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To ‘win everything’ in 2021, the Portland Thorns are trusting in the process

Simone Charley celebrates a goal against the Washington Spirit earlier this season. (Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

When the Portland Thorns first decided that they wanted to win everything in 2021, it was something of a joke.

“In the beginning of the season, we have these goal meetings where we all get together as a team and write out our goals,” defender Emily Menges says. “And it’s pretty silly because any team, you’re going to write down ‘championship,’ you’re going to write down ‘win.’”

“And we were like, well, we want to win everything. Like, let’s get that out on the table because everybody wants to win everything. That’s why you’re here.”

The “win everything” mantra became something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. This year, the Thorns have won the Challenge Cup, the International Champions Cup and the NWSL Shield. Now, they enter the NWSL playoffs as the No. 1 seed and favorites to win the franchise’s third championship.

All of that success in one season might make it easy to look past Sunday’s semifinal game and toward the NWSL trophy. But the intention the Thorns players set at the start of the season has helped them focus on the little things.

“It’s not about looking at the big picture and checking off outcomes, but it’s just about being focused on the process,” forward Simone Charley says. “So I think tomorrow it’s just about winning the day and doing your best in training, and doing that the next day, and the next day, and just taking it day by day.”

The concept of focusing on process over outcome comes up frequently with Thorns players. While “trusting the process” isn’t new in sports, the Thorns have instilled confidence by understanding what is and isn’t out of their control, and that’s led to a sense of individual security and remarkable team consistency.

“If you had the right idea, even if you didn’t execute, you compliment the idea and you compliment the bravery,” Charley says. “And obviously you want to work on the execution, but it’s just about giving your best effort.”

Menges agrees: “Honestly, it’s better when you fail because everyone’s like, ‘OK, well I saw what she was trying to do.’ That’s what we’re trying to do as a team. And so you almost get applauded for failing, because you’re trying to do what the team is trying to do. And so that has created a culture of just growth from everywhere.”

Celebrating the bravery of risking failure feels radical in the current climate of the NWSL, where several coaches have been dismissed this year over accounts of abusive behavior. It hasn’t been uncommon in past years to see players freeze up on the field, overwhelmed with the anxiety of making a mistake and being punished for it. In Portland, different levels of execution instead foster conversations about ways to improve.

The Thorns organization as a whole, however, hasn’t been blameless this season, causing some disconnect. The club placed former general manager Gavin Wilkinson on leave after The Athletic’s Sept. 30 report implicated him in Paul Riley’s controversial departure from Portland in 2015. Thorns players and supporters had called on the club to address its failures in the Riley case. Since then, the club has hired Karina LeBlanc to replace Wilkinson, who remains the GM of the MLS’ Portland Timbers.

Inside the hurricane of the week following The Athletic report, players fell back on the lines of communication they’d established the year before, in the wake of widespread protests over racial injustice and police brutality.

“Culture is just a big part of who we are. I think, especially in the 2020 season, we had a lot of time off the pitch,” Charley says. “We had a lot of hard conversations about all our core values and things that we stand for, and what we want to hold each other accountable to.”

“Black Lives Matter, all the protests in Portland … we kind of started a culture of meeting as a team and talking about bigger things. And so it was not new,” Menges says. “We told Mark [Parsons] we need some time. And so that was nothing new, and we kind of sat down and opened it up. It’s a safe space for people to share things that they might not want to share publicly, or might not feel like it’s the place to share publicly.”

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Thorns players, including No. 5 Emily Menges, have leaned on each other during a challenging season. (Lewis Gettier/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

During those meetings in the first week of October, Thorns players opened the floor for anybody to speak. The team heard from players who were only just now learning of Riley’s history, to those who had been in Portland during his tenure, to those who were struggling with the memories of their own personal experiences with abuse.

Menges says it’s impossible to know if every person’s story got told, but coming to understand what their teammates were going through helped them manage their emotions in the weeks that followed.

