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Seven seniors headline inaugural JWS soccer All-American teams

Ella Sanchez earns JWS All-American First Team honors after finishing her junior season with 64 goals and 14 assists. (Courtesy of Connor Cunningham)

A week after unveiling the final high school soccer spring rankings, Just Women’s Sports has new honors to bestow upon the nation’s top high school student-athletes.

JWS is proud to announce its inaugural All-American girls soccer teams, honoring 22 of the top high school players in the nation, including seven seniors on the first team.

Learn more about these outstanding athletes below, including what college they plan to attend, and look out for our selection of JWS Player of the Year next week.

First Team

Elise Evans, Woodside (Calif.), Sr. | D/F

18 goals, 4 assists
Stanford

Evans did it all for Woodside. Normally a defender, Evans played up top when needed and averaged over a goal per game in 12 appearances. But she was just as comfortable defending a one-goal lead, guiding the Wildcats to a 15-2-1 record.

Juliauna Hayward, Legacy (Colo.), Sr. | M

17 goals, 22 assists
Colorado

A top-10 player in her recruiting class, according to Top Drawer Soccer, Hayward controlled the midfield and led the Lightning to a state quarterfinal appearance.

Riley Jackson, Blessed Trinity (Ga.), Soph. | M

14 goals, 18 assists
Uncommitted

Jackson put up those numbers despite missing significant time while leading the U.S. U17 national team to the Concacaf championship, where she was named the tournament’s best player.

Molly Martin, Buckingham, Browne & Nichols School (Mass.), Sr. | D

6 goals, 9 assists
Penn State

Before enrolling at Penn State, Martin anchored a defense that allowed just two goals in 21 games, leading the Knights to a 21-0 record and the Class A tournament championship.

Shay Montgomery, Yorktown (Va.), Sr. | M

24 goals, 8 assists
South Carolina

Montgomery led the Patriots to the 6A state title and a No. 3 spot in the season-ending JWS rankings.

Allie Montoya, Mountain View (Cal.), Sr. | F

28 goals, 11 assists
Stanford

A constant presence on U.S. youth national teams, Montoya scored over a third of the Spartans’ goals and was involved in nearly half of them.

Jordan Nytes, Grandview (Colo.), Sr. | GK

5 goals against, 15 shutouts, 75 saves
Oklahoma State

Nytes was the backbone of the Class 5A state champions, giving up just five goals in 20 games and recording a .938 save percentage.

Melina Rebimbas, Rutgers Preparatory School (N.J.), Jr. | F

40 goals, 31 assists
North Carolina

Rebimbas recorded a hat trick in eight games this season, more than a third of the Dragons’ 23-match schedule.

Ella Sanchez, Ballard (Ky.), Jr. | F/M

64 goals, 14 assists
Uncommitted

Behind Sanchez’s jaw-dropping numbers, Ballard advanced to the region tournament semifinals.

Evelyn Shores, Westminster (Ga.), Jr. | D/F

27 goals, 24 assists
North Carolina

Another player that did a little bit of everything, Shores led Westminster to a state title and the No. 1 spot in JWS’ final rankings.

Amelia White, Homestead (Ind.), Sr. | F/M

25 goals, 15 assists
Penn State

Thanks to White’s contributions, Homestead went 22-0 and won the Class 4A state championship.

Second Team

Samantha Allen, Noble (Okla.), Sr. | F

56 goals, 15 assists
Oklahoma State

Allen scored 169 goals throughout her high school career, widely believed to be the most in state history.

Lindsey Antonson, Wilsonville (Ore.), Sr. | F

52 goals, 9 assists
Oregon State

Antonson scored 13 goals over four postseason matches, including a hat trick in the state championship game, to lead the Wildcats to a state championship and an undefeated season.

Autumn Cayelli, T.L. Hanna (S.C.), Jr. | M/F

49 goals, 4 assists
South Carolina

Cayelli’s prodigious goal-scoring record propelled T.L. Hanna to an appearance in the 5A state championship game.

Olivia Curry, Spring-Ford (Pa.), Sr. | D

Wisconsin

A United Soccer Coaches All-American selection, Curry is one of the top defenders in the Class of 2022.

