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US women’s hockey trailblazer Abby Roque gives back to her roots

Abby Roque. (Bri Lewerke)

It’s an afternoon in June right around two months before her next competition. Abby Roque is back at her home following a trip to her hometown a month prior where she spent a few days visiting family and friends while also doing an event or two. She’s been on an incredible path that her hockey ability has set for her since she first put stick to ice, and there is plenty of cause for celebration right now.

She’s almost like the prodigal daughter when she returns, and the town is alive when she does. There’s always a new feat, a new plateau that she’s come to, and a heap of stories and adulation to accompany them. She’s coming home with a silver medal from the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games earned a few months back.

Abby (Ojibwe of the Wahnapitae First Nation) is the first Indigenous player to be named to the USA Women’s Hockey Team. Ever. Whatever she does now will be a first at this level. The story for this trip is that she broke through a glass ceiling.

Coming back with the medal makes Roque the most famous person from Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., at the moment. So famous that she was given the key to the city, which put her in some lofty company.

“I’m the third person to get the key to the city,” Roque says when asked about the key. “We did an event where kids could see me and talk to me, and I didn’t understand there was going to be a whole ceremony before. The two other people that got the key to the city were a guy from KISS and Jeff Blashill, the former coach of the Detroit Red Wings.

“I don’t know if I quite fit in here, but I’ll take it.”

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Abby Roque. (Bri Lewerke)

As much as she may think she’s not important enough to warrant a key, there’s plenty to suggest she’s the most inspiring of the three. She’s now in the very rarified space of trailblazer. That’s something most athletes never even think about.

Quite frankly, Abby didn’t either.

Growing up in the oldest city in Michigan, a small town directly south of the border from its Canadian twin city with the same name, Roque was immersed in her Indigenous culture from birth. She, like many of her friends, is Ojibwe of the Wahnapitae First Nation. With a large Native American population in the town, her culture could be seen and heard everywhere and was celebrated daily.

“My tribe is from outside of Sudbury, Ont., so there were two tribes 30 minutes from where my house was. And I always thought it was a common thing,” Roque says. “I’d go to school and every assembly we’d have a drum circle to start it off. I’d go to the rink that was owned by the reservation, and you’d go to pow wows there. It was such a common thing to be surrounded by other Indigenous people there that I didn’t think twice about my own roots. It was a great way to grow up.”

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Abby Roque. (Bri Lewerke)

Roque lived around the ice before she lived to be on it. From the time she was 2 years old, her family played on a backyard rink as soon as it was cold enough every year. That’s where she and her sister learned to skate.

“Both our girls started in figure skates. (Me and my wife) both wanted our girls to skate,” says Abby’s father, Jim. “We lived in Sault Ste. Marie and everyone skated and played hockey. Just like every other kid, she wanted to be a part of the group and skate. It was actually my sister that bought her the first pair of hockey skates for Christmas a couple of years after she got into skating.”

From that point on, it was, in Abby’s words, “game over.” The older she got, the more she wanted to play.

Without many local opportunities for girls’ hockey, Abby wound up playing on boys’ teams. Playing with the guys, she quickly learned to outwit her opponents in a way that mirrored her selfless personality. She learned to score, but she took particular pride in her passing and playmaking, skills that made her stand out.

Abby’s dad was the coach of the Lake Superior State men’s hockey team until Abby finished at Sault Area High School, which meant she was always around the rink. After school, and sometimes during school, the rink served as her second home. Just like the community she grew up in off the ice, the one she found on it welcomed her like family.

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Abby Roque. (Bri Lewerke)

After high school, Abby moved onto Wisconsin in 2016, and her world quickly turned upside down. After being around Indigenous people for most of her life, she suddenly found herself to be the only Indigenous person in the crowd.

“When I got to college, it was sad to see how little my teammates were exposed to Indigenous people or culture, but they were awesome about it,” she says. “They asked a million questions, and they were just interested. They were always really supportive.”

The transition to college life was relatively easy for Abby in just about every area except one: staying connected to her Indigenous roots. Adding to the challenge was her realization that she may not know as much of the culture as she wished she did. Being surrounded by it made it easier, but away at school, she needed to find a way to stay connected. Abby found solace in learning about her own Native American background and a new way to honor her culture.

“Obviously, I grew up around the culture a lot,” Abby says. “I think when I got (to university), my thing to be connected was to just learn. That’s when I started to research more, read different texts, and I think that’s what connected me to my roots. I think that’s what kept me grounded.”

