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College basketball transfer tracker: Diamond Johnson picks Norfolk State

Diamond Johnson is transferring to Norfolk State. (Nicholas Faulkner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The transfer portal is still hopping as players find their new homes for next season.

Just Women’s Sports will be keeping track of the top players who have entered the portal and those who have chosen their teams.


May 23 — Diamond Johnson picks Norfolk State

Former NC State star Diamond Johnson is transferring to Norfolk State, she announced Tuesday.

The historically Black university proved a draw for Johnson in more ways than one as she seeks to “be the best version” of herself.

“A lot of people think you always have to go to Power Five schools to get to your (dream), going to the WNBA, going pro,” Johnson told Lauren Dreher in her announcement video. “But I don’t think it always has to be like that. You can go to HBCUs, mid-majors. I think you can develop there and still chase your dreams.”

Norfolk State is coming off its second NCAA tournament appearance in program history and first since 2002. The Spartans won the MEAC tournament, beating Howard in the title game, then lost to No. 1 seed South Carolina in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

“I’m going to say it today so we can prep for next year: Norfolk State is not a 16 seed. Just want you to know that. They’re not. Very well-coached. Very disciplined,” Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley said after the game.

The former ACC Sixth Player of the Year as a sophomore, Johnson will provide an immediate boost to Norfolk State, having led NC State in scoring this past season with 12.3 points per game. She did miss some time with an ankle injury, playing just 22 games.


May 5 — Aneesah Morrow chooses LSU over South Carolina and USC

After narrowing down her list to LSU, USC, and South Carolina, DePaul transfer Aneesah Morrow announced that she will attend LSU. The reigning national champions now have two top transfers in Morrow and Louisville transfer Hailey van Lith.

“I want to win championships and build a dynasty,” Morrow said in a video announcement sponsored by Caktus AI. “Where is the best place for me to achieve my goals?”

Read the full story here.


May 5 — Jewel Spear commits to Tennessee

Wake Forest transfer Jewel Spear will attend the University of Tennessee.

Spear, a two-time all-ACC honoree, helped Wake Forest reach the NCAA tournament in 2021, the Demon Deacons’ first NCAA tournament appearance since 1988.

“I felt like it was time to spread my wings, go to a bigger stage and compete on a bigger stage, while also getting great academics and being able to contend for a national championship,” Spear told ESPN.


May 5 — Junior college star Sakima Walker heads to South Carolina

Junior college player of the year Sakima Walker is joining the South Carolina Gamecocks. Walker played at Rutgers for two seasons before transferring to Northwest Florida State College, where she led the team to the 2023 junior college national title and was named NJCAA Division I women’s player of the year.

Walker is South Carolina’s second transfer of 2023, joining Oregon transfer Te-Hina Paopao.


May 4 — Oklahoma State picks up Big East Freshman of the Year

Georgetown star Kennedy Fauntleroy is joining Oklahoma State. In one season with the Hoyas, she averaged 10.9 points and 3.9 rebounds, enough to make her the unanimous pick for Big East Freshman of the Year.

“Last year she proved to be one of the best point guards in the country as a freshman and we can’t wait to help her prove herself again,” Oklahoma State coach Jacie Hoyt said in a statement.

Taiyer Parks is on the move as well, flipping from Michigan State to Big Ten rival Ohio State as a graduate transfer. She averaged 7.1 points and 5.5 rebounds across four seasons with the Spartans.


April 27 — Hailey Van Lith joins national champion LSU

One of the top players in the transfer portal, Van Lith averaged 19.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists with Louisville last season.

With Alexis Morris’ departure to the WNBA after the Tigers’ NCAA championship run, the Tigers had an opening at point guard that Van Lith will fill in 2023-24.


April 24 — Te-Hina Paopao commits to South Carolina, Lexi Donarski to North Carolina

South Carolina scored a big portal pickup Monday with the addition of Paopao. The former Oregon point guard has two years of eligibility remaining and averaged 12.5 points, 3.6 assists and 3.9 rebounds through three seasons with the Ducks.

