In a penalty shootout against North Carolina, Katie Meyer made two critical saves to help Stanford win its third NCAA women’s soccer championship. Her celebration after the final save immediately went viral. Two days earlier, Meyer had sent the internet into a frenzy after trash-talking a UCLA player whose penalty shot she saved in their semifinal match. Just Women’s Sports caught up with Meyer to talk about that play, the national championship, and the politics of sportsmanship.

WHAT A SAVE ????????????#WCollegeCup | @StanfordWSoccer pic.twitter.com/egsmi9wu2M

— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) December 7, 2019

Can we set the record straight on that semifinal game against UCLA? The talk online was that you cussed at the player. I heard from others that’s not what happened. 

No, that’s not what happened. There wasn’t a lot of context around that moment, which is why I wish it had stayed on the field. But here’s the deal: my defense has been insane all year, which means there have been a lot of questions about what I can actually do as a keeper. And in the seventh minute of the UCLA game, I let in a shot that I think I should have saved. As we’re huddling to regroup, Mia [Fishel, UCLA player] runs by shouting, “We scored because of the keeper. It’s the keeper,” basically telling her team I was the weak link, which, when you’ve just let in a soft goal, isn’t super exciting to hear.

So then right before the half, Mia takes a PK, and I save it. Had any other player taken the PK, I wouldn’t have said anything. But she’d been talking, so I talked back. I asked her, “Is it the keeper? Is it the keeper?” I wish it had stayed on the field, but it didn’t. Mia’s a great player. I’ve known her for a while, and we’re competitive. We get heated in the moment, just like guys do. And we’ll play each other again.

Did you look at any of the things people were saying online afterwards? 

I had to delete Instagram and Twitter from my phone after the game. We were playing for a championship in two days, I didn’t have time to mope around and be like, “Oh no, people on Twitter don’t like me.” When I finally re-downloaded the apps, some of it was definitely hard to read, because I do want to be a role model for little girls. I want to show them that hard work and dedication can empower them to do whatever they put their mind to. So I do actually care about what a mom in Wyoming has to say. To be fair, there were a lot of people who were super positive. There’s a community of women’s soccer fans on Twitter, and they were all supportive. And the reaction after the championship shootout was basically all positivity and excitement, which turned things around.

This is an ALL-TIME FLEX ????

(via @ESPNFC)pic.twitter.com/auXulcXNzq

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 9, 2019

People were still debating whether your celebration crossed the line during the championship game. There was a lot of talk about how female athletes are expected to act. What are your thoughts? 

It’s almost disappointing that a display like that is considered so extreme. Men in sports celebrate all the time, and I get that guys also get bad reactions from fans and people online. But going forward, I hope that if girls react that way again, which they will, because women are fierce, and everyone likes to play and be competitive — I hope the reaction stays positive. In the end, I’m happy a conversation was started about women being competitive because that’s what we are. We get heated in the moment. You can find that competitiveness anywhere, from lawyers, to moms, to someday, the future female president. People just need to take a step back and ask themselves, why do I think this? Why am I so shocked by a woman showing her passion?

There are girls everywhere who have been forced to say, “Oh, I’m a tomboy.” No, you’re a strong girl. You’re a passionate girl, and that’s totally fine. And you’re going to stay that way, because we need it.

Especially in sports. I mean, if you’re not allowed to get fired up then, I don’t know when you can. 

Exactly. I don’t know what people wanted me to do. A lot of people were saying, act like you’ve been there before. Well, I’m 19, I haven’t. The most competitive soccer game I’d ever played in before that was an international friendly, years ago. And this was for all the marbles.

I also just think there should be more joy in the game. You see all these scorers celebrating their goals, let a goalkeeper celebrate their save. On the practice field every day, we talk to each other, we make jokes, we get competitive, it’s loud. That’s where the fun comes from. And if it makes it more entertaining to watch, great. And if you hate it, turn off the TV. But if there’s a day where I don’t feel that amount of joy after saving a PK in the championship game, I’ll stop playing. I’ll go to law school.

For people who haven’t been in those kinds of moments, can you explain what it’s like? 

