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Just Women’s Sports partners with Ata Football

JWS | Women's Sport Coverage

The Soccer Show, starring Haley Kopmeyer and David Copeland-Smith, debuts Wednesday, March 10 on YouTube

March 5, 2021 – Ata Football and Just Women’s Sports — two growing women’s sports platforms launched in 2020 — today announced a partnership to further enhance exposure and engagement for women’s soccer through exclusive premium content. 

Building upon the success of its Just Women’s Sports podcast, Just Women’s Sports will utilize premium content from Ata Football to produce The Soccer Show, a first-of-its-kind weekly highlights-driven show exclusively covering the FA Women’s Super League (FA WSL). Hosted by former professional soccer player Haley Kopmeyer and elite trainer David Copeland-Smith, each episode will provide in-depth coverage including news, highlights and analysis. The Soccer Show premieres on Wednesday, March 10, with the inaugural episode set to feature coverage of matches featuring top-ranked teams including Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United. New episodes post each Wednesday on the Just Women’s Sports YouTube page and the Ata Football platform

Just Women’s Sports is a new sports media platform 100% dedicated to covering women’s sports exclusively. Founded by former professional soccer player Haley Rosen, Just Women’s Sports provides news and analysis of women’s sports through exclusive interviews, podcasts, videos and other content. Best known for its flagship podcast, Just Women’s Sports with Kelley O’Hara, Just Women’s Sports has quickly grown a passionate audience of more than one million fans, followers and listeners. 

“At Just Women’s Sports, we’re dedicated to covering women’s sports with the passion, intensity and commitment to storytelling that professional athletes deserve,” said Rosen. “We’re thrilled to partner with Ata Football – a company that shares our mission to elevate women’s sports – and to show what we’re capable of producing when given access to exclusive premium content.”

Founded by former Sky executive Hannah Brown and former professional soccer player and coach Esmeralda Negron, Ata Football is the preeminent home for women’s soccer on the Web and is the exclusive rights holder for matches from the FA Women’s Super League. Live and on-demand matches are distributed in the U.S. with broadcast partner NBC Sports and are available on Atafootball.com.

“We’re focused on continuing to become the go-to destination for women’s soccer globally and the epicenter of a community that inspires the next generation of girls,” said Negron. “Our partnership with Just Women’s Sports to produce and distribute The Soccer Show is another great step on that journey.”

Kopmeyer is best known for her time as goalkeeper for Seattle Reign FC and the Orlando Pride of the NWSL. A University of Michigan graduate, Kopmeyer also played for the Brisbane Roar and the Canberra United of the W-League in Australia. Copeland-Smith is the founder of Beast Mode Soccer, and has trained some of the world’s best players, including Alex Morgan, Rachel Daly, Kristie Mewis and Allie Long.

The Soccer Show will be produced by Blue Duck Media, led by showrunner and sports industry veteran Ashley Braband, who most recently was the force behind the scenes and on the mic at ESPN’s Sports? with Katie Nolan. Over 13 years at ESPN, she produced TV shows like SportsNation and Colin’s New Football Show, and helped develop and launch various digital shows for ESPN’s social channels, before serving in her latest role as showrunner of Always Late with Katie Nolan.

Fans can sign up for updates on new episodes of The Soccer Show here

MEDIA CONTACT

Jeff Heckelman, 631-312-7327, [email protected] 

About Just Women’s Sports Inc.

Established in 2020, Just Women’s Sports Inc. is a digital-first consumer media brand 100% dedicated to covering women’s sports. Through daily content including podcasts, newsletters, online content and social media, Just Women’s Sports brings you everything you need to see and know in the world of women’s sports. Find Just Women’s Sports online and on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook

About Ata Football

Ata Football facilitates access to the very best women’s football for fans, broadcasters, sponsors, publishers and influencers. Our broad partnerships with premium distributors, combined with unparalleled grassroots and elite player engagement, accelerate engagement and drive value for everyone connected with the game. Everything we do helps to create a virtuous cycle of investment and improvement that enables women’s football to shine its brightest – now and for generations of young female footballers to come. For more information, visit www.atafootball.com.  

WSL and WSL2 Clubs Vote in Favor of English League Expansion

Chelsea FC attacker Aggie Beever-Jones celebrates a goal during a 2025 WSL match.
Despite previous proposals, the expanding WSL will not forgo relegation. (Chris Lee - Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

The Women's Super League (WSL) is growing, with the UK league's top two flights deciding in a Monday expansion vote to enlarge its top tier from 12 to 14 teams ahead of the 2026/27 season.

The number of matches played each season will also balloon from 22 to 26 games to accommodate the incoming clubs, as will established cup competitions.

Monday also saw the WSL vote down a prior proposal to temporarily suspend the relegation and promotion process to accommodate this expansion, deciding instead to adopt a "two up, one down" model for the second-tier WSL2 next season.

As such, the top two finishers of the 2025/26 WSL2 season will automatically join the higher-tier WSL, while the WSL's last-place team will battle the WSL2's third-place club in "a high-profile, high stakes match" for the final spot in the top flight.

After reaching 14 teams, both leagues will return to relegating the last-place WSL finisher while promoting the WSL2's top team for the following season.

Along with the increased investment in club infrastructure, a 14-team WSL keeps pace with the global women's game — most notably, the NWSL, which will become a 16-team league in 2026.