“blessed & excited for the journey ahead,” Paopao wrote in her social media post. “go gamecocks !”

The No. 7 transfer prospect according to ESPN, she was also ranked 11th in the class of 2020 recruit rankings.

Paopao was also one of the best 3-point shooters in the country last season shooting 42.4 percent, which will help the Gamecocks who hit just 31 percent of their 3s over the last two seasons.

Former Iowa State guard Donarski also announced her next school Monday: North Carolina.

With two years of eligibility remaining, the three-year starter averaged 12.1 points and 2.9 rebounds in the 2022-23 season as a member of the Big 12 tournament championship team.

She also helped the Cyclones to the NCAA Sweet 16 and was named Big 12 defensive player of the year. She was ranked as the third-best transfer by ESPN.


April 23 — Mississippi State lands Lauren Park-Lane; Shayeann Day-Wilson heads to Miami; BYU’s Lauren Gustin enters portal

Mississippi State has picked up an impact player in Park-Laine. As a senior for Seton Hall in the 2022-23 season, the guard averaging 20.8 points and 6.3 assists per game.

Meanwhile, Day-Wilson is headed to Miami, she announced via social media.She averaged 10.2 points, 3.1 assists and 3.0 rebounds in two seasons at Duke.

And Gustin has entered the transfer portal after three seasons at BYU. She had a career-best season in 2022-23, averaging 16.1 points and 16.7 rebounds per game. Quietly, she put together one of the best campaigns in the NCAA, finishing with the second-most double-doubles. She finished with 27 in 33 games played, second only to LSU’s Angel Reese.


April 21 — Aneesah Morrow announces top three schools

The DePaul transfer has narrowed her list to three schools, she announced via social media: LSU, South Carolina and USC. Morrow previously said she was contacted by 33 schools after putting her name in the transfer portal.


April 20 — Celeste Taylor announces commitment to Buckeyes, Lexy Keys to Oklahoma

Taylor is transferring from Duke to Ohio State due to “unforeseen circumstances,” she announced Thursday. She had announced that she would return to Duke for a fifth year but later entered the transfer portal.

“The relationships that I have been able to build with everyone will be unforgettable,” she wrote. “I can’t thank Duke enough for the unwavering support.”

A native of New York, Taylor was named ACC defensive player of the year and was a member of the all-ACC first team. She was also named a finalist for Naismith defensive player of the year.

Throughout her career, Taylor has averaged 11.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.9 steals per game.

Lexy Keys, who played three seasons at Oklahoma State, is set to join the rival Sooners with two years of eligibility remaining. She averaged 9.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists this season for Oklahoma State.


April 17 — Diamond Johnson re-enters portal after two seasons with NC State

The 5-5 junior guard is on the hunt for another new team.

Johnson transferred to NC State after spending her freshman season at Rutgers. After two years at NC State, she is again in the transfer portal with two years of eligibility remaining.

As a junior, she averaged 12.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists for the Wolfpack, though she also missed 10 games with an ankle injury.

NC State teammates Camille Hobby and Jakia Brown-Turner also entered the transfer portal, with Brown-Turner headed to Maryland.

Arizona is another school with a number of players in the portal, but at least one has reversed course. Rising sophomore guard Kailyn Gilbert has decided to exit the portal and return to the Wildcats.

Also on Monday, James Madison star Kiki Jefferson committed to Louisville. She averaged 18.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game in her senior season with James Madison.


April 16 — Rose Micheaux joins Virginia Tech from Minnesota

The 6-2 sophomore forward averaged 13.8 points and 7.9 rebounds for Minnesota this season, but she entered the transfer portal after the resignation of Golden Gophers coach Lindsay Whalen.


April 12 — Aneesah Morrow: South Carolina, LSU among suitors

The former DePaul star has been contacted by 33 different schools, she told ESPN on Wednesday. Among them are 2023 national champion LSU, 2022 national champion South Carolina, Notre Dame, Iowa, Maryland, USC and Ole Miss.

Morrow has been among the top scorers in the country in each of the past two seasons. She plans to narrow her list to her top three destinations in the coming days, she revealed on Twitter.

