Ending unplanned
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Leveling The Playing Field
Somebody call Noah Kahan…
Because it’s the last weekend of August. The month may be winding down, but the US Open is just getting started — we’ll have a full special edition in your inbox before the tournament officially begins on Sunday. Game, set, let’s go.
Little League World Series
⚾ Fear the bow
The GIST: Twelve days of stellar play and perfect chyrons later, the Little League World Series (LLWS) comes to a close with Sunday’s championship game. But first, we have to look back at Southeast star Kinley Rasmus’ incredible run and what lies ahead for the history-making 12 year old. Nothing better than throwing like a girl.
👑 Rasmus ties LLWS strikeout record, breaks hits mark by a girl: Move over, Shohei Ohtani. Before Rasmus’ Alabama squad was eliminated on Wednesday, the two-way star notched five hits and 14 strikeouts, giving her the most hits by a girl in a single tourney and matching none other than WPBL star Mo’ne Davis for most Ks by a girl.
- Just the 25th girl to play in the LLWS, Rasmus has quite the sports pedigree: Her uncle is former Toronto Blue Jay Colby Rasmus, her dad and assistant coach, Cory, also played in the majors, and her mom, Jill, played college softball at Southern Miss. All in the family.
👀 What’s next: Rasmus’ LLWS journey might be done, but her sports career is just getting started. She’s expected to be a top NCAA softball prospect in the class of 2032 and she’ll be a starter for her top-ranked high school flag football team this season as a seventh grader. As her head coach for both sports said, “...there’s nothing she can’t do.”
- That’s part of the beauty of Rasmus’ LLWS legacy: She left an indelible mark on the tourney and now, thanks to the growth of girls’ and women’s sports, she has a plethora of opportunities ahead. What a gift, bow included.
WNBA
🏀 Ending unplanned
The GIST: If there’s one thing everyone’s watching right now, it’s the WNBA. The proof is in the pudding. And with so much on the line in the final weekend of action before the FIBA World Cup break, it’s the perfect time to catch up on the latest happenings from the hardwood.
💭 DeWanna Bonner signs with Atlanta Dream: The six-time All-Star is taking her talents to Atlanta, officially inking a prorated $116K contract yesterday. The deal’s a true win-win: Atlanta’s in dire need of depth as they seek their first-ever franchise title, while 39-year-old Bonner made it clear she wanted to hoop for a contender.
- A defensive juggernaut, two-time champ Bonner will be an immediate asset off the bench, a place she’s incredibly effective (just ask her three career Sixth Woman of the Year awards). Catch her potential Dream debut tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET vs. the Portland Fire.
🏆 Playoff positioning remains too close to call: You already know the eight-team field is set, but the chaos continues when it comes to seeding. It looked like the Lynx had a stranglehold on the No. 1 seed, but the No. 2 Golden State Valkyries are surging, now just three games back of the top spot after last night’s convincing 79–60 win over the NY Liberty. These margins? Razor thin.
🎓🏐 Nebraska won last night’s inaugural Spikes Under the Lights showcase at Dallas’ AT&T Stadium, defeating SMU and taking home the biggest share of the $1M prize pool. Aces.
⛳ World No. 31 Min Woo Lee is leading the TOUR Championship after yesterday’s opening round, but there’s still plenty of golf to be played with the FedEx Cup (and $10M) on the line.
🚩 Golf equipment brand Callaway cut ties with media company Good Good Golf yesterday following backlash to a deeply offensive ad…that the Callaway team notably approved. Hmm.
- What’s more, Good Good Golf will no longer serve as the title sponsor for an upcoming PGA Tour event this fall.
🏈 After 75 years, the NFL Pro Bowl is no longer. The annual (and often snoozy) all-star game won’t be contested anymore starting this season, but the league’s top players will still be recognized with Pro Bowl honors.
🏀 3v3 basketball league Unrivaled doubled its valuation in one year, coming in at an incredible $650M. Taking that to the bank.
🏒 Winnipeg Jets (and Team USA) goaltender Connor Hellebuyck confirmed yesterday that he has requested a trade out of Winnipeg after months of speculation.
🏎️ A flurry of recent Formula 1 contracts are taking the “silly” out of silly season. The latest driver to ink a new deal? Alpine’s Franco Colapinto, who’ll race with the French constructor through 2027.
🌊 World Surf League: Fiji Pro — Ongoing — worldsurfleague.com
- Teen surfing phenom Erin Brooks is that girl. Fresh off becoming the youngest-ever winner of the Tahiti Pro earlier this month, the 19-year-old Canadian already logged a gnarly 10-point ride in Fiji and booked a spot in the stacked quarter-final field.
⚾ MLB: Detroit Tigers vs. LA Dodgers — Tonight at 6:40 p.m. ET — MLB.TV
- This weekend is all about the Dodgers’ arms. First, LA hurler Tarik Skubal will face his former team for the first time since being traded. Adding to the mound intrigue, superstar Shohei Ohtani could make his first pitching appearance since early July. Watching, waiting.
⚽ NWSL: North Carolina Courage vs. Kansas City Current — Tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. ET — ION
- Courage midfielder Ashley Sanchez scored twice in Wednesday’s 2–0 win over Angel City FC, breaking North Carolina’s single-season scoring record (15) and giving her an even bigger lead atop the Golden Boot race. USWNT head coach Emma Hayes, are you seeing this?
Today’s email was brought to you by Alessandra Puccio, Lisa Minutillo, and Lauren Tuiskula. Fact-checking by Elisha Gunaratnam. Ops by Elisha Gunaratnam and Briana Ekanem. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.