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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.

2025 NCAA Softball Kicks Off as Oklahoma Hunts 5th-Straight World Series Win

Oklahoma and Texas line up on the softball field before the second game of the 2024 Women's College World Series.
Oklahoma will pursue their fifth-straight NCAA softball title this season. (Brian Bahr/Getty Images)

College softball is back, with a new-look Oklahoma team kicking off the 2025 NCAA season in pursuit of a fifth-straight Women's College World Series win.

Despite Oklahoma's ongoing dominance, 2025's lineup does promise significantly higher parity than seasons past.

Having graduated a number of last year's stars — including a senior class that snagged four straight national titles — the Sooners enter the season ranked third.

Instead, 2024 runner-up Texas takes the top spot, followed by perennial contenders Florida at No. 2. Both teams enter 2025 with the majority of their rosters from last season intact, earning them an edge over the revamped Sooners.

Texas star catcher Reese Atwood blasts a double during a 2024 NCAA Softball Regional game against Northwestern.
Star slugger Reese Atwood is back to lead the Texas softball offense. (David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Texas on top as SEC looms

Still hunting a first national championship, Texas returns with six starters and four of their five 2024 pitchers — including then-freshman phenom Teagan Kavan, who led the team with 20 wins last year.

Meanwhile, last season's Big 12 Player of the Year, junior catcher Reese Atwood, is back to lead the Longhorn offense.

After joining rival Oklahoma in flipping to the SEC this year, Texas is gearing up to meet their new conference foes with the No. 1 target on their backs.

"It's a great honor, to tell you the truth," Texas head coach Mike White said about the preseason ranking. "And now we got to back it up. We’ve had a team that's been called young in the years past, and now we're a little more mature."

"We have a tough slate of games ahead of us, and then, of course, the gauntlet of the SEC is ahead of us," White noted. "We’ve really just got to go play good softball now."

The impact of conference realignment will extend beyond the SEC this season. The sport's historic dynasty No. 6 UCLA is now competing in the Big Ten while No. 4 Oklahoma State is taking over the top spot in the Big 12 rankings.

Stanford pitcher NiJaree Canady winds up from the circle during a 2024 NCAA Softball Super Regionals game against LSU.
A $1 million NIL deal convinced 2024 National Player of the Year NiJaree Canady to transfer to Texas Tech. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

2025 NCAA softball season takes the field

As multiple teams travel to warm-weather destinations to start the season, the first week of competition showcases a slate of top-ranked matchups.

With a top-tier win already in the books, No. 4 Oklahoma State opened their 2025 campaign with a bang at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge on Thursday. Buoyed by a trio of home runs, the Cowgirls handed No. 12 Florida State a 9-6 loss.

Waiting on deck at this week's NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Florida, are two ranked games featuring superstar pitchers.

First, No. 16 Nebraska ace Jordy Bahl — a two-time NCAA champion with Oklahoma — will likely take the circle against No. 5 Tennessee on Thursday. If she gets the start, it will mark her first game in nearly a year, as the Cornhusker transfer suffered a season-ending ACL injury in last year's opener.

Then on Friday, a revamped No. 10 Texas Tech side will face No. 25 Mississippi State, with former Stanford pitcher NiJaree Canady likely leading the charge.

The 2024 National Player of the Year transferred after her sophomore season with the Cardinal, as Texas Tech sealed the deal via a record-shattering $1 million NIL contract.

Oklahoma softball pitcher Jordy Bahl winds up during the 2023 Women's College World Series against Florida State.
Star transfer Jordy Bahl is back with Nebraska softball after missing 2024 play with an ACL tear. (Grace Bradley/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

How to watch this week's Top 25 NCAA softball games

Look for Bahl to lead No. 16 Nebraska against No. 5 Tennessee at 7 PM ET on Thursday, before No. 25 Mississippi State will contend with Canady and No. 10 Texas Tech at 5 PM ET on Friday.

Both games will stream live on the GameChanger app.

Unrivaled Basketball Drops 1v1 Tournament Bracket

Napheesa Collier and Stefanie Dolson tip off an Unrivaled basketball game.
The winner of the Unrivaled 1v1 tournament will earn $200,000 in prize money. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball's 1v1 tournament is fast approaching,​ with the offseason league dropping the competition's official bracket on Wednesday.

The head-to-head showdown tips off on Monday, February 10th, with the semifinals and three-game final series all tipping off on Friday, February 14th. 

Fan votes determined the seeding for the debut league's first-ever in-season tournament. Those ballots gave the Mist's Jewell Loyd and Vinyl's Arike Ogunbowale first-round byes, moving them straight into Tuesday's quarterfinal round.

Meanwhile, the other 28 competitors have four rounds to overcome to claim the trophy — not to mention $200,000 in prize money.

Breaking down the Unrivaled 1v1 bracket

Some early battles will be tougher than others, as Unrivaled co-founder and current scoring leader Napheesa Collier takes on fellow UConn alum Katie Lou Samuelson. The winner of that matchup then faces either Jackie Young or Rickea Jackson.

Collier's fellow co-founder Breanna Stewart — also a UConn product — drew 2024 UConn standout Aaliyah Edwards in Monday's first round. The winner subsequently earns a second-round date against either Marina Mabrey or Kate Martin.

Despite her first-round bye, Ogunbowale's bracket quadrant appears to be a gauntlet.

The guard will first battle either fellow Notre Dame alum Skylar Diggins-Smith, who has four game-winners under her belt so far this season, or Vinyl teammate Dearica Hamby.

