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LSU signee Mikaylah Williams can do it all for Parkway basketball

Mikaylah Williams led Parkway to a first-place finish in Class 5A District 1 last season. (Garrett W. Ellwood/USA Basketball)

Editor’s note: This is the last in a five-part series previewing the top five girls basketball players in the Class of 2023 before the start of the 2022-23 high school season. Click here to see the latest rankings from the Class of 2023. Counting down: No. 5 Hannah Hidalgo | No. 4 Aalyah Del Rosario | No. 3 Jadyn Donovan | No. 2 Juju Watkins | No. 1 Mikaylah Williams.

Leadership, superior guard skills, unmatched discipline, a genuine passion for the game of basketball — Mikaylah Williams has anything and everything a college coaching staff could want.

For years now, Williams has set herself apart from other members of the Class of 2023 with an ever-rising ceiling of potential.

She’s a three-time gold medalist with Team USA, the reigning Gatorade Louisiana Girls Basketball Player of the Year and the lone junior to be named a 2022 Naismith Player of the Year finalist.

Last year, the 6-foot Williams averaged 13.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game, leading Parkway High School (La.) to a first-place finish in Class 5A District 1. The Panthers ended the year with a 34-3 mark and lost in the state championship, but they return Williams and a host of others and will surely threaten to make another run.

Coach’s analysis

Parkway coach Gloria Williams, who has led the Panthers since 2016, has admired her star guard’s character in every aspect of life and the way it translates into her play on the basketball court.

“Her mindset sets her apart,” Gloria said. “Her discipline sets her apart when it comes to training. In the classroom, it sets her apart — she’s a 4.0 student — and her work ethic just sets her apart from everyone else.

“She’s a top-notch kid raised by great parents, and it’s bred in her. She communicates with her teammates on and off the court. She’s just that kid.”

It’s typical for Williams to appear as the calmest player on the floor, regardless of the score, situation or opponent. Her coach has seen that mentality rub off on her teammates and foster a culture of resilience and success.

“That’s her. Her demeanor doesn’t change,” Gloria said. “It’s always something positive, and she’s the calm to the team. It’s nothing that necessarily has been taught or something that’s learned. I think it’s just in her.

“Great leaders lead, but there are servant leaders. That’s how I see Mikaylah.”

Gloria cited Williams’ defensive improvement as the biggest key to her growth as a player. The guard she was in last season’s title game is not the same one who will take the court for Parkway in 2022-23.

“I am a defensive-minded coach, so I was extremely pleased with that,” Gloria said. “I’ve told her from the beginning, ‘You can score with the best of them,’ and to sit and stay in front of people and defend, that’s the portion that I am most proud of for her at this stage.

“We’ll see what she brings to the table for this season because I know it’s gonna be something.”

Catching up

This summer, Williams earned her second and third gold medals with Team USA — first, in Debrecen, Hungary with the U17 team, followed by her return to the 3×3 squad in August. Williams was once again named MVP of the 3×3 tournament.

She also wrapped up her AAU career with Mavs Elite and played in the Under Armour Next Elite 24 game.

Williams recently signed her National Letter of Intent with LSU, where she leads one of the most impressive classes of the 2023 cycle, alongside Aalyah Del Rosario and Angelica Velez of The Webb School (Tenn.) and Janae Kent of Oak Forest (Ill.)

“I believe she’s going to carry everything she’s learned with her to LSU,” Gloria said. “And I think she’s going to build on that. That’s one thing about her I can say: Every year she has brought something to the game of basketball here for us.

“Defensively, she stepped up last year, she can go to the basket any time that she wants to, and she has the frame of a college player already. When she gets to LSU, she’s just going to turn it up another notch because that’s her dream school. That’s where she wants to be. So, she’s going to give it everything that she has.”

Caroline Makauskas is a contributing writer for Just Women’s Sports. She also covers a variety of sports on her TikTok @cmakauskas. Follow her on Twitter @cmakauskas.

Star Lionesses Step Back as England Drops 2025 Euro Roster

England defender Millie Bright claps after a 2025 Nations League match against Spain.
England defender Millie Bright withdrew from consideration prior to the 2025 Euro roster release. (Visionhaus/Getty Images)

England dropped its 2025 Euro roster on Thursday morning, with manager Sarina Wiegman's title-defending squad facing major shakeups after three longtime staples recently withdrew from consideration.

Forward Fran Kirby and goalkeeper Mary Earps officially announced their international retirements mere days before the drop, with Wiegman previously informing 31-year-old Kirby of her omission from this summer's lineup.

Defender Millie Bright followed suit, stepping back from the team in a Wednesday social media post that stated she's "not able to give 100% mentally or physically."

While these shifts don't necessarily spell defeat, England now faces an uphill climb in their hunt for a second straight European title.

The Lionesses will start their campaign in Group D, a tricky division featuring perennial powerhouses France and the Netherlands plus regional rival Wales.

To further complicate things, England is also coming off a rocky Nations League run, failing to qualify for this year's Finals after finishing second behind Group A3 winner — and 2023 World Cup champs — Spain.

Though their 2025 Euro roster is missing some homegrown talent, the England lineup does feature a handful of NWSL stars stepping into the spotlight.

Washington defender Esme Morgan will make her Euro debut after helping lead the Lionesses to the 2023 World Cup final, while Gotham defender Jess Carter and Orlando goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse return to the competition to defend their 2022 success.

All in all, with a refreshed roster and increased parity across the women's game, the Lionesses' path to 2025 Euro victory is now more uncertain than ever.

