The GIST of It

Happy Tiny Friday! Welcome to an extra-special episode of The GIST of It. First, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz preview the second tennis Grand Slam of the year: the French Open, which begins this Sunday. Oui oui!  Then stick around for a very exciting part two: a conversation between El and Toronto reporting legend, Hazel Mae, taped live in the Six near the Toronto Blue Jays home stadium. ...

Happy Tuesday! This episode of The GIST of It is jam-packed with headlines from the tennis courts to the hardwood. First, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz dive into the newly announced partnership between the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF), an eyebrow-raising alliance considering the country’s reputation for sportswashing and their treatment...

Merry WNBA season start! It’s all hoops, all the time on today’s episode of The GIST of It as co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz preview everything you need to know before the new WNBA season tips off tonight. From the league’s off-court moves to the teams and players to keep an eye on, El and Steph are here to help you prepare for the most anticipated W season…ever. Thank you to Aflac for power...

Hey there! Content warning: Today’s episode contains mention of sexual assault. Today’s episode of The GIST of It starts out with nothing but net, as co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz discuss a plethora of league-altering WNBA news, most notably the announcement that charter flights could be implemented for all teams as soon as this season. Part 2 sadly brings a WTF, after a federal jury ordere...

Happy First Tuesday in May! Today’s episode of The GIST of It is downright hoop-tastic, as co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz go all in on the WNBA. First, the gals dive into the preseason problems plaguing the league, specifically broadcasting issues that resulted in a fan live streaming a preseason Chicago Sky vs. Minnesota Lynx game for 2M (!!!) viewers. Thankfully, the W is already making ad...

Guess what…it’s (already) May! Today’s episode of The GIST of It is all women’s sports, all the time. Co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz kick things off with women’s soccer, first diving into Project ACL, a research initiative examining the environmental factors influencing the knee injury epidemic in the women’s game, before discussing allegations that may keep Zambia’s team out of the Paris Ol...

Happy last pod in April! Today’s episode of The GIST of It is another loaded three-parter as co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz discuss some major women’s hoops news plus the latest from the NHL and NBA playoffs. Up first, the gals give all the flowers to basketball legend Candace Parker, who retired over the weekend after 16 game-changing seasons in the WNBA. Then for part two, El and Steph dis...

Hello!   Content warning: Today’s episode contains mention of sexual assault and abuse.   On today’s episode of The GIST of It , co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz round up some major mid-week headlines in a three-part deep dive. First up, El and Steph discuss football star Reggie Bush’s historic Heisman Trophy reinstatement and what it says about the transforming college sports landscape.   The...

Hey there! Today’s episode of The GIST of It is for the girls with a two-parter full of women’s sport updates. First up, Steph Rotz and guest co-host Lauren Tuiskula discuss yet another historic PWHL weekend along with everything you need to know heading into the final push to the playoffs. Then in part two, Steph and Lauren highlight world No. 1 golfer Nelly Korda and her recent dominance after t...

Howdy! It’s Christmas in April for co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz, with the NHL Playoff picture all but set ahead of Saturday’s postseason puck drop. Today’s episode includes a deep dive on all things playoff hockey, from why the Stanley Cup is arguably the hardest trophy to win in sports to the gals’ picks to win it all.  Then after the break, El and Steph shift gears to cover an unfortunat...

Hola, salut, hello! Content warning: This episode mentions harassment, bullying, verbal abuse, and sexual assault. With the NBA Playoffs on the horizon, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz start off today’s episode of The GIST of It chatting through the all-important NBA Play-In Tournament, which tips off tonight. Teams will battle for a final shot at making the postseason, meaning everything’s o...

Hello, hello!  On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz span the courts and the links, covering the latest in women’s basketball and previewing the upcoming Masters tournament. From all-time winningest NCAA head coach Tara VanDeerveer retiring after 38 legendary seasons to the WNBA looking ahead to next Monday’s highly anticipated draft, there’s a whole lot of hoo...

