On Saturday, the Washington Spirit announced that Annie Worden would join the club’s technical staff as an assistant coach.

Worden joins the Spirit for the remainder of the 2021 season after serving most recently as the Premier Soccer Director at Premier Progression Academy.

Worden played fours years at Fordham University during her NCAA years and became a captain in her final year with the Rams. After graduating from Fordham, Worden spent time training with the Chicago Red Stars.

“We are excited to have Annie join the coaching staff,” said Spirit President Ben Olsen of the addition of Worden. “She will be an important addition as we look to push towards the playoffs.”

According to Meg Linehan, Worden may not be the only hire:

Minnesota Lynx center Sylvia Fowles has been named the 2021 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year — her fourth time winning the award — the WNBA announced on Sunday morning.

Fowles joins Tamika Catchings, who received the award fives times, as the only four-time recipients of the defensive award.

Fowles, 35, finished second in the league in rebounds, steals, and blocks per game, becoming the only player in league history to finish among the top two in all three categories in a single season. She wrapped up her 14th WNBA season by starting in all 31 of her games played and led the league with a .640 field goal percentage.

Of 61 votes, Fowles received 29 from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. L.A. guard Brittney Sykes (six votes) finished second.

The rest of the rankings included Connecticut forward Jonquel Jones and Phoenix forward Brianna Turner, each receiving four votes. Phoenix center Brittney Griner also got two votes, while Connecticut guards Briann January and Jasmine Thomas each got one vote.

Fowles remains the only recipient to receive the award in Lynx history — which she has done twice for Minnesota — and becomes the first player in league history to win the award in their 14th season.

As Sunday’s WNBA second playoff round gets underway, the Storm will be without forward Breanna Stewart during their matchup against the Phoenix Mercury, Seattle announced Saturday.

Mercury guard Diana Taurasi is also listed as questionable for the single-elimination game, which is set for 3 p.m. ET on ABC.

The Team USA teammates have been out since early September. Stewart suffered an injury to her left foot, while Taurasi is dealing with a left ankle injury.

Stewart was the WNBA Finals MVP last year as Seattle won their fourth league title. This season, Stweart, who last played on Sept. 7, has averaged team highs of 20.3 points and 9.5 rebounds.

Three-time WNBA champion Taurasi, who didn’t play in any regular-season games between the Storm and Mercury, has played in just 16 contests this season due to injuries.

The No. 4-seeded Storm had a first-round bye; No. 5 seed Phoenix beat No. 8 New York 83-82 on Thursday. Mercury guard Sophie Cunningham had a standout game, with a career-high 21 points, including six 3-pointers, which helped Phoenix defeat the Liberty in Taurasi’s absence.

The season will have to end for one of the veterans on Sunday.

Gotham FC routed the North Carolina Courage 3-1 on Saturday afternoon.

In the 20th-minute of the match, Wales international Angharad James was able to put North Carolina on the scoreboard first. The Courage’s lead didn’t last long, as eight minutes later, midfielder Carli Lloyd scored on a penalty kick to equalize for Gotham.

Before halftime, Gotham’s Ifeoma Onumonu connected with Midge Purce on a beautiful cross, with Purce netting one more at the 36-minute mark.

Late in the game, Purce was subbed out for striker Paige Monaghan. About ten minutes later, in the 82-minute, Monaghan sprinter ahead to a long ball to close out the game for Gotham in a dominant 3-1 victory.

To honor the “final phase” of the NWSL’s campaign for fair pay, the NWSL Professional Association is launching a #NoMoreSideHustles Weekend, which will take place on Sept. 24 and 25.

During this weekend’s five games, players will be wearing No More Side Hustles t-shirts in solidarity across the league.

The NWSL is in its 9th season, with 10 teams and two expansion teams scheduled for 2022. The PA’s No More Side Hustles campaign launched this season and continues to negotiate for players to achieve fair contracts, equal pay, and professional playing conditions.

No More Side Hustles t-shirt can be purchased here. And you can learn more about the NWSL Players Association’s fight for its first CBA here.

At the beginning of this year’s WNBA season, the New York Liberty surprisingly waived Layshia Clarendon.

Ten days later, the former Cal guard signed a free-agent contract with the Minnesota Lynx. Only hours later, the 30-year-old veteran helped the team win its first game of the WNBA season.

Clarendon, the WNBA’s first openly nonbinary and transgender player, who uses myriad pronouns, signed with the Lynx to fill a roster spot when guard Aerial Powers was lost to a hamstring injury.