“I think [Thorns players have] that kind of culture where we can kind of say, OK, this player had this going on that they shared with us, and now we’re going to go out and practice,” Menges says. “But you can approach those people slightly differently because you know they’re going through something.”

It’s probably reductive to call soccer a respite from the off-field chaos, but Thorns players have found some clarity in the ability to set a deadline for off-field work and then put their phones down to focus on the task at hand.

Menges tells the story of the Thorns’ game on Oct. 6, their first since the NWSL suspended games in the wake of the Riley report. Before kickoff that night, Portland’s players released a collective statement asking for Wilkinson to be placed on leave, among other demands. It had taken them days to get the statement to the point where all 28 players felt comfortable with it being released.

They finished the message at 4:30 p.m. local time, two and a half hours before their scheduled kickoff. As Menges remembers it, the team got to the locker room at 5, and the players decided the statement would go out around 5:15.

“Once we put that out, since we had done it so well as a team and everyone felt like they at least got their voice heard, we put our phones away and we’re like, ‘We did it. F–k yeah. Now it’s time to play,’” she says.

Even under the most extraordinary circumstances this season, the Thorns’ ability to fall back on their foundation as a group has given way to consistency on the field.

“I think everyone within the team, we trust each other,” Charley says. “And we know that we want to bring out the best in each other. So when someone comes to you and has ideas on how you can improve, you’re willing to listen because you know that they have your best interests at heart.”

The players have built that bond, but the coaching staff has helped reinforce it. Mark Parsons, Portland’s coach since 2016, announced earlier this year that he would leave the Thorns at the end of the season to manage the Netherlands — a move inspired as much by a desire to be closer to his family in England as by soccer reasons. Parsons’ decision will make it a bittersweet end to the season, whenever that comes, both in on-field success and off-field ties.

“I know he tries so hard to bring people around who are good people first, and so you have that culture of, we are good human beings who care about each other first,” Menges says. “And when he is doing his head coach thing, and kind of separates himself from the team a little bit, he always touches base at the right moments. When he knows that something’s going on, or when you need maybe a little bit of extra communication with him, he always pops in at the right time.”

This Thorns team could possibly end up being Parsons’ magnum opus. They’re a tight-knit group that’s proven they can execute when all of their stars are away and when they have World Cup champions and gold medalists in their midst. They’ve drawn talent and built a foundation over the years, focusing as much on personality fit as on natural ability.

That approach has paid dividends, especially after their 2019 season plateaued and the regular season was canceled in 2020. Second-year regular season rookies Sophia Smith and Morgan Weaver, who sit on the U.S. women’s national team bubble, have created some of the team’s most magical moments this year. Five-year Thorn Kelli Hubly stepped in for the injured Menges during the Challenge Cup, and then played alongside her while Becky Sauerbrunn was away at the Tokyo Olympics. Charley, a national team replacement player in 2019, has been essential to keeping the attack moving as both a starter and a late-game substitute.

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The Thorns took home the ICC trophy along with the Challenge Cup title and NWSL Shield in 2021. (Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

The team has relied on its culture when integrating new faces. It will be called upon again when Parsons makes way for a new manager, reported this week to be former Thorn and Canada international Rhian Wilkinson.

“Change is exciting, no matter what the circumstances,” Menges says.

Championship or bust this year, the players hope they can walk into the next chapter with their fans behind them. They know how important the Portland community is to their success, and being transparent with their most ardent supporters will be key going forward.

“What I learned this year specifically, because it kind of hit us so close to home, is that [Portland fans] are an army that’s ready to deploy at any time,” Menges says.

“I think the fans are a very powerful tool, not just during games, but when we need help. When we need help, they’ll show up for us, and when they need help, we show up for them. And so I think if we can better communicate what exactly our vision is and what their vision is, and kind of get on the same page that way, that is the ultimate goal.”

