Analytically we’re winning
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Missed you!
ICYMI, we recently teed up some major news: We’re partnering with MLB (yes, that MLB) to help deepen the league’s connection with female fans. Thanks for being here every pitch along the way — now let’s round the bases on today’s news.
— Two-time Ballon d’Or Feminin winner Alexia Putellas, who is leaving Barcelona after 14 seasons, 232 club goals, and a whopping 38 European trophies, including a fourth Champions League title on Saturday. Perhaps a North American adventure is up next?
The Conference Finals rage on in both the NHL and NBA, with the ultimate prizes — the Stanley Cup and Larry O’Brien Trophy — waiting to be hoisted. Let’s break it all down series by series.
🏰🏔️ Presidents’ Trophy Curse endures with Colorado Avalanche ousted
As has become tradition, the NHL’s best regular season team won’t hoist the Stanley Cup after the injury-laden Avs fell 2–1 to the Vegas Golden Knights last night. It was a shocking turn of events for Colorado’s powerhouse offense, which averaged just 1.5 goals per game this series, a far cry from the over four goals per game they buried in the first two rounds.
- As for the victors, Vegas is peaking at just the right time. With the sweep, the Western Conference champs have earned an extended break as they await the winner of an Eastern Conference final that will need at least two more games to be decided. Speaking of…
🌀❤️ Carolina Hurricanes (up 2-1) win second straight overtime (OT) tilt
The old hockey adage “Get pucks on net” has held true in this Eastern Conference Final. Case in point? The Canes pummeled Montreal Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobeš with 39 shots, while limiting the Habs to just 13 in Monday’s 3–2 OT win. After being outshot 93-47 over the first three games, Montreal has work to do in tonight’s 8 p.m. ET Game 4 on home ice.
⛈️🐴 Oklahoma City Thunder (up 3-2) outlast San Antonio Spurs in pivotal Game 5
After a humbling 21-point loss in Sunday’s Game 4, the Thunder flipped it and reversed it last night, using 32 points from back-to-back MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to seal the 127–114 win. OKC’s depth was the difference maker, highlighted by Jared McCain’s 20 points and an Isaiah Hartenstein double-double. The series shifts back to San Antonio for Game 6 tomorrow at 8:30 p.m. ET.
🧡⚔️ NY Knicks earn first NBA Finals berth since 1999 with sweep of Cleveland Cavaliers
And they did it in dominant fashion, busting out the brooms with Monday’s 130–93 win. That one-sided W capped off the most dominant 10-game stretch in NBA history in which NY torched opponents by 24.6 points per game on average. The Eastern Conference champs will now enjoy a nine-day hiatus before resuming their quest to end the franchise’s 53-year title drought.
- As for the Cancun-bound Cavs, James Harden and Donovan Mitchell are preparing to run it back alongside head coach Kenny Atkinson. That’ll give Harden, who’ll compete in his 18th NBA season in 2026-27, an opportunity to put his money where his mouth is.
Together With Toyota
🏀 Time to assemble your roster
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Whether you’re a born navigator or a passenger princess, the RAV4 will be your trip’s MVP.
French Open
🎾 Feeling hot, hot, hot
The GIST: Between the protests, the heat wave, and Naomi Osaka’s couture, there’s almost too much to keep up with at the French Open as the second round gets underway. Good thing we have you covered — allez.
⏭️ World No. 4 Coco Gauff’s title defense continues: Defending champ Gauff defeated fellow American Taylor Townsend in straight sets to open her Roland-Garros campaign yesterday, all despite a minor fender bender on her way to the match. The 22-year-old will face Egyptian qualifier Maya Sherif in the second round tomorrow.
- Unfortunately, No. 5 Jess Pegula is out after suffering a shocking first-round loss to Kimberly Birrell yesterday. Even the best fall down sometimes.
💪 No. 1 Jannik Sinner advances, remains on collision course with No. 4 Novak Djokovic: Lego enthusiast Sinner looks unstoppable at Roland-Garros, the only major he hasn’t won. And the Italian’s path to the trophy is clear with his biggest rival Carlos Alcaraz sidelined. It’ll be all eyes on Sinner and his likely finals opponent 39-year-old Djokovic, so long as the Joker stays healthy.
📺 Outside of the top dogs, here’s one more player to watch: Seventeen-year-old Frenchman Moïse Kouamé shocked the world yesterday, defeating Marin Čilić to become the youngest man since 1991 to win a French Open match. Truly magnifique.
🏀 WNBA: Phoenix Mercury vs. NY Liberty — Tonight at 7 p.m. ET — USA Network
- It’s been a stretch to forget for these title hopefuls: The shorthanded Liberty have lost three straight home games for the first time since 2022, while the Mercury are in freefall, losing five of their last six. Only one star-studded squad can flip the script tonight.
⚾ MLB: NY Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals — Tonight at 7:40 p.m. ET — MLB.TV
- The Yankees just got even better, seeing six-time All-Star Gerrit Cole make his season debut after undergoing Tommy John surgery in March 2025. Cole impressed in his first start back and will get the ball again tonight with a chance to sweep the Royals. Brooms at the ready.
🎓🥎 NCAA softball: Women’s College World Series (WCWS) — Begins tomorrow — ESPN Networks
- After some jaw-dropping drama in the Super Regionals, eight teams are off to Oklahoma City as double-elimination play gets underway with tomorrow’s opening day. And the field is wide open, especially with perennial powerhouse Oklahoma missing from the WCWS for the first time since 2015.
Together With Toyota
⭐️ Last-minute tickets to the game? Of course, everyone’s in, and Toyota’s got the perfect wheels for your gameday carpool. The 2026 Toyota RAV4 is designed for maximum comfort for everything and everyone you bring along. Ah, spacious.
🇺🇸 Tyler Adams (midfielder, USA)
The 26-player USMNT roster is now official, and while there were some surprises, Adams was always a lock. As captain, Adams led the 2022 World Cup squad to the Round of 16 for the first time since 2014. Pressure’s on the co-hosts, but with Adams healthy and at the helm, perhaps the USMNT can meet the moment.
Today’s email was brought to you by Alessandra Puccio, Lisa Minutillo, Lauren Tuiskula, Grace DePaull, and Charlotte Mackenzie. Fact-checking by Elisha Gunaratnam and Mikaela Perez. Ops by Elisha Gunaratnam and Briana Ekanem. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula and Alessandra Puccio. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.