Several other transfers have announced their destinations, including Jordyn Oliver, who is leaving Duke for Vanderbilt, and Kyndall Hunter, who is departing Texas for Texas A&M.


April 12 — Duke’s Celeste Taylor enters transfer portal

Duke’s leading scorer has entered the transfer portal, joining teammate Shayeann Day-Wilson.

One of four finalists for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award, Taylor averaged 11.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.1 steals for the Blue Devils this season. Wherever she lands will become Taylor’s third school after she transferred to Duke from Texas, where she played her first two seasons of basketball.

Taylor has one year of eligibility remaining.


April 8 — Sedona Prince to transfer to TCU

Oregon’s Prince is “coming home,” they announced via Instagram. The Texas native is headed to TCU.

She will reunite with new TCU head coach Mark Campbell, who spent seven seasons as an assistant coach at Oregon before leaving in 2021 to become the head coach at Sacramento State.


April 8 — Lauren Betts, No 1. recruit in 2022, enters portal

Stanford’s Betts has entered the NCAA transfer portal.

Betts, the No. 1 recruit in 2022, played one season for the Cardinal. She finished the 2022-23 season averaging 5.9 points and playing 9.6 minutes per game.

Betts isn’t the only Stanford player in the portal. Agnes Emma-Nnopu and Indya Nivar are also looking to make moves.


April 8 — Hailey Van Lith to graduate from Louisville early, enter transfer portal as a grad student

Van Lith made huge news on Saturday morning when Louisville confirmed that the junior guard had entered the NCAA transfer portal. While Van Lith just finished her junior season at Louisville, she will receive her undergraduate degree in May and she enters the transfer portal as a graduate student. (You can read more here.)


April 6 — Jakia Brown-Turner heads home to Maryland

After four years at NC State, the Oxon Hill, Maryland, native is headed back to her home state to play for the Terrapins, she announced Thursday via social media.

“Home sweet home,” she wrote in her Instagram caption, alongside photos of herself in a Maryland uniform.

Brown-Turner averaged 10.3 points and 4.2 rebounds across her four seasons at NC State, and she has shot 34.4% from 3-point range for her career. The 6-0 forward was a two-time All-ACC selection with the Wolfpack.


April 5 — Rising star Aneesah Morrow leaves DePaul

The sophomore forward averaged 25.7 points (fourth in Division I) and 12.2 rebounds (seventh in Division I) this season, which puts her in elite company.

While she stayed in her hometown of Chicago in choosing DePaul, her talent could take her farther from home as she immediately becomes the top transfer on the market.


April 4 — Virginia Tech’s Ashley Owusu enters transfer portal

The former Maryland standout spent the last season at Virginia Tech, but she found herself confined to the bench for the entire postseason.

The 6-0 senior guard appeared in 17 games total, averaging 5.1 points in 15.1 minutes per game. She has one year of COVID-19 eligibility remaining.


April 3 — Jayda Curry heads to Louisville

The 5-6 guard led the Pac-12 in scoring with 18.6 points per game in the 2021-22 season, then averaged 15.5 points per game as a sophomore.

Louisville picks up a two-time Pac-12 all-conference selection to strengthen a lineup that made a run to the Elite Eight.

“I’m just excited to be on that big stage … just trying to be that person who can come in there and help and impact them and take them a little farther, get to the Final Four again and hopefully win a national championship,” Curry told Bally Sports.

Also on Monday, Oregon guard Te-Hina Paopao entered the transfer portal, further draining the Pac-12 talent pool.

The third-year sophomore averaged 13.1 points and a career-high 4.2 rebounds per game for the Ducks.


March 31 — Seton Hall’s Lauren Park-Lane enters transfer portal

Park-Lane is entering the transfer portal, the Seton Hall star revealed Friday on Twitter.

As a senior this year, Park-Lane averaging 20.8 points and 6.3 assists per game for the Pirates. A first-team All-Big East selection, she was also named to the Wooden Award watch list this season. Among her notable performances include a Seton Hall single-game scoring record 39 points in the team’s win over DePaul in February.

