 | Powered by  Edition #1121 September 23 |
| From The GIST Team |
Happy fall, y'all!
There's a chill in the air, pumpkin flavors are all around, and WNBA playoff action is officially underway. Grab your favorite seasonally spiced beverage and leaf through the latest sports news.
| Quote of The Day |
 | The fact that anything I do gives another person and another Black girl [a] small bit of hope, that's what keeps me going. Keeps me trying to be the best that I can be, always. |
 | — Las Vegas Aces icon A'ja Wilson, sharing her inspiration after becoming the WNBA's second-ever unanimous MVP and joining the exclusive three-time winner club yesterday. U'ndeniable. |
| The Latest |
| WNBA Playoffs |
🏀 And they're off
The GIST: Forget football, this past Sunday was for women's hoops. All four best-of-three series tipped off yesterday, and the postseason premiere certainly did not disappoint.
No. 1 NY Liberty rout No. 8 Atlanta Dream: NY's quest to hoist their first-ever championship got off to the perfect start: The seafoam superteam scored six straight buckets to start the game, never trailing in their 83–69 Game 1 win. All-Rookie Leonie Fiebich was on fire in her starting lineup debut, scoring a game-high 21 points. When you know you know.
- Can the Dream wake up from the nightmare, or will the Libs make quick work of their first-round opponent in tomorrow's 7:30 p.m. ET Game 2?
No. 3 Connecticut Sun's defense stymies AP Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark and No. 6 Indiana Fever: The Sun held Clark to just 11 points in their dominant 93–69 win, but it wasn't just the Connecticut D shining bright — Marina Mabrey dropped a WNBA-record 27 points off the bench to complement vintage performances from Alyssa "triple-double" Thomas and DeWanna Bonner.
Napheesa Collier lifts No. 2 Minnesota Lynx past No. 7 Phoenix Mercury: Led by 30 points and 10 assists from Natasha Cloud, the Mercury made it interesting down the stretch, nearly overcoming a 23-point deficit. But AP Defensive Player of the Year Collier put the Lynx on her back, letting her offense do the talking as she tallied a career-high 38 points in the 102–95 Game 1 win.
M'VP A'ja Wilson lifts No. 4 Las Vegas Aces over No. 5 Seattle Storm: Buoyed by 21 points and five blocks from Wilson, the Aces really found their stride in the fourth quarter, outscoring Seattle by 12 points to weather the Storm 78–67. The end of games has been Seattle's kryptonite all season long, and Game 1 was no different: The Storm didn't hit a field goal in the entire fourth quarter. Oof.
- Game 2 tips off tomorrow at 9:30 p.m. ET, where the Aces can book a semifinal ticket while the Storm will hoop for a chance to extend the series to a deciding Game 3.
| NFL |
🏈 Toss out your bingo card
The GIST: Week 3 was full of fourth-quarter thrills and empowering front office firsts, as the surprises continue to stack up this NFL season. Expect the unexpected.
Six teams notch their first dub of the season: The Baltimore Ravens, LA Rams, NY Giants, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, and Carolina Panthers are winless no more, each ticking one in the win column yesterday.
- But no victory was more exciting than the Rams' — LA rallied for a fourth quarter comeback behind kicker Joshua Karty's 37-yard field goal, sealing a 27–24 win over the injury-plagued San Francisco 49ers. And yes, it was personal.
Four squads improve to 3-0: Alongside the undefeated reigning champ Kansas City Chiefs, who continue to impress as expected, three more teams remain unbeaten after yesterday's contests: the Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Seattle Seahawks.
- Pittsburgh quarterback (QB) Justin Fields' performance was particularly noteworthy. He rushed for one touchdown (TD) and tossed another, his third impressive performance in the Steelers starting role. Silencing the haters.
Panthers' QB switch up pays off: Journeyman QB Andy Dalton shined in yesterday's 36–22 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, throwing three TDs after replacing benched 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick Bryce Young under center. Perhaps those trade rumors have some merit after all.
