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Chloe Logarzo Knows the Matildas Are Almost There

Football players trying to take the ball/JWS
Football players trying to take the ball/JWS

Chloe Logarzo plays as a midfielder for both the Australian national team and Bristol City of the FA Women’s Super League. 

This is your first season playing in FAWSL. How has the experience been so far? 

It’s definitely been challenging. I think my thought process behind coming to Bristol was needing to get as many games as possible in before the Olympics. And obviously at the start of the year, which was the end of last season, everything kind of hit. So I guess my plans were kind of overturned. I wasn’t actually meant to be here for as long as I have been, but you know some things don’t always go to plan. I’ve just tried to take it one step at a time, but it’s definitely been challenging having the sort of the season that we had and being in England through lockdowns and being here for a lot longer than I thought I would be.

What led you to sign with Bristol city in particular? I know you mentioned just getting touches and more experience and play under your belt. But what about this team in particular?

So the coach is an Australian coach. She has actually watched me play in the W-League back home in Australia. It was just an easy transition for me to head from Australia into what I would say is a style that I would be comfortable with from an Australian coach.

I’m sure that’s made the transition on the field a little bit easier. 

Definitely. Tanya [Helen Oxtoby] has been over here for such a long time now, when I first had my first call with her, I actually had to ask her if she was Australian because the English accent was so strong. But yeah, I also came over because I knew it was going to be a challenge for me. I came knowing that the team was going to get relegated last year or in a position to get relegated. So I think for me personally, I thought it was an individual challenge for me to come over to a club and try and help them not get relegated.

And we were successful last year. I ended up coming over and we won one game before the lockdown happened and the season ended. And that was the crucial point that we needed to stay above getting relegated. And I think that’s still a challenge for me now. The club is doing all that it can, and I’m just working individually on myself and looking forward to the Olympics coming up next year. And I think that the players surrounding me are amazing people, and I’m lucky to have the people that I do around me.

How would you compare the playing style in FAWSL vs the NWSL? 

I would say that it’s definitely not as athletic. I think the NWSL is super athletic. Every single person is there at the highest level and competing with professional athletes on and off the field, and I commend the NWSL for that. Here I feel like it’s so brutal. Everyone is just out there and they’ll smash you. And sometimes it is about the physicality, where I think the physicality in the U.S. is different than over here.

It’s hard. It really is hard and there’s some incredible players. Lots of Man City and Chelsea players and such at the top, top level. But it’s definitely physical over here. And then I also think there’s a difference in terms of marking, where the NWSL is just so good. Here, you don’t really hear much about FAWSL games. I know the league is still growing, and this could probably be the best league in the world. It should be. But it’s still so far behind in terms of picking up the bottom half of the teams and pushing them to be better. There’s such a divide between the top and the bottom.

I know that Bristol City is closer to the bottom of the rankings currently. What do you think needs to happen to turn things around?

Yeah, I just think it’s been a difficult start for Bristol coming up against really good teams. For us it’s about just finding our stride and having confidence, especially after our first three games against some of the top teams and leaving those games feeling absolutely defeated.

Now it’s about how we pick ourselves up and work together as a team and collaborate to be able to play well against the middle rank and the bottom rank teams, so we can get confidence back in the girls and build from there. It’s just about belief for me.

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RICHARD HEATHCOTE/GETTY IMAGES
I wanted to transition into talking about the national team. The Matildas [Australia’s national team] just hired Tony Gustavsson as the new head coach.What was your reaction to that hire and have you been in contact?

We are extremely excited to have a national team coach announced. We’ve waited a long time for this, and we’re excited to have someone that’s going to be there for a while for the upcoming Olympics and World Cup cycle. It’s been a long time since we’ve had consistency like this. And I think now having the World Cup at home, we’re just really excited to get the ball rolling and finally be able to get into our endeavors and get ready for the Olympics and get ready for that.

It’s been exciting. We’ve had one Zoom call, and it was nice, just a quick introduction. He told us to just stay focused on our seasons over here as we wait for a time when we can have a camp, which unfortunately we weren’t able to schedule during this last international window due to the current climate.

You mentioned Australia co-hosting the 2023 World Cup, but what does that mean to you and for the team?

For me, it’s exciting to be able to play any game in front of your friends and your family, and to make your country proud and to be able to host the World Cup. It’s something that I didn’t think in my lifetime, I’d be able to do at home. I think the Matildas are the most beloved team within Australia, male or female, so on a personal level, I can’t wait for 2023. And as a Matildas team, I think it’s been a long time coming, and it’s going to change the way that sports are perceived within Australia. And I hope that we are able to leave a legacy for young kids within Australia that want to strive to be the best that they can be, whether it’s on the field or off the field, or just being the best at life. Hopefully we are able to inspire just the next generation.

I’m sure also not having to travel is also going to be a huge advantage? 

