Olympique Lyonnais defensive midfielder Amandine Henry has been left off the France national team for this summer’s European Women’s Championship.

The Euro squad was announced Monday. Lyon’s Eugenie Le Sommer – the all-time top scorer for France – has also been left off.

Henry was captain of the team during the 2019 World Cup, but a number of disagreements between Henry and France head coach Corinne Diacre became public after the tournament, which has led to the souring of their relationship.

“I saw players crying in their rooms,” Henry said of the World Cup. “I personally cried in my room sometimes. I wanted to enjoy the World Cup, but in the end, it was total chaos.”

Diacre has said that the decision to leave Henry off the squad was based on performance. The midfielder has hit back at the coach’s claim, saying the decision was due to her being outspoken. Just last week, Henry opened the scoring in the Champions League final to help lift Lyon over Barcelona 3-1.

Henry also said she “shocked” not to be included on the qualifying team for the tournament. The qualifying rounds started in 2019.

“The call lasted 14 or 15 seconds. I will remember it for the rest of my life,” said Henry. “I was shocked. She said, ‘Amandine, you know my list comes out tomorrow. You won’t be on it in light of your recent performances.’ I was silent for two seconds. And then I said, ‘Okay. Have a good game. Goodbye.”

The tournament begins on July 6, with many of the games already sold out.

The full squad:

Goalkeepers: Mylene Chavas (Bordeaux), Justine Lerond (Metz), Pauline Peyraud-Magnin (Juventus Turin).

Defenders: Selma Bacha (Lyon), Hawa Cissoko (West Ham), Sakina Karchaoui (Paris Saint-Germain), Griedge Mbock (Lyon), Eve Perisset (Bordeaux), Wendie Renard (Lyon), Marion Torrent (Montpellier), Aïssatou Tounkara (Atletico de Madrid).

Midfielders: Charlotte Bilbault (Bordeaux), Kenza Dali (Everton), Grace Geyoro (Paris Saint-Germain), Ella Palis (Bordeaux), Sandie Toletti (Levante).

Forwards: Sandy Baltimore (Paris Saint-Germain), Delphine Cascarino (Lyon), Kadidiatou Diani (Paris Saint-Germain), Marie-Antoinette Katoto (Paris Saint-Germain) , Melvine Malard (Lyon), Clara Matéo (Paris FC), Ouleymata Sarr (Paris FC).

Allison Howard was announced Wednesday as the first president of the NWSL’s Kansas City Current.

A partnerships specialist with nearly two decades of experience in sports business, Howard joins the Current after 10 years with the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers. While the jump from basketball to soccer might be scary for some, Howard is ready to meet the challenge head on.

Just Women’s Sports sat down with Howard to discuss her new role and her plans for the Current.

You’ve been in L.A. for 22 years, and 10 of those years have been with the Lakers. What made you decide to join Kansas City?

So I think that really it’s the ownership group, right? It’s Angie [Long], Chris [Long] and Brittany [Mahomes], and not only the vision that they have for the future, and what to do for women’s sports in particular, but also the commitment that they’ve already shown that they’re going to take them there.

The way that I look at this is I really want to design the playbook for how to build a team, or, you know, if somebody has to rebuild a team, how to do it. And that’s by putting the players first. It’s by always listening to the fans, being in the community, and surrounding yourself with really great partners who are like-minded with the mission.

That’s been my lesson of coming from the Lakers. The Lakers always put the players first. So that’s a very easy transition to come over here, and definitely something that I stand behind.

You’re switching sports, from basketball to soccer. How are you feeling about the change?

There is definitely going to be a learning curve for me. However, I did play soccer in high school. I love this sport. And obviously, you can’t ignore this sport, anywhere. I mean, not only no matter where you are in the United States, but no matter where you are globally, and it’s such a friendly, easy game to play.

So I look forward to getting to my first game with the Current next Monday. I will be back in the market and looking forward to seeing what our players do.

Expanding upon that jump, do you see any particular opportunities or challenges in moving from a men’s league to a women’s league?