Since then, with Clarendon at the helm, the Lynx have bounced back from a 0-4 start to the season to become the No. 3-seeded team and earn a first-round bye in the 2021 WNBA Playoffs.

Averaging 10.5 points, 5.7 assists, and 3.3 rebounds in 20 games with Minnesota, they have helped the Lynx mark their 13th overall playoff appearance.

In July, Minnesota sealed the deal and signed Clarendon to a rest of the season contract, meaning they will remain with the team for a potential fifth WNBA championship run.

On Friday, the WNBA announced Clarendon as the August recipient of the WNBA Cares Community Assist Award for their continuous efforts as an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and Black and Brown youth.

Clarendon is passionate about full inclusion in sports and is also dedicated to supporting families of police brutality victims.

Through their work with the Clay Counseling Foundation, they work to provide restorative justice services, LGBTQ+ support, and support for victims of domestic violence.

Connecticut Sun guard Dijonai Carrington still isn’t over the controversial no-call from last season’s NCAA tournament thriller between Baylor and UConn.

After watching a last-second foul call send Brianna Turner to the line against New York, where the Mercury guard won the game, Carrington took to Twitter, writing, “Oh. So refs do call blatant fouls in the final seconds of big games. Cool cool.”

Last March, Carrington’s Bears fought No. 1 UConn until the very end for their chance to advance to the Final Four of the women’s NCAA Tournament. But during a final drive, Carrington was robbed of a potential game-winning shot.

While many, including Carrington, wanted a foul called, no whistle was blown.

Carrington eventually dropped to one knee, mouthing “what?” in disbelief.

The crucial moment came with just five seconds remaining and Baylor down 68-67. The no-call ultimately sent UConn to their 13th-consecutive women’s Final Four.

The NWSL announced on Friday that Washington Spirit goalkeeper Devon Kerr has been issued a one-game suspension for “failing to follow team staff directives.”

Kerr will serve the suspension during the Spirit’s match against Kansas City on Sunday.

While the league did not specify on the sanction, Washington Post reporter Steven Goff tweeted that Kerr’s trip may have contributed to the Spirt’s forfeit against the OL Reign. The game, initially scheduled for Sept. 12, was declared a forfeit by the NWSL due to “breaches of the league’s medical protocols.”

Kerr later replied to one of Goff’s tweets to say that she is fully vaccinated and has never tested positive for COVID-19.

The Spirit, who have had to forfeit two games as a result of a COVID-19 outbreak within the team, are currently sixth in the NWSL standings, three points back of the Chicago Red Stars. Their season has been full of turmoil between the firing of coach Richie Burke amid allegations of verbal and emotional abuse, a conflict between co-owners and an NWSL investigation into the club after a report detailed allegations of a “toxic work culture for female employees.”

All eyes are on the WNBA — literally.

In the league’s 25th year, the WNBA recorded its most-watched regular season since 2008.

Viewership was up 51 percent across ESPN networks — ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 — and the CBS Television Network. The league also logged its most-watched regular-season game since 2012, averaging 755,000 viewers for a matchup between the Seattle Storm and Chicago Sky on Aug. 15.

Merchandise sales also saw record growth online, with a 50 percent increase over last year at WNBAStore.com.

The WNBA also set engagement records across league social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok, with 135 million video views and 14.5 million actions.

The WNBA playoffs tipped off on Thursday with the Chicago Sky defeating the Dallas Wings and the Phoenix Mercury holding on against the New York Liberty in a game that went down to the wire.

The postseason continues Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on ABC with the second round of single-elimination games. The Mercury will take on the defending champion Seattle Storm, while the No. 3-seeded Minnesota Lynx will host the Sky.

Emma Raducanu, the 18-year-old US Open champion, was welcomed back home on Friday by none other than the Duchess of Cambridge.

Raducanu and Kate Middleton played a friendly doubles match at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton as part of the celebration.

The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), designed to help children and young adults get into tennis, organized the homecoming event for the tennis phenom. Middleton, as Patron of the LTA, took the court to show off her skills.

Raducanu’s stunning victory at Flushing Meadows made her the first British woman to win a Grand Slam since Virginia Wade in 1977. Raducanu is also the first player to win the US Open without losing a set since 2014.

During the Friday event, Raducanu announced her split from coach Andrew Richardson. Richardson coached Raducanu for two years before teaming up again for her US Open run.

Last week, Raducanu also attended the Met Gala in New York City dressed head-to-toe in Chanel.