Welcome to the jam
Leveling The Playing Field
Monday morning, leaves are falling.
And our jaws? They’re on the floor too after yet another wild sports weekend. Buckle up and scroll on — the postseason awaits.
🏀 WNBA Finals Game 2: Atlanta Dream vs. Golden State Valkyries (up 1-0) — Tonight at 8 p.m. ET
- The Valkyries’ 68–64 Game 1 win was exactly as advertised: a gritty battle between two of the W’s staunchest defenses. The difference maker? Golden State linchpin Gabby Williams, who continued her stellar playoff form to help the Valks overcome a sluggish shooting night.
- It wasn’t all bad news for the Dream though: Allisha Gray’s return from injury is a silver lining as this series rages on. Gray struggled from long range (she was one-for-eight), but her 19-point performance confirms the impact the four-time All-Star could have with a title on the line.
⚾ MLB American League Championship Series (ALCS) Game 6: Cleveland Guardians vs. Tampa Bay Rays (up 3-2) — Tonight at 8:08 p.m. ET
- An early bases-loaded walk opened the scoring for the Rays and seven lights-out innings from hurler Drew Rasmussen pushed Tampa Bay to a 3–1 victory yesterday, with a World Series date against the Milwaukee Brewers now just one win away.
- Rays fans will be happy to see ace pitcher Freddy Peralta back on the mound for tonight’s pivotal Game 6, while the Guardians have yet to name a starter and are considering a bullpen game, something that didn’t work out for them in their 7–3 Game 4 loss. October baseball, the gift that keeps on giving.
🏒 Is “She’s gay, Marcus” part of your everyday vocab at this point? Why not make it part of your wardrobe, too? This hat pays homage to one of the greatest (and gayest) moments in women’s hockey history — and the fun doesn’t stop there.
- 🫶 The GIST Shop is stocked with tons of pieces designed to show off your love of women’s sports.
- 🧢 Rep your support with tees, hoodies, totes, limited-edition jerseys, and of course, iconic ball caps.
NBA
🏀 Come on and slam
The GIST: The NBA returns with tomorrow’s juicy tripleheader — but the best part of men’s basketball is the drama. The tea is always piping hot on the hardwood, and this season’s scorching storylines hinge on the whereabouts of the league’s superstars. Let’s pour a cuppa.
🦖 Kawhi Leonard ready to run it back with the Toronto Raptors: Probes and investigations behind him, Leonard’s back in the Six with déjà vu on the mind. Expect the Dinos’ defense to be its bread and butter: Already a top-five D unit last season, adding Leonard, a seven-time NBA All-Defensive team selection, is nightmare fuel for the rest of the league.
🚁 LeBron James and Jaylen Brown team up in Philadelphia: In his record-extending 24th campaign, James will aim to end the Sixers’ 43-year championship drought, and he’s gung-ho on elevating the title-starved franchise. Adding former Boston Celtics leading scorer (and harp enthusiast) Brown to a star-powered starting lineup helps, too.
- And that’s not all: The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade saga finally ended when the two-time MVP was dealt from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Miami Heat, creating one of the best frontcourts in hoops alongside everyone’s favorite WNBA HAB, Bam Adebayo.
❤️🩹 A trio of top-tier hoopers return from injury: The Achilles tendons of Indiana Pacer Tyrese Haliburton and Portland Trailblazer Damian Lillard are repaired and ready for action after yearlong recoveries, but it’s a mixed bag for ACLs: Dallas Maverick Kyrie Irving is healthy after tearing his, while Golden State will have to wait until 2027 for the bedazzled Jimmy Butler to hoop again.
🐣 Star-studded rookie class debuts: This year’s draft was one of the most loaded player pools in recent memory, so expect the 2026 lottery picks — led by BYU Cougar turned Washington Wizard AJ Dybantsa — to make an immediate impact in their inaugural seasons. Buckets, loading.
