 | Powered by  Edition #1079 July 22 |
| From The GIST Team |
Busy weekend, eh?
And we're just getting started. The GIST's Paris Olympics coverage begins tomorrow, with the first of three primers hitting your inbox before Friday's opening ceremony.
- Once the Olympic torch is lit, we're sending out daily weekday newsletters, in addition to round-the-clock social coverage from our team in France. Get stoked, the Villa(ge) is calling.
| Quote of The Day |
 | My favorite story from WNBA All-Star Weekend is definitely Aubrey Plaza tearing her ACL during a game of Knockout in the new Mercury practice facility & then sitting courtside next to Sue Bird & Megan Rapinoe with her cane & getting sloshed |
 | — Writer Frankie de la Cretaz, sharing on X (formerly known as Twitter) how women's basketball stan and actor Aubrey Plaza perhaps went a little too hard in a friendly game during the WNBA All-Star Weekend, but still partied on courtside. Now that's dedication. |
| The Latest |
| WNBA All-Star Weekend |
⭐ Never shine if you don't glow
The GIST: In case you missed the memes, WNBA All-Star Weekend (ASW) turned 115-degree Phoenix into Arizona's hottest club. From the Atlanta Dream's Allisha Gray's Skills Challenge payday to Saturday's spicy, sold-out All-Star Game (ASG), here's what made this ASW extra special.
The ASG format: Unlike the lackluster performances at February's NBA All-Star Game, Saturday's WNBA showdown between Team USA's Olympians and Team WNBA's All-Stars was intense, with Team WNBA surging to a 117–109 upset win in front of 16,407 fans.
- The dub makes Team WNBA a two-time winner in this format, which was last used in 2021 ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.
- Adding to the Scoville scale this time around? The piping hot on-court clashes, pitting rookies against vets and turning fiancées into (temporary) foes. Pass the milk.
The stars: Just like in 2021, Team WNBA's Arike Ogunbowale (pronounced ah-REE-kay oh-goon-bow-WAH-lay) was named All-Star MVP after scoring 34 points to spark her squad's comeback win. Even more impressive? All of the Dallas Wings' star's points were scored in the second half. Never back down, never what?
- Other highlights? Team WNBA's Angel Reese (Chicago Sky), who became the first rookie with a double-double in an ASG since 1999 and showed off her chemistry with "rival" Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever).
- Though the Team USA postgame locker room chat was probably strained, hopes remain high for the squad to win an eighth consecutive Olympic gold, with Breanna Stewart (NY Liberty) and A'ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces) combining for 53 of the team's ASG points.
- And we'd be remiss not to mention Allisha Gray — on Friday, she became the first player to win both the Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest to take home over $110K in the process, more than half of her usual $185K WNBA salary. Sheesh.
Zooming out: Without an Olympics or FIBA World Cup next year, the onus is on the WNBA to recreate the passion of this year's ASW without pitting Team USA against league All-Stars. But commissioner Cathy Engelbert is already thinking about the league's evolution, announcing a possible 44-game regular season in 2025. The best is yet to come.
| Quick Hits |
⛳ Xander Schauffele nabs second major win of the season at The Open Championship
After Mother Nature crashed Saturday's action, the American went, ahem, full swing with a bogey-free final round to win The Open Championship yesterday. His second major victory of the season (and career!) is a great sign for the defending Olympic gold medalist going into the Paris Games. Onto the next one.
🏎️ McLaren finish 1-2, Mercedes' Sir Lewis Hamilton races to third in Hungary
From feisty on-track battles to pit wall faux pas, yesterday's Hungarian Grand Prix (GP) was chock-full of high-stakes, high-speed drama. But in the end, it was McLaren's Oscar Piastri who stood atop the podium, winning his first ever GP and finishing just ahead of his teammate, Lando Norris.
- Hamilton rounded out the top three, bringing home his record-extending 200th podium finish. No champagne problems here.
🚴 Dominant Tadej Pogačar wins third Tour de France title
Yellow is the 25-year-old's color — Pogačar (pronounced po-got-cha) finished atop the Tour de France leaderboard yesterday, posting the fastest cumulative time in the grueling 2,170-mile, 21-stage event. Even better? He capped off his victory in style, winning the race's final stage to extend his margin of victory.
- It's been quite the year for the speedy Slovenian, who also won the Giro d'Italia (the sport's second-most important race) in May. Pogačar is the first cyclist to hold both titles in the same year since 1998.
✨ Absolute cinema
Gymnastics GOAT Simone Biles' story is one of the greatest in sports. It's one of perseverance in the face of adversity, the human behind the accolades and stats…and even a love story.
- A narrative this heartrending deserves the Hollywood treatment — which is why the sports doc pros at Netflix created Simone Biles Rising, available now, only on Netflix.
- The docuseries gives you an all-access pass to Simone's return to her sport's pinnacle, from behind-the-scenes insights into elite competition to intimate details about her life off the mat.
You've been awed by her unbelievable performances and straight up dominance, but this doc goes deeper to show how her resilience in the face of adversity might just be Biles' most impressive feat yet.
- Watch Simone Biles Rising now on Netflix — and come prepared with tissues.
| Fun and Games |
Question of the Day
What do each of our Quick Hits: Champions Edition have in common? There's a Netflix docuseries about them, of course: golf's Full Swing, cycling's Unchained, and F1's Formula 1: Drive to Survive.
We're curious, how many of these docuseries have you watched?
| The GIST's Picks |
Recs from our roster!
📺 What to watch
Love Island USA — specifically season 6, episode 30. The love-hungry bunch had a funny fake Olympics "Summer Sports Day," complete with an Eiffel Tower on set.
🇭🇹 What to check out
These 'fits. Fashion designer Stella Jean absolutely cooked on Team Haiti's 2024 Olympic uniforms, integrating the nation's rich history and future into the stunning threads.
🎧 What to listen to
This Rich Roll podcast episode featuring Olympic runner Alexi Pappas on transformation and joy in sports. Inspiring.
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Today's email was brought to you by Alessandra Puccio, Marga Sison, Lisa Minutillo, Rachel Fuenzalida, and Briana Ekanem. Editing by Molly Potter, Emily Ohman, Emma Leishman, Rachel Fuenzalida, and Lindsay Jost. Fact-checking by Parul Kanwar. Ops by Marga Sison and Lisa Minutillo. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster, Alessandra Puccio, and Lisa Minutillo. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.
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