Where in the world is Shohei Ohtani?
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
It’s the end of an era...
Christine Sinclair, the top goal scorer in international soccer (female or male), played her final game for CanWNT last night. Smiling because it happened as we dry our tears and dig into today’s news.
— USWNT star Sophia Smith, fighting the stigma of silence surrounding mental health in a wide-ranging interview on yesterday’s episode of The GIST of It. Say it loud and proud.
Shohei Ohtani
Secrets, secrets are no fun
The GIST: The Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes rages on. MLB’s biggest star is remaining tight-lipped about his future home, fueling a frenzy of rumors, social media investigations, and the hardest-hitting questions as the clock ticks on his free agency decision.
The context: A three-time MVP (among countless other accolades), Ohtani is the biggest name in baseball. And although the two-way star won’t be able to pitch next year, he’s still expected to command the largest contract in the sport’s history.
- Plus, what’s supposed to be a busy stretch for offseason MLB deals has been eerily quiet while teams wait on Ohtani. Expect his looming inking to give way to a flurry of moves. Dun dun dun…
What we know: More than we did on Monday. Aware that Ohtani and his agent will reportedly hold it against teams should news of their meetings leak out, squads are understandably keeping things hush hush, but reports indicate that Ohtani met with the Toronto Blue Jays at their Florida Spring Training complex on Monday.
- LA Dodgers manager Dave Roberts also surprisingly spilled some beans yesterday, confirming that the current Ohtani frontrunners met with the superstar for “two to three hours” at Dodger Stadium a few days ago.
What’s next: It seems only the notoriously mysterious Ohtani knows, but the industry consensus is still that he’ll make a decision within the week. The world is watching.
NBA In-Season Tournament
Semi-charmed kind of life
The GIST: Las Vegas, here they come. The inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament (IST) semifinals are set, and with $500K per winning player on the line, these four squads are throwing down like it’s the playoffs, in hopes of earning a spot in Saturday’s championship.
Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks — Tomorrow at 5 p.m. ET: Pacers rising star Tyrese Haliburton made his parents proud on Monday, posting his first career triple-double in a jubilant 122–112 win over the Boston Celtics. Defying the odds, one aquamarine court at a time.
- Meanwhile, Giannis Antetokounmpo shined in last night’s quarter-final, scoring 35 points in the Bucks’ 146–122 win over the NY Knicks and securing his squad’s place in tomorrow’s Eastern Conference semi.
- In their only meeting this season, the Pacers triumphed over the Bucks with a two-point win, but Antetokounmpo scored a season-high 54 points that game. All to say, expect fireworks tomorrow.
New Orleans Pelicans vs. LA Lakers — Tomorrow at 9 p.m. ET: On Monday, Brandon Ingram dropped 30 points to help the New Orleans Pelicans win 127–117 and knock the then-undefeated Sacramento Kings out of the tourney.
- Then last night, Laker LeBron James proved he’s hungry to add more hardware to his collection, posting 31 points in LA’s 106–103 win over Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns en route to the Western Conference semi. What, like it’s hard?
Together With State Farm
🏀 Record settin’
Last January, Virginia Tech women’s basketball superstar Elizabeth Kitley broke the Hokies’ program scoring record, reaching a mind-boggling 704 career points. It was a career-defining moment for one of the game’s brightest stars…but you probably didn’t see it, because women only receive 5.4% of sports airtime. Ugh.
State Farm wants to ensure you never miss another major milestone. That’s why they’re going all in on their investment in women’s sports, from increasing ad spend to partnering with us to bring you this newsletter.
- Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there, supporting female athletes year-round. Hoop, there it is.
🇺🇲 The USWNT finished 2023 in style last night, posting a 2–1 friendly win over China. All eyes on 2024, baby.
🏈 Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback (QB) Trevor Lawrence suffered a high ankle sprain during the team’s Monday Night Football loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and could miss a game for the first time in his NFL career. The Jags narrowly lead the AFC South, but losing Lawrence could push them out of the playoff race.
⚽ In a shocking turn of events, 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup runners-up England did not qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Despite scoring six goals against Scotland yesterday, the Lionesses weren’t able to close their goal difference gap with the Netherlands. Jaws, dropped.
🎓⚽ No. 1 Florida State women’s soccer dominated No. 2 Stanford 5–1 in Monday’s College Cup Final to claim their fourth national title in school history. The Seminoles were perfect all the way, making them the first undefeated champs in over a decade. Not too shabby.
🎓🏈 LSU QB Jayden Daniels, Washington QB Michael Penix Jr., Oregon QB Bo Nix, and Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. were named the 2023 Heisman Trophy finalists yesterday and will await Saturday’s announcement in NYC. It’s been waiting for them.
🎓🏐 Sixteen teams remain in the NCAA volleyball championship tournament, with quarter-final action serving up tomorrow ahead of Saturday’s semis.
🏒 The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) will mandate neck guards in all levels of competition, male and female, following Adam Johnson’s tragic death in October.
Together With Columbia University
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🏈 What to gift
A custom football book. Let the football lover in your life retrace the history of their favorite NFL team through reprinted coverage from The New York Times.
🎿 What to learn about
Backcountry skiing. The sport is soaring in popularity, now the second fastest-growing sport in the U.S.
📈 How to level up
With Girlboss’ five-times weekly career advice newsletter. Join 250K ambitious women who are finding success on their own terms.
Question of the Day
On Wednesdays, we wear pink — so to celebrate, let’s settle the ultimate debate: Is Mean Girls a holiday movie? Cast your vote below and/or hit that reply button if you’d like to elaborate. Grool.
On Monday, we asked for your early prediction on who will win the College Football Playoff. 35% said No. 1 Michigan, 27% said No. 2 Washington, and No. 3 Texas and No. 4 Alabama finished tied at 19%.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.