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To ‘win everything’ in 2021, the Portland Thorns are trusting in the process

Simone Charley celebrates a goal against the Washington Spirit earlier this season. (Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

When the Portland Thorns first decided that they wanted to win everything in 2021, it was something of a joke.

“In the beginning of the season, we have these goal meetings where we all get together as a team and write out our goals,” defender Emily Menges says. “And it’s pretty silly because any team, you’re going to write down ‘championship,’ you’re going to write down ‘win.’”

“And we were like, well, we want to win everything. Like, let’s get that out on the table because everybody wants to win everything. That’s why you’re here.”

The “win everything” mantra became something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. This year, the Thorns have won the Challenge Cup, the International Champions Cup and the NWSL Shield. Now, they enter the NWSL playoffs as the No. 1 seed and favorites to win the franchise’s third championship.

All of that success in one season might make it easy to look past Sunday’s semifinal game and toward the NWSL trophy. But the intention the Thorns players set at the start of the season has helped them focus on the little things.

“It’s not about looking at the big picture and checking off outcomes, but it’s just about being focused on the process,” forward Simone Charley says. “So I think tomorrow it’s just about winning the day and doing your best in training, and doing that the next day, and the next day, and just taking it day by day.”

The concept of focusing on process over outcome comes up frequently with Thorns players. While “trusting the process” isn’t new in sports, the Thorns have instilled confidence by understanding what is and isn’t out of their control, and that’s led to a sense of individual security and remarkable team consistency.

“If you had the right idea, even if you didn’t execute, you compliment the idea and you compliment the bravery,” Charley says. “And obviously you want to work on the execution, but it’s just about giving your best effort.”

Menges agrees: “Honestly, it’s better when you fail because everyone’s like, ‘OK, well I saw what she was trying to do.’ That’s what we’re trying to do as a team. And so you almost get applauded for failing, because you’re trying to do what the team is trying to do. And so that has created a culture of just growth from everywhere.”

Celebrating the bravery of risking failure feels radical in the current climate of the NWSL, where several coaches have been dismissed this year over accounts of abusive behavior. It hasn’t been uncommon in past years to see players freeze up on the field, overwhelmed with the anxiety of making a mistake and being punished for it. In Portland, different levels of execution instead foster conversations about ways to improve.

The Thorns organization as a whole, however, hasn’t been blameless this season, causing some disconnect. The club placed former general manager Gavin Wilkinson on leave after The Athletic’s Sept. 30 report implicated him in Paul Riley’s controversial departure from Portland in 2015. Thorns players and supporters had called on the club to address its failures in the Riley case. Since then, the club has hired Karina LeBlanc to replace Wilkinson, who remains the GM of the MLS’ Portland Timbers.

Inside the hurricane of the week following The Athletic report, players fell back on the lines of communication they’d established the year before, in the wake of widespread protests over racial injustice and police brutality.

“Culture is just a big part of who we are. I think, especially in the 2020 season, we had a lot of time off the pitch,” Charley says. “We had a lot of hard conversations about all our core values and things that we stand for, and what we want to hold each other accountable to.”

“Black Lives Matter, all the protests in Portland … we kind of started a culture of meeting as a team and talking about bigger things. And so it was not new,” Menges says. “We told Mark [Parsons] we need some time. And so that was nothing new, and we kind of sat down and opened it up. It’s a safe space for people to share things that they might not want to share publicly, or might not feel like it’s the place to share publicly.”

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Thorns players, including No. 5 Emily Menges, have leaned on each other during a challenging season. (Lewis Gettier/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

During those meetings in the first week of October, Thorns players opened the floor for anybody to speak. The team heard from players who were only just now learning of Riley’s history, to those who had been in Portland during his tenure, to those who were struggling with the memories of their own personal experiences with abuse.

Menges says it’s impossible to know if every person’s story got told, but coming to understand what their teammates were going through helped them manage their emotions in the weeks that followed.

“I think [Thorns players have] that kind of culture where we can kind of say, OK, this player had this going on that they shared with us, and now we’re going to go out and practice,” Menges says. “But you can approach those people slightly differently because you know they’re going through something.”

It’s probably reductive to call soccer a respite from the off-field chaos, but Thorns players have found some clarity in the ability to set a deadline for off-field work and then put their phones down to focus on the task at hand.

Menges tells the story of the Thorns’ game on Oct. 6, their first since the NWSL suspended games in the wake of the Riley report. Before kickoff that night, Portland’s players released a collective statement asking for Wilkinson to be placed on leave, among other demands. It had taken them days to get the statement to the point where all 28 players felt comfortable with it being released.

