Seb Hines was told he was interim head coach of the Orlando Pride on Tuesday.

It was the same day he found out head coach Amanda Cromwell and assistant Sam Greene had been placed on administrative leave, effective immediately, pending the conclusion of a joint investigation between the NWSL and NWSL Players Association that explores allegations of workplace misconduct toward NWSL players.

With the Pride (2-3-2) coming off a 5-0 loss to the Houston Dash, Hines, who was hired in 2020 as an assistant coach, didn’t allow himself much reaction to either piece of news. With a road game against the second-place Chicago Red Stars coming up on Sunday, he and the team needed to focus on training.

“I’ve got a job to do,” said the former Orlando City SC player. “I’ll do it to the best of my ability as long as I’m in this role … We’ve got to prepare for Sunday and get a result at Chicago and put on a performance that the players deserve.”

Orlando Pride Announces Amanda Cromwell and Sam Greene Placed on Administrative Leave pic.twitter.com/l8p8lBA61Y

— Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) June 7, 2022

Hines, 34, cannot comment on the suspensions with the investigation still underway. He also did not say how long he expects to serve as the acting head coach. Supporting him will be goalkeeper coach Aline Villages Reis and assistant coach Michelle Akers.

“I take it every day as it comes,” he told reporters Wednesday. “Today is a training session that would be led by myself. Tomorrow we have a day off. Friday we’ll train. Saturday we’ll leave to Chicago, and Sunday we’ll play. So, we’ll take every day as it comes.”

Focusing on the game has also been Hines’ message to the players as they, too, process the suspensions of Cromwell and Greene, who came to the team this offseason.

“Football’s freedom,” he said. “Go out and express themselves, believe in themselves and go enjoy it. We’re all here to play football. We love the game. I love the game. I’ve been at this, it’s all I know, since I was 7 years old. I know how fun it can be and making sure the environments are fun and enjoyable.”

When asked about the club’s environment off the field, Hines again directed attention back to the pitch.

“I focus on the field,” he said. “I can control what’s happening on the field at this present moment, so making sure that it’s a competitive environment, making sure we’re prepared and that players feel free to play and express themselves on the field. That’s what I can control.”

All eyes on Sunday 👀#PrideOfOrlando pic.twitter.com/w0y9J9Uqw3

— Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) June 8, 2022

Pride midfielder Gunny Jónsdóttir was on the same page. She said she had no reaction to the suspensions and was focused on the match against the Red Stars.

For her, it isn’t difficult to block out the off-field noise.

“We’ve all had situations in our personal life or on a team that we’ve been on where different things happen, so I think we all have experience with setbacks or anything like that, so I think the team knows what we need to do,” Jónsdóttir said. “We need to just focus on ourselves and our performance and on training … and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Cromwell, who joined the Pride after 25 years at the college level, is the seventh NWSL head coach in the past two seasons to be suspended due to alleged misconduct. Earlier this season, Houston Dash coach James Clarkson was suspended amid an ongoing investigation to “review current and historic complaints of discrimination, harassment and abuse.”

Jessa Braun is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering the NWSL and USWNT. Follow her on Twitter @jessabraun.

Cameron Brink already has her rookie of the year pick for the upcoming WNBA season, and it’s Indiana-bound star Caitlin Clark. 

In the latest edition of Kelley on the Street, host Kelley O'Hara caught up with Brink in New York hours before the Stanford phenom went No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks at the 2024 WNBA Draft. When O’Hara asked who would win the WNBA's rookie of the year, she answered without pause.

"Caitlin Clark," she said, while a fan commented that she thought Brink would take home the award. Brink later added that the extra foul granted to WNBA players will be "good for me."

"I hope it’s me," Charisma Osborne, who was later drafted by the Phoenix Mercury, said when asked her ROY prediction. "But, I don’t know — we’ll see."

Watch more of Kelley on the Street:

Maria Sanchez issued a statement on Thursday, confirming recent reports that she has requested a trade from the Houston Dash. 

In it, she revealed that the club has been aware of the request "since late March."

"This has all taken a toll and isn’t an easy thing to talk about, but I want to confirm that I’ve requested an immediate trade," she wrote. "My expectations and reasons have been clear. I trust that my current club’s management will honor my decision in a timely manner and proceed with accepting a trade."

