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Panthers’ unbeaten run culminates with WIAA Division 2 crown

(Photo courtesy of @wiaawistate on Twitter)

An undefeated regular season did not earn Oregon (Wis.) the top overall seed in Wisconsin’s Division 2 state playoffs. But no matter, the Panthers knocked off top-seeded Whitefish Bay 1-0 in Saturday’s final to earn their third state title.

Katelyn Studebaker scored the game-winning goal in the second half, and the Panthers notched their 21st shutout in their 24th game of the season.

It’s the Panthers’ second title in four years and propels them to No. 5 in the JWS soccer rankings.

With all the high school spring soccer seasons wrapped up, these rankings encompass all schools that played in the spring.

1. Westminster (Ga.), 19-1

The Wildcats continued their dominance with a seventh consecutive state championship, outscoring opponents 148-11. Westminster is loaded with talent; North Carolina commit Evelyn Shores is one of five players committed to a college in the Power 5 conferences.

2. Grandview (Colo.), 17-1-2

The Wolves beat the top two seeds in the semifinal and final to claim the coveted 5A state title, avenging their sole regular-season loss in the process.

3. Yorktown (Va.), 22-1-1

The Patriots won their second state championship in three seasons behind a shutdown defense that posted 18 shutouts and an explosive attack led by South Carolina signee Shay Montgomery, who finished with 25 goals and 10 assists.

4. St. Thomas Aquinas (Kan.), 17-0-2

The Saints tested themselves against the best, beating 6A state champion Blue Valley West in the regular season, and it paid off with a dominant postseason run to a second straight 5A crown.

5. Oregon (Wis.), 23-0-1

The Panthers last conceded a goal on May 11.

6. Briar Woods (Va.), 20-0-2

Virginia Tech-bound Taylor Price netted 32 goals and had 15 assists, as the Falcons rebounded from last year’s state championship defeat to win it all this spring.

7. Gretna (Neb.), 21-0

The Dragons outscored opponents 118-6 to capture a second consecutive state title. They are 42-1 over that stretch.

8. Fort Zumwalt South (Mo.), 26-1

Another repeat champion, the Bulldogs rebounded from a regular-season loss to reel off 15 wins to end the season.

9. Triad (Ill.), 25-1

The Knights’ unbeaten streak ended at 41 games, but that was just a temporary speed bump en route to their fourth state title in 11 years.

10. Lassiter (Ga.), 16-0-4

The Trojans dedicated their state title to Libby Rountree, a rising senior soccer player who died last summer in a car crash.

11. Searcy (Ark.), 21-0-1

The Lions gave up just one goal all season en route to back-to-back state championships.

12. St. Dominic (Mo.), 23-3

Despite three regular-season losses, the Crusaders never lost faith and secured a third consecutive state title.

13. Cardinal Gibbons (N.C.), 16-6-2

Another team that started slowly, Cardinal Gibbons played its best soccer at the right time, winning the state championship in penalty kicks.

14. Dallas Center (Iowa), 22-0

With a plus-95 goal difference, the Mustangs secured a state championship and a perfect season.

15. Wando (S.C.), 19-1

The Warriors have built a perennial powerhouse in South Carolina, winning the 12th state title in program history.

16. Metea Valley (Ill.), 22-2-1

The Mustangs won the first state championship in program history in a penalty shootout and ended the season on a 14-game winning streak.

17. West Forsyth (Ga.), 18-3

An overtime win propelled the Wolverines to back-to-back state titles in Georgia’s highest classification.

18. James Island (S.C.), 20-1-2

A year after capturing its first state crown, the Trojans did it again. Their sole defeat was a 1-0 loss to Wando.

19. Valor Christian (Colo.), 16-1

The Eagles fell just short of a perfect season with a double-overtime loss to Grandview in the state semifinals.

20. Homewood (Ala.), 20-2-2

After losing in the state final last year, the Patriots captured the program’s second state championship this spring.

21. South County (Va.), 20-1-1

The Stallions picked a bad time to suffer their first loss of the season, falling in the state semifinals and missing out on a chance for back-to-back state titles.

22. Ardrey Kell (N.C.), 25-2-1

Ardrey Kell lost the state championship in penalty kicks to Cardinal Gibbons, bringing its record in state title games to 0-4, but the Knights were otherwise brilliant in their run to the state final.

23. Bloomfield Hills (Mich.), 15-2-3

The Black Hawks knocked off previously unbeaten Northville in penalty kicks to win the state crown.

