
It’s happening!
The PWHL is officially growing. Yesterday, the upstart pro women’s hockey league announced it’s expanding to Vancouver for the 2025-26 season, delighting local fans who turned out in massive numbers during the PWHL Takeover Tour’s stop in the city.
On this episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Steph Rotz and Lauren Tuiskula dig into why Vancouver was chosen as the league’s first expansion team and what that means for the future of the PWHL. Let’s do that hockey.
This episode was brought to you by Amazon Business, the ultimate partner for smart business buying. Amazon Business offers a one-stop shop for all of your business needs, helping companies of all shapes and sizes simplify their purchasing process. Learn more by checking out business.amazon.com today.
Drama & dysfunction: How the Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Dončić era imploded

The NBA is so the drama.
If you thought the first few games of the NBA playoffs were exciting, just wait until you hear what’s going on behind-the-scenes. On Monday, ESPN dropped a bombshell article detailing the Dallas Mavericks’ dysfunction amidst the blockbuster trade that sent franchise star and generational talent, Luka Dončić, to the LA Lakers.
On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz share their takeaways from the report, including the questionable decisions general manager Nico Harrison has been making for years. Don’t miss this one.
This episode was brought to you by Amazon Business, the ultimate partner for smart business buying. Amazon Business offers a one-stop shop for all of your business needs, helping companies of all shapes and sizes simplify their purchasing process. Learn more by checking out business.amazon.com today.
Gross reporting in MLB and the NSL shaking up pro women’s soccer

It’s finally happening.
Last night was the long-awaited debut of the Northern Super League (NSL), aka Canada’s brand-new pro women’s soccer league. Calgary Wild FC and Vancouver Rise FC kicked off the action, but there’s so much more to discuss, on and off the pitch.
On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz chat all things NSL, from the six teams spread out across the country to how the new league is fostering Canada’s FIFA Women’s World Cup ambitions. Tap those ruby slippers because there’s no place like home.
A big thank you to BMO for sponsoring today’s pod! BMO is the official bank of the NSL and the league’s broadcast partner, sticking to their two-decade pledge to grow the game of soccer in North America. Learn more about how BMO is growing the beautiful game at BMOsoccer.com.