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How Red Stars rookie Ava Cook defied doubters to reach NWSL

The 2022 18th overall pick has two goals and three assists with Chicago this season. (Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports)

People’s expectations of Ava Cook used to be as tiny as she was.

Family friend Todd Wells still has a team picture from when he coached Cook in U15 club soccer. In the photograph, he’s towering over Cook, a B-team player who dreamed of playing professional soccer but had received only a couple of offers from Division III schools.

Cook weighed less than 90 pounds at the time, and yet Wells could tell ever since she was in elementary school training with the high schoolers he coached with Cook’s dad that she was special. He believed in all of his players, but he was relentless with Ava, the closest thing he had ever had to a daughter. When Cook got to high school and played against Wells’ team, she had his vote for Player of the Year, while the other coaches in the conference chose a player who went on to sit on the bench for her career at Michigan State.

“Hey, you guys gotta understand that this girl is next-level good,” Wells told the coaches. “You just don’t know it.”

As everyone continued to doubt her, Wells kept promising, “Just wait, just wait, just wait.”

That patience paid off in a big way. As the Chicago Red Stars’ top pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft, Cook has been a key contributor to the 2021 finalists as they look to make the playoffs in the final weekend of the regular season. The forward has two goals and three assists across 18 matches played and nine starts for the No. 7 team.

Wells, who had coached at the youth, college, Olympic development and USL W League levels, wasn’t new to spotting talent. He knew what it took to play for the top NCAA Division II women’s soccer program in the country, Grand Valley, conveniently located in their home state of Michigan. Four or five of his youth players had gone there, and some of them had won national championships. Wells believed that Cook could achieve that, too, and maybe reach an even higher level than the others.

He relayed that to Grand Valley coach Jeff Hosler in a phone call, and Hosler agreed to take a look at Cook.

So, the sophomore went to the ID camp. Hosler saw the potential, but Cook wasn’t as polished as some of the other players. To him, she seemed uncoordinated, her touches weren’t clean and she wasn’t strong or fast enough.

“I just don’t see it,” Hosler told Wells afterwards.

Cook went home and worked on exactly what Hosler suggested, focusing on her strength, speed and agility every single day through her junior year to prepare for the next opportunity. The goal was just to be the best version of herself. She had no intention of going back to Grand Valley. The message that they didn’t want her had been loud and clear.

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Ava Cook, to the right of Todd Wells (center) in the black headband, hit a late growth spurt. (Courtesy of Todd Wells)

Throughout that year, though she might not have noticed it at the time, she was beginning to stand taller. At 5-foot-10, she was growing physically into her 17-year-old body while also becoming mentally tougher.

“She started to grow and it was like, watch. Now, watch what happens,” said Wells.

Cook was called up to play with the A team in a regional championship tournament. She scored in every game, and in the second match, her late goal saved the team from defeat.

Jeff Hosler was there. After Cook’s goal, Wells told Hosler, “I told you so.” The Grand Valley coach wasn’t convinced yet, but Wells could tell he was getting there.

Ahead of the next ID camp, in the winter of Cook’s junior year, Wells persuaded Cook to give it another go. When she finally agreed, he called Hosler: “I’m sending Ava back.”

That’s when everything changed. Hosler vividly remembers one play when Cook, with her back to a defender as she received a pass, effortlessly flicked it with the outside of her foot to get around her opponent.

“There’s not a lot of high school juniors at camps trying to pull that type of skill off,” he said.

Ten minutes into the camp, he called Wells. “I’m going to give this kid an offer tomorrow,” Hosler told him.

Cook and Hosler’s conversation at the end of that camp was completely different than their last. He had a vision for how she could fit into the program as a versatile forward who was dangerous in the air and could hit strikes from distance.

Grand Valley was the only school who gave Cook an offer, so she took it and set out to get even better.

Freshman year was about learning, mostly from a fellow striker named Gabby Mencotti, a senior who mentored Cook in reading the game and making decisions. By sophomore year, Cook was miles ahead of where she was in her first season, this time receiving Second Team All-American honors. As a junior, she helped the Lakers win a national championship while leading Division II in goals (29) and points (70) and being named a First Team All-American.