24. Blue Valley West (Kan.), 16-3-1

Despite some regular-season stumbles, the Jaguars showed their skill in the postseason, outscoring their semifinal and final opponents combined by 7-1.

25. Deer Creek (Okla.), 17-3

The Antlers secured the seventh state championship in program history but first since 2015, winning the final in penalty kicks.

Phillip Suitts is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports. He has worked at a variety of outlets, including The Palm Beach Post and Southeast Missourian, and done a little bit of everything from reporting to editing to running social media accounts. He was born in Atlanta but currently lives in wintry Philadelphia. Follow Phillip on Twitter @PhillipSuitts.

Christen Press back training with Angel City FC

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 15: Christen Press #23 of Angel City FC waves to fans following a game between the Portland Thorns and Angel City FC at BMO Stadium on October 15, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)

Christen Press continues to inch her way back to a return, having returned to training with her club team Angel City. 

Angel City FC coach Becki Tweed said on Wednesday that Press is back with the team full-time as she continues to make her way back from an ACL injury. While she’s still working on rehab, her being back with the team gives staff a better picture of her progress. 

"Christen [Press] is back with us full time which is amazing,” she said. “Having her in and around the team every day, continuing to work hard on rehab ... she's in a space where being in with the team is really important to her and her progression as well.”

The status update comes days after Press posted videos to social media that featured her doing lateral movement in cleats on grass. 

“Look out world she’s on the move !” Press captioned it. 

Press has been sidelined with an ACL injury since 2022, which caused her to miss the 2023 World Cup. She’s since had four separate surgeries to help repair her ACL.

Press told The Athletic a month ago that she’s been “relentless” in her optimism with her recovery despite it being a “slow process.”

“I have a bit of relentless optimism,” she told The Athletic. “I never, ever doubted that I would make it back on any of the timelines I’ve been on."

"Every single time I’ve heard, ‘You have to have surgery,’ I’m completely shocked,” she said. “When somebody asks me how it’s going, I’m like, ‘It’s going great. And it was going great every time. So I don’t know what to tell you anymore!’”

Sophia Smith re-signs with Portland on record deal

(Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports)

Sophia Smith is now the NWSL’s highest-paid player. 

The Portland Thorns announced on Wednesday that they have signed Smith to a new contract through the 2025 season, with an option for 2026. While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, the team did reveal that Smith is now the highest-paid player in the league on an annual basis.

It’s the latest in what has been a series of record-breaking contracts in the NWSL offseason. 

Chicago Red Stars forward Mallory Swanson, Bay FC forward Racheal Kundananji, and Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda all signed multi-year deals worth between $2 million and $2.5 million in total. While Smith’s contract is shorter and not worth as much over the long-term, the annual worth is higher. 

“We are over the moon to have Soph commit again to the Thorns. She is a proven, world-class talent and one that we are excited to have contribute to the team’s continued success,” said head coach Mike Norris in a statement. “We look forward to working with her in a Thorns jersey as she continues to shine as one of the top strikers in the world.”

In just four seasons in the NWSL, Smith has led the Thorns to five trophies – including the 2022 NWSL championship – while winning league and championship MVP in 2022. In 61 appearances with Portland, she has 34 goals – including a brace to start this season against Kansas City. 

She’s also a member of the USWNT, having scored 16 goals in 44 international appearances.  Set to become a free agent at the end of this season, she told ESPN she “thought of all the options” but ultimately Portland felt like the right decision.

"There is no place like Portland," Smith said in a small roundtable interview that included ESPN. "I don't believe there's an environment like Portland to play in and it's a city that's so special to me and a city that I feel like I've grown up in almost and become who I am."

She also told ESPN that the team’s new ownership “changes everything.” The club is now led by the Bhathal family, who bought the club after Merritt Paulson was forced to sell it following his part in the NWSL’s abuse scandal. 

"Since I've been here there has been a lot of things going on with this club -- a lot of not-great things going on with this club -- and I have just been waiting for some stability and some reassurance that this club is headed in the right direction, and the Bhathal family coming in is doing exactly that, if not more,” Smith said. 

"Their vision for this club is so exciting, and you can just tell how passionate they are about making this what it should be and continuing to push the standard in women's soccer globally.”

Caitlin Clark offered $5 million to compete in Ice Cube’s league

IOWA CITY, IOWA- MARCH 25: Guard Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates as time runs out in the second half against the West Virginia Mountaineers during their second round match-up in the 2024 NCAA Division 1 Women's Basketball Championship at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on March 25, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)

Caitlin Clark has been offered $5 million to play in Ice Cube's Big3 league, he confirmed on social media Wednesday after the offer leaked.