Just nothing that’s insurmountable, I’ll say that. Listen, I think, you know, the Lakers are a very established brand. And they have been strong for over 40 years. So there is definitely taking a lot of the blueprint of what Dr. Buss did there and bringing it here, because the reality is, he did a lot of things right. He was really instrumental in developing the league.

And that’s where I see Angie, Chris and Brittany. I really think the nice thing about them is they’re not just thinking about the Current, they are thinking so much bigger, right?

There’s definitely going to be a learning curve. I’m going to use muscles I have not used before, or maybe that I haven’t used in a really long time. But that’s exciting, right? And I think as long as you’re surrounded by really good people who are willing to dig in and get a little dirty for what the mission is, then I have I have confidence that we’re gonna get there.

Definitely. And it’s always fun to learn something new, even though you know you’ve been a veteran of the industry…

For sure. I mean, I definitely think that it keeps you young. And it keeps you curious. And it keeps you growing. And those are all things that are important, no matter where you are in your life.

You talked about it a bit, but you’re going from one of the most storied franchises in sports to a relatively new one. How do you think your experience is going to help you as you walk into this new role?

I learned so many lessons while being at the Lakers. And the vast majority of those are how you do business on, really, almost every level. And it’s really how you engage with the fans, and how you treat your season ticket members, and how you treat your corporate partners. It’s a very servant attitude. And that’s something that I definitely want to bring here. Because it’s authentic, and it’s genuine. And I think when you approach things from that route, everybody feels it, and they’re gonna want to not even get behind us, but walk alongside of us.

What do you hope to accomplish in Kansas City and with the Current?

My number one goal is to make sure that the players are talking to all the other players around the league and saying, ‘This is it. This is where you want to come, this is where you want to play, this is the best place in the league.’ And we’re getting there, we’re building that, literally building it.

Second, I want the fans to say, ‘This is the absolute best sporting experience that I can have.’ And I want the community to feel like they always have a supporter in us, and they can always reach us.

Lastly, selfishly because I come from a partnership background, I definitely want to be the top revenue provider in the league. Whenever it comes to corporate partners, such as corporate partnerships, ticketing, revenue, merchandise, you name it, I want to be at the top. But I want the partners to know that they can always reach us and we are always going to be flexible with them. And we are always going to design bespoke partnerships that are going to really meet what their needs are. This isn’t going to be a, choose Option A, B or C.

What are you most excited about in joining the Current, stepping into the role of president and moving to Kansas City?

I really feel like every step of my career has been to get me to this point. And I just have so many ideas of how I think a culture should be created and how people should be treated. And I’m really excited to put those plans into action.

By Clare Brennan and Emma Hruby

The top three picks from this year’s WNBA draft class have wasted no time making their presence known in the league. But just how well do Rhyne Howard, NaLyssa Smith and Shakira Austin stack up against top trios from years past?

Just Women’s Sports decided to investigate, delving into four previous sets of top picks from the past 15 years. While the sample size for Howard, Smith and Austin is small, they hold their own amid some impressive company.

2008 Draft Class: Candace Parker, Sylvia Fowles, Candice Wiggins

These three players have five WNBA championships between them across the last 15 seasons, which shows their staying power – indeed, Candace Parker and Sylvia Fowles are still going strong. They also all made an immediate impact upon their introduction to the league.

After setting a WNBA record in her debut, No. 1 overall pick Parker didn’t let her foot off the gas for the Sparks. She finished the season as both Rookie of the Year and league MVP. She also led the league in rebounding.

Parker failed to score in double digits in just one game all season – the final regular-season contest, in which she played just nine minutes as Los Angeles emptied its bench. Her peak performance came against Houston on July 9, when she racked up 40 points, 16 rebounds, five blocks and two steals. She averaged 18.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.3 blocks for the season, which remains one of the best of her career.

Fowles, the second overall pick, didn’t post the same eye-popping numbers as Parker, but her stat line (10.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1.1 steals) earned her a spot on the All-Rookie team and the All-Defensive Second Team. Austin boasts similar stats through her first seven games this season.

Rounding out the 2008 trio, Candice Wiggins was named Sixth Woman of the Year in her rookie season. She averaged 15.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game for Minnesota despite starting just one game all season.