Philadelphia Eagles defense stifles surging New Orleans Saints: Philly handed The Big Easy their first L of the season, a 15–12 Birds win, holding New Orleans to just 12 points after the Saints scored a combined 91 (!!!) points in their first two games.
Up next — a Monday Night Football doubleheader: The winless Jacksonville Jaguars take on the 2-0 Buffalo Bills tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET, while QB Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals fight for their first dub of the season at 8:15 p.m. ET, squaring off against the 1-1 Washington Commanders.
💛 Love and basketball
The best day for a first date? Tuesday, apparently. And if you need an activity, spend tomorrow night at Bumble's playoff watch party at FancyFree in Brooklyn.
- There's no better way to assess someone's vibe than observing their attitude at a women's sporting event, so whether the flags you see are red, beige, or green, you'll have your answer regarding date #2 by the end of the game.
- Reserve your spot at tomorrow's event, and if you haven't already, download Bumble — the women-first dating app that's leveling the playing field.
| Quick Hits |
🏎️ McLaren's Lando Norris wins the Singapore Grand Prix, finishes ahead of second-place Max Verstappen of Red Bull
Norris raced to his third win of the season and McLaren's second straight victory, while teammate Oscar Piastri finished in third to extend their Constructor Standings lead over two-time reigning champs Red Bull. It's getting spicy.
- As for the F1 Academy results, Alpine driver and friend of the GIST Abbi Pulling earned her sixth win in 10 races so far this year, continuing to dominate with only two rounds left in the season.
🎓🏈 Colorado football's hail mary delivers thrilling victory over Baylor headlining Week 4 results
With conference play officially underway, Buffs QB Shedeur Sanders found wide receiver LaJohntay Wester in the end zone in the waning seconds, securing a stunning 38–31 Saturday overtime win over Baylor. Elsewhere, then-No. 18 defending champs Michigan held off then-No. 11 USC for a 27–24 Big Ten dub, moving the Wolverines up to No. 12. Anything can happen heading into Week 5.
⚾ MLB enters final week of the regular season with playoff positioning up for grabs
The 12-team postseason is starting to take shape, but the American League Wild Card race is going down to the wire with five teams in the mix for the final two spots. And keep an eye on the National League West, where Shohei "one of one" Ohtani and the LA Dodgers begin a crucial divisional battle against the San Diego Padres tomorrow at 10:10 p.m. ET.
⛳ New Zealand's Lydia Ko picks up third 2024 LPGA win at the Kroger Queen City Championship
After her golden summer, the No. 3 golfer in the world started the fall season with a five-stroke win, recording just one bogey all weekend long. That puts the three-time major champion at 22 career LPGA victories. Happy and free, indeed.
It's not easy to find fellow women's sports lovers on the dating scene — unless you download Bumble. The Official Dating App Partner of the WNBA allows you to add Sports and Empowerment Interest Badges to your profile, making your allegiance to the game crystal clear.
- Your love of sports is the ultimate green flag — download Bumble and connect with a fellow sports fan who gets your game.
| The GIST's Picks |
Peep our squad's MVPs (Most Valuable Picks):
📺 What to watch
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, which features a group of mom influencers caught in a swinging scandal that shakes their faith and friendships. Grab the popcorn and watch the drama unfold.
💛 Where to make a match
On Bumble, the dating app that gives women autonomy over who and how they date. Make The First Move™ and download Bumble today.*
🏀 What to shop
Peace Collective's "Welcome to the W" merch. Celebrate new WNBA franchises Toronto and Portland with this limited-edition gear.
*P.S. This is a sponsored post. Love is in the air.
| Fun & Games |
Question of the Day
With one day of WNBA playoff action officially in the books, look into your crystal ball and let us know which team(s) you think will sweep their first-round matchups by our next newsletter.
 | |||||
|
Today's email was brought to you by Lauren Tuiskula, Alessandra Puccio, Marga Sison, Lisa Minutillo, and Briana Ekanem. Editing by Laura Pastore, 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 and Alessandra Puccio. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.
| You are receiving this email because you subscribed to the GIST at our website: https://www.thegistsports.com | You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. |
View the web version of this email.
Post a Comment
Post a Comment