Elizabeth Price is a retired gymnast who competed on the US national team as an alternate for the 2012 Olympics and at Stanford University. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in design engineering at Harvard. At Stanford, Price won national championships in the vault and the uneven bars. Below, she spoke to Just Women’s Sports about her career as an elite gymnast, her experience with the national team, and the necessary changes the sport is undergoing. 

A lot of gymnasts start at a very young age. Was that true for you and how did you get introduced to the sport? 

Yes. I started when I was three. My mom put me in the sport because she said I had too much energy and she just needed me to do something. It ended up being gymnastics. My parents have no gymnastics background whatsoever. But both my parents would drive past this gym on the way to work when I was little and my mom saw little kids running in and out so she decided to stop by. It was gymnastics, so she was like, “Perfect!” She signed me up for a class, and the rest is history. I was six when I started competing at meets around Pennsylvania where I grew up when, and then each year I’d move up a level and start competing in more competitions, and traveling to more places.

I read that you were homeschooled most of your childhood to focus on training for elite gymnastics. At such a young age, what was it like to dedicate yourself to a sport like that? 

I was twelve, going into seventh grade when I started homeschooling because that was also the year when I became an elite gymnast. My coaches saw a lot of potential in me before then and really actually wanted me to start homeschooling earlier so I could spend more time in the gym. But it was my parents who wanted me to wait a little bit longer. Once I qualified as an elite, I stopped going to school and became homeschooled. From then on, I spent 40 hours a week in the gym until I graduated high school.

Does becoming an elite gymnast mean that you’re basically on track to competing with the Olympic team at some point?

Yeah, it’s definitely the track for the National Team and the Olympics. You can’t go to the Olympics unless you’re on the national team, so that’s the ultimate goal. But the first goal if you want to make it to the Olympics is becoming an elite gymnast.

Was there ever a point in your childhood to early teenage years that you questioned your love of the sport? 

There were things that I didn’t like that I had to do to be as good as I was. For example, I didn’t want to be homeschooled. I loved going to school as a kid so that was a huge sacrifice for me. And then even when I was younger practices were longer. Even then it was like, oh I can’t go trick-or-treating. That’s not a big deal, but to a nine year old that was a big deal. So little things like that that I really missed out on. Birthday parties, vacations, that kind of stuff. Around the time I was maybe eleven or twelve, that’s when the competitions and the training required more focus, dedication, and effort on my part. That is when gymnastics became something I was really dedicating myself to, as opposed to something that I did and just happened to be really good at.

What was your go-to event?

So I competed in all four events throughout my entire gymnastics career. Most girls before college compete in all four. However, my strongest events were floor and uneven bars. And I would say bars are my favorite, for sure.

You were a member of the US Senior National Team in 2012 and an alternate for the 2012 Olympics. What was that experience like?

I don’t think I really saw myself as going to the Olympics, ever. Not that I didn’t think that I was good enough, but as a kid, you see the people at the Olympics, and those are the best in the world. And I never personally never thought of myself as one of the best in the world. Yes, I thought I was competing with the best, I was holding my own. But I never really saw myself as being able to go out there and be one of the best in the world. At least not until I was at Olympic trials.

I don’t think I realized that I had the potential to really make an Olympic team until that meet. I didn’t have confidence in myself before then. Even if I’d go out there and win every event, I still wouldn’t think that I was one of the best. But the year of the trials was one of my best years ever. I was super consistent and doing really well. I ended up finishing fourth at the Olympic trials. I mean, it really doesn’t get much better than that. Obviously that was a huge accomplishment to finish so high and qualify for an alternate spot on the team. But it was also huge for me personally because that was the moment when I realized oh wow, I’m definitely able to go out there and be one of the best in the world, if not the best in the world one day.

Five gymnasts compete in the Olympics. You placed fourth in the Trials. So how come they didn’t choose a top-5 performer from the trials for the team?

So the only person who’s guaranteed a spot on the Olympic team is the person who finishes first at trials. All of the other spots are selected individually. And in 2012 they took the first place person, who I’m pretty sure was Gabby Douglas, and then they took the second and third place person, the fifth place person, and the seventh place person. In the Olympics, not everyone gets to compete in every event. There’s strategy in picking the team. You want the five people who would get the top three scores on each event. So it’s more than just taking the five best all around gymnastics. So even though I competed in all of the events, if I was to end up selected, it would have been for either floor, bars or the vault.