"I’m eager to refocus and dive back into what I love most: playing football," she concluded.

Thank you, everyone, for the outpouring of kindness and support. pic.twitter.com/gcnN7dhCJU

— Maria Sanchez (@Maria17_7) April 19, 2024

Reports of Sanchez's trade request first surfaced on ESPN last week, and were later confirmed by multiple sources. 

In December of last year, Sanchez signed a three-year contract with the Dash valued at $1.5 million including bonuses and an option year. It was the largest contract in NWSL history at the time — a figure that would be eclipsed by multiple contracts in the following months. 

Sanchez spent the offseason as a restricted free agent, meaning that Houston could match any other team's offer to retain her rights. Should the Dash trade Sanchez, her current contract terms would remain intact, limiting potential buyers to teams able to afford to take on an inking of that size.

The Dash has yet to address the trade, instead reiterating to ESPN that Sanchez is "under contract, a choice she made in free agency at the end of 2023." 

Both the NWSL trade window and transfer window close tonight, April 19th, at 12 a.m. ET. The window will stay closed through the next 11 regular season games, reopening on August 1st, 2024.

The four-time league champion Seattle Storm unveiled their new practice facility on Thursday, with Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel dubbing Interbay's Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance the team’s "new home."

"It's just such a special space," Brummel told Fox 13 Seattle. "I think when the players get here, it's gonna be overwhelming."

The sprawling 50,000-square-foot, $64 million property is just the second designated practice facility to be designed and built expressly for a WNBA team, with the Storm further noting that 85% of all design and engineering team members involved in the project's construction were women and people of color. The finished product holds two professional indoor courts, two 3x3 outdoor courts, a state-of-the-art locker room, and players' lounge, plus designated areas for strength and conditioning, kitchen, dining, and nutrition, and recovery. 

"This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance," said Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder in an official team release. "It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

For their part, the team can't wait to make the faciilty their own.

"It's amazing," Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Fox 13. "Not having to drive everywhere around, knowing you have access anytime of the day to get into the gym, to workout." 

Head coach Noelle Quinn said she predicts the team is "never going to leave this building."

"Which is a good thing for me," she continued. "You talk about having an edge in performance. We want our athletes to not only perform on the court, but get whatever they need."

All of the Storm's staff and operations will now live under one roof, and the team also has plans to launch a youth basketball program operating out of the building.

The Caitlin Clark effect is quickly making its mark on the big leagues, as WNBA host teams around the country rush to upgrade their Fever games to larger arenas in order to accommodate surging ticket sales.

With Clark mere weeks away from her Indiana Fever debut, both the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have officially relocated their scheduled home games with head coach Christie Sides' squad. On Thursday, the Mystics became the latest to adjust their plans, moving their June 7th matchup from Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southwest DC to the more centrally located — and much larger — Capital One Arena "due to unprecedented demand."

The Mystics home court's capacity taps out at 4,200, while Capital One Arena — home to the Wizards, Capitals, and Georgetown Hoya's Men's Basketball — can fit nearly five times that crowd at some 20,000 spectators.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Washington Mystics (@washmystics)

"The move to Capital One Arena will allow for additional fans in the stands as well as premium hospitality options, including Suites and the all-new all-inclusive courtside Hennessy Lofts," the team announced via Thursday's press release.

The Aces were one of the first teams to switch venues, aiming to take on the Indiana Fever in front of as many as 20,000 fans inside T-Mobile Arena on July 2nd. That’s a sizable a boost from their home venue, which holds just 12,000.

For those still planning to face the Fever in their home arenas, ticket prices have skyrocketed. Previously scheduled construction has already forced the LA Sparks to relocate their first five games — including their May 24th clash with the Fever — to Long Beach State's Walter Pyramid. The temporary venue is quite the downsize, holding just 4,000 in comparison to Crypto.com Arena's near-19,000. As of Friday, the get-in price for that game started around $400.

Despite fans launching a Change.org petition urging relocation, the Chicago Sky say they're unable to move their June 23rd Fever meeting from Wintrust Arena's 10,000-seat facility to the 23,500-seat United Center due to a concert. Tickets for that game start around $325 as of Friday.