Just another Madness Monday
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Leveling The Playing Field
Just another Madness Monday!
Both NCAA basketball tournaments absolutely delivered over the weekend, with upsets, buzzer-beaters, and jaw-dropping moments aplenty. Time to lock in as we discuss the latest from the court, and beyond.
— Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, discussing the playoff race in the NHL’s worst division after the Oil’s 5–2 Saturday L to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He’s not wrong: The Pacific Division–leading Anaheim Ducks have a measly 80 points, a mark that would put them seventh in the juggernaut Atlantic. What the fluff.
Women’s March Madness
🎓🏀 Wanna dance with somebody
The GIST: Eight of next weekend’s Sweet 16 teams are already locked in, while today’s jam-packed eight-game slate will determine the other half of the field. That’s right, the Madness is in full swish.
✨ A weekend of highlights: We’d be remiss not to start with No. 4 Minnesota senior Amaya Battle’s last-second game-winner against No. 5 Ole Miss yesterday, a shot that sent the Golden Gophers to their first Sweet 16 since 2005. There were also the offensive fireworks of No. 8 Iowa State’s Audi Crooks (albeit in a loss) and USC freshman Jazzy Davidson’s historic outing. Nothing quite like March.
💪 Top seeds taking care of business: Save No. 10 UVA and a pair of No. 9 upsets, the tourney’s been mostly chalk. No. 2 Michigan silenced No. 7 NC State 92–63, LSU senior Flau’jae Johnson dropped 24 points in the No. 2 Tigers’ lopsided 101–47 win over No. 7 Texas Tech, and No. 1 Texas dismantled No. 8 Oregon 100–58 behind a whopping 40 points from junior Madison Booker.
- And there’s likely more dominance on the way when the rest of the No. 1 seeds hit the hardwood today: UConn hosts No. 9 Syracuse at 6 p.m. ET, South Carolina plays No. 9 USC at 8 p.m. ET, and UCLA lines up vs. No. 8 Oklahoma State at 10 p.m. ET.
🍿 The game of the day: If Monday is Mondaying and you only have time for one tilt, make it No. 5 Kentucky vs. No. 4 West Virginia at 5 p.m. ET. The Mountaineers’ full-court press is the stuff of nightmares, while the Wildcats protect the halfcourt like no one else, anchored by six-foot-five junior Clara Strack. Buckets, loading blocked.
Men's March Madness
🏀 What makes March, March
The GIST: Call up MTV because the men’s (super) Sweet 16 is set following 48 heart-pumping games. Catch up on the second-round drama, then take a moment to regroup before the fun resumes on Thursday.
💛 No. 9 Iowa bounces reigning national champ No. 1 Florida: It was a dog fight from start to finish, but Iowa junior and mama’s boy Alvaro Folgueiras’ trey with 4.5 seconds left sealed the 73–72 dub to oust the champs in dramatic fashion, making the Gators the first No. 1 seed to fall. The Hawkeyes are now back in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999 — this is what makes March, March.
- No. 5 Vanderbilt nearly had an even better buzzer-beater, but the bank’s closed on Saturday night: Sophomore Tyler Tanner’s half-court shot didn’t fall, sending No. 4 Nebraska to the program’s first-ever Sweet 16. Maybe Midwest really is best.
🤘 No. 11 Texas is lowest-seeded team to survive: The Longhorns are so hot right now, winning three high-stakes games in five days, most recently their 74–68 Saturday stunner against legacy program No. 3 Gonzaga. Cinderella, is that you?
📋 Rick Pitino takes battle of legendary coaches: Pitino’s No. 5 St. John’s Red Storm won an absolute thriller, topping head coach Bill Self’s No. 4 Kansas 67–65 thanks to a late layup from redshirt junior Dylan Darling that left him speechless. Turns out the key to winning a coaching battle is keeping it simple.
Question of the Day
Our bracket challenge is off to a hot start, with a 5-way tie in the women’s and Karch holding it down in the men’s. Busted or ballin’ — how’s your bracket doing?
🏀 WNBA, WNBPA ink collective bargaining agreement (CBA) term sheet, more CBA details released
The seven-year deal still needs to be ratified ahead of May 8th’s season start, but the latest details underscore an improved player experience. Along with lucrative pay checks and reflective revenue share, the landmark agreement provides additional family planning benefits, mental health coverage, and league-wide standards for staffing and facilities, just to name a few upgrades.
- The deal prioritizes the league’s future (like allowing top young hoopers to fast track to a max salary), while also honoring the past: This CBA includes a one-time payment to veterans and retired players who paved the way for this watershed moment.
🥌 Team Canada earn silver at Women’s World Curling Championship
A back-and-forth battle from the get-go, Canadian skip Kerri Einarson came up just short, falling 7–5 to Switzerland in the gold medal game yesterday. It was the third loss of the tournament for the Canadians — and a result that feels all too familiar for Einarson’s rink, who lost back-to-back semifinals in 2022 and 2023. Still so much to be proud of.
🎾 Wimbledon to introduce video review at this year’s tournament
The iconic grass-court major will allow players to request video reviews of the chair umpires’ rulings on six of its 18 courts. The news comes one year after Wimbledon implemented electronic line calling, representing another break from tradition for the sport’s oldest and most buttoned-up Grand Slam. The 139th edition of the event — technology and all — begins in June.
🏀 Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs punch NBA Playoffs tickets
Two of the league’s most storied franchises are back where they belong: in the postseason. The Pistons, who clinched their berth with Friday’s 115–101 win over the Golden State Warriors, have now reached the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since 2009, while the Spurs snapped their seven-year playoff drought with last week’s 101–100 W vs. the Phoenix Suns.
- Detroit and San Antonio join the reigning champ Oklahoma City Thunder as the only teams to secure a playoff berth so far — though some squads, like the surging Luka Dončić–led LA Lakers, have guaranteed themselves a spot in the Play-In Tournament at the very least.
Today’s email was brought to you by Lisa Minutillo, Katie Kehoe Foster, Lauren Tuiskula, Grace DePaull, Charlotte Mackenzie, and Monica Schrock. Fact-checking by Elisha Gunaratnam and Mikaela Perez. Ops by Briana Ekanem and Elisha Gunaratnam. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula and Katie Kehoe Foster. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.