The GIST of It

Welcome to Inside the Lines with A.J. Andrews, a six-part series exploring mental health and wellness through game-changing 1:1 conversations with athletes. Mental health matters — it’s a topic that’s been taboo for far too long, but is thankfully being discussed more and more. Each installment centers around a 1:1 athlete conversation, creating a candid, open dialogue and an opportunity to dive d...

Step up to the plate. And start swinging! This episode of The GIST of It is all about the Women’s College World Series, which begins today in Oklahoma City. Co-hosts Steph Rotz and Lauren Tuiskula dig into No. 2 seed Oklahoma’s dynastic run and pick the softball squads that could play spoiler before zooming out to discuss where the sport is heading in the future. Batter up! This episode was brough...

It’s time to negotiate. The WNBA season is in full swing, but there’s an even spicier battle brewing off the court. The WNBPA (aka, the WNBA players union) is currently negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with the league to outline the rules that govern the WNBA. In this episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz establish the timeline leading up to this pivotal...

Welcome to Inside the Lines with A.J. Andrews, a six-part series exploring mental health and wellness through game-changing 1:1 conversations with athletes. Mental health matters — it’s a topic that’s been taboo for far too long, but is thankfully being discussed more and more. Each installment centers around a 1:1 athlete conversation, creating a candid, open dialogue and an opportunity to dive d...

The PWHL Finals are off to a raucous start.  The defending champ Minnesota Frost fell in overtime to the upstart Ottawa Charge in Tuesday’s Game 1 — but the box score only tells half the story. On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz share their thoughts on a player that’s making headlines for all the wrong reasons before shifting gears to the latest news about t...

There’s no place for racism in the WNBA — full stop.  Unfortunately, a hate speech incident marred an otherwise thrilling opening weekend of WNBA action. On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz discuss allegations of racist and hateful fan comments launched at the Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese during a game against her longtime rival, the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clar...

Welcome to Inside the Lines with A.J. Andrews, a six-part series exploring mental health and wellness through game-changing 1:1 conversations with athletes. Mental health matters — it’s a topic that’s been taboo for far too long, but is thankfully being discussed more and more. Each installment centers around a 1:1 athlete conversation, creating a candid, open dialogue and an opportunity to dive d...

Well that ain’t it. Today’s episode of The GIST of It is all about Ironman (no, not this Iron Man ) after the sport’s governing body recently announced that women won’t have their own championship race starting in 2026. It’s only been three years since the sport separated the women’s and men’s events — and the ripple effects of shifting back are vast. Co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz provide t...

Welcome to Inside the Lines with A.J. Andrews, a six-part series exploring mental health and wellness through game-changing 1:1 conversations with athletes. Mental health matters — it’s a topic that’s been taboo for far too long, but is thankfully being discussed more and more. Each installment centers around a 1:1 athlete conversation, creating a candid, open dialogue and an opportunity to dive d...

This one’s a toughie. As we’ve covered extensively at The GIST, hockey culture is in desperate need of a reckoning — and the ongoing Hockey Canada trial is the perfect example of why. Today’s episode of The GIST of It takes listeners through the latest updates from the courtroom, as co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz discuss toxicity in the sport and provide key insight as to why this trial may...

The more women’s hockey, the better. And our friends at Jocks in Jills couldn’t agree more. Today’s extra-special episode of The GIST of It features an interview with Tessa Bonhomme and Julia Tocheri, the hosts of Jocks in Jills, our favorite PWHL podcast. Tune in to hear co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz discuss their PWHL postseason predictions with the gals, ask questions about the expansion...

Welcome to Inside the Lines with A.J. Andrews, a six-part series exploring mental health and wellness through game-changing 1:1 conversations with athletes. Mental health matters — it’s a topic that’s been taboo for far too long, but is thankfully being discussed more and more. Each installment centers around a 1:1 athlete conversation, creating a candid, open dialogue and an opportunity to dive d...

The ACL injury epidemic isn’t going away.  But as of Tuesday, FIFA is taking major strides to address this career-altering injury in the women’s game. Today’s episode of The GIST of It breaks down the new FIFA-funded study investigating the link between ACL injuries and a player’s menstrual cycle, with co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz highlighting the importance of gender-specific research lik...

