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From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Leveling The Playing Field
The Madness has arrived!
In off-court news, the WNBA and the WNBA Players Association reached a tentative verbal agreement on a new CBA after over 100 hours of marathon negotiations. Details are still to come, so watch this space.
- Meanwhile, the men’s March Madness tournament tipped off with last night’s thrilling First Four action and the women’s will get underway today (but not before our special edition preview hits your inbox). That said, there’s still time to submit your picks to our men’s and women’s bracket challenges. Join the fun, then get your scroll on.
World Baseball Classic
⚾ History in the making
The GIST: The 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) came to a close as Venezuela beat Team USA 3–2 in last night’s championship game. The final out is in the books, but this year’s exhilarating and record-setting tourney is only the beginning as the sport surges in Canada.
🇨🇦 Team Canada posts best WBC showing: Canada reached the WBC knockouts for the first time ever this year and played Team USA tough in a valiant quarter-final performance. That inspiring run is a testament to the deepening talent pool in the country and the growth of the game at the grassroots level.
- From established MLBers in captain Josh Naylor and pitcher Michael Soroka to young prospects like breakout star Owen Caissie and Denzel Clarke, this roster showed off an exceptional blend of veteran and young talent, a combo sure to inspire the next generation of Canadian ball players.
📈 Baseball viewership, participation on the rise in Canada: Just like a towering Vladimir Guerrero Jr. home run, Canadian MLB viewership was through the roof last season due in large part to the Toronto Blue Jays’ World Series run. The impact has also extended to the youth level, where Baseball Canada is preparing for an increase in registrations.
- Now it’s nearly time to return to the pro diamond, with MLB Opening Day next Wednesday and the Jays starting their revenge tour next Friday. Baseball with a side of maple syrup? Yes, please.
🏈 Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs pick up playmakers in Tuesday trades
The Miami Dolphins dealt wide receiver Jaylen Waddle to the Broncos yesterday, injecting some big-play potential into a middling Mile High offense. Waddle’s logged the 10th-most receiving yards in the NFL since being drafted in 2021 and will be an immediate upgrade for a Denver unit that went three-and-out a whopping 25% of the time over the last two seasons.
- Elsewhere, a change of scenery is exactly what quarterback (QB) Justin Fields needs, and the NY Jets obliged, trading the signal caller to Kansas City for a 2027 draft pick. It’s a true win-win, especially as KC QB Patrick Mahomes continues to rehab from ACL surgery.
🏆⚽ FIFA denies world No. 20 Iran’s request to move men’s World Cup games to Mexico
Iran is still scheduled to play its three World Cup group stage games in the U.S. this summer despite fear for their players’ safety amid the ongoing war between the Middle East nation and the U.S., not to mention the comments about their participation from American president Donald Trump.
🌊⚽ USWNT, Chelsea star midfielder Cat Macario signs with San Diego Wave
Macario is leaving England’s Women’s Super League to join her hometown squad on a five-year, approximately $8M deal — widely believed to be the biggest total contract in the women’s game. The move is major for the midfielder’s development ahead of the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, as she’s recently seen limited minutes overseas while navigating injuries.
- Elsewhere in the NWSL, Gotham FC will host the Washington Spirit for the Queens Classic at MLB’s Citi Field on July 15th — a rematch of last season’s championship game. A true home run.
🏒 Rounding up recent men’s hockey headlines
The World Cup of Hockey is returning to the Great White North after Calgary and Edmonton (and Prague, Czechia) won bids to host the 2028 edition, the first World Cup event since Canada won it all in 2016. Speaking of, Team Canada general manager Doug Armstrong, who built that star-studded roster, stepped down yesterday after a decade at the helm.
- To cap off the men’s hockey latest, Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl will miss the rest of the regular season with a lower-body injury, an astronomical loss for the reigning Western Conference champs as they push for the playoffs. Say it ain’t so.
🇨🇦🏀 Team Canada women’s basketball eliminated from World Cup contention
Yesterday’s 82–76 loss to world No. 2 Australia combined with Hungary’s 89–74 win over host Türkiye means No. 7 Canada’s quest for a World Cup berth is over. It’s the first time since 2002 that the team won’t participate in the quadrennial tourney, a disappointing turn of events after the Canucks finished fourth in the 2022 edition.
🏒 PWHL: Ottawa Charge vs. Minnesota Frost — Tonight at 7 p.m. ET — TSN
- Stars collide in tonight’s heavyweight battle: friend of The GIST Taylor Heise leads the league in points and has scored in three straight games for the Frost, while Ottawa’s own Rebecca Leslie is tied for PWHL–leading goal scorer with 11 genos. Expect plenty of lamp lights.
🏒 NHL: Ottawa Senators vs. Washington Capitals — Tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET — Sportsnet
- Sens center Tim Stützle’s pure speed against the veteran savvy of Caps captain Alex Ovechkin? Absolute cinema. The postseason is looming, and these Wild Card berths won’t clinch themselves.
🏀 NBA: LA Lakers vs. Houston Rockets — Tonight at 9:30 p.m. ET — NBA League Pass
- Lakers superstar Luka Dončić has been virtually unstoppable, averaging a brain-bending 37.8 points per game during LA’s six-game win streak. The Rockets couldn’t slow the 26-year-old on Monday but should be ready for revenge in tonight’s high-stakes sequel.
🚨 Calling all GISTers, hoops fans, and bracket aficionados: It’s the most wonderful time of the year, aka time for The GIST’s women’s and men’s college bracket challenges. Whether you’re a first-timer or a bracket challenge veteran, The GIST’s contests are for you.
🔢 You can submit up to three brackets per tourney to game out multiple scenarios and embrace the chaos. With odds of a perfect bracket at one in 9.2 quintillion, you might as well try one of these strategies:
- 👀 See what other fans are betting on and catch the vibes, even if you don’t always go with the favorite.
- 🎽 Pick based on jersey color. Send whichever team(s) rock your favorite shade to the ’ship.
- 🪙 Flip a coin. Seriously, this tournament is so unpredictable that it could work.
⏱️ Don’t wait — the deadline to submit your men’s brackets is Thursday at 12 p.m. ET, with the women’s deadline at noon ET Friday.
Question of the Day
As the official March Madness bracket deadline approaches, the internet is ablaze with a big debate: One bracket or multiple? Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton says “make one bracket and stand on it,” while others are all about maximizing your options. Sound off below.
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.