"Our priority was to find a route that would benefit the whole women's game pyramid, and we believe this next evolution of women's professional football will raise minimum standards, create distinction, and incentivize investment across the board," said WSL Football CEO Nikki Doucet.

WNBA Teams Offset Injuries, EuroBasket Departures with Short-Term Contracts

Golden State Valkyries rookie Kaitlyn Chen dribbles the ball up the court during a 2025 WNBA preseason game.
2025 WNBA draftee Kaitlyn Chen returned to the Golden State Valkyries to offset EuroBasket roster departures. (Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)

With EuroBasket set to tip off on Wednesday and injuries mounting league-wide, WNBA teams are filling out dwindling rosters with more short-term contracts — and calling back some familiar faces along the way.

While some European standouts withdrew from EuroBasket consideration — including Phoenix's Satou Sabally and Seattle's Gabby Williams — others, like New York's Leonie Fiebich and Golden State's Temi Fagbenle, will join their national teams for the regional FIBA tournament through the end of June.

Due to these planned absences, WNBA teams temporarily suspend their EuroBasket players' contracts, allowing squads to add others to their rosters.

Players signed due to temporary absences are technically on rest-of-season deals, though the agreements can end whenever the missing athletes return.

In contrast, the league requires that teams release any hardship signings due to injury once squads tally enough healthy original players to satisfy the WNBA's 10-athlete roster minimum.

Featuring a lineup stacked with international talent, Golden State made the most transactions this week, temporarily suspending four regular contracts as 2025 EuroBasket stars departed for the annual competition.

To bolster their depleted bench, the Valkyries brought back 2025 WNBA Draft Cinderella pick Kaitlyn Chen and recent training camp participant Laeticia Amihere on short-term contracts, in addition to guard Aerial Powers and forward Chloe Bibby.

Elsewhere, after losing forward Maddy Siegrist to injury and temporarily suspending the contracts of centers Teaira McCowan and Luisa Geiselsöder, Dallas acquired center Li Yueru from Seattle — with the Wings possibly needing additional hardship signings in the coming days.

The Storm snagged two future draft picks in the Saturday deal — a second-round selection in 2026 and a third-round pick in 2027.

Ultimately, teams are striving to find a balance between stocking up and maintaining consistency, all while operating under the WNBA's roster constraints — with further league expansion fast approaching.

WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Conference Play Comes Down to the Wire

Seattle Storm forward Ezi Magbegor tries to defend a jump-shot from Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier during a 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup game.
Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx will advance to a second straight WNBA Commissioner's Cup final with a Tuesday win. (Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

The 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup will wrap up its conference play on Tuesday, as both Eastern and Western teams battle for a ticket to the in-season competition's championship game — and a cut of the $500,000 prize pool.

With 12 of the league's 13 teams facing off across Tuesday's WNBA courts, the results will set the stage by minting the two squads who will battle in the July 1st final showdown.

Reigning Commissioner's Cup champs Minnesota have the West's easiest path, as a win over the Las Vegas Aces will send the Lynx to a second straight final.

Should the Lynx fall to the Aces, however, Seattle can grab the Western Conference berth by beating the Los Angeles Sparks.

Meanwhile in the East, a surging Atlanta could land a trip to the final by topping New York, while the Liberty need both a win over the Dream plus a loss by the Indiana Fever to clinch their own return ticket to the Cup's grand finale.

If New York does take down Atlanta, the Fever could advance to the team's first-ever Commissioner's Cup final by beating the struggling Connecticut Sun.

How to watch Tuesday's 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup games

All of Tuesday's six WNBA games count toward the 2025 Commissioner's Cup tally.

The action begins with the Atlanta Dream tipping off against the New York Liberty while the Indiana Fever battles the Connecticut Sun at 7 PM ET, live on WNBA League Pass.

Chicago Sky Star Angel Reese Files Trademark for ‘Mebounds’ to Silence Internet Trolls

Chicago Sky star Angel Reese grabs a rebound during a 2024 WNBA game.
Chicago Sky star Angel Reese is trademarking a term often used to criticize her play. (Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)

Chicago Sky star Angel Reese made headlines this week, with the second-year WNBA forward announcing that she has trademarked word "mebounds" — a slang term opposing fans use to describe Reese rebounding her own missed shots.

"Whoever came up with the 'mebounds' thing, y’all ate that up, because mebounds, rebounds, keybounds...anything that comes off that board, it's mine," Reese said in a TikTok video on Saturday.

"And a brand? That's six figures right there," she continued, referencing her trademark application. "The trolling — I love when y'all do it because the ideas be good!"

Currently averaging 11.9 boards per matchup, Reese is leading the WNBA in rebounds for the second straight season.

Her rookie campaign saw Reese average 13.1 boards per game, a rate that set a single-season league record. She also blasted through the WNBA's consecutive double-double record last season, claiming it with 10 straight before extending it to an impressive 15 games.

Along with the average rebounds record, Reese also broke the single-season total rebounds record previously held by retired Minnesota Lynx legend Sylvia Fowles — a mark that was later surpassed by 2024 MVP A'ja Wilson following Reese's season-ending wrist injury.

"Statistically, all the rebounds that I get aren't always just mine," Reese added in her Saturday social media post. "They're the defense's, too, or somebody else on my team."

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