The Olympic 3×3 bronze medalist trails only Collier and Laces star Kayla McBride on Unrivaled's score sheet, averaging 21.2 points per game. Additionally, Hamby's 10.4 rebounding average has her sitting fourth in the league.

Should they advance, either McBride or Satou Sabally will await Ogunbowale in the quarterfinals.

Ultimately, every matchup is stacked considering the star-studded league's depth.

"I just want the top dawgs to knock each other out," joked Courtney Williams ahead of her own first-round clash with Tiffany Hayes, with the winner set to square off against either Rhyne Howard or Lexie Hull.

"[If] your shot's falling, really anyone can win 1v1," she continued. "It's all about who figured it out in that moment."

An official game ball rests on the Unrivaled basketball court in Miami, Florida.
The three-day 1v1 tournament will tip off on Monday. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

How to watch next week's Unrivaled 1v1 tournament

The inaugural contest's first round tips off at 2 PM ET on Monday, with live coverage on truTV. The evening session begins at 7 PM ET on TNT.

Both the second round and quarterfinals will air on truTV starting at 7 PM ET on Tuesday, with the semifinals and finals taking over both truTV and TNT on Friday beginning at 7:30 PM ET.

No. 1 UCLA Downs No. 8 OSU in Top 10 NCAA Basketball Action

UCLA center Lauren Betts lifts a shot over Ohio State during Wednesday's Big Ten basketball game.
UCLA center Lauren Betts registered 19 points and 14 rebounds in Wednesday's win. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

No. 1 UCLA added another Top 10 NCAA basketball win to their 2024/25 resume on Wednesday, tallying their second of the season after holding off Big Ten foe No. 8 Ohio State 65-52.

Despite Buckeye freshman Jaloni Cambridge's game-leading 21 points, Ohio State fell to a tough UCLA defense. The Bruins clamped down in the second and fourth quarters, relinquishing just 18 points to the Buckeyes across those two periods.

Meanwhile, UCLA junior Lauren Betts continued her National Player of the Year campaign, scoring a team-high 19 points plus 14 rebounds after clinching the double-double before the first-half buzzer.

Star junior guard Gabriela Jaquez narrowly trailed Betts, posting 17 points to help push UCLA over the line.

The victory marks a program-record 22nd consecutive win for the still-undefeated Bruins — their longest winning streak since 1978.

"I told the team after the game that these games are fun when they're close," Jaquez said afterwards. "This might have been one of the first games where it got close."

Top 10 NCAA upset rattles the Big 12

Wednesday didn't pan out as smoothly in the Big 12, where No. 12 Kansas State upset No. 9 TCU 59-50 in the Wildcats' first Top 10 win of the season. The victory broke the pair's tie atop the conference standings, putting Kansas State firmly in control of the Big 12.

While the Wildcat defense stifled TCU top scorers Sedona Prince and Hailey Van Lith, holding them to a respective 14 and 10 points, Kansas State senior Serena Sundell showed out on offense. The guard scored a season-high 27 points — 15 of which came during the Wildcats' third-quarter surge.

"[Sundell] lived at the rim," TCU head coach Mark Campbell told reporters after the game. "She absolutely destroyed us in the post. She just shot layups and layups and layups. That's what makes her unique is she's a 6-foot-2 versatile playmaker.... We didn't have an answer for that one."

UConn guard Azzi Fudd controls the ball against Tennessee during the rivals' 2022 basketball game.
Tennessee hosts historic rival UConn in a Top 20 matchup tonight. (M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

How to watch Top 20 NCAA basketball on Thursday

The NCAA action continues with historic rivals No. 5 UConn taking on No. 19 Tennessee at 6:30 PM ET tonight. That's when Paige Bueckers and the Huskies will take aim at Jewel Spear and the Vols, with live coverage on ESPN.

USWNT Star Midge Purce Signs One-Year NWSL Contract Extension with Gotham

Gotham winger Midge Purce holds the ball before a set piece during a March 2024 NWSL match.
Purce earned NWSL Championship MVP with Gotham in 2023. (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

USWNT attacker Midge Purce re-signed with Gotham FC on a one-year deal Wednesday. The move quieted speculation about the star's future with the club.

The 29-year-old announced her return in classic fashion. She simply adding a two-word quote to Gotham's press release on Wednesday: "I'm back."

Purce played a major role in Gotham's 2023 title-winning run. She earned NWSL Championship MVP honors after assisting on both goals in NJ/NY's trophy-clinching match. However, she was sidelined for much of the subsequent season — her fifth at Gotham — after a late March 2024 ACL tear.

"Midge brings a number of great qualities to our team, and her dynamism and experience are great additions to our talented attacking group," Gotham GM Yael Averbuch West said in a statement. "We are very excited to welcome her back into the mix."

Purce signing helps ease Gotham's 2025 concerns

Securing the striker eases some fears about Gotham's plans for 2025. This offseason saw a number of high-profile exits including USWNT stars Lynn Biyendolo (née Williams), Crystal Dunn, Jenna Nighswonger, among others.

"We fully understand our journey won't always follow a straight path, and we are realistic about the time, fortitude, and effort required to achieve our goals," Averbuch West recently told fans in an open letter.

"I know this offseason has been a time of uncertainty for our fans, and I want you to know we've worked tirelessly to build a team you’ll be excited to stand behind in 2025 and every season after."

Ultimately, Purce's return rounds out a still-solid Gotham squad. Of course, the roster remains punctuated by USWNT mainstays Rose Lavelle, Emily Sonnett, and Tierna Davidson.

The team is currently in Spain for preseason training. They'll play a pair of closed-door scrimmages before returning to New Jersey to kick off the 2025 NWSL season.

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