Cook had planned to play just four years of college. Going into her senior year, she was open to pursuing whatever professional opportunities presented themselves. Then COVID-19 hit, and the fall season of her senior year got moved to the spring. When the NCAA granted athletes an additional year of eligibility due to the canceled fall season, Cook began to have second thoughts about leaving school, especially since a fifth year would broaden her professional opportunities and maybe even open a door to the NWSL.

She thought about the choice for a long time.

When she finally settled on playing a fifth season, Hosler had taken a job at Michigan State, and Cook, who had developed astronomically under him, had another decision to make.

She reached out to Wells for advice.

“I’ve got a year of eligibility,” she told him. “Do I stay at Grand Valley or go to Michigan State?”

“That’s a dumb question,” Wells replied.

He sent her a text with exactly what she needed to do, numbering the steps one through four. Cook not only followed Wells’ advice, she manifested it, and made sure that every step along the way came true.

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(Daniel Bartel/USA TODAY Sports)

1. Transfer to MSU

Cook entered her name into the transfer portal and called Hosler.

“Hey, it’s me again,” she said.

Coming to Michigan State wasn’t something that Hosler was going to let just any of his former players do. But Cook had the blend of pace, athleticism, size and humility. Her determination to grow never seemed to let up.

“Ava is one of those special people that you don’t get an opportunity to work with very often because of who she is,” Hosler said. “I truly love this kid, with everything that she stands for and who she is. I’m super proud of her.”

After a long conversation, Cook decided to take her chances on the Big Ten.

2. Do what you do

Cook went on to help the Spartans to their first Big Ten tournament since 2011. Playing over 1,000 minutes during the 2021 season, she led the team in goals (seven), assists (three), points (17), shots (77) and game-winning goals (three).

Starting all but one game, Cook earned Second Team All-Big Ten and United Soccer Coaches All-Region honors.

“Ava just never knew how great she could be until she just went up against the players that were the best ,and she’s like, ‘I’m here, and I’m doing my thing. Look what I can do,’” said Wells.

3. Apply for the NWSL Draft

With her teammates still in college this past spring, Cook watched a lot of NWSL and U.S. women’s national team games. Knowing most of the national team players were in the league, Cook felt the NWSL featured “truly some of the best soccer out there.”

“To be able to even get the chance to play in a league like that, I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” she said.

Because of players like fellow Michigan native Bethany Balcer, who was the first NAIA player to sign with an NWSL club in 2019, she knew it was possible to carve out a successful professional career despite spending most of her college days outside of Division I.

“I think that not only me, but a lot of girls definitely look at her, especially in Michigan, and get a really good sense of hope,” Cook said of the OL Reign forward.

So, she applied for the 2022 draft but didn’t expect anything to come out of it. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe in herself; she just didn’t want to be disappointed.

On the day of the draft, Cook was eating a slice of pizza, surrounded by family and friends, when she saw her name and picture appear on the TV screen.

Ava Cook, 18th overall to the Chicago Red Stars.

Everyone screamed. Cook nearly choked on her pizza, as her phone began blowing up with texts and calls.

“That is something I will never ever forget,” she said of draft day. “I was so thankful for everyone who was there and that I got to share that moment with them and everyone who reached out. It makes me so happy to think about.”

4. Play NWSL

Since joining the Red Stars, Cook has made nine starts and played 1,202 minutes in 22 games across all competitions. Her three assists led the league for the first half of the regular season, and she earned her first call-up to the U.S. U23 women’s national team in June.

Achieving the last item on Wells’ list only means that Cook is ready for a new set of goals. Right now, outside of making the playoffs with the Red Stars, she’s focused on improving her technical skills and soccer IQ and watching as many games on TV as she can. Her eyes are glued to players in positions that interest her. She watches their runs, what they do with the ball and how they move off of it.

Cook is 5-10 but still growing. Always growing. And other people’s expectations of her have increased accordingly.

“This is only the beginning for her because of the way she approaches things and the year-to-year growth she showed during my time with her,” Hosler said. “I know it will continue in the league.”

As Wells says, “Just wait, just wait, just wait.”

Jessa Braun is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering the NWSL and USWNT. Follow her on Twitter @jessabraun.

USC’s McKenzie Forbes: From Gap Year to the NCAA Tournament

As part of our 1-v-1 video series, USC’s India Otto sat down to interview her teammate McKenzie Forbes. 