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Candace Parker, Candice Wiggins and Sylvia Fowles pose for a WNBA draft portrait. (David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)

2013 Draft Class: Brittney Griner, Elena Delle Donne, Skylar Diggins-Smith

No. 1 overall pick Brittney Griner ended her first season as the WNBA blocks leader. She posted 81 blocks in 2013, then followed it up with a career-high 129 a season later. As a rookie, she averaged 12.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.0 blocks.

Elena Delle Donne, the No. 2 overall pick, was named Rookie of the Year after averaging 18.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.8 blocks and starting in all 30 games for the Sky.

In her first game, Delle Donne compiled 22 points, eight assists and four blocks to set the tone for the season. She regularly scored in double digits, and she scored at least 20 points 13 times.

Skylar Diggins-Smith took a season to come into her own. Now a star for the Mercury, she began her career with the Tulsa Shock, averaging 8.5 points, 3.8 assists, 1.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game in her rookie season. The next season, she averaged 20.1 points per game.

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Elena Delle Donne shoots the ball over Brittney Griner during their rookie season. (Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)

2018 draft class: A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Mitchell, Diamond DeShields

A’ja Wilson headlined the 2018 WNBA draft class as the No. 1 overall pick by the Las Vegas Aces, with Kelsey Mitchell going second to Indiana and Diamond DeShields rounding out the top three after she was selected by Chicago.

The trio stepped into the spotlight from the get-go, particularly Wilson, who earned Rookie of the Year honors. The former South Carolina star averaged 20.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.67 blocked shots in her debut campaign, with Wilson joining Seimone Augustus as only the second rookie in WNBA history to average at least 20 points per game.

Right now, Howard is on pace to join the pair, as she is averaging 20.5 points through six games.

For the Fever, Mitchell logged 70 three-pointers, a tally only surpassed by two other rookies in WNBA history. She averaged 12.7 points and 2.7 assists per game, and she notched 20 or more points on six different occasions.

DeShields dropped the second-most points by a rookie that season, averaging 14.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. The Sky guard topped out at a then-career-high 28 points in one of the last games of the season, putting an exclamation point on her introduction to the league.

2020 draft class: Sabrina Ionescu, Satou Sabally, Lauren Cox

The New York Liberty had high hopes for Sabrina Ionescu when they selected the Oregon superstar as the No. 1 overall pick in 2020. The guard was one of the most exciting draft prospects in recent memory after her historic career with the Ducks.

The hype around Ioenscu’s WNBA debut, however, was dampened when the rookie injured her ankle in the Liberty’s third game, sidelining her for the remainder of the season. Ionescu averaged 18.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists in her three games of the 2020 campaign.

Ionescu’s Oregon teammate Satou Sabally was selected second overall by the Dallas Wings, but her inaugural campaign also was plagued by injury, with the former Duck sitting out six games. When she was on the floor, however, Sabally made an impact, averaging 13.9 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists across 16 games.

Lauren Cox of Baylor rounded out the top three picks, going to the Indiana Fever. The forward played in 14 games with the team, starting in just one appearance, averaging 3.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists.

Ahead of the 2020 season, it seemed safe to assume one of the two Oregon stars would claim Rookie of the Year honors, but the award went to second-round draft pick Crystal Dangerfield of the Minnesota Lynx. The guard was the first player not drafted in the first round to win the award.

2022 Draft Class: Rhyne Howard, NaLyssa Smith, Shakira Austin

So far, this trio has lived up to the hype, starting with top pick Howard. She has yet to score below double digits for the Atlanta Dream, and she dropped 33 points in her fourth game, which puts her in elite company.

Through six games, the guard is averaging 20.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals. While there’s still plenty of ball left to be played, if her scoring trend continues, Howard could be on track for one of the best rookie seasons in league history.

Smith is also having a standout campaign. She’s scored in double digits in all but one game while stacking up the rebounds, including a season-high 17 rebounds against the Liberty on May 13. As of Tuesday, she leads the WNBA in rebounds per game with 10.0, and she is also averaging 13.0 points, good for a double-double on the season.

