As Tia and Tamera foretold
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Leveling The Playing Field
The Philadelphia Phillies kicked off the weekend fun early, beating the Minnesota Twins 7–1 in last night’s “Field of Dreams” game. Here’s live footage of us heading into the weekend, but first, the rest of today’s sports news.
Flag football
🏈 Flag on the play
The GIST: ICYMI: Flag football is giving “it girl” — there’s a new NFL–backed pro league, the sport will debut at the 2028 LA Olympics, and women’s flag is on the rise.
- Enter: This weekend’s World Championships, yet another opportunity to watch the surging sport shine. Hut, hut, here we go.
☝️ Flag football isn’t tackle football: It sounds obvious, but that’s why NFL MVPs aren’t suiting up. Flag demands a very different skill set, one where elusiveness, spatial awareness, and hand-eye coordination (that flag is small) reign supreme. Plus, the absence of hard hits means more games can be played in a shorter period of time.
🏆 How it works: Two Olympic spots are on the line for both the women and men at Worlds. That said, because the Games are in LA, both American teams automatically qualified, meaning the top two finishers excluding the U.S. will punch their tickets this weekend. The remaining three spots for both Olympic tourneys will be awarded at a two-stage qualifier in June 2028.
- 🇨🇦 Both Canadian teams started their campaigns with a bang: The No. 4 undefeated gals topped Group D with a win over Japan this morning, while the No. 10 men await the result of this morning's Austria vs. Japan game to see where they’ll finish pool play.
💪 Players to watch: The Canadian women are anchored by a pair of veterans: quarterback Sara Parker and defensive back/supermom Sabrina Gervais, both of whom were part of Canada’s bronze medal–winning 2025 World Games team. Meanwhile, former CFL defensive back Marc-Antoine Dequoy swapped tackle for flag and headlines the Maple Leaf-clad men.
🎾 Looking to show your support for women in sports? That’s why The GIST’s got merch, baby. Every piece is sporty, bold, and playful…just like our GIST community.
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🏀 WNBA anti-hate task force unfazed by “bad faith” transgender debate
A committee of players, coaches, and front office staff met Wednesday before releasing a statement denouncing the harmful publicity stunt of two ex-NBA players claiming to be women in order to enter the 2027 W draft. More meetings are expected in the coming weeks as the league addresses this ongoing tension, along with other issues plaguing the W.
- And yet, the on-court action endures — but it’s not great news for the Toronto Tempo, who lost their 10th straight game on Wednesday despite a stellar defensive performance from rookie Kiki Rice. Here’s hoping the Six’s squad bounces back next week…or maybe not.
💸 LA Lakers sell for record-breaking $12.5B
The iconic franchise is changing hands for the second time in 10 months after owner Mark Walter turned a mind-boggling $2.5B profit on the deal. The conspiracy theories are flying, but one question stands out for women’s sports fans: How does this affect the PWHL? Walter, who’s currently under federal investigation for alleged financial improprieties, also owns the entire women’s hockey league.
- Whatever prompted the Lakers sale, its impact on the PWHL — which enters its fourth season with four new expansion teams this fall — is TBD. In the meantime, join The GIST Plus to hear our hot takes on the topic in today’s members-only podcast. *winks*
🎾 World No. 8 Iga Świątek defeats No. 2 Elena Rybakina in Canadian Open final
After losing to eventual champion Rybakina in the Australian Open quarter-finals earlier this year, Świątek got her revenge in Toronto last night, winning in straight sets for her first WTA title of the year. Over in Montréal, No. 10 Ben Shelton defended his title by ousting fellow American No. 31 Brandon Nakashima in straight sets.
🏆⚽ Chawinga sisters shine, lead Malawi to Sunday’s WAFCON final against Cameroon
As Tia and Tamera foretold, a sister connection can’t be beat. Tabitha Chawinga notched a brace while Temwa scored a goal of her own as Malawi took down Algeria 3–1 on Wednesday. Cameroon eliminated host nation Morocco 3-1 on penalties in their semi, setting up Sunday’s 3 p.m. ET championship match, where a first-time winner will be crowned.
- In NSL news, Montréal Roses FC fired head coach Robert Rositoiu one day after their W Canadian Championship quarter-final upset loss to semi-pro team Simcoe County Rovers FC. Yikes.
⛳ PGA Tour FedEx Cup Playoffs: St. Jude Championship — Today through Sunday — TSN+
- There’s a five-way tie atop the leaderboard following yesterday’s first day of play at TPC Southwind, a group that includes three-time major winner Jordan Spieth, whose last PGA Tour victory was in 2022.
- As for the three Canadians in the mix, Nick Taylor is shining the brightest, tied for 26th (the top 50 cumulative points leaders advance) heading into the weekend.
🏊 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships — Ongoing through tomorrow — CBC Gem
- Canadian Summer McIntosh won the 400m IM last night, snagging her first gold medal of the quadrennial international competition. Time to just keep swimming as she faces American defending champ Katie Ledecky in today’s 400m freestyle. Prelims begin at 1 p.m. ET, with the final at 10 p.m. ET.
⚾ MLB: NY Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays — Tonight at 7:15 p.m. ET — Apple TV
- They may be down, but the Jays aren’t out, two games back in the American League (AL) Wild Card race after taking three out of four from the Boston Red Sox. Next up, another AL East clash, with pitcher Shane Bieber on the mound tonight.
🏈 NFL preseason: Carolina Panthers vs. Buffalo Bills — Tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET — NFL+
- There was only one way for the Bills to break in the new (and perhaps not-so-improved) Highmark Stadium: with star quarterback Josh Allen under center. Expect the nine-year veteran to jump right in — there’s no toe dips in Orchard Park.
⚾ August baseball means higher stakes. And with the home stretch in sight, every fan handles the pressure a little differently.
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What’s your August baseball mood?
🏀 NBA icon Russell Westbrook hangs ’em up
Westbrook’s accolades across his inimitable 18-year NBA career speak for themselves. He retires as a nine-time All-Star, was featured on nine All-NBA teams, and earned NBA MVP in 2017. His r ésumé includes two scoring titles, an unconscionable 221 triple-doubles, and three instances of leading the league in assists. The numbers are unquestionably heroic.
- But Westbrook’s legacy extends beyond stats: He played with reckless abandon (sometimes to his own detriment), single-handedly transformed the NBA’s fashion culture, and simply did not care what anyone else thought about him. He was authentically himself, through and through.
Today’s email was brought to you by Alessandra Puccio, Lisa Minutillo, and Lauren Tuiskula. Fact-checking by Elisha Gunaratnam. Ops by Elisha Gunaratnam and Briana Ekanem. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.