“The Warm Up” on TikTok LIVE to be co-hosted by former USWNT stars Leslie Osborne and Angela Hucles on-site in Louisville

November 16, 2021 — Just Women’s Sports will produce a live preview show exclusively on TikTok LIVE ahead of the NWSL Championship Game. The Warm Up, co-hosted by former U.S. Women’s National Team stars Leslie Osborne and Angela Hucles, will begin at 10:45 am ET on Saturday, November 20.

In addition, JWS will partner with Nike to provide comprehensive NWSL coverage and analysis in the lead-up to the Championship, which fans can find exclusively on JWS channels. Throughout the playoffs, Osborne has served as Just Women’s Sports’ NWSL playoffs correspondent and analyst, breaking down pre-game expectations, in-game play, and post-game reaction via Instagram Live.

Osborne and Hucles will be on the ground at Lynn Family Stadium to co-host The Warm Up, providing fans with crucial insights and analysis before the Chicago Red Stars and the Washington Spirit take to the field. Osborne, an entrepreneur and soccer analyst, and Hucles, the Vice President of Player Development and Operations for Angel City FC and soccer analyst, were both key members of the USWNT, contributing to a combined two World Cups and two Olympic games and at the club level, played critical roles in establishing the NWSL.

Beyond The Warm Up, JWS, in partnership with Nike, will deliver full comprehensive coverage of the Championship game, dispatching a cross-channel team to cover the match on-site including live reporting and social media coverage exclusively on JWS’s properties. On-air coverage will continue after the match on Instagram Live with Osborne’s post-game commentary hosted by Just Women’s Sports.

Just Women’s Sports’ live programming around the playoffs and Championship game marks a pivotal expansion of the platform’s sports coverage as the rapidly growing media company continues to deliver on its mission to give these world class athletes the coverage they deserve and to make it easier for fans to find it.

“Our live NWSL Championship coverage is a significant moment for us as we continue to build an in-depth and substantial media ecosystem for women’s sports while partnering with major brands such as TikTok and Nike,” said Haley Rosen, Founder and CEO, Just Women’s Sports. “I firmly believe that for women’s sports to grow, fans need coverage that matches the hype created by these incredible athletes. The Warm Up, and all of our NWSL Championship coverage, is a significant step forward in showing that these marquee games create the same excitement as other sporting events.”

“I’m so excited to be part of the Just Women’s Sports 2021 NWSL Championship coverage. I believe so much in their mission to provide in-depth coverage of women’s sports. The NWSL continues to grow leaps and bounds with savvy fans who are looking for creative coverage, the social experience and the vibe that JWS brings as a media platform,” said Osborne. “The best part is that I get to do it alongside my former teammate, fellow broadcaster, entrepreneur, and mom, Angela Hucles.”

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity to reunite with Leslie and work with Just Women’s Sports as part of their NWSL Championship coverage,” said Hucles. “I’m a big believer in JWS’ mission and am proud to be a part of their effort to create a much-needed platform for female athletes and fans alike.”

Launched in 2020 by Rosen, Just Women’s Sports provides news and analysis of women’s sports through exclusive interviews, podcasts, videos, and other media content, and has quickly grown a passionate audience of fans, followers, and listeners. In addition to its Just Women’s Sports podcast hosted by USWNT star Kelley O’Hara, JWS recently launched Snacks, a podcast co-hosted by USWNT stars Sam Mewis and Lynn Williams, and is home to Tea with A & Phee, the popular podcast hosted by 2020 WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson and 2019 WNBA Rookie of the Year Napheesa Collier. JWS also features Off the Ball hosted by Olympian and NWSL star Ali Riley, and created The Soccer Show, a first-of-its-kind digital weekly highlights-driven show covering the FA Women’s Super League (FA WSL) through an exclusive premium content partnership with Ata Football.

In May, Just Women’s Sports announced it had raised $3.5 million in seed funding, led by Will Ventures with participation from Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman’s Thirty Five Ventures, Drive by DraftKings, OVO Fund, Supernode Global as well as an all-star roster of women’s sports superstars including Elena Delle Donne, Hilary Knight, Sam Mewis, Kelley O’Hara and Arike Ogunbowale.

MEDIA CONTACT

Rachel Zuckerman, 610-724-5078, [email protected]

About Just Women’s Sports Inc.

Established in 2020, Just Women’s Sports Inc. is a digital-first consumer media brand 100% dedicated to covering women’s sports. Through daily content including podcasts, newsletters, online content and social media, Just Women’s Sports brings you everything you need to see and know in the world of women’s sports. Find Just Women’s Sports online, subscribe to our newsletter, and follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.

About Leslie Osborne

Leslie Osborne, is an entrepreneur and sports broadcaster, having covered the FIFA Women’s World Cups in 2015 and 2019 for Fox Sports, and was a member of the US Women’s National Team from 2004 to 2008. During the 2007 World Cup, Osborne was a central piece of the USWNT’s midfield, starting and playing a full 90-minutes in all but one of the tournament’s games. In addition to her international career, Osborne played professionally for the Boston Breakers and the Chicago Red Stars. Osborne won an NCAA title at Santa Clara University and as a senior, received the Honda Sports Award – a recognition of her stellar performance as a female college athlete.

About Angela Hucles

Angela Hucles, the Vice President of Player Development and Operations for Angel City FC and soccer analyst, was a member of the US Women’s National Team from 2002 to 2009, winning two Olympic gold medals over the span of her career as well as two third place World Cup finishes. Hucles played for the Boston Breakers and was the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s 2009 Humanitarian of the Year. Prior to her professional career, Hucles played at the University of Virginia where she still holds the record for game winning goals.

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.