Yesterday, FanDuel partnered with Amazon to become the official odds provider for WNBA and NBA games on Prime Video. The partnership — which will offer real-time odds and in-app bet tracking — capitalizes on the power of gamification across the sports industry as it attracts both avid and casual fans.

Even with one WNBA semifinal done and dusted and the other heading for a winner-take-all Game 5, officiating continues to dominate headlines. From the buckets to the blown calls, let’s get into it.

Forget the Jo Bros, this weekend is all about WNBA hoops. Game 3s will grace our screens tonight, followed by a double dose of Game 4s on Sunday. Yes, with both best-of-five series knotted at one, that means the Finals matchup could be set before our next newsletter. Burnin’ up.

This week, Sports Business Journal shared details on how USA Volleyball is approaching a key opportunity in the women’s game. Along with Canada, the governing body is reportedly submitting a bid to FIVB to host the 2027 women’s world indoor volleyball championship. If chosen, it would be the first time the tournament has taken place stateside.

There was no shortage of WNBA fireworks yesterday, so let’s start with last night’s on-court Game 2 action with both best-of-five semis now even. The Phoenix Mercury overcame a 20-point deficit, forced overtime, and topped the Minnesota Lynx 89–83, while NaLyssa Smith’s career-high 18 points fueled the Las Vegas Aces’ 90–68 win over the Indiana Fever.

This weekend, Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson made WNBA history by winning the league’s MVP award for a record fourth time, shortly after earning her third WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) and warranting the first-ever share of the award.

Yesterday’s semis Game 1 wasn’t so stellar for the Las Vegas Aces (more on that below), but the day started off strong for the inimitable A’ja Wilson, who won her unprecedented fourth WNBA MVP award. She’s not just raising the bar in the W — this hoops princess is the bar.

One WNBA playoffs semifinal is locked in, the other depends on tonight’s winner-take-all Game 3, and just when you thought things couldn’t get spicier, the league MVP will be crowned on Sunday. The hoops drama is about to hit a crescendo — turn it up.

Time flies when you’re having fun…and when the first round is only a best-of-three series. Just a few short days after the WNBA playoffs tipped off, all four series could be decided before our next newsletter with tickets to the best-of-five semifinals on the line. Let’s hoop to it.

The WNBA postseason tips off tomorrow, and we decided all three rounds deserve their own newsletter. Over the next month, we’ll be in your inbox with a trilogy of special editions, breaking down the best-of-three first round, the best-of-five semis, and the best-of-seven finals — it’s like The GIST’s version of a triple‑double.

ICYMI, LA Clipper Kawhi Leonard has been the talk of the sports world amid an alleged salary cap circumvention scandal. Here’s what you need to know about this developing story, initially broken by investigative journalist Pablo Torre, including NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s first public comments on the incident. Drama-rama.

On Monday, Unrivaled shared that after last December’s successful Series A investment round, the league’s recent Series B round brought its valuation to $340M, or almost 10x its initial May 2024 valuation. With investors and sponsors circling the next big thing in women’s basketball, let’s dive into why the league works and what makes it truly unrivaled.