All Scores

Amanda Kessel is Ready to Win as the PWHPA Heads to St. Louis

2021 PWHPA Dream Gap Tour
Amanda Kessel of Team Women’s Sports Foundation controls the puck against Team Adidas during the Dream Gap Tour at United Center on March 06, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Amanda Kessel likes to win, which does not shock those who have followed her storied career thus far. But while her status as an elite athlete is a no-brainer for anyone who watches her play, the opportunity to compete hasn’t been guaranteed. 

Speaking with me with just a couple of days to go before the PWHPA takes to the ice in St. Louis for the third installment of the 2021 Secrete Dream Gap Tour, the star forward for Team Women’s Sports Foundation (New Hampshire) makes it abundantly clear that while she’s looking forward to hopefully out-scoring Team adidas (Minnesota) in their final two meetings, she’s playing for much more than bragging rights. 

For every goal she nets and shift she dominates, Kessel is skating for the future of the sport as her teammates (and rivals) work to harness the full potential of women’s hockey. 

PLAYING FOR THE PWHPA

I catch Kessel while she’s still in New York training daily with her skills coach in preparation for this weekend’s tournament, which like the previous two tour stops, is conducted in partnership with an NHL team. The St. Louis Blues will become the fourth NHL team to partner with the PWHPA when the players touchdown in the Show Me state, joining the New York Ranger, the Toronto Maple Leaves, and the Chicago Blackhawks, who sponsored previous showcases. 

While some will argue that the PWHPA should avoid any economic reliance on the NHL, Kessel echoes her teammate Hilary Knight’s stance on embracing the partnerships, telling JWS, “it’s a good sign for us and for women’s hockey that there are these NHL clubs that are buying into helping us grow. It’s definitely a start.”

As for the tour’s success so far, Kessel notes, “I think it proves that there’s a product there, that there’s a want, and that there is a need for [the PWHPA].” And for Kessel, that’s where the NHL comes into play. “It’s really trying to keep this momentum building. That’s what’s key about having multiple NHL teams involved. What we’ve heard is that more [teams] want to have weekends, we just don’t have enough weekends.”

Kessel may be out of luck when it comes to expanding the Gregorian calendar, but as one of the association’s leaders, she’s ready to make big changes to the PWHPA. 

“I personally believe that we need to turn into a league,” she says. “I think it can be a little bit confusing to people that we are just an association, and obviously that’s where we have to start, but I think that it’s the right time to move forward and announce that we are going to be a league and go from there.”

Though there’s no concrete playbook on how to transition from an association to league, in Kessel’s opinion what’s crucial is establishing now what the future should ideally look like, and setting up a solid foundation so that the PWHPA can evolve into a sustainable women’s professional league that can continue to grow. And even though the PWHPA has only existed for roughly two years, Kessel points out that their determination to build a long-lasting institution has so far yielded big-name sponsorships, broadcast opportunities, prize money, and the chance to play in legendary arenas. 

TEAM USA VS. THE WORLD

As soon as the final buzzer sounds in St. Louis, the PWHPA players will temporarily disperse as some head to national team training camps to get ready for the IIHF Women’s World Championship tournament slated to start on May 6 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. 

Team USA is slated to take on Switzerland, Finland, Russia, and Canada in the preliminary round. 

Tactically, the Americans have a solid core, but as Kessel explains, there’s a notable difference in the physicality of domestic games versus international play. 

“[PWHPA] games are still physical, but it’s nowhere near the same as playing Canada. And I don’t know if that’s because we don’t want to hurt any of our Team USA teammates or what it is, but definitely, there’s a difference in physicality.”

Team USA hasn’t had a chance to compete against rival Canada for more than a year. Needless to say, they’re eager to hit the ice. 

“Luckily we do know each other so well, and hopefully after a few practices and games we pick up right where we left off. I know we’ve done a lot of work in the off season, continuing on Zoom calls and video sessions and mental skills. So although we’ve been away, we’ve all been trying to continue to get better.”

COMBATTING CONCUSSION STIGMA

No matter who Kessel faces off against at any point during the season, maintaining safety in the game is quite literally top of her mind. 

At the age of 23, Kessel suffered a concussion during a scrimmage before the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. Though she went on to help Team USA win silver, she was subsequently sidelined for nearly two-years with debilitating symptoms.  

Kessel battled her way back, marking her return to hockey with an NCAA championship at the University of Minnesota in 2016 before becoming the highest paid player in the NWHL when she signed with the New York Riveters later that year. She then skated her way into the history books when she made the national team again for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, where Team USA beat Canada to win gold. 