Were you surprised to not have been selected?

After the meet was over and I was sitting in fourth place, I definitely thought I was going to be selected as one of the five people to compete. But at the same time, I wasn’t really sure, because I knew I was right on the edge. The people who placed above me were stronger all around gymnasts, and the people who placed below me were stronger on individual events. Of course, I would’ve loved to have been part of the five who got to compete, but also being selected as an alternate is a huge accomplishment. I mean, how many people get to say that they were part of an Olympic team at all? So I was very proud of myself and definitely happy with what I got in the end.

You retired from elite gymnastics in 2014 before heading to Stanford. Is it common for athletes to choose between competing in college and with the national team? 

Very few people do both. If anything, if you still want to do elite gymnastics, people might take off a semester or something to train for the national team. But like I said earlier, elite gymnastics requires 40 hours a week of training. And I could not do that and compete for Stanford at the same time, on top of the academics.

How did you feel when you retired from elite gymnastics? Was it a sense of relief or was it more excitement about this new chapter?

I was very excited about what was coming next, because at the end of my elite career I had accomplished everything that I wanted to. I didn’t necessarily compete at World Championships or compete at the Olympics, but those were never my specific goals. I wanted to make the national team and just be the best gymnast that I could be, and I felt that I had proven to myself that I was stronger than I thought. I had gotten everything I would receive from elite gymnastics, and so I was very excited to head to Stanford and see what it had to offer.

Right away, your freshman year, you win the NCAA vault title. How do you feel like that set expectations for the rest of your Stanford career?

I had high expectations for myself going in. But college gymnastics is much different than everything else. The judging is different, the routine structure is different, and I wasn’t sure how I would compare to the other athletes and their routines. So going out there and being able to win an NCAA title my freshman year was super reassuring and obviously a great accomplishment. Especially as a freshman who was new to the whole college scene, so it was pretty awesome.

What makes the competition different in college? 

Aspects of it were easier. For example, in college you can’t train more than 20 hours. So obviously there goes half of my training time. Additionally, in the elite you’re basically trying to do the hardest possible skills you can and make them look pretty decent. In college you’re not necessarily trying to do the hardest skills. You’re trying to do medium difficulty skills but make them look absolutely perfect. And that was basically the difference. You’re really focusing on trying to get the perfect 10, which is different in elite scoring because in elite scoring you can’t really get a 10. As you just add harder skills, the scores go higher and higher and higher. There’s really no limit to the scoring, so that’s the biggest difference.

What did it mean for you to end your gymnastics career as An NCAA champion?

It was more than I could’ve asked for. Knowing it was going to be my last competition, my main goal was just to go out there and hit four solid routines and do as good as I possibly could. But I did even better than that because I scored a 10 at nationals, which never even crossed my mind as being a possibility. I’m like, you’re at nationals, there’s even more judges, they’re doing everything they can to find everything wrong with your routine. So the fact that I scored a perfect 10 at nationals at my last competition was just the cherry on top. All the hard work, all the hours I put in my whole life, and especially in college and all of the injuries I endured — everything was worth it.

How did you deal with the transition out of gymnastics when you graduated?

Starting when I was a kid, I wanted to be an engineer. Before I knew I was going to do college gymnastics or be an elite gymnast, I knew I wanted to be an engineer. So throughout my college experience, I always saw the end of gymnastics coming. I knew exactly when it was coming, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do afterwards, so the transition was pretty natural. Although gymnastics was the biggest part of my life, it wasn’t my life. I’ve always wanted to do other things, and I just happened to spend a lot of my time doing gymnastics along the way.

I wanted to transition to more current events. Athletes have been at the forefront of the social justice conversation this year. What are your thoughts on the importance of athletes using their platform to speak up on these issues? 

I personally think it’s absolutely amazing to see athletes stepping up and using their platforms to bring attention to these really important matters. Especially because so often the general public use athletes as these perfect beings that are so far removed from social issues. But I think it’s really important to see these athletes step up and be saying something and using their platform, because it lets people know that everyone is attached to this. No one is unaffected by what’s going on.

