My dream date. Cute.
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Welcome to a new week!
It’s the last day of June, but you already know our women’s sports–loving hearts celebrate Pride 24/7, 365. Grab some merch to finish out the month loud and proud before you read on for today’s sports news.
— WNBA legend Candace Parker, spreading positivity as her No. 3 jersey was retired by the LA Sparks in a ceremony yesterday. What a legacy.
WNBA Commissioner’s Cup
🏀 All that glitters
The GIST: Get used to seeing the Minnesota Lynx’s Napheesa Collier and the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark go head-to-head. Not only were the superstars named All-Star Game captains yesterday, but they’ll also square off in tomorrow’s 8 p.m. ET Commissioner’s Cup. Hoop yeah.
⚙️ How it works: This is the fifth annual Cup, but just the second season under the current format. The finalists (one from each conference) are the teams with the best record in designated tilts — and the league couldn’t have written it better, as the championship matchup came down to the final night of games.
- Players on the winning team earn $30K each, while the game MVP takes home a cool $5K bonus. The losing team doesn’t go home empty-handed though: They’ll walk away with $10K each for their efforts. Cha-ching.
🐱 Minnesota Lynx to defend Cup title: It’s no surprise that the Collier-led Lynx are back in the championship game. With only two losses on the season (one of them with the five-time All-Star sidelined), the league-best Lynx haven’t missed a beat, rolling out a battle-tested lineup that also features the sharpshooting Kayla McBride and the always clutch Courtney Williams.
🥵 Clark’s availability could determine Fever’s fate: The sophomore star has missed the last two games with a groin injury — and whether she’s knocking down threes or not, the Fever are better with Clark on the floor. Even with Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell’s heroics keeping Indy afloat recently, watch for the injury report ahead of this showdown with the juggernaut Lynx.
Wimbledon
🎾 Touching grass
The GIST: And just like that, it’s time for tennis’ third Grand Slam of the year: Wimbledon, the white-clad, grass-court tournament. With first-round matches already underway, here are the key storylines surrounding the most prestigious major of the season.
🕺 World’s top women’s players dance off conflict: ICYMI, things were a bit frosty between No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 2 Coco Gauff after the American’s French Open triumph last month. But the world’s best are moving on, filming a TikTok together before the tourney.
- Now let’s talk tennis: Sabalenka’s big serve and incredible form make her the odds-on favorite on Wimbledon’s fast grass, while Gauff will have a tough climb to the top, facing recent foe Dayana Yastremska in her opening match tomorrow.
🔥 Is another Slam in sight for No. 1 Jannik Sinner or two-time defending champ No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz?: Men’s tennis currently belongs to the top-ranked rivals — either Sinner or Alcaraz has won every major since January 2024. And these two are on a collision course to the final, meaning another historic match might be in the works.
👀 No. 6 Novak Djokovic eyes record 25th Grand Slam amid retirement chatter: The Joker is one major away from becoming the winningest tennis player ever — and he thinks this tourney is his best chance to make history. Djokovic has reached the last two Wimbledon finals, losing to Alcaraz both times, but has a track record of success on the grass courts with seven titles to his name.
Together With The GIST
💅 The GIST’s Pride Collection is here
Pride Month is almost over, but creating merch that feels real and not rainbow-washed takes time — and we’re in a better-late-than-never state of mind. Without further ado…
🧢 The iconic She’s Gay, Marcus hat
👜 And the Sports are for the Girls, Gays, and Theys tote.
10% of proceeds from this collection will benefit You Can Play, a nonprofit working to make sports more inclusive for LGBTQIA+ fans and athletes. Supplies are limited, so shop now.
🏀 LA Lakers superstar LeBron James returning for record-breaking 23rd NBA season
As expected, the league’s all-time leading scorer will add to that mind-boggling point total, returning (for now) to the Lakers to the tune of $52.6M. When he takes the floor in October, King James will set a new league record for seasons played, a mark he currently shares with now-retired journeyman and Hall of Famer Vince Carter.
- And the 40-year-old James wasn’t the only hooper putting pen to paper: Minnesota Timberwolves Julius Randle and Naz Reid inked lucrative extensions, while LA Clipper James Harden signed a two-year, $81.5M deal to stay in Tinseltown.
🏎️ McLaren returns to form, finishes 1-2 at Austrian Grand Prix
The papaya orange are in a class of their own: Lando Norris dominated Saturday’s qualifying session to start at the front of the grid, and that’s exactly where he finished, beating teammate Oscar Piastri by just 2.7 seconds. Norris’ race win (good for 25 points) closes Piastri’s World Drivers’ Championship lead to just 15 points ahead of next weekend’s British Grand Prix.
- Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc rounded out the podium, finishing third. As for Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, he didn’t complete a single lap after a collision with Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli ended both drivers’ races early. The reality TV show writes itself.
🏉 Denver Onyx dominate inaugural Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) championship game
The Legacy Cup has found its first home: Colorado, after the Onyx beat the NY Exiles 53–13 in yesterday’s title game, closing out a formidable regular-season campaign. With the debut WER season done and dusted, North America’s appetite for the sport is at an all-time high, an excellent sign ahead of this summer’s Women’s Rugby World Cup.
🇺🇸⚽ No. 16 USMNT win penalty shootout, advance to Concacaf Gold Cup semis
The Americans toppled No. 54 Costa Rica in yesterday’s back-and-forth quarter-final match, winning on penalties after a 2–2 regular-time draw thanks to heroics from goalkeeper Matt Freese and forward Damion Downs, who sealed the deal in just his third national team appearance.
- Next up: Wednesday’s semi against No. 106 Guatemala, who stunned No. 30 CanMNT in a penalty shootout hours before the red, white, and blue win.
- Meanwhile, in Rose Lavelle’s hometown, the No. 1 USWNT made light work of No. 25 Ireland, winning yesterday’s international friendly 4–0 with contributions from four different goal scorers, including captain Lynn Biyendolo.
Together With Explore Edmonton
Name a North American city with a rich women’s sports culture. LA? Of course. NYC? Checks out. Edmonton, Alberta? The Canadian city just might top the list: It’s a hotbed for women’s sports, global events, and so much more — like their espnW summit partnership with Knix. *flips hair*
💪 From honoring the past to hosting world-class events in the present to nurturing the elite women athletes of the future, learn more about all the ways Edmonton is raising the bar for women in sport. Pretty cool, eh?
Recs from our roster!
🍹 What to drink
Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers’ Shirley Temple Gatorade flavor. Gatorade made it just for her, and she says it’s “pretty fire.”
🏄 What to check out
These dogs catching waves. Huntington Beach’s Incredible Dog Challenge brought the bark, the bite, and some incredible pics.
💄 What to wear
This lip stain. Huda’s Lip Contour Stain is smudge-proof, and won’t bail before the buzzer — a real MVP.
Question of the Day
July is knockin’ on the door with a new slate of exciting sporting events on deck. Which one is at the top of your list?
Today’s email was brought to you by Alessandra Puccio, Lisa Minutillo, Lauren Tuiskula, Rachel Fuenzalida, Grace DePaull, Charlotte Mackenzie, and Briana Ekanem. Editing by Katie Kehoe Foster. Fact-checking by Marga Sison and Mikaela Perez. Ops by Marga Sison. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster, Alessandra Puccio, and Lisa Minutillo. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula and Alessandra Puccio. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.