 96–45 in their conference final yesterday. Cue the confetti.
- Next up, more of the men’s conference tourneys are starting to tip off — but the weekend’s biggest winner was undoubtedly No. 1 Duke, who earned a 76–61 regular-season win over their archnemesis, No. 17 UNC, on Saturday. Nothing like a little home cooking.
🎓🐕 No. 5 seed Saskatchewan women win second straight Final 8 basketball championship
So nice, the Huskies did it twice, earning back-to-back titles with yesterday’s 77–68 W over No. 2 UNB. Senior Logan Reider exploded for 19 points off the bench, while Canada West Player of the Year Gage Grassick chipped in 16. The best part of the night? Two women coaches, Sask’s Lisa Thomaidis and UNB’s Erin McAleenan, going head-to-head on International Women’s Day.
🇨🇦⚽ No. 10 CanWNT defeat No. 30 Argentina on penalties to close SheBelieves Cup
Goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan stopped not one, but two penalty kicks on Saturday, helping CanWNT top Argentina 3–2 in a shootout after a 0–0 regulation draw. The win put a triumphant bow on Les Rouges’ solid SheBelieves performance, which saw young forwards DB Pridham and Kaylee Hunter play significant minutes, an important development in a FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying year.
TOGETHER WITH TD
☄️Calling all trailblazers
🚨 Systemic barriers are (still) keeping girls out of sports. Even with icons like Team Canada’s Captain Clutch to look up to, more than 20% of young female athletes stop playing sports in their teens — but TD is changing that.
- TD hosted the TD Power Play, a free youth hockey clinic in Vancouver for girls ages 10 to 14, last month, reimagining how to bring communities together.
👀 Check out all the excitement from the clinic here and watch the future of the PWHL shine.
🥈⛷️ Para alpine skier Kalle Eriksson and his guide, Sierra Smith, won Canada’s first medal of the Milano Cortina Paralympics on Saturday, taking silver in the men’s visually impaired downhill race. Not too shabby for your Paralympic debut.
🥇 Then yesterday, biathlete Natalie Wilkie clinched the Great White North’s first Milano Cortina gold, winning the women’s standing 12.5km para biathlon after completing the course in just over 33 minutes without any shooting penalties. In our flag bearer we trust.
🥈Canadian para skiing legend Mark Arendz took silver in men’s standing biathlon yesterday, his lucky number 13th career Paralympic medal.
🥉🏂 Defending men’s snowboard cross champ Tyler Turner earned bronze yesterday in a wild race that required a video review to determine the winner.
⛷️ Skier Mollie Jepsen has sadly pulled out of the Games after re-aggravating a knee injury during Saturday’s women’s standing downhill competition, where she finished just off the podium in fourth.
🥌 Canada’s mixed doubles wheelchair curling team launched a strong comeback against Great Britain yesterday, improving to 3-0 in the Games. This morning, the crew dominated Latvia, securing an 11–1 victory in just six ends.
🏒 Canada’s para ice hockey gold medal pursuit is off to a strong start: The team demolished Slovakia 8–0 in Saturday’s tourney opener. The journey continues against Japan today at 3:35 p.m. ET.
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 Briana Ekanem and Elisha Gunaratnam. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula and Alessandra Puccio. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.