Enemies to lovers
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Welcome to Wednesday!
No mid-week slump here — power through your day with a heaping helping of sports news. Let’s do this.
— Friend of The GIST and legendary sports reporter Sarah Spain, setting the record straight on trans athletes as the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments related to banning trans girls from team sports — bans that are currently in place in more than half of all American states. Sports are for everyone.
NFL
🏈 The jig is up, the news is out
The GIST: The NFL Playoffs Divisional Round is officially set after the Houston Texans’ 30–6 Monday win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Eight teams remain in the hunt for the coveted Lombardi Trophy, but many more are searching for answers, including the now-eliminated Steelers. Let’s dig in.
👋 Steelers head coach (HC) Mike Tomlin steps down after 19 seasons in the Steel City: The league’s longest-tenured HC resigned yesterday, ending a historic run in Pittsburgh that included an NFL-record 19 seasons without a losing record and a 2009 Super Bowl victory. Tomlin’s résumé puts him in elite company, but playoff success has been hard to come by in recent years.
- Despite making the postseason in 13 of Tomlin’s 19 seasons at the helm, the Steelers have lost seven straight playoff games, five of them by double-digit margins. Not great.
🤔 Has quarterback (QB) Aaron Rodgers played his last snap?: The other elephant in the Steelers’ locker room relates to a certain veteran QB, who won’t make any “emotional decisions” about his future in the aftermath of the lopsided loss. The polarizing 42-year-old is a surefire Hall of Famer, but Monday was the worst statistical game of his playoff career.
🗣️ The final word: QBs are of course an integral part of any football team, but a competent HC can make or break a franchise. Look no further than the postseason’s No. 2 seeds, the New England Patriots and Chicago Bears, who have flourished under new HCs this season after finishing dead last in their respective divisions last year. That’s a glow-up worth emulating.
- To that point, Tomlin will be highly sought-after should he decide to coach again, with nine teams looking to fill HC openings. Meanwhile, the Steelers will likely have QB and HC holes to fill, a late first-round draft pick, and a whole lot of soul searching to do.
⛹️ The defending NBA champ Oklahoma City Thunder beat Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs for the first time this season last night, posting a 119–98 victory in a battle of the best in the Western Conference.
⚾ Eight-time All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado was traded from the St. Louis Cardinals to the Arizona Diamondbacks yesterday, a long-desired fresh start for the likely future Hall of Famer.
🏂 American snowboarder and two-time halfpipe Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim will compete at the Milano Cortina Games despite fears she might miss the Olympics after tearing her labrum last week. Phew.
⚽ USWNT midfielder Lindsey Heaps (née Horan) is heading home, signing with the 2026 NWSL expansion squad Denver Summit FC. Heaps will join the team in June after completing her final season with France’s OL Lyonnes, where she’s played since 2022.
👀🏀 The WNBA and its players association agreed to a moratorium on league business on Monday, a decision that pauses free agency as they continue to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement.
🥎 Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) unveiled its six host cities for the 2026 season yesterday, with squads landing in Chicago, Carolina (Durham), Oklahoma City, Portland, Texas (Round Rock), and Utah (Salt Lake City). There’s no place like home, indeed.
⛳ Five-time major winner Brooks Koepka is returning to the PGA Tour, but not without consequence after infamously defecting to LIV Golf in 2022. Koepka must donate $5M to charity in order to be reinstated and is not eligible for millions in potential bonus money this year, among other repercussions.
- What’s more, the PGA has opened the door for other LIV golfers to rejoin the Tour, but only if they’ve won a major or The Players Championship between 2022 and 2025 — aka, only Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, and Cameron Smith, who all say they aren’t budging.
TOGETHER WITH Travel Texas
👀 This is Texas
Think you know Texas? Think again. The Lone Star State is so much more than BBQ and rodeos, and we want you to see it for yourself — that’s why The GIST teamed up with Travel Texas to send one lucky GISTer and two pals on an all-inclusive Texas getaway.
🥩 If you’re searching for good eats, Travel Texas can help you plan the food tour of your dreams, complete with Tex-Mex, BBQ, and breweries.
🍷 Perhaps you’re craving a winery moment? Texas has more than 350 to explore.
🎸 And if live music is your jam, there’s no better place to find your new favorite band.
Your chance at a free trip to Texas is just a few clicks away. You in?
🏒 PWHL: Toronto Sceptres vs. Boston Fleet — Tonight at 7 p.m. ET — NESN
- The league-leading Fleet are the team to beat, especially with goaltender Aerin Frankel bringing her A-Game night in and night out. Tune in to see if Sceptres forward Daryl Watts and Co. can break through. Icy and spicy.
🏐 LOVB: Austin vs. Atlanta — Tonight at 8 p.m. ET — USA
- Austin is off to a hot start with two straight wins, including a dub over Atlanta this past Sunday. That said, that match was an ultra-tight five-setter, so expect Atlanta opposite Tessa Grubbs and her squad to be dressing for revenge tonight.
🎓🏀NCAA women’s basketball: No. 4 Texas vs. No. 2 South Carolina — Tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET — ESPN2
- Buckle up for a rematch of last year’s national semifinal. If November’s game between these familiar foes, which Texas narrowly won 66–64, is any indication, we’re in for an absolute treat. Delish.
🏒 NHL: Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Vegas Golden Knights — Tomorrow at 9:30 p.m. ET — ESPN
- The NHL’s latest trend? Scoring against your former flame, which four players did last week. Now Golden Knights right winger Mitch Marner has a chance to add his name to that list following this summer’s blockbuster trade from the Leafs.
TOGETHER WITH Travel Texas
🤤 That Texas BBQ tastes even better than it looks — but you don’t have to take our word for it, you can try it yourself. We’re sending one lucky GISTer (plus two of their friends) on an all-expenses-paid trip to the Lone Star State.
- All you have to do is plan your dream Texas vacay — whether that’s a BBQ road trip, exploring historical sites like the Alamo, or discovering the Gulf Coast’s beaches. Let’s Texas.
💍 What to do
Simplify your wedding planning. The Knot Registry Store is a one-stop shop for all your registry needs and helps you go from “I want” to “I do”.*
🎟️ What to register for
LA28 tickets. Olympic dreams start early — registration opens today for the 2028 Summer Games.
✈️ How to stay healthy
By traveling like an Olympian. Team USA’s doctor shares simple, practical tips to avoid getting sick mid-flight.
*P.S. This is a sponsored post. Easy peasy.Question of the Day
It’s time to download Duolingo and start learning Italian because the Milano Cortina Olympics Opening Ceremony is just 23 days away. As we prepare to say ciao to the action, we want to know: Which sport are you most excited to watch? Choose from the options below, or reply with your top pick.
Today’s email was brought to you by Alessandra Puccio, Lisa Minutillo, Lauren Tuiskula, Rachel Fuenzalida, and Grace DePaull. Editing by Katie Kehoe Foster. Fact-checking by Elisha Gunaratnam and Mikaela Perez. Ops by Briana Ekanem and Elisha Gunaratnam. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster, Alessandra Puccio, and Lisa Minutillo. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula and Alessandra Puccio. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.