 | Together With  Edition #1320 Sep 24, 2025 |
| From The GIST Team |
Happy Wednesday! | ||
| Caution: Today's newsletter might have you channeling your inner Breanna Stewart as you scroll through the latest. Let's get into it. | ||
| Quote of The Day |
 | There are still things left to achieve. I think ambition and a [winning] mentality is what drives me. I'm going to continue adding to football and to my club. |
 | — Spanish footballer Aitana Bonmatí, who on Monday became the first woman and just the third person to ever win three Ballon d'Ors, awarded to the best soccer player in the world, joining the likes of former French phenom Michel Platini and Lionel Messi. Stay hungry. |
| The Latest |
👀 What's going on? Source: Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images The GIST: There was no shortage of WNBA fireworks yesterday, so let's start with last night's on-court Game 2 action with both best-of-five semis now even. The Phoenix Mercury overcame a 20-point deficit, forced overtime, and topped the Minnesota Lynx 89–83, while NaLyssa Smith's career-high 18 points fueled the Las Vegas Aces' 90–68 win over the Indiana Fever.
😱 NY Liberty part ways with head coach (HC) Sandy Brondello: Four days after the Libs' first-round playoff exit, Brondello was let go yesterday, reportedly for failing to bring back-to-back titles to the Big Apple. The NY front office put intense pressure on the squad for a repeat performance following last season's inaugural 'ship, despite numerous injuries.
🔓There are now four HC vacancies in the WNBA: Turnover isn't new in the W (or sports in general) — there were a record seven coaching changes last offseason. But it's worth noting a frustrating outcome: Following the aforementioned Quinn's firing from the Storm, there are now no Black woman HCs in the league for the first time since 2020.     |
🏉 Forget about the price tag Source: Stu Forster/Getty Images The GIST: World No. 1 England and No. 2 Canada will battle for glory in Saturday's Women's Rugby World Cup final, a result of the sheer dominance both squads have shown all tourney long. It's level on the pitch, but a different story emerges off of it… 🇨🇦 Canada crowdfunds their way to the tourney: But this wasn't the far too common case of the men's team receiving more money — there simply wasn't enough for anyone, as Canadian rugby is underfunded across the board. Still, Rugby Canada asked head coach Kévin Rouet what he needed for success at the World Cup; he said $3.6M, the smallest budget at the tourney.
🏴 England blazed the trail: The Red Roses, on the other hand, have been fully professional since January 2019, when they became the first national women's team to pay its players full-time — and they've only lost one game since. It was a historic milestone, one that's already been followed by some of the game's most dominant sides, like No. 3 New Zealand and No. 4 France. ⏩ Zooming out: Given a historical lack of domestic pro leagues, plus barriers to accessibility for fans, women's rugby is only recently booming in North America. But that boom has transformed into an explosion in the wake of successful Sevens runs by both the Canadians and Americans at the Paris Olympics.
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| Together With Nike 😤 Look good, feel good, play good Source: Nike Rivalries aren't just fought on the field: They're repped in the stands. That's why Nike's launching NFL Rivalries jerseys, a display of tradition, grit, and fan pride designed to unite communities and fuel the rivalries they live for. That means this weekend's divisional drama just got a major wardrobe upgrade: 🔴 Tomorrow at 8:15 p.m. ET: Quarterback Kyler Murray's Arizona Cardinals take on their forever foe, the Seattle Seahawks, in an NFC West clash. 🟠 Monday at 7:15 p.m. ET: Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle's ideal AFC East game day? Dancing his way into the NY Jets' endzone, of course. From backyard debates to stadium roars, rivalries fuel game day. Nike and the NFL are honoring that tradition, and you can too — these jerseys are made for the battles that matter most. |
⚾ Tick-tock on the clock Source: Nick Cammett/Getty Images The GIST: The MLB playoff picture remains chaotic as ever with just five days remaining in the regular season and four spots of 12 still unclaimed. Luckily, there's no robot needed to make a call on the latest.
💙🐯 Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers battle for AL Central crown: One series does not a season make, but there's a lot riding on this three-game set after the Guards took last night's opener 5–2. The surging squad astoundingly overcame what was once a 15.5-game Detroit lead to tie the Tigers for the top spot in the division and notably holds the tiebreaker edge. What a turnaround. 🔱 Seattle Mariners take commanding lead in push for AL West: Fresh off a dominant weekend sweep of the second-place Houston Astros and last night's postseason-clinching 4–3 win over the Colorado Rockies, Seattle's in the driver's seat as they chase their first divisional title since 2001. Big Dumper, big dubs — this team has it all.
🐦🍎 Toronto Blue Jays chase first AL East pennant in a decade: Toronto boasts a one-game lead over the NY Yankees, but the Jays have sputtered recently, losing five of their last six. The Bronx Bombers, meanwhile, stormed back to beat the lowly Chicago White Sox 3–2 last night, clinching a playoff berth in the process. It's a tight race — we'll see which team steps up to the plate. |
| The GIST's NFL Pick'em Challenge  Source: The GIST Think you can out-pick the competition? One GISTer just did. Joanna topped the leaderboard in our free-to-play NFL Pick'ems Challenge this week and walked away with $100 in GIST swag. Not bad for a few clicks and some NFL know-how. ⚙️ Here's how it works: Every week, you choose the winner of all 16 matchups. No buy-in, no complicated rules — it's just you and your picks with bragging rights over thousands of GISTers on the line. New here? Perfect timing. A new round starts every week, and you can jump right in. The only catch is that you must make your picks before tomorrow's 8:15 p.m. ET tilt between the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals. See you on the leaderboard. |
| Together With Dial Press  Source: Dial Press ⛸️ Combine Wuthering Heights and Daisy Jones & The Six with a heaping dose of icy drama and you'll get The Favorites, a roller-coaster story of chemistry, rebellion, and scandal for champion ice dancing pair, Kat and Heath. We are sat.
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| The GIST's Picks |
Here's what has The GIST team currently hyped:
🧠 What to listen toThis podcast digging into the future of concussion treatment. Take care of that brain. |
📺 What to look forward to watchingALLEN IV3RSON. A three-part docuseries on former NBA superstar Allen Iverson, from Shaquille O'Neal's Jersey Legends and Stephen Curry's Unanimous Media, is set to premiere on Prime Video on October 23rd. |
🏃♀️ Who to celebrateShelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. Nike honors the track icon in a photo essay after she ran her final 100-meter race on her own terms. |
| As Seen On Social |
| Fun & Games |
Question of the DayAs you read, the MLB playoff race is heating up. With teams running out of chances to secure their spot, which AL squad listed below do you think will be left out of the postseason picture? |
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Today's email was brought to you by Alessandra Puccio, Lisa Minutillo, Lauren Tuiskula, Rachel Fuenzalida, Grace DePaull, and Briana Ekanem. Editing by Katie Kehoe Foster. Fact-checking by Marga Sison and Mikaela Perez. 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.
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