All Scores

US Paralympian Brittani Coury dares viewers to stare as she goes for gold

(Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

Brittani Coury is not a quitter, and with the snowboarder on the precipice of her second Winter Paralympics, her resilience has never been more evident.

It’s been a busy four years for Coury since she took home a banked slalom silver medal at the 2018 PyeongChang Games. The 35-year-old has not only been training for the Beijing Olympics, which begin Friday with the opening ceremonies, but she’s also been working on the frontlines during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic as a registered nurse.

“I don’t give up and I don’t quit, and I am not one to turn down something that is super hard no matter what it is. If somebody says I can’t do something, I’m the type that tries to prove them wrong,” Coury tells Just Women’s Sports.

That mentality led the Team USA athlete to the COVID-19 tents during one of the most precarious times of the pandemic. She said she “felt it was her responsibility” to help those in need.

“It takes a village to send an athlete to the Games, and I’ve had so many amazing experiences. I’ve snowboarded five continents, and this was my opportunity to take care of that village,” Coury says. “This was my opportunity to give back and to show my community that I care about them and that I am willing to put myself on the frontlines even if they have no idea who I am because I am in full PPE.”

While working as a nurse, Coury called upon her own experience as a patient, when she recovered from an operation to amputate her lower leg at 25 years old.

“My journey through amputation and as a patient helped me have that empathy for my patients,” says Coury, revealing that she rarely left her patients’ side in an effort to lift their spirits. Lovingly referred to as “DJ Covid,” Coury was known to play Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin” along with other top-40 hits for her patients.

“Your patient can read you. If you’re freaking out, your patient is going to freak out because they can feel that tension,” she says.

While Coury gets a lot of joy from her work as a nurse, she is the first to admit that clocking 12-hour shifts is no easy feat. Her time on the hospital floor, she believes, helped prepare her for the Paralympic Games.

“As a nurse, there is a lot of pressure. Somebody’s life is literally in your hands, and the decisions that you make can change that patient’s conditions one way or another. It’s the same on a course — there is a lot of pressure,” Coury says. “There is a lot of cross-training for me because it’s both physically, mentally, emotionally hard and draining, either on the floor or on the snow. But I love both of them,.I love snowboarding, and I love being a nurse.”

Heading into her second Paralympics, Coury has harnessed everything the last four years has thrown her way and is ready to channel it on the slopes. Coury is expected to compete in both the banked slalom as the reigning silver medalist and the snowboardcross event.

While the snowboarder has her sights set on the podium, winning isn’t her only goal.

“I’ve trained as much as I can, I’ve done everything I can do to this point, I’ve put in the time and energy. And whatever happens on that day, I can look back and say that I have done everything up to this point to get me where I am, wherever I end up falling,” Coury says.

“For me, I have a mission statement of what I am wanting to accomplish. Medals are great, but if I can impact one person’s life in a positive way for me, all the blood, sweat, tears and everything was worth it.”

Coury is hopeful her partnership with Citi’s #StareAtGreatness campaign will help make her Paralympic ambitions of meaningfully impacting lives a reality. The company’s initiative features a roster of 15 winter Paralympians, including Coury, with the aim of changing perceptions of people with disabilities.

“That commercial is out there, and it’s bringing awareness of women and what we are capable of doing, and disability and breaking down stigma. So, if I go to the Games and I don’t end up on a podium, at the end of the day, I am so proud of my success and I am proud of the progression of the Paralympics and all the awareness that’s been brought,” Coury says.

For Coury, the #StareAtGreatness message doesn’t just pertain to Paralympic athletes; rather, it’s a valuable lesson for everyone.

“My disability I wear on the outside, people can see it, but everyone has amputations — internally, self-esteem, whatever their amputations are. Mine’s just visible.” she says. “We’re all people, we all have damage, we all have things that we’re dealing with, and if we’re able to share that and put a positive light and show people what we’re able to overcome, that’s why we are human. That’s why we have the ability to communicate, is to bring each other up.”

Inviting people to stare, Coury hopes, will also encourage people to revel in her athletic ability and inspire others to embrace their aspirations of greatness.

“What society says about you or what the world says about you or what the bullies say about you, it’s not true,” she says. “The only thing that’s true is what’s in your own mind and what you think is true. You create your own reality.”