Though Kessel’s concussion saga ended in victory, she’s well aware of the struggle many athletes face when it comes to talking about this “unseen injury,” as she calls it.  

“I think that concussions scare people.”

“Going through it, knowing that it is a real thing and that it is very hard mentally… people that haven’t been through it can’t quite know what you’re feeling.” 

As with most things mired in taboo, shining a light is almost always a winning strategy to elevate the conversation. For Kessel, continuing to talk about concussions is crucial to dissolving the fear that makes brain injuries a hush-hush topic. 

“I do think that the more people talk about it, the more comfortable everyone else gets.”

SHIFTING THE GAME

If she makes the 2022 Olympic squad — which to many is a foregone conclusion — Kessel will be playing for her third chance at a medal and second for gold. And while the hardware is nice, the wins aren’t just for her. 

Though women’s hockey has yet to firmly establish the same infrastructure in the U.S. that other sports have, one could make the case though that the 2018 Olympic team is playing a similar role for hockey that the 99’ers played for women’s soccer in America. Whether history proves that true or not, Amanda Kessel is a name that young players will know for years to come.

Thinking about herself as a leader in her sport, Kessel says, “I think it’s a unique and special opportunity and something that I take pride in.” It’s not lost on her the impact role models have on the proliferation of the sport, noting “being able to change or improve a few people’s lives is a big deal… you don’t picture yourself in that role really growing up, and sometimes don’t even see your impact until years later.” 

“I think now that’s really what I’ve been starting to see… having these young girls look up to me, it’s really a privilege.”

Kessel knows too that in order to inspire the next generation, women’s hockey needs media attention. Reflecting on the statistic that women’s sports receive a mere 4% of sports coverage, she expresses the same frustration shared by many athletes. 

“That’s kind of mind blowing just to think about. How do you grow? Nobody sees you and you’re not being recognized.”

In sports, as in life, perseverance is paramount, and Kessel, a fierce competitor, isn’t shying away from the challenges presented to her and her teammates. 

“What we’re doing now, continuing to push for these opportunities and playing in these showcases and being seen on TV and having people cover our stories. I think that’s really key.”

Fans nationwide will get to see the PWHPA players take to the ice on Sunday, April 11 at 6 pm ET at Centene Community Ice Center and Monday, April 12 at 7 pm ET at Enterprise Center. 

Sunday’s game will broadcast on CBC for Canadian fans and will be streamed for fans in the U.S., while Monday’s game will broadcast on NBC Sports in the U.S. and SportsNet in Canada. 

Team Women’s Sports Foundation will also welcome Kacey Bellamy to the group (joining from Team Calgary), as they look to make ground on Team adidas, who leads the tour 8-2 in points. 

UEFA Draw Sets Champions League Quarterfinals

The UEFA Champions League trophy sits on display before the 2024/25 quarterfinals draw.
Eight teams' paths to May's Champions League final in Lisbon were determined in Friday's draw. (Kristian Skeie - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

The 2024/25 Champions League quarterfinals are officially set, with UEFA drawing the remaining eight teams into the field early Friday morning.

The annual season-long competition pits Europe's top leagues against each other. This season, 72 clubs across 50 different leagues qualified for the contest. From the UK to Ukraine, all teams have been vying for the continent's top-dog status amidst a cutthroat atmosphere and a growing sense of parity in the sport.

Two qualifying rounds narrowed the initial teams down to the 16 contending in the tournament's official group stage. Each played six group-stage matches from October through December to determine the eight clubs that advanced to Friday's final draw.

A screen shows the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League quarterfinal pairings at Friday's draw.
Four previous champions made the 2024/25 Champions League quarterfinals. (Kristian Skeie - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

The road to Champions League glory in Lisbon

All remaining clubs are now eyeing the May 24th final in Lisbon, Portugal, and Friday's draw mapped each team's path to that championship match. The 2024/25 quarterfinals will feature four former champions and four seeking a first-ever trophy, with both familiar fights and rarely tested toss-ups on deck.

Both the March quarterfinals and April semifinals employ a two-leg format, offering teams who suffer narrow first losses a shot at second-match redemption.

Friday's draw determined that WSL contenders Arsenal will kick off the tournament's quarterfinals against Real Madrid on March 18th, with Germany's Bayern Munich taking on France's 2024 UWCL runners-up Olympique Lyonnais shortly afterwards.

