It’s giving…
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Happy hump day!
On Wednesdays we wear pink dish on the latest in sports, of course. And unlike the Plastics, everyone’s welcome to this leveling the playing field party. Grab a seat (and maybe some cheese fries) and let’s scroll on.
— Global Head of Sports at Amazon Web Services (AWS) Julie Souza, dropping by our members-only podcast to discuss sports data analysis. Souza’s work with AWS is already making football safer — and she thinks women’s sports deserve the same attention. Hear, hear!
- There’s only one way to catch the rest of this riveting convo — join The GIST Plus, the healthiest sports community on the Internet.
WNBA
🏀 Shooting their shot
The GIST: ICYMI, the WNBA and its players association agreed to a six-week collective bargaining agreement (CBA) extension on Sunday. One day later, the league dropped its latest proposal…and raised a whole lot of eyebrows.
- As the WNBPA questions the league’s math amidst plans to reject the offer, we’re breaking down what was included and where things stand now.
💰 Seven-digit salaries remain in latest proposal: Player compensation has been a sticking point throughout negotiations, but the proposed $1.2M max total salary, which is inclusive of projected revenue sharing, would match the WNBPA’s pay expectations. Under this proposal, next year’s average salary would exceed $500K, while the salary cap would increase from $1.5M to $5M.
- These marks inch closer to what players have been asking for, but the newest proposal still doesn’t address the WNBPA’s request for a revenue sharing model that more closely resembles the equal split in the NBA.
👀 The real buzz surrounds two proposed changes that would redefine league operations:
🏠 Player housing: Those lucrative salaries could come at a cost as the league proposed axing team-provided player housing, a WNBA requirement since 2016. In a league with lots of turnover, this decision would disproportionately affect “bubble” players, who make less money than their superstar peers and might play in multiple cities over the course of a season.
📅 Earlier start date: Training camps typically start in April, an already tight turnaround for college hoopers. The league’s proposal featured a start date as early as mid-March, smack dab in the middle of March Madness, meaning rookies would have even less time to recover and could potentially miss some of the season.
⏩ What’s next: Negotiations will continue ahead of the extended January 9th deadline with the WNBPA expecting “substantive movement from the league,” as stated following Sunday’s extension. Watching, waiting…
🏎️ F1’s new and improved 22-driver grid is officially set for 2026 after Red Bull named breakout rookie Isack Hadjar as its second driver yesterday, teaming him up with four-time defending champ Max Verstappen. Hadjar replaces fan fave Yuki Tsunoda, who’ll be without a seat next year.
🎓🏈 Texas A&M fell four spots to No. 7 in the penultimate College Football Playoff poll, while undefeated Ohio State and Indiana retained the No. 1 and No. 2 rankings, respectively.
- But one of those unblemished 12-0 records won’t stay perfect for long: The Buckeyes face the Hoosiers in Saturday’s Big Ten title game. No pressure.
🇺🇸⚽ Back from injury, No. 2 USWNT midfielder Catarina Macario proved once again that she is that girl, scoring her third goal in two games to help the Americans top No. 12 Italy 2–0 on Monday, the team’s final friendly of the year.
🥎 Former UCLA softball star Maya Brady was selected first overall by the Oklahoma City Spark in Monday’s AUSL expansion draft, with the league set to add two teams for their second season. Batter up!
🏈 MVP candidate quarterback (QB) Drake Maye and the New England Patriots are the first 11-win NFL team of the season courtesy of their 33–15 Monday Night Football thrashing of the NY Giants.
- Over on the West Coast, LA Chargers QB Justin Herbert is
dating Madison Beerday-to-day following surgery on his non-throwing hand.
⛷️ The Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned a blanket ban on Russian skiers and snowboarders yesterday, allowing them to apply as neutral athletes for Milano Cortina Winter Olympics qualification events.
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Confidence, impact, and momentum: These pillars have transformed women’s sports and they’re all central to Invisalign®’s Game Changer series that celebrates confident female athletes.
