Hilary Knight and I are experiencing bad cell service due to winter weather that just won’t quit. We both laugh and roll with it because if this year has taught us anything, it’s to just keep going.

The same is true for Knight and the team she formed to create the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association, a player-led organization whose goal is to create a single, viable professional women’s hockey league in North America. No matter what obstacles get thrown their way (and there have been plenty), they’ve remained bound and determined to keep going until they change the status quo for their sport.

Knight and I speak days before the start of the PWHPA’s second Dream Gap Tour, which gets underway on Sunday, February 28 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. When Team New Hampshire faces off against Team Minnesota, it will be the first time that women’s professional hockey will be played in the “World’s Most Famous Arena.”

SKATING on, DESPITE the SETBACKS

Hilary Knight had big plans for the PWHPA’s second season. Another round of the Dream Gap Tour had been planned for 2020, with other opportunities cropping up on the horizon. Like other sports, all of that came to a screeching halt as COVID-19 spread across the globe. Despite the setback and the ongoing uncertainty, Knight and her teammates have kept themselves focused on maintaining their fitness as best they can in order to stay prepared.

Balancing her time between her home in Idaho and her training pod in Minnesota, Knight has made the most of her surroundings, running up mountains in her backyard and using her garage as a gym.

“I’ve definitely had to do some home workouts without any equipment,” she says. “Filling my backpacks with firewood to create weight, using my porch as a step up… You kind of just get creative.”

She may be one of the best hockey players in the world, but Knight is just like the rest of us when it comes to Zoom blunders, having accidentally crushed her computer with logs during a virtual team workout. Such is life for an elite athlete in a strange time.

All in all, Knight’s approach to staying in shape for the PWHPA’s upcoming games and the 2022 Beijing Olympics has been to keep calm and get the work done, knowing that she’s far from the only one facing challenges.

“It’s not ideal,” she admits, “and I think you just come to the realization that as hard as it is as a person, everyone else who’s training for the same opportunity is going through the exact same thing.”

A self-described Type A person, Knight has also put her long term goals for the PWHPA at the forefront of her mind in order to contend with a lack of control over what this year will look like.

“Understanding that we have this vision, we have to continue to adjust and adapt on the fly. It’s not always going to go according to plan, especially with the global health crisis. So I think that’s been the biggest thing, trying to be flexible and being okay with being flexible.”

As a leader, Knight is honest about the challenges she faces trying to keep players engaged and connected during this time when they can’t physically be together. At this nascent phase of the PWHPA’s development, enacting a strong culture and fomenting relationships is key.

But as with the other obstacles she’s juggling at the moment, Knight is not inclined to let anything get in the way of what she and more than 100 other players have set out to achieve, previously telling Just Women’s Sports founder and CEO Haley Rosen, “This is for the future of the game. We’re trying to build something that’s bigger and better than what is currently out there. Not only for ourselves but also for the younger girls who dream of playing professional hockey.”

BUILDING A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN

For anyone of a certain generation, it’s nearly impossible to hear an inspiring hockey story without whispering a subtle “quack, quack, quack, quack.” It’s even harder to watch Hilary Knight on the ice without feeling like you’re witnessing Connie Moreau, all grown up.

But instead of being one of the only girls on the team, the real life hockey phenom is working to build the future she envisioned as a kid, a world where girls can aspire to play in an established, sustainable professional league.

Though she started out on skis at age two, Knight quickly fell in love with ice hockey when her family moved from California to Illinois, and a lack of mountains forced her parents to switch Hilary and her siblings to the local sport.

Knight excelled on skates, and at the age of five — years before the USA women’s team took home gold in the sport’s Olympic debut in Nagano — she announced that she would be an Olympic ice hockey player one day. The only issue was that no professional league existed yet for women.

“I think seeing the guys on TV and watching the NHL, that was how I viewed hockey,” Knight told Kelley O’Hara on the Just Women’s Sports podcast. “And it felt like the Olympics were sort of that pinnacle,”

More than two decades later, with a resume that boasts multiple Olympic medals (including gold from Pyeongchang in 2018), an Isobel Cup Championship, two NCAA titles, All-American credentials, eight World Championships, two World silver medals, and handfuls of additional accolades, the University of Wisconsin graduate isn’t driven by what she’s accomplished in the past.

One of the most recognizable faces in her sport, Knight is motivated by the fire stoked within her from experiencing the harsh reality of trying to make it as a professional hockey player post-college as leagues folded around her and scarce resources made it difficult to make ends meet.

“The reality was far different than what I thought it would be,” Knight told O’Hara. Recounting the start of her professional career, Knight remembers teaching skating lessons to make extra money and living on peanut butter sandwiches and free Dunkin’ Donuts coffee rolls that she would pick up at the end of the day before they were tossed.

Enough eventually became enough, and in 2019, Knight took matters into her own hands.

It’s rare to see camaraderie between US and Canadian hockey players. The two national teams hate each other, Knight admitted to O’Hara, as she recounted on-ice fist-fights between the two programs.

But in an attempt to reshape the professional possibilities for the sport, Knight worked to bring the best athletes from both America and Canada together to start the PWHPA, an alternative organization to the National Women’s Hockey League, which was not meeting every player’s standards for sustainable success.

One of the first recurring opportunities for PWHPA players to showcase their prowess has been the Dream Gap Tour, which aims to galvanize the hockey community around the future of women.

“When we started out, we wanted to provide players resources and opportunities to play,” Knight says. “We don’t get enough with our own national team, and we saw a big need to bridge the gap.”

In addition, Knight notes the need for visibility, saying the tour has ensured that the players remain present and accessible to fans. Visibility is key not only in creating role models for the next generation, but in order to garner the support these athletes need to build the infrastructure necessary to support a competitive playing and developmental environment.

As Knight explains, “it’s all those shared services that we as viewers of professional leagues don’t think about. When you break it down, when you’re watching a player perform, even if it’s a team sport—take one player, there are so many people that go into the success of that player performing on the ice, and then equally there are so many people that go into the success of that team.”

In addition to performance resources, Knight’s goal is for players to have the same opportunity as their male counterparts to make a livable wage and play hockey for a living.

The question now is how.

The fact of the matter is that there is no standard playbook for starting a league from scratch. The PWHPA has enjoyed support from multiple NHL partners, including the New York Rangers, the Chicago Blackhawks, and the Toronto Maple Leaves, who are all lending resources (and arenas) to market the association, the Dream Gap Tour, and future games.

These multi-year partnerships with various clubs now beggars the question of whether the road for women’s hockey starts with more assistance from the NHL.

For Knight, the answer is yes.

“I know there’s a school of thought of ‘oh no, go out and do it on your own.’ But there’s so much to learn and almost not enough time. So if we can have a plugin with these different clubs and continue to have this cross-pollination of shared resources, it’s only going to benefit the game long-term.”

That said, she knows that professional sports leagues are money making ventures, acknowledging that the NHL is its own entity, and they’ve got to make “a good business decision.”

“Personally, I think it would be phenomenal having a woman’s pro league [in partnership with] the NHL,” Knight says. “So I hope it’s in the future, but only time will tell.”

A big part of that future will also hinge on how Knight and other players can grow the game not just for women, but for players of color as well.

Knight is well aware that hockey is a majority-white sport, and she understands the importance of changing that precedent.

“Our entire mission is ‘if she can see it, she can be it,’ and coming from the gender side of things, we saw how important it was for a young girl to be able to see this awesome female skating,” she says. “It’s the same thing with BIPOC players. If we continue to deliver a white player on the ice… then hockey is not going to be for everyone.”

While she knows that solving racial inequities in her sport will not happen overnight, as a leader striving for change, Knight acknowledged that “we play a big role in being able to facilitate bringing hockey to everyone and making it more accessible and making it more diverse.”

