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Alexis Jones Talks Adidas, Boxing, and Fighting Through Injury Amidst COVID-19

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Alexis Jones plays guard for the Atlanta Dream of the WNBA. Below, she spoke with Just Women’s Sports about her relationship with Adidas, her favorite cross-training workouts, and how she’s managing to rehab her knee while also training under quarantine. You can find an earlier interview with Alexis Jones about her draft day experience and her time with the Minnesota Lynx here.

Adidas has made a big push to invest in women’s sports. Can you talk about your experience with the brand and how they’ve supported you through your injuries?

Adidas has been super great to me, with anything I need. They’re always there for me and right now we have the #hometeam going on, where we got together all our Adidas athletes, and we’re just trying to show our fans and our community our activity while staying inside. We want to show them we’re still working out. And we’re just trying to get that positive energy to everybody who has to stay in the house right now. We’re trying to give the love back to our fans and show them that we’re here, and we’re going to support them in any cause, in any way.

What have you been doing while you’ve been quarantined?

I’ve been working out, keeping with the same routine I’ve had for the last three months. I made a hashtag video for Adidas where I showed them my boxing workouts I do. I’ve been really harping on these boxing workouts I’ve been doing lately.

I saw that. They’re gnarly. They’re really good workouts, too. I feel like people don’t realize that.

Yeah, I be going hard with the boxing workouts. Man, you can go in there for 30 minutes and be dead tired and feel like you’ve been working out for two hours. It’s crazy. And I feel like it’s the combo of cardio, and because you’re hitting, it feels almost like an upper body workout, too. And it’s mental, too. If you’re going for 30 minutes, you can’t just pause. You have to mentally train your body and train your mind to keep doing something that you don’t want to do for a long period of time, and it helps you with your breathing, your stamina and just finishing through anything. You can’t just quit during that moment when it’s hard. You just keep finishing and keep attacking.

I love that. That’s awesome. Do you do a lot of cross training?

Only boxing right now, but I wouldn’t put it past me. The further I get in my career, I’m going to start doing other stuff. I do a little swimming, too. That’s so hard. I don’t know how swimmers do it. I had to learn, and at first I was like, we can just regularly swim, but somebody taught me how to swim swim, and I was like, yeah, I can’t breathe like that. I’m hyperventilating, feeling like I’m about to drown. But if I can get that part down, I think that’s something I might try to really get into.

How have you mentally been handling some of the collective stress of this moment combined with your own training and rehab? 

It sucks that this is all happening, what we’re all going through… I’m trying to have a professional mindset. I found a lot of people that support me, and I’m super proud of how I’ve been handling rehab these last three months. I want to be a professional. And I think me being back home, and starting to build my foundation and find people who I want to be around me, will all help my game grow.

I want to get out there and let people know that I am out here and trying to work. I’m not trying to show-off or nothing like that. But I really do love the game, and this injury has been super impactful to me. But I’m feeling good. I like my process.

You’ve had to recover from multiple serious injuries in your career. How have you been able to overcome those and still compete at a high level?

Man, it’s crazy because I’m still overcoming them. When I went down in college, I was already physically hurt from my other right knee. Nobody knew, but I was trying to play through it as much as possible, and it just didn’t work out for me. My ACL has thankfully been fine ever since it’s been fixed. It’s just my right knee has been a little bit rocky ever since I tried to come back.

I think I rehab hard. And in every rehab, I try to take the baby steps, even if that means taking the year off to get everything right. And since coming into the league, I’ve learned a lot more about my body. I know how to train my body now. I know how it works. I know all the flexibilities I need to keep my joints and stuff moving and things like that. Those are things that I didn’t really grasp when I was in college. But I’m glad I’m 25 and I found out now before it was too late, because I know if I can just maintain my body and do the things that I do, I can last so much longer in this league.

Before signing Dream, you were waived by LA at the end of last season. How was that? That’s got to be emotional. 

No.

No? 

No. I got waived, and it is hard to get waived, because that was my one thing, to never get waived, and I got waived. But I had an opportunity to go to Atlanta. They believed in me, even coming back from this injury. And for them to trust me to be ready and be prepared to come and play — at this point, I’m just happy for the opportunity and praying for the best.

Regardless of when it’s played, what are your goals for next season?

I think my goal for the season is just to go in there, play hard, and to just try to have a good season and to try to just build the team and try to be a real team player in the midst of all that. And just try to get the feel of the game and keep learning in that area until I reach the level where I need to be.

USC’s Aaliyah Gayles Opens Up About Her Journey Back to Basketball

USC Basketball - Aaliyah Gayles

As part of our 1-v-1 video series, USC’s India Otto sat down to interview her teammate Aaliyah Gayles. Here are five things to know from our conversation with the redshirt freshman guard from Las Vegas.

#1 Aaliyah suffered from a near-death act of violence in 2022.

The incident taught her a lot about herself and the support around her. “[USC] Coach Lindsay [Gottlieb] was one of the first people to fly out there and come see me. That means a lot to me off the court.” 

#2 Her favorite USC memory is when she surprised her teammates after getting out of the hospital.

She left her walker at the door to show she was on the road to returning to the court. “That was my favorite memory because it was family. It was my first time being able to walk to you guys and see you practice.”

#3 There's a reason she wears #3.

#3 was her grandpa’s favorite number and a golden number in her life. Plus, AG3 has a nice ring to it. 

#4 She has a list of basketball GOAT’s:

Candace Parker, Magic Johnson, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, and Cason Wallace.

#5 There have been many celebrity appearances at USC’s games over the years, especially this season.

Aaliyah’s favorites include Will Ferrell, Kehlani, and Saweetie. And she hopes Lil Durk will come to watch a game soon.

