All Scores

Amanda Chidester on being the No. 1 Pick For Athletes Unlimited Softball

Baseball players on field / JWS
Baseball players on field / JWS

Amanda Chidester is a professional softball player who was selected as a member of Team USA for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Chidester is a catcher for the Chicago Bandits of the National Pro Fastpitch, and was named the 2019 NPF Player of the Year. Most recently, Chidester joined Athletes Unlimited, where she was selected as the first-ever No. 1 pick in the inaugural AU draft. 

What went into your decision to join Athletes Unlimited?

I was originally asked to be part of it from the beginning. At that time, for me, it was just like it’s an interesting concept, but I was really pushing to be on the USA team and make that final roster towards the Olympics. When the Olympics got postponed, I wanted to keep playing. I believed joining Athletes Unlimited would be an opportunity to grow this sport, and it would be an opportunity to play competitively against the best in the world.

The league format puts the power in the players’ hands. You are the ones choosing even coaching your team. How has that dynamic affected your mental approach? 

In the beginning, when we were doing the mock stuff, I feel like I was a little too invested. It was exhausting thinking about who drafted who. And I was like, “Okay, I cannot do this. This is way too much.” You have to find a balance, because you can get consumed in it, and then it takes away from you playing, and the fun of all of it, you know? At the end of the day, I realized we all are going to be on a team. We all are going to be competing, and it doesn’t matter, really, when you get picked. As much as this appears to be an individual game, it’s not, because you need to win innings. The most points you get is winning innings. You can’t win innings by yourself. Everyone is just as important, and everyone is so good that it really doesn’t matter when you get picked.

When I can put all of that into perspective, it’s going to make it more enjoyable just to go out there and compete. You need to fill the team with gamers —people who are just going to go out and grind each inning, because you need to win the inning. And then when you win the inning, then you win the game.

img
The season is six weeks with a lot of back-to-back games. What are your expectations in terms of maintaining that pace of play? 

We all love playing games, so I’m excited about it. As a softball player who’s been playing for a lot of years, one of the biggest things in our game is to find a rhythm and to find consistencies. In this case, you can’t do this easily, because you’re constantly switching teams. It’s challenging each of us players to figure out how to find a rhythm. You almost have to create a rhythm within yourself. For example, one week you might be batting fourth, and another week, you might be batting seventh. Those are all completely different spots in the lineup, so you have to be resilient, and be able to just step into that role and go. You can’t overthink it. That’s the name of our game, to not overthink it, but it’s almost impossible not to sometimes.

I know you just spoke about how it doesn’t necessarily matter where you’re drafted, but I can imagine getting drafted #1 overall in the inaugural draft was pretty exciting. 

I mean, it was fun. I think that it was pretty awesome of Haylie to choose me. It helped that she was a pitcher, because other position players would have probably drafted a pitcher first. But then Haylie even said it afterwards, “two Wolverines making history,” and I thought that was so cool. Later on, I’ll probably be able to appreciate it even more. But it’s awesome. I haven’t been able to find the words yet, because this is all so new, and it’s so amazing. The experience here has just been so great so far.

How much of an impact do the few team practices have before game play?

It really impacts the communication on the field. We did relays the other day, just for our middle infielders and our outfielders to get a feel for each other. You try to figure out all those different, tiny details of the game that make a difference, like figuring out whose arm strength is greater, or coordinating communication with fly balls, or figuring out our bunt defense. You’re playing with different people every week, and everyone plays at a different speed. You have to understand who you’re playing with, in addition to what you can and cannot do on the field. The practices are so important for this.

With the unique scoring system, there’s an emphasis on individual points. With that in mind, do you have any individual goals that you’re focused on this season?

No. I want to win the innings. I want to play my part each time up to bat to win that inning for the team. After the first day, I realized how important it is to win each inning. From that point on, it was just like, “I need to play my part to get on base or score a runner to help my team win the inning.”

Athletes Unlimited has redesigned the way you play pro sports. They just added volleyball and there are other sports in the work. What do you think this type of a league will do for women’s sports at the pro level? What does it mean specifically for softball?

It stinks that it’s only six weeks, but it means a lot for the sport. It draws traction. It’s going to gain interest. Nothing goes unnoticed, nothing goes missed. They’ve thought everything through. What they’re doing for women’s sports and the money investing in it is huge for us. I think it’s the start to growing an actual professional league that’s even longer than six weeks.

Phoenix Mercury, Golden State Valkyries Ride Upset Wins into the WNBA Weekend

Phoenix Mercury players including Satou Sabally huddle during a 2025 WNBA game against the New York Liberty.
Phoenix rose to No. 3 in the WNBA standings with Thursday's win over New York. (Catalina Fragoso/NBAE via Getty Images)

Two key upsets headlined Thursday's WNBA bill, sending the Phoenix Mercury soaring into third place in the league standings while the No. 6 Golden State Valkyries continued to outwit opponents.

The red-hot Mercury snagged their fourth straight win by taking down the No. 2 New York Liberty 89-81 on Thursday night, overcoming an 35-point performance from two-time MVP Breanna Stewart with five double-digit Phoenix scorers.

Meanwhile out West, the Valkyries stifled a surging No. 7 Fever, downing Indiana 88-77 in part by holding star guard Caitlin Clark to just 3-for-14 from the field — and 0-for-7 from behind the arc.

"We were being disruptive, we know that she doesn't like physicality, we know that she wants to get to that left step-back," Golden State head coach Natalie Nakase said about the Valkyries' strategy to effectively contain Clark.

Though the No. 1 Minnesota Lynx and 2024 WNBA champions New York still hold court atop the table, Thursday's actions proves that other squads are making some unexpected in-roads.