Here are five things to know from our conversation with the graduate transfer from Folsom, California.

#1 Inspired by USC’s Head Coach, Lindsay Gottlieb, McKenzie wants to be a basketball coach or work in the front office in the future.

When weighing in on what makes a good coach, McKenzie said x’s and o’s are important but “Coaching is a lot of relationship managing and people managing. I think you have to be a good people person and be able to build those relationships, but also in that same breath, you can’t be afraid to have people dislike you in moments. I think that’s a big part of leadership.”

#2 McKenzie says the trajectory of her career changed when she made the decision to transfer from Cal to Harvard.

 In order to transfer, she was forced to take a gap year and spend a lot of time in the gym. “I completely transformed my body and, going into the Harvard season, felt like I was a completely different player. Going to Harvard and playing in a more mid-major conference, I had the ball in my hands a lot more than I might have if I transferred to another Power 5. It really developed other parts of my game.”

#3 How does McKenzie think USC will do in the Women’s College Basketball Tournament?

“I’m not going to give a typical interview answer. I want a Final Four. We have that potential and capability. Like why not? Why not us? I think we have all the pieces.”

#4 Her older brother, Marcus, was her biggest mentor growing up.

“He was basically my trainer from Elementary school on until he went to college.”

#5 Fun facts about Forbes:

She can juggle and she was the quarterback of her Pop Warner football team. “I was slow but I could throw it!”

Watch the full conversation on the Just Women’s Sports YouTube channel.

Christen Press back training with Angel City FC

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 15: Christen Press #23 of Angel City FC waves to fans following a game between the Portland Thorns and Angel City FC at BMO Stadium on October 15, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)

Christen Press continues to inch her way back to a return, having returned to training with her club team Angel City. 

Angel City FC coach Becki Tweed said on Wednesday that Press is back with the team full-time as she continues to make her way back from an ACL injury. While she’s still working on rehab, her being back with the team gives staff a better picture of her progress. 

"Christen [Press] is back with us full time which is amazing,” she said. “Having her in and around the team every day, continuing to work hard on rehab ... she's in a space where being in with the team is really important to her and her progression as well.”

The status update comes days after Press posted videos to social media that featured her doing lateral movement in cleats on grass. 

“Look out world she’s on the move !” Press captioned it. 

Press has been sidelined with an ACL injury since 2022, which caused her to miss the 2023 World Cup. She’s since had four separate surgeries to help repair her ACL.

Press told The Athletic a month ago that she’s been “relentless” in her optimism with her recovery despite it being a “slow process.”

“I have a bit of relentless optimism,” she told The Athletic. “I never, ever doubted that I would make it back on any of the timelines I’ve been on."

"Every single time I’ve heard, ‘You have to have surgery,’ I’m completely shocked,” she said. “When somebody asks me how it’s going, I’m like, ‘It’s going great. And it was going great every time. So I don’t know what to tell you anymore!’”

Sophia Smith re-signs with Portland on record deal

(Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports)

Sophia Smith is now the NWSL’s highest-paid player. 

The Portland Thorns announced on Wednesday that they have signed Smith to a new contract through the 2025 season, with an option for 2026. While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, the team did reveal that Smith is now the highest-paid player in the league on an annual basis.

It’s the latest in what has been a series of record-breaking contracts in the NWSL offseason. 

Chicago Red Stars forward Mallory Swanson, Bay FC forward Racheal Kundananji, and Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda all signed multi-year deals worth between $2 million and $2.5 million in total. While Smith’s contract is shorter and not worth as much over the long-term, the annual worth is higher. 

“We are over the moon to have Soph commit again to the Thorns. She is a proven, world-class talent and one that we are excited to have contribute to the team’s continued success,” said head coach Mike Norris in a statement. “We look forward to working with her in a Thorns jersey as she continues to shine as one of the top strikers in the world.”

In just four seasons in the NWSL, Smith has led the Thorns to five trophies – including the 2022 NWSL championship – while winning league and championship MVP in 2022. In 61 appearances with Portland, she has 34 goals – including a brace to start this season against Kansas City. 

She’s also a member of the USWNT, having scored 16 goals in 44 international appearances.  Set to become a free agent at the end of this season, she told ESPN she “thought of all the options” but ultimately Portland felt like the right decision.