“It’s definitely something that’s on the forefront of people’s minds and a conversation that we’ve been having for many, many months.”

ANOTHER SHOT AT GOLD

When the Dream Gap Tour concludes later this year, it’s all eyes on Beijing for Team USA.

Knight is excited at the prospect of bringing home another gold in 2022, but understandably has questions about what the next year of training looks like for her and other Olympic hopefuls due to the new reality created by COVID-19. Though she teeters between feeling underprepared and acknowledging that everyone is being dealt the same cards right now, she’s trying not to over analyze the situation.

“I think it’s a balance of the two extremes and understanding that when the time comes, whoever’s on the team is going to be ready for that opportunity.”

Typically, the team gathers for a residency program with players congregating in a designated location to train as a unit for six months. Having staged an October training camp with zero positive cases, Knight speculates that they’ll still be able to conduct residency training, but with different protocols than before, noting that their success this past fall “shows that the players are really serious about the opportunities when we do come together.”

So if all goes according to plan, Team USA will be able to get together when the time comes. But with the recent retirements of twins Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando, as well as captain Meghan Duggan, this will be a different team than the one that made history in 2018, upending Canada for the first time in 20 years and winning Olympic gold.

Thinking about the inevitable changing of the guard, Knight shares that while it’s bittersweet to think about heading to the Olympics without players that so many on Team USA grew up watching or playing alongside, the team’s drive transcends generations.

“It’s part of the culture that we’ve developed, and whether it’s your first Olympic games or your fourth, you just have to be ready to go and do whatever’s necessary to put the team in a winning position.”

CHANGING THE GAME FOR GOOD

I could talk to Knight ad nauseam about the intricacies of building a league, her steadfast dedication to setting high expectations, and not settling for less than what she feels female professional hockey players deserve. As our conversation winds down, I ask her what the golden ticket is.

Like a true business maven, Knight doesn’t skip a beat, telling me that the biggest need is for continued corporate investment, which she says will drive visibility.

“When you have these big brands that are hopping on board, people are paying more attention, and they’re taking what you’re doing seriously.”

The upcoming second run of the Dream Gap Tour, sponsored by Secret, is a proof point that Knight’s vision is beginning to take root.

“We need more players in our space and that will come. I think it just takes one, and then all of a sudden more companies want to be involved with what we have going on. And I think the sport in general is in a really good spot to continue to land these partnerships and sponsorships.”

And if there’s one thing Knight wants players, fans, and those in positions of power to know? It’s that “our group is so powerful because we’ve got the best players in North America, and we’re trying to navigate the future for the next generation.”

—

The Dream Gap Tour sponsored by Secret kicks off live from Madison Square Garden on Sunday, February 28 at 7 p.m. ET airing on NHL Network and Sportsnet 360. The tour continues from Chicago on Saturday, March 6 at 2 p.m. CT on NBC Sports and Sunday, March 7 at 10:30 a.m. CT on CBC Sports. 

An exciting weekend of action in the FA Women’s Super League led to some serious movement in the FAWSL table. Here’s how it all went down.

BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION 1, WEST HAM 0

Last week, Brighton shocked the world by ending Chelsea’s 33-game unbeaten streak, coming from behind to beat FAWSL’s top team in their home stadium. The win in itself was a shock, but the fact that the week prior, Brighton had succumbed themselves to a loss against Bristol City, who are bottom of the league, made the victory against Chelsea all the more remarkable.

The challenge for Hope Powell’s side this week was to build off that performance and ensure their focus didn’t waver. Coming up against West Ham, Brighton knew the London side would be aggressive in their approach, given that they’re barely above the relegation spot and are currently fighting for their FAWSL lives.

Brighton scored early on and were thereafter happy to give West Ham time on the ball (West Ham had 54% possession, compared to Brighton’s 46%). They defended deep and stifled West Ham’s already out of form attack, limiting the visitors to zero shots on target.

Two goals in two games for @AileenWhelan ????
Back-to-back league wins for @BHAFCWomen ????#BarclaysFAWSL highlights ⤵️

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) February 11, 2021

Not the most exciting win for Brighton, but they moved into seventh place, pushing Tottenham Hotspur into eighth. They’ll have a chance to maintain that lead when they play Tottenham next week. West Ham, who are two points above Bristol City, have the daunting task of taking on Chelsea next.

CHELSEA 3, ARSENAL 0

Speaking of Chelsea, it’s clear that their loss against Brighton was a blip. The London derby between Arsenal and Chelsea is always a big deal, and this year was no different, with the match having major implications on the title race.

Despite this, it was quite an easy match for Chelsea, and it never felt like they had to get out of second gear, with Fran Kirby and Pernille Harder running the show during the 3-0 win. Alongside Sam Kerr, the duo has shone for Chelsea all season, with Emma Hayes clearly getting the best out of them.

Two assists and a goal for @frankirby in the London derby ✨#BarclaysFAWSL highlights ⤵️

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) February 11, 2021

On the other hand, Arsenal are in somewhat of disarray, and the back-to-back losses against Manchester City and Chelsea have more or less ended their title hopes. Vivianne Miedema is constantly being forced to play a deeper role because her teammates have struggled to get the ball to her feet, hindering the usually prolific striker.

Arsenal play Birmingham City next and are now in a race to secure third in order to ensure that they play Champions League football next season.

MANCHESTER CITY 3, MANCHESTER UNITED 0

Manchester City may have been favored, but their 3-0 win over Man United still came as a shock to most. United, who were top of the table in early January, have not had a great run of form as of late, losing three out of their last five matches. Injuries have affected the squad, which leaves Stoney having to face the final stretch of the season without Tobin Heath, Leah Galton (who was injured against Manchester City), as well as Lauren James and Alessia Russo.

WHAT A GOAL @itscarolineweir! @ManCityWomen get the win over rivals @ManUtdWomen.#BarclaysFAWSL highlights ⤵️

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) February 13, 2021

Man City, who have gone unbeaten in their last ten league games, are now five points behind Chelsea in second, though they do have a game in hand. They had a slow start to the season, and although Sam Mewis shone, defensive issues were a problem.

However, with Abby Dahlkemper transferring to the club in January, and with both Lucy Bronze and Alex Greenwood playing up to their potential, City are back in contention for the title. Next week, they visit Birmingham City, while United will hope to get back in form against Aston Villa.

CHELSEA 5, BRISTOL CITY 0

After their win against Arsenal, Chelsea played Bristol City only a few days later, and while this was seen as a good chance to rest players, Hayes named an exceptionally strong starting XI for Chelsea’s match against Bristol, clearly not wanting a repeat of the match against Brighton.

Kirby, Harder, Kerr and Beth England all ended up on the score sheet, scoring five goals with ease past bottom-of-the-table Bristol.

Two more goals for @frankirby as @ChelseaFCW secured a big away win at Twerton Park ✨ #BarclaysFAWSL highlights ⤵️

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) February 15, 2021

Hayes is clearly thinking ahead to the end of the season, should the title come down to goal difference. With that in mind, it’s unlikely that we’ll see Chelsea let up or rotate their strongest XI much for the rest of the season. They take on West Ham next week, while Bristol City face Reading.

READING 1-1 EVERTON

Both Reading and Everton started the season strong, Everton especially, but dipped by midseason.

Reading scored in the first-half, with a fantastic volley from Rachel Rowe, and it looked like they had all three points wrapped up. Everton waited to find their rhythm, but they did manage to score in the 77th minute, with a header from Nicoline Sorensen.

???? @nicoline_rensen scored a late leveller at the Madejski after Rachel Rowe's first-half opener for @ReadingFCWomen.#BarclaysFAWSL highlights ⤵️

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) February 15, 2021

Both sides had second half chances for a winner, but it wasn’t meant to be, with the sides remaining in fifth and sixth respectively, both on 19 points, and Everton only ahead on goal difference. Reading will hope for an easy match against their next opponents Bristol City, while Everton will be in London next week for their match against Tottenham.

