Kentucky’s Abby Steiner shatters collegiate 200m record
Abby Steiner of Kentucky finishes in front of Favour Ofili of LSU and Anavia Battle of Ohio State during the 200-meter final at the NCAA outdoor championships. (Andy Nelson/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
Kentucky’s Abby Steiner made her presence known at the NCAA track and field finals Saturday, shattering the collegiate record in the women’s 200-meter dash in Eugene, Oregon.
Steiner dominated the field, clocking a time of 21.80 seconds to eclipse the previous NCAA record of 22.05 seconds set by LSU’s Favour Ofili. She also overtook Olympic silver medalist Christine Mboma as the 2022 world leader.
— NCAA Track & Field (@NCAATrackField) June 11, 2022
Less than an hour after her stunning 200-meter performance, Steiner ran a blistering 48.92 split on her 4×400-meter leg to help Kentucky win that event.
Our 4x400m relay legendary Wildcats are #NCAATF Champions!
Already the collegiate record-holders (3:21.93), Karimah Davis , Dajour Miles, Abby Steiner (48.92!) and Alexis Holmes (50.22⚓️) win @NCAATrackField mile relay title in 3:22.55! pic.twitter.com/X6jYQXpk8Y
Steiner will return to Eugene for the USATF Outdoor Championships in late June, where she will race for a spot on the 200-meter dash team for July’s world championships.
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Delanie Sheehan's opening goal helped Gotham leap to third place on the NWSL table. (Stephen Brashear/Imagn Images)
On Monday, Gotham FC beat Seattle 2-0, snapping the Reign's seven-game NWSL unbeaten streak behind goals from midfielder Delanie Sheehan and striker Esther González.
The road win saw Gotham leapfrog Kansas City to claim third place in the standings — prime positioning as NY/NJ stares down a second-straight NWSL championship.
Seattle, on the other hand, sits in 11th place with only six matches left. The Reign will need to rack up as many wins as possible to keep their postseason dreams alive.
NWSL superstar Trinity Rodman hit Steph Curry's "night, night" celly on Sunday. (Washington Spirit)
Rodman ups the celly game in the NWSL
In lighter NWSL news, Washington star Trinity Rodman hit her second NBA-inspired celly of the season on Sunday.
After launching a rocket to secure the Spirit's 3-0 win over Houston, Rodman dropped to the pitch, curled up, closed her eyes, and laid her head on her hands in a nod to Steph Curry's signature "night, night" action.
The move followed last week's slam dunk celly. After netting an equalizer, Rodman leapt into the air while sprinting toward new Spirit investor and NBA legend, Magic Johnson.
Kansas City midfielder Lo'eau LaBonta's famously creative goal celebrations have lit up the NWSL. (Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports)
LaBonta's NWSL cellies give Rodman stiff competition
While iconic celebrations have become part of the NWSL's DNA, Rodman’s main competitor in this season's top celly race is Kansas City’s Lo’eau LaBonta.
The midfielder’s 2024 highlights include mirroring gymnast Simone Biles’s Olympic floor routine, using the ball as a baby bump, and recreating the signature lift from Dirty Dancing.
Dee Lab
Sep 17, 2024
WNBA Expansion Team Golden State Valkyries Breaks Season-Ticket Record
The Valkyries' state-of-the-art locker room inside San Francisco's Chase Center. (Golden State Valkyries)
Set to debut in 2025, WNBA expansion team the Golden State Valkyries are already off to the record-breaking races. On Friday, the league's 13th franchise became the first pro women’s sports team in history to collect more than 17,000 season-ticket deposits.
That record means the Valkyries — who notably don’t have a single player yet — could join the Indiana Fever next season as the only WNBA teams to average over 17,000 fans per home game.
Both new Valkyries facilities will include player lounges and separate dining areas. (Golden State Valkyries)
Golden State drops renderings of new Valkyries facilities
The Valkyries also turned heads by releasing plans for their state-of-the-art team facilities last week.
The 6,800-square-foot V-shaped locker room at San Francisco’s Chase Center will feature hot and cold tubs, a training room, staff offices, and a lounge and dining area for players.
