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Alex Aust Talks Lacrosse’s Olympic Ambitions, Building a Personal Brand

DURHAM, NC – APRIL 21: Alex Aust #10 of the Maryland Terrapins take a shot on goal against the Duke Blue Devils during the semifinals of the 2012 Women’s ACC Tournament at Koskinen Stadium on April 21, 2012 in Durham, North Carolina. Maryland defeated Duke 12-3. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
You had an awesome career at Maryland. What initially drew you to the school?

Maryland wasn’t even my dream school at first. It was actually the last school I visited. When I was going through the recruiting process my dad made me visit all of the schools that were looking at me so I went to about 25 different schools. And I thought the campus was all right, didn’t think anything was crazy awesome about it. But it checked all my boxes: big school, big sports team, big campus. It was when I met the team and Cathy, our head coach, that I realized I had to go there. I just fell in love with the culture.

What was it like winning a championship your freshman year? 

It was pretty unreal. It was my dream. I mean, it’s every little kid’s dream, and it’s even better than you expect it to be. Winning it my freshman year, I was like, “Oh, that was easy. I guess we’re going to do it every year now.” But unfortunately we didn’t win again. My freshman year it was all based on our seniors and their leadership. They were just absolutely incredible. That first year really paved the way for me and showed me how I wanted to be treated and how I wanted to treat others.

Although your team didn’t win another championship the last three years of your career, you came really close. 

We always made it really, really close. I mean, I played in the national championship game again my sophomore and senior year. And as a senior we ended up losing the championship game in triple overtime. Although it was super hard to lose, I learned so much every single year from losing in the national championship or in the final four. I know for a fact that I am the person I am because of my experience at Maryland under Cathy, and I’m not sure that winning more championships would have changed that. Of course, it would have been icing on the cake.

Losing in triple overtime your senior year must have left you feeling like you still had some unfinished business.  

Oh my God, 100%. After I graduated, I actually stayed and worked at the university under Cathy purely because I was like, “I am not done. I can’t be done.” I couldn’t understand why it had all happened the way it had because I felt like our senior class did everything right. We were the leaders we wanted to be. I kept thinking “Why didn’t the good guys win?” Ultimately, I think it all made me a better coach. And then, after that it really pushed me into fighting to make the 2017 World Cup team because I was like, “I’m not ready to be done with lacrosse.” So it had some positive effects.

What does it mean to you to be a professional lacrosse player for the WPLL? What’s your big picture vision for the league?

Considering myself a professional athlete is something that I would have never thought was possible, and I’m so grateful that I live in a time where I can really lay the foundation and be a part of paving the way to make lacrosse a powerhouse sport at the professional level. I want lacrosse, men and women, to be where basketball is, where baseball is, where football is. I want females and males in the sport that I love to be able to have this be their full time job. And I think that what it’s going to take to get there is just exposure.

I think that that’s really what the PLL [Premier Lacrosse League] did a great job at doing, especially getting their NBC Sports deal. Their social media coverage of last summer was absolutely out of this world. It was showing people lacrosse like they’d never seen it before. And I think that women’s lacrosse has to do the same thing. We need to have the same innovation and exposure that they had. We don’t have to change the sport. We have the people. All the women involved are incredible. They’re so well-rounded and they know what it takes to scrape and claw at being a professional athlete. We all empower each other. Now we just have to bring the social media and the marketing and the TV exposure to our sport. We have to put these female athletes on a platform so that the most number of people can see them and know what great role models they are for the next generation.

You yourself have quite the social presence. You’ve honestly blown up! How did that come about? 

I think that it just came really natural, and it also is something that I just genuinely enjoy. I’m an oversharer, I love connecting with people, and I think social media, when used positively, is just so powerful because it can connect you with so many people from all over the world.

We’re lucky at Maryland because we have so many youth programs that come and watch us and because we’re in such a hotbed for the sport. Cathy also does such a good job in encouraging us to be role models. That’s where I found my love for coaching, by connecting with players at camps and coaching them when I was still playing at Maryland. I think that created a little bit of a fan base, and then those people have just grown up with me, which is really cool.

How do you view the interplay between your athletic career and your personal brand? 

I think it actually goes hand-in-hand with lacrosse as a sport, in terms of being creative. There’s room for creativity in the shots you take and just the way that the game is changing, and growing, and moving fast. It’s the same with social media. And I think that’s why anything goes, because it’s a space that’s constantly changing and growing. And it’s so accessible to everyone, so why not share my experiences? I’ve been running weekly workouts and I’ve had 300 people join my live workouts. I’ve never worked out with 300 people in my life so it’s been cool.

