A new professional softball league where teams change every week and there’s a point system? The first thought I had when hearing about Athletes Unlimited was “Huh, that’s interesting”

I was given the presentation about the league in April, and my mind was blown. Teams drafted every week, individuals earning points alongside their teams, and a ranking system that would determine bonuses. It seemed like the wheel was being reinvented while still keeping the essence of softball intact. It took all but 2 minutes to convince me that I wanted to sign a contract.

I have been playing softball since I was 5 years old. I turned 30 this year, so it’s safe to say that my entire life has been dedicated to this sport. I’ve become accustomed to the way professional softball has been even though I knew it could be something more.

When I arrived on August 16, 2020, I knew immediately this experience was going to be different. I walked into my hotel room where there was a box of food waiting for me as well as a welcome package. Since we were in a global pandemic we weren’t able to leave the hotel room until we received a negative COVID test, and they made sure that we were set for our small quarantine before we could begin training. (We were tested a total of 11 times in 6 weeks to ensure the safety of ourselves and those around us).

We knew this environment was going to be different purely because the structure of this league was different. Once we started training and went into our first scrimmage drafts, we were able to finally see what playing for Athletes Unlimited truly meant. Everyone was invested, involved, and on board with what we wanted professional softball to look and feel like.

We’ve known for a long time that we can put a competitive product on the field, but now we were given the chance to truly showcase that.

Going through the draft process was its own kind of stress, but once you were placed with your team for the week it was as if you’d been looking forward to playing with this specific group the whole time. Each week was completely different than the last yet equally as competitive. In just 3 practices with each group, team chemistry was developed, as well as team goals and camaraderie. Every team felt like the exact team you needed to be on.

More than the competition though was the social aspect. We were in our own Covid shield and weren’t able to go anywhere but the field and our residences. Back and forth to the same two places every day sounds a little monotonous, but it wasn’t.

Everyone embraced being in the shield and made the most of it. There were outdoor gatherings where people ate dinner together and talked about everything under the sun. Ice cream dates, game nights, and weekly educational pieces put on by Athletes Unlimited so we could learn and grow as people as well as softball players. Our racial equity working group put on an event called “Friday Night Lights” so we could talk about important topics we are facing in the world. I’ve never been a part of something in sports so driven to make the world a better place.

Leaving the shield at the end of the season felt like a sad goodbye because every piece of our 6 weeks together was incredible.

For me, there were times of extreme highs, like getting the first hit and first home run in Athletes Unlimited history. Were there frustrating times? Of course, but that comes with playing a game of failure. Was I happy that I led the league in strikeouts? Absolutely not. But playing in this league challenged me in every single way that I needed to be challenged. I am a competitive person and I want to win while being the very best player and teammate that I can be. Competing in this league lit a fire in me that makes me want to continue developing as a player and as a person.

I can’t know what the softball’s future holds, but right now what I know is this: It’s brighter than it’s ever been.

USWNT stalwart Alex Morgan will miss at least one week of NWSL action after suffering a left ankle knock in her last club appearance, Wave manager Casey Stoney said on Thursday.

Morgan was helped off the field after rolling her ankle in the later stages of the Wave’s 1-0 loss to the Orlando Pride last weekend, despite the San Diego side being out of available substitutes.

“She's got an ankle injury and she's out for this weekend, and then it'll be week by week from there,” Stoney said, confirming that Morgan’s been ruled out for Saturday’s showdown with NWSL newcomer Bay FC.

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Depending on its severity, Morgan’s ankle issue might have larger ramifications than missing a few weeks of NSWL play. Morgan was added to the team's Gold Cup roster after an ACL injury sidelined young striker Mia Fishel, and she's since made a number of USWNT starts in the team's Gold Cup and SheBelieves wins. A long-term injury could potentially derail the center forward’s Olympic plans.

With her return timeline uncertain, it's possible the injury could also impact Morgan's ability to participate in new head coach Emma Hayes' first U.S. friendlies in June and July.

Morgan's injury concerns aren't uncommon in the U.S. player pool, but add a sense of urgency as Hayes eyes the NWSL for top-performing players in the upcoming weeks. Gotham's Tierna Davidson and Rose Lavelle have also been dealing with injuries: Lavelle has yet to appear for Gotham, while Davidson exited last weekend's match early with a hamstring injury.

Gotham has yet to issue an update concerning Davidson's status.

This week, legendary Brazilian superstar Marta announced that she’ll retire from the national team at the end of 2024.