By now, it’s well known that the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup drastically shifted the way people viewed women’s soccer in the United States.

The World Cup, which was hosted in the US, averaged close to 38,000 spectators per match, with a total attendance of 1.94 million, a record that stood until 2015. Television ratings were likewise historic, with viewership for several matches breaking domestic soccer records for channels like ESPN and ABC. The tournament was also a massive financial success, with a $4 million profit on its $30 million operating budget.

When the USWNT won the final in a penalty shootout against China, the team became the first women’s team to win the tournament twice (their first title came in 1991).

The women on the team became overnight celebrities. Embarking on a well-received victory tour, their team bus had to travel with a four-motorcycle escort due to excessive fan interest. Richard Finn, who was the director of public relations for the tournament at the time, compared the frenzy to the Spice Girls, the Backstreet Boys, and the Beatles.

The winning team (nicknamed the ‘99ers) featured players like Mia Hamm, an explosive forward player who had incredible technical ability and was a consistent goal-scorer; Tiffeny Milbrett, a constant menace for opposition defenders; and Michelle Akers, a tenacious and powerful defensive midfielder.

But a name that still goes under-mentioned is that of goalkeeper Briana Scurry.

Keepers, in general, are often under-celebrated compared to their teammates; they aren’t as flashy, they don’t score goals, and they are often seen as having less work to do. But make no mistake, the ‘99ers don’t become the iconic team everyone knows them to be without Briana Scurry.

Scurry first debuted with the USWNT back in 1994. By 1995, Mary Harvey, the USWNT’s starting keeper, was in the twilight years of her international career, which paved the way for Scurry to step up during the 1995 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The team went home with a bronze medal after losing to eventual tournament winners Norway in the semi-finals and beating China PR in the third-place playoff. Most memorably during that tournament, Scurry was sent off in the 88th minute during a group game against Denmark, after the then 23-year-old stepped out of the box with the ball in her hands in an attempt to kick the ball upfield.

By that time, the USWNT was up 2-0, but head coach Tony DiCicco had already used all three of his substitutes, which forced him to play Mia Hamm in goal.

The trivial error proved not to be costly for the US, and in fact, most look back now and laugh. But the incident did show a glimpse of just how young and inexperienced Scurry was at the time.

Only one year later, Scurry proved that the silly errors were behind her, as she became the undisputed number one for the team and was able to help the USWNT bring home gold during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

Then came the 1999 World Cup. Scurry had a fantastic showing, only conceding three goals in the entire tournament, one during a 7-1 win against Nigeria in the group stages and two during a 3-2 win against Germany in the quarter-finals.

Scurry managed to keep a clean sheet in the final against China PR, which consisted of 90 minutes of regular time plus two halves of extra time.

Sun Wen, who was easily the best player for China, and who would go on to become one of the greatest women footballers of all time, was in the form of her life during the tournament. She had already racked up seven goals and three assists during the tournament (a feat that won her both the Golden Ball and the Golden Boot after the tournament).

Scurry kept her cool, though, keeping both Sun Wen and her teammates off the scoreboard. The keeper’s big moment came during the penalty shootout when she saved Liu Ying’s attempt. [Fast forward below to 8:35.]

Kristine Lilly and Hamm were then able to give the USWNT the lead after the save, but China’s Zhang Ouying and Sun Wen subsequently tied it up. Brandi Chastain then stepped up for what would prove to be the final kick of the game, as her penalty won the shootout 5-4, winning the World Cup.

Chastain’s celebration is now a part of sports lore. But her goal would have been meaningless had Scurry not made the earlier save.

Scurry’s historic deflection earned the USWNT their second World Cup title, a feat that no team had yet to accomplish. It also meant that Scurry was the first goalkeeper to win both an Olympic gold medal and a Women’s World Cup (she would be later joined by Norway’s Bente Nordby and fellow USWNT keeper Hope Solo).

Scurry and her nineteen teammates’ performance proved instrumental in pushing for America to develop its own professional league for women; at the time, no such league had ever existed. The twenty players demonstrated the need to invest in a game that was clearly growing in the country. The players succeeded, and The Women’s United Soccer Association formed in 2000. It became the world’s first women’s football league in which the players were paid as professionals.

The WUSA, a league made up of eight teams, had its inaugural season in 2001, with Scurry joining the Atlanta Beat. She was their starting keeper for three seasons until the league dissolved in 2003. While it may not have lasted, the WUSA paved the way for the emergence of both the WPS and the NWSL.

Scurry remained the USWNT’s starting keeper until about 2006, winning silver at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney (as a squad member; she could not play due to injury), gold at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, and a bronze medal at the 2003 FIFA WWC.

By 2007, at the age of  thirty-six, she was relegated to second keeper after Hope Solo began to break through. Scurry played a couple of games during the 2007 WWC in China, in which the team won a bronze medal, but was not selected for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and thus retired from international duty.

A year later, the WPS was formed, and Scurry was drafted by the Washington Freedom to play in their inaugural season. However, in her second season, she suffered a severe concussion and was forced to not only leave the WPS but retire from the game for good.

Scurry’s concussion proved to have a devastating impact on her life. She was unable to work due to persistent migraines, falling into a deep depression, to the point that the only thing keeping her from suicide was her mother, who was fighting her own battle with Alzheimer’s.

Scurry spent days just lying on her couch, waiting for disability payments to come through. She has said that she longed for a way to escape from the fatigue and pain, as well as her deteriorating financial situation.

Tragically, Scurry was forced to pawn off her two Olympic gold medals in order to make ends meet, a decision she says brought her physical nausea. Thankfully, in 2012, a friend connected Scurry with her now-wife, who was able to help her fight the insurance company and get both medals back.

In 2013, she had occipital release surgery, a surgery which relieves nerves in the back of the head from the pressure of the muscles compressing them. The surgery has helped with Scurry’s pain immensely. She is now an advocate for better resources for women who suffer concussions while playing football and who have symptoms like depression, anxiety, and high irritability. Scurry has also pledged to donate her brain to CTE research when she passes, a disease that affects so many athletes, yet remains under-researched and is impossible to diagnose in a living person.

Currently, you can find Scurry acting as a mentor for Trinity Rodman, who earlier in the year became the youngest player in NWSL history after being selected No. 2 in the draft. Rodman’s new team, the Washington Spirit, sought out Scurry, who served as an assistant coach to the team back in 2018, to provide the youngster a support system if need be.

For her accomplishments with the USWNT, Scurry was not only hailed as one of the best keepers in the world but praised as the sole Black woman on the USWNT during their success in the late 1990s and early 2000s. When the National Museum of African American History and Culture, a Smithsonian Institution museum, opened in 2016, she became a part of the “Title IX exhibit,” which showcased African American women who are “symbolic figures of black ability” and who “have taken their activism beyond the court: to the courtroom, boardroom, and the newsroom.”

In 2017, she was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame, becoming the first Black woman and first female goalkeeper. The honor firmly cemented her status as one of the best to ever play.

The simple fact of the matter is the USWNT does not have the dominance it currently has in the women’s game without Briana Scurry’s performances on the pitch. Her play propelled the team to multiple major titles at a crucial point in its career, while her diving save in 1999 secured perhaps the greatest win in the sport’s history.

Combined with her advocacy off the pitch and the inspiration she has become to so many young Black women, it’s no wonder that Scurry has become an icon of the game. She deserves to not only be celebrated during Black History Month, but for every month that follows, as one of greatest and most influential players to ever take the field.