They finished the message at 4:30 p.m. local time, two and a half hours before their scheduled kickoff. As Menges remembers it, the team got to the locker room at 5, and the players decided the statement would go out around 5:15.

“Once we put that out, since we had done it so well as a team and everyone felt like they at least got their voice heard, we put our phones away and we’re like, ‘We did it. F–k yeah. Now it’s time to play,’” she says.

Even under the most extraordinary circumstances this season, the Thorns’ ability to fall back on their foundation as a group has given way to consistency on the field.

“I think everyone within the team, we trust each other,” Charley says. “And we know that we want to bring out the best in each other. So when someone comes to you and has ideas on how you can improve, you’re willing to listen because you know that they have your best interests at heart.”

The players have built that bond, but the coaching staff has helped reinforce it. Mark Parsons, Portland’s coach since 2016, announced earlier this year that he would leave the Thorns at the end of the season to manage the Netherlands — a move inspired as much by a desire to be closer to his family in England as by soccer reasons. Parsons’ decision will make it a bittersweet end to the season, whenever that comes, both in on-field success and off-field ties.

“I know he tries so hard to bring people around who are good people first, and so you have that culture of, we are good human beings who care about each other first,” Menges says. “And when he is doing his head coach thing, and kind of separates himself from the team a little bit, he always touches base at the right moments. When he knows that something’s going on, or when you need maybe a little bit of extra communication with him, he always pops in at the right time.”

This Thorns team could possibly end up being Parsons’ magnum opus. They’re a tight-knit group that’s proven they can execute when all of their stars are away and when they have World Cup champions and gold medalists in their midst. They’ve drawn talent and built a foundation over the years, focusing as much on personality fit as on natural ability.

That approach has paid dividends, especially after their 2019 season plateaued and the regular season was canceled in 2020. Second-year regular season rookies Sophia Smith and Morgan Weaver, who sit on the U.S. women’s national team bubble, have created some of the team’s most magical moments this year. Five-year Thorn Kelli Hubly stepped in for the injured Menges during the Challenge Cup, and then played alongside her while Becky Sauerbrunn was away at the Tokyo Olympics. Charley, a national team replacement player in 2019, has been essential to keeping the attack moving as both a starter and a late-game substitute.

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The Thorns took home the ICC trophy along with the Challenge Cup title and NWSL Shield in 2021. (Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

The team has relied on its culture when integrating new faces. It will be called upon again when Parsons makes way for a new manager, reported this week to be former Thorn and Canada international Rhian Wilkinson.

“Change is exciting, no matter what the circumstances,” Menges says.

Championship or bust this year, the players hope they can walk into the next chapter with their fans behind them. They know how important the Portland community is to their success, and being transparent with their most ardent supporters will be key going forward.

“What I learned this year specifically, because it kind of hit us so close to home, is that [Portland fans] are an army that’s ready to deploy at any time,” Menges says.

“I think the fans are a very powerful tool, not just during games, but when we need help. When we need help, they’ll show up for us, and when they need help, we show up for them. And so I think if we can better communicate what exactly our vision is and what their vision is, and kind of get on the same page that way, that is the ultimate goal.”

Portland fans have repeatedly held the club accountable, using signs and smoke and sending a list of their own demands to the front office. It’s a commitment borne from a deep passion, which the players have felt throughout the season and plan to embrace Sunday against the Chicago Red Stars, with a place in the NWSL final on the line.

“What makes Providence Park is the fans,” Charley says. “And I think that community aspect that the Thorns organization has, with the fans and with the community, I think it’s just who we are. And so I’m really excited to play in front of them one last time because when you put on the crest, you’re representing them.”

Claire Watkins is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering soccer and the NWSL. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

Olympic Swimmer Kirsty Coventry Makes IOC History as First Woman President

New IOC president-elect Kirsty Coventry addresses the media after winning Thursday's election.
Kirsty Coventry is the first woman, first African, and youngest-ever IOC president-elect. (FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)

Zimbabwean swimming legend Kirsty Coventry made history on Thursday, when she became both the first woman and first African ever elected president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

At 41-years-old, Coventry will also be the youngest president in the organization's 131-year history and the 10th individual to ever hold the office.

"As an nine-year-old girl, I never thought I would be standing up here one day getting to give back to this incredible movement of ours," the five-time Olympian said in her remarks.

An extensive Olympic resume, in and out of the pool

The Auburn University grad and seven-time Olympic medal-winner — including back-to-back golds in the 200-meter backstroke at the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Games — retired from competition after the 2016 Rio Olympics.