Watch the full conversation on the Just Women’s Sports YouTube channel.

Gotham, USWNT forward Midge Purce out with ACL tear

(Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)

Midge Purce announced on Wednesday that she has torn her ACL. 

The Gotham FC and USWNT forward went down with the injury on Sunday during Gotham’s 1-0 win after tweaking it earlier in the game. Gotham coach Juan Carlos Amorós did not have any immediate updates following the match, with further evaluation revealing the tear. 

“It’s a reality I’m still struggling with and has left me with not too much to say,” Purce wrote in a statement on social media. “I’m heartbroken to no longer be available for my season with Gotham FC or for Olympic selection with the USWNT – know I’m rooting for you both all year long. 

“Though you may not see it, I’ll be doing everything I can to get back on the field.”

Purce is just the latest women's soccer star to tear her ACL, and joins USWNT teammate Mia Fishel in having torn her ACL in the last couple of months. Other notable players include Catarina Macario and Christen Press, with Macario only just returning to the USWNT lineup after tearing hers in 2022. 

International stars such as Alexia Putellas, Beth Mead, Vivianne Miedema and Leah Williamson have also suffered ACL tears. 

Purce’s injury caused Amorós to call out the international schedule, which has been a growing point of concern as more players fall victim to injuries and the playing schedule becomes more packed. Kansas City’s Debinha suffered a hamstring injury in the team’s opening game, while both Lynn Williams and Rose Lavelle have yet to play for Gotham due to injuries picked up during the W Gold Cup. 

“We lost Midge during the game which for me is a bittersweet flavor,” Amorós told reporters after Sunday’s game. “By the way, it’s another player that came from the Gold Cup. Last week, it was Debinha. We are paying the consequences of a tournament that shouldn’t have happened.”

“We’re talking about protecting the players, [who shouldn’t] go to play an international competition after one week of preseason,” Amorós continued. “We’ve seen the consequences now. We’ve got Rose, Lynn, last week it was Debinha in Kansas [City] and now we have Midge. From my experience, the clubs are going to keep paying for that competition."

In her statement, Purce said that “so many friends, teammates and even players I’ve only ever competed against” reached out to offer support. 

“I am so blessed,” she wrote. “Your messages have meant so much to me throughout this process, you have consoled what, for a moment, felt inconsolable. Thank you for reminding me that our football world is not only full with incredibly talent but also, incredible kindness.”

Lauren Jackson included on Australia Olympics roster

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 01: Lauren Jackson of Australia celebrates with team mates after playing her final Opals game during the 2022 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 3rd place match between Canada and Australia at Sydney Superdome, on October 01, 2022, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)

Lauren Jackson has come out of retirement once again to compete for a spot on Australia’s Olympic roster. 

Jackson was included on the 26-player roster named by coach Sandy Brondello on Tuesday that will take part in training camps, tours and games in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics. The roster will eventually be whittled down to just 12 players selected from the 26 named on Tuesday.

Jackson helped Australia qualify for the Olympics with a win over Germany in February. After that, she announced her retirement, revealing that she struggled to spend so much time away from her two young children. 

The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported that Jackson and the basketball federation had come to an agreement in which they would help cover costs for her children to travel with the team for training camps and the Olympics. 

She’s largely expected to make the Opals’ Olympic roster. 

"It's always an exciting time to announce an Olympic squad and I congratulate all the athletes," Opals coach Sandy Brondello said. "They all know what it means to play for Australia and they all want the opportunity to represent their country at an Olympics. Our squad is full of exceptional talent and they will make the decision to pick a final 12 very difficult."

At the 2022 FIBA World Cup, Jackson helped Australia win a bronze medal with 30 points against Canada. She had previously retired in 2016 due to knee injuries, but slowly made a return in a domestic Australian league the last few years.

Jackson has won four Olympic medals, including three consecutive silver medals starting with Sydney in 2000 when she was a teenager. 

First two rounds of NCAA tournament boast record attendance, viewership

(David K Purdy/Getty Images)

The first two rounds of the women’s NCAA tournament broke attendance and viewership records set just last year – and it wasn’t even close. 

The NCAA announced on Tuesday that attendance for the first two rounds of the tournament was more than 292,000 – up from last year’s record, when almost 232,000 fans attended the first two rounds.

Among the host sites, Iowa had the biggest crowds with nearly 29,000 fans packing Carver-Hawkeye Arena in the first and second rounds. 

"We expected the historic success and quality of play and high level of competition from the regular season would carry through into March Madness. Our championship is again delivering," NCAA vice president of women's basketball Lynn Holzman said in a statement. "Record crowds, ratings, incredible performances and evolving storylines will continue to make the next two weeks a must-see for fans across the world."

And for those that couldn’t attend the sold-out Iowa games, they watched on television. Monday’s matchup between Iowa and West Virginia drew 4.9 million viewers, setting a record for a women’s D-I tournament game prior to the Final Four. 

It is also the third most watched tournament game in the last 20 years, behind last year’s national championship between LSU and Iowa (9.92 million) and Iowa’s Final Four win over South Carolina (5.6 million).

Iowa’s game against Holy Cross in the first round drew 3.23 million viewers. 

But it wasn’t just Iowa drawing big viewership. ESPN’s five games on Monday averaged 2.25 million viewers. UConn and Syracuse drew 2.05 million viewers while LSU and Middle Tennessee on ABC drew 2.01 million viewers on Sunday. 

The full, 16-game slate for the second round averaged 1.4 million viewers – a 121% increase from last year and the highest average ever for the second round.

The full tournament so far is averaging 812,000 viewers per game, a 108% increase from last year.

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