Not going anywhere
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
And we’re back!
Only a few days into the new week and the playing field is already being leveled — Google updated its search results to show women’s and men’s sports separately rather than defaulting to men’s. Smiling ear to ear as we take on this Wednesday together.
— Lunar Owl Skylar Diggins-Smith, touting Unrivaled’s commitment to player excellence, as all 36 athletes have ownership in the new league (in addition to their six-figure salaries). Changing the game from the ground up.
Australian Open
🎾 Aces all around
The GIST: The Happy Slam semis are just about set, with the exception of world No. 1 Jannik Sinner’s ongoing quarter-final (QF) match against Australia’s hometown hero, No. 8 Alex de Minaur. While the fuzzy yellow ball flies, here’s how the rest of the QF matches shook out.
American No. 19 Madison Keys advances to semis: Keys forged a major comeback en route to her seventh career Grand Slam semi, losing the first set but powering back in last night’s win over No. 28 Elina Svitolina. Fellow American No. 8 Emma Navarro wasn’t as lucky, falling in straight sets to No. 2 Iga Świątek.
- Elsewhere, No. 3 Coco Gauff was eliminated on Monday after dropping straight sets to Spain’s No. 11 Paula Badosa. Badosa’s reward for topping Gauff? Facing her tennis “soulmate” and bestie, No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, in tomorrow’s semi.
No. 7 Novak Djokovic defeats No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz, inches closer to record-breaking title: The Joker isn’t done yet. After failing to win a Grand Slam in 2024, the 37-year-old is now two matches away from a record-breaking 25th major. But to (further) ink his name in the history books, he’ll need to top controversial No. 2 Alexander Zverev in the semis.
- As for the other semi, the winner of the aforementioned Sinner vs. de Minaur match will take on No. 21 Ben Shelton, the last American man left standing. Time to get hyped.
College Football Playoff
🎓🏈 Big ’ships and small ’ships
The GIST: Confetti rained down on No. 8 Ohio State after Monday’s 34–23 College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship win over No. 7 Notre Dame, marking the Buckeyes’ first natty since Taylor Swift shook it off in 2014.
- Gatorade showers hit hard, but these numbers reflecting on a historic CFP hit harder:
56 yards: The distance of the game-clinching play, a third-down dime thrown by title game offensive MVP, OSU senior quarterback (QB) Will Howard, to freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.
12: The number of teams who competed in the expanded CFP that debuted this season, ultimately setting up a national championship showdown between two teams who wouldn’t have made the CFP in its previous four-team format. More is more.
Nine: The total number of championship banners the Buckeyes have raised, good enough for sixth on the all-time list.
$20M: The amount of NIL (aka name, image, and likeness) cash Ohio State dished out to its football players, the most in the NCAA this season. It’s literally the best roster money could buy.
1: Golf cart incident The Buckeyes’ spot in the final AP Poll of the season, a five spot climb after a dominant CFP run that saw them win every playoff game by double digits.
First: Notre Dame head coach (HC) Marcus Freeman became both the first Black and first Asian HC in college football history to lead their squad to the title game.
Who’s got next?: It’s never too early to look ahead to next year’s 12-team CFP, where QB Arch Manning and his Texas Longhorns (who were eliminated in this year’s semis) are among the favorites to win it all. Can’t wait.
Together With Upper Deck
🏒 Make it last forever
Upper Deck wants to make your fave sports moments last forever. That’s why the exclusive licensed trading card producer of the PWHL is releasing a flagship trading card set for the league.
⭐ If you’re all about the established stars — looking at you, Montréal Victoire legend Marie-Philip Poulin and Toronto Sceptres standout Natalie Spooner — Upper Deck has you covered.
🐣 Getting in on the ground floor more your style? The PWHL Young Guns collection, aka the hobby’s most coveted rookie cards, will be your go-to.
- It’s also the only place to snag the flagship rookie card of Minnesota Frost sensation Taylor Heise, who’s joining the Upper Deck ranks as an exclusive athlete. Epic.
Don’t ice the puck, stickhandle your way to a piece of hockey history with Upper Deck — be on the lookout for the inaugural Flagship PWHL trading card set launching at your local hobby shop.
🏀 As expected, Unrivaled’s debut last weekend was spectacular on all fronts: Skylar Diggins-Smith started the fun with a bang, nailing a game-winning three in the Lunar Owls’ 84–80 Friday win in front of a sold-out crowd.
- Then it was Kayla McBride’s turn to catch fire: The sharpshooter netted 28 and 21 points, respectively, in a pair of lopsided Laces wins on Saturday and Monday. Nothing but net.
⚽ San Diego Wave and USWNT center back Naomi Girma is reportedly heading overseas, commanding a record $1.1M transfer fee to join seven-time champs Chelsea in the English Women’s Super League. Sheesh.