At that time, Coventry was already three years into her IOC membership, after initially joining as part of the governing body's Athletes' Commission. She joined the Executive Committee in 2023.

"I will make all of you very, very proud and hopefully extremely confident in the decision you have taken," Coventry said to her fellow members in her acceptance speech. "Now we have got some work together."

That work that awaits Coventry in her eight-year mandate will include navigating the 2028 LA Games and selecting a host for the 2036 Summer Games.

Her first Olympic Games at the helm, however, will be the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, giving her less than a year to prepare before the Opening Ceremony kicks off.

IOC trailblazer Anita DeFrantz congratulates the organization's newly elected president Kirsty Coventry.
DeFrantz, the first-ever woman to run for IOC president, secured Coventry's election. (FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)

Coventry to continue IOC efforts to promote gender equity

Coventry will have a few months to adjust before assuming her new office on June 23rd, when she will succeed her mentor, 71-year-old Thomas Bach.

Bach will have served the IOC's maximum 12-year tenure in the role when he steps down, having led the governing body to stage the first-ever Olympic Games with equal numbers of women and men competing — a mark captured at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris.

With gender equity as a driving force in his leadership, Bach also increased the number women serving as both IOC members and in the organization's leadership roles, with women comprising seven of the body's 15-person executive board.

Coventry is one of those seven women, and Bach specifically hand-picked her as his successor.

The legacy she inherits isn't lost on Coventry, both in the efforts of Bach and in the women who paved the way — perhaps none more directly than IOC member Anita DeFrantz, a 1976 Olympic bronze medal-winning rower for Team USA and the only other woman to ever run for IOC president.

Recognizing the election's historic significance, 72-year-old DeFrantz overcame significant health issues to travel to Greece in order to vote for Coventry — with her ballot securing the exact number of votes Coventry needed to win.

"I was really proud that I could make her proud," an emotional Coventry said.

Women’s March Madness Teams Receive First-Ever NCAA Tournament Payday

William & Mary celebrate their 2025 First Four March Madness win over High Point.
Women's March Madness teams will earn compensation for the first time in NCAA history this year. (Scott Wachter/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

The NCAA is leveling the playing field, with Women’s March Madness teams in line to receive their first-ever prize payouts based on tournament performance — a mechanism the men’s tournament has enjoyed since 1991.

Sparked by 2021's landmark NCAA gender equity review, the NCAA will distribute a total of approximately $15 million to individual conferences based on how many games their teams play, with each March Madness performance "unit" worth about $113,000.

This year's inaugural $15 million purse represents 26% of the competition's $65 million media rights valuation — putting it proportionally on par with the percentage allocated to the men's fund.

That overall prize pool will jump to $20 million in 2026 and $25 million in 2027, before switching to a successive 2.9% increase per year.

"We are all playing in the same March Madness," said UNC Greensboro head coach Trina Patterson, whose No. 16-seed Spartans will face No. 1-seed USC in the first round on Saturday. "The treatment for the men and women should be equal. We get a unit!"

Forward Perri Page celebrates a play during Columbia's 2025 First Four March Madness win over Washington.
Players like Page flew charter to compete in March Madness. (Anthony Sorbellini/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

March Madness teams get additional NCAA tournament perks

While the performance payouts are new this year, women's March Madness teams also receive perks like charter flights throughout the tournament, which can make all the difference for smaller programs eyeing an upset.

"Everyone is so excited about the experience. Going from the bus directly to the plane, everyone was so happy," March Madness debutante William & Mary head coach Erin Dickerson Davis told ESPN ahead of her No. 16-seed team’s First Four victory on Thursday.

Columbia junior Perri Page, whose No. 11-seed Lions defeated Washington in their own First Four matchup on Thursday, echoed Davis' sentiment, saying, "It was cool going to the charter, and we've been taking it all in."

"We've been enjoying the whole season," the forward added, noting "It's great we can make money for the school now."

"It should have always been that way. Women's basketball has been fighting for equality for a very long time," said Davis. "I've been in this business for many, many years. I played college basketball. It's a long time coming."

"You got to start somewhere, and I think we've been so far behind," added Columbia head coach Megan Griffith.

"This is more like the whipped cream. I think the cherry on top is going to keep coming — but it's really good so far."

WNBA Drops 2025 TV Broadcast Schedule, Increases National Coverage

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark celebrates a play with teammate Kelsey Mitchell during a 2024 WNBA game.
The Fever will see 41 of their 44 games air nationally in 2025. (G Fiume/Getty Images)

Less than two months before the season tips off on May 16th, the WNBA dropped its full 2025 national broadcast slate on Thursday, rewarding last year’s most in-demand teams with a significant uptick in screen time.