Coury kicks off her Olympic journey with snowboardcross qualifying on March 5. The event finals are set for March 6 at 10:30 pm ET on NBC.

Clare Brennan is an associate editor at Just Women’s Sports.

New York Liberty Lead 2025 WNBA Power Rankings

New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu celebrates a three-pointer during a 2025 WNBA preseason game.
The New York Liberty lead the WNBA power rankings ahead of the 2025 season tip-off. (Ali Gradischer/Getty Images)

The New York Liberty will open the 2025 WNBA season at the top of the league's power rankings, drumming up high expectations despite a short-staffed roster.

Trailing the reigning champions at No. 2 are 2024 runners-up Minnesota, followed by 2023 champs Las Vegas at No. 3.

Fueled by this year's overall No. 2 draft pick Dominique Malonga, the Seattle Storm claimed No. 4 in the WNBA rankings, with the revamped Indiana Fever eyeing a 2025 turnaround at No. 5.

The betting market similarly reflects the league's latest forecast, with sportsbook FanDuel setting the Liberty's title odds at +210, followed by the Aces at +360, and the Lynx at +370.

The lines also support Indiana's promise, giving the Fever the fourth-best championship odds at +390 — far higher than the fifth-best Phoenix Mercury at +1,300.

On the other hand, the Dallas Wings, LA Sparks, Washington Mystics, Connecticut Sun, and Golden State Valkyries occupy the rankings' bottom half, as 2025's potential lottery teams prepare to prove themselves against top-line squads this season.

The up-for-sale Sun and brand-new Valkyries have the longest title odds on FanDuel, clocking in at +50,000 each.

While preseason action has provided some quality sneak peeks, Friday's opening tip-off represents a fresh start for the league, one where anything can — and likely will — happen.

Seattle Storm and France international teammates Gabby Williams and Dominique Malonga smile before a 2025 WNBA preseason game.
France's Gabby Williams and Dominique Malonga will skip the 2025 Eurobasket to stay with Seattle. (Scott Eklund/NBAE via Getty Images)

European WNBA stars drop out of 2025 EuroBasket

Several European WNBA standouts announced they will skip out on this summer's FIBA EuroBasket, opting to prioritize league play following a pivotal 2024 Olympics.

Reigning Olympic silver medalists Gabby Williams and Dominique Malonga both confirmed they will not represent France at the European tournament in June, opting to remain with the Seattle Storm.

The duo's France teammate Carla Leite is also forgoing the trip, instead remaining with the Golden State Valkyries for the entirety of the expansion side's debut season.

As a major international tournament, the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket is exempt from the WNBA's prioritization rule, meaning eligible players can miss regular-season league play to compete in the overseas contest without being in violation of WNBA protocols.

The 2025 regional FIBA competition between Europe's top national teams will tip off on June 18th.

Alex Morgan Rejoins San Diego Wave as Minority Owner

San Diego Wave minority owner Alex Morgan wears a pink suit and smiles while sitting in gray stadium seats.
Alex Morgan retired from professional soccer in 2024. (San Diego Wave FC)

US soccer legend Alex Morgan is back in the game, becoming a minority owner of her former NWSL club by investing in the San Diego Wave FC on Tuesday.

One of the 2022 expansion side's first signings, Morgan captained the Wave to their 2023 NWSL Shield win before retiring in September 2024 as the team's all-time leader in both goals (28) and assists (11).

"San Diego is where I've built my home, where I am raising my children, and found a purpose beyond my playing career," Morgan said in a club statement. "I believed in Wave FC before a single match was played, and I still believe this club has the power to change the future of women's sports."

Morgan joins an ownership group led by the Leichtman-Levine family. The Leichtmans purchased the team from founding owner Ron Burkle at a reported $113 million valuation last year.

"Alex has always fought to positively impact this game beyond the pitch," said Wave FC controlling owner Lauren Leichtman. "Her decision to invest is not only a continuation of her leadership but also a reflection of her belief in what we are building."

The two-time World Cup champion appears to be making good on her desire to shape the women's sports landscape after hanging up her boots, also buying into Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball ahead of the league's early 2025 debut.

"I was on board [with Unrivaled] from day one," Morgan told Boardroom in January. "Fans want to see what a player's personality is and who they vibe with, what drives them, and I think that being able to mesh that with competition, it already [is] a home run here with Unrivaled. So it would be really exciting to do something with other women's sports as well."

