Stunning plot twists and drama aplenty
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Hello!
And Ramadan Mubarak to all who observe. Oscars aside, the sports world played out like a movie this weekend, complete with stunning plot twists and drama aplenty. Grab that popcorn as we dive in.
- P.S. We got a little too caught up in the madness and apologize for the errors in yesterday ’s Sunday Scroll regarding the ACC, Big Ten, and Big 12 women’s NCAA conference basketball tournaments.
— No. 1 (and still undefeated) South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley, apologizing to the basketball community after a benches-clearing altercation in the Gamecocks’ 79–72 SEC Championship Game win over defending national champs No. 8 LSU yesterday. She’s one of one.
Concacaf W Gold Cup
⚽ Throw it in the bag
The GIST: The No. 2 USWNT won the inaugural Concacaf W Gold Cup in front of a sold-out 30K person crowd last night, defeating No. 11 Brazil 1–0 — a much-needed trophy as this transitioning U.S. team begins to find their footing with the Paris Olympics just four months away. Up, up, and away they go.
How it happened: TBH, this was not a pretty performance from either side. Captain and midfielder Lindsey Horan scored the winning goal, a stellar first-half header, but it was the lone bright spot in an otherwise discombobulated championship game.
- But despite struggling to connect passes or create scoring opportunities, the Americans held on, showcasing their signature grit — even with
waterloggedtired legs.
Zooming out: Winning the first-ever W Gold Cup is a fantastic boost for the evolving USWNT, especially after their tough group stage loss to Mexico. The technical execution wasn’t always there, but the must-win American mentality really shined in the knockout stage.
- TL;DR? This wasn’t a tourney performance that would win a gold medal in Paris, but there’s plenty for the Americans to build off — particularly when it comes to trusting their young players, like Golden Ball-winning forward Jaedyn Shaw.
- Up next? Hosting the ninth annual SheBelieves Cup, which starts April 6th and will feature Brazil, along with No. 8 Japan and No. 10 CanWNT. More footy, incoming.
🐓 South Carolina wins eighth SEC title
As you read, the No. 1 Gamecocks overcame a feisty finish to outlast defending natty champs No. 8 LSU in yesterday’s SEC Championship Game and hoist back-to-back conference trophies. Trouble is, South Carolina will now be without leading scorer Kamilla Cardoso for the first round of the NCAA tournament after the senior is expected to be suspended for fighting during yesterday’s game.
💛 No. 3 Iowa three-peats as Big Ten champs
It took overtime, but Caitlin Clark (34 points) and the Hawkeyes defeated Nebraska 94–89 yesterday to claim their third straight Big Ten title, punch a return March Madness ticket, and look to follow up last year’s national championship game appearance. Running it back.
☘️ Notre Dame wins first ACC championship since 2019
No luck here: even with just six players, the No. 14 Fighting Irish took down No. 10 NC State 55–51 yesterday behind another outstanding performance from freshman phenom Hannah Hidalgo, who led all scorers with 22 points.
✌️ No. 5 USC upsets No. 2 Stanford for Pac-12 ’ship
The final edition of the Pac-12 tourney was one for the books as the Trojans notched their first conference title in a decade. USC got the job done by shutting down the Stanford offense and running away with the 74–61 victory, despite their National Freshman of the Year favorite JuJu Watkins (nine points) struggling.
🏆 Big East and Big 12 titles still up for grabs
The last two Power Six conferences will crown their champs over the next 48 hours. Up first, No. 9 UConn looks poised to four-peat as Big East champs when they take on Georgetown in tonight’s 7 p.m. ET championship game.
- Meanwhile, the stacked Big 12 is still in the semis, with Iowa State taking on No. 19 Oklahoma today at 2:30 p.m. ET before No. 16 Kansas State faces No. 6 Texas at 5 p.m. ET for a spot in tomorrow’s title game. Just another Madness Monday.
Together With The GIST
🏒 The GIST’s Book Club: Reviewing Us Against You
Another Fredrik Backman book, another empty box of tissues. Us Against You is the gut-wrenching sequel to Beartown that follows a hockey community grappling with grief, anger, and violence in the aftermath of a tragedy.
We enjoyed Us Against You for all the reasons we loved the first book: beautiful writing, compelling personalities, and a roller coaster of emotions. Backman tackles dark themes with endless compassion, and the political sub-plot felt extra poignant with the upcoming election.
Though we would happily read a thousand more pages with these characters, nothing will ever compare to our first stay in Beartown.
- We’re giving this title four bang-bang-bang-bangs (if you know, you know) out of five.
March’s book club pick is Sidelined: Sports, Culture, and Being a Woman in America by Julie DiCaro. Read along on Fable, and join our book club list to stay up-to-date.
🏈 With NFL free agency officially starting on Wednesday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed quarterback (QB) Baker Mayfield to a three-year, $100M deal, while the New England Patriots traded QB Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
🎾 World No. 3 Coco Gauff became the first teenager to win 50 matches at the WTA 1000 level by defeating No. 47 Clara Burel at Indian Wells on Saturday — four days before Gauff’s 20th birthday. Lots to celebrate.
⛳ American Bailey Tardy captured her first career LPGA Tour victory with yesterday’s win at the Blue Bay tournament in China, while men’s world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler won the Arnold Palmer Invitational yesterday.
⛷️ Skiing GOAT Mikaela Shiffrin clinched her eighth career World Cup slalom season title yesterday, a triumphant comeback after injuring her knee in a crash six weeks ago.
🏎️ Red Bull’s Max Verstappen unsurprisingly won the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Saturday, but Ferrari rookie Oliver Bearman, who replaced Carlos Sainz while he underwent an appendectomy, stole the show with his impressive seventh-place finish in his debut. Vroom, vroom.
Together With Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix
The best way to scare off the Monday blues is by booking your next girls’ trip, and the 305 has the perfect getaway: Formula 1’s Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix from May 3rd to 5th.
- From clubbing at E11EVEN to downing Wagyu at Sexy Fish to bumping elbows with your besties in the Grandstand, this isn’t your average vaca — when you fly south for F1, the party’s limitless.
Make your girl gang the envy of all by snagging group tickets to experience Miami the Formula 1 way: A party, guaranteed.
Giveaway Alert
Gear up for spring with an epic Green Outdoors giveaway. We’ve created the perfect package that will have friends and family mesmerized by your next backyard party.
- Win $250 off from Yardzen to design your outdoor living space, a free one-year membership to Wellzy Perks from Clean Plates, multiple gift cards, and so much more. Enter today.
Here’s what has GIST HQ buzzing:
⚽ What to watch
Copa '71. This doc shares the extraordinary story of the 1971 Women’s Soccer World Cup, told by the pioneering women who played in it. Never-before-seen archival footage? Yes, please.
🎧 What to listen to
Jockular, a podcast from three queer best friends Katie Kershaw, Tien Tran, and E.R. Fightmaster where they discuss all things queer, trans, and women-forward in the world of sports.
🥒 Who’s cooking in the kitchen
Pickleball Union. Whether you’re new to the sport or a regular on the courts, there’s something for everyone in their resource-filled newsletter. It's a really big dill.
Question of the Day
From Ryan Gosling to a Messi cameo, last night’s Oscars were more than kenough. We gathered some of our fave moments below — which did you like best?
Ryan Gosling’s I’m Just Ken performance
Messi (the dog) in the audience
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.