Fueled by the fan fervor around 2024 Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark, the Indiana Fever will see a league-record 41 of their 44 regular-season games aired nationally this season.

That tally includes all five Fever matchups against regional rival Chicago, after the pair's June 23rd game averaged 2.3 million viewers — becoming the most-watched game of the 2024 regular season.

Just behind Indiana in earning significant national broadcast coverage are two-time WNBA champs Las Vegas, who will see 33 of their games aired across the country. As for the reigning champions New York Liberty, they trail the Aces by just one game, with 32 of their 2025 season games garnering national attention.

Record WNBA ratings spur big broadcast moves

Thanks to 2024’s monster ratings, big-name networks are increasingly recognizing the WNBA as a profitable summer product, with broadcasters expanding their coverage as the league prepares for its 11-year, $2.2 billion media rights contract to kick in next year.

With the 2025 WNBA season expanding from 40 to 44 games per team, ION is leading all broadcasters with 50 regular-season games, with ABC/ESPN, CBS Sports, NBA TV, and Amazon Prime all taking a piece of the pro women's basketball league's pie.

Broadcasters are also moving games off of their sports-specific networks and onto flagship cable channels, with a record 13 matchups — a full half of Disney Networks' 26 regular-season games — set to air on ABC, including the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game.

The league will also see its first-ever regular-season games earn primetime broadcast TV slots, with CBS Sports elevating two of its 20 games — the June 7th and August 9th battles between the Chicago Sky and the Indiana Fever — to its flagship network, CBS.

As the WNBA shoots for an even more impactful 2025 season, broadcasters are helping to boost the charge, offering increased access to the league’s brightest stars and biggest games.

March Madness Underdogs Look to Bust Brackets as NCAA Tournament Tips Off

Iowa's Lucy Olsen and Kylie Feuerbach celebrate during a 2025 Big Ten tournament game.
No. 6-seed Iowa has an underdog’s shot at upsetting No. 3-seed Oklahoma in the second round. (Michael Hickey/Getty Image)

The NCAA tournament tips off in earnest with the bracket's 64-team first round on Friday, as eager March Madness fans look beyond the chalk to eye the competition's underdogs after a rollercoaster 2024/25 basketball season.

Early upsets aren’t exactly the norm in the women’s tournament. Only one lower seed won their first-round matchup in 2024, and no team below a No. 3 seed has ever gone the distance, but in a season of increased parity, a few lower-rated squads are rounding into underdog form.

Harvard star Harmoni Turner dribbles during a 2023 game.
Harvard star Harmoni Turner could lead the Crimson to a first-round upset win. (Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Breaking down potential March Madness bracket-busters

For potential March Madness upset instigators, late-season momentum late season momentum is the name of the game — a dangerous factor in any single-elimination tournament.

Even without superstar grad Caitlin Clark, No. 6-seed Iowa capped their regular season on a high before narrowly losing to No. 4-seed Ohio State in the Big Ten tournament's quarterfinals. Should they advance past No. 11-seed Murray State in their first-round Saturday matchup, the Hawkeyes are poised to give No. 3-seed Oklahoma a run for their money in the second round on Monday.

Entering as a No. 10-seed, Ivy League tournament champs Harvard will have their hands full against No. 7-seed Michigan State on Saturday, but Crimson senior Harmoni Turner and her season-average 22.5 points per game could tilt the scales in Harvard's favor.

After edging out first-round opponent No. 11-seed Iowa State, No. 6-seed Michigan is playing like an upset contender. Now a potential second-round matchup against No. 3-seed Notre Dame — fresh off a recent losing skid — awaits the young squad. 

With the brackets locked and the teams loaded, the prospects of twists and turns make the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament especially exciting — even if this year’s frontrunners appear destined for Tampa.

Michigan basketball's Syla Swords listens in a team huddle.
No. 6 Michigan will battle fellow Madness underdog No. 11 Iowa State in the tournament's Friday opener. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

How to watch Women's March Madness games this weekend

The Big Dance officially begins at 11:30 AM ET on Friday, when No. 11 Iowa State tips off against No. 6 Michigan on ESPN2.

Saturday's slate will complete the 2024/25 NCAA tournament's first round, with No. 6 Iowa beginning their Madness run against No. 11 Murray State at 12 PM ET on ESPN.

No. 10 Harvard will start dancing a few hours later, with the Crimson facing No. 7 Michigan State at 4:30 PM ET on ESPNews.

All games in the 2025 March Madness tournament will have live coverage across ESPN networks.

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