Obviously a big storyline in the gymnastics world the past few years has been all the coaching abuse scandals. What’s been your perspective on these changing dynamics within the sport? 

It’s difficult to analyze a lot of what goes on right now, because gymnastics is a sport that involves athletes that are very young, much younger than other sports. Most gymnasts start when they’re like five years old, and all their careers are done before they’re 22. It is really important to analyze exactly what the coaching structure is because all of the athletes, as great as we are, we’re still only children and have most of our lives to live after our sport is over. It’s not something we get to do forever, so I think it’s great to see the change that’s coming to the sport of gymnastics with regards to how people treat coaching, how coaches are treating athletes, and how everyone’s making sure that accountability is being placed on the people whose jobs it is to take care of the athletes.

Sam Staab plays as a defender for the Washington Spirit of the NWSL and the Western Sydney Wanderers in Australia’s W-League. 

[Editor’s note: this interview took place the day before the Washington Spirit played the Chicago Red Stars to a 1-1 draw.]

Your team is heading into its third game of the Fall Series tomorrow. I wanted to first talk about the format of these games, since this is obviously very different from the Challenge Cup. How do you feel about these more spaced-out games? 

It hasn’t been too bad. I mean, it makes it feel like a bit of a normal season having a few home games and a few away games. They split us up into regions, so we’re only playing Chicago and New Jersey, which are great teams. That’s good because it will be a challenge every single game. But other than that, it’s kind of nice just because it feels like for a month and a half we get to have a bit of a normal season.

I chatted with some other players and they were saying they didn’t realize how emotionally and physically drained they were until they came home from the Challenge Cup bubble. Was that similar for you?

Yes. Definitely leaving the Challenge Cup, I didn’t really realize it. And then when I was at home for a couple of days, I was like, Oh my gosh, this is so nice. Obviously we’re still in a pandemic, but being stuck in a hotel and an unfamiliar place and just everything that we had to go through and be aware of was emotionally and physically draining. But at the same time, I just had to be grateful and reflect on it and be like, okay, we actually got to play, and obviously we were the first league to be able to do so. And I was really grateful at the time to be able to actually play.

What is the team’s mindset given that there’s no trophy or title to play for during the Fall Series?

I think we have taken a bit of a different approach to the Fall Series. We have a lot of players injured, a lot of very influential and impactful players injured on our team right now. And we’re already kind of labeled as like the young and talented team. So I think what we’re doing is giving a lot of younger players, including myself, a ton of experience, not only just playing games, but also being in leadership roles. A bunch of us that aren’t necessarily older or veteran players have had to step into new positions and just kind of take over a bigger role on the team because we have so many big personalities and important people out. Hopefully, next year we’re in a better spot and everyone is a little bit further ahead.

Obviously a huge storyline for your team before the start of the Series was Rose Lavelle being traded and then heading abroad. Did that have any affect on your team’s chemistry?

I wouldn’t say that it had like a major effect on our team chemistry or anything. Obviously, Rose is an unbelievable player, but she had mentioned to us before everything started that this is what she was going to do. So I think we had a bit of a heads up. And everyone was really excited for her new opportunity and we just kind of had to take it for what it is. People have really stepped up into roles that she had in order to fill them. So I don’t think it necessarily had an extreme impact on our team chemistry just because our team is so close anyway, but obviously she’s an amazing player. You can’t really fill that role with anyone else besides her. But people have stepped, and I’ve had to step up, and I think we’ve done a really great job.

A lot of other players across the league have gone abroad in the past month or so. What are your general thoughts on that?

The future of the NWSL, in terms of what the league was going to do at the end of this year, was kind of up in the air and no one really knew what was happen. Everyone is in that same boat. No one knows what’s going on from one day to the next. So I think if people want to play, they’re going to go abroad because they think they can get games in and have a more normal season. It was a good move for some people because the Challenge Cup didn’t necessarily present too many opportunities for people to get playing time and show their skills. So yeah, I don’t know. We didn’t do it [loan out players] as a club just because we wanted to build on what we started and give people opportunities to play but, for the people who thought the opportunity was there for them, I think it’s a good move.

I wanted to end on asking you about any safety concerns you or your team has had given traveling for games while we are still in a pandemic. And how has the team and the league handled these concerns?

