Not too hot, not too cold
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
It’s the perfect date!
Not too hot, not too cold — all you need is a light jacket…and today’s sports news, of course. Let’s get right into it.
— Two-way star and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, who’s heading to the Jacksonville Jaguars after the Jags traded up to snag the offensive and defensive talent with the No. 2 pick in last night’s NFL Draft. Big moves.
PWHL
🏒 Breaking the ice
The GIST: It’s happening. Well, two things are happening: The PWHL is expanding, officially naming Vancouver as its seventh franchise on Wednesday, and this season’s on-ice action returns from the international break tomorrow. A women’s hockey double whammy? Yes, please.
PWHL Vancouver will hit the ice next season: The league is less than two years old, but women’s hockey is thriving — especially in Vancouver: 19,038 fans showed up for the city’s January 8th Takeover Tour tilt, the fourth-largest turnout in league history. Good thing the new squad will play in the 17K-seater Pacific Coliseum.
- Even better? The team, which will be called PWHL Vancouver until branding is finalized, will be the league's first squad to be the primary tenant of their rink. Absolutely love to see it.
All six teams in postseason contention as play resumes: There are only nine games left on the schedule, but the playoff picture is far from settled. The Montréal Victoire have already punched their postseason ticket (the only team to do so thus far) and currently hold the league’s top spot ahead of their archrival, the Toronto Sceptres.
- From there, the standings are pretty messy with only two points separating the Boston Fleet in third and the defending champ Minnesota Frost in fifth. The NY Sirens are technically still in the mix, but they’ll need a bonafide miracle to make the playoffs.
- All to say, fluff those couch cushions because the final week of regular-season action will be absolute cinema. Puck yeah.
Question of the Day
The cat may be out of the bag on the soon-to-be-announced eighth PWHL team, but where do you think the league should expand to next? Choose from the Takeover Tour cities below, or reply to this email and let us know.
Together With The GIST
🚨 This merch isn’t next, it’s now — like, right now
Sick of hearing that the future of women’s sports is bright? We thought so. Women are and have been running up the score on and off the field. They’re not next, they’re now.
- To celebrate how far women in sports have already come, we teamed up with Bauer and Rookie Made to create a custom merch drop that meets the moment and celebrates our unmatched community. Giving a whole new meaning to the term “iced out.”
Cop the jersey or the t-shirt and show the world you were there to witness this moment in women’s sports. We’d hurry if we were you — this is a limited-edition run, so place your order while supplies last. Go ahead, wear your heart on your sleeve.
- P.S. Ten percent of all sales go to Black Girl Hockey Club, which is building on the momentum to make the game more inclusive. Score.
🏀 Feisty first-round NBA matchups translate to skyrocketing postseason viewership
From the Houston Rockets’ fiery Wednesday win over the Golden State Warriors to last night’s instant classic between the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons, the playoffs have been jam-packed with blood, sweat, and all sorts of spice — and fans are taking note. The first eight postseason games averaged 4.4M viewers, the most-watched opening weekend in 25 years.
- And there’s no signs of the rabble-rousing slowing down as all eight first-round matchups continue this weekend. One beloved antagonizer could be absent though: Golden State star Jimmy Butler is questionable for tomorrow’s Game 3 after a scary fall on Wednesday.
🏒 Goaltending the difference as NHL postseason play continues
No confusion here: If your goalie allows fewer goals than you score, that’s a surefire way to snag a win. Boasting the best save percentages in the postseason so far, Carolina Hurricane Frederik Andersen and Washington Capital Logan Thompson have led their teams to 2-0 series leads over the New Jersey Devils and Montreal Canadiens, respectively.
- On the flip side, the Edmonton Oilers are down bad (and 2-0 to the LA Kings) after allowing 12 goals over two games. Oof.
⛳ World No. 12 Haeran Ryu and No. 195 Yan Liu sit atop the leaderboard after Day 1 at Chevron Championship
Ryu and Liu weren’t par for the course; they were much better, tallying seven birdies each to card a field-leading seven-under opening round at the LPGA’s first major of the season. But the same can’t be said for defending champ Nelly Korda, who had an afternoon to forget and sits in 118th and a disappointing 12 shots back of the lead.
- There’s an $8M purse (no, not this one) on the line, but first, golfers must make “the cut,” aka be one of the top 65 after the first two days of the tournament. And that means Korda has a lot of work to do today.
🎾 WTA: Madrid Open — Today through Sunday — TSN
- Clay season is in full swing in Spain, where the world’s top tennis stars are warming up for next month’s French Open.
- Leading the charge? World No. 2 Madrid Open defending champ (and clay aficionado) Iga Świątek, who’ll face No. 31 Linda Nosková in the round of 32 tomorrow.
⛳ PGA: Zurich Classic of New Orleans — Today through Sunday — Golf Channel
- Fresh off his emotional Masters win, world No. 2 Rory McIlory and his partner, No. 13 Shane Lowry, are swinging to defend their Zurich Classic title, competing in one of the rare team events on the PGA Tour. That said, the duo is tied for 28th after Round 1, so there’s certainly room for improvement.
⚽ NWSL: Angel City FC vs. Orlando Pride — Tonight at 8 p.m. ET — NWSL+
- Marta’s Pride are the defending league champs, but they’re also vulnerable, having dropped their first regular-season game of the year last week. That makes this the perfect time for forward Alyssa Thompson’s plucky ACFC squad to strike.
⚽ NSL: Montreal Roses FC vs. Vancouver Rise FC — Sunday at 3 p.m. ET — RDS2/CBC Gem
- The Rise have a chance to double Vancouver’s soccer pride, hosting the only other undefeated team in the NSL. Will Quinn strike lightning twice? Only one way to find out.
Here’s what has GIST HQ buzzing:
🧥 Who to hire
A stylist. Athletes are becoming fashion icons, and teams are catching on — for example, F1’s Mercedes hired a full-time fashion exec.
📖 What to read
Life advice from experts. Oncologist Dr. Mikkael Sekeres shares five lessons his patients taught him about living meaningfully.
🐐 Who’s still at the top of their game
Serena Williams. Tennis legend turned venture capitalist, WNBA backer, Netflix producer — the list goes on and on. Truly iconic.
Today’s email was brought to you by Katie Kehoe Foster, Alessandra Puccio, Lisa Minutillo, Lauren Tuiskula, Rachel Fuenzalida, and Briana Ekanem. Editing by Laura Pastore. Fact-checking by Marga Sison and Mikaela Perez. Ops by Briana Ekanem and Marga Sison. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster, Alessandra Puccio, and Lisa Minutillo. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula and Alessandra Puccio. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.