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The GIST: It’s Black History Month and National Girls and Women in Sports Day, so it just makes sense to start with four ceiling-smashing women.

• The sports media landscape has long been dominated by white men, but that’s changing with an increasing number of women clipping on mics and crushing it on air — and that’s exactly where these four hoop-tastic Black women thrive.

🐐 Candace Parker: One of the most dominant players in WNBA history, CP3’s drive to be the best extends to her broadcast career. Parker started commentating in 2018 — while she was still playing in the W — appearing on TNT, NBA TV, and March Madness broadcasts before joining the iconic Inside the NBA studio show in 2020.

• As if Parker didn’t have enough “firsts” to her name as a player, in 2023 she became the first woman to provide in-game analysis at the NBA All-Star Game. Shining bright and far.

⭐ Then there’s the ESPN trio of some of the best analysts in the business: Andraya Carter, Chiney Ogwumike, and Elle Duncan. Forget the Miami Heat Big Three, this is the only basketball superteam we need.

• Not only was Carter the first full-time woman panelist on men’s College GameDay, she’s also the only ESPN analyst who regularly covers college and pro women’s and men’s basketball, providing insightful analysis for all facets of the game. She truly does it all.

• Ogwumike is another player-turned-analyst, and, like Parker, she began her broadcast career while hooping, becoming one of the youngest full-time basketball analysts in ESPN history. Then, in 2020, she became the first Black woman to host a national radio show.

• Duncan’s been in the game since 2003; she’s an industry expert with the spiciest of takes. From starting her career as an on-air radio personality to anchoring SportsCenter (and winning two Emmys), Duncan’s been a sports broadcast staple for decades. We bow down.

The GIST: The PWHL is on international break, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get your women’s hockey fix. The Rivalry Series — aka the spicy, icy five-game showdown between the Canadian and American national teams — is back on the ice. Drop that puck.

Team USA eyeing comeback after dropping games two and three: The last two editions of the Rivalry Series saw Canada complete the reverse sweep to steal the series from the red, white, and blue. Down 2-1 this year, it’s the Americans’ turn to flip the script, with ageless forward Hilary Knight leading the charge in tomorrow’s 6 p.m. ET game four.

Zooming out: It’s no secret that women’s hockey’s recent growth has been exponential — look no further than the PWHL Takeover Tour’s sold-out arenas. But it didn’t happen overnight: Many trailblazing women in the sport paved the way for what’s happening now and the bright future that lies ahead.

• From Team USA boycotting the 2017 women’s hockey worlds because of inequitable treatment to the trials and tribulations of forming a sustainable women’s professional hockey league in North America, today’s women’s hockey product has truly been a labor of love.

Picture this: You’re on the sideline of an NFL game, camera in hand, ready to snap the best sports photo of the year. Sounds great, right? Well, Verizon’s Behind the Lens program wants to help make your dreams a reality.

Behind the Lens gives aspiring content creators:

🤝 On-the-job experience shadowing professionals

🏆 Opportunities to cover high-profile events, including the Super Bowl and NFL Draft

⭐ Exclusive access to players and coaches

📸 Equipment and tech to help you do your best work

Just like The GIST, Verizon is working to level the playing field, partnering with the NFL to provide talented women the chance to gain experience and build a portfolio for a career in sports media. Applications are open now — shoot your shot.

🏀 Athletes Unlimited Basketball: Team Harrison vs. Team Colson — Tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET — ESPN+

• AU, the original domestic hoops offseason destination, tips off its fourth season tonight. And things are starting off with a bang in this tilt featuring the dynamic (and hilarious) duo of Sydney “newest member of the Indiana Fever” Colson and Theresa Plaisance.

🎓🏀 NCAA women’s basketball: No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 1 UCLA — Tonight at 9:30 p.m. ET — Peacock

• Junior Lauren Betts and the undefeated Bruins have looked virtually unstoppable all season, dominating Big Ten opponents by an average of 20.4 points per game. Can the Buckeyes’ homegrown attack slow them down, or will UCLA just keep rolling?

⛳ LPGA: Founders Cup — Tomorrow through Sunday — Golf Channel

• With a title sponsor secured, the star-studded Founders Cup field is ready for a par-tee — American Lexi “back like she never left” Thompson joins world No. 1 Nelly Korda and world No. 2 Lydia Ko in the quest for a chunk of the $2M purse.

🎓🥎 NCAA softball: No. 4 Oklahoma State vs. No. 12 Florida State — Tomorrow at 11 a.m. ET — FloSports

• Sorry, Punxsutawney Phil — spring must be here because college softball officially begins tomorrow (!!!). And the diamond will be shining right off the bat with this top-25 tilt between two Women’s College World Series contenders.

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