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Jordan Dibiasi on Her First USWNT Call-Up

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Jordan DiBiasi is a midfielder for the Washington Spirit. The 3rd overall pick in the 2019 NWSL draft, DiBiasi played her college soccer at Stanford, where she helped the Cardinal win the 2017 College Cup. DiBiasi spoke with Just Women’s Sports from the national team’s camp in Florida, where the USWNT is training for the upcoming SheBelieves Cup.

How has your first national camp been? 

It’s been awesome. It’s been a really, really good experience, and I’m super thankful for it. This has always been a dream of mine, but I didn’t have any idea that it would happen now. I mean, on the first day, I came in and they were recapping qualifying games. And I’m like, oh my goodness, I was just watching those on TV at my house, and now we’re talking about the strategy they had going in. It’s also been cool to see everyone at this level because I’ve competed against them in the NWSL, and I trained with a lot of them in college. But to see them united and all together in person, day in and day out, on and off the field has been amazing.

You’ve played with a lot of these players before. What’s it like having so many familiar faces around? 

I think it just gives me a lot of confidence because there is this sense of familiarity, even if it is a totally new environment. And outside of the people I already knew, everyone’s been really cool to me. We had pick-up hours before training started, where we were playing on small goals, and my team was literally Andi [Sullivan], Tierna [Davidson], Lindsey [Horan], and Rose [Lavelle]. I was on cloud nine. It was so much fun. And off the field, they’re all very inclusive. I don’t really feel like I’m burdening them as much because I know them, and we’re friends [laughs].

Does it feel like a big jump from the NWSL or does it feel like you’ve been here before?

I feel like as you go up the ladder, it’s always a little faster. The biggest thing I’ve noticed here is that everyone’s on the same page, so the speed of play and the speed of thought is really, really fast. Everyone is being proactive in their runs. They’re all just so smart and efficient. Sometimes when you’re watching soccer, you think, “Oh, it’d be cool if someone did X, Y, then Z.” But now on the field, everyone’s so in sync and playing at such a high level, they’re actually executing it, which is amazing. They don’t even have to talk about it, they all just know what to do, and they do it all with one touch. They play it perfectly with the right pace and the right texture on the ball. It’s the little details and the slightest of things, but they’re expert at it and they do it very nonchalantly. A lot of times I’m like, oh, that was sweet. I would act way more excited if I did that [laughs].

How did you find out you’d been called up? 

I was in Colorado training in the off-season, and it was right before I went back to DC. And I got this message from my coach in DC, and he told me to call him after I talked to Vlatko. I was like, wait, what? It totally came out of left field. And then I got this email about SheBelieves and Vlatko called. He basically said he wanted to bring me into the environment and expose me to it and see how I did just so I could get comfortable. All I could think was, holy smokes.

Everyone dreams of playing with the USWNT. What was it like to have come true? 

Obviously I was super excited. You never know when you’re going to get these opportunities, and this was something I’d been dreaming about for a long time. When I first found out, I was just overwhelmed. I was just like, wow, and I called my parents, and they said, what? And I told them, I know, I know, I’m so excited. But I’ve also competed with a lot of these players before, and I always believed that if I worked hard, I could get to this level. I know I’m here for a reason, so now I just have to give it my best shot.

What was your mindset when you actually arrived at camp? 

I didn’t have any expectations. I told myself, you know, I’ve been training really hard. I’ve always really wanted this. I know I can compete, and I’m just going to give it my best. That was my thought process, and I think it’s paid off. It’s a different level, and I don’t really know the system and I’m still learning all the details. And because it’s been my dream for so long, obviously I’m a little nervous. But I’ve been able to take a step back and just enjoy it. I’m embracing it and trying to learn and grow as much as I can.

And getting called up once isn’t my be-all, end-all. I want to be on this team, so now the question is, what am I going to do with the information I get from this camp, and how am I going to better myself when I go away in order to give myself the opportunity to come back.

It sounds like there’s a bright future for you. 
Okay, so SheBelieves is this weekend. You were called into camp, but you won’t be on the roster. What will game day be like for you? 

I’m going to the game, and I get to sit in like a box or something. I’m not exactly sure what the set-up is, but I’m really excited. Initially, I didn’t think I was going to get to stay for the game, but now that I am, I’m just super excited to see what everyone is like before the match, what they do and how they handle it. Are they listening to music? Is it quiet? Like, what’s the vibe? And then to watch them play will obviously be really fun.

You’ve been in the ID camp, but this is like your first true call up. It ends in a couple days. What’s next for you? 

I have my process and I just want to keep working on that. This camp has been awesome, and the end goal is obviously to be consistently called in. I mean, that’s the angle. There’s a lot of steps I have to take to get there. And now that we’re starting the NWSL season, I’m taking what I learned from here, going back to my NWSL team, applying it, and working really hard. I’m totally invested in the Spirit, and I know that being the best version of myself is what’s going to help the team most, so I want to do whatever I can to bring my game to the next level.

This is only your second year in the league. What are some of your personal and team goals for the season? 

I’m super excited to not be a rookie anymore [laughs]. I made a lot of mistakes last year, so I’m excited to learn from them and grow. Our team obviously hasn’t met as a conjoined group yet because not everyone has been in DC. But without anything being said, we all want to win. Obviously that’s the end goal, but that’s everyone’s goal. So now we have to figure out how to make it happen. Last year, we didn’t make playoffs, so I think the first step is to do that. And then we’ll go from there.

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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