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Plus so much more. Our featured sports now include women’s college basketball, international soccer and the Women’s World Cup. Read the latest news and analysis, and watch games through live links on our schedule pages.
We know women’s sports fans have long been waiting for it, and here it is: the most comprehensive media platform ever dedicated to the leagues, teams and athletes we all love.
There’s never been a better time to be a women’s sports fan.
And we’re still just getting started.
Editor’s note: This piece was published in November 2022. The debate over Crystal Dunn’s best position with the U.S. women’s national team has resurfaced after she shared the difficulty of switching between midfield and defense in a profile for GQ Sports.
There’s no doubt about it: The U.S. women’s national team has missed Crystal Dunn. Off the field for most of 2022, the 30-year-old has been working her way back into soccer fitness after giving birth to her son, Marcel, in May. As Dunn gets closer to a full return, one big question has lingered: Where on the USWNT roster would she play?
Dunn began her USWNT career as a forward after winning the NWSL Golden Boot and MVP awards in 2015, but her versatility has been utilized heavily over the years. On the two U.S. rosters she’s made in 2022, she’s been listed as a defender, having carved out a role at outside back during the USWNT’s run to the 2019 World Cup title. For her club, however, she consistently plays in the midfield and has been very open about her preference to thrive in a position where she feels most comfortable.
All current signs point to Vlatko Andonovski’s intention to have Dunn return to outside back, but for the sake of the argument, let’s do a brainstorming exercise. What would it look like to play Crystal Dunn in the midfield? And could the USWNT use her there?
Let’s explore.
It’s not a new role
The idea of Dunn playing in the midfield doesn’t come out of nowhere; she’s assumed that role successfully for her club teams for years. After playing for the Washington Spirit and Chelsea as a forward early in her career, Dunn joined the North Carolina Courage’s box midfield in 2018. Paired in the attacking midfield with Debinha, and supported by defensive midfielders Sam Mewis and Denise O’Sullivan, Dunn helped North Carolina rise from a contender to a league-crushing super club.
The Courage won the NWSL Shield and Championship in 2018 and 2019, with Dunn’s playmaking ability and defensive tenacity at the heart of that success. In 2019, she won every domestic trophy possible as an attacking midfielder while also playing as a starting outside back for the USWNT in the World Cup. The toll it took on her was noticeable at the time.
“I struggled mentally. I had to take some time off from this club,” Dunn told the media in 2019. “Because I was battling, trying to be the world’s best [No.] 10, the world’s best forward on this team, and then go into national team camp.”
In 2021, Dunn joined Portland’s midfield, working in a dual-No. 8 system with Lindsey Horan. She and Horan would drift off of each other’s movements, anchored by the stellar play of Angela Salem behind them. Dunn appeared comfortable moving into wide and central areas while coordinating with Horan for pressing triggers on defense.
That Thorns team won the NWSL Shield, but the Mark Parsons-led midfield project was cut short by Dunn’s pregnancy, Horan’s subsequent loan to Olympique Lyon and Parsons’ departure for the Netherlands head coaching job. Dunn returned to Rhian Wilkinson’s Thorns in the last couple of months of the 2022 NWSL season. Coming in late to games, Dunn replaced other connecting midfielders as the No. 8 and helped seal results, including this year’s NWSL Championship.
A defensive-minded midfielder
The world was reminded of what Dunn can bring in the attack when she smashed the semifinal game-winner that sent Portland to the 2022 NWSL title game. There’s also the argument that the USWNT doesn’t lack attacking talent, and it’s difficult to carve out Dunn’s place as a forward-hybrid when a number of other qualified players can’t break into the player pool in the same position.
Dunn’s experience as a wide defender, however, shouldn’t be used against her possible inclusion in the midfield; in fact, that versatility should be considered an asset. In her short time back with Portland in 2022, Dunn’s energy as a 1v1 defender from an advanced position made closing out games very difficult for her opponents.
Dunn’s recovery speed could also be a big help in the middle of the pitch. The USWNT has struggled to shore up space in front of the center-backs against top competition, employing a lone defensive midfielder despite the prolonged absence of Julie Ertz. The USWNT’s No. 6 has been caught on an island at times, leaving other players unsupported in the middle of the pitch.
In recent international games, every USWNT midfielder has had to decide whether to step up defensively or fall back into an off-the-ball position. Dunn’s decisiveness as a connecting midfielder could make a huge difference as the U.S. tries to control the middle of the pitch and support the No. 6. And the fact that she can spring attacks should be considered a bonus.
Making room
There are two key factors to moving Dunn into the USWNT’s midfield: room in the middle three and a successor at left-back.
The USWNT’s commitment to a 4-3-3 formation doesn’t leave a ton of room for experimentation, with clear roles for the No. 6 (usually Andi Sullivan or Sam Coffey), a box-to-box No. 8 (Lindsey Horan) and a No. 10 who can also drift into wide spaces (Rose Lavelle). Against opponents that bunker down on defense, the U.S. will sometimes play with a more attacking-minded approach, bringing on Ashley Sanchez to connect with Lavelle.
Against more possession-minded opponents, though, there’s room to give Dunn a look. She can help settle areas where the U.S. is often prone to turnovers with her dribbling, and as shown in Portland this year, teams have a hard time compensating for her as a super sub. Using Dunn as a 1-2 punch with Horan — not unlike the rotation of Horan and Sam Mewis in 2019 — could give the U.S. midfield some stability without fully overhauling the formation.