TOGETHER WITH BMO
⚽️ Dreaming of a career in sports but don’t know where to start? We have just the place. BMO is helping passionate fans become working professionals with the BMO | TFC Women in Soccer Fellowship.
- If you’ve ever wanted a front-row seat to the action, this is your chance. Fellows gain a year of front office experience at Toronto FC and MLSE, not to mention mentorship, networking, and an immersive week at BMO headquarters. Talk about goals.
🏉 Canada women’s rugby ends England’s four-year unbeaten streak
A record-setting crowd witnessed Canada’s 24–21 come-from-behind Friday victory over England in a WXV Global Series match. Centre Shoshanah Seumanutafa’s try in the waning minutes put Canada ahead and snapped the Red Roses’ 41-game unbeaten streak. Magic. The rematch isn’t until Friday, which gives everyone plenty of time to binge the squad’s new docuseries.
⚽ NWSL postseason picture shapes up as regular season winds down
On Saturday, forward Trinity Rodman helped her Washington Spirit clinch a playoff berth via a 1–0 dub over Gotham FC before trading her cleats for wings yesterday to walk in the 2026 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. What can’t she do? The Kansas City Current are also soaring after their 2–0 W against the Utah Royals, which launched them into the top-four and a potential first-round home game.
- In NSL action, the Vancouver Rise’s strategic shift to part ways with sporting director Steph Labbé feels even more imprudent after the Rise fell 5–2 to Ottawa Rapid FC yesterday, leaving them outside of the playoffs with one regular-season game to go.
🎓🏈 Five of the top seven programs lose in a chaotic day of college football
Long story short, unranked Auburn stunned No. 1 Georgia 27–24, No. 8 BYU — with an assist from some questionable timekeeping — upset No. 2 Notre Dame 28–24, No. 4 Ohio State’s 19–15 W snapped No. 5 Indiana’s 22-game win streak, No. 14 Tennessee demolished No. 6 Alabama 26–10 and No. 7 Texas quarterback (QB) Arch Manning fumbled late to lose 27–24 to unranked Florida.
- The newest AP top-25 poll reflects the wild weekend with now–No. 2 BYU moving up six places and then–No. 3 Miami rising into the top spot. Meanwhile, Texas plummeted to No. 19 after back-to-back losses and Manning’s future draft stock took a major hit.
🏈 Resurgent Edmonton Elks clinch West Division’s top seed
Starting from the bottom…literally, now the Elks boast playoff home-field advantage until November’s Grey Cup after Saturday’s 35–27 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. As for the rest of the field, it’s nearly set after the defending champ Saskatchewan Roughriders claimed their postseason berth this weekend, leaving one spot for either the Bombers or Calgary Stampeders.
NFL Highlights of the Week
Here are our favorite highlights from a wildly entertaining Week 6 — a selection that should tide you over until The GIST’s Weekly Blitz hits inboxes tomorrow.
- ICYMI, we have an extra-special NFL newsletter that breaks down the top gridiron stories every single week. Opt in to receive your new favorite football read.
🙌 Jacksonville Jaguars two-way star Travis Hunter became the first player since 2002 to catch a touchdown and interception in the same game, albeit a 34–31 loss to the Houston Texans.
👀 The Tennesee Titans logged their first win of the season, an unexpected 26–20 dub over the Indianapolis Colts.
😱 The preseason Super Bowl favorite LA Rams fell to 2-4 on the season after Arizona Cardinals kicker Chad Ryland banged a walk-off field goal to seal an 18–16 win.
🔥 Las Vegas Raiders quarterback (QB) Kirk Cousins tossed an absolute dot in the Raiders 33–30 L to the Buffalo Bills, a game that also featured this jaw-dropping play from Buffalo QB Josh Allen.
Today’s email was brought to you by Lisa Minutillo, Rachel Fuenzalida, Grace DePaull, and Charlotte Mackenzie. Fact-checking by Elisha Gunaratnam and Mikaela Perez. Ops by Elisha Gunaratnam and Briana Ekanem. Managing edits by Alessandra Puccio and Lisa Minutillo. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.