Pinkies up
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
It’s a new week!
But the same GIST, of course — let’s dig right in on a busy sports weekend, shall we?
— The slogan Angel City FC wore on their warmup shirts ahead of Saturday’s home game, showing support for Los Angeles’ immigrant population amid ongoing ICE raids in the U.S. Grab yours now, with proceeds benefiting Camino Immigration Services.
NBA Finals
🏀 Question…?
The GIST: The seven-game NBA Finals are level at two games apiece following the OKC Thunder’s 111–104 comeback win over the Indiana Pacers on Friday. Who will hoist the Larry OB? An excellent question ahead of tonight’s 8:30 p.m. ET Game 5 — and one of many we’re asking this Monday morning.
⛈️ Can the Thunder take their first lead in the championship series?: It’s hard to believe, but one of the best NBA teams ever has yet to lead the series. OKC’s Finals campaign has been eerily reminiscent of their second-round matchup with the Denver Nuggets. What happened in that Game 5? League MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 31 points in a Thunder win. Food for thought.
👟 Will the Pacers bounce back after tasting their own medicine?: No lead is safe when the Pacers are playing…not even their own. Indy led by as many as 10 in the second half of Game 4 but were outscored 31–17 in the fourth quarter — SGA netted 15 of his 35 points in the game’s final five minutes, while Pacers superstars, Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, faltered.
- The good news for Indy faithful? This resilient crew hasn’t lost back-to-back games since mid-March.
⭕ Is NBA basketball…back?: Viewership numbers are down in this “small-market” showdown, but it’s not a reflection of the on-court product. Whether it’s the “nobody plays defense” argument or the “too many threes” one, typical league criticisms are nowhere to be found in this gritty series. Basketball purists, rejoice.
Stanley Cup Final
🏒 Fire and ice
The GIST: The Florida Panthers (up 3-2) are just one victory away from clinching back-to-back Stanley Cups after Saturday’s 5–2 Game 5 win over the Edmonton Oilers.
- Before Game 6 begins in Florida tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET, here’s the standout storyline fueling each team, including why this best-of-seven series could still go the distance.
🐀 Age is just a number to Florida winger Brad Marchand: The 37-year-old third-liner has been on a postseason tear, scoring six goals this series alone — including two Game 5 beauties — not to mention 10 total across this playoff run. Turns out, Florida’s two “old guys” (Marshy and 36-year-old goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky) just may be the secret sauce that leads the Panthers back to Lord Stanley.
👀 The unfazed, but inconsistent Oilers have seen this film before: Yes, Edmonton is on the brink. Yes, the Oil failed to find any Game 5 spark until captain Connor McDavid’s third-period goal. Yes, they’re undecided on a starting tendy for Game 6.
- And yet, the Oilers persevere, notably fighting back to win Games 1 and 4 this series and clawing back from an 0-3 deficit to even the Final last season. It’s not over ’til it’s over.
Question of the Day
Now that you have “the gist” on tomorrow's crucial Stanley Cup Final Game 6, let us know your pick to snag the W. Will Florida hoist Lord Stanley by the next time we talk, or can Edmonton bounce back and force a Game 7?
WNBA
🫖 The teacup runneth over
The GIST: Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark’s return to the hardwood from injury was piping hot, but she’s not the only WNBAer serving straight fire. Let’s spill the tea with the latest edition of what’s hot and what’s not in women’s hoops. Pinkies up.
🔥 History-making moments take center stage: Chicago Sky icon Angel Reese recorded her first career triple-double yesterday, becoming the second-youngest player (besides the aforementioned Clark) to reach the mark with an 11-point, 13-rebound, and 11-assist performance in a spicy 78–66 win over the Connecticut Sun.
- Elsewhere, the Atlanta Dream were shooting the lights out this weekend, highlighted by Rhyne Howard, who tied the WNBA single-game three-point record with nine treys in Friday’s 88–70 W over the Sky. Night night.
🔥 Golden State Valkyries stay scorching: Another day, another dub for the league’s newest squad, who stunned the Seattle Storm 76–70 on Saturday, extending their win streak to three. And the Valkyries were making moves off the court too, re-signing Kaitlyn Chen ahead of tomorrow’s 8 p.m. ET clash with her former UConn teammate Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings.
❄️ Wings record seventh straight loss: Speaking of Dallas, they’re ice cold — this team hasn’t won in weeks. Friday’s 88–84 loss to the A’ja Wilson–less Las Vegas Aces was a clinic in what not to do with a fourth-quarter lead, from surrendering a 17–2 run to costly mistakes from first-year head coach Chris Koclanes. Oof.
🏎️ McLaren flounders as Mercedes’ George Russell tops podium at Canadian Grand Prix
After setting a blistering time in Saturday’s qualification session, Russell used his front-of-the-grid start to secure his first race win of the season in Montréal. A disgruntled Max Verstappen of Red Bull crossed the line second (after a rejected protest), while Mercedes prodigy Kimi Antonelli became the third-youngest top-three finisher in F1 history, placing third.
- Shockingly, there was no papaya on the podium: World Drivers’ Championship leader Oscar Piastri finished fourth, while his McLaren teammate Lando Norris made “a fool of himself,” crashing into Piastri on the 67th lap and ending his race early.
⛳ World No. 25 J.J. Spaun endures tough course and tumultuous conditions to win U.S. Open
Surprise winner Spaun did what the world’s top golfers couldn’t at the infamously difficult Oakmont Country Club: finish one-under-par, winning him the 125th U.S. Open. The American birdied four of the final seven holes (including an unreal 64-foot putt) to win his first major championship, coming up clutch as his daughters cheered from the stands. Not a bad way to spend Father’s Day.
🇨🇦⚽ FIFA world No. 30 CanMNT prepares for tomorrow’s Concacaf Gold Cup opener
In stark comparison to their beleaguered 2026 men’s FIFA World Cup co-hosts, the red and white are focused ahead of tomorrow’s 10:30 p.m. ET group stage opener against No. 75 Honduras. Though without injured captain Alphonso Davies, head coach Jesse Marsch feels optimistic about his team’s chances in the continent’s top tourney. Anything can happen.
Peep our squad’s MVPs (Most Valuable Picks):
➡️ Who to support
Joe Fornasier, a blind hockey player and Canada’s Next Great Hockey Creator, sponsored by Truly Hard Seltzer. Get in, GISTer, we’re elevating underrepresented voices in the hockey community.*
🧱 What to build
The Nike Dunk x LEGO® Set collab. Nike and LEGO teamed up to launch a sneaker set dropping July 1st. They’re also rolling out kids’ kicks and gear, backed by a campaign to make sport and creativity more accessible — all with WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson leading the charge.
🌈 What to shop
Speedo’s Pride Swimwear Collection, featuring designs by Team USA swimmer Erica Sullivan. These suits are bold, colorful, and perfect for summer.
👟 Who to know
Canadian Savannah Sutherland, who broke U.S. track & field legend Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s NCAA 400m hurdles record on Saturday, in Sutherland’s final meet repping Michigan. Making Saskatchewan oh-so proud.
*P.S. This is a sponsored post. Cheers to that.Today’s email was brought to you by Alessandra Puccio, Lisa Minutillo, Lauren Tuiskula, Rachel Fuenzalida, Grace DePaull, and Briana Ekanem. Editing by Katie Kehoe Foster. Fact-checking by Molly Potter and Mikaela Perez. Ops by Marga Sison and Elisha Gunaratnam. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster, Alessandra Puccio, and Lisa Minutillo. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula and Alessandra Puccio. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.