🎓🏀 UCLA women's basketball junior Lauren Betts hosted a block party on Monday, rejecting a program-record nine shots (!!!) and tallying 24 points to lead the undefeated No. 1 Bruins to a dominant 72–57 win over No. 25 Baylor.
🏒 Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid was suspended for three games on Monday after cross-checking Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland in the Canucks’ 3–2 Saturday dub.
🏈 The NFC No. 1 seed Detroit Lions were stunned by the No. 6 Washington Commanders in this past weekend’s NFL Divisional Round, meaning Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson can focus his energy on the Chicago Bears after being inked as the Windy City’s newest HC yesterday.
- As for the rest of the postseason, the No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles will battle the Commanders in Sunday’s NFC Championship game while the AFC will come down to the No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs and No. 2 Buffalo Bills.
💰 South Carolina HC Dawn Staley is now the highest-paid HC in the history of NCAA women’s hoops after inking a five-year, $25.25M contract extension on Friday. She’s here and she’s staying.
⚾ Legendary Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki and stalwart NY Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia headline the 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame class that was announced yesterday, with Ichiro becoming the first-ever Japanese-born player to be selected. Cooperstown, here they come.
🏒 PWHL: Toronto Sceptres vs. Boston Fleet — Tonight at 7 p.m. ET — Amazon Prime
- The Sceptres and Fleet are sitting at the bottom of the standings, but tonight’s game will still bring the spice. Toronto’s won both previous showdowns with Boston this season, but this is the first time they’re facing off on the Fleet’s home ice. Revenge is a dish best served cold.
🏀 NBA: San Antonio Spurs vs. Indiana Pacers in Paris — Tomorrow at 2 p.m. ET — NBA TV
- The scoreboard will show the Spurs as the away team, but this is a Victor Wembanyama homecoming with the French phenom and 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick set to play in his hometown for the first time in an NBA uniform. Trés magnifique.
🏐 PVF: Vegas Thrill vs. Atlanta Vibe — Tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET — YouTube
- Let the third week of the season begin. This match will see the Thrill’s Layne Van Buskirk tasked with blocking the Vibe’s Khori Louis, who has the second-highest kill percentage in the league. Pass the finger tape.
🎓🏀 NCAA WBB: No. 5 LSU vs. No. 2 South Carolina — Tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET — ESPN
- The defending champ Gamecocks have dominated SEC competition all season long, beating conference opponents by an average of 29 points. But their toughest test awaits in the undefeated Tigers and their double-double machine, senior Aneesah Morrow.
Together With Cycling Frog
Dry January seemed like a great idea…weeks ago, but after a few days back at work, you may be itching for a way to unwind. Enter: Cycling Frog’s THC seltzers, jam-packed with all the sweet relief of your favorite cocktail — without any booze or a killer hangover. Yes, please.
- Cycling Frog’s selection ranges from low to high potency, making their seltzers perfect for cannabis newbies and connoisseurs alike. Discover your new favorite 5 p.m. treat today.
Here’s what has GIST HQ buzzing:
💊 How to support your gut health
Incorporate Alaya Naturals’ Advanced Synbiotic supplement into your morning routine. It powers up your system with three-in-one gut support that includes both probiotics and prebiotics. Bloat, be gone.*
❤️🩹 How to help
By shopping LA Strong merch. Support Los Angeles wildfire relief efforts with 100% of the profits going directly to the American Red Cross and the LA Fire Department Foundation.
🍻 Where to catch the game
Title 9 Sports Bar. Pittsburgh’s first women’s sports bar is opening soon and will exclusively air women’s sports. Cheers to that.
*P.S. This is a sponsored post. Look after yourself.Question of the Day
So much has happened since the last time we were in your inbox, so we decided to gather some of our top highlights from the past few days. Which one of these was your fave? And if it’s not on the list, reply to this email and let us know.
Skylar Diggins-Smith’s game-winner in Unrivaled’s opening game
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley’s snowy 78-yard touchdown
PWHL Takeover Tour highlights from Québec City
Ohio State’s Will Howard finding Jeremiah Smith to seal the CFP title
Caitlin Clark and Taylor Swift watching the Kansas City Chiefs
Paige Bueckers becoming the fastest UConn player to reach 2000 points
Last Friday, we asked which Unrivaled team you’re cheering for. 19% voted for Lunar Owls BC, 18% voted for Phantom BC, 17% voted for Laces BC, 16% voted for Vinyl BC, 15% voted for Rose BC, and 15% voted for Mist BC.Today’s email was brought to you by Alessandra Puccio, Lisa Minutillo, Lauren Tuiskula, Marga Sison, Megan Murray, and Briana Ekanem. Editing by Laura Pastore. Fact-checking by Marga Sison and Rachel Fuenzalida. Ops by Briana Ekanem and Marga Sison. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster, Alessandra Puccio, and Lisa Minutillo. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula and Alessandra Puccio. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.