OL Reign head coach Laura Harvey knows the impact Megan Rapinoe has had, on her and likely on thousands of others throughout her storied career.

Speaking ahead of Rapinoe’s final regular-season home game with OL Reign, Harvey spoke about how Rapinoe’s bravery and dedication to being herself inspired her as a young coach.

Both Rapinoe and Harvey came to the Seattle club in 2013 for the NWSL’s inaugural season, the former as a star player and the latter as a 32-year-old head coach. While Harvey left the Reign for several seasons before returning, the duo have worked together for the better part of the last decade.

“Off the field stuff has been, it’s just hard to put into words how impactful it’s been,” Harvey said. “From early days with the Reign when we had nothing, we were always trying to fight for more. And I think we always knew that the most powerful voice in the room was Pinoe.

“And she never shied away from that. She was always willing to put herself in front of all the bullets that everyone was willing to throw at her to try and better the club internally. … And then obviously externally, what everyone sees, that became the global icon that she is. … It’s phenomenal to think where we started to where we are now in every aspect, and there’s no doubt we wouldn’t be here if not for her.”

“She was always willing to put herself in front of all of the bullets…to try and better the club.” Laura Harvey on Pinoe’s impact with the Reign. “She gives you the platform to think you can be whatever you want.” Harvey, through tears, on Pinoe’s impact on her. pic.twitter.com/vD7IFx9kRt

— leigh (@twocutemedals) October 6, 2023

Rapinoe is retiring at the end of the NWSL season. Everything Harvey, 43, has learned from the 38-year-old forward throughout her career was “too much to even go through” in a single press conference, she said Thursday, but there’s “a lot.”

“I was a young coach when I came (to the NWSL), I was 32, and I’d never lived authentically, really,” Harvey said, voice thick with emotion. “And I think being around someone – she gives you the platform to think that you can be whatever you want.”

Rapinoe also grew emotional when talking about spending her entire NWSL career with the Reign and growing up with the franchise.

“Going through everything I’ve gone through in my career, to have the safety and home that I’ve had here has been huge for me,” she said. “I can’t imagine pulling on a shirt of any of those other clubs.”

The Reign have two matches remaining in the regular season, starting with Rapinoe’s final home match at 8 p.m. ET Friday against the Washington Spirit. The contest, which is expected to bring more than 30,000 fans to Seattle’s Lumen Field, will be televised CBS.

Harvey wants to send Rapinoe off into the sunset with an NWSL championship, but to do so, the Reign need to reach the postseason. A win against the Spirit would help the team cement its playoff chances in a tight race.

This year's All-Star action extends beyond the court, as more than 40 players — including All-Stars, executive committee members, and WNBPA representatives — met with the WNBA in Indianapolis on Thursday for the second CBA negotiations of 2025.

"I'm encouraged. I'm just so inspired by the amount of players that showed up, the engagement that was there," WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike said after Thursday's session, which drew the largest turnout in union history.

"It was something that was very informative for me. First time being able to see and hear the wording from both sides," Chicago Sky star Angel Reese added. "I was really eager to know and understand what was going on."

With revenues booming, both players and the league are struggling to settle issues surrounding payouts, revenue sharing, and the salary caps ahead of the current CBA's October 31st expiration date.

"This business is booming — media rights, ratings, revenue, team valuations, expansion fees, attendance, and ticket sales — are all up in historic fashion," the WNBPA wrote in a statement following Thursday's meeting. "But short-changing the working women who make this business possible stalls growth. The only thing more unsustainable than the current system is pretending it can go on forever."

While CBA negotiations continue, the union indicated that players are open to a work stoppage should they fail to reach a new deal by the end of this WNBA season.

Team Clark has youth on their side this weekend, with Mystics rookie Sonia Citron gearing up to hit Saturday's 2025 WNBA All-Star court alongside Washington teammate and fellow 2025 draft pick Kiki Iriafen.

"I was not expecting this at all," Citron told WNBA legend Lisa Leslie on Between the Lines last week, referencing her surprise All-Star call-up. "I'm still in shock. I don't really think it's hit me yet."

"We're young, we've got a bunch of shooters, a little bit of everything" she said of Team Clark's lineup.

