The GIST

The NWSL is getting in on soccer’s North American surge

It’s a rare and special moment when soccer is the mainstream sport in North America, one American soccer (specifically, the NWSL) wants to sustain after the crowds head home. In May, the women’s soccer league announced its Summer of Soccer initiative to capitalize on WC fervor. In June, we spoke to NWSL CMO Rachel Epstein about why the league has “locked arms” with FIFA and how the tourney can be an entry point for sustained footy fandom.

June 27, 2026

It’s gameday: Previewing CanMNT vs. South Africa in the Round of 32

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CanMNT will compete in a World Cup (WC) knockout match for the very first time, taking on South Africa in the Round of 32 today at 3 p.m. ET. It’s a beautiful day to extend this run one page further in the history books.

June 26, 2026

Already group winners, USMNT have one game left

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Last Friday, the USMNT beat Australia 2–0 to clinch their spot in the knockouts. The dub marked their first back-to-back World Cup (WC) wins since the Great Depression and they did it without their star, Christian Pulisic. Wowza. The boys have one group stage game left — tonight at 10 p.m. ET against already-eliminated Türkiye — and while it doesn’t technically mean anything as the U.S. have already won Group D, a W would be a huge boost for the surging Yanks.

June 25, 2026

Teeing off on the lucrative growth of women’s golf

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The prize pool for this weekend’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship is an astounding $13M, the largest purse in women’s golf history. As the players, ahem, swing into action this morning, let’s tee off on the lucrative growth of the women's game.

June 25, 2026

Superstars light up the pitch as World Cup enters final phase of the group stage

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June 24, 2026

The 2026 Hockey Hall of Fame class features just one woman

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The Hockey Hall of Fame (HHOF) announced its 2026 class on Monday, a deserving group, but one that includes just one woman: the inimitable Cindy Curley. Stop us if you’ve heard this before, but the road to Toronto’s hallowed halls is paved with misogyny.

June 24, 2026

It’s gameday: Previewing CanMNT vs. Switzerland

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Now sitting atop Group B after their first-ever World Cup (WC) victory (shoutout goal differential), all CanMNT needs is a win, draw, or maybe even a loss today to advance to the knockout stage for the first time. It all comes down to their final group stage match at 3 p.m. ET against Switzerland.

June 24, 2026

PWHL welcomes outside investment for first time in league history

Sports Business

PWHL welcomes outside investment for first time in league history

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June 23, 2026

In big PHWL news, the women’s hockey league under a single-entity ownership structure opened itself to outside investment for the first time yesterday. The PWHL — founded and owned by Mark and Kimbra Walter — welcomed Kilmer Sports Ventures and Ilitch Companies into the league as strategic investors with a commitment of over $100M.

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The GIST of It Podcast

Ep #567

Normalizing motherhood in sport

June 25, 2026

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We’re celebrating for all the right reasons today. Blayre Turnbull of the Toronto Sceptres is pregnant, marking the first PWHL player going through pregnancy in the league’s three-year history. It felt like as good a time as any to explore what the PWHL’s maternity policy is and how it stacks up to the rest of the pro women’s sports landscape.