As for what Dunn leaves behind her at outside back, the emergence of Emily Fox and development of Hailie Mace offer some relief to a position that was once considered a depth concern for the USWNT. Fox has struggled with injury and illness in 2022, but if she can stay healthy, the left-back rotation is more stable.
There’s also the simple fact that no other current player in the USWNT pool plays such a starkly different role for country as they do for club. Sofia Huerta is the most recent example of a converted outside back, but she now plays the role consistently for OL Reign. Mace played as a wingback for the Kansas City Current this season, and Emily Sonnett is a center-back who can play wide when needed.
“New coach coming in for the national team, wherever he sees me, I have to say, ‘If you want me playing in this position, I’m going to be the best in that position,’” Dunn said in 2019.
Every national team manager has to give something up to get the best out of their team, but in a perfect world, the USWNT would have Crystal Dunn at her most comfortable rather than split into two positions, expending the mental energy to adapt.
Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.
The U.S. women’s national team brought an intensity to their first SheBelieves Cup matchup against Canada that fans have seen multiple times during the Vlatko Andonovski era. On their way to a dominant 2-0 win over an admittedly fatigued Canada side, what actually made the difference was the team’s execution more than their energy.
After months of tweaks, and even with one key absence, the USWNT’s midfield is beginning to gel as the 2023 World Cup nears.
Andi Sullivan is getting more comfortable by the game
Andi Sullivan stepped into the U.S. midfield with generational shoes to fill, taking the space once held so effortlessly by Julie Ertz in the 2019 World Cup. She wasn’t aided in the transition by the team’s tactics, which for months asked her to fill the same amount of defensive space as Ertz used to. The two-time World Cup champion played the position as a physically imposing ball-winner, with a sprint speed that could cover up positional missteps.
Forcing Sullivan into an Ertz role not only didn’t play to the 27-year-old’s strengths, but it also appeared to make her doubt herself when she needed to step forward to challenge for the ball. At the international level, even a split second of hesitation can be the difference between snuffing out danger and getting bypassed. All too frequently in 2022, Sullivan found herself on the wrong side of her own decision-making.
But in the USWNT’s last four games, things have slowed down considerably for the midfield as Sullivan increasingly puts her own spin on the position. A tweak to the midfield’s positioning has helped her transition, with Lindsey Horan sitting slightly deeper to give Sullivan defensive support and a distribution outlet.
Against Canada, the team’s off-ball approach was clear. Horan had the ability to aggressively step toward the ball with Sullivan behind her, and Sullivan likewise had time to react with Horan in front of her. There were isolated moments where both players stepped wrong, and Canada progressed the ball through the midfield. Overall, though, they played with a sense of growing stability that could make for the USWNT’s most important partnership on their way to New Zealand.
The Taylor Kornieck experiment
After Taylor Kornieck spent 45 minutes as the USWNT’s No. 6 against New Zealand, discussion raged about the U.S.’s plans for a backup defensive midfielder. Sullivan is clearly the team’s starter at the position, but the way the U.S. struggled through the Tokyo Olympics while overly relying on an injured Ertz showed the cracks at a position that suddenly has become a vulnerability.
Further exacerbating the issue, Andonovski has stopped calling in players who play that role for their clubs. Jaelin Howell and Sam Coffey have both spent time with the U.S. in the last six months, but as the World Cup roster announcement gets closer, they appear more on the outside looking in. Howell and Coffey are gifted players who bring different skill sets to the table, but rather than committing to bringing them along with a chance to grow, Andonovski is converting players into hybrid roles.
No one can actually agree on where Kornieck should be playing for the U.S. and with which players. Kornieck’s club coach, Casey Stoney, told reporters that she doesn’t see the 24-year-old as a lone No. 6, and that she plays better in a connecting role with the ability to get further up the pitch. Andonovski didn’t actually seem to disagree, saying that while he doesn’t see Kornieck and Sullivan playing together as dual defensive midfielders, he understands that both players need to have a more traditional No. 8 beside them to make things tick.
On Thursday, Kornieck didn’t actually come in to relieve Sullivan but instead replaced Horan, who plays in a position much closer to where Kornieck fits with her club team. After the match, Andonovski praised Kornieck’s versatility, saying that she could have subbed into any of the team’s three different midfield positions depending on Canada’s adjustments.
In short, it’s possible that criticism of Andonovski playing Kornieck as a backup No. 6 would be more accurately directed at the head coach not intending to travel with a backup No. 6 at all. Kornieck has intangibles, like her prowess on set pieces, that make her a valuable late-game asset to the USWNT. That she is also learning how to assist the defensive midfield on the fly feels secondary, for better or worse.
Sanchez’s upside is sky high
Rose Lavelle was unavailable against Canada due to a knock sustained in training, and Ashley Sanchez was given a chance to showcase her creativity in a starting role on Thursday. If there’s one thing Sanchez loves to do, it’s push forward against a defense, and she did so with enthusiasm.
Sanchez isn’t quite as refined as Lavelle on both sides of the ball, which isn’t surprising considering her experience at the international level, but when she has the ball at her feet, she springs the attack quickly. One of Sanchez’s greatest strengths is her willingness to try things that other players might not think of, which can also make it difficult to build chemistry in short minutes with the players around her.