Putting together an impressive road record are the Mercury, who will ride a 4-2 away record into their Saturday matchup against the No. 11 Chicago Sky — the last stop on a four-game road trip that's been perfect for Phoenix thus far.

Already flipping the script on expectations is Golden State, with the 2025 expansion team rising despite relying on a hodgepodge roster as several players compete at EuroBasket 2025. The Valkyries will aim to keep their winning momentum in their Sunday clash with the No. 12 Connecticut Sun.

How to watch the Mercury, Valkyries this weekend

Both of Thursday's victors will be back in action this weekend, with Phoenix facing Chicago at 1 PM ET on Saturday, airing live on ABC.

Then on Sunday, Golden State will host Connecticut at 8:30 PM ET, with live coverage on WNBA League Pass.

Las Vegas Aces Aim to Stop Skid Ahead of Tough WNBA Weekend Matchups

Las Vegas's A'ja Wilson tries to defend a lay-up from Seattle's Gabby Williams during a 2025 WNBA game.
The Las Vegas Aces will face both Seattle and Indiana this weekend. (Rio Giancarlo/Getty Images)

In another weekend full of WNBA action, all eyes are on Las Vegas, as the No. 8 Aces will try to curb a two-game losing streak against two formidable opponents.

A successful weekend for Las Vegas could hinge on three-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson's potential return from injury, with the star forward recently upgraded to "questionable" after landing in concussion protocol last week.

Overall, the margin for error has narrowed in the middle of the WNBA pack, as talented teams continue to translate quality performances into consistency.

  • No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 8 Las Vegas Aces, Friday at 10 PM ET (ION): The Aces will try to end their free fall in Friday's head-to-head battle with a Seattle side that can beat anybody at their best.
  • No. 7 Indiana Fever vs. No. 8 Las Vegas Aces, Sunday at 3 PM ET (ESPN): Las Vegas next faces a Fever team still smarting from Thursday's away loss to the Golden State Valkyries, with both teams narrowly clinging to positions above the playoff line.
  • No. 2 New York Liberty vs. No. 5 Seattle Storm, Sunday at 7 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The Liberty have a comfortable hold on second place, but with two losses in their last three games, New York is flirting with danger entering their Sunday game with Seattle — particularly if star big Jonquel Jones is out after suffering a knock to the ankle on Thursday.

Ultimately, there's no rest for the weary in the WNBA, as a series of difficult matchups can see a single error quickly slide into a losing streak.

NWSL Kicks Off Final Gameday Slate Ahead of Summer Break

The San Diego Wave celebrate a goal by María Sánchez during a 2025 NWSL match.
The San Diego Wave will take on 2024 runners-up Washington on Sunday. (Marcus Ingram/Getty Images)

The final NWSL weekend heading into the league's six-week summer break has arrived, giving teams one more chance to prove themselves before regular-season play pauses to make way for major international tournaments.

With a five-point gap separating No. 1 Kansas City from No. 2 Orlando in the NWSL standings, the Current will enter the break as the 2025 Shield frontrunners regardless of this weekend's results.

Despite Kansas City's grip atop the table, there's still plenty of room for movement both above and below the postseason cutoff line, as clubs across the NWSL look to wrap their midseason finales on a high note:

  • No. 1 Kansas City Current vs. No. 10 Angel City FC, Friday at 8 PM ET (Prime): Angel City has a shot at launching themselves above the cutoff line on Friday, but they'll have to snap the Current's five-game winning streak to make it happen.
  • No. 8 Gotham FC vs. No. 9 Bay FC, Saturday at 7:30 PM ET (ION): Gotham and Bay FC enter the weekend tied on points while staring at each other from on opposite sides of the playoff line — meaning a Saturday win for either club could set the tone for the rest of the 2025 season.
  • No. 3 San Diego Wave FC vs. No. 4 Washington Spirit, Sunday at 10 PM ET (CBS Sports): The weekend's only top-table clash could see San Diego sprint back into second place — unless Washington leapfrogs the upstart Wave to claim the third-place spot.

KPMG Women’s PGA Championship Ups Purse to $12 Million, Ties LPGA Tour Record

Thailand's Jeeno Thitikul hits a shot during the 2025 KPMG Women's PGA Championship.
Thai golfer Jeeno Thitikul is in the lead after one round at the 2025 KPMG Women's PGA Championship. (Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

The LPGA Tour has turned its attention to Texas, with the 2025 KPMG Women's PGA Championship — the third major of the pro golf season — teeing off in Frisco to a flurry of first-round action on Thursday.

All of the sport's Top 100 athletes are participating in this week's event, including No. 1 Nelly Korda, who sits in a 14th-place tie with an even-par first-round performance, and surging US dark horse No. 50 Lexi Thompson, who tied for 10th in her Thursday return from a brief retirement.

However, leading the pack heading into Friday's second round is Thailand's world No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul, who finished the first day of competition atop the leaderboard with a score of 4-under-par.

Australia's No. 24 Minjee Lee also posted a strong start, capping Thursday at 3-under to sit in second place.

While the sport's best chase victory on the links, the 2025 KPMG Women's PGA Championship is already making history off the green.

Not only is it the first-ever women's major to tee off at Frisco's Fields Ranch East, the tournament also increased its purse to $12 million on Tuesday — nearly tripling the $4.5 million prize pool from just four years ago and tying the US Women's Open for the LPGA Tour's highest payout in the process.

How to watch the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

The third LPGA Grand Slam of 2025 continues through Sunday.

Friday's second round will air live on the Golf Channel, while coverage of Saturday and Sunday's final rounds will air across NBC and Peacock.

Start your morning off right with Just Women’s Sports’ free, 5x-a-week newsletter.