"There is no place like Portland," Smith said in a small roundtable interview that included ESPN. "I don't believe there's an environment like Portland to play in and it's a city that's so special to me and a city that I feel like I've grown up in almost and become who I am."

She also told ESPN that the team’s new ownership “changes everything.” The club is now led by the Bhathal family, who bought the club after Merritt Paulson was forced to sell it following his part in the NWSL’s abuse scandal. 

"Since I've been here there has been a lot of things going on with this club -- a lot of not-great things going on with this club -- and I have just been waiting for some stability and some reassurance that this club is headed in the right direction, and the Bhathal family coming in is doing exactly that, if not more,” Smith said. 

"Their vision for this club is so exciting, and you can just tell how passionate they are about making this what it should be and continuing to push the standard in women's soccer globally.”

Caitlin Clark offered $5 million to compete in Ice Cube’s league

IOWA CITY, IOWA- MARCH 25: Guard Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates as time runs out in the second half against the West Virginia Mountaineers during their second round match-up in the 2024 NCAA Division 1 Women's Basketball Championship at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on March 25, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)

Caitlin Clark has been offered $5 million to play in Ice Cube's Big3 league, he confirmed on social media Wednesday after the offer leaked.

"We intended the offer to remain private while Caitlin Clark plays for the championship," Ice Cube wrote on social media. "But I won't deny what's now already out there: BIG3 made a historic offer to Caitlin Clark. Why wouldn't we? Caitlin is a generational athlete who can achieve tremendous success in the BIG3."

While there has yet to be a women's player in the league, both Nancy Lieberman and Lisa Leslie have been part of the league as coaches and won championships.

"The skeptics laughed when we made Nancy Lieberman the first female coach of a men's pro team, and she won the championship in her first year," Ice Cube continued. "Then Lisa Leslie won it all in year two. With our offer, Caitlin Clark can make history and break down even more barriers for women athletes."

Ice Cube, whose name is O’Shea Jackson, says that the offer was made with the intention that Clark be able to compete in the WNBA “offseason.” Clark is largely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft in April. But it’s unclear how the scheduling of the two leagues would work. 

The 2024 Big3 season is set to tip off on June 15, with 10 games spanning through mid-August. The WNBA regular season, meanwhile, begins on May 14 and ends on Sept. 19.

On “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday, Jackson said that the league has yet to hear back from Clark. 

“We just need an answer, as soon as they are ready to give it to us,” he said. “It’s always 50-50 till we get a no. At the end of the day, it’s a generous offer.”

The offer – as well as the confusion on Jackson’s part about the timing of the WNBA season – caused some current WNBA players to react. 

"It's funny cause I be seeing his son at W games.. they don't talk?" wrote former No. 1 pick Rhyne Howard

"So no other women's basketball player has came to mind in the last 7 years?" wrote Lexie Brown, adding that she'd support if Ice Cube wanted to build a women's iteration of the league. She later discussed it on the Gils Arena Show, noting that his reasoning of wanting to “uplift and support WNBA players and women athletes” is a “cop out.”

Kalani Brown, meanwhile, told Clark to "take that money" and start a women's Big3.

WNBA salaries has been a talking point in recent months as more collegiate stars declare for the league. WNBA stars have often made more money playing abroad than they have in the WNBA. Clark is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft on April 15, with a rookie salary of $76,535 for lottery draft picks (Nos. 1-4) that rises to $97,582 by her fourth season. But she also has an NIL valuation of almost $3.5 million.

Diana Taurasi famously skipped the 2015 WNBA season at the request of her Russian club, who paid her more to sit out than she would have made in the W. Her contract with the club was reportedly near $1.5 million per year.

Jackson also seemed to suggest that his league could be an alternative to going abroad

“America’s women athletes should not be forced to spend their off seasons playing in often dismal and dubious foreign countries just to make ends meet,” he wrote. Although it’s unclear whether or not the rapper intends to make offers to additional WNBA players. 

While the league does hold prioritization rules in its CBA, those typically apply only to players playing in overseas leagues. It’s unclear whether or not that would prevent Clark’s participation in the Big3 league.

WNBA players that don’t want to go overseas currently have the option of playing in Athletes Unlimited, which competes in the WNBA offseason.

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