First off, how has coronavirus impacted both your life and your training? How have you dealt with all the uncertainty around the delay? 

It has put an interesting twist on preseason. I’m trying my best to have some structure throughout the days. Staying on a good eating schedule, as well as remaining active as much as possible has helped a lot. Maintaining fitness is my biggest focus right now, until we’re able to start training again. The delayed start to the season is obviously unfortunate, but it’s building up my excitement even more for when we do get to start.

Going back to the beginning: you were originally drafted by Portland, then traded to Orlando three days later. What was your mindset like knowing you were about to be playing with stars like Alex Morgan and Marta? 

It started out as a whirlwind. Like, drafted by Portland, yay. And then three days later, nope, nevermind, heading to Orlando. I was really excited to get picked up by any team, but joining a team with players like that was definitely a bit nerve wracking. And I went in late as well cause I finished school first, so everyone else was used to playing with each other and being in Orlando.

I’m pretty shy, so I didn’t really say anything for at least the first couple of days. Just kept to myself, did what I had to do, and listened. But the team was great and very welcoming, making sure I wasn’t too nervous. And as the days went on, I started to have more conversations off the field. Players like Chi [Ubogagu] and Dani [Weatherholt] took me under their wings and made sure I was comfortable with everything. It took me a couple of weeks to adapt to the speed and I definitely had to turn my brain on a bit more. I kinda just got thrown into games and just went from there.

You pretty quickly went from new kid on the block to being one of the team’s leading scorers. What allowed you to make such a big jump?  

So my first trip, I can’t remember the dates exactly, but it was only a couple of weeks after I had gotten there. I didn’t expect to travel with the team, but I did. I didn’t play at all in the first game in Seattle, but then the next couple of games, I saw a couple of minutes. And then maybe a month later, I started my first game against Boston. And that was just surreal. It was amazing to get that opportunity. As time went, I felt like I really fit in with the team and was just able to contribute and develop as a player, especially going from that first year to the next. I wasn’t a consistent starter, but when I did get in, I made the most of my minutes. Scored a few goals. And then the third year I became a consistent starter, which was one of my goals. I feel like just getting minutes and actually getting to play a lot is really what helped me.

A lot of players struggle with the transition from being a star in college to then having to restart the whole journey in some sense of first being a back-up again and then having to slowly work their way onto the field. How’d you handle that mentally? 

Like you said, going from college and being the star to not even starting or maybe not even traveling, it’s definitely tough. And I think that in the back of my mind, I was just never satisfied with the minutes I got or how I played and stuff like that. I mean, you got to the pros, but are you really where you want to be? I just tried to make the most of every minute I got. I continued to work my hardest and slowly build my confidence, even if I was only getting 20 minutes a game. I made the most of it while also never being satisfied with minutes I was given.

You were traded to Chicago in the offseason. What are your thoughts about changing teams? 

I love Orlando, love the sunshine, and I’m definitely going to miss that. The team was always great with us, treated us really well. And you know, everyone could see we had such a star-studded team on paper, but for some reason things just hadn’t really clicked with us there. After being there three years, I was pretty comfortable there and I was really happy. But I think for my personal growth, I needed a change and I needed to try something new and be put in a new environment to try and challenge myself. So in the end, I’m hoping the move will be really good for me in that I am able to grow and have new experiences with different players and a new coach.

What makes you excited about Chicago in particular as the next stop on your journey? 

Chicago’s obviously been really successful in the past, so I just hope that I can help build on that success. Before I was traded, I didn’t know all of them obviously, but just from what I had heard about the girls, it sounded like they were a really great group. Team players, really team-focused and team-driven. And that’s what I love to be a part of. It’s just a team that is really all together and you know, fights for each other and works hard for each other, but also, you know, can have a laugh and is really enjoying what they’re doing.

And then on the field, obviously they’re going to need someone to step in and fill all the goals Sam Kerr scored. Katie Johnson is still there, and then adding Kealia [Ohai] and Makenzy [Doniak] and myself, I think we have the potential to have a pretty lethal front line this year, and I want to do everything I can to be a part of that.

You’re going into your fourth year. How has the league evolved since you joined? 

I think it’s been really great just to see the development from my first year till now. Definitely a lot of steps in the right direction, including the new TV deals and the salary cap being raised. Now we have housing provided for year round. All those things make such a difference, and they really show you just how hard everyone is working in the league to make it better and to improve every step of the way.

There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding the 2020 season, but what would be your goals on the field for yourself and the team?

Team-wise is to make a run in the playoffs. I think with the success they’ve had, the ultimate goal this year is to win the league. But just game by game, we will have to grow as a new group. And my personal goal is to do everything I can to fit in with that group and get the most goals that I can and just do whatever the team needs me to do. I love to score goals, so hopefully I’ll have a chance to get some goals this year. But overall, I just want to do everything I can, work as hard as I can, to help the team be the best that we can.

USWNT stalwart Alex Morgan will miss at least one week of NWSL action after suffering a left ankle knock in her last club appearance, Wave manager Casey Stoney said on Thursday.

Morgan was helped off the field after rolling her ankle in the later stages of the Wave’s 1-0 loss to the Orlando Pride last weekend, despite the San Diego side being out of available substitutes.

“She's got an ankle injury and she's out for this weekend, and then it'll be week by week from there,” Stoney said, confirming that Morgan’s been ruled out for Saturday’s showdown with NWSL newcomer Bay FC.

