The GIST of It

The future of the WNBA?  It’s coming fast and furious. On Sunday, the Dallas Wings won the No. 1 pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft for the second straight year. Today, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz trade predictions on who they think is heading to Dallas, before taking a look at the larger WNBA landscape, from the NY Liberty’s new head coach to the ongoing collective bargaining agreement negotiat...

Hello! Welcome to our exciting new series, She’s Not Next She’s Now. Over the next eight weeks, we’ll dig into eight different new and emerging women’s sports, discussing the history of how we got here, the current state of the game, and what comes next.  And it’s not just co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Lauren Tuiskula driving the conversation; we’ll also be chatting with the executives, players, and f...

You already know A’ja Wilson is that girl.  And now, she’s chatting with us on The GIST of It. Co-host Ellen Hyslop sat down with the four-time WNBA MVP and forever Las Vegas Ace to discuss fashion, love and basketball, and of course, the ongoing collective bargaining agreement between the league and its players union. Don’t miss this one.  Show notes: Join The GIST Plus membership platform Subscr...

The 2025 NWSL Championship is almost here.  Saturday’s match will pit the No. 8 seed Gotham FC against No. 2 Washington Spirit, aka, the only club team Trinity Rodman has ever played for. The Spirit took a major chance on Rodman in 2022, signing her to a four-year, $1.1M contract and making her the then–highest-paid player in the league. But the women’s soccer landscape has changed dramatically si...

An early holiday present, no wrapping required. Struggling to find a gift for the women’s soccer fan in your life? Send ’em this podcast because today’s episode of The GIST of It features Canadian soccer royalty. Diana Matheson is a CanWNT team legend, a two-time Olympic medalist, and founder and Chief Growth Officer of the Northern Super League (NSL). Tune in to listen to Matheson and co-host Ell...

Uh oh.  ICYMI: Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were charged with fraud, conspiracy, and bribery on Sunday, related to a scheme in which both hurlers rigged individual pitches so that bettors could win big. On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz break down the latest scandal involving sports gambling and professional athletes, part of a...

An icy, spicy rivalry. Team Canada vs. Team USA women’s hockey is one of the best rivalries in sports — it never disappoints. That’s why today’s episode of The GIST of It is a full-send women’s hockey masterpiece about the iconic Rivalry Series. Tune in to listen to co-hosts Steph Rotz and Lauren Tuiskula give their hottest takes on the spiciest series in women’s sports. Milk not included. Show no...

Misery and magic go hand in hand.  And never has that been more true than on Saturday, when Canada’s Toronto Blue Jays lost Game 7 of the World Series to the dynastic LA Dodgers. On today’s episode of The GIST of It, resident Canadians and co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz share what it was like to experience a deep Jays playoff run, explaining how MLB’s lone international team captured the hea...

Buyouts, buyouts, buyouts.  The NCAA football landscape looks a bit different than it did when the season kicked off in August, especially after three head coaches of AP Preseason Top 25 teams were fired for underperformance. But they aren’t walking away empty-handed: All three are owed tens of millions of dollars from their respective schools. On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen...

Remember the name. The NBA is back in full swing, and one men’s hoops story is rising above them all: San Antonio Spur Victor Wembanyama’s breakout season. Even before he arrived to the league in 2023, Wemby was touted as the NBA’s next generational star. Now in his third season, the French big man is exploding on the court. There’s never been an athlete like the 7-foot-4 Wemby, and today’s episod...

Buckle up. Formula 1’s popularity is surging among women, which is no surprise considering gals like Mercedes-Benz Chief Marketing Officer Melody Lee are at the helm. Lee visited The GIST to chat all things F1, from innovation in the sports space to bringing F1: The Movie to life and of course, who Lee’s all-time heroes are. Lights out, and away she goes.  Psst — you can listen to more inspiring i...

There’s meeting the moment, and then there’s making a moment.  Last Thursday, long jumper Tara Davis-Woodhall made a moment, competing in the middle of Times Square to qualify for the finals at Athlos NYC. The buzzy event caught the world’s attention, but Davis-Woodhall is no stranger to fame as a reigning Olympic and world champ. On today’s episode of The GIST of It, The GIST’s Associate Managing...