USA 1, Canada 0

Goals: Rose Lavelle 79’

The SheBelieves Cup kicked off on Thursday, with four elite international teams vying for a championship title. Competing in the tournament this year are the United States, Canada, Brazil, and Argentina, with six matches set to take place from February 18th to the 24th. On the hunt for their fourth SheBelieves Cup victory is the United States, who secured the title in 2016, 2018, and 2020.

The first match of the tournament saw Brazil defeat Argentina, 4-1, with Marta, Debinha, Adriana Leal da Silva, and Geyse Ferreira scoring a goal apiece to propel Brazil to their first victory of the tournament. Mariana Larroquette scored the lone goal for Argentina.

Brazil is now set to take on the United States on Sunday, February 21st at 3:00 PM EST, and Argentina will face Canada at 6:00 PM EST later that day.

A rivalry match-up was on the table as the United States and Canada faced off in the second match of the SheBelieves Cup. To the surprise of many, Thursday night’s winner was not determined until the final minutes of match play, when Rose Lavelle scored the go-ahead goal to earn three points for the USWNT.

Though the Americans were able to see the win through, head coach Vlatko Andonovski was less than satisfied with the result. As reported by ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle, Andonovski said he was “disappointed” with the USWNT’s performance.

“When we create 10 opportunities to score and we score one, I’m disappointed because I want us to score more goals. And on top of that, if we allow any shots to goal, I’m not going to be happy, and I thought tonight [Canada] had a couple of good opportunities to score. We’re going to look into it. We’re going to look a little bit deeper why that happened.”

Also sharing her thoughts on the match was USWNT captain Becky Sauerbrunn: “This team prides itself on being able to find ways to win, and sometimes we win pretty and sometimes we win ugly, and tonight was one of those nights where we won ugly. It’s important that when things aren’t going right, that we’re not vibing right, that we can find a way to win and we did that tonight, which is a good sign about this team’s mentality.”

Here’s how the USWNT made it happen:

The opening 20 minutes were purely defensive for both sides, until Lynn Williams was able to slip a pass to Catarina Macario in the box. On her first touch, Macario fired off a shot that sailed over the crossbar and out of bounds, attempting to net her second international goal. The opportunity was one of the first of the night for the United States, who against Colombia notched goals within the first 10 minutes of both games back in January.

Later, in the 31st minute, Crystal Dunn lofted a ball into the box, her cross taking a bounce before meeting the head of Williams. Williams redirected the header towards the net, only for the chance to be saved by Canada goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé to maintain the 0-0 deadlock. Labbé, who came in as a substitute early into the match, replaced starter Kailen Sheridan following what appeared to be an injury to Sheridan’s upper leg after dishing out a pass.

A mere three minutes later, Lynn Williams was on the ball again, this time sending in a cross from the right flank and finding Carli Lloyd in the air. Lloyd’s header was narrowly saved by Labbé, who leapt into the air to tip the ball just over the crossbar, notching yet another impressive save to keep Canada in the game.

United States goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher would be put to the test immediately afterward, as Nichelle Prince placed a perfect ball into the path of Janine Beckie. Beckie’s first touch began the demise of the scoring chance, as it gave Naeher ample time to make the diving save and knock the ball out of bounds.

As the first half wound to a close, a shot by Megan Rapinoe was boggled by Labbé and nearly tapped in as a scramble ensued in the six. Luckily for the Canadians, the ball was knocked out of bounds, and the first half ended with the rivals tied at 0-0.

Another dangerous opportunity for the United States came in the 51st minute, with Williams putting another cross into the box. On the other end of William’s cross was Rapinoe, whose first touch was a redirection towards goal in an attempt to draw first blood. Labbé responded with another save, further extending the Americans’ scoreless bout.

Minutes later, Janine Beckie was given another chance to go one-on-one with Alyssa Naeher after being slotted a pass from Nichelle Prince, but again, Beckie took too much time to get a shot off and was denied by the American goalkeeper for a second time.

Finally, in the 78th minute, the US was awarded a free kick from outside the eighteen. The kick, taken by none other than Williams, was lofted into the box and cleared by a Canadian defender. The clearance attempt was intercepted by Rose Lavelle, who buried the game-winner from outside the six to lift the United States to a 1-0 victory.

Lavelle’s goal was her 14th for her country, and what better time to add to her career total than in the final minutes of a rivalry match?

Though the United States’ performance was not up to their usual standard, their relentless grit allowed them to seal the win and remain competitive for another SheBelieves Cup title with two more matches on the horizon. Stay tuned for more SheBelieves Cup action this Sunday, as the United States takes the pitch against Brazil at 3:00 pm EST (FS1, TUDN).

For the second offseason in a row, the WNBA’s new CBA has fostered a free agency period chock-full of star-studded moves and major franchise shake ups. As the dust finally settles, three big unknowns stand out in the league’s new landscape.

ARE THE SEATTLE STORM STILL TITLE FAVORITES?

The defending 2020 champions appear to be shifting their focus toward the future as opposed to maximizing their chances for a 2021 title. Since free agency began, the Storm have said goodbye to two key pillars of their recent dominance: Alysha Clark and Natasha Howard. Clark, a defensive menace who was the only unanimous selection to the 2020 WNBA All-Defensive First Team, was the cornerstone of the Storm’s stifling defense for both their 2018 and 2020 Championship runs. An extremely efficient three-point shooter on the opposite end, Clark signed with the Washington Mystics for 2021 as a free agent.

Days later, Howard was traded by the Storm to the New York Liberty as part of a three-team deal. An inside-the-paint version of Clark on defense and a stretch five on the opposite end, Howard was the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year and is a three-time WNBA Champion (2017 with the Lynx, 2018 and 2020 with the Storm).

The latest goodbye was to Sami Whitcomb, a valuable bench contributor and proficient 3-point shooter, who was also traded to the NY Liberty.

So, what did the Storm receive on the intake side of the ledger?

As part of the Howard trade, the Storm briefly held the 2021 #1 draft pick, but quickly used it to acquire Katie Lou Samuelson from the Dallas Wings. Samuelson, a sharp-shooter from UConn and the fourth overall pick of the 2019 draft, has yet to match her collegiate level of production in the pros. A former teammate of Breanna Stewart, it appears the Storm are hoping that reunion will bring out her shooting magic and fill part of the gap left by Clark.

The Storm also acquired an even younger newbie in Mikiah Herbert Harrigan. The sixth overall pick from 2020, Herbert Harrigan got her feet wet with the Lynx in the Wubble last season, coming off the bench for limited minutes. She flashed promise as a rookie, but in a crowded Minnesota front court, had the potential to spend much of 2021 on the bench.

To offset that collective inexperience, the Storm signed unrestricted free agent Candice Dupree, a fifteen-year veteran and seven-time All-Star who is tied for fifth all-time in WNBA total career points and eighth in rebounds.

With Clark, Howard, and Whitcomb off the books and Samuelson, Herbert Harrigan, and Dupree added on, Seattle is a bit less intimidating than they were last season, especially on the defensive end. But with returners like Jewell Loyd, Jordin Canada, and (ahem) Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart, Seattle is still a 2021 title front runner until proven otherwise.

How will the Los Angeles Sparks fill the voids?

Yes, voids, as in multiple. Granted, Candace Parker’s void is ginormous and covers every inch of the court, but Chelsea Gray’s is a gaping one to boot. In a franchise-altering week, the Sparks said goodbye to both a living legend in Parker, who signed as a free agent with the Chicago Sky, and Point Gawd Chelsea Gray, who signed with the Las Vegas Aces. The enormity of these losses for the Sparks’ stat sheet, attractive style of play, and overall identity cannot be overstated. Add in the departure of Riquna Williams, who also opted to sign with the Aces, and the gaps start feeling insurmountable.