Inevitably, there’s going to be trolls. How do you deal with them? 

Trust me, there’s plenty of those negative keyboard warriors out there. But my mentality is, if I connect with just one person, if one person can read or watch my posts and get some insight into what I’ve gone through, and if that helps them in turn, then it’s worth it. Now, I might not be everyone’s cup of tea. I might not relate to every single person. But I love what I’m doing, and so I’ll continue to keep growing. It really is genuinely what I am creating at the moment.

Do you think your playing style has changed from college to the professional level? 

In college, your game develops as you grow as a team and as an individual. And you have the luxury of playing together with teammates every single day. Whereas now, at the professional level, we do not have very much time to get ourselves together with our teammates. In college I was more of an assister but now I am more of a goal scorer. With the US Team, I just slotted into that role just because we had ridiculous ball handlers on our team and I just wanted to get onto that team in any way, shape, or form that I could, and if that took me being a catch and finisher, then I was okay with that. That’s how my game has evolved. I’ve learned what works for me and what doesn’t. And I just think with being a little bit on the older side, especially in the pro league, it saves a lot to not be the one with the ball going to goal every single time.

How do you think lacrosse’s growth compares to other female sports professionally and internationally? Obviously, there’s been a ton of talk about pushing for the sport to be in the Olympics. How does it get there? 

Lacrosse is both the fastest growing sport and the fastest game on two feet. So for any young athlete that wants to run really fast and play a sport that’s high-scoring, lacrosse is the one for you. I think it’s just such a perfect combination of so many things we love. It has the same one-on-one play as basketball. You have to have the same hand-eye coordination as in field hockey, but it’s on a soccer field. You shoot into a goal and it has contact like hockey. It combines so many sports that if you’re an athlete you are going to pick it up quickly, and then if you really love it you’re going to excel. And I think the best part about it is that it’s just so quickly growing that I tell all my club girls, if you want to play lacrosse in college, there is a spot for you. There’s so many college programs that are looking for people to fill their roster.

And playing professionally now is really cool, as is playing internationally for the World Cup. But I think getting this game into the Olympics is the most vital thing. There’s about 27 women’s teams that compete at the World Cup, and 40 on the men’s side. So there’s an international love for the sport, but I think that we need to make it more feasible for those who may not have the budgets to play. Ultimately, they are shooting for lacrosse to be in the Olympics by 2028. And in order to do that, they’ll have to go with this new Olympic format, where it’s six on six on a smaller field and there’s no draw after goals.

What are your own personal goals in the sport? Do you see yourself playing for many more years?

I want to play for as long as I can. I don’t think I could ever see being without lacrosse in my life, but I have also developed a love for fitness and lifestyle and mindfulness coaching. So I could see myself, especially as I continue to grow my brand, just helping these young female athletes navigate the craziness of growing up. Being a female athlete is so unique. I think it’s your superpower. But it’s like, how are you going to be the best at your sport, be a complete bad-ass, but also not be catty, and not be jealous, and not be insecure but be self-confident? There’s so much to navigate that I wish I would have had a strong female role model help me go through it. Now I hope to be that for someone one day.

I think that I will always work with people in some sort of regard, through leadership, through coaching, through fitness. And I just think growing my brand to help those middle school, high school girls that are just going through sport and looking for a good role model is my ultimate goal.

College Basketball Returns as 2024/25 NCAA Season Tips Off

Ole Miss's Christeen Iwuala and USC's Clarice Akunwafo eye a rebound during their 2024/25 season opener.
Coming off a banner 2023/24 run, a new season of NCAA basketball tipped off on Monday. (Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images)

College basketball made its return by unleashing a blockbuster slate of games to tip off the 2024/25 NCAA season on Monday.

While fans will have to wait until Thursday for their first season look at No. 2 UConn's preseason All-American Paige Bueckers, 16 of the preseason Top 25 teams hit Monday's court, including No. 6 Notre Dame, No. 7 LSU, and No. 8 Iowa State.

USC sophomore JuJu Watkins dribbled the ball downcourt in Monday's NCAA basketball season opener.
USC sophomore JuJu Watkins led the Trojans to college basketball victory in Paris on Monday. (Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images)

Paris doubleheader tips off college basketball season in style

It all started with a ranked doubleheader in Paris, France. First, No. 3 USC squeaked by No. 20 Ole Miss 68-66 behind double-doubles from preseason All-Americans JuJu Watkins and Kiki Iriafen.

Even though USC led by 11 points after the first half, they needed both sophomore phenom Watkins's 27 points and 10 rebounds plus Stanford transfer Iriafen's 22 points and 13 rebounds to stave off the Rebels' 40-point second-half surge.

