Our spidey senses are tingling
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Leveling The Playing Field
Hello there!
A thrilling WNBA season rolls on, a rising tennis star is making a name for herself, and the diamond keeps on sparkling with both MLB and WPBL action. Kinda chic to be a sports fan today…and always.
WNBA
🏀 Times are a-changin’
The GIST: So much WNBA news, so little time — here’s everything you need to know from the last couple of days on the hardwood.
👋 Welcome to the W, Cleveland Sirens. Set to debut in 2028, the league’s next expansion team revealed their name and colorway yesterday, both of which pay homage to Lake Erie. The Sirens will play at 19K-capacity Rocket Arena, sharing their home court with the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers. Speaking of…
⬆️ The Dallas Wings will get an arena upgrade of their own in 2027, moving to the 20K-seat American Airlines Center — the home of both the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and NHL’s Dallas Stars.
- The move will bring the Wings to downtown Dallas as the team’s popularity soars following the additions of Paige Bueckers and rookie Azzi Fudd. The Wings currently host home games at the College Park Center at UT Arlington, which only seats around 6K fans.
💜 As for other hardwood-specific news, the Golden State Valkyries keep on rolling after revealing their new court earlier this week, toppling the Toronto Tempo 92–81 last night on their custom floor.
📺 There are five games between now and our next newsletter, but the following are must-watch:
- 🪐 Phoenix Mercury vs. 💭 Atlanta Dream — Tonight at 7 p.m. ET: Kelsey Plum hit the game-winner in her Mercury debut on Monday. Can she help surging Phoenix keep it rolling against the sixth-place Dream?
- ♠️ Las Vegas Aces vs. 🥵 Indiana Fever — Tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET: The Fever continue making headlines for all the wrong reasons, while the reigning champ Aces will be looking to avenge a lopsided mid-July loss to Indiana.
Alex Eala
🎾 Advantage: Eala
The GIST: Fresh off her historic DC Open victory, 21-year-old world No. 20 Alex Eala — the first Filipino to win a WTA title — is the player to know ahead of this week’s National Bank Open. From her meteoric rise to her powerful ball-striking, here’s why Eala’s been called the most exciting player on the WTA tour.
🎾 A product of the prestigious Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain, Eala’s been on the radar of tennis fans for a few years. Her DC win, along with several deep tournament runs over the past two seasons, catapulted the youngster to No. 20 in the world rankings before she graces the Canadian hard courts, a surface she loves.
- Eala’s unique left-handed grip and strong return game are perfect for the faster rallies the North American hard courts are known for. Plus, her serve — an area for improvement — is trending up as the US Open looms at the end of the month.
👀 Eala’s opening National Bank Open match is already sold out as she prepares to face American Alycia Parks tonight at 8:10 p.m. ET. What’s more, she also received the Canadian Open’s final doubles wildcard to compete with a little someone named Venus Williams beginning tomorrow. The definition of must-see TV.
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⚾ Monday’s MLB Trade Deadline brings flurry of moves
Jersey producers are working overtime after dozens of trades went down ahead of Monday’s deadline, including a few big stars on the move.The San Diego Padres acquired pitchers Casey Mize and Robbie Ray, the Boston Red Sox traded for catcher Adley Rutschman, and the Chicago Cubs massively bolstered their pitching rotation. The race for October rages on.
🇺🇸⚽ USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino will lead team through 2030 FIFA World Cup (WC)
After his team captivated the nation before a disappointing Round of 16 exit at this summer’s WC, Poch officially agreed to a new contract with U.S. Soccer on Monday and is already thinking about an expanded player pool. Up first: Four fall friendlies, including rivalry matches against Mexico (October 3rd in Arizona) and CanMNT (October 6th in St. Paul, Minnesota).
👀 2027 NWSL season will reportedly begin on February 11th
Three days before LA hosts the Super Bowl, the City of Stars will reportedly serve as the backdrop for the first NWSL game of the season as the league eyes an early start date to accommodate next summer’s FIFA Women’s WC and the corresponding league break.
- As for the current season, USWNT legend Tobin Heath will officially retire a Portland Thorn at the team’s August 22nd game vs. the Denver Summit. Heath will sign a one-day contract with her beloved Rose City club, part of well-deserved honors celebrating her prolific footy career. Pass the tissues.
🚴 Switzerland’s Marlen Reusser leads Tour de France Femmes four stages in
Reusser surged to the overall lead by winning yesterday’s Stage Four, her third career stage win on the Tour. The 34-year-old now leads race favorite Demi Vollering by 14 seconds while defending champ Pauline-Ferrand Prévot sits in 14th. That said, there are still five stages to go, including tomorrow’s potentially race-defining Mont Ventoux climb. Allez.
Question of the Day
The Women’s Professional Baseball League (WPBL) swings into Week 2 tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. ET with the Boston Hunters taking on the LA Queens, airing on ESPN Select in the U.S. and YouTube in Canada. Who ya got?
Today’s email was brought to you by Alessandra Puccio, Lauren Tuiskula, and Charlotte Mackenzie. Fact-checking by Elisha Gunaratnam. Ops by Elisha Gunaratnam and Briana Ekanem. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.