- Invisalign is highlighting gals who redefine the game, including soccer star Croix Bethune, flag football legend Diana Flores, and college basketball standout Flau’jae Johnson.
Learn more about Invisalign’s commitment to women’s sports, including how GISTers can score free tickets to the Invisalign Bay Area Women’s Classic on December 21st, by checking out our full content hub today.
🎓🏐 NCAA volleyball: National tournament — Starting tomorrow at 3 p.m. ET — ESPN+
- It’s time to bump, set, slay because the first round of the national tourney begins tomorrow. One matchup to watch? SEC Player of the Year Eva Hudson’s top-seeded Kentucky vs. Wofford at 7 p.m. ET.
🎓🏀 NCAA women’s basketball: No. 11 UNC vs. No. 2 Texas — Tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET — ESPN2
- Led by preseason All-American Madison Booker, undefeated Texas is scorching with wins over then–No. 3 UCLA and then–No. 2 South Carolina during last week’s Players Era Championship. That said, expect one-loss UNC to pose a challenge behind surging shooting guard Indya Nivar.
🏀 NBA: LA Lakers vs. Toronto Raptors — Tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. ET — NBA League Pass
- Lakers star Luka Dončić isn’t keeping up with the surging Raps in his free time — good thing he’ll get to see the red-hot squad up close in this East Coast–West Coast clash.
🏈 NFL: Dallas Cowboys vs. Detroit Lions — Tomorrow at 8:15 p.m. ET — Amazon Prime
- The stakes? They’ve never been higher. Both of these teams have playoff aspirations but have been shockingly mediocre despite boasting elite offenses. The postseason picture is incredibly crowded, so now’s as good a time as any to meet their potential.
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HOLIDAY RECS FROM
It’s officially gifting season. To help you cross everyone off your Nice list, we’re sharing recs from The Group Chat, sourced directly from our team and The GIST Plus community. This week’s theme: bucket-list experiences.
Find a pasta-making class
With the Milan Cortina Olympics coming up, there’s never been a better time to learn how to make your own homemade pasta, and stores like Eataly offer super fun classes.
Enter your ceramics era
Remember: Your hands can do so much more than type on your keyboard and tap on your silly little screen. Do a quick search for a pottery studio near you and enter your artisanal era.
Make a reservation at your new favorite restaurant
The Infatuation is a foodie’s dream website, full of reviews, as well as lists and lists and lists of restaurants you must try in your city. Check it out to find your new spot.
Book a helicopter tour of your city
Barring a fear of heights or flying, this is a really novel bucket list item that allows you to see your city like you’ve never seen it before. Try it out (or just send your loved one).
☕ Your coffee break just got a lot more exciting. Our free-to-play NFL Pick’em Challenge isn’t about spending hours combing through stats; it’s about making picks in minutes — because winning should be just as easy as scrolling.
- Just ask Amy, last week’s champ, who walked away with bragging rights and $200 of GIST swag for a few minutes of fun. Talk about an ideal tradeoff.
Whether you’re an NFL genius, an exceptional guesser, or just in it for the halftime snacks, everyone’s welcome here. Just pick the winners of this week’s matchups and keep an eye on the leaderboard. It’s really that easy.
- 🚨 The only catch is that you must make your picks before tomorrow’s 8:15 p.m. ET tilt between the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions. Better hop to it. *winks*
🎟️ How to attend the Invisalign® Bay Area Women’s Classic
By entering this contest for free (!!!) tickets for a GISTer and their guest to the second annual NCAA women’s basketball doubleheader, featuring stacked squads Stanford, Oregon, Cal, and USC, thanks to our pals at Invisalign.*
📽️ What to use
Letterboxd. Log your favorite sports movies on Letterboxd, the social network for film lovers.
👟 What to wear
Allbirds to keep your feet dry and supported, no matter the winter activity.
*P.S. This is a sponsored post. Buckets on buckets.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.