The player who adjusted best to Sanchez’s gusto against Canada was Alex Morgan, who often floated back into the midfield when Sanchez pushed forward against the defense. The U.S. never lost their 4-2-3-1 shape, but Morgan at times served as the connector at the top of the midfield rather than the striker closest to goal.
Andonovski admitted after the match that Sanchez still has room to grow as part of the full-team defensive press and as a playmaker rather than an extra attacker, but it’s also her lack of predictability that makes her a special player.
Sanchez’s desire to get forward also benefits from Horan’s discipline in sitting back. Horan never came close to sitting in a double pivot with Sullivan, but she did rule the left side of the midfield with a willingness to hold when necessary. Lavelle has developed a similar skill set, but in some ways having a No. 10 with an all-out attacking mindset could be exactly what the U.S. needs when chasing a goal against a disciplined opponent.
Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.
Conference debates happen every year in college basketball, but at no point are they fiercer than in the weeks leading up to Selection Sunday. And this women’s college basketball season, there is plenty to debate between three conferences: the Pac-12, the Big Ten and the ACC.
While the SEC has two of the top-five teams in the country, South Carolina and LSU, no other program from the conference is represented in the most recent AP Top-25 poll. The Big 12 has three current Top-25 teams (No. 15 Oklahoma, No. 17 Texas and No. 22 Iowa State) and the Big East has two (No. 6 UConn and No. 14 Villanova).
To determine the best conference, Just Women’s Sports used three factors: expert analysis, AP rankings and NET rankings. The NET is a system that takes into account a team’s results, strength of schedule, game location, scoring margin, offensive and defensive efficiency, and quality of wins and losses.
Here are the cases to be made for each of the top three conferences.
Pac-12
Ranked teams: No. 3 Stanford, No. 4 Utah, No. 16 UCLA, No. 18 Arizona, No. 21 Colorado, No. 25 USC
Top-25 NET teams: No. 4 Stanford, No. 6 Utah, No. 20 Colorado, No. 21 Oregon
The Pac-12 has looked stronger as the season progresses, with teams like Colorado and USC moving into the rankings and others like Stanford and Utah maintaining their success. In other words, the best teams are staying in top form, and the rest of the conference is catching up.
The Pac-12 also holds the distinction of having two of only four teams in the country, UCLA and Stanford, who have lost to No. 1 South Carolina by fewer than 10 points. The Cardinal took the Gamecocks to the brink on Nov. 20 before losing 76-71 in overtime, giving South Carolina the biggest challenge they’ve faced thus far.
And while Oregon has fallen off mightily since an 11-1 start to the season, the Ducks are still a positive for the Pac-12. They have a high net ranking, and they’ve managed to be competitive against most of their opponents. Those close games include eight-point losses to Utah and Stanford, a six-point loss to UCLA and a five-point loss to USC.
Overall, the Pac-12 is a competitive conference where even the bottom teams (other than 0-12 Arizona State) give their opponents trouble. Take Washington’s 72-67 win over Stanford as an example — despite being 13-11 and 5-9 in conference play, the Huskies were just the second team to top the Cardinal this season.
Big Ten
Ranked teams: No. 2 Indiana, No. 7 Iowa, No. 8 Maryland, No. 12 Michigan, No. 13 Ohio State
Top-25 NET teams: No. 5 Indiana, No. 7 Iowa, No. 14 Michigan, No. 15 Maryland, No. 16 Ohio State
At this point in the season, there are three teams that I think can win the national championship: South Carolina, Stanford and Indiana. The Big Ten’s No. 1 team can compete with the best of the best, and with the way the Hoosiers are playing right now, a Final Four seems plausible and a championship more than possible. That’s a good start for the Big Ten in the top conference debate, but the argument doesn’t end there.
There’s Ohio State, a team that also looked poised for a Final Four when healthy. It’s unclear whether they’ll get Jacy Sheldon and Rebeka Mikulasikova back in time for the postseason, but the Buckeyes’ 18-0 start can’t be discounted.
Having a player like Caitlin Clark in the Big Ten also gives the conference a lift, as the Player of the Year candidate makes Iowa a challenge for any opponent. Then, there’s Maryland, who has impressive non-conference wins over UConn, Notre Dame and Baylor, as well as Michigan, who topped North Carolina.
The conference also has two unranked but competitive teams in Nebraska and Illinois. The Huskers beat Maryland once this season and secured a triple-overtime win over a solid Kansas team, and Illinois defeated Iowa.
The argument for the Big Ten comes from Michigan State, who despite being 5-9 in conference play, is the only team in the country to beat Indiana.
ACC
Ranked teams: No. 9 Duke, No. 10 Notre Dame, No. 11 Virginia Tech, No. 19 North Carolina, No. 24 Florida State
Top-25 NET teams: No. 7 Duke, No. 9 Notre Dame, No. 12 Virginia Tech, No. 17 NC State, No. 19 Florida State, No. 23 North Carolina
The ACC has the distinction of being the most chaotic conference in the country. Every week, ACC teams are beating up on each other, and the conference standings reflect that chaos. Duke is first at 12-2, Notre Dame follows at 11-3, Virginia Tech and Louisville are tied at 10-4, and Florida State, North Carolina and Miami are all 9-5. With just over a week left in the regular season, it’s going to be a fight for the top spot until the very end.