Portland fans have repeatedly held the club accountable, using signs and smoke and sending a list of their own demands to the front office. It’s a commitment borne from a deep passion, which the players have felt throughout the season and plan to embrace Sunday against the Chicago Red Stars, with a place in the NWSL final on the line.

“What makes Providence Park is the fans,” Charley says. “And I think that community aspect that the Thorns organization has, with the fans and with the community, I think it’s just who we are. And so I’m really excited to play in front of them one last time because when you put on the crest, you’re representing them.”

Claire Watkins is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering soccer and the NWSL. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

South Carolina Tops Once-Undefeated LSU in NCAA Weekend Slate

LSU's Shayeann Day-Wilson guards South Carolina's MiLaysia Fulwiley during their Friday NCAA basketball game.
South Carolina limited LSU to just 29.9% shooting on Friday. (Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

Kicking off another NCAA basketball weekend with a bang, South Carolina snapped LSU's unbeaten streak on Friday, holding their SEC rivals to just 29.9% shooting in the 66-56 statement win.

No. 2 South Carolina's bench outscored No. 5 LSU's 31-2 in the contest. The Tigers' Friday shooting percentage marked their worst-ever performance under head coach Kim Mulkey.

Freshman Joyce Edwards led the Gamecocks with 14 points, while LSU senior Aneesah Morrow registered her 93rd double-double. The feat awarded her the second-most career double-doubles in women's college basketball history.

Mulkey was quick to credit newly re-signed South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley's lineup for the dominant Gamecocks victory.

"I do think they're the best in the country, even though UCLA beat them," Mulkey told reporters after the game. "I don't think I've ever coached against a team with 10 McDonald's All-Americans on a roster."

UCLA's Lauren Betts shoots the ball during the No. 1 Bruins' Sunday NCAA basketball win over No. 8 Maryland.
Lauren Betts reached 1,000 career points in UCLA's win over Maryland on Sunday. (Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

Unbeaten UCLA downs Maryland in Top 10 NCAA matchup

With LSU losing on Friday, No. 1 UCLA became this season's only remaining undefeated DI team. The Bruins subsequently solidified their top-dog status by downing No. 8 Maryland 82-67 on Sunday.

UCLA junior Lauren Betts put up a career-high 33 points in the win, shooting 14-for-15 en route to reaching 1,000 career points.

Notably, the Terrapins are still without two of their top three scorers in Shyanne Sellers and Bri McDaniel. While McDaniel is out for the season with an ACL injury, Sellers is expected to eventually return to play after suffering a knee sprain in last Monday's loss to No. 7 Texas.

Michigan's Greta Kampschroeder guards a shot from Michigan State's Grace VanSlooten in Saturday's NCAA basketball game.
The Spartans outscored the Wolverines 59-25 in the second half to defeat Michigan on Saturday. (Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)

Conference wins highlight NCAA basketball weekend action

The Top 10 wins booked by South Carolina and UCLA weren't the only conference victories making waves in college basketball over the weekend.

No. 21 Michigan State stunned hosts No. 24 Michigan 88-58 on Saturday. Michigan State turned a four-point halftime deficit into a prolific run that saw the Spartans outscore their instate rivals 59-25 in the second half.

In the Big 12, No. 9 TCU ended a 35-year losing streak against No. 25 Baylor on Sunday. The Horned Frogs topped the Bears 80-75 behind Sedona Prince's game-leading 24-point, 14-rebound double-double.

Elsewhere, four Top 20 teams — No. 10 Kansas State, No. 13 UNC, No. 16 West Virginia, and No. 19 Alabama — fell to unranked opponents. No. 7 Texas narrowly escaped the same fate, needing a late fourth-quarter surge to secure a 61-58 comeback win over Ole Miss on Sunday.

Deep into conference play, rivalries and upsets are putting DI college basketball's ever-growing parity in the spotlight.