The new roster additions are Amanda Zahui B, a 6’5” center who posted the best stats of her six-year career last season with the Liberty, and Erica Wheeler, the 2016 undrafted free agent who has since established herself as a capable scorer. Needless to say, these new additions don’t come close to filling the shoes left behind, and no one is making the case they were ever intended to. It will really be up to the returning personnel to lead the way on forging a new identity both on the court and off.

The bulk of this responsibility now falls to Nneka Ogwumike. If anyone has the poise and skills necessary to usher the Sparks into the next era, it is “Madame President.” The current WNBPA President showed up in the league with a bang as the number one overall draft pick and Rookie of the Year in 2012. After nine years, she’s now a six-time All-Star, 2016 WNBA Champion, and 2016 League MVP.

Luckily, she’ll have some strong supporting cast members in returners Seimone Augustus, Sydney Wiese, and Brittney Sykes. But the x-factors for the Sparks getting off to the right start in 2021 will be getting Kristi Toliver and Chiney Ogwumike back into the groove and back to high production numbers.

Both Toliver and the younger Ogwumike sister opted out of the 2020 Wubble season due to physical wellness concerns. Toliver is a three-time All-Star and two-time WNBA Champion point guard. A Sparks alum, she spent the previous three years playing for the Washington Mystics and took them all the way to the 2019 WNBA title before transferring back to the Sparks.

Chiney Ogwumike, Nneka’s younger sister by two years, lived up to the family name by also going number one in the 2014 draft and backing it up with the Rookie of the Year award. Playing three of her first five seasons with the Connecticut Sun (the other two she missed due to injuries), she was reunited with Nneka upon being traded to the Sparks in 2019. A two-time All-Star herself, it’s yet to be seen how bright her star could shine if she could string together a few injury-free seasons. And while she is expected to re-sign with LA, the move hasn’t been made official.

The simple truth is there will be no filling of the voids in LA. There can only be change and transformation into something new. It’s not something that will happen easily or quickly, but hopefully Derek Fisher, the Sparks head coach and GM, can use 2021 to get the ball rolling in the right direction. With the high-profile location and big name support the Sparks enjoy, having a consistently strong team in LA isn’t just good for the franchise, it’s good for the league as a whole.

How will Dallas use their stacked deck of draft picks?

For the first time in WNBA history, one team holds the top two picks in a single draft. In the league-wide shuffling that took place last Wednesday, the number one draft pick started the day with the New York Liberty, then went to Seattle as part of the deal for Natasha Howard, only to be traded away from Seattle to Dallas in exchange for Katie Lou Samuelson and a 2022 second-round pick.

While many were surprised Samuelson garnered the number one pick, Dallas wasn’t going to question it. After all the dust settled, the Wings were left holding the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 7th, and 13th overall picks for the 2021 draft. For a team that had the 2nd, 5th, and 7th picks in last year’s draft, it will be back-to-back years that the Dallas Wings are in a position to make franchise-altering decisions on draft day.

In the 2020 draft the Wings were able to snag Satou Sabally, Bella Alarie, and Ty Harris by not trading any of their picks prior to draft day. This left the Wings with an extremely young roster with a high potential payoff a few years down the road. Currently, their most veteran players have just five seasons in the league (Kayla Thornton and Astou Ndour).

Heading into the 2021 draft, it would be surprising if the Wings didn’t use some of their assets to add more veteran experience to support their young talent, especially seeing that they’ll need to clear some roster space to add more pieces on draft day. However, it will be hard for the Wings to pass on the chance to use their top overall pick to draft center Charli Collier from Texas and put some sure firepower into the paint. That is, if she opts to leave college a year early.

The downside for the Wings having so many high-ranking picks this year, as opposed to a different year, is the number of unknowns leading into the draft. With the chaos of the pandemic, the NCAA has granted all 2020-2021 senior student-athletes an extra year of eligibility. What the class will look like come draft day is very ambiguous. Even without the extra layer of fog, many consider this 2020-2021 class to be on the shallower end of the talent pool.

Even so, the Dallas Wings are sitting in an enviable position, and the franchise’s future looks bright. With Arike Ogunbowale, the league’s reigning top scorer, at the helm and Satou Sabally just scratching the surface of her dynamic skill set, as well as the loads of young talent in their supporting cast, the Wings have the chance to significantly fast forward their development in becoming a Championship contender.

Kaillie Humphries and Lolo Jones paired to win a historic two-woman bobsled world championship on February 6th. For Humphries, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, it was her fourth world championship. For Jones, it was the biggest win in her second-career after she picked up the sport a decade ago. They spoke with Just Women’s Sports about their historic win and what comes next as they prepare for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. 

First off, congratulations to you both. I read somewhere that Kaillie, you messaged Lolo on Instagram to get her to come back to bobsledding a few years back. Can you both give your side of that story? 

Kaillie: I met Lolo through bobsled years ago going into the Olympic year. I was with Canada, she was with the USA going into 2014. So we had known of each other, had conversations, had chatted, just being in the sports world. And then fast forward to me joining team USA last season. Going into this summer, I had messaged Lolo just to see where she was at. I knew she was training for Tokyo, but with Tokyo being postponed a year, I just wanted to see if she was coming back to bobsleigh. And if that was at all an interest for her.

I had raced with one of her former teammates in Canada. So I’ve had a feeling that pairing my steering with her speed could be a really good combination. I always admired Lolo for her athleticism and just being a really strong, motivational, powerful athlete. And so I messaged her and we started talking about her coming back, what that would look like. And so I’m very grateful that she trusted me and the coaching staff and the team and took that risk and felt safe to come back.

Lolo, what was that like from your perspective, getting that message and having those early conversations?

Lolo: It was basically what Kaillie said. We met as competitors. Actually, my job was to make sure that we put the biggest gap on her when she competed for Team Canada, that’s just how good of a driver she is. We were always like, “You have to put the gap on her because she’s such a good driver. Just put as much as you can on her.” My job was to make her have really bad days.

So when she messaged me after crossing over to the USA, honestly, I can only describe it as like Usain Bolt sliding into your DMs and asking you to be on a 4×100 relay race. And that’s essentially what it was like, I almost dropped my phone. I was like, “Is this really happening?” She’s one of the best drivers, not only for Team USA, but in the history of bobsled. So any brakeman would be honored to get in her sled.

But it was by no means easy, we’re making it sound like it was easy, but she recruited me. But that doesn’t mean I was guaranteed to be in a sled. There were levels to this where I had to either prove myself or beat someone or have a good result to actually end up in her sled. But that’s the long short story.

And what do you think allowed you to find such quick chemistry?

Kaillie: Personality wise, how we approach our sport is very similar. I think just mentally, the fierceness, the intensity that we bring, the determination — we are very detailed personalities and are always pushing for perfection. And so I think right from the get go, there were certain aspects of Lolo I could see and understand, and it just felt comfortable being around her.

Like she said, there were definitely some obstacles and some hurdles, and we both had to work individually at the beginning of the season. But then once we were able to come together and reach a certain point, I think a lot of it was a feeling of comfort and understanding for one another, a willingness to push for each other, and then just having trust and faith in the other person. You wanted to compete for them. I didn’t want to just win. I wanted to win alongside Lolo.

Kaillie — you’re now the only woman to win four world championships. Now that you’ve had some time to process that, what does it mean to you? 

Kaillie: A little bit of relief comes with that from the standpoint of, “I always believed in myself and that I could be one of the best in the sport.” I’ve worked extremely hard to put myself in this scenario. This is my life and everything that I do. So to be amongst some of the best is just a really cool feeling. And it does feel like there’s a payday at the end. It’s not monetary, it’s not something tangible, but just the feeling that it worked.

The plan was there for all those years, all those hard days, all those times away from family, from friends. It definitely is a big relief, but also it’s a super cool feeling. It does provide a lot of confidence to know I can jump in a sled and I am one of the best, I can trust my abilities a little bit more. I think I have more confidence in myself for sure after having won this. I have more confidence in my ability as a driver, as a female, in who I am and what I stand for and what I represent. I feel a lot stronger in my feelings and my faith with that.