While Park-Lane could have opted to go to the WNBA draft, she did not declare and is looking to spend a fifth year in the NCAA.


March 30 — Maryland’s Ava Sciolla, Mila Reynolds enter portal

Sciolla announced Thursday that she has entered the transfer portal, one day after fellow freshman Reynolds did the same. And hours after Reynolds’ announcement, younger sister Amiyah announced her decision to decommit from Maryland.

“I’ll be looking for a home and opportunity to leverage all I’ve learned over the last year,” Mila Reynolds wrote. “Somewhere I can use my gifts and abilities to help win games and make a community proud.”

Sciola also thanked Maryland and expressed her gratitude for “my experience and role in this year’s run to the Elite 8.” But she plans to move on from the Terrapins.

“However, I am moving on with the intention of joining a program where my skills, competitiveness, and basketball IQ can enhance and complement another successful culture,” she wrote.

NC State’s Jakia Brown-Turner also announced Thursday that she has entered into the portal. A key member of the Wolfpack, she averaged 9.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per game this season.

In a statement, Brown-Turner called her NC State experience “amazing.”

“I have learned and grown in so many ways these past four years,” she wrote, noting that one of her goals was to win the ACC championship — something that the Wolfpack did three times during her career.

“I am so grateful for these moments.”


March 27 — Duke’s Shayeann Day-Wilson announces departure, joining teammate Jordyn Oliver

The former ACC Freshman of the Year announced Monday that she has entered her name into the transfer portal.

“The decision was not easy, but it was the best decision for me & my family,” the Duke sophomore wrote.

She may have alluded to her departure following the team’s March 20 loss to Colorado in the NCAA Tournament.

“It’s not the typical end that you want, but I’m staying positive, keeping my head up,” Day-Wilson told The Duke Chronicle following the team’s season-ending loss. “To not make it the year before and to get to at least Round Two — I wouldn’t say I’m super happy with it, but I’m grateful. And, next year, looking forward to it, same way. And I’m just proud of my team, and I’m gonna miss all of them.”

Day-Wilson came to the Blue Devils as top-50 recruit in her class. She averaged 8.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists this season.

She joins Jordyn Oliver, who entered the portal on March 23, according to The Next’s Mitchell Northam. Oliver was a key piece of the Duke bench and averaged 3.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.


March 24 — Iowa State’s Lexi Donarski enters transfer portal

Donarski has entered the transfer portal, the Des Moines Register’s Tommy Birch reported. The three-time starter joins three other Iowa State players to enter to the portal: Maggie Espenmiller-McGraw, Maggie Vick and Morgan Kane.


March 23 — Four Arizona players enter transfer portal

Four Arizona players have entered the transfer portal after the Wildcats’ second-round exit from the NCAA Tournament.

Sophomore guard Madi Conner, junior Lauren Ware and freshmen Lemyah Hylton and Paris Clark are in the portal, The Athletic’s Chantel Jennings reported.

Conner averaged 6.0 points and 14.7 minutes per game for the Wildcats this seasonn. While Ware missed the season recovering from knee surgery, she averaged 5.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in the 2021-22 season and was expected to make a big impact upon her return.


March 23 — NC State’s Camille Hobby enters transfer portal

Hobby is planning to use her fifth year of eligibility elsewhere, as she announced her decision to enter the transfer portal.

The forward averaged 8.8 points and 4.2 rebounds this season for the Wolfpack, while shooting 52% from the floor.


March 22 — Sun Belt Player of the Year leaves James Madison

Kiki Jefferson is entering the transfer portal after averaging 18.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game in her senior season with James Madison. She was named the Player of the Year in the Sun Belt Conference for her senior season, and she has one year of COVID-19 eligibility remaining.


March 16 — Seven Pitt players enter transfer portal

Seven players are leaving Pitt basketball after the program parted ways with coach Lance White at the end of the season.

Senior forward Amber Brown entered the transfer portal Tuesday, and she was followed by six more Panthers players: Emy Hayford, Destiny Strother, Taisha Exanor, Sandrine Clesca, Cynthia Ezeja and Dayshanette Harris.