How to watch top-ranked NCAA basketball on Monday

The ranked conference clashes continue tonight, when No. 2 South Carolina visits No. 18 Tennessee at 7 PM ET, with live coverage on ESPN2.

US Tennis Star Madison Keys Wins 1st Grand Slam After Epic Australian Open Run

Madison Keys kisses her 2025 Australian Open trophy.
Keys won her first-ever major championship in her second-ever Grand Slam final. (Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

US tennis player Madison Keys earned her first-ever Grand Slam title on Saturday, taking down back-to-back defending champ and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the 2025 Australian Open final.

On the heels of a three-set semifinal ousting of No. 2 Iga Świątek last Thursday, Keys' 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 Saturday victory made her the first player to upset both the world No. 1 and No. 2 in the same Grand Slam since Svetlana Kuznetsova did so at the 2009 French Open. The 29-year-old is also the first to do it in Melbourne since Serena Williams in 2005.

Only three other WTA players have racked up more Grand Slam main draws before winning their first title. On Saturday, Keys tied Caroline Wozniacki for making the most Australian Open main-draw singles appearances before lifting the trophy.

Keys's Australian Open run included five wins over seeded opponents, four of them in the WTA's Top 10 entering the tournament. Plus, with five three-set victories, Keys tied the record for the most three-set wins at any of the four Grand Slams.

However, none of those records compare with winning her first major.

"I’ve wanted this for so long," Keys said holding her trophy during the post-match ceremony.

Keys' championship was years in the making

Keys burst onto the pro scene on her 14th birthday back in 2009, and has been a Top 20 mainstay for most of the last decade.

The US star has appeared in at least the quarterfinal round of all four majors multiple times. However, she had only one Grand Slam final under her belt prior to this weekend's championship match — a 2017 US Open loss to Sloane Stephens.

Ultimately, it took relinquishing her desperation to win a Slam to actually snag that elusive trophy.

"I've done a lot of work to no longer need [winning a Grand Slam]," Keys explained after her win. "I really wanted it, but it's no longer the thing that was going to define me, and kind of letting go of that burden, I finally gave myself the ability to play for it."

2025 Australian Open runner-up Aryna Sabalenka smiles at champion Madison Keys while holding their hardware.
With her Grand Slam title, Keys joins No. 1 Sabalenka in the WTA Top 10. (Mark Avellino/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Slam win returns Keys to the WTA's Top 10

The WTA updated their rankings early Monday, with Keys's breakthrough performance boosting her to No. 7 — her first Top 10 slot since January 2023. The new rank also ties her career-high, with Keys first peaking at No. 7 in October 2016.

Keys's rise also solidifies the US as arguably the nation most flush with the sport's top talent. The US now boasts four players in the Top 10, with Keys joining No. 3 Coco Gauff, No. 6 Jessica Pegula, and No. 9 Emma Navarro. No other nation has more than one athlete in that elite tier.

That said, the WTA's best stayed put in Monday's rankings. Despite their Australian Open losses, all four top seeds — Sabalenka, Świątek, Gauff, and No. 4 Jasmine Paolini — retained their top spots.

Blockbuster WNBA Trade Sends Plum, Loyd to New Teams

Kelsey Plum defends Jewel Loyd during the 2023 WNBA All-Star Game.
Kelsey Plum and Jewell Loyd are both on their way to new teams in a huge WNBA trade. (Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

WNBA stars and two-time league champions Jewell Loyd and Kelsey Plum are on the move, with ESPN reporting Sunday that the Storm, Aces, and Sparks have finalized a huge three-team trade.

According to the report, Seattle is honoring Loyd's trade request by sending the six-time All-Star to Las Vegas. Plum is subsequently LA-bound on a one-year deal after the Aces cored her for a sign-and-trade.

The Aces also receive LA's No. 13 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft in the deal. Meanwhile, Seattle's No. 9 pick in 2025 plus their second-round pick in the 2026 draft now belong to the Sparks.

