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Alyse Lahue on Turning Around Sky Blue and What Comes Next

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Alyse LaHue is the general manager of Sky Blue FC of the NWSL. Widely credited with turning around a club that had fallen out of favor, LaHue spoke with Just Women’s Sports about how she managed to change the culture and what comes next for Sky Blue. 

(Editor’s note: this conversation took place before the killing of George Floyd and the subsequent protests. Sky Blue FC released a statement on the issue here. For an earlier interview with LaHue about how Sky Blue was adjusting to the coronavirus, click here.) 

A lot of women’s sports are marketed towards younger kids, but you make a point of trying to bring in millennials and adults. Can you talk a little bit about that? 

We have a family friendly atmosphere within our games, and that’s something I absolutely always want to maintain. But, at the same time, I’m all for the supporters groups who go out there and heckle the other team and provide a difficult arena to play in. Part of the excitement of going to soccer matches is the supporters section, right? It’s the drums beating, it’s the chants and the singing — that’s part of soccer culture.

Our supporters groups, for the most part, are not typically parents with soccer-playing kids. There are some, don’t get me wrong, it’s a whole spectrum of the rainbow in the supporters group. But for the most part it’s single soccer supporters — it’s the adult who goes out and tailgates before the game, has a drink, and then comes in and chants. It’s a whole experience. It’s a family. And for us, I want to continue to develop that side of the game as we continue to bring more families into the stadium.

We always go back to the idea that we want Sky Blue to be the community’s team and to represent the community, especially in this region of the world where we’re basically the New Jersey/New York City team. You can’t find a more diverse area than where we’re at. Our fan base needs to be representative of that and that means that we need to cater to all of those different fans. As a women’s sports team with a really small front office and a limited budget, it can be difficult to reach all of those fans in big meaningful ways. But we’ve tried our best at the grassroots level to find ways to reach all of those groups and make sure we’re not overly focused just on one.

You have been one of the first people to recognize and embrace the diversity of fans in women’s soccer. Why do you think it’s taken so long for others in the league to do the same? 

I think when you have more diversity in leadership, you’re going to get different opinions at the table. Typically, our league has more or less looked one way. There is a prototype of who has owned the teams within our league, who has run the teams within our league.

Truthfully, it’s always been heterosexual white males, and there’s nothing against them. We wouldn’t have a league without them and their investment. But they look a certain way.

And we know that diversity makes good business. You make better business decisions when you have more people at the table who are representative of the populations that you’re trying to reach. Soccer is the world’s game. It is a diverse game. And again, I go back to specifically feeling it here in New Jersey/New York City, a very diverse region. We need to be representative of that.

I’m constantly pushed by Julie Evans, my Director of Operations, to think through people of all abilities and what that means within our stadium. She has pushed me in so many different ways that I’m so grateful for. That’s what you need around you — other people who are going to push you to say, “Have we thought about the closed captioning? Have we thought about making it a safe and friendly environment for folks with autism within our games? What can we do for them?” It takes diversity at the table and people with different backgrounds, beliefs and opinions to be able to embrace the fans, who all look different.

Sky Blue FC has quickly transitioned from a club players were trying to get traded away from to a club where players are excited to join. Can you talk about how that transition happened and what the vision was like on your end? 

I appreciate that, first of all. I always say you can have a vision but you have to have a team around you that’s willing to actually execute it. I always use the metaphor of picking up an oar. There can’t just be one person rowing or the boat’s going to spin in circles, right? You have to have everybody on both sides of the boat rowing. You have to have people who care. I can’t rely on the media to get fans out to our games. There has to be an effort from us on the inside. So, when I came in as GM, I started with having people around me who care as much as I do. I’ve always said this is a lifestyle, not necessarily a job. You have to believe in what we’re doing, and believe in the diversity of our league, and believe in the opportunities for women’s sports that aren’t necessarily on the table yet.

It was certainly a lot to do in a year, but at the end of the day it felt like there were just some really simple things that needed to be done to improve the club. I know it sounds naive from the outside, but I think this club lost track of listening to its fans and that, to me, goes such a long way. Listening to the fans was step A of the process. And I’m pleased with the progress we’ve made in the last year. There’s more to come.

Do you think the club lost track of listening to its players, too? 

In a way, yes. You need the community to be a part of the fabric of the team. It can’t feel like this is the team of Alyse LaHue. It needs to feel like this is the Sky Blue family, and there are a lot of different people in the family. You need all of those people to have their voices heard. For me, it started with having all of the hard conversations, like, “I need you to get off of your chest all of the anger that you have towards this club, and I’m willing to hear you because I need to know what those things are.”

In the beginning, listening to the players’ exit interviews was absolutely crucial. The players really had three or four top concerns. So during the offseason, I started to think of how I can fulfill every single one of those top four things. That’s always the vision I start with: “How can I freaking do everything?” I’m never going to aim to fulfill just one of the four concerns. That’s not my standard. I always start with the biggest vision — the biggest, craziest thing and go, “Okay, how can we do it?”

That’s awesome. In women’s sports, there are so many people who say, “Yes, but…” it’s exciting to hear you say, “Yes, and let’s go.” 

I like that. I might just steal that whole phrase to be honest. Instead of “Yes, but,” it’s “Yes, and let’s go.” I think that’s the point, right? “Yes, but there’s a pandemic.” I don’t care. We’re going to go figure out how to make a community with our fans right now and we’re going to engage them digitally.

You became interim General Manager of Sky Blue in April of 2019, and then you were seemingly “on trial” from then until September, when the job became official. What were your thoughts around some of the doubt that surrounded your initial promotion to GM? 

I like that, “On trial.” I never thought of it that way. To me, titles are just cute to have, but really the proof is in the pudding. It’s all about what you do, not even necessarily what you say. If I was an account executive, I would behave in the same way and be just as audacious. That’s the most important thing to me. I was never worried about sort of being on trial or this or that, I just knew that I had big lofty goals. I believe that this club can be one of the best clubs in NWSL. I firmly believe that. I’m doing what I can to get us there, and I believe that, from there, we could be one of the best clubs in the world.

What’s next for Sky Blue FC? 

We have to be a destination club for players. It’s what this area deserves. This is the New York City/New Jersey team. There’s a grittiness, there’s a pride behind that. It took me a while to figure the whole thing out, but I think I’m getting there and embracing it. This women’s soccer club in this region has to be a North Star. It has to be something that other people and other clubs want to emulate. I know that’s an audacious statement if you look at where we were a year ago, but that’s what I believe and that’s what I’m trying to do.

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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