That moment meant so much to me because of my journey leading up to it. My reaction came from all the work that went into that championship and all the joy I have for the sport. You’re looking at a girl who was cut from her first club team, who didn’t make the U17s World Cup roster a few years ago, redshirted last year. You have all these ups and downs in your soccer career and then you get the big yes, and you know this is exactly what you are supposed to be doing. There’s no purer joy.

Even though Stanford looked like the better team in regulation, the game still went into PKs, which are always a bit of a toss up. What was your mindset going into that? 

I had the utmost confidence going into that shootout. I told my teammates we we’re going to come out on top. Hit your PK like you know it’s going in, because it is. Claudia Dickey [UNC’s goalkeeper] did phenomenal. But it went our way, and I don’t think it was luck. I think that it was everything that this team put on the line to get to where we were. We knew before the game that the outcome had already been decided. We just had to go out there and do it. And when you have a team that truly believes that, I don’t think you can fail.

For you personally, where does that kind of positive energy come from? 

It comes from my parents, first and foremost. I can still remember my dad taking me to the parking garage in the mall so we could run up the incline with parachutes on. Him and my mom just dumped everything into my sisters and I. So it’s them. It’s my teammates. It’s watching Sophia Smith come back from an injury that, with anyone else, I don’t know if they keep playing or not, but she came back with grace. It’s people like Civana Kuhlmann. She tore her ACL in an exhibition game and didn’t get to play a minute this season, but she stayed one of the most positive people on the team. It’s everyone. When people around you pour that belief into you, you give it back to them. And it comes out in the purest joy, in that childish love for the game that I think is deep inside every soccer player.

Looking back, what stands out about Championship weekend?

It was the best weekend of my life. It was all a whirlwind. It’s been a few weeks and I’m still waking up thinking, did it really happen that way? But that’s how the season ended, and no one can take that from this incredible team and coaching staff, ever. It’s crazy, and it’s rewarding. The fact that I could contribute to us winning the championship — there’s no greater feeling.

For the first time in the NWSL's 12-year history, fans can now buy their own goalkeeper jerseys. And while replica goalkeeper jerseys representing all 14 NWSL teams hit the market on Wednesday, some didn't stick around for long. 

Fans across women's soccer have long vocalized their discontent over the position's lack of availability on social media, often comparing the shortcoming to the widespread availability of men’s goalkeeper jerseys. And as the NWSL has grown, so has demand — and not just from those in the stands. 

"To have goalkeeper kits available for fans in the women’s game as they have been for so long in the men’s game is not only a long-awaited move in the right direction, it’s just good business," said Washington Spirit goalie Aubrey Kingsbury in an team press release. "I can’t wait to see fans representing me, Barnie [Barnhart], and Lyza in the stands at Audi!"

just went looking at #nwsl goalkeeper kit stock out of curiosity — Alyssa Naeher's $145 kit already sold out S-XL (league announced GK jerseys on sale 3 hours ago)https://t.co/8bYA7tlwcx

— Meg Linehan (@itsmeglinehan) April 17, 2024

Business does, in fact, appear to be booming. Alyssa Naeher’s Chicago Red Stars kit sold out less than three hours after the league's announcement. Jerseys for other keepers like DiDi Haračić, Abby Smith, Michelle Betos, Katelyn Rowland, and Bella Bixby aren’t currently available via the Official NWSL Shop, though blank goalkeeper jerseys can be customized through some individual team sites. Jerseys start at $110 each.

"This should be the benchmark," said Spirit Chief Operations Officer Theresa McDonnell. "The expectation is that all players’ jerseys are available to fans. Keepers are inspiring leaders and mentors with their own unique fan base who want to represent them... I can’t wait to see them all over the city."

Decorated gymnast Simone Biles took to the popular Call Her Daddy podcast this week to open up about her experience at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, revealing she thought she was going to be "banned from America" for her performance.

After Biles botched her vault routine due to a bout of the "twisties," she withdrew from the team final as well as the all-around final in order to focus on her mental health. She later reentered the competition to win bronze in the individual balance beam final.

In her interview with podcast host Alex Cooper, Biles admitted to feeling like she let the entire country down by failing her vault attempt.

