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Sam Staab on the departure of Rose Lavelle and NWSL fall series

Tony Quinn on field/ JWS
Tony Quinn on field/ JWS

Sam Staab plays as a defender for the Washington Spirit of the NWSL and the Western Sydney Wanderers in Australia’s W-League. 

[Editor’s note: this interview took place the day before the Washington Spirit played the Chicago Red Stars to a 1-1 draw.]

Your team is heading into its third game of the Fall Series tomorrow. I wanted to first talk about the format of these games, since this is obviously very different from the Challenge Cup. How do you feel about these more spaced-out games? 

It hasn’t been too bad. I mean, it makes it feel like a bit of a normal season having a few home games and a few away games. They split us up into regions, so we’re only playing Chicago and New Jersey, which are great teams. That’s good because it will be a challenge every single game. But other than that, it’s kind of nice just because it feels like for a month and a half we get to have a bit of a normal season.

I chatted with some other players and they were saying they didn’t realize how emotionally and physically drained they were until they came home from the Challenge Cup bubble. Was that similar for you?

Yes. Definitely leaving the Challenge Cup, I didn’t really realize it. And then when I was at home for a couple of days, I was like, Oh my gosh, this is so nice. Obviously we’re still in a pandemic, but being stuck in a hotel and an unfamiliar place and just everything that we had to go through and be aware of was emotionally and physically draining. But at the same time, I just had to be grateful and reflect on it and be like, okay, we actually got to play, and obviously we were the first league to be able to do so. And I was really grateful at the time to be able to actually play.

What is the team’s mindset given that there’s no trophy or title to play for during the Fall Series?

I think we have taken a bit of a different approach to the Fall Series. We have a lot of players injured, a lot of very influential and impactful players injured on our team right now. And we’re already kind of labeled as like the young and talented team. So I think what we’re doing is giving a lot of younger players, including myself, a ton of experience, not only just playing games, but also being in leadership roles. A bunch of us that aren’t necessarily older or veteran players have had to step into new positions and just kind of take over a bigger role on the team because we have so many big personalities and important people out. Hopefully, next year we’re in a better spot and everyone is a little bit further ahead.

Obviously a huge storyline for your team before the start of the Series was Rose Lavelle being traded and then heading abroad. Did that have any affect on your team’s chemistry?

I wouldn’t say that it had like a major effect on our team chemistry or anything. Obviously, Rose is an unbelievable player, but she had mentioned to us before everything started that this is what she was going to do. So I think we had a bit of a heads up. And everyone was really excited for her new opportunity and we just kind of had to take it for what it is. People have really stepped up into roles that she had in order to fill them. So I don’t think it necessarily had an extreme impact on our team chemistry just because our team is so close anyway, but obviously she’s an amazing player. You can’t really fill that role with anyone else besides her. But people have stepped, and I’ve had to step up, and I think we’ve done a really great job.

A lot of other players across the league have gone abroad in the past month or so. What are your general thoughts on that?

The future of the NWSL, in terms of what the league was going to do at the end of this year, was kind of up in the air and no one really knew what was happen. Everyone is in that same boat. No one knows what’s going on from one day to the next. So I think if people want to play, they’re going to go abroad because they think they can get games in and have a more normal season. It was a good move for some people because the Challenge Cup didn’t necessarily present too many opportunities for people to get playing time and show their skills. So yeah, I don’t know. We didn’t do it [loan out players] as a club just because we wanted to build on what we started and give people opportunities to play but, for the people who thought the opportunity was there for them, I think it’s a good move.

I wanted to end on asking you about any safety concerns you or your team has had given traveling for games while we are still in a pandemic. And how has the team and the league handled these concerns?

I don’t know if our team has really had too many concerns about it. I think in the kind of contract of it all, we kind of just have to make our own sort of bubble. And I think people knew that we needed to be safe with everything. So I don’t necessarily think there were too many issues with playing and traveling just because we know that like the NWSL and our club would take precautions. And ultimately were in charge of what we do with ourselves. So. It’s about putting yourself in a bad or sticky situation. You should be okay. And you don’t have to think more than just yourself because you’re impacting your entire team. So I think if there was any sort of concern, our captains and our club handled it, but I don’t know if there was anything. We get tested twice a week. You need two negative tests before you play any game.