As for Ole Miss, guard KK Deans made an early season statement by leading her team with 19 points. All-SEC shooter Madison Scott put up another 14. Out of the gate, the Rebels expertly disrupted the Trojan offense, forcing USC to commit 26 turnovers in their season opener.

Later, No. 5 UCLA followed USC in bringing a season-opening win back to California. Led by star center Lauren Betts's 18-point, 12-rebound double-double, the Bruins — who committed 22 turnovers — defeated No. 17 Louisville 66-59.

Despite the loss, Louisville freshman guard Tajianna Roberts made a major splash, racking up 21 points in her college basketball debut.

Notably, the first-ever Paris NCAA basketball game was contested to open the 2023/24 season. At that time, South Carolina defeated Notre Dame, kicking off an undefeated run all the way to the 2024 NCAA Championship — a path USC and UCLA will be eager to follow after Monday's victories.

South Carolina basketball players huddle during a 2024/25 preseason college basketball NCAA exhibition game.
No. 1 South Carolina will open their 2024/25 NCAA season against Michigan on Monday night. (Justin Ford/Getty Images)

Other Monday matchups showcase NCAA basketball talent

Overseas battles aside, much of the NCAA's opening day pairings were dominated by ranked schools. Top-25 teams triumphed over lesser opponents, none more so than No. 19 Florida State's 119-49 win over North Florida.

However, the day's most intriguing ranked-unranked matchup is still to come, when No. 1 South Carolina takes on Michigan in Las Vegas.

With the exception of Chicago Sky rookie Kamilla Cardoso, the Gamecocks return every starter and most of their bench from last season's championship roster. They'll look to extend their unbeaten run into this season, starting with the Wolverines.

How to watch the South Carolina vs. Michigan NCAA basketball game

South Carolina women's basketball will tip off against Michigan in Las Vegas at 7:30 PM ET on Monday, with live coverage on TNT.

NWSL Results Lock in 2024 Playoff Bracket

Portland's Christine Sinclair celebrates her final home goal in her NWSL career.
Portland's Christine Sinclair scored in what was likely her last game at Providence Park. (Craig Mitchelldyer/Imagn Images)

The 2024 NWSL Playoffs are officially set, with Portland and Bay FC clinching the final two postseason spots this weekend.

The Thorns punched their ticket with Friday's 3-0 win over Angel City thanks to a trio of first-half goals from attackers Christine Sinclair, Sophia Smith, and Morgan Weaver. The victory officially extends Sinclair's pro career by at least one more match, and saw the soccer legend notch her final goal in front of a Providence Park home crowd in her 200th regular-season game.

Then on Saturday, a brace from forward Racheal Kundananji boosted Bay FC to a 3-2 win over Houston, snagging the 2024 expansion team the postseason's No. 7 seed in the process. Even more, Bay became the winningest first-year team in NWSL history with 11 wins, surpassing 2022 expansion team San Diego's 10 victories.

KC's Michelle Cooper battles Chicago's Hannah Anderson for the ball during an NWSL match.
After Sunday's loss to KC, Chicago fell to their lowest NWSL table position all season. (Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)

Top NWSL playoff teams build postseason momentum

The top four playoff-bound teams rolled through their last regular-season matches, with Orlando, Washington, Gotham, and Kansas City securing both victories and important postseason momentum.

Notably, Shield-winners Orlando snapped their two-game skid with Saturday's 3-2 win over Seattle, giving Pride fans hope for some more 2024 hardware.

North Carolina and Chicago, however, floundered in losses. Washington striker Ashley's Hatch's 37th-minute goal was the difference-maker in North Carolina's 1-0 loss on Saturday, the Courage's first home defeat since April 2023, when they also fell to the Spirit on a Hatch game-winner.

Like the Courage, the Red Stars locked up their playoff spot weeks ago, but their 3-1 Sunday loss to KC had arguably the most potent impact on the postseason picture. The combination of Chicago's defeat and victories from Portland and Bay sent the Red Stars down to eighth place on the table, their lowest standing in the league all season.

Chawinga officially clinches NWSL Golden Boot Award

The other big weekend winner was KC's Temwa Chawinga. Chawinga officially took the 2024 Golden Boot title behind her league-record 20 goals and six assists, despite sitting out the Current's Sunday victory with a knee injury.

Also impressing from the injured list this season is Spirit rookie Croix Bethune, who finished as the year's NWSL assist leader. Before her season-ending meniscus tear in August, Bethune notched 10 assists to tie the NWSL record held by Tobin Heath.

