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Inside Angel City’s modern approach to building a NWSL contender

Eniola Aluko has been leading Angel City’s balance between off-field brand and on-field contender. (Karl Bridgeman/Getty Images for Angel City FC)

When the NWSL announced that both the 2022 Expansion and College Drafts would be held virtually due to concerns surrounding the ongoing pandemic, Angel City FC’s technical staff was ready to adapt.

The Los Angeles club has already been working remotely for months on multiple continents, identifying talent and making deals with other NWSL clubs in an attempt to put together the most exciting expansion side the league has ever seen. Ironically, they began the process by making the expansion draft as irrelevant as possible.

“I’ve had a lot of conviction about the players that I want, the strategy that we’re going with, and … you will have seen that we did pretty much most of our deals before the expansion draft,” Angel City Sporting Director Eniola Aluko told Just Women’s Sports a few days before the drafts.

“I wanted more certainty. I wanted to be able to say, ‘We have the players that we want,’ versus that uncertainty going into the expansion draft of not knowing who was going to be protected and unprotected. I think that way we’ve got a stronger team than we probably would have gotten if we’d waited.”

Like any NWSL expansion team, Angel City has limited assets with which to build a full roster. The team is flush with investor cash and has already sold more than 13,000 season ticket packages. Still, they have to adhere to the restrictive rights distribution and hard salary cap that have upheld the NWSL’s parity since its inception — though not without some friction.

The NWSL has already fined Angel City twice: once for announcing the signing of Christen Press before her contract had been approved, and once for communication with Gotham FC midfielder Allie Long that the league interpreted as tampering. There was a moment in time when one had to wonder if Angel City were building a very successful lifestyle brand with the soccer element yet to actually appear.

As on-field operations begin to take shape, however, the club’s approach has increasingly come into focus. Aluko’s background in European football as both a player and a general manager mixes well with head coach (and former Gotham FC manager) Freya Coombe’s knowledge of the NWSL, which comes with its own nuances.

“Freya has existing relationships in the league, which is one of the things that I thought was going to be really important when hiring a coach,” Aluko says. “I wanted somebody who had existing relationships in the NWSL and had coached and knew [of] the players that I didn’t necessarily know, so that it would make this process easier.”

Coombe shares that sentiment: “What’s great about Eni’s experience of coming from the European model is that she brings that element of, well, this is just football, right? It doesn’t need to be … some of the crazy rules that we have in the league. Her experience with the European game and just her sheer knowledge of players has been really, really helpful when looking to build a roster.”

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Coombe has gotten a head start with ACFC after leaving Gotham FC in August. (Howard Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

In practice, Angel City’s approach toward player acquisition meant months of research, phone calls and WhatsApp messages, all powered by many cups of coffee. But how does the highest-profile roster in NWSL history get built? For Aluko and Coombe, it’s all about balance. They evaluated each prospective player based on tactical fit, leadership qualities, talent ceiling and, perhaps most importantly after the year the NWSL has had, their own wishes.

A true free agency period is still a hope for the NWSL’s future, but more than ever, clubs have had good reasons to make sure players are where they want to be. After a watershed season in which multiple coaches were fired for emotional and verbal abuse, the league has progressed toward a long-overdue overhaul of its value systems.

It’s a change Aluko welcomes and hopes will ripple across the sport.

“It’s kind of simple, but intrinsically as a human being, if you want to be somewhere, you will do better, you will perform better,” she says. “If you want to be in a relationship, you will have a really good relationship. Like for me, it’s just kind of obvious. So what’s been nice, honestly, is seeing a change in mindset towards players on both sides.”

Expansion protection has only been a tradable asset since 2020, when the Chicago Red Stars sent Yuki Nagasato and Savannah McCaskill — along with other assets — to Racing Louisville FC in exchange for full roster protection. At the time, the price appeared overly steep, but it also presented a way forward in which teams could put their players’ wishes first.

Coombe, who went through that same expansion draft with Gotham, saw increased interest in those types of deals this year.

“Clubs were interested in getting [trades with Angel City] done to get protection so they didn’t have to divide their squad up in what’s quite a mean way of just being like, ‘OK, we don’t value you.’ I think that’s a little harsh,” she says. “I think there were a few clubs motivated to do that so that they didn’t have to do their lists.”

Consequently, Angel City ended up taking only four players in the expansion draft: midfielder Dani Weatherholt, defender Paige Nielsen, forward Jasmyne Spencer and midfielder Claire Emslie. While not every player might’ve known they were being selected on draft night, Aluko said she got confirmation from agents and general managers that everyone the team pursued was open to a change.

“It is a decision,” Aluko says. “I’ve been offered players and trades that I have no idea whether they want to come to Angel City. Another club will do that trade; I won’t.”