With that mindset, Abby went on to become one of the best players to ever take the ice at Wisconsin. The forward capped her incredible college career in 2020 as the WCHA Conference Player of the Year, a First Team All-American honoree and the USCHO Player of the Year. She finished in the top 10 in Wisconsin program history for career points (ninth), assists (seventh), game-winning goals (eighth), power play goals (seventh) and plus/minus (seventh).

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Abby Roque. (Bri Lewerke)

Abby’s college career put her firmly on the radar of the U.S. women’s national team, and after a few attempts to make the team, including a canceled IIHF Women’s World Championship in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Abby finally made her national team debut this year at the Olympics under a bright microscope. In Beijing, she tallied two assists and had a goal in the 4-1 win over Finland for her first three points for the Red, White and Blue. As a rookie on this big stage, she played like a vet.

Being the first anything in anything usually comes with fanfare, and Abby’s experience has been no exception. She’s being celebrated by tribes across the country as the first Indigenous player on the U.S. women’s national hockey team. When she speaks at events she’s greeted by people excited about her and what she’s doing for the community.

She’s taking the moments in stride, knowing firsthand what it’s like to be on the ice and not see many — if any — people with her cultural background across the line outside of her community. She knows that she’s helping to blaze a trail for Indigenous people, and for any minority hockey players who can see themselves in her.

“If you ask any athlete where they’re more comfortable, (it’s their) discipline — I’m obviously more comfortable on the ice. When you feel that pressure there, it’s just because you want to win. Off the ice, there’s a lot of responsibility like doing interviews, doing speaking engagements, doing camps and all these different things,” Abby says. “You do want to do it because you want to be a visible role model to kids all over. I don’t think I like public speaking, but it’s something I know I have to do so that these kids see me.

“You just don’t want to disappoint people in any way. There’s definitely pressure, but it’s a great pressure to have, and it’s a responsibility I’m more than happy to do if it leads more kids to play.”

When Abby recalls an event she’s spoken at or a moment she’s interacted with kids for autographs and photos, she seems genuinely surprised that she’s worthy of their attention. She didn’t envision herself in this role, but now that she has the platform to inspire the types of communities she grew up in, she’s dedicated herself fully to the cause.

For one, Abby is working to make hockey more affordable for families like hers. When she was young, she and her teams would fundraise to help offset the sizable costs of playing hockey. She and her family welcomed countless people to their backyard rink to play, an experience that instilled selflessness and generosity in her.

For Abby, who would rather have the game-winning assist than the game-winning goal, giving back in this way would be her biggest assist to date.

As a Nike N7 ambassador, Abby’s insight and voice is a guide to celebrating the future generations and elevating the power of youth in her community. The Nike N7 Fund was created to connect Native American and Indigenous youth to become more involved in sports and has awarded more than $8 million in grants administered by the Charities Aid Foundation of America to more than 270 communities and organizations since 2009.

Currently, Abby is in Minnesota training with her Olympic teammates ahead of the IIHF World Championships in August. Six days a week, she goes through training sessions; in between, she looks forward to being on a boat and spending time with good company, just like she once did back home on Lake Superior.

At 24 years old, Abby has the aura of an ordinary person, but she also has the uncanny ability to make everyone around her better. Inspiration unlocks the door, and she’s got the key, one for everybody. That’s always cause for celebration.

Ray Bala is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports based in Toronto, Canada.

UEFA Draw Sets Champions League Quarterfinals

The UEFA Champions League trophy sits on display before the 2024/25 quarterfinals draw.
Eight teams' paths to May's Champions League final in Lisbon were determined in Friday's draw. (Kristian Skeie - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

The 2024/25 Champions League quarterfinals are officially set, with UEFA drawing the remaining eight teams into the field early Friday morning.

The annual season-long competition pits Europe's top leagues against each other. This season, 72 clubs across 50 different leagues qualified for the contest. From the UK to Ukraine, all teams have been vying for the continent's top-dog status amidst a cutthroat atmosphere and a growing sense of parity in the sport.

Two qualifying rounds narrowed the initial teams down to the 16 contending in the tournament's official group stage. Each played six group-stage matches from October through December to determine the eight clubs that advanced to Friday's final draw.

A screen shows the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League quarterfinal pairings at Friday's draw.
Four previous champions made the 2024/25 Champions League quarterfinals. (Kristian Skeie - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

The road to Champions League glory in Lisbon

All remaining clubs are now eyeing the May 24th final in Lisbon, Portugal, and Friday's draw mapped each team's path to that championship match. The 2024/25 quarterfinals will feature four former champions and four seeking a first-ever trophy, with both familiar fights and rarely tested toss-ups on deck.

Both the March quarterfinals and April semifinals employ a two-leg format, offering teams who suffer narrow first losses a shot at second-match redemption.

