The GIST of It

The GIST of It

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.

Episodes

June 12, 2025 27 mins
We’re almost at the end of the Hockey Canada trial.

Covering this case hasn’t been easy, but here at The GIST of It, we’re in the business of telling hard stories that shed light on important issues, while calling out bullsh!t along the way. With a verdict expected on July 24th, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz share thoughts on the defense’s disturbing closing arguments. Take care with this one, GISTer.

This episode was brought ...
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The winds of change are blowing in college sports.

The $2.8B lawsuit settlement House v. NCAA was approved on Friday, ushering in a new era of college sports where Division I athletes can be paid directly by their schools through name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals. Now that each school has the right to determine how it will distribute revenue, we have lots of questions — and on this episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hysl...
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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 deeper into important topics.

We’ve ta...
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The math isn’t mathing.

Sexism is in the air at Roland-Garros. For the second straight year, no women’s matches have been scheduled at night at the French Open, relegating high-profile matches to morning slots where there are fewer fans in the stands, and crucially, fewer viewers across the pond. On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz dig into this prime-time gender gap and all the fun storylines...
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Ep #464: WTF: Protect women athletes from stalkers—Enough is enough.

Over the weekend, there were two incidents of stalking and harassment of women athletes, incidents that targeted NCAA gymnast and content creator Livvy Dunne and track superstar and three-time Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas. On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz share both stories and place them in the larger landscape of th...
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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 deeper into important topics.

We’ve ta...
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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 brought to you by Amazon Business, the ulti...
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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 moment for the WNBA, as well as expl...
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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 deeper into important topics.

We’ve ta...
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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 the upcoming expansion draft. Drop th...
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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 Clark. The WNBA is growing in popularity...
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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 deeper into important topics.

We’ve ta...
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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 the context you need before digging int...
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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 deeper into important topics.

We’ve ta...
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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 be different from the rest. Take car...
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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 draft rules, and learn the names we...
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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 deeper into important topics.

We’ve ta...
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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 like this across all women’s sports Tim...
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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, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz...
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April 24, 2025 21 mins
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 expansion team and what that means for th...
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