"We intended the offer to remain private while Caitlin Clark plays for the championship," Ice Cube wrote on social media. "But I won't deny what's now already out there: BIG3 made a historic offer to Caitlin Clark. Why wouldn't we? Caitlin is a generational athlete who can achieve tremendous success in the BIG3."

While there has yet to be a women's player in the league, both Nancy Lieberman and Lisa Leslie have been part of the league as coaches and won championships.

"The skeptics laughed when we made Nancy Lieberman the first female coach of a men's pro team, and she won the championship in her first year," Ice Cube continued. "Then Lisa Leslie won it all in year two. With our offer, Caitlin Clark can make history and break down even more barriers for women athletes."

Ice Cube, whose name is O’Shea Jackson, says that the offer was made with the intention that Clark be able to compete in the WNBA “offseason.” Clark is largely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft in April. But it’s unclear how the scheduling of the two leagues would work. 

The 2024 Big3 season is set to tip off on June 15, with 10 games spanning through mid-August. The WNBA regular season, meanwhile, begins on May 14 and ends on Sept. 19.

On “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday, Jackson said that the league has yet to hear back from Clark. 

“We just need an answer, as soon as they are ready to give it to us,” he said. “It’s always 50-50 till we get a no. At the end of the day, it’s a generous offer.”

The offer – as well as the confusion on Jackson’s part about the timing of the WNBA season – caused some current WNBA players to react. 

"It's funny cause I be seeing his son at W games.. they don't talk?" wrote former No. 1 pick Rhyne Howard

"So no other women's basketball player has came to mind in the last 7 years?" wrote Lexie Brown, adding that she'd support if Ice Cube wanted to build a women's iteration of the league. She later discussed it on the Gils Arena Show, noting that his reasoning of wanting to “uplift and support WNBA players and women athletes” is a “cop out.”

Kalani Brown, meanwhile, told Clark to "take that money" and start a women's Big3.

WNBA salaries has been a talking point in recent months as more collegiate stars declare for the league. WNBA stars have often made more money playing abroad than they have in the WNBA. Clark is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft on April 15, with a rookie salary of $76,535 for lottery draft picks (Nos. 1-4) that rises to $97,582 by her fourth season. But she also has an NIL valuation of almost $3.5 million.

Diana Taurasi famously skipped the 2015 WNBA season at the request of her Russian club, who paid her more to sit out than she would have made in the W. Her contract with the club was reportedly near $1.5 million per year.

Jackson also seemed to suggest that his league could be an alternative to going abroad

“America’s women athletes should not be forced to spend their off seasons playing in often dismal and dubious foreign countries just to make ends meet,” he wrote. Although it’s unclear whether or not the rapper intends to make offers to additional WNBA players. 

While the league does hold prioritization rules in its CBA, those typically apply only to players playing in overseas leagues. It’s unclear whether or not that would prevent Clark’s participation in the Big3 league.

WNBA players that don’t want to go overseas currently have the option of playing in Athletes Unlimited, which competes in the WNBA offseason.

USC’s Aaliyah Gayles Opens Up About Her Journey Back to Basketball

USC Basketball - Aaliyah Gayles

As part of our 1-v-1 video series, USC’s India Otto sat down to interview her teammate Aaliyah Gayles. Here are five things to know from our conversation with the redshirt freshman guard from Las Vegas.

#1 Aaliyah suffered from a near-death act of violence in 2022.

The incident taught her a lot about herself and the support around her. “[USC] Coach Lindsay [Gottlieb] was one of the first people to fly out there and come see me. That means a lot to me off the court.” 

#2 Her favorite USC memory is when she surprised her teammates after getting out of the hospital.

She left her walker at the door to show she was on the road to returning to the court. “That was my favorite memory because it was family. It was my first time being able to walk to you guys and see you practice.”

#3 There's a reason she wears #3.

#3 was her grandpa’s favorite number and a golden number in her life. Plus, AG3 has a nice ring to it. 

#4 She has a list of basketball GOAT’s:

Candace Parker, Magic Johnson, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, and Cason Wallace.

#5 There have been many celebrity appearances at USC’s games over the years, especially this season.

Aaliyah’s favorites include Will Ferrell, Kehlani, and Saweetie. And she hopes Lil Durk will come to watch a game soon.

Watch the full conversation on the Just Women’s Sports YouTube channel.

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