Chalk dirty to me
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Happy last day of March!
And Eid Mubarak to all who observe. March may be ending, but the Madness is still in full force — let’s hoop it up with the latest from the court, and beyond.
— No. 1 seed South Carolina sophomore MiLaysia Fulwiley, on what she would say to her younger self after the release of her Curry brand “Butta” shoes, which she debuted in the Gamecocks’ 71–67 Sweet 16 win over No. 4 Maryland on Friday. Not not crying.
Women’s March Madness
🎓🏀 Doing it for the plot
The GIST: We’re smack dab in the middle of the women’s Elite Eight, meaning two Final Four tickets have already been punched and the other two are up for grabs tonight. All hoops, all the time.
No. 1 seeds South Carolina and UCLA are Final Four bound: The defending champ Gamecocks booked their fifth straight Final Four appearance with yesterday’s 54–50 win over No. 2 Duke. South Carolina fell behind in the second half against a gritty Blue Devils defense, but an eight-point run to start the fourth quarter put them ahead for good.
- Then, in the second game of the day, No. 1 overall seed UCLA weren’t blinded by
the lightsNo. 3 LSU head coach Kim Mulkey’s jacket — the Bruins overcame junior Lauren Betts’ early foul trouble in the 72–65 dub.
- Though the Tigers kept things close, a late-game three-pointer from junior Gabriela Jaquez sealed the Bruins’ revenge — and the program’s first-ever Final Four appearance. So clutch.
No. 1 Texas vs. No. 2 TCU — Tonight at 7 p.m. ET: The Lone Star State is guaranteed a Final Four spot, but will it be sophomore Madison Booker’s Longhorns or grad student Hailey Van Lith’s Horned Frogs? Both these squads boast elite defenses, so the difference maker could be the Longhorns’ depth, something TCU simply doesn’t have.
No. 1 USC vs. No. 2 UConn — Tonight at 9 p.m. ET: Yes, this 2024 Elite Eight rematch lost some aura with Trojans sophomore superstar JuJu Watkins sidelined with a torn ACL, but it’s still appointment viewing. Huskies senior Paige Bueckers just put together the greatest two-game stretch in UConn tourney hoops history, punctuated by a career-high 40 points in the Sweet 16 on Saturday.
Men’s March Madness
🏀 Chalk dirty to me
The GIST: There’s only been one Final Four made up exclusively of No. 1 seeds since the men’s March Madness bracket expanded to 64 teams in 1985…until now, that is.
- All four top teams survived and thrived in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight this weekend, booking their tickets to the talent-packed main event, which tips off Saturday. Here’s how the chalkiest Final Four in recent memory came together.
Duke and Houston cruise to huge wins: Fans expected a high-scoring shootout between two top-10 offenses when Duke squared off against No. 2 Alabama on Saturday. But the Crimson Tide’s prolific three-point shooting went cold, and the Blue Devils rolled to a 85–65 dub and their first Final Four since 2022.
- It was a similar scene when Houston put the hurt on No. 2 Tennessee in yesterday’s resounding 69–50 dub. The Vols shot an abysmal five for 29 from the three-point line against the Cougars’ best-in-class defense, sending Houston to their seventh program Final Four.
SEC lands two Final Four teams: The conference was by far the most competitive in Division I this year, with a record 14 teams earning bids to the bracket (the previous record was 11). Not to mention, a whopping four of the Elite Eight teams hailed from the Southeastern Conference. Suprema-SEC.
- And the dominance doesn’t stop there: Florida and Auburn topped No. 3 Texas Tech and No. 2 Michigan State, respectively, this weekend, guaranteeing the SEC one team in the title game. It’s about quantity and quality.
Together With The GIST
❄️ Your cozy season MVP
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🏀 NY Liberty re-sign Breanna Stewart to one-year deal
To the surprise of absolutely no one, the two-time WNBA MVP will return to the Big Apple this season after inking a one-year extension with the defending champs on Saturday. Stewie’s averaging nearly a double-double in her two years with the Libs and is expected to pick up right where she left off after undergoing a minor knee surgery earlier this month.
- But why only one year? It’s not because Stewie’s not committed to NY: There’s been an increase in one year deals this offseason because the WNBPA (the league’s player’s association) opted out of their collective bargaining agreement (CBA) in October.
- Players don’t want to sign long-term deals — and commit to certain salary and amenity restrictions — when a better offer will likely be on the table once the new CBA is finalized. Strictly business.
🏒 PWHL Takeover Tour wraps up as Ottawa Charge stun Boston Fleet in St. Louis
Ottawa forward Tereza Vanišová lit the lamp twice in 32 seconds — including the game-winner with just three minutes left on the clock — helping the Charge sail past the Fleet 2–1 on Saturday. But the real treasure is the friends the league made along the way...
- A grand total of 123,061 fans took in the action across the PWHL’s nine Takeover Tour stops. Not to mention the 8,578 fans at yesterday’s game who helped set a record for professional women’s hockey in Missouri. It’s only up (and out) from here.
⚾ NY Yankees, defending World Series champion LA Dodgers dominate MLB Opening Weekend
The Bronx Bombers lived up to their nickname, blasting an MLB record 15 home runs across three games (!!!) this weekend, including a whopping nine dingers in Saturday’s 20–9 rout of the Milwaukee Brewers. Captain Aaron Judge was responsible for four of those homers, making him the first Yank to hit that many in the first three games of the season. Going, going, way gone.
- The reigning champ Dodgers were similarly dominant, sweeping their three-game series vs. the Detroit Tigers and improving to 5-0 for the first time since 1981 following their two Tokyo Series wins last week.
Recs from our roster!
💄 How to set your makeup
With On ‘Til Dawn. WNBA star DiJonai Carrington swears by this setting spray, and for good reason. Sixteen-hour hold, non-comedogenic, and hooper approved. Lock it in.
💰 Who to bet on
Women, of course. Deloitte predicts global women’s sports revenue will top $2B this year.
🏀 What to watch
A film on Sundance’s March Madness watchlist. From Love & Basketball to Hoop Dreams, these films are serving up heart and hustle.
Question of the Day
There’s nothing better than watching women’s sports with your pals. From the Buffalo chicken dip to the vibes from your expertly-curated playlist, all that’s left to consider is your game-day beverage. We want to know: What’s your go-to drink?
Today’s email was brought to you by Katie Kehoe Foster, Lisa Minutillo, Lauren Tuiskula, Marga Sison, Megan Murray, and Briana Ekanem. Editing by Laura Pastore. Fact-checking by Marga Sison and Rachel Fuenzalida. Ops by Briana Ekanem and Marga Sison. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster, Alessandra Puccio, and Lisa Minutillo. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula and Katie Kehoe Foster. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.