Oh yeah, for sure. It’ll be interesting to see everyone come to Australia. I feel like we’ve gotten so used to flying everywhere that a 12, 24 hour flight seems quick. So it’ll be interesting to see how different teams adapt to flying and adapt to the culture that we have and the climate. I think it will be a great World Cup, honestly. I think Australia is the perfect place to host such an event and yeah, it’s going to be an amazing, amazing time.

That’s awesome. What do you think needs to happen to put the team in championship contention?

I think it’s what we’ve been doing over the last couple of years, honestly. It’s just a slow tug toward getting to the next level and onto the podium. We don’t like making excuses, but we’ve just had an unfortunate run with national team coaches and not being able to have a consistent lead going into a major tournament. Before our last World Cup, we had a new coach appointed, and then two years before that, before our last Olympic campaign, I’m pretty sure we had a new coach.

So it’s just before major tournaments we haven’t really been the most prepared leading into them. I think that we did as good as we possibly could, but I think that there’s one or two things or pieces missing from our puzzle that hopefully we’ll be able to get into place for this World Cup. And I think, honestly, we were so close up in France, and it was just so disheartening to lose on penalties again. But I think we’re so close. We can see it and we’re gripping it. We just need that final piece.

Lastly, what are your personal goals for this upcoming year? 

My personal goals are just to be consistent. I kind of say it all the time, but if I’m consistent in my own individual playing style, I think that would help me. But obviously with the Olympics coming up, I would like to be as ready as I possibly can. So, getting myself on the score sheet and getting myself on the fit and small goals like that.

Christen Press back training with Angel City FC

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 15: Christen Press #23 of Angel City FC waves to fans following a game between the Portland Thorns and Angel City FC at BMO Stadium on October 15, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)

Christen Press continues to inch her way back to a return, having returned to training with the team. 

Angel City coach Becki Tweed said on Wednesday that Press is back with the team full-time as she continues to make her way back from an ACL injury. While she’s still working on rehab, her being back with the team gives staff a better picture of her progress. 

"Christen [Press] is back with us full time which is amazing,” she said. “Having her in and around the team every day, continuing to work hard on rehab ... she's in a space where being in with the team is really important to her and her progression as well.”

The status update comes days after Press posted videos to social media that featured her doing lateral movement in cleats on grass. 

“Look out world she’s on the move !” Press captioned it. 

Press has been sidelined with an ACL injury since 2022, which caused her to miss the 2023 World Cup. She’s since had four separate surgeries to help repair her ACL. Press told The Athletic a month ago that she’s been “relentless” in her optimism with her recovery despite it being a “slow process.”

“I have a bit of relentless optimism,” she told The Athletic. “I never, ever doubted that I would make it back on any of the timelines I’ve been on. Every single time I’ve heard, ‘You have to have surgery,’ I’m completely shocked,” she said. “When somebody asks me how it’s going, I’m like, ‘It’s going great. And it was going great every time. So I don’t know what to tell you anymore!’”

Sophia Smith re-signs with Portland on record deal

(Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports)

Sophia Smith is now the NWSL’s highest-paid player. 

The Portland Thorns announced on Wednesday that they have signed Smith to a new contract through the 2025 season, with an option for 2026. While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, the team did reveal that Smith is now the highest-paid player in the league on an annual basis.

It’s the latest in what has been a series of record-breaking contracts in the NWSL offseason. 

Chicago Red Stars forward Mallory Swanson, Bay FC forward Racheal Kundananji, and Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda all signed multi-year deals worth between $2 million and $2.5 million in total. While Smith’s contract is shorter and not worth as much over the long-term, the annual worth is higher. 

“We are over the moon to have Soph commit again to the Thorns. She is a proven, world-class talent and one that we are excited to have contribute to the team’s continued success,” said head coach Mike Norris in a statement. “We look forward to working with her in a Thorns jersey as she continues to shine as one of the top strikers in the world.”

In just four seasons in the NWSL, Smith has led the Thorns to five trophies – including the 2022 NWSL championship – while winning league and championship MVP in 2022. In 61 appearances with Portland, she has 34 goals – including a brace to start this season against Kansas City. 

She’s also a member of the USWNT, having scored 16 goals in 44 international appearances.  Set to become a free agent at the end of this season, she told ESPN she “thought of all the options” but ultimately Portland felt like the right decision.

"There is no place like Portland," Smith said in a small roundtable interview that included ESPN. "I don't believe there's an environment like Portland to play in and it's a city that's so special to me and a city that I feel like I've grown up in almost and become who I am."

She also told ESPN that the team’s new ownership “changes everything.” The club is now led by the Bhathal family, who bought the club after Merritt Paulson was forced to sell it following his part in the NWSL’s abuse scandal. 

"Since I've been here there has been a lot of things going on with this club -- a lot of not-great things going on with this club -- and I have just been waiting for some stability and some reassurance that this club is headed in the right direction, and the Bhathal family coming in is doing exactly that, if not more,” Smith said. 

