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NCAA Athletes Respond to Eligibility Decision

(ANDREW VILLA/ISI PHOTOS)

The NCAA announced last week that it was providing eligibility relief to all spring-sport student athletes whose seasons were cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. And while the NCAA will allow universities to temporarily exceed their scholarship limit to account for returning players and incoming freshmen, it’s been left to the individual universities to decide how much financial aid they give out to players who come back. Just Women’s Sports spoke with three senior athletes who now have to decide if they’ll return for a final year do-over. 

What are your thoughts on the NCAA approving an extra year of eligibility?

“I think it’s great that the NCAA has granted an extra year of eligibility because athletes had put a lot of hard work into their 2020 seasons, and it was heartbreaking for them to not be able to compete. I think many people don’t understand the amount of work that goes into a full season of training. We have been training every day (and sometimes twice a day) since September, preparing for the moment when we get to step on the field in the spring and compete for a conference and NCAA championship. I am glad that spring-sport athletes get another chance to finish what they started.” — Genesis Lucero, Stanford Lacrosse

“I had kind of expected the NCAA to grant us another year before the decision was officially made. I mean, we were so early into our season when everything was canceled that it almost felt necessary for spring-sport athletes to get that year back. Ultimately, I’m very grateful the NCAA felt that same way and has decided to do what’s best for student athletes.” — Hope Anhut, USC Lacrosse 

“It was definitely a hard decision for the NCAA to make, but at the end of the day, I think it’s what’s best for the students. Not being able to end your career the way you had always hoped, especially after years in the making, was really hard for seniors to grapple with in the midst of an already horrific pandemic. So just allowing athletes another year to play the sport that they love, at least for me, has given me hope and something to work towards in this horrible time. It is a silver lining, if you will.” — Kyra Pelton, Stanford Lacrosse

Do you plan to take advantage of the extra year?

“I do plan to come back to Stanford to play my final season while pursuing a master’s degree. It was an easy decision for me, especially since I feel like I have some unfinished business on the field.” — Genesis Lucero

“I would absolutely love to return to USC for another year, but I have a job lined up for after graduation. I’m hoping that my company will be flexible and grant me the ability to join them a year late, but if not I’ll have to weigh both options and decide which is best for my future.” — Hope Anhut

“For me, I was already planning on staying in school for a master’s program in mechanical engineering with a product design concentration. I already applied to grad schools and was accepted at Stanford and a few other schools. I definitely want to remain at Stanford to complete my fifth year, but it will all come down to scholarship details. I hope it works out. I would love one last go around to show what Stanford lacrosse is really made of.” — Kyra Pelton

What are you hearing from your teammates in terms of their plans?

“In talking through the next steps with my teammates, the biggest concern is whether or not Stanford will honor our scholarships for a fifth-year. The NCAA has provided eligibility, which is half the battle. The other half is decided by the individual schools. For my teammates hoping to come back and play this next season, their decisions could be based on the financial aid that Stanford is willing to provide since the NCAA stated that the schools do not have to match the scholarships for these athletes coming back to play. I truly hope that Stanford will make the right decision for their spring programs.” — Genesis Lucero

“The thoughts of my teammates have been varied. I think there’s this mentality for your entire senior year that this is the last go around and you grow accustomed to that reality — some girls might be fine with that regardless of how the season went and want to move on. Others might want to take the year to explore a new school, and we obviously fully support them in that as well. And finally there are some of us that are sure about returning to USC or who are definitely considering it. We’re all just kind of waiting for more information to be available regarding academics, scholarships, and how next year will go. Until then, we won’t be able to make definitive choices.” — Hope Anhut

“About 50% of our senior class is committed to the idea of returning to Stanford next season. That being said, nothing is definitive yet. We are all waiting to hear what Stanford has to say about scholarships, as the discretion of individual scholarships is up to them. The financial side of things is still up in the air for a lot of players. Because unlike fall sports, where a fifth-year means only paying for one semester or quarter of school, playing out another season for a spring sport means committing to another full year of tuition. And Stanford is one of the most expensive schools in the country. So at the end of the day, everyone’s individual decision will probably come down to the kind of scholarship options we get.” — Kyra Pelton

NY Liberty Reclaims No. 2 in the WNBA Standings Ahead of All-Star Game

New York Liberty stars Natasha Cloud and Sabrina Ionescu celebrate with teammate Breanna Stewart during a 2025 WNBA game.
The New York Liberty head into WNBA All-Star weekend as the league's No. 2 team. (Catalina Fragoso/NBAE via Getty Images)

The New York Liberty appear to be back on track, with the reigning champs leapfrogging the Phoenix Mercury to reclaim the No. 2 spot in the WNBA standings on Wednesday night.

Led by a 24-point, 11-rebound double-double from star forward Breanna Stewart, the Liberty punched a 98-77 win over a Caitlin Clark-less No. 6 Indiana Fever, as the 2025 WNBA All-Star captain remains day-to-day with a groin injury.

With Wednesday's victory, New York is now riding a three-game winning streak into All-Star weekend — and there's even more good news is on the horizon for the Liberty with starting center Jonquel Jones expected to return from her ankle injury after the break.

As for now-No. 3 Phoenix, New York's gain is the Mercury's loss, as their Wednesday clash with the league-leading Lynx ended 79-66 in Minnesota's favor while injured Phoenix stars Satou Sabally and Kahleah Copper rode the bench.

Expansion upstart Golden State has also started to skid, leaving the Valkyries entering the break at No. 9 with three consecutive losses — including a 67-58 stumble against the No. 4 Seattle Storm on Wednesday.

Elsewhere, the No. 8 Las Vegas Aces have begun to regroup, entering the All-Star break on a two-game winning streak behind 2024 MVP A'ja Wilson and her combined 71 points and 26 rebounds over the last two games.

