All Scores

Interview: WPLL CEO Michele Dejuliis

JESSE PETERS / BACKLIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

The WPLL is the first and only women’s professional lacrosse league. Founded in 2018, the league is presently made up of four teams. Beyond growing the game and providing professional opportunities for players who have graduated from college, the WPLL also hopes to provide legitimacy for the sport as it pushes to be included in future Olympics. 

Michele DeJuliis is the CEO and founder of the league. A US National Lacrosse Hall of Fame inductee, DeJuliis was a four-time All-American at Penn State who went on to help the US women’s national lacrosse team win gold at the 2009 Lacrosse World Cup. She spoke with Just Women’s Sports about the challenges of sustaining a young league, the impact of coronavirus, and how the WPLL’s developmental program is training and mentoring the next generation of national team players. 

Could you first walk us through your own professional background and how you got involved in lacrosse?

I’m from Baltimore, which is a hotbed for lacrosse. I played at Penn State, and after I graduated I was teaching for a year in Baltimore. But then my life took a little bit of a turn, and I ended up working for the Baltimore City police department. I did SWAT team work and some undercover drug work. During that time, I was still playing on the US lacrosse team and was still very connected to the sport. I even started a club team while I was doing police work. Then a position at Princeton opened up, and I went there and coached for eight years. I left in 2012 because my wife and I decided to have kids, but I continued to run my lacrosse club, and then I started an events business with my current business partner, Becky Wells. And then three years ago I started the WPLL. So now I’m running all of those things, which keeps me busy, and I have young kids who keep me active.

What have been the biggest hurdles in creating and sustaining the WPLL?

Right now, it’s just not high dollars, so that makes it difficult. We had to do some restructuring this year that, at the leadership level of the organization, we felt was necessary to sustain a successful league. But at the end of the day, we need sponsors and investors to step up and be consistent. One way that we have managed to be somewhat self sustainable is through the “futures” side of our league.

Can you talk about what that is?

We select and invite the top players from 12 regions of the country to a three day summit and clinic coached by our pros. At the summit, we incorporate both leadership and competence training, and we get these young women connected to the WPLL program and our athletes. It’s a mentoring opportunity. The young fans love lacrosse and they want to get to the next level. They now get the opportunity to be in front of the pros that they look up to. I think it’s really important to make that connection.

Is athlete mentorship a big part of the overall mission of the WPLL? 

It is a major part of the mission, there’s no doubt about that. That is something that I am really passionate about, and I think that we have been successful in that mission so far. This is also the second year of our partnership with US Lacrosse. For younger athletes to get on the US track, you have to come through the WPLL Futures program, which, like I said, focuses on both on-field performance and leadership development. We evaluate and recommend players to the US coaches, and that is how most of the kids get invited to the US training camps in August.

You mentioned the recent restructuring. The Fire have been dropped as a team, and travel rosters have been cut. What was the thought process behind these specific changes?

Preliminary sports are tough in general, and I think for our sport, we wanted to make sure that we could maintain a league that stays competitive and increases visibility. We’re trying to grow the game and create an opportunity to get this sport to the Olympic level. Doing all that costs a lot of money, and we knew we had to make some changes to make sure our players were happy and that we could still follow through on our mission. Dropping a team automatically saves money just because of the fact that you’re not playing the extra games. And then we also adjusted the travel roster from 19 to 15. Over the past two season, we found that when there were 19 women on a roster, not all of them were playing, and we wanted to make sure that our GMs and our coaches were being really thoughtful about who they selected for their travel roster on any given weekend.

Are ticket sales a selling point for investors and sponsors? 

One of the reasons why I wanted to create the Futures program as a way to make money is because I didn’t think we were going to make it as a league just selling tickets. Is the game growing at a fast pace? For sure. I mean, it was unbelievable how many people came to the Final Four this past year. But that type of event happens once a year. And so, on average, unless you have 20,000 people at a game, you’re not going to get the credit that we would love to get on a daily basis. It’s just not going to happen right now, at least until this sport becomes even more visible.

In terms of sponsors, there’s not a ton of money being invested in women’s lacrosse. The ones that are out there usually just dump money into the men’s game, and on the women’s side, it seems like kind of an afterthought now. I think there are some companies that don’t want to admit that, but I’ve seen it. Until somebody steps up and says, no, we care about this sport and making sure that we have equal opportunities, it just doesn’t seem like a priority for a lot of companies to budget money for the women’s game. I think we struggle there, because even when we are having conversations with potential sponsors, the typical answer is that they just don’t have that money, or, yes, we can support you but can we do it with a quit date? We’ve had a lot of conversations, but not cash, and cash is what we need to help us grow.

If you don’t mind me asking, who is the main investor in the WPLL? Did you go through rounds of funding, how did that work?

I’ve been the main investor, but we do have one investor that is on the league side. We’ve also had some generous donations to our foundation and have had decent support from sponsportships, like ESPN. It’s getting better this year.