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Depending on its severity, Morgan’s ankle issue might have larger ramifications than missing a few weeks of NSWL play. Morgan was added to the team's Gold Cup roster after an ACL injury sidelined young striker Mia Fishel, and she's since made a number of USWNT starts in the team's Gold Cup and SheBelieves wins. A long-term injury could potentially derail the center forward’s Olympic plans.

With her return timeline uncertain, it's possible the injury could also impact Morgan's ability to participate in new head coach Emma Hayes' first U.S. friendlies in June and July.

Morgan's injury concerns aren't uncommon in the U.S. player pool, but add a sense of urgency as Hayes eyes the NWSL for top-performing players in the upcoming weeks. Gotham's Tierna Davidson and Rose Lavelle have also been dealing with injuries: Lavelle has yet to appear for Gotham, while Davidson exited last weekend's match early with a hamstring injury.

Gotham has yet to issue an update concerning Davidson's status.

This week, legendary Brazilian superstar Marta announced that she’ll retire from the national team at the end of 2024.

In an interview with CNN Esportes published Thursday, the iconic footballer confirmed that she would be hanging up her boots regardless of whether or not she ends up making Brazil's 18-player roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

“If I go to the Olympics, I will enjoy every moment, because regardless of whether I go to the Olympics or not, this is my last year with the national team,” she said. “There is no longer Marta in the national team as an athlete from 2025 onwards.”

Marta will retire as a giant of the women's game, having appeared in five Olympics and multiple World Cups. When discussing her retirement, she stressed confidence in the rising generation of Brazilian players, noting that she was, “very calm about this, because I see with great optimism this development that we are having in relation to young athletes." 

The statement echoes back to a plea she made during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup after Brazil lost to France 2-1 in the Round of 16. “It's wanting more. It's training more. It's taking care of yourself more. It's being ready to play 90 plus 30 minutes. This is what I ask of the girls,” she said then, addressing the young players following in her footsteps. 

In 2023, she signaled a farewell to World Cup competition with the same sentiment, telling media, “We ask the new generation to continue where we left off.”

If selected for the 2024 Olympic team, Marta has a shot at extending her own consecutive-scoring record with the ability to score in an unbelievable sixth-straight Olympic Games. She currently stands as Brazil’s top goalscorer, racking up 116 career goals in 175 matches, as well as the leading goalscorer in any World Cup, women’s or men’s, with 17 to her name. 

Marta will continue to play for the NWSL’s Orlando Pride through at least the end of 2024. The longtime forward and club captain has already contributed to multiple goals this season.

U.S. Soccer announced Tuesday that the USWNT will play their last home game on July 16th in the lead-up to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

The 2024 Send-Off Match against Costa Rica will take place at Washington, DC’s Audi Field — home to both the Washington Spirit and DC United — at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 16th. The friendly rounds out a four-game Olympic run-up campaign under incoming head coach Emma Hayes’ side, with the last two set to feature the finalized 2024 U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer Team roster.

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Hayes will appear on the USWNT sideline for the first time this June, helming the team as they embark on a two-game series against Korea Republic hosted by Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado on June 1st followed by Allianz Stadium in St. Paul, Minnesota on June 4th. 

The team is then scheduled to meet a talented Mexico squad on July 13th at Gotham FC’s Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, where the Olympic-bound lineup will attempt to rewrite February’s shocking 2-0 loss to El Tri Femenil in the group stages of this year’s Concacaf W Gold Cup. And while clear roster favorites have emerged from both of this year’s Gold Cup and SheBelives Cup rosters, a spate of recent and recurring injuries means making it to the Olympics is still largely anyone’s game.

Broadcast and streaming channels for the USWNT's final July 16th friendly at Audi Field include TNT, truTV, Universo, Max, and Peacock.

The USA Basketball Women's National Team is still considering Caitlin Clark for a spot on the Paris Olympics squad, says selection committee chair Jennifer Rizzotti. 

On Monday, Rizzotti told the AP that the committee will be evaluating the college phenom’s Olympic prospects by keeping a close eye on her first few weeks of WNBA play with Indiana.

The move is somewhat unconventional. While Clark was invited to participate in the 14-player national team training camp held earlier this month — the last camp before Team USA’s roster drops — she was unable to attend due to it coinciding with Iowa’s trip to the NCAA Women’s Final Four.

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Judging by the immense talent spread throughout the league in what might be their most hyped season to date, competition for a piece of the Olympic pie could be fiercer than ever before.

"You always want to introduce new players into the pool whether it's for now or the future," said Rizzotti. "We stick to our principles of talent, obviously, positional fit, loyalty and experience. It's got to be a combination of an entire body of work. It's still not going to be fair to some people."

Of course, Clark isn’t the first rookie the committee has made exceptions for. Coming off an exceptional college season that saw her averaging 19.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4 assists per game for UConn, Breanna Stewart was tapped to represent the U.S. at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil less than two weeks after being drafted No. 1 overall by the Seattle Storm. Eight years prior, fellow No. 1 pick Candace Parker punched her ticket to the 2008 Games in Beijing just two weeks after making her first appearance for the L.A. Sparks.

In the lead-up to Paris’ Opening Ceremony on July 26th, USA Basketball Women’s National Team is scheduled to play a pair of exhibition games. They'll first go up against the WNBA's finest at the July 20th WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix before facing Germany in London on July 23rd.

While an official roster announcement date hasn’t yet been issued, players won’t find out if they’ve made this year’s Olympic cut until at least June 1st.