The GIST of It is a twice-weekly podcast on what’s going on in the sports world. Hosts Ellen Hyslop and Stephanie Rotz discuss current sports topics and how they intersect with pop culture and social issues, covering everything from major league season previews to calling out the sexist BS we see in sports daily. Expect a hilarious yet informative conversation with a refreshing female perspective on the world of sports.
…
continue reading
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 w…
…
continue reading
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 Laker…
…
continue reading
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 al…
…
continue reading
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 e…
…
continue reading
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 ah…
…
continue reading
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 Ro…
…
continue reading
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 thin…
…
continue reading
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…
…
continue reading
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 implication…
…
continue reading
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 thi…
…
continue reading
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…
…
continue reading
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 ti…
…
continue reading
Formula 1 is back, baby, with the Australian Grand Prix kicking off the new season this weekend. To celebrate, The GIST of It co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz break down the top storylines you need to know, including the lifetime legacy battle between Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Then the gals have an extra special tr…
…
continue reading
The name of the game? College hoops. We’re officially five days away from Selection Sunday, so it’s time to assess the men’s and women’s college hoops landscape. In today’s episode of The GIST of It, guest host Lauren Tuiskula and co-host Steph Rotz first preview the players you need to know on the men’s side, before shifting gears to the gals and …
…
continue reading
Hello hello! The grass really is greener in March because the NWSL is finally back. Today’s episode of The GIST of It previews tomorrow’s Challenge Cup, the ceremonial start of the season. Co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz will walk through the changes to this year’s game before picking their winner: Will it be the defending NWSL champ Orlando P…
…
continue reading

1
Ep #439: Homophobic chants ruin San Diego FC’s home opener, plus an NCAA women’s hoops conference tourney preview
26:27
Hello, March! Today’s episode of The GIST of It is a classic two-parter, starting off with a WTF moment before digging into a hoop-tastic preview.First up, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz discuss an incident of homophobic chants at MLS squad San Diego FC’s first-ever home opener on Saturday. The gals dig into this pervasive and unacceptable tr…
…
continue reading
Here’s to a legend! Diana Taurasi, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, announced her retirement on Tuesday, so today’s episode of The GIST of It is a toast to the queen of confidence. As co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz discuss, Taurasi’s skill, starpower, and most of all, swagger, re-defined women’s hoops — the game is in a big…
…
continue reading
Ice, ice, baby. Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is chasing history, now just 13 goals away from breaking Wayne “The Great One” Gretzky’s all-time NHL scoring record. So on today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz dive into Ovi’s pursuit of greatness, from his consistency across 20 (!!!) NHL seasons, to the c…
…
continue reading

1
Ep #436: Fighting and Politics in the NHL: The 4 Nations Face-Off championship success amongst charged hockey fans
34:09
It’s time to do that hockey! The hottest thing in sports right now is the 4 Nations Face-Off, a replacement to the NHL’s All-Star tourney that’s drawing millions of viewers and creating new hockey fans across North America. And tonight, it’s Team USA vs. Team Canada in the highly anticipated championship game, sparking new life into a storied rival…
…
continue reading
The business of women’s sports is booming. It’s all gals, all the time in this extra-special episode of The GIST of It. Today, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz are digging into two major women’s sports business headlines, sponsored by our pals at Amazon Business. First, El and Steph are diving head first, fearless into the PWHL’s wildly success…
…
continue reading
Happy Galentine’s Day! Leslie Knope’s favorite day of the year is here, and to celebrate co-hosts Steph Rotz and guest host Lauren Tuiskula are diving into all the shiny and fun happenings in the sports world this coming weekend. First, the gals discuss the 74th NBA All-Star Game, airing this Sunday from San Francisco. Much like the NHL, who upgrad…
…
continue reading
Hi! Today’s episode of The GIST of It has a little bit of everything with one tournament preview and one WTF moment on deck. Co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz start things off by discussing the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off, an NHL hockey tourney that’ll pit Team USA, Team Canada, Team Finland, and Team Sweden against each other for international …
…
continue reading
Hut, hut, hello there! You already know what time it is. On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz kick off Super Bowl weekend with a full preview of the biggest event in sports. Will quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs achieve a historic three-peat? Can running back Saquon Barkley and the Philade…
…
continue reading

1
Ep #431: A true WTF weekend: Disturbing allegations against Justin Tucker & the bombshell Luka Dončić trade
34:41
Hey there! The sports headlines came fast and furious this weekend, so co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz are here to break it all down on today’s episode of The GIST of It. First, the gals dig into the disturbing sexual misconduct allegations against Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker, who has been accused of inappropriate behavior dating bac…
…
continue reading
Happy Friday Jr.! Grab some boxes because today’s episode of The GIST of It is all about major moves. From the WNBA to the NWSL, there’ve been a plethora of massive trades and signings in the last few weeks. Co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz begin in the WNBA, where two perennial All-Stars — Alyssa Thomas and Brittney Griner — will be donning di…
…
continue reading