LPGA Stars Tee Off at the 2025 Evian Championship

China's Miranda Wang plays a shot during the Pro Am before the 2025 Evian Championship.
The 2025 Evian Championship tees off in Évian-les-Bains, France, on Thursday. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

The fourth major championship of the 2025 LPGA season teed off on Thursday, as golf's best gathered to compete for the $8 million overall purse at the Evian Championship in Évian-les-Bains, France.

Along with eight other past champions, 25-year-old Japanese golfer and world No. 16 Ayaka Furue entered this week's edition looking to defend her 2024 title, finishing the opening round at four-under-par to sit in a respectable nine-way tie for seventh place.

No. 17 Céline Boutier, the 2023 champion, trailed Furue by one stroke, with the Frenchwoman heading into Friday's second round tied for 16th with six other golfers, including the US's No. 35 Megan Khang.

Currently leading the US contingent are No. 36 Andrea Lee and No. 38 Jennifer Kupcho, whose six-under opening round has them tied with three others at the top of the 2025 Evian Championship leaderboard.

Two strokes below the leaders — and clustered in that seventh-place tie with Furue — is world No. 1 Nelly Korda, making a solid start by finishing the day with four straight birdies.

Korda is hunting both a third career major title and her first win of the 2025 LPGA season this week.

"Overall, a couple parts of my game helped me and rescued me, and the other parts let me down," said Korda, following her opening round play. "That's golf. Just going to try and figure it out on the range."

Should Korda, or the other US contenders, finish the weekend atop the field, the US could see its first Evian champion since Angela Stanford in 2018.

How to watch the 2025 Evian Championship

The 2025 Evian Championship runs through Sunday, with live coverage airing on the Golf Channel.

Frontrunners Advance as 2025 Euro Kicks Off Final Group-Stage Matches

Spain attackers Alexia Putellas and Salma Paralluelo celebrate a goal at the 2025 Euro tournament.
Spain advances to the 2025 Euro quarterfinals with two wins in Group B. (Aitor Alcalde - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

The third and final round of 2025 Euro group-stage matches begins on Thursday, when some teams will battle for survival while other tournament frontrunners rest easy having already secured their spots in the knockouts.

Of the competition's 16 teams, four punched their tickets to the quarterfinals in their second matches, with four others conceding elimination.

World No. 16 Norway led the charge to the European Championship knockouts, becoming the first team to advance by topping Group A last Sunday.

No. 2 Spain followed suit with a dominant 6-2 Monday win over No. 20 Belgium to top Group B, while No. 3 Germany and No. 6 Sweden wrapped up Group C by notching their second Euro wins on Tuesday.

On the other hand, Belgium, No. 12 Denmark, No. 14 Iceland, and No. 27 Poland saw their 2025 Euro hopes end this week, as two losses plus other group results snuffed out any chance to advance.

The remaining third group-play matches will now decide the second Group A and B teams to make the quarterfinals, with host No. 23 Switzerland and surprise contender No. 26 Finland squaring off for the Group A spot on Thursday.

While No. 13 Italy can lock up a knockout berth with a win or a draw against Spain on Friday, No. 22 Portugal is not out of the Group B running just yet — though their path to advance is tough, requiring an Italy loss plus a high-scoring win over Belgium.

France celebrates Clara Mateo's opening goal during their 2025 Euro group-stage match against Wales.
France leads the "Group of Death" with six points. (Marcio Machado/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)

"Group of Death" comes down to final day of group play

The 2025 Euro's notorious "Group of Death" still has everything to play for, as all four teams in the hyper-competitive Group D could still technically advance — though some have wildly clearer paths than others.

No. 10 France sits in the lead with six points, while defending champions No. 5 England and the No. 11 Netherlands will go into Group D's third matchday on Sunday tied with three points apiece.

The Dutch have arguably the toughest task on Sunday, likely needing a goal-heavy win over Les Bleues to keep their Euro dream alive, while a draw would see France secure their quarterfinal spot.

After saving their back-to-back title campaign with a 4-0 thumping of the Netherlands on Wednesday, the Lionesses will face No. 30 Wales to close out the group stage, advancing with a defeat of their UK rivals plus either a goal differential lead over the Dutch or a Netherlands loss.

"We bounced back from the previous game and showed we were more than capable [of] showing the world what we can do," England goalscorer Lauren James told the BBC after Wednesday's win.

As for the Euro debutants, Wales saw Seattle Reign midfielder Jess Fishlock score their first major tournament goal in team history in their Wednesday loss to France, keeping spirits high despite trailing in Group D with two tournament losses.

That said, a massive Sunday win over England plus a French implosion against the Dutch could statistically, if improbably, see the Dragons sneak through.

