Bloom where you’re planted
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Happy Friday!
This short week felt anything but, but there’s no better way to dive into the weekend than with a top-notch sports news round up. You earned it.
— Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, cracking jokes after participating in a charity 5K race to raise money for autism. If you had fun, then you won.
Canada Soccer lawsuit
⚽ What’s going on?
The GIST: On the eve of No. 10 CanWNT’s 6–0 CONCACAF W Gold Cup win over No. 104 El Salvador, the Canadian Soccer Players’ Association (which represents CanWNT) filed a lawsuit against its employer, Canada Soccer, for $40M, alleging financial negligence.
The background: CanWNT has been negotiating a new labor agreement with Canada Soccer since their previous deal expired in 2021. CanWNT threatened to strike at the SheBelieves Cup in February 2023, advocating for equal pay with the men’s team amid drastic budget cuts.
- CanWNT ultimately competed in that tourney under threat of legal action from Canada Soccer and without any resolution to their wage dispute. Then in March, it was reported that CanWNT’s funding was “on life support,” leading Canada’s Parliament to demand answers regarding Canada Soccer’s finances.
- Members of Parliament specifically asked why Canada Soccer agreed to a controversial media rights deal with Canadian Soccer Business (CSB), in which CSB would only pay Canada Soccer a max of $3.5M per year for the sponsorships rights to CanWNT and CanMNT through 2027 — a serious undervaluation.
The latest: And that’s where Wednesday’s lawsuit comes in. Canada Soccer’s total sponsorship deals are estimated to be worth $15 to 20M annually, but the filing alleges Canada Soccer only receives the previously agreed upon annual fee of $3.5M from CSB. What?
- The TL;DR? CanWNT’s players’ union is suing their employer for making what they consider to be a bad business deal, one that has significantly hampered Canada Soccer’s overall revenue and directly impacts the conditions under which the athletes play.
Zooming out: From Spain’s La Roja to Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz to Zambia’s Copper Queens, CanWNT — the reigning Olympic champs — are among several senior women’s national teams speaking out against inadequate treatment from their governing bodies. Imagine if they could simply focus on fútbol.
🎓🏀 No. 4 Iowa women’s basketball superstar Caitlin Clark is now 75 points away from breaking Pete Maravich’s all-time NCAA scoring record after dropping 24 in last night’s 86–69 loss to No. 14 Indiana. More history in the making.
🏒 Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews is now the fastest U.S.-born player to score 50 goals in a season, accomplishing the feat during Wednesday’s 6–3 win over the Arizona Coyotes.
⛳ Taiwan’s Peiyun Chien leads the way after one round at the Honda LPGA Thailand while American Elizabeth Szokol sits tied for 11th at four-under.
🏉 The HSBC World Rugby Sevens series kicks off from Vancouver, Canada this weekend, featuring the world No. 5 USA women opening the tournament against world No. 7 Fiji today at 2:30 p.m. ET.
- Meanwhile, the world No. 8 red, white, and blue men will try for a win against world No. 7 France. Ruck and roll.
⚾ Sorry to Punxsutawney Phil, but spring has sprung — MLB Spring Training officially teed off yesterday with the new-look LA Dodgers dismantling the San Diego Padres 14–1 in the first exhibition game leading up to March’s regular-season start.
🏒 PWHL: New York vs. Toronto — Tonight at 7 p.m. ET — YouTube
- Fresh off their first-ever home win, New York will look to bring it on the road against a Toronto squad that hasn’t lost a game in February. Ice, ice, baby.
🎓🥎 NCAA softball: No. 1 Oklahoma vs. No. 20 Mississippi State — Tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET — Flo Softball
- The 20th annual Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic is in full, ahem, swing with 31 teams competing in California, as this top 25 matchup headlines the incredibly stacked slate.
🇺🇲 CONCACAF W Gold Cup: No. 31 Argentina vs. No. 2 USWNT — Tonight at 10:15 p.m. ET — Paramount+
- With Tuesday’s dominant 5–0 group stage opening victory under their belts, the new-look red, white, and blue have another chance to keep on jelling as tourney play continues. LFG.
⚽ MLS: Opening weekend — Tomorrow and Sunday — Apple TV
- Messi magic is already in full force, but now it’s time for the rest of the league to kick things off as the new MLS season begins in earnest.
Here’s what passed The GIST squad’s vibe check this week:
📚 What's back in session
School at Abbott Elementary. Tune into the season three premiere for some special Philadelphia Eagles cameos.
🤠 What to look forward to
Act II. After releasing two country-inspired songs during the Super Bowl, Beyoncé announced a new album dropping on March 29th. Bey-haw!
📖 What to read
About Patrick Mahomes' success. The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback’s branding journey turned him into the NFL's most marketable star and it's a playbook worth studying.
Question of the Day
As you read, Iowa’s Caitlin Clark is inching closer to even more history. With the regular season winding down, when do you think she’ll pass Pete Maravich’s record? Make your voice heard below.
Today’s email was brought to you by Lauren Tuiskula, Alessandra Puccio, Marga Sison, Lisa Minutillo, and Briana Ekanem. Editing by 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.