March 16 — Sophomore center Rose Micheaux leaves Minnesota

Micheaux becomes the first player to enter the transfer portal since Lindsay Whalen resigned as the Golden Gophers coach earlier this month. The sophomore averaged 13.8 points and 7.9 rebounds for Minnesota this season.

“The University of Minnesota will always have a special place in my heart… With that being said, I will be entering my name into the transfer portal, to further my academic and athletic career,” Micheaux wrote in a social media post.


March 15 — Former Pac-12 Freshman of the Year departs Cal

Cal guard Jayda Curry is leaving the program, a Cal spokesperson confirmed to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Curry led the Pac-12 in scoring with 18.6 points per game in the 2021-22 season, which earned her the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year award. She averaged 15.5 points per game as a sophomore this season, but the Bears finished with a 13-17 record.


March 14 — Texas guard Kyndall Hunter plans to transfer

As No. 4 seed Texas prepares for the NCAA Tournament, guard Kyndall Hunter has announced her intention to leave the program. Hunter has missed the entire season due to personal reasons, per coach Vic Schaefer.

“I will continue to move forward and find a university and coaching staff who believes in me and will nurture me as a basketball player on the court but even more, instill confidence in me off the court,” she wrote on social media.

Still, she expressed her support for the Longhorns before their first-round game against No. 13 seed East Carolina at 10 p.m. ET Saturday.

“I would like to wish my Texas teammates nothing but the best of luck in their pursuit (of) a national championship this season,” she wrote.


March 9 — Two Kentucky players enter transfer portal

Just last year, Kentucky produced the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft in Rhyne Howard. After a disappointing season for the Wildcats, though, two players already have announced their plans to leave the program.

Sophomore guard Jada Walker and freshman guard Kennedy Cambridge will both enter their names in the transfer portal, they announced this week. After finishing the 2022-23 season with a 12-19 record and tied for last in the SEC, the Wildcats will need to fill out their backcourt to compete next season.

Walker ranked second in scoring for Kentucky this season with 12.6 points per game, and she led the SEC with 2.6 steals per game. While she thanked coach Kyra Elzy for the opportunity to be part of last season’s SEC Tournament-winning team last season, she is ready to move on.

Cambridge averaged 2.7 points per game and likely would have assumed a bigger role next season.

Kentucky dealt with significant turnover last year, too, after losing three starters to the transfer portal. Former Wildcats forward Dre’Una Edwards called out Kentucky coach Kyra Elzy in January for refusing to sign an eligibility waiver that would allow Edwards to play at Baylor, her new school. Elzy defended Kentucky’s position in the conflict.

Amanda Anisimova Advances to 2025 Wimbledon Final by Ousting No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka

US tennis star Amanda Anisimova reacts to her 2025 Wimbledon semifinal win over Aryna Sabalenka.
With her 2025 Wimbledon semifinal win, Anisimova reached her first career Grand Slam final. (Tim Clayton/Getty Images)

US tennis star and world No. 12 Amanda Anisimova continued her breakthrough 2025 Wimbledon run on Thursday, taking down No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to punch a ticket to her first career Grand Slam final.

"This doesn't feel real right now," Anisimova said after winning the 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 semifinal thriller. "I don't know how I pulled it out."

"It was such a rollercoaster match," the 23-year-old told ESPN. "[Sabalenka] is such a tough competitor, and I really had to give it my all to fight there to get the win."

As the first US player to reach a Wimbledon final since Serena Williams in 2019 — and the youngest from the US since Williams' 2004 run — Anisimova's meteoric 2025 rise comes just 18 months after she took an extended mental health break from tennis.

"A lot of people told me that you would never make it to the top again if you take so much time away from the game," she said. "So just me being able to prove that you can get back to the top if you prioritize yourself, that's been incredibly special to me."

Anisimova's semifinal win also continues a unique pattern for her home country, as Saturday's championship match is now the fourth straight Grand Slam final to feature a US player — a streak dating back to No. 3 Jessica Pegula's 2024 US Open championship appearance.