How do you measure, measure six years? With 500 episodes, it appears. Today marks the 500th episode of The GIST of It , so co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz are taking a trip down memory lane. Tune in as the gals reveal the most popular episode of all-time, plus share a few behind-the-scenes secrets on what really happens when they’re recording. Happy 500 to us! Show notes: Our most popular epi...

All hoops, all the time.  The WNBA Finals are in full swing, which means The GIST of It co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz were ready to break down what to expect in Game 3, now that the Las Vegas Aces hold a two-game lead over the Phoenix Mercury…but then LeBron James tweeted. Is the King retiring? Or is he trolling with another clever marketing campaign? Hear the gals’ thoughts on all the abov...

The exit interview heard ’round the world. ICYMI, Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier lambasted WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the league office on Tuesday. On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz place Collier’s explosive comments into the league’s larger context, connecting the dots to the ongoing CBA negotiations, the WNBA’s sustainability, and of cour...

It’s all fun and games until someone throws a beer. And unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened at the Ryder Cup over the weekend. The biennial men’s golf competition between Team USA and Team Europe reached new levels of drama this year, as fans at NY’s Bethpage Black berated the European golfers, even launching physical attacks at members of their families. On today’s episode of The GIST of...

The Golden State Valkyries are that team.  ICYMI, the WNBA’s 13th team absolutely crushed it in their debut season, becoming the first expansion team to make the playoffs in their inaugural campaign — but the on-court accomplishments are only half the story. The Valks sold out every single home game in 2025, creating an ultra-supportive women’s hoops fanbase that’s now considered the blueprint for...

Crown her. Las Vegas Aces icon A’ja Wilson won a historic fourth career WNBA MVP on Sunday, the most of any player in league history. Wilson’s more than just the WNBA’s best player; she is the moment in women’s sports…but when it comes to marketing, she’s simply not getting her due. In this episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz dig into Wilson’s unprecedented season befor...

It’s not every day you meet your heroes. But The GIST’s Associate Managing Editor Lauren Tuiskula did just that earlier this week, sitting down with legendary ESPN reporter Holly Rowe to discuss the evolution of female fandom across the sports universe. Tune in to this episode of The GIST of It to hear Lauren and Holly discuss college football, Holly’s biggest storyline of the ongoing WNBA playoff...

Let’s take a trip down memory lane. ICYMI, nostalgia is having a moment at the box office — and now, we’re seeing that translate to the sports world. Inspired by the news that Bend It Like Beckham is getting a long-awaited sequel, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz are diving into the business of sports movie sequels on today’s episode of The GIST of It, including how pop culture moments can tur...

Women’s hoops is where it’s at. Yes, the WNBA regular season ends today, but this episode of The GIST of It is all about the offseason plans for the best hoopers in the game. Unrivaled, the 3v3 league founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, will be bigger and better than ever for its second season, boasting new investments and even more teams. And we’re digging into all of it, including h...

Aces all around. ICYMI: Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner in Sunday’s US Open men’s single final, clinching his sixth career Grand Slam and snatching the world No. 1 ranking from his respected rival in the process. So on today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz dig into the Big Two era of men’s tennis, a stark contrast to the parity in the women’s game. Game, set...

Hut hut, here we go! It’s officially NFL season, GISTer — and we’re going all in on The GIST of It. Before tonight’s kickoff, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz are breaking down the league’s top contenders, from the defending champs to a team we know, ahem, all too well. It really is the greatest time of year. Show notes: Episode #489: A new league of their own: Introducing the Women’s Pro Base...

This is girlhood. Today’s episode of The GIST of It is all about the Women’s Pro Baseball League (WPBL), a first-of-its-kind women’s pro league launching in 2026. It’s a tale of girlhood, community, and sports — and that sounds an awful lot like the founding principles of The GIST, meaning co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz are the perfect duo to break down everything you need to know now that t...

This one’s totally gnarly.  Let us introduce you to Brooke Johnson, the first woman to skateboard across the United States. On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-host Ellen Hyslop sits down with Johnson to discuss her 3,266-mile journey, and Johnson’s efforts to raise $50K for spinal cord injury research in honor of her late stepfather along the way. Grab your tissues, strap on your helmet, and...