Fortunately for the club, many players have been excited about the prospect of a fresh start in California, to the point where Angel City hasn’t been able to facilitate every request. The team has gone to work picking up players they believe will make an immediate impact. Aluko has leaned into a philosophy that values versatility, with the understanding that a brand new team can evolve very quickly.

“One of the things that I made very clear when we were recruiting coaches was that I don’t necessarily want coaches who are married to a fixed philosophy, because that’s predictable,” Aluko says. “What you want is a coach and players who have a degree of versatility so that the level of risk is lower.”

The vision for Angel City’s final form prioritizes a beautiful, possession-style of soccer with a defensive edge. But, with that versatility in mind, the club has also acquired players who have experience in many different roles. Press can play on either wing or at the No. 9, and she even spent time as the No. 10 for the Red Stars in 2017. Sarah Gorden, another former Red Star, can play center and outside back and has been a part of both a four-back and three-back formation. Recent signing Allyson Swaby brings her own backline versatility, and Nielsen has three-back experience. Spencer, a forward, also held her own at outside back in Houston in 2021, and the list goes on.

“From a playing-style standpoint, we want to be a little bit more unpredictable than probably other NWSL clubs, and we want to be a headache when teams are preparing against us,” Aluko says. “It’s like, ‘Oh my god, who are they going to play? Where are they going to play?’ We want that.”

“There is an element of risk, as well,” Coombe says. “We can pull in two great players, but can they play together? That’s very much a gamble until we start kicking a ball around.”

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Angel City has built their roster around Christen Press, the club's first signing on Aug. 23. (Rob Gray/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Angel City has invested in data scouting to ensure their decisions, while risky, are informed. The team’s data analyst, Kim McCauley, has spent months watching tape and pulling stats on players both at home and abroad, providing a modern counterbalance to the more traditional evaluation style of the coaching staff.

One collaborative project was what Aluko described as the “Americans Abroad” list. McCauley would pass along relevant tape and compare the data of players in lower-profile European leagues to their counterparts in NWSL. If the stats and the eye test suggested the player could be competitive, Aluko would then look into offering that player a contract.

That analysis led to the early signings of MA Vignola and Katie Cousins, both former University of Tennessee standouts. It also helped uncover other players abroad like Japanese WNT prospect Jun Endo, whom the club acquired from Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza of the Japanese WE League. The same process also informed Angel City’s strategy in the college draft, where they only had a few picks in the later rounds.

Angel City’s resources off the field may have made them a desirable location for players, but it’s this extra step in soccer staffing that could make all the difference on the field.

“The combination of experience, knowledge, Freya’s knowledge and Kim’s knowledge together really helps us make informed decisions,” Aluko says. “It also helps us challenge each other. If I say, ‘This player’s amazing,’ and Kim says, ‘Data doesn’t say so,’ that’s the conversation that we have. And then we have to figure out whether it’s a recruitment decision that we make.”

“It’s like, I really like this player,” Coombe adds. “Well, is that what the stats say? And then, OK, do I have a bias towards this player for whatever reason? So I think that part’s always really interesting, and it certainly helped with the legwork of the sheer number of players we needed to look at.”

What Coombe, McCauley and Aluko can’t quite project is whether all the best-made plans will work right away. Their tactical plans seem tricky and building team chemistry is going to take time, but with the eyes of the soccer world firmly on the L.A. expansion club, their goal is to make one of the league’s six playoff spots in 2022.

“I think we all recognize how difficult that is; the NWSL is the most competitive league in the world,” Aluko said in a post-draft press conference. “All we can do is bring in players that are exposed to [NWSL play] and give our best on the field, but there are no guarantees in football.”

With draft week behind them, Angel City’s football operations staff is ready to turn an already successful club into an actual soccer team, and one Aluko hopes the city can take pride in.

“I hope fans will be excited about seeing themselves in the team — a diverse range of people, a diverse group of people, incredible characters, players who really care about the community, players who are from L.A., and exciting football, winning football,” she says. “That’s what we want.”

Says Coombe: “I think what we’d like to do is just continue to work on building a team that’s a great environment for the league. Try and change the narrative around what we’ve seen in the NWSL from this year, and make it an attractive destination to come and play, raise the standard. I think we’re as much responsible for that as we are for [what’s] on the field.”

Claire Watkins is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering soccer and the NWSL. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

Gotham FC Signs Record-Breaking Sponsorship Deal with Dove

Emily Sonnett shows off the new Dove sponsorship above her last name on her Gotham jersey.
Dove's partnership with Gotham is the brand's first major investment in a women's sports team. (Gotham FC)

Gotham and Dove are teaming up, with the 2023 NWSL champs signing a record-setting multi-year kit partnership with the beauty brand on Thursday.