"As soon as I landed I was like 'Oh, America hates me. The world is going to hate me. I can only see what they’re saying on Twitter right now,'" she recalled thinking. "I was like, ‘Holy s---, what are they gonna say about me?'"

"I thought I was going to be banned from America," she continued. "That’s what they tell you: Don’t come back if not gold. Gold or bust. Don’t come back."

Widely regarded as the greatest gymnast of all time, Biles has hinted at a desire to join her third Olympic team in Paris, though her participation won't be confirmed until after the gymnastics trials in late June. She holds over 30 medals from the Olympic Games and World Artistic Gymnastics Championships combined, and if qualified, would be a sure favorite heading into this summer’s games.

Caitlin Clark is reportedly close to cementing a hefty endorsement deal with Nike.

The Athletic was the first to break the news Wednesday evening, commenting that the deal would be worth "eight figures" and include her own signature shoe. On Thursday afternoon, the publication tweeted that the deal would top $20 million, according to lead NBA Insider Shams Charania. Both Under Armour and Adidas are said to have also made sizable offers to the college phenom and expected future WNBA star.

The new agreement comes after Clark's previous Nike partnership ended with the conclusion of the college basketball season. She was one of five NCAA athletes to sign an NIL deal with the brand back in October, 2022. 

Considering Clark's overwhelming popularity and Nike's deep pockets, the signing's purported value doesn't exactly come as a shock. New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu’s deal with the brand is reportedly worth $24 million, while NBA rookie and No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama’s deal is rumored to weigh in at $100 million. And in 2003, LeBron James famously earned $90 million off his own Nike deal. 

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Clark’s star power continues to skyrocket, with the NCAA championship averaging 18.9 million viewers and the 2024 WNBA Draft more than doubling its previous viewership record. Following the draft, Fanatics stated that Clark's Indiana Fever jersey — which sold out within an hour — was the top seller for any draft night pick in the company’s history, with droves of unlucky fans now being forced to wait until August to get their hands on some official No. 22 gear.

In Wednesday's Indiana Fever introductory press conference, the unfailingly cool, calm, and collected Clark said that turning pro hasn’t made a huge impact on how she’s conducting her deals.

"If I’m being completely honest, I feel like it doesn’t change a ton from how I lived my life over the course of the last year," she said. "Sponsorships stay the same. The people around me, agents and whatnot, have been able to help me and guide me through the course of the last year. I don’t know if I would be in this moment if it wasn’t for a lot of them."

Former Oklahoma slugger Jocelyn Alo has signed on with Athletes Unlimited and will compete in the AU Pro Softball AUX this June.

The NCAA record holder in career home runs (122), total bases (761), and slugging percentage (.987), Alo was originally drafted by the league in 2022 but opted instead to join the newly debuted Women’s Professional Fastpitch. 

Alo currently plays for independent pro softball team Oklahoma City Spark, with team owner Tina Floyd reportedly on board with her recent AUX signing. AUX games are scheduled for June 10-25, while the Spark's season will kick off June 19th. Alo will play for both. 

Among those joining Alo on the AUX roster are former James Madison ace pitcher Odicci Alexander and former Wichita State standout middle infielder Sydney McKinney.

According to Alo, the decision to play in the Athletes Unlimited league was fueled by her desire to propel women's sports forward as well as provide more exposure to a sport that's given her "so many opportunities."

"Not only to challenge myself more, but just for the growth of the game," Alo said, explaining her reasoning to The Oklahoman. "I genuinely believe that professional softball can be a career for girls."

Joining AUX is also one more step in her plan toward representing Team USA at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

"I’m constantly thinking about how can I do these little things right in these four years to prepare me for the biggest stage of softball," she told The Oklahoman. "I definitely want to play in the Olympics, for sure."

Alo further expressed enthusiasm in the hope that the rise of other women’s sports, like women’s basketball and the NWSL, will push softball’s professional viability even higher.

"We’re seeing the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League) get their stuff going, I see the WNBA starting to get hot," she continued. "I feel like the softball community is like, 'All right, it’s our turn and it’s our turn to just demand more.'"