This is going to ruin the tour
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Happy Monday!
Let today’s newsletter carry you into the new week just like Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce carrying Taylor Swift during his surprise Eras Tour onstage appearance over the weekend. Heel clicks all around.
— Team USA sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, after running the fastest women’s 100m race of the year on Saturday and qualifying for the Paris Olympics at the USA Track & Field Trials. Unstoppable.
Stanley Cup Final
🏒 Opportunity knocking
The GIST: Thanks to the Edmonton Oilers’ incredible 5–1 Game 6 Saturday win over the Florida Panthers, the Stanley Cup Final is heading to the best two words in sports — Game 7 — for the first time since 2019.
- History will be made in tonight’s 8 p.m. ET showdown: Either the Oilers will complete one of the biggest comebacks ever or the Panthers will hoist their very first Stanley Cup. Here are two things to keep in mind before puck drop.
It’s been 82 years since a team overcame a 3-0 hole in the Final: The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs were the last squad to win it all after losing the first three games of the final series, adding to the hype ahead of tonight’s showdown.
- However, when you zoom out, this series has technically been even. Florida dominated Games 1 through 3, outscoring Edmonton by seven goals, but come Games 4 to 6, Edmonton hit the Uno Reverse and dominated themselves, winning those three games by a 13-goal margin. All to say, Game 7 could fall either way. Unless…
Mojo makes the difference: It’s been 31 years since a Canadian team won the Cup, and with the league’s best player (center Connor McDavid) and three straight wins in their pocket, the momentum is squarely in Edmonton’s favor, even with Florida hosting Game 7 tonight.
- Not to mention, the Panthers’ top-notch goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has been struggling after a piping hot series start. That said, of the 17 Game 7s in Stanley Cup Final history, 12 were won by the home team. Will the Panthers make it lucky 13?
WNBA Commissioner's Cup
🏀 Hoop, there it is
The GIST: The WNBA’s fourth annual Commissioner's Cup — an in-season battle for hardware and cold hard cash — tips off tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET, featuring two red-hot squads: the Minnesota Lynx out of the Western Conference and the host NY Liberty (the defending Cup champs) representing the Eastern Conference. Taking “can’t miss” to a whole new level.
How it works: This year featured a revamped format in which each team played five Commissioner's Cup games (down from 10 in years prior) — one against each in-conference rival. The squads — one from each conference — with the top record in those designated Commissioner's Cup games advanced to tomorrow’s championship tilt.
- The Libs blew away the competition, going undefeated in their matchups, while the Lynx dropped just one game en route to clinching the chance to play for the $500K prize pool.
- Speaking of, the players on the winning team earn about $30K each, the champ game MVP wins a $5K bonus, and the losing team still walks away with $10K each for their efforts. Cha-ching.
The matchup: Both sides are riding high into tomorrow’s tip-off — the Libs are on a three-game win streak while the Lynx have quietly rattled off an astounding six straight Ws. Minnesota did rout NY 84–67 when they met in late May, but that was on an uncharacteristically off night for NY’s Jonquel Jones, who was held to a mere four points in the L.
- JJ features on a fearsome Big (Apple) Three, joined by reigning league MVP Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu, all three of whom rank in the top 15 of the league in scoring.
- As for the Lynx, they’re led by one of the most underrated players in the league, Napheesa Collier, who averages at least 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. But she’s quick to credit the depth of her balanced squad, including sharpshooter Kayla McBride. Teamwork making that dream work.
Together With New Balance
🎾 Serving looks
Reigning US Open champion, TikTok queen, and world No. 2 Coco Gauff owns the intersection of sports and culture. The brand outfitting her along the way? None other than New Balance.
- Their gear keeps up with your toughest workouts, supports your grind, and looks good while doing it — just like Coco herself.
Take her signature shoe, the Coco CG1, for example. The ’90s hoops–inspired kicks offer “a unique blend of statement-making style and high performance.” A true serve.
⚽ The No. 11 USMNT topped No. 84 Bolivia 2–0 in their Copa América opener last night, a thrilling tourney start bolstered by this absolute banger from striker Christian “Captain America” Pulisic. Atta boy.
⛳ World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler became the first golfer since Tiger Woods to win six times in a season yesterday, dodging protestors before beating birthday twin and good pal No. 26 Tom Kim in a playoff to win the Travelers Championship. Unreal.
⚽ Hosts No. 16 Germany raged back to draw 1–1 with No. 19 Switzerland in yesterday’s Euro action, ending group play on top of Group A and qualifying for this weekend’s Round of 16.
🏆 World No. 25 South Korea’s Amy Yang won her first career major title yesterday, carding five birdies to finish atop the leaderboard at the Women’s PGA Championship.
🏎️ Red Bull’s Max Verstappen held off Lando Norris’ surging McLaren to win his third straight Spanish Grand Prix yesterday. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton finished third, his Formula 1–record 198th podium finish.
🎓⚾ No. 1 Tennessee and No. 3 Texas A&M split the opening two games of the Men’s College World Series, forcing a championship-deciding Game 3 tonight at 7 p.m. ET. Pop that corn.
🥎 The AUX softball title is Jocelyn Alo’s to lose with just two games remaining in the three-week season, but it’ll all come down to tomorrow’s doubleheader airing on ESPN2.
🏈 The Mississippi Panthers won the WNFC championship last night, topping the Texas Elite Spartans 13–6 to cap off an undefeated season. Crown those gridiron queens.
Together With BetterHelp
Is life starting to feel like one long Monday morning? Just like you protect your physical health with exercise and healthy eating, your mental health needs care every day, too. Enter: BetterHelp.
- Whether you’re new to therapy or are looking for more convenient and affordable care, BetterHelp is on call. Hey, even Olympians need support sometimes.
- Use code “thegist” for 25% off your first month. Support for those Monday morning blues is just a few clicks away.
Hi. It’s us. We’re the recommenders, it’s us.
🧠 How to make the world a better place
By spending just five to 10 minutes a day learning sign language with Lingvano. Download the app to develop the skills needed for real-life, inclusive conversations, one sign at a time.*
🏀 What not to scroll past
🗣️ Who’s speaking up
Kylian Mbappé. The French soccer captain made a powerful Euro 2024 press conference statement, saying he stands against extremism and divisive ideas as his home country prepares for a major election next month.
*P.S. This is a sponsored post. Start signing.Take Your Pick
This is officially it, folks. The hardest trophy to win in sports will finally be awarded to either Florida or Edmonton tonight. Who’s your pick to take home Lord Stanley?
Today’s email was brought to you by Lauren Tuiskula, Alessandra Puccio, Marga Sison, Lisa Minutillo, and Briana Ekanem. Editing by Laura Pastore, Janine Kiefer, Emma Leishman, Rachel Fuenzalida, and Lindsay Jost. Fact-checking by Parul Kanwar. Ops by Marga Sison and Lisa Minutillo. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster and Alessandra Puccio. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.