And Lolo, I know you have a unique story as well. You’re now a world champion in two different sports, and have won those titles across three different decades. 

Lolo: I’m old, thank you. [Laughs]

You started competing in bobsledding almost a decade ago. What has kept you motivated throughout these years?

Lolo: I think as an athlete, we kind of get this stigma that we’re washed up, we’re not of value as we get older. So I embrace that. I mean, Kaillie is 35. So it’s kind of cool to achieve these goals at a later stage.

I’m thrilled that I was able to win this championship with Kaillie and over three decades, it just shows the longevity of my career. But what it probably doesn’t show is all the time in between the losses, the nights where I wondered if I should give up. One of my favorite quotes is, “Never tease an old dog because they might just have one bite left in them.”

That’s for anybody going for a dream who feels like they’re washed up or that they don’t have what it takes anymore. I just tell them to keep pushing. Cause that’s what me and Kaillie are doing. And we’re quite successful at it.

You were training for one last Summer Olympics bid, after which you were on an MTV reality show before jumping into Bobsled camp. How were you able to make that transition so quickly and successfully? 

Lolo: Was definitely not quickly. It definitely put Kaillie at a hindrance, for sure. Because of the quick turnover, I’m not at the weight I need to be for bob, so we actually had to put quite a bit of weight in the bob this year. So that means I had to have help pushing it. Now back in Boston, I’ll be able to put on the weight gain so that we don’t have to do that.

Kaillie, I understand that you’re still waiting for a citizenship decision which will determine whether you can compete for the US at the Olympics next year. Can you give us an update as to what that timeline looks like?

Kaillie: I cannot give you an update because there is none. My application is in, but unfortunately COVID shut down immigration and the government for a period of time this summer. So we’re still in the process of understanding where I’m at. That’s something that my lawyer is working on right now. So we don’t have an exact timeline. There is no exact date. There is nothing official as of now because there’s still a backlog of stuff. And they’re trying to sort through a whole mess of, like I said, immigration as a whole across the entire country. And so where I fall into that, it’s still pretty unknown at this time. At this point, we’re just waiting for a decision.

Assuming it all works out, this will be your first Olympics competing for the US. You’ve obviously competed in the Olympics before and won a fair share of medals. But what would it mean to compete for the US in China?

Kaillie: Well, I think, honestly, it will be a huge honor to represent such a strong nation, such a strong country. Those are huge shoes to step into, and it’s not lost on me. And I’m extremely proud to represent the USA right now, to represent it on the world stage, to know that I feel like I leveled up.

I’m proud to live and represent the United States. It is my home. It is where I live now. I married an American, so this is very much my life. I think just being proud is the biggest thing I can say overall. Now, it will be a first, for sure, but I’m not new to the Olympic world. This world is still the same. So I’m excited for the opportunities, for the chance to potentially bring home medals for the United States in this sport and to show as you know, we’re very strong, proud athletes and females within this sport. And we can do anything we set our mind to.

How are you both preparing for 2022 now? 

Lolo: For me, I need to focus on properly gaining weight. And then mentally, I just have to prepare myself, because I’m going to be returning to where my first Olympics was. I competed in the Summer Olympics in Beijing, which everybody kind of knows is where I hit a hurdle, and that cost me the Olympic gold medal.

So I’m going to fight like hell to earn my spot on the team, to go back there and just have redemption. I don’t want to just go and win a medal. I want to go and win a gold medal. Because of what happened, I am just going to work my tail off to make sure I’m in the position to do that.

Kaillie: And the cool part is, Lolo is not going to be alone this time. Not that she was last time, but it’s not going to be just her. We have a very, very strong women team heading to 2022. The team is one of the strongest women bob teams in the world. So we’ll be there to support Lolo. Everybody has their individual goals, myself included, but as a women’s group, as a women’s team, we are extremely strong. And so that’s very motivating for me specifically. I think I definitely want to go, win an Olympic gold medal in 2022. It’s not just showing up and making the team. I lost that in 2018. I was a champion before, but somebody else got it last time. So I want it back. That’s my goal.

Was there anything else that you wanted to bring up that I didn’t mention at all?

Lolo: I just hope there are women out there that are just inspired. If they can look at Kaillie and just see her dominance and see how she was able to break history and just be really spot on at the prime of her career — that’s incredible. And I hope it inspires women to just keep reaching for new levels. And then I hope that they see my story and know that through it all, through the ups and the downs, they just need to keep pressing. Because both of us have gone through a lot of hardships and I know it may seem easy, but it wasn’t. So just keep fighting.

An exciting weekend of action in the FA Women’s Super League led to some serious movement in the FAWSL table. Here’s how it all went down.

BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION 1, WEST HAM 0

Last week, Brighton shocked the world by ending Chelsea’s 33-game unbeaten streak, coming from behind to beat FAWSL’s top team in their home stadium. The win in itself was a shock, but the fact that the week prior, Brighton had succumbed themselves to a loss against Bristol City, who are bottom of the league, made the victory against Chelsea all the more remarkable.

The challenge for Hope Powell’s side this week was to build off that performance and ensure their focus didn’t waver. Coming up against West Ham, Brighton knew the London side would be aggressive in their approach, given that they’re barely above the relegation spot and are currently fighting for their FAWSL lives.

Brighton scored early on and were thereafter happy to give West Ham time on the ball (West Ham had 54% possession, compared to Brighton’s 46%). They defended deep and stifled West Ham’s already out of form attack, limiting the visitors to zero shots on target.

Two goals in two games for @AileenWhelan ????
Back-to-back league wins for @BHAFCWomen ????#BarclaysFAWSL highlights ⤵️

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) February 11, 2021

Not the most exciting win for Brighton, but they moved into seventh place, pushing Tottenham Hotspur into eighth. They’ll have a chance to maintain that lead when they play Tottenham next week. West Ham, who are two points above Bristol City, have the daunting task of taking on Chelsea next.

CHELSEA 3, ARSENAL 0

Speaking of Chelsea, it’s clear that their loss against Brighton was a blip. The London derby between Arsenal and Chelsea is always a big deal, and this year was no different, with the match having major implications on the title race.

Despite this, it was quite an easy match for Chelsea, and it never felt like they had to get out of second gear, with Fran Kirby and Pernille Harder running the show during the 3-0 win. Alongside Sam Kerr, the duo has shone for Chelsea all season, with Emma Hayes clearly getting the best out of them.

Two assists and a goal for @frankirby in the London derby ✨#BarclaysFAWSL highlights ⤵️

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) February 11, 2021

On the other hand, Arsenal are in somewhat of disarray, and the back-to-back losses against Manchester City and Chelsea have more or less ended their title hopes. Vivianne Miedema is constantly being forced to play a deeper role because her teammates have struggled to get the ball to her feet, hindering the usually prolific striker.

Arsenal play Birmingham City next and are now in a race to secure third in order to ensure that they play Champions League football next season.

MANCHESTER CITY 3, MANCHESTER UNITED 0

Manchester City may have been favored, but their 3-0 win over Man United still came as a shock to most. United, who were top of the table in early January, have not had a great run of form as of late, losing three out of their last five matches. Injuries have affected the squad, which leaves Stoney having to face the final stretch of the season without Tobin Heath, Leah Galton (who was injured against Manchester City), as well as Lauren James and Alessia Russo.

WHAT A GOAL @itscarolineweir! @ManCityWomen get the win over rivals @ManUtdWomen.#BarclaysFAWSL highlights ⤵️

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) February 13, 2021

Man City, who have gone unbeaten in their last ten league games, are now five points behind Chelsea in second, though they do have a game in hand. They had a slow start to the season, and although Sam Mewis shone, defensive issues were a problem.

