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Jacki Gemelos Reflects On Her Unique Wubble Journey

@JACKI23

Jacki Gemelos plays for the Washington Mystics of the WNBA. After numerous knee injuries derailed her WNBA career in 2015, Gemelos made her long-awaited return to the league this summer for the 2020 season, first as a member of the Connecticut Sun before being picked up by the Mystics. She spoke with JWS about her experience inside the Wubble, how she’s persevered through all of her injuries, and what’s next for her career.

When you look back on your experience in the Wubble, what will you remember most?

I think what I’ll remember most is the fact that I switched teams in the bubble. It was just such a unique experience. And even throughout it all, I still maintained good contact with my old Connecticut Suns teammates. I stayed in the same room, which was like right in the middle of the team. So it was like nothing changed. It was literally just like, “Okay, same bubble, same routine, same situation, but move your Connecticut gear to the side and now let me bring you some Washington Mystics gear because you’re just on a different team.” There were just so many emotions with everything going on within the bubble, but that is definitely something that I’ll never forget.

Another standout was when we boycotted the games to represent Jacob Blake. That was just such a monumental moment for this entire season. Those couple of days were incredibly emotional, and it was really hard for everyone to just come out of that and turn it back on to play. But ultimately, I think it brought our league closer.

The word that I think of when I think of the WNBA is unity. The entire league made sure that everyone had a voice and was able to express exactly how they felt when decisions were being made. And to see an unanimous decision of 144 girls coming to one conclusion was a pretty amazing sight to see.

You spoke a bit about this, but for you personally, how did you handle the emotional aspect of being stuck inside the bubble?

Yeah, I mean, I think that that was the hardest part of the bubble. It was just a roller coaster of emotions, for me and everyone involved. Just trying to transition into that situation, in that routine, it wasn’t easy. The idea that you’re just in this one area for so long was already a big challenge in itself, but then there was this other fact that we’re there to play basketball with games every other night.

And aside from the routine of waking up, having practice, and watching videos, we also were eating three times a day in the cafeteria and sharing elevators with other teams and personnel and that sometimes was pretty awkward. Like, maybe you just played them the night before, maybe it’s the coach from the game you just played, or maybe you’re stuck in the elevator with Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird and it’s like, “Oh my God, this is amazing.”

So it was just a really unique experience. One full of ups and downs, but mainly ups. For me, I went through more of a personal rollercoaster just because I switched teams, but I think that everyone handled it really well despite the uncertainty of how it was going to be and how everything was going to play out. And the fact that the WNBA was able to pull it off in such an amazing way that made us all feel safe and healthy was a huge plus. Between testing us every single day and giving us activities and events throughout the bubble to keep us going, they did the best that they could in such a short amount of time and for such a condensed season.

Can you walk us through those 24 or 48 hrs in the bubble when you transitioned from the Sun to the Mystics? 

So, it was like the last day where people can get cut and for me, I had no idea it was coming. I thought that I had proved myself to be on the team for the rest of the season and really didn’t have any thought in my mind that I was going to get cut. Usually, you hear from your agent or you’ll hear something before it actually happens. I hadn’t heard anything prior, so I had no idea that it was coming. And then it ended up happening like 15 minutes before the deadline.

I was at the pool, just chilling with all my teammates, and then Curt (Miller) came down and was like, “I need to talk to you. I’m so sorry, but I have to waive you.” And you could tell he was really emotional having to make that decision, but it was a decision that I think that people from above had to make. Which when it all comes down to it, it’s a business and they have to do what they think is best for the team. So, I understood the reason even though I didn’t like it. I thought I had found a good place within that team and I really liked the coaching staff and the girls a lot.

So that was a down moment for me because I’m like, “I have all this stuff in this hotel room that I’ve accumulated throughout the last month and a half. How am I going to get everything back? I’m not ready to leave.” It was just like, I expected to be here for the end of the season. So I felt pretty shitty about that. And then the next day I got a call from Mike Thibault at 10 p.m., and he was like, “Hey, we want to sign you to a seven-day contract. Are you willing to stick around?” And I’m like, “Wait, what’s going on? Yeah, sure.” So he’s like, “Okay, well we have a game tomorrow against Atlanta, we’re going to play you.”

