Gotta find you

The GIST: Though it’s been infamously difficult to watch here in North America, the WAFCON semis kick off in Morocco today. All four African nations automatically booked their spots in next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup by making it this far — now, it’s all about continental glory. Here’s what to expect on the pitch.

🇩🇿 Algeria vs. 🇲🇼 Malawi — Today at 1 p.m. ET: Both Algeria and tourney debutant Malawi are making their first WAFCON semis appearances. Malawi has had a breakout story for the ages, taking down defending champ Nigeria in the group stage behind powerhouse sister scoring duo Tabitha (Lyon) and Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City Current).

• But don’t sleep on Algeria, namely 20-year-old midfielder Mélissa Bethi (Washington Spirit). Age is but a number.

🇲🇦 Morocco vs. 🇨🇲 Cameroon — Today at 4 p.m. ET: Host Morocco has been here before, having advanced to (and lost) the last two WAFCON finals. A commanding semis dub will be the first step in ending their WAFCON curse. Watch for defender Hanane Aït El Haj (AS FAR) to keep on pouring in assists.

• However, Cameroonian Marie Ngah Manga’s (Fenerbahçe) hot foot could be their downfall — the forward’s scored three goals already this tourney. Not done yet.

The GIST: Believe it or not, there’s plenty of actual basketball happening in the WNBA these days, so let’s catch up on the latest from the hardwood. Hoops only, please.

🏆 The eight-team playoff picture is starting to take shape with the youthful Seattle Storm eliminated from contention, and the juggernaut Minnesota Lynx already clinching a spot in the postseason.

• There’s a substantial gap between the W’s top eight squads and its bottom seven, so barring an unprecedented turn of events, it feels like the field is set. That said, playoff positioning and the accompanying home-court advantage is still TBD.

🌎 In the midst of the playoff race, the FIBA World Cup tips off early next month, and many squads are already planning ahead. Take Golden State Valkyries superstar Gabby Williams, who’s been playing fewer minutes to prevent burnout ahead of an anticipated heavy workload with France.

👌 Atlanta Dream sharpshooter Rhyne Howard drained her 100th three-pointer of the season on Monday, needing just 31 games to reach the century mark and eclipse the previous record of 33 she shared with the legendary Diana Taurasi.

🔮 Cue Nelly Furtado — the Washington Mystics saw their seven-game win streak snapped with last night’s 86–76 loss to the defending champ Las Vegas Aces. Expect these kids to dress for revenge when they rematch four-time MVP A’ja Wilson and Vegas tomorrow at 10 p.m. ET.

🔥 Simply put, Indiana Fever star Kelsey Mitchell can’t be stopped. After setting a new record for consecutive games with at least 20 points on Saturday, Mitchell extended the mark to 17 last night, scoring 20 points in the first half of Indy’s 106–92 win over the NY Liberty. Too hot to handle.

💅 Sports are for the girls, the gays, and the theys. Full stop. From the court to the concourse to your everyday errands, this tote’s a reminder that sports are better when everyone’s involved.

• Supporting the LGBTQIA+ sports community is woven into The GIST’s DNA. That’s why we designed this tote: to put that belief front and center, exactly where it belongs.

💗 Snag a bag today and do a little good. 10% of proceeds benefit You Can Play, a nonprofit working to make sports more inclusive for the LGBTQIA+ community.

⚾ MLB: Boston Red Sox vs. Toronto Blue Jays — Tonight at 7:07 p.m. ET — Sportsnet

• The pitching injuries keep piling up, but the Jays are staying resilient, taking the first two games of this four-game American League East set. Ace Dylan Cease kept the Boston bats at bay in last night’s 5–3 win — see if starter José Soriano can follow suit tonight.

🎾 Canadian Open: World No. 4 Coco Gauff vs. No. 2 Elena Rybakina — Tonight at 8:10 p.m. ET — Sportsnet

• Gauff advanced to the semis in Toronto after her quarter-final opponent, No. 14 Belinda Bencic, withdrew from the tourney with an injury. And this one’s filled with heavy hitters after Rybakina ousted No. 13 Naomi Osaka in three tough sets last night.

⛳ PGA Tour FedEx Cup Playoffs: St. Jude Championship — Tomorrow through Sunday — TSN+

• The first event of the three-weekend PGA Tour postseason tees off from TPC Southwind in Memphis tomorrow. The top 70 players, currently led by world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, compete this weekend, with the top 50 finishers advancing to next weekend’s BMW Championship.

• And this year, three Canadians are swinging for the crown: Corey Conners, Nick Taylor, and Sudarshan Yellamaraju.

🏊 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships — Tomorrow through Sunday — CBC

• Canada’s chlorine queen Summer McIntosh already owns seven world records after erasing the longest-standing women’s mark in July. What will the 19-year-old do in her first major international meet since joining forces with iconic coach Bob Bowman? Can’t wait to find out.

🏈 NFL Preseason: Tennessee Titans vs. San Francisco 49ers — Tomorrow at 9 p.m. ET — NFL+

• Elic Ayomanor, remember the name. The 23-year-old Canadian wide receiver is impressing at Titans training camp. Just a farmboy from Medicine Hat, Ayomanor’s gearing up for his second season after a 515-yard, four-touchdown rookie campaign. That’s that “eh” game.