That je ne sais quoi
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Hello!
There’s no time for Monday blues when women’s sports are thriving. Case in point? Saturday’s Chicago Red Stars match hosted at iconic Wrigley Field set an NWSL attendance record, drawing a roaring 35K crowd. Manifesting more of that as we get this week started.
— Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark, keeping it classy after not making this year’s Team USA women’s basketball Olympics roster. The monster’s awake and has her sights on LA 2028 and beyond.
NBA Finals & Stanley Cup Final
🏆 Whole lotta hardware
The GIST: One word to describe the first few games in the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Final? “Dominant,” with the home squads firing on all cylinders. Let’s jump right in.
Boston Celtics surge to 2-0 lead over Dallas Mavericks: Despite yet-another triple-double from Mav Luka Dončić (while he struggled with injury), the Cs soared to new heights in last night’s 105–98 Game 2 win with five players scoring double digit points, including a team-high 26 from Jrue Holiday and a near triple-double effort from superstar Jayson Tatum.
- Now there’s a bit of breathing room before the series switches venues for Game 3 and a bit of rest for Dončić and his so far quiet partner-in-hoops, Kyrie Irving. A lot can change in two days.
Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky secures Florida Panthers’ Game 1 win: Brick wall, waterfall, Bobrovsky does it all — the tendy stopped 32 (!!!) shots in Saturday’s 3–0 W over the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers notably took 14 more shots on net than the Panthers did, but they couldn’t break through with Bobrovsky between the pipes.
- Will Edmonton’s leading man, center Connor McDavid, find the right fit and rebound from the shutdown? Find out in Game 2 from Sunrise, Florida, tonight at 8 p.m. ET.
French Open
🎾 That je ne sais quoi
The GIST: The 2024 French Open came to a historique close as Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Świątek re-wrote the record books in the City of Light. Très bien, indeed.
World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz wins first French Open, third Grand Slam: With yesterday’s thrilling five-set championship victory over No. 4 Alexander Zverev, the 21-year-old Spaniard is now the youngest man to win a Grand Slam title on all three surfaces (clay, grass, and hard). Get you a player who can do it all.
- Alcaraz is also the first man not named Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal to win at Roland-Garros in the last eight years, earning him comparisons to men’s tennis’ lauded “Big 3.”
World No. 1 Iga Świątek three-peats as Roland-Garros champion: Good things really do come in threes for the 23-year-old Pole, who became the third woman in the Open Era to win three straight French Opens following Saturday’s dominant straight sets victory over No. 7 Jasmine Paolini.
- Świątek’s trophy case now includes four Suzanne Lenglens and five total major titles. The only surface she’s yet to win it all on? Grass…good thing Wimbledon’s just three weeks away.
🇺🇲 While Caitlin Clark was left off the aforementioned Team USA women’s basketball Olympics roster, the 12-woman squad does include plenty of WNBA superstars, including A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, and five-time gold medalist Diana Taurasi. So stacked.
🏎️ Circuit Gilles Villeneuve was as slick as ever during yesterday’s Canadian Grand Prix, but Red Bull’s Max Verstappen prevailed for his sixth win of the season with McLaren’s Lando Norris and Mercedes’ George Russell rounding out the podium.
⛳ World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler continues to rewrite the record books. Scheffler won the Memorial Tournament yesterday, his fifth title of the year and, more importantly, his first as a dad. Too cute.
⚽ The USMNT suffered their worst loss in the head coach Gregg Berhalter era on Saturday, a lopsided 5–1 international friendly L to Colombia, especially tough as the red, white, and blue prepare for the Copa América tournament later this month.
🏒 Just days ahead of tonight’s 7 p.m. ET PWHL Draft, Walter Cup champs Minnesota surprisingly parted ways with general manager Natalie Darwitz on Friday.
- As for the draft itself, New York has the first pick from a very talented pool of athletes, followed by Ottawa and Minnesota. Tick tock.
🏀 Here comes the sun Liberty. NY topped the Connecticut Sun 82–75 on Saturday, handing Connecticut their first loss of the season and clinching a spot in the Commissioner’s Cup championship game later this month.
Peep our squad’s MVPs (Most Valuable Picks):
🚨 How to save on therapy
With a GIST-exclusive code for 25% off your first month of BetterHelp. When the NBA Finals are the least stressful part of your day, try BetterHelp’s accessible, convenient, and affordable mental health support. Make yourself a priority and sign up today.*
🏈 What to check out
This Under Armour Pride campaign featuring Byron Perkins, the first openly gay football player at an HBCU.
⛳ What to play
Coffee Golf. Start your day with a quick digital golf game alongside your morning cuppa.
*P.S. This is a sponsored post. Put yourself first.Question of the Day
As the stakes get higher and higher with each game of the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Final, let’s keep today’s question loose. Of the four remaining men’s playoffs mascots, which is your favorite? Take your pick below.
Lucky the Leprechaun - Boston Celtics
Champ and Mavs Man - Dallas Mavericks
Hunter the Lynx - Edmonton Oilers
Stanley C. Panther and Viktor E. Ratt - Florida Panthers
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 Annie Chan. Ops by Marga Sison and Annie Chan. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster, Alexis Allison, and Dee Lab. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.