Let’s start with Duke, the team most likely to win the ACC. They’re 22-3 with one non-conference loss (78-50 against Connecticut), and their other defeats came against Florida State and North Carolina. Notre Dame, the second-place team, beat UConn in non-conference play and then lost to Duke and NC State in conference play. Louisville is unranked in both the AP Poll and the NET, but they are tied for third in the ACC. Finally, one of those 9-5 teams, Florida State, topped the conference’s first-place team but also lost to Boston College, who is 4-11 in conference play.
See? Pure chaos.
The ACC also has three unranked teams that have spent time in the Top 25, one of which is knocking on the door yet again. After a tough start to the season, Louisville is back to getting the type of results people expected of them, with a big win over UNC on Feb. 5. The other two unranked squads, Miami and NC State, have both spent time in the Top 25 and have wins over top conference opponents. Miami defeated UNC and Virginia Tech on back-to-back nights, while NC State has a win over Notre Dame and a non-conference victory over Iowa.
As this exercise makes clear, all three of these conferences are stacked this season. But I think one is just a bit better than the others based on overall parity. When I turn on an ACC game, I never know what’s going to happen because these squads are so close together.
In 2023, the ACC reigns supreme.
Eden Laase is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.
The U.S. women’s national team begins their 2023 SheBelieves Cup campaign on Thursday evening, with high-profile matchups against Canada, Brazil and Japan that will replicate the patterns of group stage play against top World Cup-level competition.
Each of the four teams have a shot at walking away with the SBC title, but for the U.S. as hosts and reigning World Cup champions, expectations for wins at home will follow the team through all three matches. Canada will play the U.S. at their own game, Brazil’s attacking quality remains elite with a rising defense, and Japan brings an element of youthful vibrancy to their rebuild.
Fans will expect the U.S. to lift the trophy at the end of next week regardless.
Some of those expectations are increasingly unreasonable considering the level of competition, but in short, it’s also possible the USWNT really just needs a win.
Why the U.S. needs a SheBelieves win
Pre-World Cup USWNT friendly losses are basically woven into the recent history of the team. The U.S. lost their opening game to kick off the World Cup calendar years in both 2015 and 2019, and they didn’t win the 2019 SheBelieves Cup either (that honor went to England, though the USWNT did avoid dropping a game).
This year, the USWNT enters the SheBelieves Cup having lost three games in a row for the first time since 1993, before staging a not-quite-convincing bounce-back against Germany to close out 2022. Those results have to be considered part of the learning process, but at some point, confidence is more important than working out the kinks.
The USWNT’s prowess on the international stage has long been a common belief and a global reputation to bend games even when they are technically outplayed. This current team has been somewhat unfairly held to that standard as they find their own identity in the most competitive global field the sport has ever seen.
With the World Cup now only a few months away, the U.S. needs to start shaping the narrative of a group that is young and untested. Expectations can be crushing, and players who feel that responsibility most keenly don’t always seem to be the newest faces to the team.
Lindsey Horan and Rose Lavelle are World Cup champions, but since they’ve been tasked with leading the team’s midfield without Julie Ertz and Sam Mewis, they have had difficulty finding each other at times, causing too many turnovers. The defense, likewise, has made mental mistakes in crucial moments, and the attack has been frustrated by a lack of touches on the ball.
“[The team’s identity] has evolved, but I don’t think it has changed, and I truly believe in the competitiveness,” Vlatko Andonovski told the media on Wednesday. “I truly believe in the relentlessness and in the fearless mindset that these players have.”
Winning can cure mental blocks, and belief is something that has to be earned. A strong record at the SheBelieves Cup would give the team the most positive momentum it’s had since the Tokyo Olympics. It also would indicate that Andonovski’s preferred style of play is beginning to take hold, a development U.S. fans have long awaited.
Why the process is more important
There’s nothing wrong with being a little underrated going into a major tournament. Plus, the U.S. has things to work out on the field that could still benefit from being exposed. In a perfect world, the USWNT would be able to tweak their strategy and take three points, but their SheBelieves opponents will make that difficult and they’ve shown in recent months that they are not infallible to mistakes.
The U.S. is also dealing with personnel limitations going into their first game against Canada on Thursday night. Sophia Smith, the team’s leading scorer in 2022, is still working her way back from an offseason injury, and midfield engine Rose Lavelle will miss at least the first game with what Andonovski described as a “knock.” Injuries are going to be a reality for every team going into the World Cup. The U.S. has a chance to test their depth in February, altering their ceiling in the upcoming games.
“We have young players that are learning the identity of, or trying to fit in the identity of, the U.S. national team,” Andonovski said. “But to some degree, maybe it is better that some things feel like that and that we still haven’t shown our cards.”
If roster evaluation is still one of the primary purposes of a tournament of this level, there is some value in poor performances as there is in successful execution. The U.S. has a number of players still working their way back from injury, and time to make detailed evaluations has not been on Andonovski’s side.
Fear of a dropped result can’t get in the way of a commitment to figuring out how exactly Taylor Kornieck can best be used as a dual No. 6 or a hybrid No. 8, or whether attacking-minded fullbacks can successfully track back to absorb counterattacks. Andonovski has sculpted his team into a 4-3-3 (with the ability to turn into a 4-2-3-1) that plays in a pressing style, and if that style is still stifling creativity and causing defensive gaps, stopgap wins will not help the team in the long term.