Since 2008, just one player has averaged more than 10 rebounds per game as a rookie: Tina Charles, who posted 11.7 per game for the Connecticut Sun in 2010.

Austin has earned a starting spot in just three games for a veteran Mystics team, but she has started to come into her own. She has dropped double-digit points totals in each of the last three games, and she’s factored heavily on the stat sheet in each, especially in a 20-point, eight-rebound performance against Dallas on May 17.

She’s averaging 9.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 blocks through six games, but those averages could go up if she continues to garner more playing time.

All three of this year’s top rookies will take the court Tuesday night: Howard and Austin will face off at 7 p.m. as the Dream take on the Mystics, and Smith and the Fever will face Parker and the Sky at 8 p.m.

The UEFA Champions League final is set, with Barcelona taking on Lyon in Saturday’s championship match.

How to Watch:

1 p.m. ET Saturday, May 21, on DAZN’s Women’s Champions League YouTube channel.

Where:

Allianz Stadium, located in Turin, Italy, will host the affair. The venue holds a capacity of 41,507 and could sell out for the Champions League fixture.

What’s at stake for Barcelona:

The Spanish side will look to defend their 2021 Champions League trophy. The club thrashed Chelsea 4-0 last year to claim its first-ever title.

What’s at stake for Lyon:

The French club will be competing in their record 10th Champions League final and will be on the hunt for a historic eighth title. Lyon already holds the most titles all time with seven; the next closest team is Eintracht Frankfurt with four.

Who to watch:

USWNT star Catarina Macario has been on fire for Lyon, notching seven goals and two assists through 10 Champions League matches played. If Lyon wants to take down giant Barcelona, Macario and the rest of Lyon’s attack will have to be firing on all cylinders.

Barcelona has an arsenal of goal scorers up top. Alexia Putellas leads the charge with 10 goals and two assists, while Jennifer Hermoso has contributed five goals and one assist.

The U.S. women’s national team achieved equal pay with the men’s team under new labor deals reached between both national teams and the U.S. Soccer Federation.

The agreement makes the United States the first country to close the pay gap between its men’s and women’s soccer teams, according to the USSF. After the landmark achievement was announced Wednesday, cheers rung out across the sports world.

“The accomplishments in this CBA are a testament to the incredible efforts of the WNT players on and off the field,” USWNT Players Association president Becky Sauerbrunn said in a statement posted to the organization’s Twitter account.

Sauerbrunn also posted a thread on her own Twitter account, thanking “the women who led and continue to lead the fight for equal pay across sports and in everyday day life.”

She also gave particular thanks to her USWNT teammates.

“If there was ever a group of women who know they can do hard things, it’s this one,” Sauerbrunn wrote. “We try to set a new standard for ourselves every time we step on the field[;] well, we just set a new standard off the field, too.”

USWNT Players Association vice president Crystal Dunn marked the accomplishment on Twitter. “We have achieved equal pay for equal work!” she wrote.

Alex Morgan, a member of the USWNT’s bargaining committee, expressed a similar sentiment.

Midge Purce, another member of the bargaining committee, applauded everyone who had worked on the new collective bargaining agreement, but she tempered her enthusiasm.

“One thing my dad always said is, ‘You don’t get rewarded for doing what you’re supposed to do,’ and paying men and women equally is what you’re supposed to do, so I’m not giving out any gold stars,” Purce told USA Today.

Several NWSL clubs celebrated the milestone for the women’s national team, including the Washington Spirit and Gotham FC.

NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman called the news “historic progress not just for soccer but for all of sport.”

Voices from outside of the soccer world chimed in as well, among them Premier Hockey Federation commissioner Reagan Carey. “Great example of what happens when right people are at the table to champion equity & pave a path forward,” she wrote on Twitter.

The WNBPA also expressed its support, writing: “Did you feel that?!! That was another GROUNDBREAKING CBA!”

Even the President of the United States gave his congratulations. “This is a big deal, @USWNT,” President Joe Biden wrote on Twitter.