In Connecticut, I wasn’t playing, I didn’t get any minutes. I was just pretty much a bench player for like a month and some change. So I wasn’t even in shape to play basketball. I had sustained my stamina and stuff just like on the treadmill and stuff, but that has nothing to do with the basketball court. I kind of just accepted that I wasn’t going to play so much for Connecticut and that was going to be that. And then Coach T was like, “No, you’re going to play. We need you to play and you’re going to get minutes, we’re just going to throw you out there.”

So I went to shoot around the next morning and we went through a couple of plays and it was just like, “Okay, we’re just going to go for it tonight. Let’s see what happens.” And we played Atlanta, and luckily Connecticut had played Atlanta like a week prior. So I knew the scouting report well and knew what to expect. Everything just ended up being okay and we won that game. So that was cool. It was a really unique experience, to say the least.

The Mystics surprised a lot of people by making the playoffs during what was supposed to be a rebuilding year. What allowed this team to overachieve? 

I think that a lot of credit goes to our staff. Coach Thibault and Eric [Thibault] and Asjha [Jones] and Maria [Giovannetti]. Shout out to them because they’ve been around for so long. Coach T has been coaching for so many years and I think that he’s been through every emotion possible when it comes to being a coach, like whether it’s good or bad. I felt like he always had the right thing to say after a loss or after a win.

There was a time, like right when I had gotten to the team, where it felt like everyone felt defeated. We didn’t really understand what we were playing for because we didn’t think that it was going to be possible to make the playoffs. It was just a really down time. As a coach, what are you supposed to say to a team of girls who are trying and giving a hundred percent, but the results aren’t what we want them to be? I’m not sure how he does it, but I felt like after every game, he was always on point.

After we lost a game to Dallas, we thought our chances were done to make the playoffs. We had four games left and the only way we were going to make playoffs was if we won all of them. So, we play Minnesota. We get a huge win. Then we beat LA. Then we beat New York and then it’s like, “Okay, Atlanta has nothing to play for right now. If they win, they still don’t go to the playoffs. So, maybe they’re not going to put so much energy into the game.”

Like all these things are just circling your thoughts. Turns out, Atlanta ended up playing really hard, but we still got the win. And it was just like, wow. We deserved that eighth seed.

Unfortunately, it all came to an end with that loss against Phoenix. That is still hard to swallow because it all came down to that last-second shot, and you hate going out like that. But that was a super amazing shot by Shey Peddy, and I’m happy for her, but dang, that should have been us.

You’ve had to overcome an incredible number of knee injuries throughout your career. In 15 years, you’ve torn your ACL five times and had eight knee surgeries. What has kept you motivated? 

Just always wanting to chase the dream of being a WNBA player. When I had made the Chicago Sky in 2015, it was such a fulfillment for me because all I wanted to do, after my injuries, was prove to myself and everyone that I could still play at a high level. But being able to get back in the league this past summer after not being in it five years, it was just another exclamation point on my career. It’s truly been a time that I’m never going to forget and I’m just so grateful that I had this opportunity. I just feel like everything really does work out.

I had put in so many hours and so much time and devotion. Same for my parents. They’ve sacrificed so much for me and my sister to be able to do anything we wanted and play all the sports that we could. They took us from tournament to tournament, driving throughout the state, taking airplanes and flights to different tournaments. I saw the devotion that they put into my childhood and career. It made me want to keep trying and make them really happy and proud by making it back, so they could say that their daughter played in the WNBA.

During those five years between Chicago and this season, were you always focused on trying to get back into the league? Or were there bigger goals in mind?

I think I really found my niche in Europe and overseas. I have a really good career over there and it’s just been like the core of everything. I’ve been really happy playing there. It’s super high level, and they treat you well over there. It’s just a good life. I was able to be very satisfied with what I was doing there, and the WNBA was just going to be an added bonus if that were to ever happen. I think that the season that I had overseas last year is what propelled me to get back into the WNBA this summer. Sometimes it just works out like that, and I’m super grateful. And now hopefully I made a statement this summer where I can maintain a roster spot in the league next year.

Looking forward, what’s next for you?

So I leave for Turkey this week, and I’ll be playing there this offseason. I think it’s a really strong league and there’s a lot of WNBA players that are also playing in that league. Honestly, I’m just really happy to continue to be playing and playing in a different country that I’ve never played in before. So that’ll be pretty fun.

It’s going to be my eighth season overseas, which is just so wild to me. I never would have dreamed of having a long career in Europe, but I think I’ve just fallen in love with my life out there. So I’m just really excited to get there and see how that’s going to unravel and how this season will unfold. COVID is obviously still very real, and I’m curious to see how FIBA and everyone, like Euro Cup and Euro League, are going to manage the season. But I’m just really pumped for this next chapter and can’t wait to get out there.