Ultimately, if the U.S. can’t hang with the excellent squads competing in this year’s SheBelieves Cup, it’s better to know that now. U.S. Soccer has committed to Andonovski’s roster refresh project, but going in with false confidence led to the team being exposed in the last Olympics with no real Plan B in sight.
The U.S. comes into this tournament as the favorites on paper, with greater challenges on the horizon. They are best off absorbing expectations and executing, but this week will be a learning experience no matter who raises the trophy.
Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.
The postseason is less than one month away, and with it comes a slew of awards, including Freshman of the Year.
DePaul forward Aneesah Morrow won the award last year after a breakout season. In 2020-21, Iowa’s Caitlin Clark of Iowa and UConn’s Paige Bueckers were co-recipients. This year’s recipient will join some elite recent company.
Just Women’s Sports breaks down the top six candidates for 2023 Freshman of the Year.
Ta’Niya Latson, Florida State
There have been some great freshman performances so far this season, but it’s hard for many of them to truly compare with Florida State’s 5-foot-8 guard. Not only is Latson leading the freshman class in scoring, she’s also No. 8 among all players in the country with 21.9 points per game. She also contributes 4.5 rebounds and three assists per game, while shooting 46 percent from the field. She’s led Florida State to a No. 19 ranking and wins over ranked ACC teams Duke, NC State and North Carolina.
Latson is a prolific scorer, but her best attribute this season has been consistency. The guard has scored fewer than 10 points just once this season, while also hitting the 30-point mark six times in 27 games. Highlights include 31 points in an overtime victory over NC State and 21 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two steals in Florida State’s upset of UNC.
Several players have cases for Freshman of the Year, but none mean as much to their team as Latson does to Florida State. With less than a month left in the regular season, she is the frontrunner for the award.
Kiki Rice, UCLA
The No. 2 recruit in the country came to UCLA with a lot of hype and has handled it with poise. Rice knows she isn’t the main option for the Bruins (that mantle belongs to senior guard Charisma Osborne), but she plays her secondary role in a positive way, doing a bit of everything for her team. Rice is averaging 11.5 points per game, 4.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and a team-high 1.3 steals.
Kiki Rice. That's it, that's the tweet.
— UCLA W. Basketball (@UCLAWBB) February 12, 2023
📺: Pac-12 Networks
📲: https://t.co/FONoGTkJ32 #GoBruins | @kiki_rice0 pic.twitter.com/bhBCKAYiMq
Rice has been a starter for UCLA since Game 1 this season, and she adjusted to the college game seamlessly. On Nov. 20, against a long, athletic Tennessee squad, Rice responded with 15 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals to help her team secure an upset win. The guard also held her own in a close contest with South Carolina, recording 16 points and five rebounds.
Cotie McMahon, Ohio State
Despite coming in as a highly-touted recruit, McMahon likely wasn’t expecting to play such a big role this season on a stacked Ohio State team. But injuries to Jacy Sheldon and Madison Greene meant the Buckeyes didn’t have time to ease McMahon into a bigger role. She had to take it right away, and the forward has delivered. In 26.4 minutes per game, McMahon is averaging 14 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
Q3 | @cotiemcmahon23 splits the defenders for an old-fashioned three-point play!#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/VnlPQGJlky
— Ohio State WBB (@OhioStateWBB) February 14, 2023
The forward has done everything Ohio State has asked of her while adding a new element to their offense. She brings physicality to the court and is able to drive and create, serving as a good complement to shooters like Taylor Mikesell and post players like Rebeka Mikulasikova. Even in games where Ohio State has struggled, McMahon has often been a bright spot. She held her own in losses to top opponents, Iowa and Indiana, recording 21 points in each contest.
Grace VanSlooten, Oregon
Oregon has had a steep decline in recent weeks, dropping 10 of their last 14 games after starting the season 10-1 and climbing into the Top 25. But while the Ducks have had trouble in a difficult Pac-12 conference, Vanslooten has not. She’s second on the team in scoring with 14.5 points and second in rebounds with 6.2 per contest. The 6-3 forward has produced those numbers in a league with experienced post players defending her.
VanSlooten doesn’t shy away from top competition, recording a career-high 29 points on Dec. 21 in a loss to then-No. 3 Ohio State, while also grabbing nine rebounds for a near-double-double. Other highlights include 17 points and 11 boards against UNC, and 17 points and eight rebounds against UCLA.
Flau’jae Johnson, LSU
When LSU plays, eyes are on the duo of Angel Reese and Alexis Morris, but Johnson has developed into a reliable third option for the Tigers. She’s averaging 12.5 points per game and is second on the team in rebounding with 6.3 per game, despite being just 5-10. She’s also blocking one shot per game, which speaks to the energy, effort and athleticism she brings to the court. Johnson even has three double-doubles this season on points and rebounds.
Johnson showed her variety of skills in a win over UAB on Nov. 26, finishing with 19 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and three steals. The guard was then crucial in a close 79-76 victory over Arkansas on Jan. 19, when she contributed 19 points and six rebounds. (Unrelated to the award debate: Johnson also has world-class talent off the court.)
Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, Baylor
Like VanSlooten of Oregon, Littlepage-Buggs will have a tough time winning this award because of her team’s struggles. But also like Vanslooten, Littlepage-Buggs has been a consistent bright spot for her team. The 6-1 forward is averaging a near-double-double with 9.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per contest. She’s also efficient in her attempts, shooting 51.3 percent from the field.
Littlepage-Buggs has clearly impressed coach Nicki Collen, who has called on the talented freshman to start in 19 of her team’s 24 games. Even when she doesn’t start, Littlepage-Buggs is a fixture on the court for the Bears, playing 24.8 minutes per contest. In a recent win over a tough Kansas squad, she played 30 minutes off the bench and finished with 12 points and a team-high 10 rebounds.
Eden Laase is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.
The SheBelieves Cup has two different purposes for the U.S. women’s national team: Prepare the core group for a round-robin format against top competition and continue to hone the team’s depth.
With top women’s soccer nations Brazil, Japan and Canada taking part in this year’s tournament, the balance between building confidence and evaluating talent will be as delicate as ever. With a middling finish to 2022, the U.S. could use a few wins to go into the World Cup with the confidence that they can come out on top against the world’s best.
With a few key roster decisions looming at certain positions, there are at least four players head coach Vlatko Andonovski should consider giving more playing time this tournament.
Adrianna Franch, goalkeeper
To give them both tournament experience and to keep competition fresh, all three U.S. goalkeepers should see time during the SheBelieves Cup. Franch has been called into three consecutive camps off the strength of an excellent NWSL season with Kansas City, but she has yet to see the field for the USWNT for the first time since 2021.
Franch is an excellent shot-stopper at the club level and went to the Tokyo Olympics as the team’s No. 2 goalkeeper, closing out the tournament for the U.S. after Alyssa Naeher suffered a knee injury. North Carolina’s Casey Murphy has moved into a more consistent role with the team after the Olympics, and Andonovski has given very little game time to the goalkeepers pushing for the third spot. I believe Franch has the ability to compete for more than the third goalkeeping spot and should get a chance to prove what she can do against top competition in 2023.
Taylor Kornieck, midfielder
Kornieck appears to have an inside lane to making the World Cup roster as defensive midfield depth and a set piece aerial specialist. The 24-year-old is getting up to speed quickly in a position she doesn’t regularly play. For her club team, the San Diego Wave, Kornieck usually plays in more of a connecting midfield role. If Andonovski is truly committed to having Kornieck prepared to step into an unfamiliar role in New Zealand, time against top competition will be crucial.
Kornieck seeing time as the No. 6 is also part of Andonovski’s plans to tweak the midfield structure since the U.S. lost three games in a row at the end of 2022 for the first time in almost 30 years. Kornieck as a defensive midfielder requires something closer to a double pivot 4-2-3-1 formation, where either Lindsey Horan or Rose Lavelle sits further back to provide defensive cover and help in distribution. Those roles are likely just as essential as whoever plays the No. 6 (Andi Sullivan is the preferred starter), and forging that midfield chemistry will be key during the SheBelieves Cup.
Sofia Huerta, defender
The USWNT defense hasn’t felt completely settled going into 2023, with outside backs coming in and out of camp due to injury and availability. Huerta played a lion’s share of the team’s right-back minutes in 2022, but her role could become even more nuanced as other players return.
Huerta is a converted winger who is one of the best crossers in the women’s game, with an attacker’s approach to her position on defense. When the U.S. midfield tries to draw their opponents in centrally by holding the ball, Huerta is there to receive passes out wide and send the ball in quickly to set up goal-scoring opportunities.
Huerta’s progression as a 1v1 defender has been a longer process, and with Crystal Dunn back in the mix at left back, Andonovski might choose to craft his starting XI with more tactical awareness in mind. He has opted for a defensive system with Dunn at left back and Emily Fox at right back while the team awaits the return of Kelley O’Hara from injury. Huerta has the ability to hurt any team on the counter-attack and can shine when tactical priorities are clear.
Alana Cook, defender
It’s impossible to know exactly where Cook sits on the current U.S. center-back depth chart. She played the most minutes of anyone on the USWNT in 2022, but she has rotated more with Becky Sauerbrunn and Naomi Girma since the U.S. defense struggled against top attacking teams late last year. Cook’s counterparts appear to be locks for the World Cup roster, with Sauerbrunn as the veteran presence and Girma the young natural at the position.
Cook herself frequently looks like a natural, but she isn’t immune to being a step too slow in reacting to dangerous moments, leading to goals conceded. She’s joined on the SheBelieves roster by Emily Sonnett, who has been used as a hybrid center back/outside back in the past. Tierna Davidson is likely one camp away from returning to game minutes.
The U.S. can’t bring Cook, Davidson and Sonnett to the World Cup, and these games are as much about working out defensive communication as they are about looking for individual moments of brilliance. Cook has earned Andonovski’s trust as a steady contributor and deserves a chance to solidify her place with the team this week with an all-around performance.
Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.
Becky Sauerbrunn may be one of the best players to ever put on the U.S. women’s national team uniform.
And as Just Women’s Sports continues its series of the most essential USWNT players ahead of the 2023 World Cup, Sauerbrunn is near the top of the list.
While many have contributed in points and assists, Sauerbrunn has made an indelible impact despite never having scored in a game for the USWNT. Her leadership and play on defense don’t go unnoticed, and neither does her activism off of it.
