Candace Parker paced the Chicago Sky with a team-high 22 points in their Game 1 win of the WNBA semifinals Tuesday night. She made defensive stops and delivered clutch buckets as the Sky battled the No. 1 Sun through double overtime and pulled away with a 101-95 victory in Connecticut.

Parker’s biggest contributions of the night, however, came without the basketball in her hands. In every huddle and during every timeout, the Sky superstar was the most visibly animated, holding her teammates accountable to their roles and lifting them up with her energy.

The forward demonstrated that same leadership less than a minute into Tuesday’s semifinal postgame press conference when Chicago teammate Courtney Vandersloot tried to downplay her triple-double to the media.

Parker immediately chimed in, “I think Sloot’s humble. It’s remarkable for her to do what she did, play the minutes that she did, defend, rebound, come down and facilitate under pressure.”

Later, the former WNBA champion praised the “unbelievable” performance of Chicago’s bench players, who combined for 27 points and 13 rebounds.

Parker, in her first season with Chicago, made it clear Tuesday night that she takes every opportunity to boost her teammates’ confidence in themselves and in each other. Her leadership, combined with her on-court talent, is what the Sky need as they look to upset the Sun and reach their first WNBA Finals since 2014.

On the ESPN broadcast Tuesday night, the commentators mentioned a comment Sky coach James Wade made ahead of the game. He said that, before Parker signed with the team in the offseason, Chicago was “knocking at the screen door.”

Now, they’re knocking at the door.

“We expect her to be that leader that helps us get through certain things,” Wade said after the game. “We appreciate everything she brings to our team, and so we just have to make sure everybody’s ready to respond in those situations.”

After 13 seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks, who selected her first overall in the 2008 draft, Parker used her unrestricted free agency to sign with her hometown team in January. Even then, she talked about playing alongside Vandersloot and Allie Quigley and raising the bar for the 2021 postseason.

“When I signed here, we all talked about being in this situation, being in this position,” Parker said. “Of course, that’s why I came here — to play with one of the best point guards in the world and one of the best shooters in the world. I think collectively as our group, the expectation was to be where we’re at right now.”

Parker played 39 minutes in Game 1 of the Sky’s best-of-five series against Connecticut. The 35-year-old added five rebounds and six assists to her 22 points while making key plays down the stretch.

That crossover tho. 🥶@Candace_Parker | #skytown pic.twitter.com/HR3ZHrWQKG

— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) September 29, 2021

“I thought she battled and was able to make key stops when we needed,” Wade said.

To make “key stops” against the Sun, the best defensive team in the league, is no easy feat. They also swept three major league awards before the game Tuesday, with Jonquel Jones winning MVP, Brionna Jones earning the Most Improved Player award and Curt Miller being named Coach of the Year.

None of that intimidated the Sky, who stayed close to the Sun all game before breaking away in the second overtime period.

In order to win two more games against the No. 1 team in the league and advance to the Finals, Chicago will have to lean on its strengths — and its leader. Parker is ready to guide her team through the challenge.

“I always like to keep legacies alive, and in Kobe Bryant’s words, ‘Job not finished,’ like the job’s not done,” Parker said. “I think obviously we’re going to be happy tonight, but tomorrow it’s back to business.”

For the first time in the NWSL's 12-year history, fans can now buy their own goalkeeper jerseys. And while replica goalkeeper jerseys representing all 14 NWSL teams hit the market on Wednesday, some didn't stick around for long. 

Fans across women's soccer have long vocalized their discontent over the position's lack of availability on social media, often comparing the shortcoming to the widespread availability of men’s goalkeeper jerseys. And as the NWSL has grown, so has demand — and not just from those in the stands. 

"To have goalkeeper kits available for fans in the women’s game as they have been for so long in the men’s game is not only a long-awaited move in the right direction, it’s just good business," said Washington Spirit goalie Aubrey Kingsbury in an team press release. "I can’t wait to see fans representing me, Barnie [Barnhart], and Lyza in the stands at Audi!"

just went looking at #nwsl goalkeeper kit stock out of curiosity — Alyssa Naeher's $145 kit already sold out S-XL (league announced GK jerseys on sale 3 hours ago)https://t.co/8bYA7tlwcx

— Meg Linehan (@itsmeglinehan) April 17, 2024

Business does, in fact, appear to be booming. Alyssa Naeher’s Chicago Red Stars kit sold out less than three hours after the league's announcement. Jerseys for other keepers like DiDi Haračić, Abby Smith, Michelle Betos, Katelyn Rowland, and Bella Bixby aren’t currently available via the Official NWSL Shop, though blank goalkeeper jerseys can be customized through some individual team sites. Jerseys start at $110 each.

