Mariah Carey has officially defrosted
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Leveling The Playing Field
Happy December!
Mariah Carey has officially defrosted, and the holiday season is in full swing. We may be a little biased, but The GIST merch makes the perfect gift — especially with 10% of proceeds going to Team IMPACT, a sports-focused nonprofit chosen by our The GIST Plus community. No better way to get in the giving spirit.
— Las Vegas Aces icon A’ja Wilson, sharing on Hot Ones that this year’s WNBA Finals Game 3 buzzer-beater is the most satisfying bucket of her entire career. Scorching, indeed.
NFL
🏈 Bring on all the pretenders
The GIST: The NFL chose chaos once again this week, with holiday hi-jinks and stunners aplenty. Contenders are turning into pretenders faster than you can say Hail Mary — and vice versa. As Week 13 wraps up, let’s muddle through the madness.
🚨 Houston, we have a problem contender: After starting the season 0-3, the Texans are 7-2 over their last nine games, including stifling the then–division-leading Indianapolis Colts 20–16 yesterday. It all starts with their juggernaut defense, a top-five unit in rushing yards, passing yards, and points allowed. And that’s a scary reality for quarterbacks (QBs) everywhere.
- But even contenders have off days: Just ask LA Rams QB Matthew Stafford, who threw his first interception (INT) in months during yesterday’s 31–28 loss to the Carolina Panthers, snapping his NFL–record 28 straight touchdown passes without a pick.
🐴 Indianapolis floundering in pretender status: Yes, QB Daniel Jones is playing on a broken fibula, but the Colts’ concerns are deeper than a hairline fracture…and yesterday’s loss to the Texans. Jones has struggled in big games this season, especially on the road: He threw five INTs and fumbled the ball four times in Indy’s three road losses, a concerning trend.
- The defending champ Philadelphia Eagles as pretenders? It sure looks like it. The Birds struggled in Friday’s 24–15 L to the Chicago Bears, giving up 142 yards rushing in the first half alone. And the problems are multifold — even their infamous tush push failed on Friday.
🤔 The 10-2 New England Patriots — pretenders or contenders?: Tonight’s 8:15 p.m. ET Monday Night Football matchup against the 2-9 NY Giants probably won’t give us a definitive answer. Cubic zirconia or not, the QB Drake Maye–led Patriots can extend their nine-game win streak and their lead atop the AFC with a victory at home.
🎓🏈 Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin leaving for LSU despite ongoing College Football Playoff (CFP) push
NCAA football continues to rival The Real Housewives. Kiffin, the top head coaching candidate on the market, announced yesterday that he’ll take the job at LSU and will not lead the No. 7 Rebels in the rest of their CFP run. Kiffin enjoyed a successful six-year tenure at Ole Miss, but couldn’t pass up the chance to coach the storied Tigers — not to mention a reported $12 million annual contract.
- Meanwhile on the gridiron, the penultimate CFP rankings drop tomorrow, with some serious shakeups expected after a thrilling Rivalry Week slate saw No. 3 Texas A&M suffer their first loss of the season.
🏀 WNBA, Players Union agree to second collective bargaining agreement (CBA) extension
Yesterday’s already-delayed CBA deadline came and went, with both parties agreeing to extend the current CBA until January 9th, 2026. The league and its players union remain at odds over key elements of a new deal, namely revenue sharing. And while negotiations continue, two major offseason events are at a standstill: the expansion draft and free agency.
- Next season’s new squads — the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo — need a CBA in place to set the terms of the upcoming expansion draft.
- Plus, nearly 85% of players are free agents this offseason. The longer negotiations continue, the less time to figure out where they’ll land. Tick, tock.
🏎️ Red Bull’s Max Verstappen posts second straight race win, sits 12 points back in World Driver’s Championship (WDC) title fight
The four-time defending champ was infallible in yesterday’s Qatar Grand Prix, but his first-place finish required an expert call from Red Bull strategist Hannah Schmitz. Neither of Verstappen’s WDC rivals — McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris — opted to pit under an early safety car, but Schmitz’s split-second decision gave Verstappen an advantage he wouldn’t relinquish.
- McLaren’s strategy blunder dropped Piastri, the weekend’s fastest driver, to second, while Norris finished fourth. Verstappen, who was a whopping 104 points off the lead three months ago, now sits second in the WDC standings ahead of next weekend’s season finale.
Together With Starbucks
😋 It’s the perfect time of year for a little treat, because if anyone deserves one today, it’s you. Thankfully, we know just the place to indulge in the ultimate holiday sip: Starbucks.
- From the Peppermint Mocha to the Caramel Brulée Latte from Starbucks, there’s a little seasonal something for everyone (yes, hot or iced) during the holidays. Explore Starbucks’ entire handcrafted holiday menu to feel festive. Sip sip, hooray.
🏒 The PWHL’s Seattle Torrent broke the U.S. attendance record for a pro women’s hockey game on Friday, hosting 16,014 frenzied fans at Climate Pledge Arena.
🏆⚽ Saturday’s MLS Cup will be a showdown between two international greats: The Vancouver Whitecaps’ Thomas Müller leads the charge against Inter Miami CF’s Lionel Messi, with both squads looking to raise their first-ever MLS championship trophy.
🎓⚽ And then there were four. No. 1 seed Stanford advanced to the Women’s College Cup semis and will play No. 2 Duke on Friday, while No. 3 Florida State faces No. 2 TCU on the other side of the bracket.
🎓🏐 As expected, undefeated Nebraska women’s volleyball earned the top overall seed in the 64-team championship field, where first-round matches begin on Thursday. Aces on deck.
🇺🇸⚽ Midfielder Catarina Macario scored twice in the No. 2 USWNT’s 3–0 Friday friendly win against No. 12 Italy, a statement dub against a team that made the Women’s Euro semis over the summer. Can the red, white, and blue repeat in tonight’s 7 p.m. ET rematch?
🏆🏀 Team USA are your FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup women’s champs after Allisha Gray hit two clutch free throws to clinch yesterday’s 21–19 victory over Team Canada. Ice in her veins.
Together With Foria
🎁 Don’t wait for Santa
Even as women continue to triumph on the field, women’s wellness is too often stuck on the sidelines. Widespread underfunding, a lack of research, and chronic stereotyping from brands mean it can feel impossible to know which products actually belong on your shelf.
💃 Enter: Foria, the holistic wellness brand that’s been centering women’s pleasure and wellbeing for over a decade. Their award-winning formulas are plant-based, sustainable, and mindfully created to support intimacy, rest, and ease.
- Whether you’re looking to relax and unwind, boost your pleasure, or a little bit of both, Foria has something for everyone, ranging from period cramp salves to CBD-powered oils. Yes, please.
📚 What to read
“Hoops Muses,” a vibrant journey through women’s basketball history and culture. This book brings the game’s milestones and legends to life and makes a great gift for the holiday season.
🛍️ What to shop
The Foria Cyber Monday sale. Enjoy 30% off sitewide on oils, melts, and salves from the holistic intimacy and menstrual wellness experts. The gift that keeps on giving.*
👗 What to do
Thrift for game day looks. NFL star DeAndre Hopkins and a fashion editor challenged themselves to find two game-day tunnel outfits for under $100 each at Goodwill.
*P.S. This is a sponsored post. Treat yourself.Question of the Day
The last month of 2025 has arrived, bringing with it some exciting book-ending sports action. Which event are you most excited to watch in December? Choose from the options below or reply and let us know.
Today’s email was brought to you by Alessandra Puccio, Lisa Minutillo, Lauren Tuiskula, Rachel Fuenzalida, Grace DePaull, and Briana Ekanem. 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.