With the second half of the 2025 season tipping off following this weekend's All-Star festivities, momentum will be at a premium as early performances roll into postseason trajectories.

Italy Tops Norway to Advance to 1st Euro Semifinals in 28 Years

Italy striker Cristiana Girelli celebrates one of her two goals during their 2025 Euro quarterfinal win over Norway.
Italy reached their first Euro semifinal since 1997 on Wednesday. (Image Photo Agency/Getty Images)

World No. 13 Italy advanced to the 2025 Euro semifinals on Wednesday, defeating No. 16 Norway 2-1 in dramatic fashion to make it past the tournament's quarterfinals for the first time since 1997.

Captain Cristiana Girelli played hero, scoring both of Italy's goals — including a 90th-minute game-winner to successfully avoid extra time.

"I felt something different, something special," Girelli said following the match. "I have seen in the eyes of my teammates a special light."

Norway, however, faced a disappointing tournament exit, after captain Ada Hegerberg missed a penalty before scoring the team's lone goal in the second half.

Next on the 2025 Euro quarterfinals pitch are No. 6 Sweden and No. 5 England, as the European heavyweights face off in one of the round's most-anticipated matchups.

Sweden topped Group C with three emphatic wins, setting them up to take on the runners-up of the competition's notorious "Group of Death" — the reigning Euro champion Lionesses.

England enters the matchup on a two-game winning streak, picking up points against the No. 11 Netherlands and No. 30 Wales after falling to No. 10 France to open group play.

"They're relentless when it comes to tournament football," England captain Leah Williamson said of the Tokyo Olympic silver medalists. "They're just a very organized team."

How to watch Sweden vs. England in the 2025 Euro quarterfinals

The 2025 quarterfinals continue with Sweden taking on England at 3 PM ET on Thursday, live on FOX.

WNBA Announces 4-Point Shots, New Rules for 2025 All-Star Game

A diagram of the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game court features four circles in which shots made will be worth four points each.
The 2025 WNBA All-Star Game court will have four small areas in which shots made will be worth four points each. (WNBA)

The WNBA has set the scene for this weekend's 2025 All-Star Game, laying out a handful of special rules meant to liven up the on-court action.

The game will introduce four major changes: a four-point shot, a 20-second shot clock, live-play substitutions, and automatic points for free throws.

While four-point shots aren't a new All-Star Game invention, last year's matchup between the WNBA All-Stars and Team USA did not feature them.

To sink a four-point shot on Saturday, the shooting player must have contact with one of the four marked circles on the court, located 28 feet from the rim.

With four seconds taken off the shot clock to speed up the game, All-Star squads will also be able to make a one-player substitution while the ball is in play — so long as the team in question has possession in their backcourt.

As for the "No Free-Throws" rule, free-throw shooting will only occur in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter, plus the full length of any overtime period(s).

Prior to the final two minutes of regulation, players will be automatically credited the maximum available point(s) incurred by the foul.

How to watch the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game

The 2025 WNBA All-Star Game will tip off in Indianapolis at 8:30 PM ET on Saturday.

Live coverage of the game will air on ABC.

Simone Biles Headlines Women’s Sports Winners at 2025 ESPY Awards

US gymnast Simone Biles holds her trophy at the 2025 ESPY Awards.
Team USA gymnast Simone Biles won two trophies at the 2025 ESPY Awards on Wednesday. (Christopher Polk/Getty Images)

Women won big at Wednesday's 2025 ESPY Awards, with star athletes from across women's sports earning top honors for outstanding performances over the past year.

Leading the charge was seven-time Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast Simone Biles with ESPYS for both Best Athlete, Women's Sports and Best Championship Performance for her trio of golds at last summer's Paris Games.

"Six-year-old me, who first started tumbling on my parents' sofa in the living room, is floored to be standing before you right now," Biles shared in one of her speeches.

Biles's Team USA teammate Suni Lee, who brought her doctor to the awards, won Best Comeback Athlete after battling kidney disease to return to top the Olympic podium.

The night's Best Breakthrough Athlete was USA Rugby star and 2024 Olympic bronze medalist Ilona Maher, who used part of her speech to encourage young women and girls, telling them to "Take up space. Pitch it faster. Run harder. Put another plate on the bar. And never tone it down."

Also snagging honors as the top athletes in their respective sports were Coco Gauff (Best Tennis Player), Caitlin Clark (Best WNBA Player), Katie Taylor (Best Boxer), and JuJu Watkins (Best College Athlete, Women's Sports).

Meanwhile, USWNT icon Alex Morgan and WNBA legend Diana Taurasi shared this year's Icon Award in recognition of the new retirees' impacts on their respective sports.

"Our mission has always been very similar," Morgan said in her acceptance speech alongside Taurasi. "We fought to leave our game in a better place than where we found it."

Penn State volleyball head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley accepts the 2025 Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the ESPY Awards.
Penn State volleyball coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley led her team to an NCAA title while battling cancer. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Off-court efforts earn 2025 ESPY Awards

Sports leaders whose impact surpassed the proverbial playing field also took home trophies on Wednesday night.

In recognition of her foundation's commitment to promoting diversity and providing tennis opportunities to underserved communities, US legend Sloane Stephens won this year's Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award.

Later, Penn State volleyball head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley earned a standing ovation alongside her Jimmy V Award for Perseverance.

Schumacher-Cawley, who became the first woman to helm a national title-winning volleyball team by leading her Nittany Lions to the 2024 NCAA Championship last December, did so while battling breast cancer.

"Cancer changed my life, but it didn't take it," said an emotional Schumacher-Cawley. "It didn't take my belief, it didn't take my spirit, and it didn't take my team."

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