At the Orlando Pride these days, everyone is working for each other. That’s how midfielder Erika Tymrak describes the atmosphere during another rebuilding year that’s featured many unexpected hurdles along the way.

Over the last couple of months, the Pride have focused on creating a competitive environment and nurturing culture that’s inclusive of everybody. The approach has translated into results on the field, with Orlando taking a seven-game unbeaten streak into Friday’s match with OL Reign after starting the season 2-2-5.

“I’ve won two championships in this league and I’ve learned on both of those teams that everyone has to be committed and understanding of their role and everyone has to be working for each other,” said Tymrak, a 10-year NWSL veteran. “Whether you’re a 90-minute player or a sub, someone who’s not getting playing time, rookie, veteran, you have to be committed.”

She credits interim coach Seb Hines for fostering an an environment where everyone wants to play their best for each other. Hines is filling in for head coach Amanda Cromwell and assistant coach Sam Greene, who were placed on administrative leave in June due to an ongoing investigation by the NWSL and NWSL Players Association into allegations of workplace misconduct.

“He’s been really direct about how he wants us to play, what his expectations are, what his standards are, what our standards should be as players,” Tymrak said of Hines. “As an athlete, I think it’s sometimes tough to live in that gray area where you’re not really sure. The more black and white you can make it, the easier it is to understand, especially for younger players and rookies.

“Having that clarity and directness and confidence in us and how he wants us to play has been huge.”

The players are enjoying each other’s company in a way that general manager Ian Fleming has never seen during his year and a half with the club.

“I think the team is responding really well to just a much more pleasant place to be right now than it has been for some time,” he said. “It’s energizing. I think everyone’s feeling really good about the direction that we’re heading.”

Hines has worked the team so hard in training over the last seven weeks that games feel like the easy days and the players hardly have to think about what they’re doing on the field. Since the beginning of July, the Pride have tied or beaten three teams in the top four of the standings — the Houston Dash, Kansas City Current and San Diego Wave — and risen to eighth place with six regular-season games remaining.

One of the youngest teams in the league a year after being the oldest team, weighted by minutes played, the Pride (5-5-6) are sitting in the bottom half of the standings for a fifth straight season, but they’re also on track to finish in their best position in five years. The top six teams make the NWSL playoffs beginning in October.

Zedis Lapedis @juliedoyle__ 🚀#ORLvLA | #PrideOfOrlando pic.twitter.com/u8i07wfEA9

— Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) August 8, 2022

Coming into 2022, the Pride knew it would be a challenging year. In preseason, the club returned 15 players from the 2021 season after trading away longtime club staples Alex Morgan, Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris.

Since then, they’ve lost four key veterans — Marta, Sydney Leroux, Amy Turner and Angharad James — to a season-ending injury, a trade, a contract buyout and a contract termination.

Orlando bought out Turner’s contract 10 days after Cromwell and Greene were put on leave, and both Pride teammates and NWSL players were quick to show support for the defender. A month later, James joined Turner, her fiancée, in signing with Tottenham.

Amy .. what a woman & Human. Leaving your home & moving to a new place is never easy .. you did it with Ease.

I am so sorry this was the experience you got here, you deserved so so so much better.

Goodluck in the future, I’ll be rooting for ya. ❤️ https://t.co/QxV5YACaIY

— Jessica Fishlock MBE (@JessFishlock) June 17, 2022

Sydney Leroux, who was traded to Angel City FC shortly after Turner’s departure, told the media upon her arrival in Los Angeles, “It’s not a secret that things are going on in Orlando, that things need to be looked at and taken care of. I had five years there and Orlando will always hold a special place in my heart.”

The club has focused on rebuilding its trust with players through transparent discussions and providing support on and off the field, Fleming explained. The Pride are also committed to giving their players the physical and psychological medical care they need. When Tymrak was asked what has stood out most about her experience with the Pride this year, she cited the coaching and medical staff as well as the benefits of having ice baths, chiropractic care, physiotherapy, sports psychologist and other resources are all available under one roof.

“I know that doesn’t sound like a big deal, but I’ve been at clubs where it’s not like that,” she said. “It makes such a difference because at the end of the day, the athlete just wants to step on the field and perform. And if they’re given every opportunity to do that, they’re going to be more successful.”

Tymrak, who played for FC Kansas City from 2013-17 and returned to the NWSL with the Utah Royals from 2018-19, came out of retirement to join the Pride for the 2021 season after a random phone call from Leroux. The nine-year NWSL veteran encouraged Tymrak to come train with Orlando during the offseason.

The offseason turned into a year and a half of the longtime friends playing together before Leroux was traded to Angel City.

“It was tough,” Tymrak said of Leroux leaving. “But I’m really happy for her and I think it’ll be good for her being closer to home. Sometimes you’re at a club for a while and there’s nothing wrong, but you just outgrow it. Syd’s one of those types of people who wants to be challenged, and sometimes being in the same environment can get stagnant.”

Fleming felt it was best at this point in Leroux’s career to put her in a position where she felt like she was competing for championships now. A member of the Pride since 2018, Leroux never had a winning season or made a playoff appearance in Orlando.

Fleming said the circumstances surrounding Turner and James’ unexpected departures were similar.

“I was trying to do the best job we can to put our players in a place to succeed, and for those players, in particular, to help them get to a place that was better for them where they can continue their careers,” he said. “For me, it was allowing [Turner] to go back home in an environment, to find an environment in which she can thrive and continue to play at the highest level.”

The gaps in the roster have created opportunities for younger players to take on bigger roles. For example, 23-year-old midfielder Viviana Villacorta has been consistently playing full matches since the beginning of July, just as Orlando began its unbeaten streak, and 22-year-old defender Kerry Abello has become a regular starter.

“They’ve thrived in that environment,” Fleming said. “We’re seeing the payoff from that right now. We’re seeing the growth and development of young players … in a way that I think will help them in the early stages of their career, but also help our club moving forward.”

Following the departures of multiple veterans this season, Orlando recently acquired Ally Watt from OL Reign and Haley Hanson from the Houston Dash before the transfer window closed this week. When it comes to trades, the Pride have targeted experienced NWSL players in the prime of their careers who have been on winning teams and are willing to take on a leadership role on a rebuilding team.

The Pride have seen that vision materialize in the last seven weeks, as the players have bought into the mission, competed for each other and gotten a taste of success.

“I think Seb has done such a good job with this group. He’s created this environment that’s super competitive,” Tymrak said. “Every time we go to practice, everyone’s so excited to compete.

“I think that is a really special environment.”

Jessa Braun is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering the NWSL and USWNT. Follow her on Twitter @jessabraun.

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!"

just went looking at #nwsl goalkeeper kit stock out of curiosity — Alyssa Naeher's $145 kit already sold out S-XL (league announced GK jerseys on sale 3 hours ago)https://t.co/8bYA7tlwcx

— Meg Linehan (@itsmeglinehan) April 17, 2024

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."

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 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. 

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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."

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.'"