I don’t know if our team has really had too many concerns about it. I think in the kind of contract of it all, we kind of just have to make our own sort of bubble. And I think people knew that we needed to be safe with everything. So I don’t necessarily think there were too many issues with playing and traveling just because we know that like the NWSL and our club would take precautions. And ultimately were in charge of what we do with ourselves. So. It’s about putting yourself in a bad or sticky situation. You should be okay. And you don’t have to think more than just yourself because you’re impacting your entire team. So I think if there was any sort of concern, our captains and our club handled it, but I don’t know if there was anything. We get tested twice a week. You need two negative tests before you play any game.

The Seattle Storm are headed back to the WNBA Finals for the second time in three years. The overwhelming favorites heading into the season, the Storm swept the Minnesota Lynx 3-0 in the semis, with Breanna Stewart’s career-playoff-high 31 points in the closing game helping to seal the deal.

Here are the moments that defined the series:

 

GAME 1: JEWELL LOYD AND BREANNA STEWART CARRY THE STORM, COMBINING FOR 46 PTS
BUT IT’S AYESHA CLARK’S BUZZER-BEATING PUTBACK THAT CLINCHES THE GAME

 

LET’S SEE THAT ONE AGAIN

 

IT MAY HAVE COME IN A LOSS, BUT NAPHEESA COLLIER’S BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK BLOCKS OF STEWIE REMINDED EVERYONE SHE’S A STAR ON BOTH ENDS OF THE COURT

 

GAME 2: PRIOR TO TIPOFF, COLLIER READS A STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF BREONNA TAYLOR’S FAMILY AFTER A KENTUCKY GRAND JURY FAILS TO CHARGE THE POLICE FOR KILLING HER

 

ON THE COURT, THE GOLD MAMBA STAYS HOT AS THE STORM CRUISE TO A 2-0 SERIES LEAD

 

ALL THE WHILE FLEXING THEIR LEAGUE-BEST DEPTH

 

GAME 3: BREANNA STEWART GOES FOR A PLAYOFF CAREER-HIGH OF 31 PTS AS THE STORM COMPLETE THE SWEEP

 

THE AGELESS-WONDER SUE BIRD ADDS 16 AND 9 OF HER OWN IN THE WIN

 

ALL WHILE IMPRESSING A FORMER COLLEGE TEAMMATE

 

THE STORM ARE NOW HEADED TO THE 2020 WNBA FINALS. GAME 1 IS FRIDAY

Kimberly Sass is a professional women’s hockey goalie who helped found, and now plays for, the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA). Sass played collegiate hockey at Colgate University and has previously played for the Metropolitan Riveters in the NWHL. Below, Sass talks with Just Women’s Sports about the PWHPA’s partnership with the United States Premier Hockey League, how COVID has shaped her perspective on sports, and the future of the PWHPA. 

[Editor’s note: this interview took place the day of the PWHPA New Hampshire Hub’s first game against the Islanders Hockey Club of the USPHL]

How are you feeling coming back to play after so long?

Yeah, of course everyone hasn’t been on the ice for awhile. We just held tryouts last weekend and had one practice on Wednesday. We are trying to get acquainted with each other and just figure out who our teammates are. We are so happy the PWHPA has partnered with the USPHL this season — it’s offering us so much more competition and training. It’s so important right now especially during COVID because there are so many more options for teams we could play in just the Northeast alone.

It sounds like such a great opportunity.  

Definitely. I recently watched Billie Jean King’s documentary on HBO. It reviewed her Battle of the Sexes match and it made me think of this weekend and our partnership with the USPHL. For us, we are not trying to treat this partnership as a “Battle of the Sexes” but as a training opportunity and a way to get extra competition throughout the season. I do think it’s hard, though, to not want to try and prove yourself, you know what I mean?

What do you think it will be like competing against the men’s teams? 

A lot of our players grew up playing on boys teams. I played with boys for one year when I first started and then I actually played on my high school’s boys JV and Varsity teams. Overall, I think we are familiar with skating with men’s teams here and there. In terms of competing with them in more of a season formate, I think that might be new for some players. I’m sure there will be a transition period, but I think we will be fine.

