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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. 

US Tennis Stars Advance as Wimbledon Field Narrows

Italy's Jasmine Paolini celebrates her first-round win over Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships
World No. 4 Jasmine Paolini fell in the second round of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships on Wednesday. (Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images)

The 2025 Wimbledon Championships wrapped its second round on Thursday, with the grass court Grand Slam seeing just 15 of the tournament's 32 seeded players advance to the Friday and Saturday's third round.

A full half of the WTA's Top 10 players did not survive the week, with 2024 Wimbledon finalist and world No. 5 Jasmine Paolini joining four first-round star exits by falling to unseeded Kamilla Rakhimova in a three-set, second-round battle on Wednesday.

At the same time, unseeded fan favorites like Japan's No. 53 Naomi Osaka and England's own No. 40 Emma Raducanu secured third-round spots at the London Slam, joining top surviving contenders like No. 4 Iga Świątek and defending Wimbledon champion No. 16 Barbora Krejčíková.

Notably, a full five US players managed to move ahead, tied for the largest national contingent still standing at the tournament.

Led by 2025 Australian Open champion No. 8 Madison Keys, the US group also includes No. 10 Emma Navarro and No. 12 Amanda Anisimova, as well as unseeded players No. 54 Danielle Collins and No. 55 Hailey Baptiste.

With matches against Świątek and No. 7 Mirra Andreeva, respectively, Collins and Baptiste have a tough third round ahead — though Navarro's battle against the 2024 champ Krejčíková arguably headlines Saturday's slate.

US tennis star Emma Navarro eyes a return during a 2025 Wimbledon match.
US star Emma Navarro will face 2024 champ Barbora Krejčíková in Wimbledon's Round of 32. (Rob Newell/CameraSport via Getty Images)

How to watch Wimbledon this weekend

While world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is still holding strong in the dwindling field, this year's Wimbledon play is proving that the London Slam is anyone's to take, as the grass court humbles even the sport's top stars.

Expect the twists and turns to continue as tennis's best battle for spots in Sunday's Round of 16.

Round-of-32 Wimbledon play kicks off at 6 AM ET on Friday, with live continuous coverage of the tournament airing on ESPN.

Finland Opens Women’s Euro 2025 with Upset Upset Win Over Iceland

Finland's Katariina Kosola and Emma Koivisto celebrate a goal during their opening 2025 Euro match.
Finland earned a surprise 1-0 win over Iceland in their 2025 Euro opener on Wednesday. (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

The 2025 European Championship is officially underway, as Euro action kicked off with a group-stage upset on Wednesday.

Though the 2025 UEFA tournament's opener was a sweltering affair amid a European heat wave, world No. 26 Finland prevailed, earning a 1-0 upset win over No. 14 Iceland in Group A.

Finnish winger Katariina Kosola played hero, curling in the winning goal in the match's 70th minute — just 12 minutes after Iceland midfielder Hildur Antonsdóttir picked up the competition's first red card.

"The result is important for our confidence," Kosola said after Finland's first major tournament win since the 2009 Euro. "It was the kind of goal I have been practicing a lot."

"It's terrible to lose and we feel frustrated," said Iceland head coach Thorsteinn Halldórsson. "It is an even group and we knew Finland were good, but our first half wasn't good enough."

Elsewhere, No. 16 Norway closed out Wednesday's slate on top of Group A, taking three points by defeating host No. 23 Switzerland in day's second match.

Led by captain and 2018 Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg — who pulled the match even with a second-half strike — Norway battled to a 2-1 comeback win, despite the Swiss side outshooting and out-possessing the Norwegians.

Spain jersey hang in lockers ahead of the team's 2025 Euro opening match against Portugal.
Reigning World Cup champions Spain will open their 2025 Euro account against Portugal. (Aitor Alcalde - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

How to watch this week's 2025 Euro action

Group B steals the 2025 Euro spotlight on Thursday.

While No. 13 Italy snagged a 1-0 opening win over No. 20 Belgium to kick off the day, 2023 World Cup champions and tournament favorite No. 2 Spain will face No. 22 Portugal at 3 PM ET.