Washington Spirit defender Esme Morgan celebrates a goal during a 2025 NWSL match.
Washington Spirit defender Esme Morgan will make her Euro debut with England this summer. (Roger Wimmer/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

England's 2025 Euro roster

  • Goalkeepers: Hannah Hampton (Chelsea), Khiara Keating (Manchester City), Anna Moorhouse (Orlando Pride)
  • Defenders: Lucy Bronze (Chelsea), Leah Williamson (Arsenal), Jess Carter (Gotham FC), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal), Esme Morgan (Washington Spirit), Niamh Charles (Chelsea), Maya le Tissier (Manchester United)
  • Midfielders: Ella Toone (Manchester United), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Keira Walsh (Chelsea), Grace Clinton (Manchester United), Jess Park (Manchester City)
  • Forwards: Lauren Hemp (Manchester City), Lauren James (Chelsea), Chloe Kelly (Arsenal, on loan from Manchester City), Beth Mead (Arsenal), Michelle Agyemang (Brighton, on loan from Arsenal), Alessia Russo (Arsenal), Aggie Beever-Jones (Chelsea)

WNBA Star Angel Reese Drops Player Exclusive Reebok Engine A Shoe

Angel Reese poses with a floating Reebok "Pretty Gritty" Engine A Basketball Shoe.
Angel Reese and Reebok's "Pretty Gritty" Engine A sneakers are the first basketball shoe with the WNBA star's name. (Reebok)

Reebok Basketball dropped the first player exclusive shoe from WNBA star Angel Reese on Wednesday, just one week after the debuting the Chicago Sky standout's signature logo.

Alongside her name, Reese's logo features on the tongue of the two-tone black cherry and pink "Pretty Gritty" Engine A shoes.

The player-exclusive colorway is a limited-edition release, with Reese most recently sporting a pair of the "Pretty Gritty" sneakers in Chicago's 97-92 win over the Dallas Wings last Thursday.

Reese signed with Reebok during her senior year at LSU in 2023, with this week's drop marking the WNBA sophomore's first-ever basketball shoe.

Reese's customized version of Reebok's existing Engine A sneakers comes as the apparel giant works with the Sky forward to design her first signature shoe. That ensuing collaboration will drop in 2026.

"I'm excited to give fans a glimpse into what's to come in our overall partnership, and we're still just getting started," said Reese about her player exclusive.

Angel Reese's "Pretty Gritty" Engine A shoes.
Reese's player exclusive shoes come in a two-tone black cherry and pink colorway. (Reebok)

How to buy Angel Reese player exclusive Reebok sneaker

Angel Reese's "Pretty Gritty" Engine A sneakers are on sale now at select retail locations as well as via Reebok's website.

Dawn Staley Joins CBS Sports Pre-Game Show ‘WNBA Tip-Off’

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley speaks to media before the 2024/25 NCAA championship game.
Staley will join the WNBA coverage team at CBS starting on Saturday. (Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley will be taking her talents to CBS Sports, with the network announcing Wednesday that the basketball legend will headline a new WNBA pregame show premiering this weekend.

Hosted by sports reporter Sarah Kustok, WNBA Tip Off will feature both the decorated South Carolina boss and fellow former WNBA star Renee Montgomery as analysts.

In addition to her lengthy playing and coaching resume, Staley will bring specific insight into particular athletes during these broadcasts, with nine of the icon's former players — from reigning three-time MVP A'ja Wilson to 2023 Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston — competing in the WNBA this season.

Staley's involvement also spotlights CBS's commitment to live WNBA broadcasts, with the network scheduling WNBA Tip Off slots for four of the network's eight regular-season league games.

WNBA Tip Off will debut at 7:30 PM ET this Saturday, serving as the lead-in to the Sky's primetime matchup against regional rival Indiana Fever — the first WNBA game ever set inside Chicago's United Center and the first-ever primetime WNBA regular-season game on broadcast television.

The other three games featuring Staley and her new CBS pre-game crew will be the July 12th clash between 2025 expansion side Golden State Valkyries and the Las Vegas Aces, a second Fever vs. Sky matchup on August 9th, and a 2024 WNBA Finals rematch between the reigning champion New York Liberty and runners-up Minnesota Lynx on August 16th.

Australia Coach Reveals Injury Setback for Matildas Star Sam Kerr

Australia striker Sam Kerr looks down at at 2025 Matildas training session.
Australia star Sam Kerr required a second surgery unrelated to her ACL injury. (Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Incoming Matildas boss Joe Montemurro revealed a new setback in the return of Australia captain Sam Kerr from injury on Monday, disclosing that the Chelsea striker has recently undergone an additional surgery unrelated to her January 2024 ACL tear.

"I think there were some complications," Montemurro told Australia's Channel 10 about the 31-year-old attacker's status this week. "There was a subsequent intervention, but I do believe she is now back running."

"It was something completely different [to the ACL injury]. I think the knee is fine," Montemurro continued.

Montemurro, who took the reins of the Matildas this week following a year-long stint leading European club titan OL Lyonnes, did not detail a specific timeline for Kerr's return.

However, the Australia captain is likely to miss the world No. 16 team's upcoming three summer friendlies against No. 38 Slovenia and No. 57 Panama.

That said, though Montemurro has yet to directly connect with Kerr, the Australia boss did state that "there's nothing to worry about, she's on track."

"By all reports, she's focused on getting back and she's focused on being back at her best, knowing that there's an exciting tournament coming up," the new Matildas manager said, referencing the 2026 Asian Cup.

"So with that attitude, I expect to see a fantastic Sam Kerr."

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