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Jordan Thompson inspires the next wave of Cincinnati volleyball stars

Jordan Thompson talks to camp participants Saturday at the Jordan Thompson Camp Powered By UA Next in Cincinnati. (Mina Park/Just Women’s Sports)

CINCINNATI — Prior to when Olympic gold medalist Jordan Thompson enrolled at the University of Cincinnati in 2015, the Bearcats’ Volleyball team had never made it past the second round of the NCAA Tournament. She committed to coach Molly Alvey’s 3-29 program with the goal of four years of solid playing time.

By the time she left, she had set the UC single-season record for kills (827 in 2018), the NCAA record for kills per set (6.27) and was named a First Team All-American in her final season.

On Saturday, Thompson returned to Fifth Third Arena to lead another group, as more than 30 local high school and middle school volleyball players took part in the inaugural Jordan Thompson Camp Powered By Under Armour Next.

The invite-only event allowed these high-level players the opportunity to connect with and compete against one another on the Bearcats’ home court, in addition to, of course, a few hours of learning from an Olympian who grew both on and off that same court.

“I hope to share wisdom and knowledge that I’ve learned along the way and pass that on,” Thompson told the athletes. “I’m really awkward, so I’m easy to talk to. I want to be a resource for you guys.”

The invitees received custom-made uniforms designed with Thompson and her connection to UC in mind.

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Camp participants listen to Jordan Thompson speak Saturday at the Jordan Thompson Camp Powered By UA Next in Cincinnati. (Mina Park/Just Women's Sports)

Camp opened with the athletes’ own personal media day, which included headshots, slow-motion video and Tik Tok dances that showed a true taste of the increasingly important role that social media plays in the world of college athletics, particularly in women’s sports.

The buzz of laughter and loud music echoed throughout Fifth Third Arena, and by the time the drills began, the competition was fierce.

However, the atmosphere retained its joy.

The camp roster featured top talent of varying ages. It included athletes who have played together for years on local club teams, as well as others who have played against one another and those who have never met.

Among the represented clubs were two of the top teams in the nation — Tri-State Elite (OH) and Elevation (OH). The highly-rated recruits included outside hitter Lucy Arndt (2023), libero Kelsey Niesen (2024), middle blocker Faith Young (2024), outside hitter Sophia Adkins (2024) and setter Ryan Hicks (2025).

But regardless of team or individual rankings, Thompson reminded every athlete that they had the potential to succeed.

Through a variety of drills and challenges — sometimes forcing an athlete to play a position she wasn’t necessarily used to, while other times being thrown into a random group and expected to find synergy — all 30-plus campers managed to find a little success.

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Camp participants take part in drills Saturday at the Jordan Thompson Camp Powered By UA Next in Cincinnati. (Mina Park/Just Women's Sports)

Three MVPs found a lot of it, as Hicks, Young and 2024 setter Kiana Dinn took home the top honors.

“It was a great experience for me,” Hicks said. “Experiencing new players is really important to any athlete. Getting to learn from everyone is really fun.”

In between drills, Thompson answered questions about all aspects of her career, whether it be her favorite moment as a Bearcat (when the team finally swept rival UCF at home) or her preferred hype music (Afrobeats).

But the responses that seemed to resonate the most with the athletes were those detailing the individual journey of someone so talented and full of effort that she became a starter in what was only her second full summer with Team USA, and how the journey hasn’t really been individual at all.

“I love that it’s a team sport,” Thompson said. “I’m doing something that can’t be done alone.”

Thompson credits Coach Jackie Richter, her volleyball coach during freshman year of high school, as a mentor whose guidance majorly impacted where and who she is today.

“She was the first coach to see a lot of potential in me,” Thompson said, “even when I didn’t see that potential in myself. I remember, it wasn’t even just about volleyball. It was those little things that she instilled in me and she really helped me to see the potential that I had and gain that confidence.

“I think when you have those people in your life, it’s really important to hold them dear because they’re pouring so much into you.”

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Camp participants take part in drills Saturday at the Jordan Thompson Camp Powered By UA Next in Cincinnati. (Mina Park/Just Women's Sports)

Even in the face of adversity, Thompson has used these lessons to push through and continue to grow and thrive. She cited two specific injuries that knocked her down — the first being a torn UCL while in college, and the second being an ankle injury at the Tokyo Olympics that sidelined her for much of the Olympics after scoring over 30 points against top-seeded China.

“I think I’m still processing that one,” Thompson said. “But it taught me that there are those beautiful moments in life where you’re on this mountaintop. Things were happening that I never even imagined were possible for me as a player. And then to get injured and not be able to step on the court again at the Olympics made me realize that everybody’s journey is different. There’s a lot of beauty in those differences. I think you can have that mountaintop experience, and your teammate next to you can be counting down the minutes until it’s over.

“Gratitude is really huge as you move through life. I think that helps me stay joyful. I’ve learned a lot from my injuries that really have nothing to do with the sport, but just growing as a person.”

Caroline Makauskas is a contributing writer for Just Women’s Sports. She also writes about college basketball for Blue Ribbon Sports and covers a variety of sports on her TikTok @cmakauskas. Follow her on Twitter @cmakauskas.

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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