Toss that confetti! March Madness has sadly come to an end, but there’s still plenty to celebrate, especially from the historic and record-setting women’s tournament. On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz recap the eye-popping numbers from the women’s action before highlighting a few standout players who really changed the game. Ballin’, baby. Thank you to Afla...

And then there were four! The women’s and men’s March Madness Final Four action tips off this weekend, with the women starting the party on Friday before the men square off on Saturday. So on today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz preview the hoop-tastic weekend ahead, chatting through the teams and players to know. By the next time we talk, the champs will have be...

Hi there! The gals are back with a full-send episode on women’s hockey ahead of the start of the IIHF Women’s Worlds Championship, the top competition in the sport outside of the Winter Olympics. With the historic inaugural PWHL season underway, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz dig into the exploding interest in the women’s game in part one, followed by a tourney preview in part two.  Thank yo...

Howdy! Today’s episode of The GIST of It  is a three-part special diving into recent sports betting headlines involving the NBA and NCAA before previewing the men’s and women’s March Madness Sweet 16s.  In part one, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz break down the latest on Toronto Raptor Jontay Porter, who’s at the center of a gambling investigation following a series of unusual prop bets invo...

Hello there! Today’s episode of The GIST of It is full of head-scratching WTFs from the sports world. In part one, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz dive into the topsy-turvy sports betting saga plaguing MLB, specifically the face of the league, LA Dodgers two-way star, Shohei Ohtani. Last week, Ohtani’s longtime interpreter and friend was fired for allegedly committing massive theft from Ohtan...

Merry official March Madness! On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-host Ellen Hyslop and guest host Lauren Tuiskula are previewing all of the NCAA basketball action to come, starting with the men’s tournament, which tips off Thursday at 12:15 p.m. ET, then the women’s, which begins Friday at 11:30 a.m. ET. From the top seeds to the players to know to the potential bracket busters, El and Laure...

Happy first day of spring! And happy first day of March Madness! On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-host Ellen Hyslop and guest host Lauren Tuiskula dig into the always exciting First Four round of the NCAA basketball tournament before kicking it over to the pitch for some major NWSL news.  The men’s First Four tips off tonight and the women’s begins tomorrow, so Ellen and Lauren have your g...

Happy Pi Day! On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz are serving up slices from a stacked sports weekend ahead. First up, the gals preview what’s bound to be a massive NWSL season before the new campaign kicks off on Friday. From a new media rights deal, to new expansion teams entering the fold, to star players rocking new jerseys, there’s a lot to unpack on the...

Happy one week ’til March Madness! Welcome to the fifth and final episode in our new Legends of the Game mini-series highlighting five NCAA hoops icons — Pat Summitt, John Wooden, Geno Auriemma, Mike Krzyzewski, and Dawn Staley. March Madness history is full of iconic moments, epic plays, and incredible athletes. But what ties each season together is the standout coaches — the changemakers that tu...

Hello! And happy Equal Pay Day! On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz are digging into the latest NFL free agency news before chatting all things equal pay in sports.  NFL free agency officially opens on Wednesday, but there’s already been a ton of movement, mostly focused on the most important position in football: quarterback. El and Steph discuss who’s going...

Surprise! On today’s very special edition episode of The GIST of It host Ellen Hyslop is joined by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Yes, you read that right. The pair discuss everything from the Prime Minister’s allegiences in the PWHL, how the government influences the women’s sports ecosystem, to the future of women’s sports in North America. Happy listening! Show Notes: More on The GIST:...

Hey there! On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz dive into the latest NFL offseason moves before previewing the upcoming NCAA women’s college basketball conference championships. On Monday, the Denver Broncos made waves by dropping franchise quarterback Russell Wilson — a move that cost the team millions. From defining “dead cap” to reminding folks whose NFL fu...

Hello! Welcome to the fourth episode in our new Legends of the Game mini-series highlighting five NCAA hoops icons — Pat Summitt, John Wooden, Geno Auriemma, Mike Krzyzewski, and Dawn Staley. March Madness history is full of iconic moments, epic plays, and incredible athletes. But what ties each season together is the standout coaches — the changemakers that turn teams into dynasties. This series,...