Do the WPLL players get paid?

Yes, they do. They get paid per game. And their travel expenses are covered. But they’re definitely not playing for the money. Probably 45% of our women are college coaches. Some of them are on the US national team or another international team. They play because they just love the sport and they’re not ready to hang it up just yet. And they’re talented enough to be in the league. So they’re definitely doing it for the passion and to pave the way for the younger generation. And that’s what our mission is all about. It is easier to get them to buy in when they know what we’re trying to do.

Have there been any talks of collaboration with the PLL, which has had tremendous success after just one season? 

I have had a lot of conversations with Paul and Mike Rabil, the PLL co-founders, and they are highly interested in us remaining partners. And we do feel like at some point we’ll probably all come together. I think that they’ve done a tremendous job. They also have a social media team of close to 20 people, and we have about 2, so there’s just a big difference in where we are at compared to them. They’ve got media play, and they’re doing what they need to do. They’re getting the brand out there, and people are recognizing that they have a lot of followers. We’re trying to build that same base with fewer resources. And I think we’ve been able to do a lot with a little. But in terms of collaborating and partnering with their league in some capacity, that is something we want to continue to do and plan to do for the 2020 season.

At the end of the day, it’s just nice to know that there are other people in the sport of lacrosse that are trying to do what we are doing at the startup level. We’ve got a lot of the same goals, but on our end, we need to show more growth before we can make more serious partnership moves with the PLL.

US Tennis Stars Advance as Wimbledon Field Narrows

Italy's Jasmine Paolini celebrates her first-round win over Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships
World No. 4 Jasmine Paolini fell in the second round of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships on Wednesday. (Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images)

The 2025 Wimbledon Championships wrapped its second round on Thursday, with the grass court Grand Slam seeing just 15 of the tournament's 32 seeded players advance to the Friday and Saturday's third round.

A full half of the WTA's Top 10 players did not survive the week, with 2024 Wimbledon finalist and world No. 5 Jasmine Paolini joining four first-round star exits by falling to unseeded Kamilla Rakhimova in a three-set, second-round battle on Wednesday.

At the same time, unseeded fan favorites like Japan's No. 53 Naomi Osaka and England's own No. 40 Emma Raducanu secured third-round spots at the London Slam, joining top surviving contenders like No. 4 Iga Świątek and defending Wimbledon champion No. 16 Barbora Krejčíková.

Notably, a full five US players managed to move ahead, tied for the largest national contingent still standing at the tournament.

Led by 2025 Australian Open champion No. 8 Madison Keys, the US group also includes No. 10 Emma Navarro and No. 12 Amanda Anisimova, as well as unseeded players No. 54 Danielle Collins and No. 55 Hailey Baptiste.

With matches against Świątek and No. 7 Mirra Andreeva, respectively, Collins and Baptiste have a tough third round ahead — though Navarro's battle against the 2024 champ Krejčíková arguably headlines Saturday's slate.

US tennis star Emma Navarro eyes a return during a 2025 Wimbledon match.
US star Emma Navarro will face 2024 champ Barbora Krejčíková in Wimbledon's Round of 32. (Rob Newell/CameraSport via Getty Images)

How to watch Wimbledon this weekend

While world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is still holding strong in the dwindling field, this year's Wimbledon play is proving that the London Slam is anyone's to take, as the grass court humbles even the sport's top stars.

Expect the twists and turns to continue as tennis's best battle for spots in Sunday's Round of 16.

Round-of-32 Wimbledon play kicks off at 6 AM ET on Friday, with live continuous coverage of the tournament airing on ESPN.

Finland Opens Women’s Euro 2025 with Upset Upset Win Over Iceland

Finland's Katariina Kosola and Emma Koivisto celebrate a goal during their opening 2025 Euro match.
Finland earned a surprise 1-0 win over Iceland in their 2025 Euro opener on Wednesday. (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

The 2025 European Championship is officially underway, as Euro action kicked off with a group-stage upset on Wednesday.

Though the 2025 UEFA tournament's opener was a sweltering affair amid a European heat wave, world No. 26 Finland prevailed, earning a 1-0 upset win over No. 14 Iceland in Group A.

Finnish winger Katariina Kosola played hero, curling in the winning goal in the match's 70th minute — just 12 minutes after Iceland midfielder Hildur Antonsdóttir picked up the competition's first red card.

"The result is important for our confidence," Kosola said after Finland's first major tournament win since the 2009 Euro. "It was the kind of goal I have been practicing a lot."

"It's terrible to lose and we feel frustrated," said Iceland head coach Thorsteinn Halldórsson. "It is an even group and we knew Finland were good, but our first half wasn't good enough."

Elsewhere, No. 16 Norway closed out Wednesday's slate on top of Group A, taking three points by defeating host No. 23 Switzerland in day's second match.