Minnesota Enters Game 4 with 2-1 PWHL Semifinals Lead Over Toronto

Defender Lee Stecklein celebrates a goal during the 2025 PWHL semifinals with her Minnesota Frost teammates.
Minnesota holds a 2-1 series advantage over Toronto. (Michael Chisholm/Getty Images)

The Minnesota Frost offense is ruling the ice, as record-setting scoring has the reigning PWHL champions on the brink of returning to the Walter Cup finals, entering Wednesday's Game 4 on a 2-1 series lead over the Toronto Sceptres in the best-of-five semifinals. 

Just two days after No. 4-seed Minnesota leveled the series with a 5-3 Friday win — recording the most combined goals ever scored in a PWHL Playoff game — the Frost found yet another gear, winning the highest scoring game in the second-year league's history in Sunday’s 7-5 Game 3 defeat of No. 2-seed Toronto.

In Sunday's barnburner, 21 players earned points across the two teams, but it was Minnesota who claimed victory, never relinquishing their early lead after netting a trio of goals in the game's first eight minutes.

"Minnesota's a great team," Sceptres head coach Troy Ryan said after the loss. "If you're putting yourself in a situation where you've got to chase them, it's an uphill battle."

"I think it’s a fan's dream and a coach's nightmare, a 7-5 playoff game," said Minnesota boss Ken Klee. "We found a way to win and that's the most important thing."

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Minnesota skaters now own the league's 2025 Playoffs stat sheet, with four Frost players topping the points race.

More eyebrow-raising, however, is that the league's postseason offensive leader is a defender, as the Frost's Lee Stecklein has burned up the ice with three goals and three assists in the playoffs so far.

Calling her "outstanding" and "world-class," Klee sang Stecklein's praises while acknowledging that the postseason means Minnesota must "find different ways to score goals and different people have to contribute."

"[Stecklein] knows that, she exemplifies that, and that's why she's one of our leaders and one of our best players."

How to watch Minnesota vs. Toronto in the PWHL Semifinals

The defending champion Frost will hope to secure their spot in the 2025 PWHL Finals while the Sceptres aim to stave off elimination in the pair's next semifinals game on Wednesday.

The puck drops on Game 4 of the best-of-five series at 7 PM ET, with live coverage streaming on the PWHL YouTube channel.

Marta Comes Out of Retirement to Join Brazil National Team Roster

Marta looks up before the 2024 Olympic gold-medal match between Brazil and the USWNT.
Despite her 2024 international retirement, Marta will return to the Brazil team this month. (Cao Can/Xinhua via Getty Images)

Soccer legend Marta is officially returning to the canary yellow kit, earning a Brazil national team call-up just over nine months after her planned retirement from international duty.

Brazil head coach Arthur Elias named Marta to the world No. 8 Seleção's roster on Tuesday, with the 39-year-old icon returning for the team's upcoming home friendlies against No. 5 Japan on May 30th and June 2nd.

"I was with Marta recently and spoke with her," Elias told reporters on Tuesday. "She said she is available to help the team while she is playing at a high level, as she is now."

Stellar club form fuels Marta's Brazil return

Marta, who hung up her international boots after snagging a third silver Olympic medal at the 2024 Paris Games, hasn't missed a beat since, captaining the Orlando Pride to the club's first-ever NWSL Shield and Championship last fall.

In the process, the scoring phenom claimed the league's Best XI First Team honors, as well as finalist nods for both the 2024 NWSL MVP and Midfielder of the Year awards.

Unsurprisingly, the Pride inked Marta to a two-year contract extension in January.

While Marta's consistently impressive form fueled Elias's request to lure her out of retirement, the manager is also hoping her unmatched leadership will bolster younger athletes as Brazil takes aim at a record-extending ninth Copa América title this summer — and, as the host nation, a deep 2027 World Cup run.

Joining the legend on Tuesday's roster are fellow Brazil veterans Lorena and Debinha, from the NWSL-leading Kansas City Current, and Marta's Orlando teammate Angelina.

"[Marta's] presence in some call-ups is very important for the younger players, for the renewal that is taking place in the national team," explained Elias. "We really want expectations to rise for the women's national team and for football in our country."

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