Even more, should Anisimova emerge victorious on Saturday, she'll join 2025 Australian Open champion No. 8 Madison Keys and 2025 French Open winner No. 2 Coco Gauff in continuing a US sweep of this year's Grand Slams.

Anisimova to face Świątek in 2025 Wimbledon final

To do so, however, Anisimova will have to defeat five-time Grand Slam winner and world No. 4 Iga Świątek in what will be the pair's first-ever senior-level match on Saturday.

Like Anisimova, the 24-year-old Polish phenom is on an unexpected Wimbledon run, as the London Slam's grass courts have historically hampered the clay-court specialist.

That said, Świątek dominated her Thursday semifinal against Switzerland's No. 35 Belinda Bencic, booking her spot in Saturday's title match in two quick 6-2, 6-0 sets.

"Tennis keeps surprising me," she said after the match. "I thought I had experienced everything on the court, but I hadn't experienced playing well on grass. That's the first time."

"Honestly, I never even dreamt that it was possible for me to play the [Wimbledon] finals, so I'm just super excited and proud of myself," Świątek added.

As for Anisimova, she's taking her championship match against the decorated Świątek in stride.

"I'm sure it'll be an amazing match. Getting to compete against an unbelievable player again is going to be super special," said the rising US star.

"Obviously I haven't been in a Grand Slam final before, but I've experienced a lot of moments similar and a lot of high-stakes matches," Anisimova noted. "I'm just gonna go out and enjoy every moment and try to not think about what’s on the line."

How to watch the 2025 Wimbledon championship match

With this year's tournament guaranteed to crown a first-time Wimbledon champion, Anisimova will battle Świątek for the London Slam's trophy at 11 AM ET on Saturday.

The final will air live on ESPN.

USWNT Legend Tobin Heath Hangs Up Her Boots, Officially Announces Retirement

USWNT star Tobin Heath triumphantly yells while holding the 2019 World Cup after winning the final.
Heath retires as a two-time World Cup champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist. (Daniela Porcelli/Getty Images)

Legendary USWNT attacker Tobin Heath officially announced her retirement from soccer on Thursday, nearly three years after playing her final professional match.

"Over New Year's, I actually came to the full acceptance that I wasn't going to be playing," the 37-year-old explained on her podcast, The RE-CAP Show.

In her 13 years with the senior national team, Heath — widely regarded as one of the most technical players in US history — earned two World Cup titles (2015, 2019) and three Olympic medals (gold in 2008 and 2012, and bronze in 2021).

Across her 181 USWNT caps, the 2016 US Soccer Athlete of the Year logged 36 goals and 42 assists, making her final appearance for the States on October 26th, 2021.

At the club level, Heath spent seven seasons with the Portland Thorns, helping the team to NWSL Championships in 2013 and 2017, as well as the 2016 NWSL Shield.

While her career also included European stints with the Première Ligue's PSG as well as WSL sides Manchester United and Arsenal, Heath ended her pro run with the 2022 NWSL Shield-winning Seattle Reign, playing what would be her final soccer match on August 14th of that year.

Injury ends Heath's soccer career

The end of Heath's career is not what the creative, nutmegging winger anticipated.

"I thought I was literally going to be peeled off the field," Heath told The Athletic on Wednesday.

However, a 2022 serious left knee injury left Heath unable to play soccer — even at a casual level — ultimately forcing her retirement.

"I tried f---ing everything to get back, I spent tens of thousands of dollars and [had] two surgeries, one crazy surgery," Heath said on her podcast. "And the whole time I believed I was going to get back."

"Football is a 360-degree sport, and I can't do it," she told The Athletic. "So that part is the hardest part. The actual playing of soccer is gone."

USWNT icon Tobin Heath speaks at a 2024 Grassroot Soccer event.
In her three years off the pitch, Heath is still elevating women's soccer. (Valerie Terranova/Getty Images)

Heath still working to lift up women's soccer in retirement

Despite coming to terms with the end of her on-pitch career, Heath isn't leaving the world of soccer anytime soon, helping lead the newly launched World Sevens Football and joining FIFA's technical study group for the men's Club World Cup.