This weekend will be the first of five Regional Training hubs to play this year. Can you explain more about that model and why the PWHPA chose it? 

Sure. Last year was the first year of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) and we had seven regions for training. This year, two of the regions were eliminated because we moved towards a model where each region would have more of a team feel. So the five regions were selected based on the number of players that lived in that area. Most players lived in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Minnesota and New Hampshire. There are going to be some floater players who can’t relocate to those regions, but for the most part, we have enough players in those regions to hold high-level, high-tempo practices.

How has COVID-19 impacted the PWHPA’s mission and operations? 

When COVID first hit, we were waiting to see how it would all play out in terms of partners coming back for the second Dream Gap Tour. We were trying to figure out the logistics of travel and when we could actually play again. We were pleasantly surprised with how many of our existing partners returned and we actually have some new partners who jumped on board, too. In terms of the Dream Gap Tour showcase events which are typically hosted by NHL teams, we are shooting to begin those in January. Up until then, most teams will be selecting their own rosters and practicing in their hubs.

What are your expectations for game play given how much time players had to take off due to COVID?

It really depends on every player’s situation and if they had access to rinks or gyms. I think, for the most part, people were okay with the COVID break and just jumped right back in. As female athletes, we are used to high pressure situations. A lot of us work, too. Like, for this game tonight, I am working an entire day before I go step onto the ice. I’m on my lunch break right now. I’m in a hotel room working from home as an architectural designer. I found this quote once, and I forget who said it, but they said, “Pressure is a privilege.” I think we all just try to appreciate every time we are able to get on the ice.

I really like that. How has quarantine been for you? Do you have access to a gym?

I started doing a lot of home workouts, for sure. I actually moved from Jersey City back to my hometown in Buffalo, New York. Luckily, a local gym there called Revolution Buffalo started doing outdoor spin classes, circuit training and strength training so I try to do as many of those as possible. I purchased an indoor cycling bike, I have my TRX strap and my chin up bar. I got a slide board for my apartment to try and work on my lateral movement as a goalie. But it was definitely not as traditional as my usual offseason training. We all just made it work and now we’re going to put in that much more work to get to where we need to be.

What are some of your personal goals for this year? 

Just to enjoy every moment that I have on the ice. I’m getting older, I guess, in terms of ages of female hockey players — I’m turning 30 in November. I just want to give it my all this season in terms of training and really cherishing the moments because we don’t know how much longer we’re going to get these opportunities.

Has COVID made you appreciate playing more? 

I think, for certain players, the COVID break made them contemplate retiring. Some people considered not playing this season. I know that crossed my mind a little bit. I think that reflection and that realization that you don’t know when you are going to play next motivates you when you do have the opportunity to play.

How have you personally managed your architecture career with the PWHPA over the past few years? 

I graduated from Colgate University in 2012 and went right into my masters of architecture program in Buffalo. There were no paid professional hockey opportunities in the United States and I did not want to delay my career by moving to Europe, so I just went right into grad school. In my final year of the architecture program, I played in the NWHL. I just knew that I wasn’t finished with hockey. I ended up moving to New York to pursue an architecture job and I also played for the Metropolitan Riveters for two years. In 2019, many of us players decided to leave the league and form the PWHPA in hopes of creating a truly professional, sustainable league with a livable wage and plenty of resources.

I haven’t answered the question, but I think I’m just used to juggling all these things. I think being a student athlete teaches you that balance and, for me, stepping on the ice is a way to clear my head. I also think my personality is to just get things done. And I’ve always tried to be a leader in terms of women’s hockey, so I really appreciate my position on the board for the PWHPA.

What does the PWHPA need to do to advance its goal of establishing a viable professional league? 

I think we need to treat these exhibition games as opportunities to always be improving our skills and level of play. Once we do have that big stage to play on, we have to be able to prove to everyone that we deserve this.

After these regional exhibitions, is there a next step? What is the PWHPA going to do after? 

The next step would be to have a full Dream Gap Tour season. Usually the tour runs from October to March, but with COVID, we are hoping that the showcase tournament weekends start in January. And then, ideally, we want to create more of a partnership with the NHL and create more of a structure of an actual league with pay. That’s what we’re shooting for.

What would a successful season look like in your eyes? 

