Kenough is enough
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Hey Barbie!
Outraged about yesterday’s Oscar snubs? Same. Let’s escape by stepping into today’s Dreamhouse of sports news.
— The Ten Lives Club, a NY-based cat rescue and shelter, showing their support for Buffalo Bills kicker (and brand ambassador) Tyler Bass, who deactivated his social media accounts after missing a crucial field goal in Sunday’s 27–24 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
- Since that post, Bills Mafia has raised over $100K in Bass’ name for the shelter, with numerous $22 donations in honor of his No. 2 jersey. This fanbase is truly the cat’s meow.
Australian Open
🎾 Guess who’s back…back again
The GIST: The women’s and men’s semifinals are officially set Down Under, highlighted by two defending champs eager to retain their crown. And you thought Break Point was dramatic.
Women’s: No. 4 Coco Gauff is through to her first-ever Aussie Open semi, where she’ll face a familiar foe: reigning champion No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka — a rematch of the 2023 US Open, which Gauff won in three sets to claim her first major title.
- Undefeated in 2024, the American fan-favorite is approaching
today’stomorrow’s 3:30 a.m. ET battle with excitement and caution, hoping she “got the bad match out of the way” in the quarter-finals, where she made an uncharacteristic 51 unforced errors. Sabalenka, on the other hand, has yet to drop a set this tourney and is eager for revenge against the 19-year-old.
- Over on the other side of the bracket, No. 1 Iga Świątek’s (pronounced sh-fee-ON-tek) early exit has left a clear path for others to make their best Grand Slam runs yet. Today’s second semis match will be a battle of first-time major semifinalists, as Dayana Yastremska faces No. 12 Qinwen Zheng.
Men’s: After defeating America’s last male hope, No. 12 Taylor Fritz, in the quarter-finals yesterday, No. 1 Novak Djokovic advanced to his 11th Australian Open semi — tomorrow’s battle with No. 4 Jannik Sinner. Twenty-two-year-old Sinner is coming in hot: not only has he won every match of the tourney in straight sets, he also beat Djokovic at the Davis Cup in November 2023.
- But this semis showdown is Djokovic’s to lose: Every time he’s won his Aussie Open quarter-final match, he’s gone on to win the title. Sheesh.
- The other men’s semifinal will see No. 3 Daniil Medvedev take on the winner of No. 6 Alexander Zverev vs. No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, who are playing as we send this.
🦌 Despite sitting second in the Eastern Conference with less than half the season remaining, the Milwaukee Bucks fired first-year head coach Adrian Griffin yesterday and reportedly hired veteran head coach Doc Rivers to take his place.
🏀 Bidding for back-to-back MVP awards, Philadelphia 76er Joel Embiid strengthened his case with a career-high, record-setting 70-point performance in the Sixers’ Monday win over the San Antonio Spurs. Here’s hoping he can stay healthy.
⚾ Texas Rangers legend Adrián Beltré headlines the four-member Baseball Hall of Fame 2024 class that was announced yesterday. Queue up The Script.
🌹 USWNT captain and two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup winner Becky Sauerbrunn re-signed with the Portland Thorns on a one-year contract, the club announced yesterday. Aye, aye.
💰 Speaking of the Thorns, the club will reportedly pay a record £250K transfer fee to acquire Canadian star Jessie Fleming from Women’s Super League team Chelsea.
🗽 And exhale, NY Liberty fans. Free agent Jonquel Jones reportedly intends to re-sign with the team as WNBA free agency rumors continue to fly.
⛔ The NBA suspended Cleveland Cavalier Tristan Thompson for 25 games without pay for violating the league’s Anti-Drug Program.
Together With MILK
👟 You can go the distance
There’s no time like January to set a lofty goal — how about running a marathon? Milk is hosting the first-ever Every Woman’s Marathon in November, a female-first race designed for runners of every skill level. Creating a safe space to try new things? HYFR.
- But this is more than a marathon: it’s a self-care weekend. Fuel up with milk, the original performance drink, with electrolytes, protein, B vitamins, and more, before heading to complimentary yoga and cooking classes, and tackling your race.
Best of all, Team Milk will support you every step of the way with special training guides designed by five expert marathoners, including friend of The GIST, Kathrine Switzer. Sign up today to lock in discounted early bird pricing and kick off 2024 on the right…foot.
🏒 PWHL: Boston vs. Ottawa — Tonight at 7 p.m. ET — YouTube
- Yes, this is a battle of inconsistent contenders, but these two squads have also played the fewest games in the league. Maybe tonight’s the night they find their footing.
🥅 PWHL: Montréal vs. Minnesota — Tonight at 7 p.m. ET — YouTube
- On the flip side, the two standings leaders meet in the state of hockey for what’s sure to be a high-scoring matchup between league-leading scorers Marie-Philip Poulin of Montréal and Grace Zumwinkle of Minnesota. Spicy.
⛳ LPGA: Drive On Championship — Tomorrow through Sunday — Golf Channel
- After last weekend’s exciting season opener, the fun swings on from Bradenton, Florida, where world No. 4 and Bradenton’s own Nelly Korda will be looking to improve her season-opening 16th-place finish. Tee-riffic.
🎓🏀 NCAA women’s basketball: No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 9 LSU — Tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET — ESPN
- The top-ranked Gamecocks are the only undefeated team remaining in all of college hoops, but they’ll face their toughest test yet in the defending champs. Can’t miss is an understatement.
Together With MILK
Relaxing yoga classes, stimulating panels…and 26.2 miles — the Every Woman’s Marathon in Savannah, Georgia is the perfect weekend for sporty spices searching for a supportive community of ambitious gals. Our pals at Milk are planning it all on a beginner-friendly course, great for first-time striders and seasoned vets alike.
- And when you’re training for the race, consider powering up with nutritious dairy milk in your morning oats or kickstarting your post-run recovery with chocolate milk, the ultimate treat that repairs and rebuilds your muscles and helps prevent soreness. Moo-re of that, please.
Women were banned from running marathons until 1972, and even today, most races are created with men in mind — but not the Every Woman’s Marathon. From the course to the private nursing pods, every aspect of this weekend was designed with women at the forefront. A welcome change of pace.
Hi. It’s us. We’re the recommenders, it’s us.
👟 What to sign up for
The inaugural Every Woman’s Marathon, a 26.2-mile female-first race created by women, for women, and sponsored by our friends at Milk. Grab a glass of the protein-rich cold stuff and register today for a special early bird discount. You got this.*
💜 What we love to see
New sports fans. Swifties are adding to the NFL community and making the whole league shimmer.
🏀 Where to hoop
At the airport. The newly installed court at the Indianapolis Airport is an internet hit, generating buzz ahead of the upcoming NBA All-Star Game. Hey now.
*P.S. This is a sponsored post. Born to run.Question of the Day
As you read, a rivalry is brewing ahead of tonight’s Australian Open women’s singles semi, with defending tourney champion No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka duking it out against reigning US Open champ No. 4 Coco Gauff. Who do you think will come out on top and advance to play for the Grand Slam title?
On Monday we asked who you think will win the Super Bowl. Thirty-four percent voted for the Baltimore Ravens, 25% voted for the Kansas City Chiefs, 23% voted for the Detroit Lions, and 18% voted for the San Francisco 49ers.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 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.