Elevating football — particularly the women's game — is a pursuit that began for Heath with the Portland Thorns.

"[Portland] showed what women's sports could be," she explained. "I was dreaming of the world that I wanted to create."

The 2019 World Cup run then solidified that mission, with the USWNT adding a fourth star to their crest while also facing a pressure-cooker of expectations amid political tension and a contentious fight for equal pay.

"You can't feel what we felt...and not believe that you're doing something so f---ing important for the world," said Heath.

"You feel that responsibility — and that's what it is — and you want to keep carrying that responsibility as far forward as you can."

Rising USWNT Star Mia Fishel Inks Record NWSL Contract with Seattle Reign

Forward Mia Fishel poses in a Seattle Reign jersey after signing with the NWSL club.
Fishel's multi-year deal with the Seattle Reign runs through 2029. (Seattle Reign FC/Jane Gershovich)

USWNT and Chelsea FC forward Mia Fishel is officially heading back to the States, with the Seattle Reign announcing that the 24-year-old signed with the NWSL club on Thursday.

The multi-year deal will see Fishel join Seattle through the 2029 season on a contract reportedly worth nearly $2.5 million — the largest cumulative deal in NWSL history.

"We're absolutely thrilled to bring Mia into our squad," said Seattle head coach Laura Harvey in a club statement. "Mia's ability to disrupt defenses, finish in different ways makes her a dangerous addition to our group."

"Mia is a player with tremendous upside — a goal-scorer with presence, creativity, and a drive to keep growing," added Reign GM Lesle Gallimore.

Notably, though the Orlando Pride originally drafted the San Diego product and UCLA alum in 2022, this week's move will see Fishel make her domestic debut, with the young talent opting to start her pro career in Mexico.

In her single season with powerhouse Tigres UANL, Fishel notched 17 goals in 17 games to become the first foreign athlete to win the Liga MX Golden Boot, all while leading the team to a league championship.

Following her Liga MX success, Fishel signed with Chelsea, spending two seasons with the WSL champions — though a February 2024 ACL tear limited the young attacker's impact on both club and country over the last 16 months.

Nicknamed "Big Fish," the NWSL debutant has big plans for her upcoming lengthy tenure with Seattle.

"I knew coming to the States, I'm gonna be on a team for the long run," Fishel told reporters. "I wasn't expecting to just hop from team to team. Like, no, I want to put stakes in the ground. I want to eventually lead this team."

Indiana Fever Looks to Bounce Back Before 2025 WNBA All-Star Break

Indiana Fever center Aliyah Boston and Golden State Valkyries center Temi Fagbenle jump for the ball to start a 2025 WNBA game.
The Indiana Fever enter the weekend on a two-game losing streak. (Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

This weekend's WNBA slate will see the No. 8 Indiana Fever aiming to right the ship, as the once-projected postseason contenders try to make a push prior to next weekend's 2025 All-Star break.

Despite seeing Caitlin Clark return from injury on Wednesday, the Fever will enter the weekend on a two-game losing streak.

"You should look yourself in the mirror and find ways you can get better, and then come back to practice tomorrow, and play again on Friday," Clark said after Indiana's 80-61 Wednesday loss to Golden State.

There's no immediate assist in the Fever's upcoming schedule, however, as they kick off the weekend against an Atlanta side that feeds on mismatches in the paint:

  • No. 4 Atlanta Dream vs. No. 8 Indiana Fever, Friday at 7:30 PM ET (ION): The Dream can put any team in a blender with their size and stretch capabilities, and Indiana will need solid three-point shooting to upend Atlanta.
  • No. 6 Golden State Valkyries vs. No. 9 Las Vegas Aces, Saturday at 4 PM ET (CBS): The short-handed Aces will hope to pounce on Golden State's mercurial road form, as Las Vegas tries to keep climbing the standings following a middling season start.
  • No. 4 Atlanta Dream vs. No. 3 New York Liberty, Sunday at 3 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): An injury-hampered New York will try to hold on against the formidable Dream, as the reigning champion Liberty keep battling while waiting for starters to return.

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