Ain’t no hold ’em
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Happy hump day!
While you patiently wait for Beyoncé’s Act II: Cowboy Carter album to drop, stick around, ’round, ’round, ’round, ’round this newsletter for some sporty updates.
No. 4 Stanford star Cameron Brink, sharing yesterday that she’ll be joining fellow senior, No. 2 Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, in the stacked 2024 WNBA Draft class.
- Brink, a dominant shooter and blocker, is widely expected to be a top-three pick, but no matter where she lands, you can bet godbrother Steph Curry will be sitting courtside.
NFL Free Agency
🏈 Musical chairs (football’s version)
The GIST: It may be the offseason, but the NFL’s free agency is giving more drama than this season of The Bachelor. Free agency is a period where players with expiring contracts can freely negotiate and sign with other teams, and teams can officially trade players and draft picks to other squads.
- Though free agency doesn’t officially open until the NFL’s “new year” begins today at 4 p.m. ET, that hasn’t stopped teams from brokering blockbuster deals.
Running back (RB) moves: After years of less lucrative and shorter contracts for RBs compared to other skilled positions, many top backs — including longtime (and now former) NY Giant Saquon Barkley — considered sitting out last year unless they received a fair deal. Despite fears that the position has been devalued, the 2024 season is shaping up to be the year of the RBs.
- Headlining the signings is former Tennessee Titan Derrick Henry, who agreed to a two-year, $16M deal with the Baltimore Ravens yesterday. One of the best RBs in the league lining up beside the league’s reigning MVP quarterback (QB) Lamar Jackson? It’s almost unfair.
- Meanwhile, the aforementioned Barkley is flying to a new home, agreeing to a three-year, $37.75M contract with the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday. If Barkley hits his incentives (aka performance bonuses), the deal could be the second richest for an RB in NFL history.
QB signings: Not to be outdone, the QB market is red-hot, too. On Monday, former Minnesota Viking Kirk “you like that” Cousins agreed to a massive four-year, $180M deal with the Atlanta Falcons. The 35-year-old signal caller had one of his best statistical seasons last year before tearing his Achilles in October.
- And there’s plenty of QB cash to go around: Netflix star Marcus Mariota’s en route to the Washington Commanders, perennial backup Sam Darnold bagged a cool $10M to lead the Minnesota Vikings, and Gardner Minshew’s headed to the Las Vegas Raiders on a two-year, $25M deal.
What’s next: With the free agency frenzy just getting started, stay in the loop as teams continue to wheel and deal heading into the fall campaign. September’s looking a whole lot different already.
🎓🏀 No. 2 Texas defeated No. 4 Iowa State 70–53 last night to claim the Longhorns’ third Big 12 tournament title and an automatic bid to the NCAA women’s tournament next week. Almost time to dance.
🤯 In arguably the most shocking loss of his career, world No. 1 Novak Djokovic fell to world No. 123 Luca Nardi at Indian Wells (the fifth Grand Slam) on Monday. Miracles happen.
🎾 On the flip side, birthday girl Coco Gauff won her Monday Round of 32 match, setting up today’s Round of 16 clash with Belgium’s world No. 28 Elise Mertens at 3:15 p.m. ET.
🏆 No. 2 Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, No. 1 South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso, and the aforementioned Cameron Brink headline this year’s class of John R. Wooden Award finalists for the most outstanding college basketball player of the year.
👏 Purdue senior Zach Edey is also a John R. Wooden Award finalist and could become just the third men’s player to win it back to back. Purdue also retired the big man’s jersey number (15) this week, making him the first active Purdue player to achieve this feat. Iconic.
🇺🇲 Rising USWNT player Mia Fishel announced she underwent successful ACL surgery on Monday. Fishel suffered the injury in February in the leadup to the Concacaf W Gold Cup.
⚽ Speaking of, on the heels of the successful W Gold Cup, Concacaf is launching the W Champions Cup, the region’s first official continental club competition that will serve as a qualification route to the FIFA Women’s Club World Cup. Can’t wait.
Together With The GIST
🤝 We have your back
Do you work for a company that’s looking for new ways to reach a different type of sports fan? You’ve come to the right place.
As a GISTer, you know firsthand that our community loves companies that align with their values, including supporting women in sports and women’s sports. In fact, 91% of GISTers are interested in brands we choose to share with them.
If you or your company want to help level the playing field in sports, let’s talk.
🏒 PWHL: Boston vs. Minnesota — Tonight at 7 p.m. ET — YouTube
- Boston’s had Minnesota’s number so far this season, but surely captain Kendall Coyne Schofield is aiming to flip the script inside out in this mid-week skate off.
🏀 NBA: Denver Nuggets vs. Miami Heat — Tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET — ESPN
- Buckle up for a rematch of last year’s NBA Finals as Jimmy Butler’s Heat try to put a stop to Finals MVP Nikola Jokić. Good luck.
⛳ PGA: THE PLAYERS Championship — Tomorrow to Sunday — NBC and ESPN+
- The 50th edition of this prestigious tournament tees off from the iconic TPC Sawgrass in Florida, with all eyes on world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler to become the tourney’s first-ever back-to-back winner.
Together With LMNT
Feeling groggy after your workout? Let LMNT and their state-of-the-art rehydration system help you get back on track. There’s a reason elite athletes use LMNT to beat fatigue and post-workout brain fog — their zero-sugar electrolyte mixes replenish your sodium, potassium, and magnesium stores to supercharge recovery.
- What’s more, they’re offering GISTers a free eight-count sample pack with any purchase, so you can try their wide range of flavors. Last night you might’ve taken an L, but tonight you can take an LMNT to bounce back.
Here’s what has GIST HQ buzzing:
🍺 Where to watch the game
A Bar of Their Own, Minnesota’s first sports bar dedicated exclusively to women’s sports. More of this, please.
🏳️🌈 What to check out
State of Play, a column from Gay Times focused on the changes necessary to make the world of sport fully accessible to the LGBTQIA+ community.
📕 What to read
Sidelined: Sports, Culture, and Being a Woman in America by Julie Dicaro. The GIST Book Club is all over this one for Women’s History Month. Read along with us on Fable.
Question of the Day
Did you hear? The April 20th PWHL game between Toronto and Montréal will be played at the Bell Centre, the NHL’s biggest arena, with a seating capacity of over 21K. Do you think this game will break the pro women’s hockey game attendance record? Make your voice heard below.
Today’s email was brought to you by 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 Briana Ekanem and Marga Sison. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster, Alexis Allison, and Dee Lab. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.