Led by captain and 2018 Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg — who pulled the match even with a second-half strike — Norway battled to a 2-1 comeback win, despite the Swiss side outshooting and out-possessing the Norwegians.

Spain jersey hang in lockers ahead of the team's 2025 Euro opening match against Portugal.
Reigning World Cup champions Spain will open their 2025 Euro account against Portugal. (Aitor Alcalde - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

How to watch this week's 2025 Euro action

Group B steals the 2025 Euro spotlight on Thursday.

While No. 13 Italy snagged a 1-0 opening win over No. 20 Belgium to kick off the day, 2023 World Cup champions and tournament favorite No. 2 Spain will face No. 22 Portugal at 3 PM ET.

Friday's Group C slate will pit No. 12 Denmark against No. 6 Sweden at 12 PM ET, before No. 3 Germany contends with No. 27 Poland at 3 PM ET.

Closing out the first group-stage matches will be arguably the toughest draw of the 2025 Euro pool.

Saturday's Group D slate features major tournament debutants No. 30 Wales against the No. 11 Netherlands at 12 PM ET, with No. 10 France taking on defending champions No. 5 England to cap the day at 3 PM ET.

Live coverage of 2025 Euro matches will air across Fox Sports platforms.

USWNT Caps Summer Friendlies with 3-0 Canada Shutout

Yazmeen Ryan, Michelle Cooper, Claire Hutton, Mandy McGlynn, and Izzy Rodriguez and the rest of the USWNT huddle after their July 2025 friendly win over Canada.
The USWNT finished the summer international window with 11 goals, conceding none, across three matches. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)

The world No. 1 USWNT ruled the pitch on Wednesday night, shutting out North American rivals No. 8 Canada 3-0 to finish the international window on a high note.

Catching the Canada backline sleeping, US midfielder Sam Coffey opened the scoring at the 17-minute mark before 19-year-old Claire Hutton claimed her first-ever USWNT goal by heading in a Rose Lavelle corner kick in the game's 36th minute.

Houston Dash forward Yazmeen Ryan then padded the US tally in the waning minutes of the match, finding the back of the net just eight minutes after subbing onto the field.

Despite fielding a young roster, the US overpowered a veteran-heavy Canada side in almost every category, topping their Northern neighbors in shots, shots on target, possession, and — most notably — set pieces.

Canada ultimately couldn't match the game's mental pace or physical battle, as the USWNT scored all three goals off dead ball situations — a free kick, a corner kick, and a throw-in.

"It's not about the opponent," US head coach Emma Hayes said after the match. "It's about what we do, and I felt that was extremely dominant."

With Wednesday's contributions, the USWNT finishes the summer window with 11 goals scored across the three friendlies — and zero goals conceded.

The US now enters an extended break before reconvening for another as-yet-unannounced friendly series in October — but players will be expected to perform in the meantime.

"I said to the players in the end in the huddle, if you want to compete to win the biggest things, it's not what you do here that matters," said Hayes. "It's what you do when you go back to your club."

Seattle Storm Looks to Climb the WNBA Standings in Weekend Gauntlet

Seattle Storm star Nneka Ogwumike high-fives teammates as she's introduced before a 2025 WNBA game.
The No. 5 Seattle Storm will face No. 4 Atlanta and No. 3 New York this weekend. (Soobum Im/NBAE via Getty Images)

The 2025 WNBA regular season returns on Thursday night, with teams at the top of the league standings looking to prove their mettle against close competition across the long holiday weekend.

The No. 5 Seattle Storm have arguably the toughest weekend assignments, taking on the No. 4 Atlanta Dream on Friday before tackling the No. 3 New York Liberty on Sunday.

Four middle-of-the-pack teams will look to close in on a double-digit season win tally while the league's frontrunners strive to maintain their advantage in this weekend's slate:

  • No. 7 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 8 Indiana Fever, Thursday at 7 PM ET (Prime): Though still without star Caitlin Clark, the Fever hope to harness their 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup victory momentum against an Aces side tied with Indiana with an 8-8 season record.
  • No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 4 Atlanta Dream, Thursday at 7:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): Seattle will look to make strides against a strong Atlanta side while putting last Sunday's stinging 84-57 loss to up-and-comer Golden State in their rearview.
  • No. 6 Golden State Valkyries vs. No. 1 Minnesota Lynx, Saturday at 8 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The rising Valkyries must face a Lynx side hunting redemption, as the league-leaders look to bounce back from their stifling Tuesday Commissioner's Cup upset loss.
  • No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 3 New York Liberty, Sunday at 1 PM ET (CBS): With injured Liberty center Jonquel Jones still sidelined, the Seattle Storm will have a chance to steal a weekend game against the reigning champs, as New York struggles to re-find their footing.

With the 2025 WNBA All-Star break looming, early top performers must keep standards high if they want to hold the line when the season crosses the midway point.

Start your morning off right with Just Women’s Sports’ free, 5x-a-week newsletter.