The grind never stops, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

USC’s McKenzie Forbes: From Gap Year to the NCAA Tournament

As part of our 1-v-1 video series, USC’s India Otto sat down to interview her teammate McKenzie Forbes. 

Here are five things to know from our conversation with the graduate transfer from Folsom, California.

#1 Inspired by USC’s Head Coach, Lindsay Gottlieb, McKenzie wants to be a basketball coach or work in the front office in the future.

When weighing in on what makes a good coach, McKenzie said x’s and o’s are important but “Coaching is a lot of relationship managing and people managing. I think you have to be a good people person and be able to build those relationships, but also in that same breath, you can’t be afraid to have people dislike you in moments. I think that’s a big part of leadership.”

#2 McKenzie says the trajectory of her career changed when she made the decision to transfer from Cal to Harvard.

 In order to transfer, she was forced to take a gap year and spend a lot of time in the gym. “I completely transformed my body and, going into the Harvard season, felt like I was a completely different player. Going to Harvard and playing in a more mid-major conference, I had the ball in my hands a lot more than I might have if I transferred to another Power 5. It really developed other parts of my game.”

#3 How does McKenzie think USC will do in the Women’s College Basketball Tournament?

“I’m not going to give a typical interview answer. I want a Final Four. We have that potential and capability. Like why not? Why not us? I think we have all the pieces.”

#4 Her older brother, Marcus, was her biggest mentor growing up.

“He was basically my trainer from Elementary school on until he went to college.”

#5 Fun facts about Forbes:

She can juggle and she was the quarterback of her Pop Warner football team. “I was slow but I could throw it!”

Watch the full conversation on the Just Women’s Sports YouTube channel.

Christen Press back training with Angel City FC

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 15: Christen Press #23 of Angel City FC waves to fans following a game between the Portland Thorns and Angel City FC at BMO Stadium on October 15, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)

Christen Press continues to inch her way back to a return, having returned to training with her club team Angel City. 

Angel City FC coach Becki Tweed said on Wednesday that Press is back with the team full-time as she continues to make her way back from an ACL injury. While she’s still working on rehab, her being back with the team gives staff a better picture of her progress. 

"Christen [Press] is back with us full time which is amazing,” she said. “Having her in and around the team every day, continuing to work hard on rehab ... she's in a space where being in with the team is really important to her and her progression as well.”

The status update comes days after Press posted videos to social media that featured her doing lateral movement in cleats on grass. 

“Look out world she’s on the move !” Press captioned it. 

Press has been sidelined with an ACL injury since 2022, which caused her to miss the 2023 World Cup. She’s since had four separate surgeries to help repair her ACL.

Press told The Athletic a month ago that she’s been “relentless” in her optimism with her recovery despite it being a “slow process.”

“I have a bit of relentless optimism,” she told The Athletic. “I never, ever doubted that I would make it back on any of the timelines I’ve been on."

"Every single time I’ve heard, ‘You have to have surgery,’ I’m completely shocked,” she said. “When somebody asks me how it’s going, I’m like, ‘It’s going great. And it was going great every time. So I don’t know what to tell you anymore!’”

Sophia Smith re-signs with Portland on record deal

(Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports)

Sophia Smith is now the NWSL’s highest-paid player. 

The Portland Thorns announced on Wednesday that they have signed Smith to a new contract through the 2025 season, with an option for 2026. While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, the team did reveal that Smith is now the highest-paid player in the league on an annual basis.

It’s the latest in what has been a series of record-breaking contracts in the NWSL offseason. 

Chicago Red Stars forward Mallory Swanson, Bay FC forward Racheal Kundananji, and Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda all signed multi-year deals worth between $2 million and $2.5 million in total. While Smith’s contract is shorter and not worth as much over the long-term, the annual worth is higher. 

“We are over the moon to have Soph commit again to the Thorns. She is a proven, world-class talent and one that we are excited to have contribute to the team’s continued success,” said head coach Mike Norris in a statement. “We look forward to working with her in a Thorns jersey as she continues to shine as one of the top strikers in the world.”

In just four seasons in the NWSL, Smith has led the Thorns to five trophies – including the 2022 NWSL championship – while winning league and championship MVP in 2022. In 61 appearances with Portland, she has 34 goals – including a brace to start this season against Kansas City. 