"This should be the benchmark," said Spirit Chief Operations Officer Theresa McDonnell. "The expectation is that all players’ jerseys are available to fans. Keepers are inspiring leaders and mentors with their own unique fan base who want to represent them... I can’t wait to see them all over the city."

Decorated gymnast Simone Biles took to the popular Call Her Daddy podcast this week to open up about her experience at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, revealing she thought she was going to be "banned from America" for her performance.

After Biles botched her vault routine due to a bout of the "twisties," she withdrew from the team final as well as the all-around final in order to focus on her mental health. She later reentered the competition to win bronze in the individual balance beam final.

In her interview with podcast host Alex Cooper, Biles admitted to feeling like she let the entire country down by failing her vault attempt.

"As soon as I landed I was like 'Oh, America hates me. The world is going to hate me. I can only see what they’re saying on Twitter right now,'" she recalled thinking. "I was like, ‘Holy s---, what are they gonna say about me?'"

"I thought I was going to be banned from America," she continued. "That’s what they tell you: Don’t come back if not gold. Gold or bust. Don’t come back."

Widely regarded as the greatest gymnast of all time, Biles has hinted at a desire to join her third Olympic team in Paris, though her participation won't be confirmed until after the gymnastics trials in late June. She holds over 30 medals from the Olympic Games and World Artistic Gymnastics Championships combined, and if qualified, would be a sure favorite heading into this summer’s games.

Caitlin Clark is reportedly close to cementing a hefty endorsement deal with Nike.

The Athletic was the first to break the news Wednesday evening, commenting that the deal would be worth "eight figures" and include her own signature shoe. On Thursday afternoon, the publication tweeted that the deal would top $20 million, according to lead NBA Insider Shams Charania. Both Under Armour and Adidas are said to have also made sizable offers to the college phenom and expected future WNBA star.

The new agreement comes after Clark's previous Nike partnership ended with the conclusion of the college basketball season. She was one of five NCAA athletes to sign an NIL deal with the brand back in October, 2022. 

Considering Clark's overwhelming popularity and Nike's deep pockets, the signing's purported value doesn't exactly come as a shock. New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu’s deal with the brand is reportedly worth $24 million, while NBA rookie and No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama’s deal is rumored to weigh in at $100 million. And in 2003, LeBron James famously earned $90 million off his own Nike deal. 

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Clark’s star power continues to skyrocket, with the NCAA championship averaging 18.9 million viewers and the 2024 WNBA Draft more than doubling its previous viewership record. Following the draft, Fanatics stated that Clark's Indiana Fever jersey — which sold out within an hour — was the top seller for any draft night pick in the company’s history, with droves of unlucky fans now being forced to wait until August to get their hands on some official No. 22 gear.

In Wednesday's Indiana Fever introductory press conference, the unfailingly cool, calm, and collected Clark said that turning pro hasn’t made a huge impact on how she’s conducting her deals.

"If I’m being completely honest, I feel like it doesn’t change a ton from how I lived my life over the course of the last year," she said. "Sponsorships stay the same. The people around me, agents and whatnot, have been able to help me and guide me through the course of the last year. I don’t know if I would be in this moment if it wasn’t for a lot of them."

Former Oklahoma slugger Jocelyn Alo has signed on with Athletes Unlimited and will compete in the AU Pro Softball AUX this June.

The NCAA record holder in career home runs (122), total bases (761), and slugging percentage (.987), Alo was originally drafted by the league in 2022 but opted instead to join the newly debuted Women’s Professional Fastpitch. 

Alo currently plays for independent pro softball team Oklahoma City Spark, with team owner Tina Floyd reportedly on board with her recent AUX signing. AUX games are scheduled for June 10-25, while the Spark's season will kick off June 19th. Alo will play for both. 

Among those joining Alo on the AUX roster are former James Madison ace pitcher Odicci Alexander and former Wichita State standout middle infielder Sydney McKinney.

According to Alo, the decision to play in the Athletes Unlimited league was fueled by her desire to propel women's sports forward as well as provide more exposure to a sport that's given her "so many opportunities."

"Not only to challenge myself more, but just for the growth of the game," Alo said, explaining her reasoning to The Oklahoman. "I genuinely believe that professional softball can be a career for girls."

Joining AUX is also one more step in her plan toward representing Team USA at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

"I’m constantly thinking about how can I do these little things right in these four years to prepare me for the biggest stage of softball," she told The Oklahoman. "I definitely want to play in the Olympics, for sure."

Alo further expressed enthusiasm in the hope that the rise of other women’s sports, like women’s basketball and the NWSL, will push softball’s professional viability even higher.

"We’re seeing the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League) get their stuff going, I see the WNBA starting to get hot," she continued. "I feel like the softball community is like, 'All right, it’s our turn and it’s our turn to just demand more.'"