Meanwhile, the team's Oakland training center boasts 31,800 square feet of developmental space, including two full courts, 17 total hoops, hot and cold pools, a training room, weight room, locker room, player lounge, and separate family lounge.
The Oakland training facility will include a total of 17 basketball hoops. (Golden State Valkyries)
Franchise general manager Ohemaa Nyanin commented in the team's statement that “The investment that Golden State has made into both [facilities] underscores this organization’s commitment to excellence. Connecting both sides of the Bay with elite facilities will set the tone for our athletes, coaching staff and medical teams, as we build a roster that will compete for championships.”
Construction is already underway, with both locations set to open by next season.
JWS Staff
Sep 17, 2024
The Late Sub Podcast: Trinity Rodman Is a NWSL Superstar
Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman is a veritable NWSL star. (John McDonnell/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
In this week's episode of The Late Sub, Claire takes a snapshot look at the NWSL, where sometimes single games can tell you a whole lot more about a team than just the final score.
She goes on to chat about unbeaten streak-masters Orlando and Kansas City’s special success, Portland’s ongoing troubles, and which NWSL players — like the Washington Spirit's Trinity Rodman — lit up this week's highlight reel.
Pivoting to the basketball court, Claire talks through remarkable WNBA performances, why the expanded season is a good thing, and the Washington Mystics' late-season upswing.
Claire then rounds things out by responding to a few listener comments about volleyball, before sharing how she was hoodwinked by the U-20 USWNT last Tuesday.
The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.
Subscribe to The Late Sub to never miss an episode.
JWS Staff
Sep 16, 2024
Aces Star A’ja Wilson Scores 1,000+, Breaks Record in WNBA Weekend Lineup
Wilson is the frontrunner for a third WNBA MVP award. (David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images)
This year's WNBA MVP favorite A'ja Wilson reached yet another milestone on Sunday, becoming the first player to ever record 1000+ points in a single season.
The superstar's latest feat — achieved in her 29-point performance in the Aces' 84-71 win over Connecticut — comes just days after she shattered the league's single-season scoring record.
All-but-guaranteed to finish 2024 as the WNBA's single-season points leader, Wilson has put together one of the most impressive statistical campaigns in league history. As of today, she's only three rebounds away from breaking Angel Reese's new single-season rebounds record, set before the Chicago rookie's season-ending injury.
Rookie Caitlin Clark captures two more WNBA records
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark added two more records to her historic rookie season this weekend, breaking the league's single-season assist record on Friday night before setting the single-season rookie scoring record on Sunday.
The Rookie of the Year frontrunner surpassed Alyssa Thomas's 2023 record of 316 assists in Friday's 78-74 loss to the Aces. Clark extended her hold on the league's new record on Sunday, now boasting 329 dimes on the season with one game left.
Also in Sunday's 110-109 Fever victory over the Wings, Clark put up a career-high 35 points, including one that officially broke Seimone Augustus's single-season rookie scoring record of 744 set in 2006. Clark now has 761 points across Indiana's 39 completed games.
Notably, the WNBA's expanded 40-game schedule means that four-time WNBA champion Augustus still holds the rookie record for points per game, as her fallen record was in a 34-game season.
The Washington Mystics face stiff competition for the final 2024 WNBA Playoff spot. (Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images)
Three-way team tie adds to WNBA playoff race drama
With the Sky's two weekend losses plus the Mystics and Dream splitting their two weekend contests with one win apiece, Chicago, Washington, and Atlanta all sit with 13-25 season records. All three are still in postseason contention with the final WNBA Playoff spot up for grabs.
League tiebreakers give Washington, who currently sits in the coveted eighth-place position, the postseason edge. The Mystics will try to maintain their tenuous hold on that spot when they face the league-leading Liberty tomorrow before closing out their season against a tough Indiana team on Thursday.
The ninth-place Sky and 10th-place Dream face equal uphill battles to usurp the Mystics this week. After playing each other on Tuesday, Chicago will close out their 2024 regular season against the third-place Sun while Atlanta does the same against the Liberty on Thursday.