Friday's draw determined that WSL contenders Arsenal will kick off the tournament's quarterfinals against Real Madrid on March 18th, with Germany's Bayern Munich taking on France's 2024 UWCL runners-up Olympique Lyonnais shortly afterwards.

The following day, Bayern's Frauen-Bundesliga foes Wolfsburg will face Spain's 2024 UWCL champs FC Barcelona. Closing out the initial tilts is a WSL standoff between Manchester City and the UK league's undefeated titans Chelsea FC.

Lyon's Michele Kang, president of the winningest Champions League team in history, speaks to the media after Friday's UEFA draw.
Backed by club president Michele Kang, Lyon will seek its record ninth UWCL title this year. (Kristian Skeie - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

Increased global parity to test UWCL dynasties

With eight of the tournament's 23 titles under their belts, Lyon is the winningest team in UWCL history. Meanwhile, current back-to-back champions Barcelona claimed three of the last four trophies.

Despite the recent two-team domination, capturing this season's title will be a challenge. Hoping to spoil Lyon's and Barcelona's dynastic runs is four first-time title-hunters, plus two-time winners Wolfsburg and early champion Arsenal — who won the trophy in 2007, when the tournament was called the UEFA Women's Cup.

All in all, the European crown has never been tougher to claim, with leagues across the continent increasingly stocking up on standout — and potentially game-changing — players from beyond their borders.

Portland Announces Joint NWSL x WNBA Training Center

A rendering of the outside of the proposed NWSL x WNBA performance complex in Portland.
The Portland facility will be the first shared WNBA-NWSL performance complex under the same ownership. (RAJ Sports/Populous)

Portland is going all in on women's sports, with RAJ Sports — the ownership group behind both the NWSL's Thorns and Portland's incoming WNBA team — announcing the development of a new $150 million sports performance complex on Thursday.

The 12-acre dual-sport performance center will be the first-ever facility housing both a pro women's soccer squad and a pro women's basketball team.

Innovation and amenities lead Portland design

At 63,000 square feet, the incoming NWSL x WNBA training facility will feature two basketball courts, two soccer pitches, a 17,000-square-foot practice gym, a state-of-the-art strength training facility, and a laundry list of additional top-of-the-line amenities.

According to the Thorns' announcement, the center aims to "[elevate] the standard of athletic development by integrating cutting-edge training, advanced recovery, and holistic wellness with lifestyle elements specific to the needs of female athletes in a collaborative multi-team setting."

The wellness additions include recovery lounges and pools, hyperbaric therapy, red-light therapy, and a yoga and pilates room, plus access to a full-time chef and nutritionist via the center's kitchen and dining hall.

"This kind of high-performance training facility allows us to elevate every part of our game, becoming better and more well-rounded athletes," said Thorns forward Sophia Wilson (née Smith).

"Having a space designed specifically for female athletes gives us yet another leg up on the competition and will be vital to our future successes."

A rendering of the basketball court in the proposed Portland performance complex.
The WNBA and NWSL performance complex adds Portland to a growing list of women's sports facilities. (RAJ Sports/Populous)

Portland joins other WNBA and NWSL teams building own facilities

Portland is just the latest in a wave of women's teams across top-tier US leagues breaking ground on dedicated performance facilities.

Earlier this week, WNBA newcomer Golden State unveiled their own custom-built Valkyries Performance Center. Last month, NWSL side Angel City cut the ribbon on their dedicated training facility.

RAJ Sports’ effort to continue the investment trend comes barely a year after their January 2024 purchase of the Thorns. That move was finalized a little over eight months before the WNBA accepted their expansion bid, making the Bhathal family — who also have a stake in the NBA's Sacramento Kings — the first-ever ownership group to oversee pro women's teams in two different sports.

Las Vegas Aces Revamp Roster with Offseason Moves

Las Vegas Aces standouts Sydney Colson and Tiffany Hayes race downcourt during a 2024 game.
Both Sydney Colson and Tiffany Hayes are departing Las Vegas this season. (David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images)

WNBA roster shakeups kept rolling this week, with a deluge of moves radically reshaping the 2022 and 2023 league champion Las Vegas Aces.

After three seasons in Las Vegas, backup guard and popular locker room presence Sydney Colson signed a one-year deal with Indiana on Thursday. The Fever, who've been aggressive about inking athletes they believe will bring a title back to Indianapolis, targeted Colson for her veteran experience.

"[Colson] brings a championship pedigree to the Fever, adding depth to our point guard position, said Fever COO and GM Amber Cox in the team's announcement. "We have the utmost confidence in her ability to step into any situation and deliver on both ends of the floor."