How to watch the 2024 NWSL Playoffs

The NWSL's first-ever eight-team bracket is locked up, with the quarterfinals kicking off on Friday.

No. 1 Orlando will face No. 8 Chicago at 8 PM ET on Friday, streaming live on Prime, with No. 4 Kansas City battling No. 5 North Carolina on Saturday at 12 PM ET on CBS.

Sunday's doubleheader will air on ABC, with No. 2 Washington hosting No. 7 Bay FC at 12:30 PM ET before No. 6 Portland visits No. 3 Gotham at 3 PM ET.

Top Tennis Talent Lands in Saudi Arabia for 2024 WTA Finals

US tennis star Coco Gauff practices for the 2024 WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia
US tennis star Coco Gauff is ranked No. 3 in the world. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)

The year's final major tennis tournament begins on Saturday when the sport's highest-ranked athletes descend on Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to compete in the 2024 WTA Finals.

Featuring the eight best singles players and eight best doubles teams, Slam winners and Olympic medalists alike will compete for the Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova trophies before the winter break.

Also up for grabs is a piece of the record $15.25 million prize pool, larger than any Grand Slam purse and a nearly 70% increase over the 2023 pot. Should the champions go undefeated through the tournament, the singles winner will bank $5.155 million, while the top doubles duo will take home $1.125 million.

WTA tennis stars Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula play doubles together at Wimbledon 2024.
2024 French Open and Wimbledon doubles teammates Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula will open their WTA Finals singles campaigns against each other. (Francois Nel/Getty Images)

Eight days of elite tennis action

In both the WTA Finals singles and doubles categories, competitors are split into two groups of four.

Each singles player or doubles pair will play all others in their group for a total of three matches across the first six days. The top two in each group will then compete in the November 8th semifinals, with both finals set for November 9th.

In the singles contest, the Purple Group includes No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 4 Jasmine Paolini, No. 5 Elena Rybakina, and No. 7 Qinwen Zheng, while the Orange Group lists No. 2 Iga Świątek, No. 3 Coco Gauff, No. 6 Jessica Pegula, and No. 8 Barbora Krejčíková.

In both competitions, 25% of the top eight athletes represent the USA. Along with Gauff and Pegula on the singles court, the doubles tournament includes No. 5 US duo Caroline Dolehide and Desirae Krawczyk as well as Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Taylor Townsend in the Nos. 6 and 8 pairs, respectively.

World No. 1 tennis player Aryna Sabalenka and No. 2 Iga Świątek share a friendly moment during practice for the 2024 WTA Finals.
Off-court friends No. 1 Aryana Sabalenka and No. 2 Iga Świątek are fierce on-court competitors. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)

Will Sabalenka play Świątek at the WTA Finals?

A showdown between Sabalenka and 2023 WTA Finals champion Świątek could be the event's blockbuster match. The top-ranked players have yet to square off in a major tournament in 2024 — a year rife with highs and lows for both athletes.

Sabalenka started the WTA season by winning her second Australian Open, then later struggled through a shoulder injury that forced her to withdraw from Wimbledon. She capped the Grand Slam season in style, though, winning her first US Open in September.

As for five-time Grand Slam victor Świątek, 2024 brought the Polish phenom her fourth French Open title. A rockier second half to the season — including a third round and quarterfinal ousting from Wimbledon and the US Open, and a fall from the No. 1 ranking for the first time since November 2023 — motivated Świątek to seek a new coach.

How to watch the 2024 WTA Finals tennis tournament

The 2024 WTA Finals kicks off on Saturday, when US Open winner Sabalenka plays 2024 Olympic gold medalist Zheng at 11 AM ET.

Later, 2023 US Open champ Gauff will take on 2024 US Open runner-up Pegula at 8:45 AM ET on Sunday.

All 2024 WTA Finals matches will be broadcast live on the Tennis Channel.

Naomi Girma Scores Goals and the NWSL Playoff Race Heats Up on ‘The Late Sub’

USWNT center back Naomi Girma celebrates her second international goal
USWNT center back Naomi Girma scored her first two international goals on Wednesday.(Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)

In today’s episode of the Late Sub, host Claire Watkins wraps up the USWNT's October window with a look at the team’s 3-0 win over Argentina, from how rotation became the US’s strength to center back Naomi Girma's unparalleled ability to do it all.

Then, Watkins refocuses on the NWSL, where six of the league's 14 clubs will complete their 2024 seasons this weekend. First, however, the league will determine the eight playoff teams, pulling from a postseason race that could come down to Sunday's final regular-season match.

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.

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