Mr. Barkley goes to Washington. But before he visited the White House yesterday to celebrate the Philadelphia Eagles 2025 Super Bowl win, superstar running back Saquon Barkley spent some one-on-one time with President Donald Trump, raising the eyebrows of many football fans — especially after his Super Bowl MVP teammate Jalen Hurts didn’t make the trip at all. On today’s episode of The GIST of It,...

It’s happening! The PWHL is officially growing. Yesterday, the upstart pro women’s hockey league announced it’s expanding to Vancouver for the 2025-26 season, delighting local fans who turned out in massive numbers during the PWHL Takeover Tour’s stop in the city. On this episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Steph Rotz and Lauren Tuiskula dig into why Vancouver was chosen as the league’s first expa...

The NBA is so the drama. If you thought the first few games of the NBA playoffs were exciting, just wait until you hear what’s going on behind-the-scenes. On Monday, ESPN dropped a bombshell article detailing the Dallas Mavericks’ dysfunction amidst the blockbuster trade that sent franchise star and generational talent, Luka Dončić, to the LA Lakers. On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts...

It’s finally happening. Last night was the long-awaited debut of the Northern Super League (NSL), aka Canada’s brand-new pro women’s soccer league. Calgary Wild FC and Vancouver Rise FC kicked off the action, but there’s so much more to discuss, on and off the pitch. On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz chat all things NSL, from the six teams spread out across...

A moment for the champion.  Golfer Rory McIlroy reached the peak of his sport’s mountaintop on Sunday, winning the Masters to become just the sixth player to achieve a career Grand Slam. It’s only been a couple of days since McIlroy earned his long-awaited green jacket, but folks already want to know: What’s next? Today’s episode of The GIST of It explores Rory’s ascension, as co-hosts Ellen Hyslo...

It’s always the right time to talk about women’s basketball. But that’s especially true when one of the greatest hoopers of all time comes on the pod. NY Liberty superstar Breanna Stewart joins co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz on The GIST of It today, and no topic is off-limits. From her latest PUMA shoe drop to her advice for Paige Bueckers ahead of Monday’s WNBA Draft to bonding over injury...

Crown her. Winners win — and on Sunday, UConn superstar Paige Bueckers finally reached the NCAA basketball mountaintop after her Huskies defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks 82–59 to claim the 2025 national championship. So what’s next for Paige Buckets? Going pro, of course. On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz preview next Monday’s WNBA Draft, where Buecker...

The women’s Final Four is almost here.  The winner of the women’s national basketball tournament will be crowned this Sunday, but first, four schools — No. 1 seeds UCLA, Texas, South Carolina and No. 2 UConn — will compete in the Final Four tomorrow in Tampa. In this episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz share why they think UConn, the lowest seed with the game’s brightes...

March Madness, meet April reality check. Sorry, Cinderella — this year, the men’s March Madness tourney is straight chalk, with all four top seeds advancing to the Final Four after last weekend’s Elite Eight showdowns. But how did we really get here? On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz discuss how the transfer portal and NIL created a Final Four chalkfest. Ma...

March Madness, meet March sadness.  The women’s NCAA hoops tourney suffered a serious blow earlier this week when No. 1 seed USC’s sophomore superstar JuJu Watkins tore her ACL in the second-round. Devastating. That’s why on today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz are discussing the immediate and long-term implications of Watkins’ injury, from the Trojans’ title cha...

Let’s get down to business.  With the 2025 WNBA season fast approaching, this episode of The GIST of It takes a peek behind the curtain, as co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz explore how improving amenities are changing the look of the league from the inside out.  From the Unrivaled effect to the importance of facilities during free agency, one thing is clear: The WNBA’s pro hoopers want to be t...

The odds of making a perfect bracket? 1 in 9.2 quintillion. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t tips, tricks, and tools of the trade when it comes to filling out your Big Dance predictions. On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz look at the shocking men’s March Madness trends that have stood the test of time, from the seed that always seems to pull off the upset...