As Tia and Tamera foretold
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Leveling The Playing Field
The Philadelphia Phillies kicked off the weekend fun early, beating the Minnesota Twins 7–1 in last night’s “Field of Dreams” game. Here’s live footage of us heading into the weekend, but first, the rest of today’s sports news.
Flag football
🏈 Flag on the play
The GIST: ICYMI: Flag football is giving “it girl” — there’s a new NFL–backed pro league, the sport will debut at the 2028 LA Olympics, and women’s flag is on the rise.
- Enter: This weekend’s World Championships, yet another opportunity to watch the surging sport shine. Hut, hut, here we go.
☝️ Flag football isn’t tackle football: It sounds obvious, but that’s why NFL MVPs aren’t suiting up. Flag demands a very different skill set, one where elusiveness, spatial awareness, and hand-eye coordination (that flag is small) reign supreme. Plus, the absence of hard hits means more games can be played in a shorter period of time.
🏆 How it works: Two Olympic spots are on the line for both the women and men at Worlds. That said, because the Games are in LA, both American teams automatically qualified, meaning the top two finishers excluding the U.S. will punch their tickets this weekend. The remaining three spots for both Olympic tourneys will be awarded at a two-stage qualifier in June 2028.
- 🇺🇸 Don’t let those pre-punched tickets fool you, neither American squad has had trouble finding the endzone. The No. 2 undefeated gals play Spain to wrap up the group-stage, which is currently underway, while the No. 1 men battle Australia in their final group-stage game at 9:30 a.m. ET.
💪 Players to watch: The American women are anchored by veteran linebacker and three-time world champ Deliah Autry-Jones, along with former pro hooper Loryn Goodwin, who swapped sneakers for cleats just three years ago. Meanwhile, Team USA quarterback Darrell “Housh” Doucette’s already made good on his viral claim from 2024.
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🏀 WNBA anti-hate task force unfazed by “bad faith” transgender debate
A committee of players, coaches, and front office staff met Wednesday before releasing a statement denouncing the harmful publicity stunt of two ex-NBA players claiming to be women in order to enter the 2027 W draft. More meetings are expected in the coming weeks as the league addresses this ongoing tension, along with other issues plaguing the W.
- And yet, the on-court action endures — and there’s a thrilling slate of games this weekend as Rivals Week continues, starting with tonight’s 7:30 p.m. ET tilt between the Dallas Wings and Indiana Fever. The last four No. 1 draft picks on the court at the same time? Yes, please.
💸 LA Lakers sell for record-breaking $12.5B
The iconic franchise is changing hands for the second time in 10 months after owner Mark Walter turned a mind-boggling $2.5B profit on the deal. The conspiracy theories are flying, but one question stands out for women’s sports fans: How does this affect the PWHL? Walter, who’s currently under federal investigation for alleged financial improprieties, also owns the entire women’s hockey league.
- Whatever prompted the Lakers sale, its impact on the PWHL — which enters its fourth season with four new expansion teams this fall — is TBD. In the meantime, join The GIST Plus to hear our hot takes on the topic in today’s members-only podcast. *winks*
🎾 World No. 8 Iga Świątek defeats No. 2 Elena Rybakina in Canadian Open final
After losing to eventual champion Rybakina in the Australian Open quarter-finals earlier this year, Świątek got her revenge in Toronto last night, winning in straight sets for her first WTA title of the year. Over in Montréal, No. 10 Ben Shelton defended his title by ousting fellow American No. 31 Brandon Nakashima in straight sets.
🏆⚽ Chawinga sisters shine, lead Malawi to Sunday’s WAFCON final against Cameroon
As Tia and Tamera foretold, a sister connection can’t be beat. Tabitha Chawinga notched a brace while Temwa scored a goal of her own as Malawi took down Algeria 3–1 on Wednesday. Cameroon eliminated host nation Morocco 3-1 on penalties in their semi, setting up Sunday’s 3 p.m. ET championship match, where a first-time winner will be crowned.
- In NWSL news, the last-place Chicago Stars fired first-year head coach Martin Sjögren and assistant coach Anders Jacobson on Wednesday after recording only one win since May. Yikes.
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⛳ PGA Tour FedEx Cup Playoffs: St. Jude Championship — Today through Sunday — GOLF Channel/ESPN/CBS
- There’s a five-way tie atop the leaderboard following yesterday’s first day of play at TPC Southwind, a group that includes three-time major winner Jordan Spieth, whose last PGA Tour victory was in 2022.
🏊 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships — Ongoing through tomorrow — Peacock
- American legend Katie Ledecky won 1500m freestyle gold on Wednesday, extending her unbeaten streak in the event to 16 (!!!) years. Next up: Defending her 400m freestyle title against surging Canadian star Summer McIntosh. Prelims begin today at 1 p.m. ET, with the final at 10 p.m. ET.
🏈 NFL preseason: Carolina Panthers vs. Buffalo Bills — Tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET — NFL+
- There was only one way for the Bills to break in the new (and perhaps not-so-improved) Highmark Stadium: with star quarterback Josh Allen under center. Expect the nine-year veteran to jump right in — there’s no toe dips in Orchard Park.
⚽ NWSL: Washington Spirit vs. Angel City FC — Sunday at 9 p.m. ET — ESPN
- Spirit forward (and friend of The GIST) Trinity Rodman has been on a scoring tear since returning from the international break, scoring six goals in eight games — five of which were game-winners. Can faltering ACFC find a way to stop the clutch queen?
🏀 NBA icon Russell Westbrook hangs ’em up
Westbrook’s accolades across his inimitable 18-year NBA career speak for themselves. He retires as a nine-time All-Star, was featured on nine All-NBA teams, and earned NBA MVP in 2017. His résumé includes two scoring titles, an unconscionable 221 triple-doubles, and three instances of leading the league in assists. The numbers are unquestionably heroic.
- But Westbrook’s legacy extends beyond stats: He played with reckless abandon (sometimes to his own detriment), single-handedly transformed the NBA’s fashion culture, and simply did not care what anyone else thought about him. He was authentically himself, through and through.
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.