Pour that tea
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Happy Friday!
Looking for some new tunes heading into the weekend? Good news — LSU women’s basketball standout Flau’jae Johnson dropped her debut album today. Truly the Best of Both Worlds.
— Phoenix Mercury superstar and league veteran Diana Taurasi, keeping it short in anticipation of Sunday’s long-awaited 3 p.m. ET showdown vs. rookie Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever. Reality is here.
UEFA Euro 2024
⚽ It’s their chance to shine
The GIST: From a record-setting number of cards to the plastic beer cups raining down on the field, the Euro group stage was positively bananas. And now it’s on to the knockouts, where the Round of 16 kicks off tomorrow and promises even more excitement.
Early favorites post subpar performances: Powerhouses No. 2 France and No. 5 England underwhelmed in their respective groups, notching only one win and two goals each across their three group stage games.
- The issue? Lackluster offense even with a masked man in the wings. Will the strikers find a match and ignite in the Round of 16? We’ll have to wait until Monday to judge France’s response, but England plays No. 45 Slovakia Sunday at 12 p.m. ET. Pour that tea.
Surprise squads delight fans: Where favorites falter, underdogs rise. Both No. 25 Austria and No. 74 Georgia defied the odds in the group stage: Austria topped their Euro group for the first time, while Georgia pulled off the biggest upset in tourney history, stunning Cristiano Ronaldo’s No. 6 Portugal 2–0 on Wednesday to reach their first knockout stage.
What’s next: Two must-see matches between stacked sides tomorrow — first, it’s No. 19 Switzerland vs. defending champion No. 10 Italy at 12 p.m. ET, followed by host country No. 16 Germany against No. 21 Denmark at 3 p.m. ET. The fun has just begun.
👟 With the Canadian athletics trials underway from Montréal, hammer throwers Camryn Rogers and Ethan Katzberg punched their tickets to Paris, and six-time Olympic medalist Andre De Grasse will look to join them when he competes in the 100m today.
🏀 After France made history at this week’s 2024 NBA Draft, Toronto’s Zach Edey — the two-time AP Player of the Year — was drafted ninth overall by the Memphis Grizzlies. So proud.
- Then Bronny James, the son of superstar LeBron, was drafted by his dad’s team, the LA Lakers, with the 55th pick yesterday, making them the first father-son duo to be in the NBA at the same time. Like father, like son.
🎾 Team Canada announced their Olympic tennis roster yesterday, headlined by Montréal’s Leylah Annie Fernandez, who’s currently competing in her first career semifinal on grass at the Eastbourne International.
1️⃣ In more Canadian tennis news, teenage phenom Marina Stakusic qualified for Wimbledon, which will be her first-ever Grand Slam. Love it.
🏎️ Ahead of this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, Aston Martin announced that the grid’s lone Canadian driver, Lance Stroll, will remain with the team through 2026.
🏒 While the Edmonton Oilers appear to be parting ways with general manager Ken Holland, last night’s NHL Awards continued on, highlighted by Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon taking home the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league’s most valuable player.
💰 Entering the final year of his current contract, the Denver Nuggets are planning to ink Canadian star Jamal Murray to a four-year, $209M extension. Cha-ching.
Giveaway Alert
✈️ Passport to Paris: Join The GIST as we cheer on Team Canada at the Olympic Summer Games
Did you know that the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games will be the first games with equal gender representation? This is a big milestone considering the first modern Games took place in 1896.
With history on the way, we teamed up with long-time Team Canada supporter Canadian Tire to give you a chance to cheer on our Team Canada Olympic athletes in Paris. Oui oui.
- Share a fun or inspiring story of how women’s sports have impacted you, and have a chance at hopping on a plane to Paris for a full VIP Olympic Games experience that includes a dinner at the iconic Eiffel Tower.
Don’t miss your chance to be part of this unique opportunity — the deadline to enter the ultimate “We All Play for Canada” contest is July 3rd, 2024 at midnight ET. The City of Light awaits.
Terms and conditions apply
⛳ LPGA: 2024 Dow Championship — Today through Sunday — The Golf Channel
- Golf may be an individual sport, but the best in the women’s game are pairing up for this unique team-play event. See if the dynamic duo of Canadian Brooke Henderson and American Lexi Thompson can climb the leaderboard when the second round begins today.
⚾ MLB: Toronto Blue Jays vs. NY Yankees — Tonight at 7:07 p.m. ET — Sportsnet+
- After last night’s 9–2 win over the recently struggling Yanks, the four-game American League East series continues from the Big Apple with Yusei Kikuchi taking the mound against former Jay Marcus Stroman.
⚽ Copa América: No. 48 CanMNT vs. No. 40 Chile — Tomorrow at 7:45 p.m. ET — TSN1/4
- Fresh off their electric win over No. 31 Peru earlier this week, the red and white will look to carry the winning momentum into tomorrow’s group stage finale against La Roja and secure their spot in the quarter-finals.
Giveaway Alert
Manifesting a hot European summer? We thought you might be. That’s why we partnered with Canadian Tire — a company that knows all about leveling the playing field in sports — to bring you the ultimate “We All Play for Canada” contest.
- With dinner for two at the Eiffel Tower, a six-night stay in a boutique hotel, round-trip airfare, and a chance to watch Team Canada at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, there’s truly no better way to soak up the Parisian summer sun.
Even better, it’s the first Games with equal gender representation. Hosted by Ellen Hyslop, co-founder of The GIST, get the VIP treatment and witness a historic leveling of the playing field in person by entering to win today. Allons-y.
Terms and conditions applyHere’s what has GIST HQ buzzing:
🏀 Who to know
Boston Celtics center Al Horford, the first Dominican player to win an NBA title.
⚽ What to get excited about
The Offseason. The new six-episode docuseries starring creator Midge Purce and 10 other NWSL stars will stream on X this summer. Women’s soccer and reality show drama? Say less.
📖 Where to meet
In your inbox for The GIST Book Club’s discussion of June’s book of the month, Fair Play: How Sports Shape the Gender Debates by Katie Barnes. Subscribe to The GIST Book Club’s newsletters to keep the convo going.
Question of the Day
This is our last weekday newsletter of Pride Month, so to celebrate, we want to know which of our athlete profiles you enjoyed most in June. Love is love, 365 days a year.
Sue Wicks, the first publicly gay WNBA player
Carl Nassib, the first active openly gay NFL player
Today’s email was brought to you by Lauren Tuiskula, Alessandra Puccio, Marga Sison, Lisa Minutillo, and Briana Ekanem. Editing by Laura Pastore, Emily Ohman, Emma Leishman, Rachel Fuenzalida, and Lindsay Jost. Fact-checking by Parul Kanwar. Ops by Briana Ekanem and Marga Sison. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster and Alessandra Puccio. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.