Halle Engle, Mechanicsburg (Pa.), Sr. | F

50 goals, 11 assists
Liberty

Engle scored in 23 of the Wildcats’ 24 games, leading them to the state quarterfinals and ending her prep career with 132 goals and 47 assists.

Kennedy Fuller, Southlake Carroll (Texas), Fr. | M

26 goals, 15 assists
Uncommitted

Despite her youth, Fuller did not shy away in the big moments, recording a hat trick in Southlake Carroll’s 4-0 state championship win.

Kelsey Smith, McDonogh (Md.), Sr. | F

19 goals, 3 assists
Maryland

When Smith returned to the field in September after missing more than a year with an ACL injury, she didn’t skip a beat, leading the Eagles to a state crown.

Kiera Staude, Westminster (Ga.), Jr. | D

3 goals, 2 assists
Georgia

Staude marshaled a defense that allowed just 11 goals all season en route to a seventh consecutive state title, including shutouts in four of the Wildcats’ five postseason games.

Taylor Suarez, Ardrey Kell (N.C.), Soph. | F

18 goals, 12 assists
Uncommitted

Suarez put up those numbers despite missing eight-regular season games while playing for the U.S. U17 national team. She also had five goals and six assists in six postseason appearances.

Tatum Thomason, Liberty (Ariz.), Sr. | M/F

39 goals, 20 assists
Washington

The prolific goal scorer had six hat tricks and 13 multi-goal games, leading the Lions to the 6A state semifinals.

Sydney Watts, St. Thomas Aquinas (Kan.), Jr. | M/F

37 goals, 10 assists
Vanderbilt

One of the top juniors in the country, Watts led the Saints to an undefeated season and the Class 5A state championship, scoring both goals in the state final.

Phillip Suitts is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports. He has worked at a variety of outlets, including The Palm Beach Post and Southeast Missourian, and done a little bit of everything from reporting to editing to running social media accounts. He was born in Atlanta but currently lives in wintry Philadelphia. Follow Phillip on Twitter @PhillipSuitts.

Cameron Brink likes Caitlin Clark for 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year

Cameron Brink poses with Caitlin Clark at 2024 wnba draft in new york
Cameron Brink poses with fellow draftee — and possible WNBA ROY —Caitlin Clark. (Photo by Emily Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)

Cameron Brink already has her rookie of the year pick for the upcoming WNBA season, and it’s Indiana-bound star Caitlin Clark

In the latest edition of Kelley on the Street, host Kelley O'Hara caught up with Brink in New York hours before the Stanford phenom went No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks at the 2024 WNBA Draft. When O’Hara asked who would win the WNBA's rookie of the year, she answered without pause.

"Caitlin Clark," she said, while a fan commented that she thought Brink would take home the award. Brink later added that the extra foul granted to WNBA players will be "good for me."

"I hope it’s me," Charisma Osborne, who was later drafted by the Phoenix Mercury, said when asked her ROY prediction. "But, I don’t know — we’ll see."

Watch more of Kelley on the Street:

Dash winger Maria Sanchez confirms trade request a day shy of NWSL deadline

María Sanchez of Houston Dash during a NWSL game
In December, Sanchez signed a new three-year contract with the club worth $1.5 million including bonuses and an option year. (Photo by Marcus Ingram/Getty Images)

Maria Sanchez issued a statement on Thursday, confirming recent reports that she has requested a trade from the Houston Dash. 

In it, she revealed that the club has been aware of the request "since late March."

"This has all taken a toll and isn’t an easy thing to talk about, but I want to confirm that I’ve requested an immediate trade," she wrote. "My expectations and reasons have been clear. I trust that my current club’s management will honor my decision in a timely manner and proceed with accepting a trade."

"I’m eager to refocus and dive back into what I love most: playing football," she concluded.

Reports of Sanchez's trade request first surfaced on ESPN last week, and were later confirmed by multiple sources. 

In December of last year, Sanchez signed a three-year contract with the Dash valued at $1.5 million including bonuses and an option year. It was the largest contract in NWSL history at the time — a figure that would be eclipsed by multiple contracts in the following months. 