A successful season for the PWHPA players would look like players not having to work a full time job before going to a game. It would look like players being able to train on the ice whenever they choose and having access to workout facilities and full-size arenas. You know, the pay has to be there in order to attract the top talent. We’re shooting for a broadcast deal and just a total professional atmosphere with medical staff and equipment managers.

Do you have anything else you would like to add? 

I think the most important message is that we’re striving for something better. We’re trying to keep the movement going. The goal is a future professional, sustainable league for women’s professional hockey. We deserve it. We’re going to continue to prove ourselves over and over again in these games. So join us, watch us, follow us and look forward to great things happening.

The NWSL Fall Series resumed this past Saturday, with a trio of games delivering more than a few eye-opening plays. Here are the best of the bunch.

 

5. BOW DOWN TO THE KING

The Utah Royals’ Tziarra King shows off her hops, flying far above Reign’s defenders to head home the cross from teammate Brittany Ratcliffe. King catches some serious air as she knocks the ball back post corner with conviction. Though Utah would race out to a 2-0 lead against OL Reign, they’d ultimately have to settle for a 2-2 draw.

 

4. THOMAS PUTS IT IN SPORT MODE

The Chicago Red Stars make a dangerous mistake, and Crystal Thomas capitalizes. Anticipating the misplay as she sprints ahead of her defender, Thomas touches the ball past the keeper before slicing it into the back of the net. Her goal helped the Washington Spirit earn a 1-1 tie in their match against Chicago.

 

3. THOSE CANADIANS, EH?

The Houston Dash’s Sophie Schmidt pings a through-ball to Nichelle Prince, her fellow Dash and Canadian National team teammate. Prince slips the cracks of Orlando’s defensive line, running onto the flawlessly played ball before calmly chipping the goalkeeper. Prince’s clinical finish gave her team an early lead in a 3-1 victory over Orlando Pride.

 

2. HARRIS’ GOLDEN GLOVE

The Houston Dash’s Kristie Mewis drives to the edge of the 18 before shooting the ball across her body to the back post. Ashlyn Harris makes a diving save, using her fingertips to push the ball just wide of the goal post. Harris’ jaw-dropping save kept Orlando alive in what would ultimately go down as a 3-1 loss to the Challenge Cup champs. We’re not sure what’s better: the actual save or Harris reacting as if it was just another day at the office.

 

1. BEND IT LIKE BALCER

Halloween must have come early this year, because OL Reign is handing out tricks. Steph Cox plays the ball to teammate Sofia Huerta, who cheekily dummies the ball, allowing it to roll behind Utah’s defense and right into Bethany Balcer’s tracks. The 2019 Rookie of the Year runs into the box and places a gorgeous curler into the upper V, bringing OL Reign back into their game against the Utah Royals, which ultimately ended in a 2-2 draw. That’s the kind of goal you dream about as a kid.

On Wednesday, a Kentucky grand jury indicted a single police officer with three counts of wanton endangerment in connection with the shooting of Breonna Taylor, who was killed at home by police in March.

Athletes have demanded for months that all three officers involved be arrested. The WNBA dedicated its season to Taylor and has made her name and story a prominent fixture of its 2020 campaign. Players wore jerseys with Taylor’s name on the back, as well as warm-up shirts that said “Say Her Name.”

The outcry on Wednesday in reaction to the grand jury’s decision was both swift and decisive.

On Tuesday night, A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces and Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx each put up historic performances in their respective playoff games.

In the first semifinal game of the night, it appeared as thought the Las Vegas Aces were about to fall behind 2-0 in their series with the Connecticut Sun. But with just minutes left in the game, league MVP Wilson quite literally put the team on her back, hitting a pair of tough layups to seal the victory.

Wilson finished with 29 points, 7 rebounds and 7 blocked shots in the 83-75 victory over the Sun. Wilson’s seven blocked shots were tied for third most in a WNBA playoff game.

In a game the Aces couldn’t afford to lose, Wilson stepped up, allowing Las Vegas to level the series. Just 24 years old, Wilson has officially made the jump from potential to present superstar.

During the second game of the night between the Minnesota Lynx and the Seattle Storm, Napheesa Collier put on a show with 25 points, 9 rebounds, 6 blocked shots and 3 assists.