The following day, Bayern's Frauen-Bundesliga foes Wolfsburg will face Spain's 2024 UWCL champs FC Barcelona. Closing out the initial tilts is a WSL standoff between Manchester City and the UK league's undefeated titans Chelsea FC.

Lyon's Michele Kang, president of the winningest Champions League team in history, speaks to the media after Friday's UEFA draw.
Backed by club president Michele Kang, Lyon will seek its record ninth UWCL title this year. (Kristian Skeie - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

Increased global parity to test UWCL dynasties

With eight of the tournament's 23 titles under their belts, Lyon is the winningest team in UWCL history. Meanwhile, current back-to-back champions Barcelona claimed three of the last four trophies.

Despite the recent two-team domination, capturing this season's title will be a challenge. Hoping to spoil Lyon's and Barcelona's dynastic runs is four first-time title-hunters, plus two-time winners Wolfsburg and early champion Arsenal — who won the trophy in 2007, when the tournament was called the UEFA Women's Cup.

All in all, the European crown has never been tougher to claim, with leagues across the continent increasingly stocking up on standout — and potentially game-changing — players from beyond their borders.

Portland Announces Joint NWSL x WNBA Training Center

A rendering of the outside of the proposed NWSL x WNBA performance complex in Portland.
The Portland facility will be the first shared WNBA-NWSL performance complex under the same ownership. (RAJ Sports/Populous)

Portland is going all in on women's sports, with RAJ Sports — the ownership group behind both the NWSL's Thorns and Portland's incoming WNBA team — announcing the development of a new $150 million sports performance complex on Thursday.

The 12-acre dual-sport performance center will be the first-ever facility housing both a pro women's soccer squad and a pro women's basketball team.

Innovation and amenities lead Portland design

At 63,000 square feet, the incoming NWSL x WNBA training facility will feature two basketball courts, two soccer pitches, a 17,000-square-foot practice gym, a state-of-the-art strength training facility, and a laundry list of additional top-of-the-line amenities.

According to the Thorns' announcement, the center aims to "[elevate] the standard of athletic development by integrating cutting-edge training, advanced recovery, and holistic wellness with lifestyle elements specific to the needs of female athletes in a collaborative multi-team setting."

The wellness additions include recovery lounges and pools, hyperbaric therapy, red-light therapy, and a yoga and pilates room, plus access to a full-time chef and nutritionist via the center's kitchen and dining hall.

"This kind of high-performance training facility allows us to elevate every part of our game, becoming better and more well-rounded athletes," said Thorns forward Sophia Wilson (née Smith).

"Having a space designed specifically for female athletes gives us yet another leg up on the competition and will be vital to our future successes."

A rendering of the basketball court in the proposed Portland performance complex.
The WNBA and NWSL performance complex adds Portland to a growing list of women's sports facilities. (RAJ Sports/Populous)

Portland joins other WNBA and NWSL teams building own facilities

Portland is just the latest in a wave of women's teams across top-tier US leagues breaking ground on dedicated performance facilities.

Earlier this week, WNBA newcomer Golden State unveiled their own custom-built Valkyries Performance Center. Last month, NWSL side Angel City cut the ribbon on their dedicated training facility.

RAJ Sports’ effort to continue the investment trend comes barely a year after their January 2024 purchase of the Thorns. That move was finalized a little over eight months before the WNBA accepted their expansion bid, making the Bhathal family — who also have a stake in the NBA's Sacramento Kings — the first-ever ownership group to oversee pro women's teams in two different sports.

Las Vegas Aces Revamp Roster with Offseason Moves

Las Vegas Aces standouts Sydney Colson and Tiffany Hayes race downcourt during a 2024 game.
Both Sydney Colson and Tiffany Hayes are departing Las Vegas this season. (David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images)

WNBA roster shakeups kept rolling this week, with a deluge of moves radically reshaping the 2022 and 2023 league champion Las Vegas Aces.

After three seasons in Las Vegas, backup guard and popular locker room presence Sydney Colson signed a one-year deal with Indiana on Thursday. The Fever, who've been aggressive about inking athletes they believe will bring a title back to Indianapolis, targeted Colson for her veteran experience.

"[Colson] brings a championship pedigree to the Fever, adding depth to our point guard position, said Fever COO and GM Amber Cox in the team's announcement. "We have the utmost confidence in her ability to step into any situation and deliver on both ends of the floor."

Joining Colson in leaving Las Vegas is forward Alysha Clark. A key factor in the Aces' 2023 title run — which ultimately earned her the WNBA's Sixth Woman of the Year award — Clark is returning to the Seattle Storm, where she played from 2012 to 2020.

