Every morning Emily Baker pops in her headphones, closes her eyes and loses herself in the music of hip hop artist Lil Baby and country singer Morgan Waller. The artists have completely different sounds, but together they unlock the competitor inside Baker.

“I need to listen to a variety of music everyday in order to get into a rhythm,” Baker said. “It’s very different, but it’s what I like and it works for me.”

Baker, a junior forward for the Alton High School (Illinois) girls’ soccer team, has become a team leader this season. And she’s reached an even higher level over the past week, scoring eight goals as the Redbirds rolled to three straight wins.

It was a stretch Baker won’t soon forget, and it earned her JWS Player of the Week honors.

“Emily has become the player that I can go to and give her a job or a responsibility, and she takes that upon herself to make sure that the rest of the team follows,” coach Gwen Sabo said. “It’s been really nice to see her go from a freshman to a young adult who has become a leader.”

Emily Baker is the Alton High March Athlete of the Month selection. Emily is a member of the Redbird Girls Soccer team and is a two-year Varsity starter for the Redbirds who have started 3-0. Last week: 2 goals & 2 assists. https://t.co/jToCei78Ow @redbirdssoccer @AHS_Redbirds pic.twitter.com/8XTwZ0LFpN

— AltonAthletics (@AltonAthletics) March 21, 2022

In last Thursday’s game against Althoff Catholic, Baker scored two goals in near freezing temperatures and rainy weather to help Alton force overtime. In penalty kicks, she scored again. On the other side of the field, her twin sister Peyton, the Redbirds’ goalkeeper, made the necessary saves to secure the win.

Baker also shone in front of a sold-out crowd Monday in a 7-0 win against crosstown rival Marquette Catholic. She was subbed out with 24 minutes left in the contest, having already scored four goals, and was serenaded with cheers from the home fans. Baker’s request to remain in the game was denied by Sabo.

“I just wanted to compete in front of my parents, but I also understood that we had a big game the next day,” Baker said. “I was happy to see our crowd cheer me on, but to see the opposing team’s crowd sigh a breath of relief made me want to stay in.”

To end the three-game stretch, Baker scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Collinsville. But her work this season is hardly complete.

“My goal is to win the conference this year with my best friends and my sister,” Baker said.

Kevin Colindres is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports. He has previously reported for the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Daily News and El Tecolote. He enjoys film and comic books when he’s not playing basketball with his friends. Follow him on Twitter @kevinjcolindres.

Cameron Brink already has her rookie of the year pick for the upcoming WNBA season, and it’s Indiana-bound star Caitlin Clark. 

In the latest edition of Kelley on the Street, host Kelley O'Hara caught up with Brink in New York hours before the Stanford phenom went No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks at the 2024 WNBA Draft. When O’Hara asked who would win the WNBA's rookie of the year, she answered without pause.

"Caitlin Clark," she said, while a fan commented that she thought Brink would take home the award. Brink later added that the extra foul granted to WNBA players will be "good for me."

"I hope it’s me," Charisma Osborne, who was later drafted by the Phoenix Mercury, said when asked her ROY prediction. "But, I don’t know — we’ll see."

Watch more of Kelley on the Street:

Maria Sanchez issued a statement on Thursday, confirming recent reports that she has requested a trade from the Houston Dash. 

In it, she revealed that the club has been aware of the request "since late March."

"This has all taken a toll and isn’t an easy thing to talk about, but I want to confirm that I’ve requested an immediate trade," she wrote. "My expectations and reasons have been clear. I trust that my current club’s management will honor my decision in a timely manner and proceed with accepting a trade."

"I’m eager to refocus and dive back into what I love most: playing football," she concluded.

Thank you, everyone, for the outpouring of kindness and support. pic.twitter.com/gcnN7dhCJU

— Maria Sanchez (@Maria17_7) April 19, 2024

Reports of Sanchez's trade request first surfaced on ESPN last week, and were later confirmed by multiple sources. 

In December of last year, Sanchez signed a three-year contract with the Dash valued at $1.5 million including bonuses and an option year. It was the largest contract in NWSL history at the time — a figure that would be eclipsed by multiple contracts in the following months. 

Sanchez spent the offseason as a restricted free agent, meaning that Houston could match any other team's offer to retain her rights. Should the Dash trade Sanchez, her current contract terms would remain intact, limiting potential buyers to teams able to afford to take on an inking of that size.

The Dash has yet to address the trade, instead reiterating to ESPN that Sanchez is "under contract, a choice she made in free agency at the end of 2023." 

Both the NWSL trade window and transfer window close tonight, April 19th, at 12 a.m. ET. The window will stay closed through the next 11 regular season games, reopening on August 1st, 2024.

The four-time league champion Seattle Storm unveiled their new practice facility on Thursday, with Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel dubbing Interbay's Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance the team’s "new home."

"It's just such a special space," Brummel told Fox 13 Seattle. "I think when the players get here, it's gonna be overwhelming."

The sprawling 50,000-square-foot, $64 million property is just the second designated practice facility to be designed and built expressly for a WNBA team, with the Storm further noting that 85% of all design and engineering team members involved in the project's construction were women and people of color. The finished product holds two professional indoor courts, two 3x3 outdoor courts, a state-of-the-art locker room, and players' lounge, plus designated areas for strength and conditioning, kitchen, dining, and nutrition, and recovery. 

"This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance," said Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder in an official team release. "It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports."

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For their part, the team can't wait to make the faciilty their own.

"It's amazing," Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Fox 13. "Not having to drive everywhere around, knowing you have access anytime of the day to get into the gym, to workout." 

Head coach Noelle Quinn said she predicts the team is "never going to leave this building."

"Which is a good thing for me," she continued. "You talk about having an edge in performance. We want our athletes to not only perform on the court, but get whatever they need."

All of the Storm's staff and operations will now live under one roof, and the team also has plans to launch a youth basketball program operating out of the building.

The Caitlin Clark effect is quickly making its mark on the big leagues, as WNBA host teams around the country rush to upgrade their Fever games to larger arenas in order to accommodate surging ticket sales.

With Clark mere weeks away from her Indiana Fever debut, both the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have officially relocated their scheduled home games with head coach Christie Sides' squad. On Thursday, the Mystics became the latest to adjust their plans, moving their June 7th matchup from Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southwest DC to the more centrally located — and much larger — Capital One Arena "due to unprecedented demand."

The Mystics home court's capacity taps out at 4,200, while Capital One Arena — home to the Wizards, Capitals, and Georgetown Hoya's Men's Basketball — can fit nearly five times that crowd at some 20,000 spectators.

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"The move to Capital One Arena will allow for additional fans in the stands as well as premium hospitality options, including Suites and the all-new all-inclusive courtside Hennessy Lofts," the team announced via Thursday's press release.

The Aces were one of the first teams to switch venues, aiming to take on the Indiana Fever in front of as many as 20,000 fans inside T-Mobile Arena on July 2nd. That’s a sizable a boost from their home venue, which holds just 12,000.

For those still planning to face the Fever in their home arenas, ticket prices have skyrocketed. Previously scheduled construction has already forced the LA Sparks to relocate their first five games — including their May 24th clash with the Fever — to Long Beach State's Walter Pyramid. The temporary venue is quite the downsize, holding just 4,000 in comparison to Crypto.com Arena's near-19,000. As of Friday, the get-in price for that game started around $400.

Despite fans launching a Change.org petition urging relocation, the Chicago Sky say they're unable to move their June 23rd Fever meeting from Wintrust Arena's 10,000-seat facility to the 23,500-seat United Center due to a concert. Tickets for that game start around $325 as of Friday.