Palms? Sweaty.
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Leveling The Playing Field
Happy Earth Day!
It’s a beautiful day to honor the planet and get outside to enjoy some nature. Take that hot girl walk and touch grass — a whole lot of playoff action will be waiting for you when you get back.
— San Antonio Spurs star and the first unanimous NBA Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama, reflecting on when an opposing youth coach once doubted his defensive skills. There’s just something about hoops stars taking things personally.
- Wemby is sadly now in concussion protocol after a tough fall in last night’s 106–103 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. Hoping for a speedy and smooth recovery.
NFL Draft
🏈 This is what dreams are made of
The GIST: Cue the chime because the 2026 NFL Draft begins tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. From the coveted No. 1 pick to the selection of Mr. Irrelevant at No. 257, the picks keep comin’ and they don’t stop comin’ for seven rounds spanning tomorrow through Saturday.
- Before the bear hugs take center stage, let’s discuss the trio of college stars that could be taken in the top three. Hut, hut, here we go.
🏴☠️ No. 1 pick, Las Vegas Raiders — quarterback (QB) Fernando Mendoza: The consensus No. 1 selection, reigning NCAA champ Mendoza is exactly what the Raiders need: a franchise QB. And the Heisman Trophy winner will be set up for success. Vegas recently signed veteran signal caller Kirk Cousins, who’ll mentor the Raiders’ anticipated top pick alongside a certain minority owner.
✈️ No. 2 pick, NY Jets — defensive end David Bailey: The Texas Tech product is the best pass rusher in the draft, making him the perfect addition to a team that recorded the second-fewest sacks in the league last season. The perennially down-bad Jets need a defensive disrupter ASAP, and Bailey fits the mold perfectly.
❤️ No. 3 pick, Arizona Cardinals — linebacker Arvell Reese: Rumor has it the Cards might swap picks with Kansas City (who have the No. 9 selection), but whoever ends up with the No. 3 pick should take Reese. The former Ohio State Buckeye is explosive, versatile, and has a penchant for big plays, the perfect addition to a pair of defenses that struggled to force turnovers last season.
Together With FP Movement
High-intensity meets high-fashion
🔥 If you’re ready to look good, feel good, play good, we have a match made in sweaty heaven. FP Movement teamed up with iconic fitness studio Barry’s on a collection designed for comfort, style, and going full send.
Whether you’re taking on Barry’s epic 50-minute cardio sesh or your go-to routine, this collab is packed with details that really, ahem, sweat the small stuff. We’re talking:
- ⭐️ Breathable, lightweight materials for breezy airflow (no stuck-in-a-sauna feeling)
- ⭐️ Sweatwicking fabric designed to keep you dry (go ahead, sweat stress-free)
- ⭐️ Four-way stretch that moves with you (so you can keep on pushing the limits)
⚽ Columbus officially awarded 18th NWSL franchise for record $205M fee
The NWSL is expanding to soccer-loving Columbus under the same majority ownership group as MLS’ Columbus Crew, who paid a historic $205M expansion fee to land a club. For comparison, 2026 addition Denver Summit’s expansion fee was $110M just over one year ago. Columbus will debut alongside the league’s 17th team, Atlanta, in 2028.
- Meanwhile in Seattle, Reign legend Jess Fishlock will retire at the end of the season. Fishlock will hang up her boots as the NWSL’s longest tenured player, having played in Seattle since the league’s inception in 2013. The end of an era.
🏀 NCAA women’s basketball star Audi Crooks transfers to Oklahoma State
It’s official: Crooks is leaving Iowa State for their Big 12 rival, a surprising transfer portal move. The second-highest scorer in Division I NCAA women’s hoops last season, Crooks has one year of eligibility remaining and opted for Oklahoma State over title-contending programs like Notre Dame and South Carolina. Perhaps the Cowgirls ponied up.
🏒 NY Sirens eliminated from playoff contention despite overtime (OT) win over Toronto Sceptres
After three scoreless regulation periods, Sirens forward Allyson Simpson lit the lamp in OT, lifting NY to a 1–0 victory last night — but it wasn’t enough to keep the Sirens’ playoff hopes alive. That means the fourth and final playoff spot will come down to the Ottawa Charge and the Sceptres.
- The Charge control their own destiny and can punch their playoff ticket with a regulation win against the Boston Fleet (who are in contention for the postseason’s No. 1 seed) tonight at 7 p.m. ET. Truly down to the wire.
🏀 NBA: Orlando Magic (up 1-0) vs. Detroit Pistons — Tonight at 7 p.m. ET — ESPN
- Few had the Eastern Conference No. 1 seed losing Game 1 on their Bingo cards. Watch for Pistons superstar Cade Cunningham and Co. to come out hot to avoid another slow start on homecourt, while the Magic will try to rinse and repeat after dominating the opening frame in the series opener.
🏒 NHL: Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild (tied 1-1) — Tonight at 9:30 p.m. ET — TNT
- One of the most highly-anticipated first-round matchups is living up to the hype. The Stars evened the series with Monday’s 4–2 win powered by tendy Jake Oettinger’s bounce-back performance. The Wild, meanwhile, missed injured right winger Mats Zuccarello, who is day-to-day after notching three assists in Game 1.
🏀 NBA: NY Knicks (1-1) vs. Atlanta Hawks — Tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET — Prime
- Game 2 featured a Knicks’ collapse for the ages as the ’Bockers coughed up a double-digit, fourth-quarter lead in Monday’s 107–106 loss. Costly turnovers, baffling decision-making, and an inability to score down the stretch sealed the Knicks’ fate — a terrible trifecta they can’t afford to replicate as the series shifts to Atlanta.
🏒 NHL: Buffalo Sabres (1-1) vs. Boston Bruins — Tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET — TNT
- The Bruins avoided a repeat of their stunning Game 1 collapse, beating the Sabres 4–2 last night (and forcing Buffalo to bench starting goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen) to even this thing up before the series ships up to Boston for Game 3. The players to watch? Red-hot centers Tage Thompson for Buffalo and Morgan Geekie for the B’s.
💪 No. 28 — WNBA helps flip Senate against Atlanta Dream co-owner Kelly Loeffler
In the wake of the global reckoning on racism in 2020, Kelly Loeffler (then a Republican senator representing Georgia and co-owner of the Dream) advocated for “less — not more politics in sports.” The league couldn’t force Loeffler to sell, so Dream players took matters into their own hands.
- They focused their attention on disrupting Loeffler’s Senate campaign, ultimately tipping the scales in favor of Loeffler’s Democratic opponent, Raphael Warnock and Loeffler later sold her stake in the Dream. It’s always been bigger than ball.
Today’s email was brought to you by Alessandra Puccio, Lisa Minutillo, Lauren Tuiskula, Grace DePaull, and Charlotte Mackenzie. Fact-checking by Elisha Gunaratnam and Mikaela Perez. Ops by Elisha Gunaratnam and Briana Ekanem. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula and Alessandra Puccio. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.