As Dove's first major investment in a women's sports team, the move also ranks as the highest-ever back-of-jersey sponsorship deal in NWSL history.

While Gotham did not provide specific numbers, the contract surpasses Bay FC's then-record $500,000 deal with private equity giant Sixth Street.

Dove joins Gotham in fight to keep girls in sports

The partnership is a part of Gotham's "Keep Her in the Game" initiative, a community effort launched last August to help adolescent girls stay in sports. Dove will serve as the program's presenting sponsor.

"Dove is the ultimate leader in female strength and empowerment, and we could not be prouder to partner with the brand in a number of impactful ways," Gotham FC chief business officer Ryan Dillon said in the team's release. "We are excited to team up with Dove to create key pathways for young female athletes to stay in sports, develop confidence, and become strong future leaders."

"The partnership is taking effect at a crucial time when supporting girls in sports has never been more important."

With girls twice as likely as boys to abandon sports by age 14, "Keep Her in the Game" aims to bolster young athletes' resilience and amplify the joy and connection that happens on and off the playing field.

After impacting 30 local New Jersey and New York youth clubs and more than 500 players in 2024, the initiative is aiming to double its reach in 2025. It will also pass the proverbial mic to the young athletes themselves by creating a Youth Leadership Council.

"The data is clear: Sports build confidence, leadership skills and resilience in young women, benefiting them for years to come," stated Laura DiMiceli, the head of personal care sports marketing for Dove's parent company, Unilever North America. "Dove is committed to supporting 'Keep Her in the Game' as part of our overall mission to help young girls pursue sports and keep playing the games they love."

Unrivaled to Crown First-Ever 1v1 Tournament Champion

Lunar Owls forward Napheesa Collier dribbles the ball during an Unrivaled game.
Napheesa Collier is one of four Unrivaled players competing for the 1v1 tournament's $200,000 prize. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball will crown its first-ever 1v1 tournament champion on Friday night, when all four semifinalists take the court with a $200,000 grand prize on the line.

Vinyl guard Arike Ogunbowale will kick off the semis against Mist forward Aaliyah Edwards, before Unrivaled co-founder and Lunar Owls forward Napheesa Collier faces Rose forward Azurá Stevens. The victors will immediately advance to the night's best-of-three final series.

Notably, Friday's set puts alma mater pride on center court. A trio of UConn alums in Collier, Stevens, and Edwards will all clock in, while Ogunbowale reps Notre Dame — one of just three teams to beat the Huskies this NCAA season.

Along with those priceless bragging rights, the semifinalists are battling for a six-figure payday, though none will leave empty-handed. Each are guaranteed at least $25,000, with $50,000 on deck for the tournament's runner-up.

The players' Unrivaled teammates will also be watching with interest, as the winner's entire 3×3 team will snag $10,000 each.

Though 1v1 can feel like a schoolyard version of basketball, with this much money involved, expect the competition to rise miles above playground tussles.

Rose BC's Angel Reese defends Mist forward Aaliyah Edwards during an Unrivaled game.
Aaliyah Edwards is one of three UConn alums in the Unrivaled 1v1 semifinals. (Rich Storry/Getty Images)

Endurance could decide Unrivaled 1v1 tournament champion

Friday's format is in part a test of stamina, as players stare down a grueling schedule where the eventual winner must play either three or four 1v1 games in a single night.

To that end, Collier's elite conditioning could make her the favorite, if she can outlast Stevens in the pair's semifinal.

"Her motor is unmatched," Stevens said of Collier's endurance, a key factor in her success so far. "I try to conserve some energy in between possessions, especially when the games get really tiring."

Motors aside, Friday's title will boil down to fundamentals — and which athlete best leverages their personal skillset.

"I have to use my size and stick to my strengths," said Edwards. "It’s about imposing my will and getting the job done."

How to watch the Unrivaled 1v1 tournament finals

The inaugural Unrivaled 1v1 tournament concludes on Friday. Live coverage begins at 7:30 PM ET on TNT.

USC Beats UCLA as JuJu Watkins Ends Bruins’ Undefeated NCAA Season

USC's JuJu Watkins drives to the basket between UCLA's Janiah Barker and Elina Aarnisalo.
Watkins scored 38 points to hand UCLA their first loss of the season. (Robert Hanashiro/Imagn Images)

The last perfect DI basketball season has officially fallen, as USC phenom JuJu Watkins put up a historic performance to lead the No. 6 Trojans to a 71-60 win over then-undefeated No. 1 UCLA on Thursday.

