Calling all tortured poets
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Leveling The Playing Field
Happy Super Bowl week!
The NFL’s season finale is scheduled for this Sunday, but the real Super Bowl is now set for April 19th. Tortured sports fans, meet tortured poets.
— Celebrity All-Star Game captain and Grammy Award–winning singer Michael Bublé, who was clearly feeling good during this weekend’s All-Star festivities. No silver polish needed.
NCAA women’s basketball
🎓🏀 History in the making
The GIST: Caitlin Clark is (once again) on the precipice of history. After netting 38 points in her No. 3 Iowa Hawkeyes’ weekend win, the biggest name in NCAA sports is now a mere 66 away from breaking the all-time women’s scoring record. Taking must-see to a whole new level.
The chase: Clark is known for her logo threes and jaw-dropping statlines, which have her averaging 32 points per game this season and rapidly approaching former University of Washington standout, and current Las Vegas Ace, Kelsey Plum’s all-time women’s record of 3,527 points.
- But that’s not all: Clark’s also on pace to break the all-time NCAA record (3,667 points set by LSU hooper turned NBAer Pete Maravich in 1970) in the coming weeks. Truly in a league of her own.
The impact: It’s not only on the court that Clark’s balling out. In just the last few weeks alone, she’s smashed the record for a women’s basketball card sale, helped draw record TV viewership numbers, and inspired an Eras Tour–level ticket frenzy.
- The projected 2024 No. 1 WNBA draft pick (who notably still has one more year of college eligibility) already solidified herself as a household name during last year’s March Madness championship game run. Her future’s truly as limitless as her range.
🏆 FIFA announced the 2026 World Cup hosting schedule yesterday: The USMNT will kick off their tourney at LA’s SoFi Stadium and New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium will host the final.
👟 Fiona O’Keeffe dominated at the US Olympic Marathon Trials on Saturday, smashing the previous trials record by more than three minutes and booking her ticket to Paris — all in her marathon debut. Casual.
🎓🏀 USC women’s basketball freshman phenom JuJu Watkins had herself a weekend, dropping a school record 51 points in the Trojans’ upset win over No. 4 Stanford on Friday, before netting another 29 when USC upended Cal in comeback fashion yesterday.
🏒 For the first time since 2014, NHL players will be permitted to compete at the 2026 and 2030 Olympic Games following two years of negotiations between the league, the NHL Players’ Association, and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).
- NHLers were supposed to play at the 2022 Beijing Olympics but pulled out due to COVID-19 concerns.
⚽ In a blockbuster move, French soccer star Kylian Mbappé will reportedly join Real (pronounced rey-AL) Madrid after his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires this summer. Incroyable.
🏀 Team USA announced their 2024 USA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament roster yesterday, headlined by icon Diana Taurasi, reigning WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart, and 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston. Scary good.
❤️🩹 Philadelphia 76er and NBA MVP favorite Joel Embiid will undergo surgery to repair the torn meniscus in his left knee and is expected to miss extended time.
⛳ American Wyndham Clark won the shortened Pebble Beach Pro-Am yesterday after the event’s final round was canceled due to severe weather. The rain never bothered him anyway.
Together With The GIST
🤓 The buck stops here
The GIST: Hunting for a new job? The GIST’s job board is your one-stop shop for the best open gigs in sports. Submit those apps to GIST-approved opportunities and still have time to enjoy your day-to-day.
The details: If you’ve ever dreamed of working in sports, this is the resource for you. Our job board features roles in every discipline across the industry: Sports betting? Check. Marketing? Check. Finance? Check. There’s truly something for everyone.
The application: Inviting more women and nonbinary folks into the industry is a surefire way to help level the playing field. Check out our job board today.
🏒 NHL: Colorado Avalanche vs. NY Rangers — Tonight at 7 p.m. ET — ESPN+
- Now that every All-Star’s had their picture with Justin Bieber, it’s back to the icy regular-season action, as these two division leaders battle in what could be a Stanley Cup Final preview.
🎓🏀 NCAA women’s basketball: No. 16 Louisville vs. No. 5 NC State — Tonight at 7 p.m. ET — ESPN2
- Buckle up for this ACC matchup featuring two squads boasting multi-game win streaks. Conference showdowns just hit different.
🏀 NBA: Dallas Mavericks vs. Brooklyn Nets — Tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. ET — TNT
- Come for the hoops, stay for the magic: The Mavs’ Luka Dončić is on an absolute tear, averaging 46.5 points over his last four games.
Peep our squad’s MVPs (Most Valuable Picks):
🏈 What to read
Kylie Kelce’s thoughts on Taylor Swift. After watching her husband, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, on the gridiron for years, Kylie offers a unique perspective on the pop star’s impact on football.
📺 What to watch
Sue's Places, which features the legendary Sue Bird hosting a college hoops series alongside other basketball icons including UConn head coach Geno Auriemma and South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley, among others. Yes, please.
🏀 Who to pick
Your Sesame Street starting five. ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith weighed in, but who’s on your roster?
Question of the Day
In honor of last night’s Grammys, we want to know which tunes are powering your day: What’s your favorite music genre? Select from the options below, or reply and let us know. Happy listening!
Today’s email was brought to you by Lauren Tuiskula, Lisa Minutillo, Karissa Dzurik, Rachel Fuenzalida, Monica Schrock, and Briana Ekanem. Editing by Janine Kiefer, Emma Leishman, and Lindsay Jost. Fact-checking by Annie Chan. Ops by Marga Sison and Annie Chan. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster, Alexis Allison, and Dee Lab. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.