The Storm walk away with Sparks center Li Yueru, plus two massive draft selections. Seattle now owns valuable assets in the form of LA's No. 2 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft and Las Vegas' first-round pick in 2026.

However, should they hang onto their chips, Seattle now has a shot at righting a disappointing 2024 run by snagging a top NCAA select like No. 3 Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles or No. 4 USC forward Kiki Iriafen.

WNBA trade subjects Kelsey Plum of the Las Vegas Aces and Jewell Loyd of the Seattle Storm look on during the fourth quarter of a WNBA game.
Both Loyd and Plum went No. 1 overall in their WNBA drafts. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Loyd, Plum trade makes WNBA history

Though the news won't be official until the free agency signing window opens on February 1st, the deal is the first in WNBA history to include multiple No. 1 overall draft picks.

Top-picks Loyd (2015) and Plum (2017) have only played for the franchises that originally drafted them. Plum relocated to Las Vegas as part of the San Antonio team that originally selected her out of the University of Washington

Plum has reportedly indicated her intention to remain with the Sparks past the 2025 season, despite inking a one-year contract.

While the terms of Loyd's agreement remain unclear, both athletes will likely become free agents in 2026. They'll join the majority of WNBA players in doing so, as athletes hope to take advantage of a new CBA that's expected to significantly impact salary caps and other contract stipulations.

London Derby Pits Arsenal Against Chelsea as WSL Debate Brews

Arsenal's Kim Little talks to her team in a huddle.
Arsenal trail Chelsea by seven points in the WSL standings. (Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

An age-old rivalry headlines the WSL this weekend, as second-place Arsenal gears up for Sunday's Stamford Bridge showdown against league leaders — and reported recipient of USWNT star Naomi Girma — Chelsea FC.

Both clubs are on an undefeated tear, with Chelsea yet to register a loss halfway through the 22-match 2024/25 season.

Meanwhile, newly minted head coach Renée Slegers's Arsenal will attempt to avenge the Gunners' lone loss — a 2-1 October stumble to first-season WSL boss Sonia Bompastor's Blues.

Chelsea and Arsenal's dominance goes beyond the WSL, as both sides also advanced to the semifinals of the League Cup with massive shutout wins this past Wednesday.

WSL attacker and USWNT star Catarina Macario looks on during a Chelsea match.
International stars like the USWNT's Cat Macario give Chelsea an edge in WSL play. (Harriet Lander/Chelsea FC/Getty Images)

Wright shines spotlight on WSL investment debate

A product of a system that often places men's and women's teams under the same leadership, Chelsea and Arsenal have set the standard for the top-flight UK league — and cast other clubs in their shadow.

As some WSL teams continue to snag top international stars, those seeing departures risk falling by the wayside — putting into question a system that might be inhibiting the league's growth and parity.

"In England, with the women's league, I believe if you gave some owners the opportunity to back out of supporting the women's game, I think they would, simply because I feel like they're all about profit," Arsenal legend and outspoken women's football advocate Ian Wright told The World Economic Forum in Davros this week.

Wright acknowledged that the women's game, which suffered from a near 50-year FA ban, is still "playing catch up on every level, infrastructure, training, coaching and every level of development."

"Because of the past it wasn't allowed to be built up, so we are trying to do that now. So, it needs owners, individuals and corporates that will invest."

Currently, the English FA is considering expanding the lower tiers of the women's football pyramid to incentivize development and professionalization at the club level.

Arsenal player Lotte Wubben-Moy battles with Mayra Ramirez of Chelsea at the 2023/24 FA Women's Continental Tyres League Cup Final.
Another London Derby lights up the WSL this weekend. (Copa/Getty Images)

How to watch WSL rivals Chelsea vs. Arsenal in the London Derby

Sunday's WSL rivalry match pits the league-leading Blues against the Gunners at 7:25 AM ET, with live coverage on ESPN2.

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