“Sometimes I look to Becky like my moral compass,” Sam Mewis said in 2020. “Like, whatever she is doing is what I know is right, so I should probably do the same thing.”
Fellow defender Casey Krueger has said that Sauerbrunn “sets the standard,” while Tierna Davidson called her a “fantastic role model.”
A two-time World Cup winner and Olympic gold medalist, Sauerbrunn is also a four-time NWSL Defender of the Year and reached 200 caps for the USWNT last year. She is now up to 212 appearances and counting.
When naming Sauerbrunn USWNT captain for the second time in her career in 2021, head coach Vlatko Andonovski cited her communication skills as one of the many reasons for appointing her as the team’s leader.
“She was a leader of the team before. She is a leader of the team now,” Andonovski said. “She has been incredible in communication between players and coaches, and she has always been there for the players. Quite frankly, she has been there for the coaches as well.”
The appointment came as the team was navigating how to take a stand against racial and social inequity.
“I am helping facilitate a space for those conversations to take place,” Sauerbrunn said. “And then there are a bunch of players on this team in that space who are stepping up and sharing their advice and their experience.”
Those conversations appear to have continued and expanded to include speaking out against gun violence, supporting women’s rights and, more recently, transgender participation in sport. Earlier this week, Sauerbrunn spoke out against anti-transgender legislation with an op-ed in her hometown newspaper in Missouri. Teammates Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe expressed their support for Sauerbrunn’s public stance before the U.S. plays two SheBelieves Cup games this month in Texas and Florida, two states that have passed similar bills.
Sauerbrunn has never hid from standing tall in her convictions. As the team has navigated issues from racial inequities to abuse in both the NWSL and U.S. Soccer, Sauerbrunn has remained a steady, positive presence and someone players can turn to for guidance.
Sauerbrunn’s significance to the team includes her defensive abilities and leadership.
Through 12 appearances last year, Sauerbrunn helped anchor the defense to 11 clean sheets. Even during the team’s three-game losing streak in October, the defense allowed just six total goals against some of the world’s top teams in England, Spain and Germany.
Sauerbrunn’s experience on the field and off will be instrumental as the team looks to repeat as World Cup champions this summer, especially with newcomers like Naomi Girma playing on soccer’s biggest stage for the first time.
“The reason why I have played as long as I have is because I can problem solve. I can see spaces. I can identify dangerous spots that teams can capitalize on,” she told St. Louis City SC last year. “I always found myself in the way of the ball.”
But despite a run of pure dominance during her career, which has spanned over a decade, Sauerbrunn hasn’t always been given the credit she deserves.
“From the outside, some things have more glory, some things have less glory,” Sauerbrunn said in 2021. “Unfortunately, being a defender, it doesn’t have that much glory, but it’s just as important.”
Who is the most essential USWNT player?
Two undefeated teams, two powerhouse coaches, two Player of the Year candidates: Sunday’s matchup between No. 1 South Carolina and No. 3 LSU has it all. It’s also the most-anticipated contest of the regular season.
Just Women’s Sports breaks down the top matchups to watch in the contest, airing on ESPN Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.
Aliyah Boston vs. Angel Reese
Not only are Boston and Reese the leading candidates for SEC Player of the Year, they are also in contention for National Player of the Year. On Sunday, we will get to see the two star post players go head to head in the paint. By the numbers, Reese is having a better season, but they are each averaging a double-double. Reese is averaging 23.5 points, 15.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks, while Boston puts up 13.3 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks per contest.
The point discrepancy, however, isn’t necessarily an indication that Reese is the better player. Instead, it’s a reflection of each team’s makeup.
The Gamecocks are the country’s most balanced squad, with 12 players who score at least four points per game. They are so deep that only two players — Boston and Zia Cooke — average double-digit scoring. South Carolina’s strength is in its plethora of talent, and Boston knows that her team wins when everyone contributes. Instead of imposing her will and trying to score over double teams, Boston shares the wealth.
Like Boston, Reese is doing what her team needs her to do in order to win. LSU gets contributions from its bench, but the bulk of its offense comes from the starting five, and particularly from Reese. In all but six games this season, the sophomore has been LSU’s leading scorer, and that’s the Tigers’ recipe for success. Reese needs to be the most dominant player on the floor for LSU to have its best chance at victory.
There is also a minutes difference to take into account, as Reese plays 33.1 per contest and Boston plays 25.2 minutes per game.
The two have one head-to-head matchup recorded. Last season, when Reese was at Maryland, the two faced off in a 66-59 South Carolina win. All eyes were on Boston as she neared a triple-double with 16 points, 16 rebounds and seven blocks, but Reese was dominant as well with 20 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.
Because of the teams’ varying styles of play, the game likely won’t come down solely to who gets the better of this matchup, but there are bragging rights in play. Plus, the more dominant player will almost certainly lock up SEC Player of the Year.
Kim Mulkey vs. Dawn Staley
These two came onto the head coaching scene in the same year (2000), with Mulkey taking over at Baylor and Staley starting at Temple. Mulkey’s combined record at Baylor and LSU is 678-110 for an 86 percent win rate, while Staley’s is 559-185 (75% win rate). Mulkey has three NCAA championships and Staley has two. They’ve both led their teams to four Final Fours. You get the picture: These are two dominant coaches.