Watkins finished the night with 38 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and eight blocks, becoming the first DI player to register an overall stat-line so robust in 20 years.

"It took everything. It's been a rough couple weeks for me," Watkins said after the game, referencing uncharacteristic performances leading up to Thursday's rivalry matchup. "To be able to kind of snap back into it and get into my rhythm here at Galen versus UCLA, it's really all I could ask for."

"I'm really just like a kid out there and living out my dream."

Throughout the back-and-forth battle, Watkins's consistency made all the difference. She scored every one of USC's 14 second-quarter points, and helped lead a monster fourth quarter in which the Trojans slammed the door by outscoring the Bruins 24-8.

"I didn't teach JuJu any of that," commented USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb after the game. "[I] just try to put her in situations to be her best self, and she does most of that work. What I was so impressed with tonight, obviously, was just the mentality she came out with."

With the marquee win, USC now sits firmly atop the Big Ten. That said, UCLA will have a chance to avenge the loss in the pair's March 1st rematch, when that final regular-season game could decide the conference title.

Until then, the Trojans will be riding high on their Thursday night dominance.

"We'll never forget this night," Gottlieb said. "It's as good as anything I've ever seen."

UConn star Paige Bueckers dribbles the ball during a game.
UConn takes on South Carolina on Sunday. (Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)

How to watch Top 10 NCAA basketball this weekend

With no undefeated teams left in DI basketball, Watkins's performance has put the field on notice to not make any assumptions about who might end up on top.

While Sunday will see USC roll against unranked Washington and UCLA try to bounce back against No. 22 Michigan State, the NCAA slate will also serve up two huge Top 10 matchups.

First, No. 7 UConn will take their final major regular-season test when they visit No. 4 South Carolina at 1 PM ET, when Paige Bueckers and the Huskies will aim to pull off a similarly impressive USC-inspired upset.

Then at 3 PM ET, No. 5 LSU heads to No. 3 Texas, where the Tigers will hunt their first win over the Longhorns in more than 22 years.

Both elite meetings are set to air live on ABC.

Pro Women’s Lacrosse League Debuts at WLL Championship Series

A promotional graphic for the WLL Championship Series.
The WLL played its first-ever pro games at this week's Lexus Championship Series. (ESPN)

The brand-new professional Women's Lacrosse League (WLL) made its official debut this week just outside of Washington, DC, where its first-ever game saw the New York Charging take down the Maryland Charm 14-13 in the WLL Championship Series.

After the inaugural Tuesday result, the action continued on Wednesday, when the California Palms opened their WLL account by getting the better of the Boston Guard in a tight 16-15 matchup.

Founded and run by the Premier Lacrosse League, the WLL fosters top-level competition as the sport gears up for its 2028 Olympic return.

The four-team WLL Championship Series follows an Olympic-style "sixes" format. Unlike traditional lacrosse, which uses a larger pitch and 10 athletes per team, sixes employs a condensed field with six players per side.

In the Championship Series, teams are first competing in three round-robin games to determine semifinal seedings. The tournament will culminate with the knockout semifinal and final rounds on Sunday and Monday, respectively.

Team USA lacrosse star Charlotte North gestures during a 2022 World Championship game.
Team USA star Charlotte North competes for the WLL's Boston Guard. (Ryan Hunt/Getty Images)

WLL looks to level up lacrosse ahead of 2028 Olympics

Despite the competition's quick turnaround, the WLL represents a growing professionalization movement in women's lacrosse — with all involved betting big on the sport's Olympic success in LA.

When lacrosse steps back onto the Olympic stage in 2028, it will have been 80 years since its last 1948 outing — and even then, it was merely a demonstration event. The last time the sport earned medals was in 1908.

Furthermore, the sport's entire Olympic history rests in the men's game — 2028 will see women take the Olympic lacrosse pitch for the first time ever.

"We are honored to be a part of the WLL, and we couldn't be more excited to bring this game to the fans in new ways than ever before," said Boston Guard star Charlotte North in a league statement.

"We firmly believe that this is the beginning of what will be a monumental movement in the game of professional women's lacrosse, and for female athletes around the globe.... It's our time."

Former Northwestern lacrosse star Izzy Scane shoots the ball during an NCAA game.
Izzy Scane, the NCAA DI lacrosse career scoring leader, plays for the New York Charging. (Greg Fiume/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

How to watch the WLL Championship Series

The tournament's round-robin play continues with the Maryland Charm facing off against the Boston guard at 9 PM ET on Thursday, before the California Palms contend with the New York Charging at 6 PM ET on Friday.

All WLL Championship Series games will stream live on ESPN+, with Sunday's and Monday's knockout rounds airing live on ESPN2.

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