She’s also a member of the USWNT, having scored 16 goals in 44 international appearances.  Set to become a free agent at the end of this season, she told ESPN she “thought of all the options” but ultimately Portland felt like the right decision.

"There is no place like Portland," Smith said in a small roundtable interview that included ESPN. "I don't believe there's an environment like Portland to play in and it's a city that's so special to me and a city that I feel like I've grown up in almost and become who I am."

She also told ESPN that the team’s new ownership “changes everything.” The club is now led by the Bhathal family, who bought the club after Merritt Paulson was forced to sell it following his part in the NWSL’s abuse scandal. 

"Since I've been here there has been a lot of things going on with this club -- a lot of not-great things going on with this club -- and I have just been waiting for some stability and some reassurance that this club is headed in the right direction, and the Bhathal family coming in is doing exactly that, if not more,” Smith said. 

"Their vision for this club is so exciting, and you can just tell how passionate they are about making this what it should be and continuing to push the standard in women's soccer globally.”

Caitlin Clark offered $5 million to compete in Ice Cube’s league

IOWA CITY, IOWA- MARCH 25: Guard Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates as time runs out in the second half against the West Virginia Mountaineers during their second round match-up in the 2024 NCAA Division 1 Women's Basketball Championship at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on March 25, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)

Caitlin Clark has been offered $5 million to play in Ice Cube's Big3 league, he confirmed on social media Wednesday after the offer leaked.

"We intended the offer to remain private while Caitlin Clark plays for the championship," Ice Cube wrote on social media. "But I won't deny what's now already out there: BIG3 made a historic offer to Caitlin Clark. Why wouldn't we? Caitlin is a generational athlete who can achieve tremendous success in the BIG3."

While there has yet to be a women's player in the league, both Nancy Lieberman and Lisa Leslie have been part of the league as coaches and won championships.

"The skeptics laughed when we made Nancy Lieberman the first female coach of a men's pro team, and she won the championship in her first year," Ice Cube continued. "Then Lisa Leslie won it all in year two. With our offer, Caitlin Clark can make history and break down even more barriers for women athletes."

Ice Cube, whose name is O’Shea Jackson, says that the offer was made with the intention that Clark be able to compete in the WNBA “offseason.” Clark is largely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft in April. But it’s unclear how the scheduling of the two leagues would work. 

The 2024 Big3 season is set to tip off on June 15, with 10 games spanning through mid-August. The WNBA regular season, meanwhile, begins on May 14 and ends on Sept. 19.

On “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday, Jackson said that the league has yet to hear back from Clark. 

“We just need an answer, as soon as they are ready to give it to us,” he said. “It’s always 50-50 till we get a no. At the end of the day, it’s a generous offer.”

The offer – as well as the confusion on Jackson’s part about the timing of the WNBA season – caused some current WNBA players to react. 

"It's funny cause I be seeing his son at W games.. they don't talk?" wrote former No. 1 pick Rhyne Howard

"So no other women's basketball player has came to mind in the last 7 years?" wrote Lexie Brown, adding that she'd support if Ice Cube wanted to build a women's iteration of the league. She later discussed it on the Gils Arena Show, noting that his reasoning of wanting to “uplift and support WNBA players and women athletes” is a “cop out.”

Kalani Brown, meanwhile, told Clark to "take that money" and start a women's Big3.

WNBA salaries has been a talking point in recent months as more collegiate stars declare for the league. WNBA stars have often made more money playing abroad than they have in the WNBA. Clark is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft on April 15, with a rookie salary of $76,535 for lottery draft picks (Nos. 1-4) that rises to $97,582 by her fourth season. But she also has an NIL valuation of almost $3.5 million.

Diana Taurasi famously skipped the 2015 WNBA season at the request of her Russian club, who paid her more to sit out than she would have made in the W. Her contract with the club was reportedly near $1.5 million per year.

Jackson also seemed to suggest that his league could be an alternative to going abroad

“America’s women athletes should not be forced to spend their off seasons playing in often dismal and dubious foreign countries just to make ends meet,” he wrote. Although it’s unclear whether or not the rapper intends to make offers to additional WNBA players. 

While the league does hold prioritization rules in its CBA, those typically apply only to players playing in overseas leagues. It’s unclear whether or not that would prevent Clark’s participation in the Big3 league.

WNBA players that don’t want to go overseas currently have the option of playing in Athletes Unlimited, which competes in the WNBA offseason.

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