In an interview with CNN Esportes published Thursday, the iconic footballer confirmed that she would be hanging up her boots regardless of whether or not she ends up making Brazil's 18-player roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

“If I go to the Olympics, I will enjoy every moment, because regardless of whether I go to the Olympics or not, this is my last year with the national team,” she said. “There is no longer Marta in the national team as an athlete from 2025 onwards.”

Marta will retire as a giant of the women's game, having appeared in five Olympics and multiple World Cups. When discussing her retirement, she stressed confidence in the rising generation of Brazilian players, noting that she was, “very calm about this, because I see with great optimism this development that we are having in relation to young athletes." 

The statement echoes back to a plea she made during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup after Brazil lost to France 2-1 in the Round of 16. “It's wanting more. It's training more. It's taking care of yourself more. It's being ready to play 90 plus 30 minutes. This is what I ask of the girls,” she said then, addressing the young players following in her footsteps. 

In 2023, she signaled a farewell to World Cup competition with the same sentiment, telling media, “We ask the new generation to continue where we left off.”

If selected for the 2024 Olympic team, Marta has a shot at extending her own consecutive-scoring record with the ability to score in an unbelievable sixth-straight Olympic Games. She currently stands as Brazil’s top goalscorer, racking up 116 career goals in 175 matches, as well as the leading goalscorer in any World Cup, women’s or men’s, with 17 to her name. 

Marta will continue to play for the NWSL’s Orlando Pride through at least the end of 2024. The longtime forward and club captain has already contributed to multiple goals this season.

U.S. Soccer announced Tuesday that the USWNT will play their last home game on July 16th in the lead-up to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

The 2024 Send-Off Match against Costa Rica will take place at Washington, DC’s Audi Field — home to both the Washington Spirit and DC United — at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 16th. The friendly rounds out a four-game Olympic run-up campaign under incoming head coach Emma Hayes’ side, with the last two set to feature the finalized 2024 U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer Team roster.

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Hayes will appear on the USWNT sideline for the first time this June, helming the team as they embark on a two-game series against Korea Republic hosted by Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado on June 1st followed by Allianz Stadium in St. Paul, Minnesota on June 4th. 

The team is then scheduled to meet a talented Mexico squad on July 13th at Gotham FC’s Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, where the Olympic-bound lineup will attempt to rewrite February’s shocking 2-0 loss to El Tri Femenil in the group stages of this year’s Concacaf W Gold Cup. And while clear roster favorites have emerged from both of this year’s Gold Cup and SheBelives Cup rosters, a spate of recent and recurring injuries means making it to the Olympics is still largely anyone’s game.

Broadcast and streaming channels for the USWNT's final July 16th friendly at Audi Field include TNT, truTV, Universo, Max, and Peacock.

The USA Basketball Women's National Team is still considering Caitlin Clark for a spot on the Paris Olympics squad, says selection committee chair Jennifer Rizzotti. 

On Monday, Rizzotti told the AP that the committee will be evaluating the college phenom’s Olympic prospects by keeping a close eye on her first few weeks of WNBA play with Indiana.

The move is somewhat unconventional. While Clark was invited to participate in the 14-player national team training camp held earlier this month — the last camp before Team USA’s roster drops — she was unable to attend due to it coinciding with Iowa’s trip to the NCAA Women’s Final Four.

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Judging by the immense talent spread throughout the league in what might be their most hyped season to date, competition for a piece of the Olympic pie could be fiercer than ever before.

"You always want to introduce new players into the pool whether it's for now or the future," said Rizzotti. "We stick to our principles of talent, obviously, positional fit, loyalty and experience. It's got to be a combination of an entire body of work. It's still not going to be fair to some people."

Of course, Clark isn’t the first rookie the committee has made exceptions for. Coming off an exceptional college season that saw her averaging 19.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4 assists per game for UConn, Breanna Stewart was tapped to represent the U.S. at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil less than two weeks after being drafted No. 1 overall by the Seattle Storm. Eight years prior, fellow No. 1 pick Candace Parker punched her ticket to the 2008 Games in Beijing just two weeks after making her first appearance for the L.A. Sparks.

In the lead-up to Paris’ Opening Ceremony on July 26th, USA Basketball Women’s National Team is scheduled to play a pair of exhibition games. They'll first go up against the WNBA's finest at the July 20th WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix before facing Germany in London on July 23rd.

While an official roster announcement date hasn’t yet been issued, players won’t find out if they’ve made this year’s Olympic cut until at least June 1st.