The Minnesota Lynx are off to a confounding 0-4 start to the regular season, with the team’s early roster cuts under scrutiny.

In early May, the Lynx cut Layshia Clarendon, Crystal Dangerfield and four other players and signed Odyssey Sims.

Dangerfield, who won Rookie of the Year in 2020, averaged 7.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists through 31 appearances during the 2021 campaign.

Clarendon averaged 10.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.7 assists through 21 appearances last season, helping the Lynx make a playoff run. Coach Cheryl Reeve told reporters Clarendon’s cut was injury-related, but Clarendon has disputed that claim, tweeting, “I am 100% cleared to play and practice. I’m feeling strong and ready to play!”

Minnesota also waived 2021 draft pick Rennia Davis, Yvonne Turner, Kayla Jones and Hannah Sjerven.

On May 12, one week after signing Sims to a training camp contract, the Lynx mutually parted ways with the veteran guard. On the same day, the team agreed to a contract buyout with forward Angel McCoughtry.

McCoughtry signed with Minnesota in February after missing the 2021 season due to an ACL injury. In her two games with the Lynx this season, the 35-year-old averaged 6.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists.

“Although the organization has been very patient with my injury and helping me heal my body, sometimes it’s about what fits best for both parties,” McCoughtry said in a statement.

The Lynx roster shuffle continued Friday as the team signed a pair of former UConn players in Moriah Jefferson, who was waived by the Dallas Wings, and Evina Westbrook, who was waived by the Seattle Storm.

Minnesota re-signed Milić, Sjerven and Turner to hardship contracts after releasing the players earlier in the month — although Turner’s return did not last long. The guard was released again Monday in response to the Lynx activating Kayla McBride, who returned after finishing her European season.

The constant roster shuffling seems to have impacted the team’s on-court performance, as the Lynx have fallen to the Storm, Mystics, Fever and Sky in their first four contests this season.

The team has struggled without star Napheesa Collier, who is expecting her first child this month, though the 25-year-old has said she hopes to return to the court this season.

Minnesota also has yet to find a consistent presence at the point guard position but hopes Jefferson can fill the role.

“We’re looking for leadership, someone to not only be able to organize, but have the sense to understand what you’re running, why you’re running it,” Reeve said Friday. “It may take a little bit of time in terms of the nuances, but in terms of just management of the floor, that’s something we feel like Moriah can do.”

The Lynx will look for their first win of the season when they take on the Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday.

Teams across the league are extending the contracts of their biggest stars as the WNBA regular season gets underway.

The New York Liberty reportedly has exercised Sabrina Ionescu’s fourth-year rookie scale option, according to Rachel Galligan of Winsidr. The guard, who was selected No. 1 overall by the Liberty in 2020, is averaging 18.8 points, five rebounds and five assists through four games this season.

The Las Vegas Aces announced Sunday that the team had signed Jackie Young to a contract extension. Young, drafted in 2019 with the No. 1 overall pick, is averaging 17.8 points per game to start the regular season behind 55.6 percent shooting.

“We are extremely excited to announce that Jackie has re-signed with the Aces!” general manager Natalie Williams in a statement. “She is a true professional, and a beast of a defender who is constantly proving that she is one of the premier guards in the league.”

The Los Angeles Sparks announced Katie Lou Samuelson’s one-year contract extension Sunday, which will keep her with the team through 2023. Samuelson joined the Sparks in 2022 via an offseason trade with the Seattle Storm.

“We’re excited to have Katie Lou be an important part of our group moving forward,” said general manager and head coach Derek Fisher. “Katie Lou is coming off her best season in the WNBA coupled with a strong overseas season in Spain. She can stretch the floor and guard multiple positions, and will be a great teammate and presence in our locker room.”

The Minnesota Lynx signed Jessica Shepard to a multi-year contract extension Sunday, with the terms of the deal not released. Shepard averaged 10.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists in Minnesota’s four losses to start the season.

The Premier Hockey Federation announced a $25 million investment in January, which dropped the puck on a roller-coaster year for the women’s professional league.

While the Boston Pride were busy winning their third Isobel Cup, the league and its players association saw key departures, and competitor PWHPA is planning to form its own league in 2023.