But their approaches to this particular season have been drastically different. In their quest for a repeat title, the Gamecocks have played a challenging schedule, taking on teams like Maryland, Stanford, UCLA and UConn. Meanwhile, LSU’s only ranked opponent up until this point was Arkansas, a team that South Carolina also beat handedly.
Staley came into the season knowing exactly what she had in the defending champions, but Mulkey said she didn’t know Reese would be transferring in and therefore couldn’t commit to a difficult schedule. The coach has repeatedly had to answer to LSU’s weak slate of games.
Because of the differences in strength of schedule, a win will do a lot more for the Tigers than it will for the Gamecocks. Unless something unexpected happens during the rest of the season, South Carolina is a lock for a No. 1 seed come March. A win over LSU strengthens the team’s resume, but a loss doesn’t necessarily hurt it.
But for the Tigers, Sunday is their chance to prove themselves. A win validates their record despite the strength of schedule, and it helps their case for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. On the other hand, a loss could prove critics right and seriously impact their seeding.
Alexis Morris vs. Zia Cooke
The post battle is the main attraction in this matchup, but let’s not forget about the guards. Morris and Cooke are two experienced players who have made huge impacts for their respective teams this season.
Cooke is leading South Carolina in scoring with 14.8 points per game, while also providing a crucial outside presence for a team known for dominating the paint. She’s South Carolina’s top 3-point shooter, with 42 makes this season at a 35.6 percent clip.
Morris is averaging 14 points per game, second on the team behind Reese, while serving as LSU’s point guard and predominant playmaker. Everything starts with Morris, who dishes out 4.5 assists per contest.
X-Factor
In games like this, stars generally do what is expected of them. So the victor has to get contributions elsewhere. That has been the formula all season for South Carolina, who average 40 bench points per contest. The duo of Raven Johnson (3.4 assists per game) and Kamilla Cardoso (9.7 points, 8.2 rebounds per game) have been particularly effective, as the two former AAU teammates have a keen understanding of each other’s games.
Meanwhile, the Tigers are going to need to slow down South Carolina’s overall production. Teams have had relative success against the Gamecocks by packing the paint and forcing the Gamecocks to be shooters. With Reese on the inside, that could be the plan of attack for LSU as well. On offense, they will also need someone outside of Reese and Morris to step up. Third leading scorer and dynamic freshman Flau’jae Johnson or sophomore Kateri Poole, who has yet to have a big game, could both be difference-makers.
Eden Laase is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.
Breanna Stewart made charter flights a key part of her free-agency recruiting process, and the newly signed New York Liberty superstar doubled down on the issue in her introductory press conference at Barclays Center on Thursday morning.
The Liberty officially welcomed Stewart and Courtney Vandersloot to New York after the stars opted to sign with the team in free agency, signaling the start of a superteam era in the WNBA. Both players took significant pay cuts to play for the Liberty and meet salary cap requirements in 2023, with Stewart signing a one-year, $175,000 deal and Vandersloot signing on for two years at $189,000 in 2023 and $194,670 in 2024, according to Her Hoops Stats.
On Thursday, Stewart and Vandersloot made clear their desire to bring the Liberty their first championship in franchise history. In New York, they join Sabrina Ionescu, Betnijah Laney and Jonquel Jones, the 2021 WNBA MVP whom the Liberty acquired in a trade with Connecticut in January.
But they also cited the Liberty’s resources and shared values around the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement as a big reason for their decision to join the team.
Stewart rallied support for charter flights during the free-agency process and reiterated her intentions on Thursday.
“It’s a conversation that needs to be had, a topic that needs to be talked about. When we talk about pushing the needle, raising the bar, it’s also that: player health and wellness … we wanna play our best to win, but also in front of fans,” Stewart told reporters.
“When talking to Clara and Joe [Tsai], they feel the same way. They’re fighting to elevate the standard. We’re hoping it’s not just a no, but can be a maybe and eventually a yes, when it comes to chartered flights.”
The Arrival. 🗽 pic.twitter.com/XfubZ82cGc
— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) February 9, 2023
Liberty co-owner Clara Wu Tsai echoed Stewart’s comments and said the Liberty have been a primary advocate for resolving the charter flights issue and others like it.
“I just need to be a constant voice,” Tsai said. “I’ll get fined if I talk too much about anything related to the collective bargaining agreement … but I now believe it’s enough of a topic within the league and among the other governors that it’s going to be addressed by the commissioner.”
The Liberty were fined a league-record $500,000 for chartering flights for their players in the second half of the 2021 season. The WNBA does not allow teams to charter private flights for regular-season games under the current CBA.
“I believe the fine that we took and the statement that we gave spoke for itself. We spent three days together in Turkey talking about a lot of things,” Tsai said, referring to the Liberty’s visit with Stewart and Vandersloot during the recruiting process. “Hopefully they understood that it isn’t really this one issue, but it’s a number of things that we’re moving forward.”
The WNBA’s efforts to maintain competitive balance among its 12 teams have come under intense scrutiny in recent days. The Aces are currently under investigation for allegedly making under-the-table payments to players as incentive for signing with the team, The Next reported on Wednesday. Following the report, several WNBA team leaders called on the league to clarify salary cap rules and create a “level playing field.”