However, with Abby Dahlkemper transferring to the club in January, and with both Lucy Bronze and Alex Greenwood playing up to their potential, City are back in contention for the title. Next week, they visit Birmingham City, while United will hope to get back in form against Aston Villa.

CHELSEA 5, BRISTOL CITY 0

After their win against Arsenal, Chelsea played Bristol City only a few days later, and while this was seen as a good chance to rest players, Hayes named an exceptionally strong starting XI for Chelsea’s match against Bristol, clearly not wanting a repeat of the match against Brighton.

Kirby, Harder, Kerr and Beth England all ended up on the score sheet, scoring five goals with ease past bottom-of-the-table Bristol.

Two more goals for @frankirby as @ChelseaFCW secured a big away win at Twerton Park ✨ #BarclaysFAWSL highlights ⤵️

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) February 15, 2021

Hayes is clearly thinking ahead to the end of the season, should the title come down to goal difference. With that in mind, it’s unlikely that we’ll see Chelsea let up or rotate their strongest XI much for the rest of the season. They take on West Ham next week, while Bristol City face Reading.

READING 1-1 EVERTON

Both Reading and Everton started the season strong, Everton especially, but dipped by midseason.

Reading scored in the first-half, with a fantastic volley from Rachel Rowe, and it looked like they had all three points wrapped up. Everton waited to find their rhythm, but they did manage to score in the 77th minute, with a header from Nicoline Sorensen.

???? @nicoline_rensen scored a late leveller at the Madejski after Rachel Rowe's first-half opener for @ReadingFCWomen.#BarclaysFAWSL highlights ⤵️

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) February 15, 2021

Kristie Mewis calls me promptly at 12:00 p.m.

Right from “Hey, Rachel!,” it immediately feels like I’m catching up with an old friend. Perhaps it’s the familiarity of her slight Boston accent that reminds me we’re both east coasters. Or maybe it’s simply just who Mewis is: kind, reliable, real.

Both Mewis and her younger sister Sam, U.S. Soccer’s 2020 Player of the Year, were seemingly born to play sports. Their parents were both athletes, but though her mom played basketball, Mewis fell in love with soccer after picking up the sport when she was four or five years old.

“And then obviously having Sam growing up, and being able to play it with her, and share that with her, was a game changer.”

A SUDDEN ASCENT, THEN A GRADUAL FALL

Graduating from Boston College in 2013 as the school’s record holder for career points (116) and a three-time Hermann Trophy semifinalist, Mewis was drafted third overall in the 2013 NWSL College Draft by none other then current-USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski, who was then at the helm of FC Kansas City.

Shortly thereafter, Mewis secured her first cap with the USWNT. Four months later, she scored her first international goal in a match against South Korea while playing at her hometown stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

But after 15 caps with the best team in the world, Mewis’ career began to stall. A combination of factors, including the inability to find the right position, sidelined Mewis from the national team. At the club level, a game of NWSL hot potato tossed her between five clubs in five seasons, with Mewis finally landing in Houston with the Dash.

To top it all off, in May of 2018, just as she was beginning to find her footing in Texas, she tore her ACL in a match against the Washington Spirit. The injury brought Mewis’ career to a crossroads. Suddenly, a player who first scored for the national team when she was 22 hadn’t been called in for almost half a decade. And now having blown out her knee, no one would have been surprised had Mewis decided that enough was enough. It was game over and time to move on.

But instead of letting that injury knock her out of soccer, Mewis says it served as a “kick in the ass.”

“After I had the period of feeling bad for myself, I kind of took it as like, what are you doing? Like, let’s get back on track. Let’s do what you want with your career.”

THE LONG ROAD BACK

Some athletes will sugar coat their descent from the top. Mewis is matter-of-fact, but not harsh, in describing her journey from a standout youth (she was U.S. Soccer’s 2008 Young Female Athlete of the Year) to a pro having to fight through years of uncertainty.

“After I had gotten cut from the national team, I always wanted to be able to get back there,” she says, stating that after her injury, “I just told myself that I was going to come back better than ever. And I wasn’t going to settle for anything less. And that’s what I did.”

“I think being able to celebrate something like that in such a difficult time, especially for a team who hasn’t had too much success in the past and me personally, haven’t had too much success in the NWSL, it was just really special,” she says.

The Cup also gave Mewis a chance to prove herself to one of the few outside individuals allowed in the bubble: USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski, who throughout the tournament could be seen jotting down notes while sitting in the stands.

Mewis had been invited to a USWNT I.D. camp in December of 2019. There, her former coach was blunt in his assessment that she still had work to do to be considered for the team.

“One thing that I love about Vlatko is that he’s extremely honest,” Mewis says. “I went into that camp and I was playing left back, and I obviously hadn’t played there in a while. So I kind of got smacked in the face a bit playing defense. But I think his feedback was another wake up call for me.”

Andonovski’s assessment of her play didn’t deter Mewis, but instead kept her foot on the gas and sharpened her focus.

“I knew I could do better than that.”

ONE GOAL REACHED LEADS TO ANOTHER

This past November, the USWNT finally got back on the pitch after 261 days away, facing off against the Netherlands in a post-Thanksgiving rematch of the 2019 World Cup final. An added bonus for fans and one proud set of parents? A pair of Mewises in the midfield.

Not only was Kristie Mewis called back into camp, but she earned a spot on the 18-player roster for the game against the Dutch. In bringing her back into the team, Andonovski cited her 2020 club season, when Mewis followed up her Challenge Cup performance with two goals and five assists in the NWSL’s four-game Fall Series

Against the Netherlands, Mewis had to wait 61 minutes before getting her chance, a fraction of time for someone who’d already waited six years for her international return.

“When I was running on the field, I obviously hadn’t had a cap in so many years, I couldn’t help but laugh because just after so many years, me running onto that field again, and having Sam on the field, it was just awesome.”

Ten minutes later, with an assist from Lynn Williams, Mewis sprinted past her defender and powered the ball to the far-post and straight into the back of the net. Just like that, 2,722 days since her last USWNT goal (the longest span between goals in team history), Kristie Mewis had announced her return.

Welcome back! Kristie Mewis scores in her first game with @USWNT in 6 years ???? pic.twitter.com/axtVgrV0Yc

— espnW (@espnW) November 27, 2020

Mewis’ pure elation and palpable bliss were obvious to anyone watching.

“It was truly such a rewarding thing. I had wanted to be back on that field with that team for so long. It was definitely really special.”

The icing on the cake? Turning around and celebrating with Sam.

“It was the best feeling ever,” Mewis says. “I couldn’t have asked for it to go any better.”

Two months later, in the team’s first match against Colombia in January, Mewis added her name to the score sheet again in a game that included four goals, but only one surname. Sam Mewis notched her first international career hat trick that night to open the score 3-0. She then subbed out for Kristie, who in the 85’ minute made it 4-0 USA.

Finishing STRONG! @CarliLloyd with her second assist of the night, @KristieMewie with her second goal in as many games ???????? pic.twitter.com/8iu5fWPeaM

— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) January 19, 2021

Despite competing with each other as children, no one besides their parents (and even then it’s up for debate) is more proud of either sister than they are of each other.

“Sam just absolutely rocked that game,” Kristie says. “Not that she’s been overlooked in the past, but I think she’s been at the top of her game for a long time, and I’m so glad that it’s actually finally showing and she’s getting credit for it.”

Mewis knows how special it is to not only share the field with Sam, but fill up the stat sheet as well, saying, “It’s those memories that we’ll talk about and we’ll have for so long.”

Sam certainly shares in the sisterly pride. Talking to teammate Kelley O’Hara and JWS CEO Haley Rosen on the Just Women’s Sports podcast, she raved about having Kristie back with the team.

