Chelsea Gray plays point guard for the Los Angeles Sparks. The eleventh pick in the 2014 WNBA Draft out of Duke University, Gray is a 3x WNBA All-Star. In 2016, she helped lead the Sparks to their third WNBA championship in team history. Below, she talks with Just Women’s Sports about her draft day experience, why she think Sabrina Ionescu will be successful at the next level, and the difficulties of rebooting the WNBA season amidst the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The WNBA draft was a little over a week ago. It’s a huge transition for so many players, but a lot of them already made life-changing moves when they went to college. Looking back, what do you remember about your first year at Duke? 

I went to Duke in 2010, the summer after I graduated high school. That was a big adjustment for me to go to what felt like the other side of the world. I’m a Californian, born and raised, so being in North Carolina was a definite change. I wasn’t able to go downstairs to Mom’s home cooking. I had to figure out how to get my car to drive on snow. It took some time to get settled, but I loved being at Duke. It was a great experience and being on the east coast for a while helped me really understand that way of life, which is totally different than California.

Fast-forward a few years. What was the lead up to draft day like?

Leading up to the draft, I was a nervous wreck. I couldn’t sleep the night before. I was excited to be there, and I tried to just embrace it, but, unless you’re supposed to go in the top three, you don’t really know when your name is going to be called. I was jittery at the table, and every time the person walked up to the podium with the little draft card in their hand I was like, “Is it me? Oh my God, my name didn’t come up. Okay, breathe, drink some water.” I was too nervous to eat. But that’s all part of the experience, having those jittery feelings, and having the anxiety and nervousness. That all goes into the draft.

Even though there’s no guarantees, did you have some sense of where you might be taken? 

I had no clue when I was getting chosen, or if I was at all! I was just sitting there like “Oh my gosh, is it the time? Nope, not the time. Is this the time? Nope, not the time.” It’s exciting, it’s exhilarating, it’s one heck of an experience. I was on the edge of my seat. I didn’t think I would go top five, but I was hoping for the first round. It started getting to seven, eight, and I was like “Okay, this might be it.” Then I finally heard it, and there was just so much joy. I think I paused for a second. I was like, “This is real. Oh my gosh, this is really happening.”

Looking at this year’s draft class, how do you think Sabrina Ionescu’s game will translate to the WNBA?

I think she’s a great player. She’s done something very special at the University of Oregon. She’s lifted up every single athlete that she’s played with and made that university a household name. That’s something that you really appreciate.

I look at her game from a point guard’s perspective, and to achieve triple-doubles the way she does? That’s not an easy thing to do. That’s hard. You have to fight for rebounds and go take them from post players. That’s hard. And you have to rely on your teammates to make shots for you to get assists. You can control your points, but sometimes you have an off day. What she was able to do is so difficult, you really have to appreciate the way she plays the game.

When she gets to the WNBA, it’s a different level. There’s a lot more in depth scouting, so I think it’ll be an adjustment, but I think she’s capable of succeeding at the highest level.

What advice would you give her for handling the transition?

I don’t want her to put so much pressure on herself because she’s such a big name already. She’s still going to be a rookie. I hope and I think she’s going to be great, but I just want her to play as freely as she did at Oregon, because all of these fans, and the fame… it puts a lot of weight on people. I hope she doesn’t have that. I hope she’s able to play free, play the game, and get triple-doubles. I hope she achieves at the highest level until she plays the Sparks. Then she can have a bad day [laughs].

How would you describe your own transition from college to the next level?

I had a very difficult experience my rookie year. I was injured, I gained weight, I didn’t play as much as I thought I should. Only three to four hours a day were dedicated to the team, and I didn’t know what to do with the rest of my time. I didn’t have school anymore, I was in Connecticut, there wasn’t a lot to do. So I had to try to figure out what to do with that time, and that was difficult. On the court, players are just stronger, faster, smarter than they were in college. You have to rethink how you’re going to achieve at the highest level and play your best basketball.

Do you have any sense as to when or if the upcoming WNBA season will begin?

No idea, actually. We’re all waiting to see and hear back. I think a lot of things depend on the CDC, what they come up with, and what other sports, like NBA, decide to do as well. Their season has already started and it’s toward the later half of it. So how do we combine that with our season, when a lot of teams have NBA affiliates? What does that look like now? Trying to figure that out has been a little tough. And there’s no clarity on exactly when the season could start.

What are some of the logistics problems you see arising?

Well, we’re going to have to figure out a lot more than the NBA will in terms of travel, because they fly private, so they’re able to keep a tighter circle. Flying commercial, we won’t have the ability to keep different people from coming in and out of the plane, so we’re going to have to figure out how we manage our exposure to the public.

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. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

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.'"