Just Women’s Sports has brought all of the PHF’s news from 2022 together in one place to help you keep track as the league presses forward.

Tuesday, May 10 — Metropolitan Riveters announce signing of Olympic gold medalist Amanda Pelkey

On Tuesday, the Riveters announced the signing of Amanda Pelkey, a 2018 Olympic gold medalist with Team USA, to a one-year contract.

Pelkey had previously spent time with the Boston Pride before leaving the PHF — then the NWHL — in 2019 for the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association. Through 49 career NWHL games, she tallied 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists) and won an Isobel Cup championship in her rookie year.

Monday, May 9 — Metropolitan Riveters name Venla Hovi as new head coach, Mikyla Grant-Mentis signs largest contract in PHF history

Former Finnish Olympian and Canadian Women’s Hockey League pro Venla Hovi was named head coach of the Metropolitan Riveters on Monday. She is the first European woman to serve as head coach of a PHF/NWHL franchise and the first woman head coach of the Riveters.

The news came as the team also announced that it had re-signed captain Madison Packer through the 2023-24 season.

Mikyla Grant-Mentis made headlines when it was announced that she would be returning to Buffalo on the biggest contract in PHF history. Grant-Mentis’ deal is worth $80,000.

Wednesday, May 4 — Melody Davidson named director of league and hockey operations

Melody Davidson, who helped lead Team Canada to four straight Winter Olympic gold medals as coach and general manager, was named the director of league and hockey operations.

Davidson will assist in operations and provide insight on the structure of the league and its regular season, playoffs and offseason.

Tuesday, April 26 – PHF announces Reagan Carey as new commissioner

Reagan Carey, former USA Hockey director of women’s ice hockey, has been named the new commissioner of the Premier Hockey Federation, the league announced Tuesday.

Serving in her position with USA Hockey from 2010 to 2018, the women’s national team took home silver at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi and gold at the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang during Carey’s tenure.

Carey officially will start as the PHF’s third commissioner on May 10.

Wednesday, April 20 – PHF forgoes draft, announces new free agency format

The PHF announced that in lieu of an entry draft, all eligible athletes will become available for free agency.

PHF teams reserve the right to re-sign any rostered players from the 2021-22 season up until April 30. Unrestricted free agency will begin on May 1.

With the salary cap set at $750,000 for each team, the floor will sit at $562,500, or 75 percent of the cap. For the first time in league history, players can sign two-year deals with teams and can receive signing bonuses.

Saturday, April 16 – PWHPA to form new, six-team league

The PWHPA is planning to form a six-team league featuring 23-player rosters, Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek reported. Players in the new league will have a base salary of $35,000, and the average salary will be $55,000 plus bonuses, per Marek. The inaugural season is slated to include 32 games and will run from January to April 2023.

Tuesday, April 13 – Anya Packer announces departure as Riveters general manager

Metropolitan Riveters general manager Anya Packer announced that she declined to renew her contract with the team.

Packer, who is married to Riveters captain Madison Packer, did not tie her departure to new president Digit Murphy’s arrival. But several other front office employees – including public relations staffers and the entire stats team – have reportedly departed the organization in the wake of Murphy’s appointment, according to The IX’s Anne Tokarski.

“Her coming aboard really really really made it hard to even think of staying,” former head of PR Jess Belmosto told The IX. “It made me sick even thinking of working under her knowing her beliefs and how she has treated employees in the past. I knew in my heart I couldn’t stick around. I can’t change her and never will.”

Tuesday, April 13 – PHF Players’ Association elects Nicole Corriero as executive director

The players’ association announced the appointment of former Harvard women’s captain Nicole Corriero as the fourth head of the association. She replaced Alex Sinatra, who spent just three weeks in the position.

Corriero works as an injury attorney in Toronto, specializing in sports injuries and negligence.

Monday, April 12 – PWHPA plans to move forward apart from PHF

The PWHPA informed the PHF that it would move forward separately from the existing league, The Athletic’s Hailey Salvian reported. The decision stemmed from concerns over funding and a “lack of a convincing business proposal.”