Joining Colson in leaving Las Vegas is forward Alysha Clark. A key factor in the Aces' 2023 title run — which ultimately earned her the WNBA's Sixth Woman of the Year award — Clark is returning to the Seattle Storm, where she played from 2012 to 2020.

The Aces are also losing their 2024 Sixth Woman of the Year, Tiffany Hayes. Despite the Aces protecting her in December's expansion draft, the free agent guard will take her talents to incoming franchise Golden State. There, she'll link up with former Las Vegas assistant coach-turned-Valkyries boss Natalie Nakase.

"Having coached Tiffany last season in Las Vegas, I know firsthand the impact she brings both on and off the court," Nakase noted. "Her versatility, intensity, and ability to score will be invaluable as we build our team's identity."

Atlanta's Cheyenne Parker-Tyus guards Las Vegas's A'ja Wilson during a 2024 WNBA game.
Cheyenne Parker-Tyus will join A'ja Wilson in the Aces' front court this season. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Las Vegas Aces take aim at refreshed dynasty

After falling short of a three-peat championship last season — despite three-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson's outstanding 2024 performance — a significant Aces roster reshuffling was all but guaranteed ahead of the 2025 season.

Las Vegas kicked things off by shipping All-Star guard Kelsey Plum off to the LA Sparks last month. The blockbuster three-team trade sent Seattle's two-time champ Jewell Loyd to the Aces in return.

To shore up their front-court, Las Vegas inked 6-foot-4 power forward Cheyenne Parker-Tyus on Thursday. The 2023 All-Star averaged 15 points and 6.7 rebounds for Atlanta that season, and was on her way to matching that production last year when an ankle injury curbed her 2024 run.

Ultimately, Las Vegas's roller coaster offseason reflects both the WNBA's shifting landscape and the Aces' quest to revive their former dynasty, hoping a fresh start can fuel them all the way to another league title in 2025.

Tennessee Upsets NCAA Rival UConn in Vols’ First Top 10 Win

Tennessee basketball players Jewel Spear and Zee Spearman celebrate their 80-76 upset win over UConn.
Tennessee scored their first win over UConn since 2007. (Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)

No. 19 Tennessee notched the first major win of their Kim Caldwell era on Thursday night, stifling No. 5 UConn 80-76 to capture their first Top 10 basketball victory of the season — and first win over the Huskies since 2007.

Bolstered by a 13-0 run in the third quarter, Tennessee out-rebounded UConn 46-34 to hold the Huskies at bay.

On defense, the Vols managed to limit UConn star and projected 2025 WNBA Draft No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers to just 5-of-16 from the field and 2-of-6 from beyond the arc.

"We had poise down the stretch. I think we played with confidence. I think we played to win, as opposed to afraid to lose," commented first-year Tennessee head coach Caldwell after the game.

Tennessee flips the historic rivalry script against UConn

Once one of the most heated historic rivalries in NCAA basketball, Tennessee and UConn met 22 times from 1995 to 2007. The Huskies took 13 victories over that stretch.

Since the teams rebooted their non-conference series in 2020, UConn has taken the win in all four meetings — until Tennessee halted the Huskies on Thursday.

A big upset win from the Vols has felt increasingly inevitable this season, as Tennessee has come wildly close to claiming multiple top-tier upsets. They fell to No. 4 Texas by just four points, No. 6 LSU by two points, and logged one-point losses against both No. 15 Oklahoma and No. 24 Vanderbilt.

Last week, the Vols lost to No. 2 South Carolina 70-63. Subsequently, Tennessee became just the second team to limit the reigning NCAA champs to a single-digit win this season.

Despite Tennessee’s recent rise, Thursday's result was a blow to UConn. The Huskies are now 21-3 in 2024/25 play, with all three losses coming against Top 10 teams. UConn likely has just one regular-season Top 10 matchup left by way of a February 16th clash with South Carolina.

"The bottom line is we have some players on our team that are supposed to be our best players and they've got to play better. That's all there is to it," said UConn head coach Geno Auriemma in response.

South Carolina's Bree Hall defends Texas guard Madison Booker during a 2024 NCAA basketball game.
Texas and South Carolina will meet in a Top-4 matchup on Sunday. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

How to watch top-ranked NCAA basketball this weekend

As tough as the SEC has been, there's little rest for the weary, with No. 19 Tennessee gearing up for a rematch with No. 6 LSU at 4 PM ET on Sunday. Live coverage will air on ESPN.

In Top 10 weekend action, No. 8 Ohio State will cap their West Coast trip against No. 7 USC at 9 PM ET on Saturday, live on Fox Sports.

Then on Sunday, No. 4 Texas will host No. 2 South Carolina at 2 PM ET, with ESPN broadcasting live.

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