Friday's Group C slate will pit No. 12 Denmark against No. 6 Sweden at 12 PM ET, before No. 3 Germany contends with No. 27 Poland at 3 PM ET.

Closing out the first group-stage matches will be arguably the toughest draw of the 2025 Euro pool.

Saturday's Group D slate features major tournament debutants No. 30 Wales against the No. 11 Netherlands at 12 PM ET, with No. 10 France taking on defending champions No. 5 England to cap the day at 3 PM ET.

Live coverage of 2025 Euro matches will air across Fox Sports platforms.

USWNT Caps Summer Friendlies with 3-0 Canada Shutout

Yazmeen Ryan, Michelle Cooper, Claire Hutton, Mandy McGlynn, and Izzy Rodriguez and the rest of the USWNT huddle after their July 2025 friendly win over Canada.
The USWNT finished the summer international window with 11 goals, conceding none, across three matches. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)

The world No. 1 USWNT ruled the pitch on Wednesday night, shutting out North American rivals No. 8 Canada 3-0 to finish the international window on a high note.

Catching the Canada backline sleeping, US midfielder Sam Coffey opened the scoring at the 17-minute mark before 19-year-old Claire Hutton claimed her first-ever USWNT goal by heading in a Rose Lavelle corner kick in the game's 36th minute.

Houston Dash forward Yazmeen Ryan then padded the US tally in the waning minutes of the match, finding the back of the net just eight minutes after subbing onto the field.

Despite fielding a young roster, the US overpowered a veteran-heavy Canada side in almost every category, topping their Northern neighbors in shots, shots on target, possession, and — most notably — set pieces.

Canada ultimately couldn't match the game's mental pace or physical battle, as the USWNT scored all three goals off dead ball situations — a free kick, a corner kick, and a throw-in.

"It's not about the opponent," US head coach Emma Hayes said after the match. "It's about what we do, and I felt that was extremely dominant."

With Wednesday's contributions, the USWNT finishes the summer window with 11 goals scored across the three friendlies — and zero goals conceded.

The US now enters an extended break before reconvening for another as-yet-unannounced friendly series in October — but players will be expected to perform in the meantime.

"I said to the players in the end in the huddle, if you want to compete to win the biggest things, it's not what you do here that matters," said Hayes. "It's what you do when you go back to your club."

Seattle Storm Looks to Climb the WNBA Standings in Weekend Gauntlet

Seattle Storm star Nneka Ogwumike high-fives teammates as she's introduced before a 2025 WNBA game.
The No. 5 Seattle Storm will face No. 4 Atlanta and No. 3 New York this weekend. (Soobum Im/NBAE via Getty Images)

The 2025 WNBA regular season returns on Thursday night, with teams at the top of the league standings looking to prove their mettle against close competition across the long holiday weekend.

The No. 5 Seattle Storm have arguably the toughest weekend assignments, taking on the No. 4 Atlanta Dream on Friday before tackling the No. 3 New York Liberty on Sunday.

Four middle-of-the-pack teams will look to close in on a double-digit season win tally while the league's frontrunners strive to maintain their advantage in this weekend's slate:

  • No. 7 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 8 Indiana Fever, Thursday at 7 PM ET (Prime): Though still without star Caitlin Clark, the Fever hope to harness their 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup victory momentum against an Aces side tied with Indiana with an 8-8 season record.
  • No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 4 Atlanta Dream, Thursday at 7:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): Seattle will look to make strides against a strong Atlanta side while putting last Sunday's stinging 84-57 loss to up-and-comer Golden State in their rearview.
  • No. 6 Golden State Valkyries vs. No. 1 Minnesota Lynx, Saturday at 8 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The rising Valkyries must face a Lynx side hunting redemption, as the league-leaders look to bounce back from their stifling Tuesday Commissioner's Cup upset loss.
  • No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 3 New York Liberty, Sunday at 1 PM ET (CBS): With injured Liberty center Jonquel Jones still sidelined, the Seattle Storm will have a chance to steal a weekend game against the reigning champs, as New York struggles to re-find their footing.

With the 2025 WNBA All-Star break looming, early top performers must keep standards high if they want to hold the line when the season crosses the midway point.

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