The Aces are also losing their 2024 Sixth Woman of the Year, Tiffany Hayes. Despite the Aces protecting her in December's expansion draft, the free agent guard will take her talents to incoming franchise Golden State. There, she'll link up with former Las Vegas assistant coach-turned-Valkyries boss Natalie Nakase.

"Having coached Tiffany last season in Las Vegas, I know firsthand the impact she brings both on and off the court," Nakase noted. "Her versatility, intensity, and ability to score will be invaluable as we build our team's identity."

Atlanta's Cheyenne Parker-Tyus guards Las Vegas's A'ja Wilson during a 2024 WNBA game.
Cheyenne Parker-Tyus will join A'ja Wilson in the Aces' front court this season. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Las Vegas Aces take aim at refreshed dynasty

After falling short of a three-peat championship last season — despite three-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson's outstanding 2024 performance — a significant Aces roster reshuffling was all but guaranteed ahead of the 2025 season.

Las Vegas kicked things off by shipping All-Star guard Kelsey Plum off to the LA Sparks last month. The blockbuster three-team trade sent Seattle's two-time champ Jewell Loyd to the Aces in return.

To shore up their front-court, Las Vegas inked 6-foot-4 power forward Cheyenne Parker-Tyus on Thursday. The 2023 All-Star averaged 15 points and 6.7 rebounds for Atlanta that season, and was on her way to matching that production last year when an ankle injury curbed her 2024 run.

Ultimately, Las Vegas's roller coaster offseason reflects both the WNBA's shifting landscape and the Aces' quest to revive their former dynasty, hoping a fresh start can fuel them all the way to another league title in 2025.

Tennessee Upsets NCAA Rival UConn in Vols’ First Top 10 Win

Tennessee basketball players Jewel Spear and Zee Spearman celebrate their 80-76 upset win over UConn.
Tennessee scored their first win over UConn since 2007. (Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)

No. 19 Tennessee notched the first major win of their Kim Caldwell era on Thursday night, stifling No. 5 UConn 80-76 to capture their first Top 10 basketball victory of the season — and first win over the Huskies since 2007.

Bolstered by a 13-0 run in the third quarter, Tennessee out-rebounded UConn 46-34 to hold the Huskies at bay.

On defense, the Vols managed to limit UConn star and projected 2025 WNBA Draft No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers to just 5-of-16 from the field and 2-of-6 from beyond the arc.

"We had poise down the stretch. I think we played with confidence. I think we played to win, as opposed to afraid to lose," commented first-year Tennessee head coach Caldwell after the game.

Tennessee flips the historic rivalry script against UConn

Once one of the most heated historic rivalries in NCAA basketball, Tennessee and UConn met 22 times from 1995 to 2007. The Huskies took 13 victories over that stretch.

Since the teams rebooted their non-conference series in 2020, UConn has taken the win in all four meetings — until Tennessee halted the Huskies on Thursday.

A big upset win from the Vols has felt increasingly inevitable this season, as Tennessee has come wildly close to claiming multiple top-tier upsets. They fell to No. 4 Texas by just four points, No. 6 LSU by two points, and logged one-point losses against both No. 15 Oklahoma and No. 24 Vanderbilt.

Last week, the Vols lost to No. 2 South Carolina 70-63. Subsequently, Tennessee became just the second team to limit the reigning NCAA champs to a single-digit win this season.

Despite Tennessee’s recent rise, Thursday's result was a blow to UConn. The Huskies are now 21-3 in 2024/25 play, with all three losses coming against Top 10 teams. UConn likely has just one regular-season Top 10 matchup left by way of a February 16th clash with South Carolina.

"The bottom line is we have some players on our team that are supposed to be our best players and they've got to play better. That's all there is to it," said UConn head coach Geno Auriemma in response.

South Carolina's Bree Hall defends Texas guard Madison Booker during a 2024 NCAA basketball game.
Texas and South Carolina will meet in a Top-4 matchup on Sunday. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

How to watch top-ranked NCAA basketball this weekend

As tough as the SEC has been, there's little rest for the weary, with No. 19 Tennessee gearing up for a rematch with No. 6 LSU at 4 PM ET on Sunday. Live coverage will air on ESPN.

In Top 10 weekend action, No. 8 Ohio State will cap their West Coast trip against No. 7 USC at 9 PM ET on Saturday, live on Fox Sports.

Then on Sunday, No. 4 Texas will host No. 2 South Carolina at 2 PM ET, with ESPN broadcasting live.

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