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Lauren Barnes’ Eco-Friendly Gift Guide

Lauren Barnes is a defender for OL Reign of the NWSL. A two-time NWSL Best XI selection and the 2016 NWSL Defender of the Year, Lauren is also a proud sustainability activist. During the 2020 Challenge Cup, she led an effort to make the bubble experience plastic-free, and she will be continuing this work in the 2021 NWSL regular season with a player-led sustainability initiative.

Below, she walks us through the eco-friendly brands she’ll be shopping this holiday season.


JAS IT UP

One of my favorite people and OL Reign’s very own Jasmyne Spencer is behind this great company. Jas It Up is a sustainable lifestyle brand offering a range of clothes and accessories, all made from eco-friendly and recycled materials. The focus is on “designs that emphasize versatility and longevity for long-lasting clothes that never go out of style.”

Use code JWS15 for a holiday discount.


NORDIC OIL

I recently started working with this great company and am so excited to include them on this list. Nordic Oil has a great line of CBD products, and this winter they made the decision to invest a portion of their profits into cleaning our oceans. They’ve teamed up with the ReSea Project, a Danish organization committed to cleaning up the oceans and reducing the negative impact of human activity on the natural environment. For any of your friends or family who are fans of CBD, I highly recommend checking this company out 🙂

Learn more about Nordic Oil here.


NUZEST

As an athlete, my nutritional intake is always top of mind. With Nuzest, the nutritional value is clear and the company prioritizes sustainable methods. They are a plant-based nutritional supplement company that works exclusively with a supplier that uses no chemicals in the production process of their supplements. Plus, all waste from production is turned into biofuel and animal food, and all of their products are packaged in HDPE, one of the world’s most recyclable plastics. You even have the option to make your order 100% carbon neutral when purchasing through their website.

Hit this link for a sweet holiday discount.


JLAB

This company really sets the bar on ways that audio companies can be sustainable. They made a commitment to ditching plastic in their packaging and have done it through an eco-friendly case. Even the box the case arrives in is completely recyclable. They’ve also eliminated metal foil printing, switched to using durable paper pulp hang tag instead of plastic, and have even spearheaded a recycle program for recycling any electronics.

Use code ‘Lauren15’ for a holiday discount 🙂


CRAZYCAP

Clean water shouldn’t be a luxury. That’s CrazyCap’s mantra and they follow through on it. Their water bottles eliminate the need for plastic water bottles completely and includes a water purification system within the cap that sanitizes unclean water to make it safe to drink. If you ask me, everyone should be drinking water from these bottles.

Tap water is unsafe in 25 countries. Globally, 200 billion plastic bottles are discarded each year. Make the change to a bottle like this one. You won’t regret it.

Learn more about CrazyCap here.


ALBATROSS

Albatross is on a mission to eliminate plastic from shaving with their high-polished stainless steel razors. And they take it one step further than that. With their Take Back program, you can mail your used razor back so that it can be recycled and turned into another useful, environmentally-friendly product, such as a stainless steel utensil set. Their Take Back program helps reduce stainless steel production energy by up to 67% and CO2 emissions by roughly 70%.

Learn more about Albatross here.


DENTAL LACE

Yes, even floss contributes to the plastic pollution disaster we’re all living in. But thanks to companies like Dental Lace, you can floss plastic-free. Their floss is a 99% zero waste, refillable and eco-friendly. You can choose from silk or plant-based vegan floss (both are biodegradable!). And it comes with refills all packaged in an eco-friendly way 🙂

Use code ‘NWSL’ for a sweet 10% discount for the holidays.


LUNCHSKINS

I recently discovered this company and am so glad I did. For the past 12+ years, Lunchskins products have replaced 2.8 billion plastic bags with Lunchskins bags while helping to keep over 2.6 million plastic straws out of our landfills. They’re on a mission to eliminate single-used plastic and are making it easy and affordable for all of us to do it with them.

Learn more about Lunchskins here.

Alyssa Naeher’s goalkeeper jersey sells out in less than three hours

uwnt goalie alyssa naeher wears jersey on the field with club team chicago red stars
USWNT star keeper Alyssa Naeher's new replica NWSL jersey was an instant success. (Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports)

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!"

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."

Simone Biles talks Tokyo Olympics fallout in new interview

gymnast simone biles on a balance beam
Biles' candid interview shed light on the gymnast's internal struggle. (Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

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 reportedly nearing $20 million+ Nike deal

Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever poses for a portrait at Gainbridge Fieldhouse during her introductory press conference
WNBA-bound Caitlin Clark is said to be closing in on a monumental NIke deal. (Photo by Matt Kryger/NBAE via Getty Images)

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. 

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."

Star slugger Jocelyn Alo joins Athletes Unlimited AUX league

softball star jocelyn alo rounds the bases at an oklahoma sooners game
Former Oklahoma star Jocelyn Alo has signed with Athletes Unlimited. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)

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.'"

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