Also, the PHF’s ties to John Boynton, chairman of the PHF board of governors and an owner of the Boston Pride and Metropolitan Riveters, was a concern. Boynton is a chairman for Russian technology company Yandex, which has been tied to the ongoing suppression of information and spreading of propaganda in relation to the war.

Monday, April 11 – Digit Murphy tabbed as Riveters president

The Metropolitan Riveters plan to bring on Digit Murphy as the team president for the upcoming season, according to a report from The Ice Garden.

Murphy served as the president and director of player personnel for the Toronto Six for the last two seasons.

Despite a storied career as a player and coach, Murphy has faced criticism for her past association with the Women’s Sports Policy Working Group, which has come under fire for its views on transgender athletes.

Wednesday, March 24 – PWHPA, PHF discussions during meeting ‘constructive’

The NHL asked the PWHPA and PHF to come together in a meeting to talk about forming a joint league, and the leagues did so on the eve of the PHF playoffs.

While the PHF deemed the discussions “constructive,” the PWHPA reportedly remained confident in its ability to move forward without the PHF and the NHL.

The NHL repeatedly has said it would not support women’s hockey financially while there are two competing leagues.

Monday, March 7 – Toronto Six sold to new, minority-led ownership group

The PHF announced that the Toronto Six had been sold to the first BIPOC and Canadian investors in PHF history.

The group includes Angela James, Bernice Carnegie, former NHL forward Anthony Stewart and former NHL player and coach Ted Nolan.

James is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and remains the only Black player to serve as captain of the Canadian women’s national team. Carnegie launched the Carnegie Initiative, which aims to ensure inclusivity in the sport. Stewart is the chair of Hockey Equality. Nolan is a member of the First Nation’s Ojibwe tribe and was the NHL’s coach of the year in 1997.

Saturday, February 19 – Commissioner Tyler Tumminia announces resignation

PHF commissioner Tyler Tumminia resigned from her position, a move that was “her decision, her terms,” ESPN reported. Tumminia remained with the league through the end of the postseason in late March.

The league’s second commissioner, Tumminia oversaw the rebranding of the league from the NWHL, a streaming deal with ESPN and a landmark investment from the PHF board of governors.

Friday, January 28 – PHF Players Association parts ways with executive director Alex Sinatra

The PHFPA announced that it had parted ways with executive director Alex Sinatra after just three weeks. The move came after players grew unhappy with Sinatra’s representation of them to owners and the media, The Ice Garden reported.

“My work and advocacy at the PA was always to advocate on behalf of the players with their best interests at heart,” Sinatra said via Twitter. “I was never told by players that any of the appearances, interviews, or conversations I had with anyone were not what the players wanted until Jan. 27th.”

The members of the PHFPA released their own official statement. “As players, we are dedicated to performing and representing ourselves and our teammates at the highest level on and off the ice for our fans, owners, and stakeholders,” they said in the statement.

Tuesday, January 18 – PHF announces historic $25 million investment in players

The PHF announced that its Board of Governors had committed more than $25 million in direct payments and benefits to its players over the next three years. Included in the investment is an increase in the salary cap from $300,000 to $750,000.

In addition to the salary increase, players also will receive full healthcare benefits. The announcement of the investment also promised league expansion, facilities upgrades and an expanded 28-game schedule.

“On behalf of the Board of Governors we are proud to play a part in bringing women’s sports to the next level by investing in the PHF,” said John Boynton, the chairman of the PHF board of governors. “We see the PHF as a platform to address the inequities that women athletes face. We also believe in the sustainability of our developing business model and embrace our responsibility to build a platform that grows this dynamic league to historic heights.”

Athletes are reacting to a bombshell report from Politico that says the Supreme Court has voted to strike down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision.

The publication obtained a draft of the majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito that would overturn the 1973 Supreme Court decision, which guarantees constitutional protections of abortion rights.

Washington Mystics star Natasha Cloud expressed her anger regarding the news on Twitter.