“Watching her success this summer and seeing how well she’s been doing ever since she came back from her knee, I’ve just been watching in amazement… Obviously we had a couple of chances to [play together] when we were younger, but I think understanding better now really what it takes to be there and to stay at that level has made it a lot more rewarding.”

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A post shared by Kristie Mewis (@kmewis19)

All eyes were on the FA Women’s Super League this Friday as the much-anticipated contest between Manchester United and Manchester City took place. The two squads went into the match neck-in-neck in the table, with Manchester United holding onto second place by a mere two points. Hot on their heels was City, who may have knocked “Big Three” squad Arsenal out of the title race last Sunday in a 2-1 win.

On Friday, Manchester City cruised to a 3-0 win thanks to goals from Lucy Bronze, Lauren Hemp, and Caroline Weir, adding three points to leap the Reds in the standings.

With the win, City improves to 10-1-3, with only two points now separating them from first-place Chelsea.

HERE’S HOW THE ACTION UNFOLDED:

After a purely defensive start to the first half, it was Manchester City that would draw first blood as they were awarded a corner kick in the 23rd minute of the match. As soon as the ball was lofted in, it was popped up into the air, and a scramble in the United box ensued. Amidst the chaos, a City player was able to redirect a header to the feet of Lucy Bronze, who used her first touch to bury a shot past United goalkeeper Mary Earps. The goal was Bronze’s second of the season, giving City a 1-0 edge over United.

???? @LucyBronze fires it in from a @ManCityWomen corner!#BarclaysFAWSL #MCIMUN pic.twitter.com/3iOkwyMKLF

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) February 12, 2021

Later, in the 38th minute, an attempted bicycle kick from Ellen White came dangerously close to giving City a 2-0 lead, but an excellent save from Mary Earps would deny the forward the scoring chance. Though United would avoid a two-goal deficit, an unfortunate injury would occur minutes later as Leah Galton was taken down in the midfield. In visible pain, Galton was helped off the field in what seemed like an injury to her ankle or lower leg. The loss of Galton comes as another significant blow to Manchester United’s FAWSL title hopes, as the squad is already without Tobin Heath for the foreseeable future.

Manchester City held their opponents to just three first-half shots, only one of which was on goal. Meanwhile, United’s defense sustained several attacks, with City getting off eight shots, two of which were on target. Despite this, City’s one-goal lead provided little to no sense of security given the offensive talents of United.

However, it was City that would enter the second half with guns blazing as Lauren Hemp played in a cross from the left flank, meeting Ellen White in stride. With her first touch, White fired off a shot on goal, but a diving save by Earps would render her scoreless for the second time during the match.

City would finally double their lead in the 71st minute when Chloe Kelly intercepted a clearance attempt by the United defense, cutting the ball to her left foot and taking a shot from distance. Earps made the initial save, but unfortunately for United, the ball deflected into the path of Lauren Hemp, who volleyed home City’s second goal of the match to provide a much-needed cushion.

City double their lead as @Chloe_Kelly98 and @lauren__hemp cause chaos in their link up!#BarclaysFAWSL #MCIMUN pic.twitter.com/K6Fi2Dyp7g

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) February 12, 2021

United’s handful of opportunities came from none other than Christen Press, who was twice charged by City goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck to maintain the clean sheet. In her first chance, Press beat a City defender just outside the eighteen, with Roebuck abandoning the net in an attempt to make the save. Before Roebuck could get in front of the ball, Press fired a shot that sailed above the crossbar and out of bounds.

The forward would find herself in a similar circumstance later in the match when a ball was played from midfield into her path. In just one touch, Press broke into the eighteen, and again Roebuck left the net to deny United a chance to cut into City’s lead. In an impressive feat, Roebuck was able to get in front of Press’s shot, deflecting the ball out of bounds.

What a save from @EllieRoebuck_ to deny @ChristenPress #BarclaysFAWSL #MCIMUN pic.twitter.com/BPzXSrjGBW

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) February 12, 2021

To conclude an already-dazzling performance by Manchester City, Caroline Weir added her name to the scoresheet in the 84th minute, showcasing her impressive footwork to beat a City defender before lofting a shot just over the fingertips of Earps and into the back of the net. The goal was just another reminder of Weir’s composure and precision, talents that have made her quite the asset in City’s midfield as of late.

???? WOW@itscarolineweir just loves a worldie in the Manchester derby!#BarclaysFAWSL #MCIMUN pic.twitter.com/EPJYlGpsfC

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) February 12, 2021

As the final whistle blew, City dealt a damaging blow to United’s hopes for a title, defeating the Reds 3-0 to continue their winning ways. Having dropped their last two contests, Casey Stoney and her squad will be desperate to remedy their lackluster showing in the attacking third should they want to remain at or near the top of the table.

When she reached free agency status, every front office in the league was no doubt running the numbers on whether they could contend for her. None were as well set up to do so as the Las Vegas Aces.

With Uninterrupted’s newly released film “Unrestricted,” we get a captivating inside look at both how Gray navigated free agency and her enticing visit to Vegas.

THE ACES PULLED OUT ALL THE STOPS

As the film makes clear, Aces head coach Bill Laimbeer cares a lot about the quality of treatment his players receive in terms of travel, housing, facilities, etc. Having played in the NBA before transitioning to coaching in the WNBA, Laimbeer is familiar with the high-end treatment and recruitment of free agents on the men’s side and sees the same potential pay-off on the women’s side.

It’s simple: big name players deserve to be wooed. As Gray points out in the film, “I don’t see this happening that much. You hear about it happening on the men’s side. But why not? Why not have it happen on the women’s side?… Athletes need to see where they’re going to play, where they’re going to train, where they’re going to live. How you’re going to be treated.”

That’s exactly what she got to find out on her trip to the strip.

See the process that led @cgray209 to the @LVAces ????♦️♠️ #UNrestricted

Full video live now: https://t.co/GpxnfESgdx https://t.co/Z5dPx7UrNP

— UNINTERRUPTED (@uninterrupted) February 1, 2021

Shortly after touching down in the desert, the Grays were escorted to their penthouse suite at The Signature MGM Grand, the hotel where all Aces players are housed. Later that day, they were given a tour of the state-of-the-art UFC facility where the Aces put in their off-court strength and conditioning hours and recovery work.

One of the things that stood out to Gray was the prominent public positioning the Aces benefit from in a city like Vegas. Unlike LA, where the Sparks battle for the spotlight with the Lakers, Clippers, Dodgers, and not one but two NFL teams, the Vegas Aces enjoy a much bigger piece of the professional sports limelight.

The other enormous appeal of the Aces? Their treasure trove of a roster. Next year, the 2020 Championship-runners-up will be returning 2020 WNBA League MVP A’ja Wilson, All-WNBA center Liz Cambage, five-time All-Star Angel McCoughtry, two-time Sixth Woman of the Year Dearica Hamby, and 2017’s number one overall draft pick Kelsey Plum.

WNBA champion Chelsea Gray is headed to the Las Vegas Aces after five years with the Sparks, per @TheNextHoops

She's teaming up with MVP A'ja Wilson, Liz Cambage and Angel McCoughtry

Watch out for the Aces ???? pic.twitter.com/qcVfPazC3C

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 28, 2021

Combine all that with the upper echelon professional experience the Aces are able to offer, and it’s no wonder Gray started to imagine herself making a change from the SoCal franchise that has been her home for five years.

WHAT CHELSEA GRAY’S SIGNING MEANS FOR THE WNBA

By pulling out all the stops for her visit in 2019, the Aces paved the path for Gray’s league-altering signing last week. It’s a win for Vegas, Gray, and the future of the league. Expectations have been raised, and we both hope and anticipate that this type of courtship will soon be the norm for the stars of the WNBA.