While the Lynx lost in a buzzer beater finish, Collier looked like the best player on the floor for much of the game. In a single stretch, she blocked former UConn teammate Breanna Stewart three times.

Collier, last year’s Rookie of the Year, just turned 24 on Wednesday. Earlier in the year, she told Just Women’s Sports that her next big individual goal was to win league MVP. That might not be too far down the road.

Before Tuesday night, there had only been two performances in WNBA playoff history in which a player logged at least 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 blocks. In a matter of hours, Wilson and Collier added their names to that list Tuesday night.

As the playoffs continue, expect this duo to continue filling up the stat sheet. Along with former league MVP Breanna Stewart, herself just 26, they’ve already made it clear that no matter who walks away from the Wubble with a trophy, the future of the league is in excellent hands.

The Chicago Red Stars filled up the scoreboard, a Portland Thorns rookie made her long-awaited debut, and the Orlando Pride returned to action in what was a packed weekend for the NWSL. Here’s everything you might have missed:

 

5. VANESSA DIBERNARDO HITS A STUNNER

The Chicago Red Stars’ Kealia Watt mesmerizes her defender before cutting the ball back to the top of the box, finding teammate Vanessa DiBernardo. Bernardo rifles in a shot, nailing the side panel of the far post. Sorry, Sky Blue, no one was going to stop that ball from ending up in the back of the net. DiBernardo helped Chicago pick up the 4-1 win with this absolute banger off the beautiful team build up. *Chef’s kiss*

 

4. ASHLYN HARRIS SAYS ‘NOT TODAY’

We missed seeing Orlando Pride play in the NWSL’s Challenge Cup. We especially missed seeing Ashlyn Harris make these types of saves. North Carolina’s Lauren Millet drives to the box and places a ball behind the defensive line to Debinha, who beats her defender inside to direct the ball back post. But Harris makes a phenomenal save using both foot and hand, stopping one of the league’s top players from the six-yard box in order to hold a shutout and maintain a scoreless draw. We’ve watched this clip so many times and we’re still not sure how she did this.

 

3. KEALIA WATT’S 40-YARD DASH

Kealia Watt flexes some serious speed here, completing a blistering 40-yard dash all while dribbling her way straight to goal. One-on-one with the keeper, Watt confidently pushes the ball into the back of the net, netting her first of two goals on the day. Watt also picked up an assist in Chicago’s 4-1 dismantling of Sky Blue FC. Someone grab a stopwatch and get her and JJ on the starting blocks.

 

2. SIMONE CHARLEY: GIVE HER ALL THE ROSES

The Portland Thorns are famous for giving their team’s goalscorers roses after each game. We think Simone Charley deserves a bouquet after this one. Pulling down the long chip from teammate Lindsey Horan, Charley turns inside to lose her defender. She drives to goal, slipping in between two Utah Royals players before stuffing it into the near post. Charley’s goal opened the floodgates in Portland’s 3-0 win over the Royals, all while earning the postgame approval of her teammate Meghan Klingenberg.

 

1. WELCOME TO THE LEAGUE, SOPHIA SMITH

The No. 1 pick in the 2020 NWSL draft, Sophia Smith is all business as she scores a beautiful header just minutes into her professional career. Meghan Klingenberg intercepts a pass near the corner flag, turns inside, and hits a rocket to the penalty area, setting up the vaunted rookie. After having to sit out the Challenge Cup due to injury, it didn’t take Smith long to prove that’ she’s already an impact player.

Seattle is supposed to win it all this season.

From the first week of the season through the tip-off of its finale, the Seattle Storm were on top of the WNBA standings. But with a top-two seed clinched and a double-bye to the semifinals guaranteed, the Storm rested Breanna Stewart, saw Sue Bird miss her 11th game, and allowed the Las Vegas Aces to wrestle away the top seed in the playoffs.

Something tells us the Storm aren’t too concerned. Throughout the season, they have led the league in both offensive and defensive rating, giving them the best net rating at 15.0. And in their two previous games against the Minnesota Lynx, Seattle won 90-66 in the second game of the year and 103-88 on Sept. 6.