Saturday's game isn't Citron's only assignment this weekend, with the All-Star debutant also set to compete in Friday's 3-Point Contest.

The Mystics are on the rise this year, exceeding season expectations behind first-year firepower to send three players in Citron, Iriafen, and Washington's scoring leader Brittney Sykes to the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game.

Citron is currently averaging five rebounds and 14 points per game — trailing only Sykes's 17 points per game on Washington's stat sheet. Her rookie campaign has her shooting 45% from the field and 36.5% from beyond the arc.

Fellow first-year Iriafen is also impressing, leading the Mystics with 8.5 rebounds per game as well as sinking nearly 12 points per game while shooting 46% from the field.

"[The rookies] have really played a key piece in our success this season with us being so young, but also them being so adaptable," second-year forward Aaliyah Edwards told Leslie in an earlier episode. "And they're runners for Rookie of the Year, so why not only have one when you can have two? I'm just loving it."

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How to attend a live taping of "Between the Lines"

Just Women's Sports is taking over Indianapolis with multi-faceted activations for the 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend — including a live recording of Between the Lines with Lisa Leslie.

Featuring interviews with Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx), Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream), Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana Fever), and Lexie Hull (Indiana Fever), the exclusive podcast taping will occur at 110 S Pennsylvania Street at 3 PM ET on Saturday.

Even with Indiana Fever sharpshooter Caitlin Clark sidelined, Friday's 3-Point Contest and Skills Challenge will heat up the Indianapolis competition before Saturday's 2025 WNBA All-Star Game tips off.

Single-round record holder Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty) and reigning champion Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream) headline the 3-Point Contest, with Kelsey Plum (LA Sparks), Sonia Citron (Washington Mystics), and Clark-replacement Lexie Hull (Indiana Fever) rounding out the bill beyond the arc.

Gray will also be on hand to defend her 2024 Skills Challenge title, with Natasha Cloud (New York Liberty), Skylar Diggins (Seattle Storm), Erica Wheeler (Seattle Storm), and Courtney Williams (Minnesota Lynx) looking to upend the Dream guard.

Players are shooting for more than just bragging rights in the Friday competitions, with Aflac boosting prize money for the second year in a row.

The insurance giant will award $60,000 to the 3-point Contest winner and $55,000 to the Skills Challenge champ, topping off the league's $2,575-per-player All-Star bonus check.

With big money on the line, both Gray and Ionescu are battling to become just the second WNBA player to win multiple 3-Point Contests, following in the footsteps of retired Sky guard and four-time event champion Allie Quigley.

How to watch the All-Star 3-Point Contest and Skills Challenge

The 2025 WNBA All-Star Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest will take the Indianapolis court at 8 PM ET on Friday, with both competitions airing live on ESPN.

Team Collier is looking locked and loaded for Saturday's 2025 WNBA All-Star Game, with captain Napheesa Collier heading up a roster stocked with talent from the league-leading Minnesota lineup.

The Lynx star will start the game alongside 2023 MVP Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty), Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream), Nneka Ogwumike (Seattle Storm), and rookie phenom Paige Bueckers (Dallas Wings).

Team Collier's bench showcases a balanced group of Courtney Williams (Minnesota Lynx), Skylar Diggins (Seattle Storm), Angel Reese (Chicago Sky), Alyssa Thomas (Phoenix Mercury), and Kelsey Plum (LA Sparks).

Kayla McBride (Minnesota Lynx) will also join the squad, replacing the injured Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream), boosting the team's Minnesota contingent to three players.

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Adding to the Lynx representatives is Minnesota manager Cheryl Reeve, who will serve as the squad's head coach following a first-of-its-kind draft-day swap between the Collier and fellow All-Star captain Caitlin Clark.

"I'm just glad people are understanding Phee's greatness," Reeve said about Collier before the 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend. "There's nothing else you can say at this point."

With a steady front and backcourt presence, Team Collier has experience on their side as they take on a youth-heavy Team Clark on Saturday.

How to watch Team Collier at the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game

Team Collier and Team Clark will square off in the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis at 8:30 PM ET on Saturday.

Live coverage of the game will air on ABC.