“America is NOT pro life. They’re pro birth. We still pay women less than men. Not every woman has access to health care. We don’t focus on fixing and building our education system. Price of housing….disgusting,” Cloud wrote.

Sue Bird also addressed the news Monday night.

Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx called the move “heartbreaking” and a “blow to women’s rights.”

U.S. Olympic swimmer Erica Sullivan, who won silver in the 1,500-meter freestyle at the Tokyo Olympics, is visiting the White House as part of a celebration of the athletes from the most recent Summer and Winter Games.

“Since I’m meeting the president tomorrow, do I ask why he didn’t pack the court so Roe v. Wade couldn’t get overturned,” Sullivan wrote on Twitter.

Tennis icon and gender-equity activist Billie Jean King spoke out on Tuesday, writing, “It is vital that we do all we can to protect this legislation.”

In September, more than 500 women athletes were included in an amicus brief filed with the Supreme Court calling on the nine justices to uphold abortion rights. Athletes included Megan Rapinoe, Becky Sauerbrunn, Lynn Williams, Brittney Griner, Nneka Ogwumike and more.

“Women’s increased participation and success in sports has been propelled to remarkable heights by women’s exercise of, and reliance on, constitutional guarantees of liberty and gender equality, including the right to reproductive autonomy,” the brief stated. “If women were to be deprived of these constitutional guarantees, the consequences for women’s athletics — and for society as whole — would be devastating.”

Should the initial draft opinion be upheld, 22 states that have some form of abortion ban in place will be immediately impacted by the ruling.

With the 2021-22 college basketball regular season coming to a close, attention has turned to end-of-year awards, especially that of National Player of the Year.

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley has been vocal with her take that forward Aliyah Boston is the front-runner for the honor. In recent weeks, much attention has been given to Iowa sophomore Caitlin Clark, who is leading the country in points per game, assists per game and triple-doubles, but whose team has lost six more games than the 25-1 Gamecocks have.

“I think it’s a combination of several things, and I am speaking from having been in the game for a while and having seen how the media portray certain No. 1 teams in the country, certain Player of the Year candidates,” Staley tells Sheryl Swoopes on the latest episode of NETLIFE. “And now that I find myself being the coach of the No. 1 team in the country, and who I know is the No. 1 player in the country in Aliyah Boston, it’s a lot different.”

The Gamecocks coach says she has seen firsthand the media campaigns for past Player of the Year winners Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, Paige Bueckers, Kelsey Plum and A’ja Wilson, and the marked difference between the coverage of them and Boston.

“I don’t think we’re being covered as much as other No. 1 teams in the country have been covered,” Staley says. “I am, however, looking at Aliyah Boston as the National Player of the Year because I know what she’s done, I know what she’s doing, and she’s done it at a consistent basis.”

The junior is averaging 16.8 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game for South Carolina, which has held onto the No. 1 ranking all year long.

Staley, referencing an earlier NETLIFE conversation with former Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw, believes that national media is hardwired to cover UConn after the program’s 11-NCAA championship dynasty.

“ESPN, they are the decision-makers of women’s basketball … they choose who is going to be the person, the team,” the coach says. “UConn is their comfort zone, and their ratings are much better because that’s who they have pushed for decades, and rightfully so. I’m not taking anything away from UConn — they have been tremendous, they have been the team of the decade.”

Swoopes adds that she sees race playing a role in the media bias.

“Dawn Staley is the head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks, Dawn Staley is a Black woman, Dawn Staley’s team is a Black team … to me, that’s not what ESPN wants to promote, that’s not what they want to talk about,” Swoopes says. “I feel because of that, Aliyah Boston, in my opinion, she is Player of the Year, but I think that’s why Aliyah Boston is not getting talked about, promoted as much.”

While she feels compelled to campaign for Boston, Staley hopes that women’s basketball can evolve past singular storytelling.

“I don’t want to be a one-person narrative when our game is comprised of so many great players,” Staley says.

On Tuesday, ESPN’s women’s basketball writers picked Boston as their consensus pick for Player of the Year.

Listen to the full conversation between Swoopes and Staley, as well as a conversation with South Carolina attorney Butch Bowers, on NETLIFE.