Sanchez spent the offseason as a restricted free agent, meaning that Houston could match any other team's offer to retain her rights. Should the Dash trade Sanchez, her current contract terms would remain intact, limiting potential buyers to teams able to afford to take on an inking of that size.

The Dash has yet to address the trade, instead reiterating to ESPN that Sanchez is "under contract, a choice she made in free agency at the end of 2023." 

Both the NWSL trade window and transfer window close tonight, April 19th, at 12 a.m. ET. The window will stay closed through the next 11 regular season games, reopening on August 1st, 2024.

Seattle Storm debut state-of-the-art $64 million practice facility

Jewell Loyd #24 of the Seattle Storm during warms up during practice on July 11, 2020 at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida
Jewell Loyd, seen here practicing at Florida's IMG Academy, and her team are in for a major upgrade this season. (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)

The four-time league champion Seattle Storm unveiled their new practice facility on Thursday, with Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel dubbing Interbay's Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance the team’s "new home."

"It's just such a special space," Brummel told Fox 13 Seattle. "I think when the players get here, it's gonna be overwhelming."

The sprawling 50,000-square-foot, $64 million property is just the second designated practice facility to be designed and built expressly for a WNBA team, with the Storm further noting that 85% of all design and engineering team members involved in the project's construction were women and people of color. The finished product holds two professional indoor courts, two 3x3 outdoor courts, a state-of-the-art locker room, and players' lounge, plus designated areas for strength and conditioning, kitchen, dining, and nutrition, and recovery. 

"This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance," said Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder in an official team release. "It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports."

For their part, the team can't wait to make the faciilty their own.

"It's amazing," Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Fox 13. "Not having to drive everywhere around, knowing you have access anytime of the day to get into the gym, to workout." 

Head coach Noelle Quinn said she predicts the team is "never going to leave this building."

"Which is a good thing for me," she continued. "You talk about having an edge in performance. We want our athletes to not only perform on the court, but get whatever they need."

All of the Storm's staff and operations will now live under one roof, and the team also has plans to launch a youth basketball program operating out of the building.

Mystics relocate game to accommodate Caitlin Clark fans

Maya Caldwell, Erica Wheeler, and Lexie Hull of the Indiana Fever celebrate Caitlin Clark
Get ready — Caitlin Clark is coming to town. (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Caitlin Clark effect is quickly making its mark on the big leagues, as WNBA host teams around the country rush to upgrade their Fever games to larger arenas in order to accommodate surging ticket sales.

With Clark mere weeks away from her Indiana Fever debut, both the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have officially relocated their scheduled home games with head coach Christie Sides' squad. On Thursday, the Mystics became the latest to adjust their plans, moving their June 7th matchup from Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southwest DC to the more centrally located — and much larger — Capital One Arena "due to unprecedented demand."

The Mystics home court's capacity taps out at 4,200, while Capital One Arena — home to the Wizards, Capitals, and Georgetown Hoya's Men's Basketball — can fit nearly five times that crowd at some 20,000 spectators.

"The move to Capital One Arena will allow for additional fans in the stands as well as premium hospitality options, including Suites and the all-new all-inclusive courtside Hennessy Lofts," the team announced via Thursday's press release.

The Aces were one of the first teams to switch venues, aiming to take on the Indiana Fever in front of as many as 20,000 fans inside T-Mobile Arena on July 2nd. That’s a sizable a boost from their home venue, which holds just 12,000.

For those still planning to face the Fever in their home arenas, ticket prices have skyrocketed. Previously scheduled construction has already forced the LA Sparks to relocate their first five games — including their May 24th clash with the Fever — to Long Beach State's Walter Pyramid. The temporary venue is quite the downsize, holding just 4,000 in comparison to Crypto.com Arena's near-19,000. As of Friday, the get-in price for that game started around $400.

Despite fans launching a Change.org petition urging relocation, the Chicago Sky say they're unable to move their June 23rd Fever meeting from Wintrust Arena's 10,000-seat facility to the 23,500-seat United Center due to a concert. Tickets for that game start around $325 as of Friday.

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