The GIST

How free agency could impact the WNBA expansion draft

The coin has spoken, and the Portland Fire own the No. 1 pick in today’s 3:30 p.m. ET WNBA expansion draft. The Fire and Toronto Tempo will alternate picks in the snake-style, two-round draft, building their inaugural rosters by selecting up to 12 players each from the league’s 13 existing teams.

April 03, 2026

Everything you need to know about the women’s Final Four field

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If you told us months ago that the women’s Final Four would feature the same programs as last season, we’d have said, “yep, that checks out.” UConn, UCLA, Texas, and South Carolina have lived up to the pre–March Madness hype all tourney long — they’re truly the crème de la crème.

April 03, 2026

Mikaela Shiffrin explains the value of sponsorship from U.S. Ski & Snowboard, Stifel, and luxury brands

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Mikaela Shiffrin was one of the most recognized athletes heading into Milano Cortina 2026, and she emerged from the Games with more hype than ever before. Shiffrin is enjoying a new era for women Winter Olympians, who can now leverage their athletic success beyond the Games through fashion and media.

April 02, 2026

Setting the stage for the final two weeks of NBA regular-season action

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The 20-team NBA postseason field is officially set, but all-important positioning is still up for grabs. Squads will be especially focused on avoiding the always stressful Play-In Tournament — where each conference’s seven through 10 seeds vie for the final two official playoff spots.

April 01, 2026

Sizing up the NHL playoff picture with 16 days left in the regular season

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We’re officially in the homestretch of the NHL regular season, but only two squads have punched their tickets to the 16-team Stanley Cup Playoff, which begins on April 18th. Here’s the tale of two conferences.

April 01, 2026

Connecticut Sun sold to Houston ownership with plans to revive vintage Comets franchise

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On Friday, the Mohegan Tribe — the longtime ownership group of the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun — reportedly sold the team to Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta and family for a record $300M. The move solidified months of speculation that the W would steer the sale toward Houston after the league reportedly denied Boston’s even higher bid for $325M.

March 31, 2026

No. 1 UConn, No. 1 UCLA book spots in women’s Final Four

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Elite Eight…more like Elite Great. So far two No. 1 seeds have punched tickets to the women’s Final Four — will the other two join them tonight?

March 30, 2026

No. 1 overall seed Duke eliminated, men’s Final Four field set

Sports News

No. 1 overall seed Duke eliminated, men’s Final Four field set

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March 30, 2026

Meanwhile in the men’s tourney, brackets everywhere are busted and Saturday’s Final Four games are set. Fresh off yesterday’s massive upset, No. 2 seed UConn will play No. 3 Illinois, while No. 1 Arizona and No. 1 Michigan will square off in a heavyweight bout. Here’s how we got here.

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The GIST of It Podcast

Ep #544

Our spicy women’s March Madness predictions

April 02, 2026

Listen on Apple Music Listen on Spotify

Our spicy women’s March Madness predictions

Is it hot in here?

Or is it just these takes? On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Steph Rotz and Lauren Tuiskula preview the women’s March Madness Final Four, a repeat of last year’s field featuring all four No. 1 seeds: UConn, South Carolina, Texas, and UCLA. Who will end up on top in this clash of queens? Steph and Lauren have a few ideas — and they might surprise you.