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 the country to how the new league is fostering Canada’s FIFA Women’s World Cup ambitions. Tap those ruby slippers because there’s no place like home.

A big thank you to BMO for sponsoring today’s pod! BMO is the official bank of the NSL and the league’s broadcast partner, sticking to their two-decade pledge to grow the game of soccer in North America. Learn more about how BMO is growing the beautiful game at BMOsoccer.com.

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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 Hyslop and Steph Rotz explain why a late-career renaissance is on the table for the Northern Irishman. To the greens they go. 

This episode was brought to you in part by Amazon Business, the ultimate partner for smart business buying. Amazon Business offers a one-stop shop for all of your business needs, helping companies of all shapes and sizes simplify their purchasing process. Learn more by checking out business.amazon.com today.

A special shoutout to our friends at CIBC for their support of The GIST of It. CIBC is a founding partner of the WNBA’s latest team, the Toronto Tempo, and is pushing women’s sports forward from the ground up, not only supporting women athletes, but podcasters like ourselves who share their incredible stories. Learn more about how CIBC champions ambition to make sports more inclusive today. 

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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 recovery, Stewie and the gals gab about it all. Don’t miss this one.

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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 Bueckers is expected to be the undisputed first overall pick, before providing you with all the deets about the other top talents in this year’s draft class. Let’s hoop to it.

This episode was brought to you by Amazon Business, the ultimate partner for smart business buying. Amazon Business offers a one-stop shop for all of your business needs, helping companies of all shapes and sizes simplify their purchasing process. Learn more by checking out business.amazon.com today. 

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How Title IX changed the game
Episode #374: Olympic trials continue & a celebration of Title IX

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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 brightest star, will come out on top and win their first championship since 2016. 

A special shout out to FanDuel for sponsoring today’s episode! The GIST partnered with FanDuel to create our very own March Madness brackets for both the men’s and women’s tourneys. Head to thegistsports.com to check where you are on the leaderboard and check out the FanDuel app to bet on college basketball all month long. 

Show notes:
Episode #443: Heroes vs. Villains: March Madness head coach edition

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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. May the best teams win. 

This episode was brought to you by Amazon Business, the ultimate partner for smart business buying. Amazon Business offers a one-stop shop for all of your business needs, helping companies of all shapes and sizes simplify their purchasing process. Learn more by checking out business.amazon.com today. 

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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 chances to Watkins’ path to recovery. Sending healing love. 

This episode was brought to you by Amazon Business, the ultimate partner for smart business buying. Amazon Business offers a one-stop shop for all of your business needs, helping companies of all shapes and sizes simplify their purchasing process. Learn more by checking out business.amazon.com today. 

A special shout out to Peloton for also sponsoring today’s episode! No matter where you are in your fitness journey, Peloton’s easy-to-use app is here to provide you with the workout, support, and community you need. Download the app today for a free 30-day trial.

**New members only. Terms apply. See onepeloton.com for details.

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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 treated as such, and improved facilities are a major way to draw in the league’s top talent. 

And in part two, Karina LeBlanc, the Executive Vice President of Strategic Growth Development at RAJ Sports, joins the gals, speaking to the state-of-the-art facilities being built for the WNBA’s new Portland team and the NWSL’s Portland Thorns. Don’t miss this. 

This episode was brought to you by Amazon Business, the ultimate partner for smart business buying. Because with Amazon Business, companies of all shapes and sizes can simplify their purchasing process, with a one-stop shop for all your business needs. Learn more by checking out business.amazon.com today. 

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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 to the underrated skills that turn unknown teams into contenders. Grab your pencils: Bracketology 101 is in session.

A special shout out to Peloton for sponsoring today’s episode! No matter where you are in your fitness journey, Peloton’s easy-to-use app is here to provide you with the workout, support, and community you need. Download the app today for a free 30-day trial.

**New members only. Terms apply. See onepeloton.com for details.

Show notes:
Women’s bracket challengeMen’s bracket challengeEp #441: March Madness is coming: Here are the teams and names to know

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There’s no time like The Big Dance for a little celebration.

Today’s episode of The GIST of It is extra special because we’re celebrating our five-year anniversary! From teaching themselves how to edit on Garage Band to creating hundreds of episodes with a full production team, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz have seen it all — and now it’s time to shake things up.

Don’t worry — The GIST of It will still be your twice-weekly go-to source for the latest on the top sports headlines, but by focusing on just one story per episode, there’ll be even more room for listener questions, fun debates, and of course, spicy hot takes.

And with that, today’s episode highlights a hero and a villain in women’s college hoops, traveling down memory lane to explore how two gamechangers took such divergent roads to become pillars — good or bad — in women’s sports. 

A special shout out to FanDuel for sponsoring today’s episode! The GIST partnered with FanDuel to create our very own March Madness brackets for both the men’s and women’s tourneys. Head to thegistsports.com to make your picks and check out the FanDuel app to bet on college basketball all month long.

Show notes:
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👋 Join The GIST’s College Basketball Bracket Challenge!

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