If there is one key for Seattle, it is finding rhythm from deep. In wins, Seattle shot 42.4% from beyond the arc. In losses, that rate dropped to 28%. That falloff of 14.2% is the highest difference in 3-point percentage between wins and losses among playoff teams and second in the entire league to New York, which lost all but two games.

Seattle is an excellent 3-point shooting team. In the regular season, the team shot 39.8%, second only to Los Angeles. While the Sparks proved in their 2-of-18 showing against Connecticut that anyone can get cold, in a five-game series it is unlikely that Seattle will struggle for a prolonged stretch of play.

Five players for the Storm take at least three 3-pointers per game. All five shoot better than the league-wide average 35.5%, and both Bird and Alysha Clark average well above league average. Bird is shooting 46.9% for the season, the best mark in her Hall of Fame career, but Clark tops even that with a 52.2% number that is the best in the league for any player taking at least 2 3-pointers per contest.

Jewell Loyd, Sami Whitcomb, and Stewart can also knock down 3’s with the best of them. There’s a reason the Storm are still the favorites to take home the title.

If Sue Bird is healthy enough to play, which is the expectation, she will be a major boost. Despite being limited to 11 games, Seattle went 10-1 in those contests. And while Seattle may not need Breanna Stewart to play at an MVP-level in the series to win, expect her to play with a chip on her shoulder after losing to A’ja Wilson it what was a tight, season-long race.

If Stewart raises her level of play, Minnesota could be in for a rough series. Of the five teams with the most points per game scored by rookies, four did not make the playoffs. Only Minnesota, led by Rookie of the Year Crystal Dangerfield’s 16.1 points per game, made it to the dance.

While Dangerfield struggled through the first half of her debut WNBA playoff game, Minnesota will continue to rely on their vaunted rookie. Despite leading the team in scoring in the regular season, Dangerfield struggled to open games throughout the campaign. In the first quarter, Dangerfield scored just 2.7 points on average, but that number steadily increased throughout each game, and in the fourth quarter she was up to 6.3, second in the entire league.

Nerves for her first playoff game may have been a part of the slow start, but Dangerfield has waited to get going all season long. The Lynx won’t panic if Dangerfield fails to get things going early against the Storm. Luckily, they have talent across the board.

Napheesa Collier has had an excellent season with 16.1 points and 9.0 rebounds per outing. After winning Rookie of the Year last season, Collier finished 5th in MVP voting this season. As she told Just Women’s Sports, winning MVP is her next big goal, but “First and foremost, I want our team to win.”

If the Lynx can pull off the upset of the Storm, the return of Sylvia Fowles could prove to be the decisive factor. After missing all five weeks with a calf injury, the 2017 league MVP and WNBA career rebound leader is back in action. The team’s 9.9 offensive rebounds per game, which was second in the league, affords valuable extra possessions, and with Fowles back in the paint, expect that number to only go up.

With Coach of the Year Cheryl Reeve pulling the strings, don’t expect the Lynx’s relative youth to trip them up against the Storm. This team plays beyond their years. But in order to topple an extremely talent Seattle side, the Lynx will need to be nearly perfect.

Prediction: Seattle in 4

Sophia Smith, the No. 1 pick in last year’s NWSL draft, scored a stunning header in her NWSL debut as the Portland Thorns cruised past the Utah Royals 3-0.

Smith missed the NWSL Challenge Cup due to a knee injury. Sunday’s game was both her first in a Thorns uniform, as well as the team’s first game in Providence Park in nearly a year. An earlier game against OL Reign had to be rescheduled due to poor air quality from the forest fires.

Smith came on as a second half substitute, scoring in the 73rd minute off a Meghan Klingenberg cross.

Smith left college early after leading the Stanford Cardinal to an NCAA championship last year. She made history as the first ever teenager to be selected in the NWSL draft. (Read our interview with Smith following the draft here.)

Simone Charley opened the scoring for Portland in the 35th minute with a sensational individual run through the Royals defense. Lindsey Horan later added a third in the 81st minute.

Seeing those three find the back of the net, and spotting USWNT legend Becky Sauerbrunn rocking a Portland jersey in Providence Park for the first time, had to leave Thorns fans giddy about what’s to come. Like owner Merritt Paulson, they’re also likely hoping that they’ll get to see the next Sophia Smith goal in person.