"Their vision for this club is so exciting, and you can just tell how passionate they are about making this what it should be and continuing to push the standard in women's soccer globally.”

Caitlin Clark offered $5 million to compete in Ice Cube’s league

IOWA CITY, IOWA- MARCH 25: Guard Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates as time runs out in the second half against the West Virginia Mountaineers during their second round match-up in the 2024 NCAA Division 1 Women's Basketball Championship at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on March 25, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)

Caitlin Clark has been offered $5 million to play in Ice Cube's Big3 league, he confirmed on social media Wednesday after the offer leaked.

"We intended the offer to remain private while Caitlin Clark plays for the championship," Ice Cube wrote on social media. "But I won't deny what's now already out there: BIG3 made a historic offer to Caitlin Clark. Why wouldn't we? Caitlin is a generational athlete who can achieve tremendous success in the BIG3."

While there has yet to be a women's player in the league, both Nancy Lieberman and Lisa Leslie have been part of the league as coaches and won championships.

"The skeptics laughed when we made Nancy Lieberman the first female coach of a men's pro team, and she won the championship in her first year," Ice Cube continued. "Then Lisa Leslie won it all in year two. With our offer, Caitlin Clark can make history and break down even more barriers for women athletes."

Ice Cube, whose name is O’Shea Jackson, says that the offer was made with the intention that Clark be able to compete in the WNBA “offseason.” Clark is largely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft in April. But it’s unclear how the scheduling of the two leagues would work. 

The 2024 Big3 season is set to tip off on June 15, with 10 games spanning through mid-August. The WNBA regular season, meanwhile, begins on May 14 and ends on Sept. 19.

On “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday, Jackson said that the league has yet to hear back from Clark. 

“We just need an answer, as soon as they are ready to give it to us,” he said. “It’s always 50-50 till we get a no. At the end of the day, it’s a generous offer.”

The offer – as well as the confusion on Jackson’s part about the timing of the WNBA season – caused some current WNBA players to react. 

"It's funny cause I be seeing his son at W games.. they don't talk?" wrote former No. 1 pick Rhyne Howard

"So no other women's basketball player has came to mind in the last 7 years?" wrote Lexie Brown, adding that she'd support if Ice Cube wanted to build a women's iteration of the league. She later discussed it on the Gils Arena Show, noting that his reasoning of wanting to “uplift and support WNBA players and women athletes” is a “cop out.”

Kalani Brown, meanwhile, told Clark to "take that money" and start a women's Big3.

WNBA salaries has been a talking point in recent months as more collegiate stars declare for the league. WNBA stars have often made more money playing abroad than they have in the WNBA. Clark is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft on April 15, with a rookie salary of $76,535 for lottery draft picks (Nos. 1-4) that rises to $97,582 by her fourth season. But she also has an NIL valuation of almost $3.5 million.

Diana Taurasi famously skipped the 2015 WNBA season at the request of her Russian club, who paid her more to sit out than she would have made in the W. Her contract with the club was reportedly near $1.5 million per year.

Jackson also seemed to suggest that his league could be an alternative to going abroad

“America’s women athletes should not be forced to spend their off seasons playing in often dismal and dubious foreign countries just to make ends meet,” he wrote. Although it’s unclear whether or not the rapper intends to make offers to additional WNBA players. 

While the league does hold prioritization rules in its CBA, those typically apply only to players playing in overseas leagues. It’s unclear whether or not that would prevent Clark’s participation in the Big3 league. WNBA players that don’t want to go overseas currently have the option of playing in Athletes Unlimited, which competes in the WNBA offseason.

USC’s Aaliyah Gayles Opens Up About Her Journey Back to Basketball

USC Basketball - Aaliyah Gayles

As part of our 1-v-1 video series, USC’s India Otto sat down to interview her teammate Aaliyah Gayles. Here are five things to know from our conversation with the redshirt freshman guard from Las Vegas.

#1 Aaliyah suffered from a near-death act of violence in 2022.

The incident taught her a lot about herself and the support around her. “[USC] Coach Lindsay [Gottlieb] was one of the first people to fly out there and come see me. That means a lot to me off the court.” 

#2 Her favorite USC memory is when she surprised her teammates after getting out of the hospital.

She left her walker at the door to show she was on the road to returning to the court. “That was my favorite memory because it was family. It was my first time being able to walk to you guys and see you practice.”

#3 There's a reason she wears #3.

#3 was her grandpa’s favorite number and a golden number in her life. Plus, AG3 has a nice ring to it. 

#4 She has a list of basketball GOAT’s:

Candace Parker, Magic Johnson, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, and Cason Wallace.

#5 There have been many celebrity appearances at USC’s games over the years, especially this season.

Aaliyah’s favorites include Will Ferrell, Kehlani, and Saweetie. And she hopes Lil Durk will come to watch a game soon.

Watch the full conversation on the Just Women’s Sports YouTube channel.

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