All in all, the 2025 Euro group stage has presented mostly straightforward results in the early stages, but there's still room for a few more twists and turns before the knockouts.

How to watch the final 2025 Euro group-stage matches

Each group will take the 2025 Euro pitch for their final first-round matches on consecutive days.

All matches will kick off at 3 PM ET:

  • Thursday, Group A: No. 26 Finland vs. No. 23 Switzerland, No. 16 Norway vs. No. 14 Iceland
  • Friday, Group B: No. 22 Portugal vs. No. 20 Belgium, No. 13 Italy vs. No. 2 Spain
  • Saturday, Group C: No. 27 Poland vs. No. 12 Denmark, No. 6 Sweden vs. No. 3 Germany
  • Sunday, Group D: No. 5 England vs. No. 30 Wales, No. 11 Netherlands vs. No. 10 France

Live coverage of 2025 Euro matches will air across Fox Sports platforms.

Las Vegas, Washington Look to Break From the Pack

Las Vegas guard Dana Evans defends as Washington Mystics guard Sug Sutton drives to the basket during a 2025 WNBA game.
Las Vegas and Washington are currently tied with 9-10 records on the season. (David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images)

Locked up in a mid-table traffic jam with 9-10 season records alongside the No. 7 Indiana Fever, the No. 8 Washington Mystics and No. 9 Las Vegas Aces will aim to break their WNBA standings tie during their Thursday night clash.

With both teams currently hugging the league's playoff line, the Aces and Mystics are on very different trajectories as the 2025 WNBA season nears its halfway point.

Just two years removed from earning back-to-back championships, Las Vegas has struggled to create a foothold in the 2025 standings — a task that seems even more difficult with 2024 MVP A'ja Wilson's recent wrist injury, with her likely absence looming large over Thursday's matchup.

On the other hand, Washington appears to be surging ahead of schedule, as a pair of All-Star rookies are exceeding expectations as the Mystics continue their controlled rebuild.

In Thursday's other game, No. 1 Minnesota will look to right the ship as their West Coast road trip continues:

  • No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 11 LA Sparks, 3 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): There's no rest for the league leaders after a disappointing loss to No. 2 Phoenix on Wednesday, with the Lynx facing a grueling back-to-back tilt against the Sparks in LA.
  • No. 9 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 8 Washington Mystics, 7:30 PM ET (Prime): With playoff spots on the line, Las Vegas will want to prove their quality against a Washington team taking everything one game at a time.

Connecticut Sun Shock the Seattle Storm to Log Third Season Win

Connecticut Sun rookie guards Saniya Rivers and Aneesah Morrow bump chests in celebration of a 2025 WNBA win.
The Connecticut Sun earned their third win of the season on Wednesday. (Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

A young Connecticut Sun team upended the WNBA on Wednesday, as the league's last-place squad defeated the No. 5 Seattle Storm 93-83, earning their third win of the 2025 season.

Veteran center Tina Charles — the WNBA's all-time top rebounder and second all-time scorer — led the Connecticut charge with a 29-point, 11-rebound double-double.

Also helping snap the Sun's 10-game losing streak were starters Jacy Sheldon, Bria Hartley, and Saniya Rivers, who added double-digits points of their own to top the tough, veteran-heavy Storm.

"It was great to see a collective team effort," Charles said after the game. "It wasn't just me. Everyone involved got this win for us."

Elsewhere on Wednesday, No. 7 Indiana failed to hold off the No. 6 Golden State Valkyries, falling 80-61 to the 2025 expansion side despite the return of Fever star Caitlin Clark to the court.

After hanging the No. 14 jersey of retired WNBA champion Allie Quigley in the rafters, the No. 10 Chicago Sky logged an 87-76 win over the No. 12 Dallas Wings, buoyed by Rebecca Allen's season-high 27 points off the bench.

Also stealing Wednesday headlines were the No. 2 Mercury, who chipped away at Minnesota's lead atop the WNBA standings, shrinking it to a three-game buffer with a 79-71 Phoenix victory — only the third Lynx loss this season.

Along with a career-high 29-point performance from forward Alyssa Thomas, the Mercury win also marked DeWanna Bonner's return to play, with the veteran forward putting up seven points and six rebounds off the bench after signing with Phoenix on Tuesday.

"Today, she got thrown into the fire, [she] didn't know everything. But she did the things she could control, which is playing defense and rebounding," said Thomas about Bonner. "It's scary to think we're not even full strength yet."

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