Just Women’s Sports is proud to announce the Just Women’s Sports Varsity Squad, a one-of-a-kind program that gives student-athletes the opportunity to work in tandem with the team at JWS.

As part of the program, 13 student-athletes will learn about the media profession while working to elevate and grow women’s sports coverage alongside JWS. These athletes will also have the chance to build their brands with an assist from industry insiders as they use their voices and platforms to promote JWS’ mission.

Get to know the 13 student-athletes representing the inaugural JWS Varsity Squad.

Katie Meyer, Soccer, Stanford University

A redshirt junior goalkeeper at Stanford, Meyer was part of the 2019 NCAA championship team. Majoring in international relations, Meyer has been working with the JWS team as a marketing and production intern.

Sophie Jones, Soccer, Duke University

The 2018-19 Gatorade Girls Soccer Player of the Year, Jones made her way to Duke and was named to the ACC All-Freshman team in 2019. Jones is excited to be a part of the JWS team, where she will look to grow her knowledge in writing and interviewing.

Lexie Hull, Basketball, Stanford

A senior at Stanford, Hull played a key role during Stanford’s national championship run last season. With a major in management science and engineering, Hull is in the process of starting a camp business and will be working with JWS to learn more about the industry.

Hensley Hancuff, Soccer, Clemson

A senior goalkeeper at Clemson, Hancuff trained with the NWSL’s Orlando Pride during her senior year of high school. Look for Hancuff, a big fan of JWS, to be doing some social media takeovers.

Jocelyn Alo, Softball, Oklahoma

Alo has been a dominant force in college softball since arriving at Oklahoma, most recently being named the 2021 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. A redshirt senior, Alo will work with JWS to grow her social media presence.

Jayda Coleman, Softball, Oklahoma

Coleman had a breakout freshman season with the Sooners, finishing in the top three for National Freshman of the Year. The 2019-20 Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year, Coleman will also look to grow her social media presence with the help of JWS.

Erin Matson, Field Hockey, UNC

A senior at North Carolina, Matson has been dominating since her freshman season, when she led UNC in goals and assists. With a major in advertising and public relations, Matson is stoked to be a part of the JWS team and will have her hands in everything she possibly can.

Rachel Jones, Soccer, UNC

A senior at UNC, Jones was named to the 2021 College Sports Information Directors of America All-District Team two years in a row. After graduating early in May, she now attends the UNC School of Law while still tearing up the pitch.

Zoe Hasenauer, Soccer, Oregon

A senior at Oregon, Hassenauer is ecstatic to join the JWS Varsity Squad. With an interest in writing and social media, Hasenauer will focus on diversifying her knowledge of women’s sports media while working with JWS.

Kalyany Steele, Gymnastics, UCLA

A star on the bars, Steele is a junior at UCLA with a career-high score of 9.925 in the bars event. An English major with a Creative Writing concentration, she’s excited to improve her writing with JWS.

Abigail Forbes, Tennis, UCLA

A junior at UCLA, Forbes was most recently named the Pac-12 Singles Player of the Year and Pac-12 Doubles Team of the Year with Jada Hart. One of her relatives is Karina LeBlanc, the former professional soccer player who was recently named general manager of the Portland Thorns. Forbes, who has an interest in business, will work with JWS on money-making opportunities.

Logan Eggleston, Volleyball, Texas

A junior at Texas, Eggleston was named Big 12 Conference Player of the Year in 2020. With an interest in sports media, Eggleston is eyeing a career in broadcasting and will work with JWS on a multitude of projects.

Erica Sullivan, Swimming, Texas

Sullivan is no stranger to JWS, having already made an appearance on the Just Women’s Sports Podcast. A freshman at Texas, Sullivan won an Olympic silver medal in the 1500m freestyle at the Tokyo Olympics this past summer. With a passion for film, Sullivan is interested in exploring the bigger picture for women in sports.

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:

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.

Thank you, everyone, for the outpouring of kindness and support. pic.twitter.com/gcnN7dhCJU

— Maria Sanchez (@Maria17_7) April 19, 2024

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.

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."

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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.

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.

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"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.