Cheetah girls, cheetah sisters

The GIST: The PWHL postseason push is fierce with just four regular-season games to go, but today’s breaking news is lighting the lamp no matter your rooting allegiance. That’s right, the league’s next expansion team is officially official.

PWHL Seattle named as league’s second expansion team: There’ll be a press conference today at 2 p.m. ET, but you heard it here first: Seattle will begin play as the PWHL’s eighth franchise next season.

Why Seattle? Great question. There are three major reasons: fans, facilities, and a built-in foe.

• 📣 Nearly 13K fans showed up for Seattle’s Takeover Tour tilt in January, a testament to the city’s already electric women’s sports culture.

• ✨ The state-of-the-art facilities are second to none. Climate Pledge Arena, an 18K-seat, recently renovated, environmentally conscious venue, is already home to the NHL’s Seattle Kraken and the WNBA’s Seattle Storm.

• 🌶️ A West Coast rivalry is already built in as the league extends its reach to the Pacific Northwest: Just 142 miles (229 kilometers) separate PWHL Seattle from the league’s other recent expansion team in Vancouver. Expect this budding feud to be icy and spicy.

Zooming out: The PWHL continues to set the bar for new leagues. It feels like just yesterday that they became the first women’s league to begin play with a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) already in place — and now? They’re already in expansion mode after less than two seasons. Iconic (and unprecedented) behavior.

• As for the teams themselves, both PWHL Vancouver and PWHL Seattle still need to assemble their rosters. The 2025 PWHL Draft is slated for June 24th, while information about an expansion draft will be shared in the coming weeks.

The GIST: Despite what the now-eliminated Miami Heat would have you believe, it’s not nearly quitting time — the postseason NBA fun has only just begun as the feisty first-round matchups continue. Nothing but net (and drama).

Three teams snag second-round berths: The Cleveland Cavaliers set the tone for first-round series-clinching dubs, unceremoniously extinguishing the Heat in a 55-point blowout win on Monday. Joining the Cavs in the second round are the sharpshooting Boston Celtics, who used a dominant third quarter to eliminate the Orlando Magic with last night’s 120–89 Game 5 win.

• The Milwaukee Bucks are also on the outs after falling 119–118 to the series-winning Indiana Pacers in overtime last night. But it’s not the short playoff stint that’ll keep fans up at night — it’s the future of the franchise after superstar Damian Lillard’s confirmed Achilles tear. Oof.

Houston Rockets and LA Lakers on the brink of elimination: Tonight’s games could spell the first upsets of the opening round as the better-seeded Rockets and Lakers are down 3-1 against the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves, respectively. Houston will try to extend their series on their home court at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by LA at 10 p.m. ET.

• And tomorrow’s games should be just as thrilling: The Detroit Pistons pulled off a 106–103 win over the NY Knicks last night, extending that series to a 7:30 p.m. ET Game 6, while the Denver Nuggets will try to punch their second-round ticket vs. the LA Clippers at 10 p.m. ET.

Ready for a victory lap? Women in sports aren’t next, they’re now — and we’re marking how far we’ve come with a special “She’s Not Next, She’s Now” merch drop celebrating this unmatched moment.

• We teamed up with Bauer and designer Rookie Made to create a design that screams “The GIST.” Show your support for your favorite women-owned and -operated business, find other GISTers in the wild, and look cool AF while you’re doing it.

• This one-of-a-kind design was made just for you. It celebrates women athletes and fans of all stripes, because our community is truly unparalleled. But don’t wait to claim it — this is a limited-edition run, and our GISTers always show up big for merch drops.

Even better? Ten percent of every purchase goes to Black Girl Hockey Club, the nonprofit making hockey more inclusive. As if you needed another reason to add to cart.

The GIST: Last but not Leafs least, the highly competitive Stanley Cup Playoffs opening round rages on. Only one team has advanced to the second round, so the rest is still unwritten. Release your inhibitions — here’s where things stand nearly two weeks into the NHL postseason.

Carolina Hurricanes knock out NJ Devils: After three periods and two overtimes, the Hurricanes clinched the first second-round berth of the postseason last night, forging a strong comeback to top the New Jersey Devils 5–4 behind a game-winner from center Sebastian Aho.

• Meanwhile, the Battle of Ontario continues after a major triumph from the Ottawa Senators, who topped the Toronto Maple Leafs 4–0 last night, anchored by a shutout from goaltender Linus Ullmark.

• The Leafs (leading 3-2) needed just one win to advance to the second round, but after squandering that opportunity at home, the series returns to Canada’s capital tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET.

Up next: The top-seeded Washington Capitals, led by captain Alex Ovechkin, and defending champion Florida Panthers (both up 3-1) can join the clinching party with wins over the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning, respectively, tonight at 7 and 7:30 p.m. ET.

• And tomorrow, all eyes will be on Colorado’s comeback kid Gabriel Landeskog as the Avalanche (trailing 3-2) fight to extend their first-round series to a Game 7, taking on the Dallas Stars at 9:30 p.m. ET. The puck stops here.

Exciting news: You’re officially invited to the Team Milk run club. Team Milk is recruiting thousands of runners to register for Every Woman’s Marathon in Scottsdale, AZ on November 16th. It’s the only marathon of its size planned by women, for women.

• Ready to make running more approachable? Join Team Milk for access to their community, free training resources, and registration for the main event. As wholesome as a glass of milk.