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Sarina Wiegman has ‘no plans to leave’ England for USWNT

Sarina Wiegman has led England to its first Women’s World Cup final. (Naomi Baker/The FA via Getty Images)

Sarina Wiegman is just fine where she is.

The U.S. women’s national team is on the hunt for its next head coach after the resignation of Vlatko Andonovski, and Wiegman has been floated as a top contender. As the manager of England, she has led the Lionesses to their first World Cup final, one year after leading them to their first Euros title.

Wiegman, though, is committed to seeing out her contract with England, she said Friday. That contract runs through 2025.

The 53-year-old Netherlands native is set to feature in her second-straight World Cup final Sunday. She led her home country to the championship match in 2019.

“I have a contract until 2025,” Wiegman told reporters. “I’m really enjoying my job, and I have the impression that people still like me doing that job. I have no plans to leave.”

When asked about the reports of the USWNT’s interest in her, Wiegman said she’s “staying out of that.”

“I’ve heard it,” she said. “I’m with England, I’m really happy with England, and I have a contract until 2025.”

The English Football Association also has said it would “100%” reject any requests by opposing countries to approach Wiegman.

“We’ve seen lots of rumors, and look, she is a special talent,” FA CEO Mark Bullingham said. “We know that. From our side, she’s obviously contracted through until 2025. We think she’s doing a great job.

“We’re obviously huge supporters of her, and I think hopefully she feels the same way. So from our side, she’s someone we’d like to have with us for a very long time. It is not about money. We are very, very happy with her, and we feel she is happy.”

Caitlin Clark Wins 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year 

Caitlin Clark smiles during a game.
Clark won the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year award by a near-unanimous vote. (Jeff Bottari/NBAE via Getty Images)

The WNBA announced Thursday that Indiana guard Caitlin Clark is the 2024 Rookie of the Year, giving the Fever back-to-back ROTYs after Aliyah Boston's 2023 win.

Nearly mirroring Boston's unanimous election, Clark garnered 66 of the 67 votes. Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, whose season was cut short due to a wrist injury, received the remaining first-place vote.

"I am incredibly honored to be named Rookie of the Year, but more than that, I am grateful to everyone that supported me throughout this past season – my family and friends, my teammates, the Fever organization and everyone that cheered us on all season," Clark said in the Fever's statement. "I am so proud of what we accomplished and so excited for what the future holds."

Caitlin Clark shoots a deep three-pointer during a game.
Known for her deep three-pointers, Clark made WNBA history this season. (Chet White/Getty Images)

Clark's rookie season is one for the record books

This year has been all gas, no brakes for the 2024 WNBA Draft's overall No. 1 pick. During the regular season, Clark led all rookies in scoring at 19.2 points per game and topped the league with 8.4 assists per game and with 122 total three-pointers.

In July, the 2024 All-Star became the first rookie in WNBA history to ever put up a triple-double. Not satisfied with that, Clark recorded a second one in early September.

She ultimately inked her name into the league's history books with multiple records, including single-season and single-game assists, and single-season rookie scoring.

In the Fever's first .500 season in eight years, Clark helped Indiana to a 20-20 record after a sputtering 1-8 season start. As a result, the Fever made their first postseason run since 2016.

The franchise also smashed viewership and attendance records thanks in large part to Clark's popularity. Indiana home games ultimately drew over 90,000 more fans than the league's previous home attendance season record, set at 250,565 by the Liberty in 2001.

First-year stars join Clark on WNBA All-Rookie Team

The 2024 All-Rookie Team also dropped on Thursday, with Clark, Reese, Kamilla Cardoso, Rickea Jackson, and Leonie Fiebich all getting the nod.

Reese, Clark's biggest ROTY competition before her season-ending injury, claimed records of her own in her abbreviated first campaign. The 2024 All-Star now holds the league's record for consecutive double-doubles, the single-season rebound mark, and boasts the WNBA's highest rebound average in history.

Reese's Chicago teammate, center Cardoso, also put up stunning rookie season numbers, ultimately leading all first-year players with an impressive 52.1% field goal percentage. Meanwhile, forward Jackson made an immediate impact on the Sparks's stat sheet as the team's second leading scorer.

The Liberty's Fiebich is a WNBA rookie, but the 24-year-old German's overseas career already earned her MVP honors in Spain's pro league. Her All-Rookie Team honor is based on Fiebich's regular-season play, but she's still making key contributions in New York's ongoing WNBA postseason run.

Aces Stare Down WNBA Semifinals Sweep in Game 3 Clash With the Liberty

The Las Vegas Aces look on during their 2024 WNBA semifinals Game 2
The Aces are the first defending WNBA champions to fall to 0-2 in a best-of-five series. (David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)

Back-to-back defending champs Las Vegas will attempt to stave off a sweep in tonight's 2024 WNBA semifinals, as twin losses in New York have the Aces scrambling for a vital Game 3 win at home.

The No. 4-seed Aces, who've failed to register a win against top-seeded New York in 2024, will face a Liberty team who are 16-4 on the road this season. Las Vegas, on the other hand, have lost seven games at home and six away.

Aces center A'ja Wilson dribbles against the Liberty's Breanna Stewart in the 2024 WNBA semifinals.
Breanna Stewart's Liberty and A'ja Wilson's Aces will square off for Game 3 of the WNBA semifinals tonight. (David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)

Las Vegas will be further shorthanded in Game 3 after center Kiah Stokes was ruled out with a concussion late Thursday evening.

Acknowledging that her team faces "an uphill battle," Aces head coach Becky Hammon told reporters after their Game 2 loss that they "fully intend on pushing to five games."

Should the Aces bounce back to take the best-of-five series, Las Vegas will become the first team to ever reach the WNBA Finals after falling to 0-2 in the semis.

A packed Mohegan Sun Arena waits for Connecticut to tip off
Minnesota will need a road win over Connecticut to extend their WNBA semifinals run. (Chris Marion/NBAE via Getty Images)

Connecticut brings it home

Sitting at an even 1-1 split, the No. 2-seed Lynx and No. 3-seed Sun will take their highly competitive WNBA semifinal series to Connecticut tonight, where the pressure's on for Minnesota to grab a game on the road.

The Lynx must win at least one game on the Sun's home court to extend the series to five — or possibly secure a four-game victory.

The Sun are just as good at home as they are on the road this year, going 14-6 in both scenarios this season. The Lynx are also 14-6 on the road, but failed to protect home court in last Sunday's semifinals Game 1.

How to watch Game 3 of the WNBA semifinals tonight

Game 3 between the Sun and the Lynx tips off at 7:30 PM ET, with live coverage on ESPN2. The Aces and the Liberty follow at 9:30 PM ET, also airing on ESPN2.

USWNT Announces Final 2024 Friendly Against the Netherlands

The USWNT listens to the national anthem before the 2024 Olympics gold-medal match
The USWNT won gold under coach Emma Hayes at the 2024 Olympics. (Daniela Porcelli/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

On Thursday, US Soccer announced that the USWNT will cap off its 2024 campaign with a December 3rd friendly against the Netherlands in The Hague — the team's 23rd game this year.

The match comes three days after the US side's previously announced meeting with 2022 European champions and 2023 World Cup finalists England at London's iconic Wembley Stadium. 

To stay the best, the USWNT will play the best

Following their gold medal-winning run at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the USWNT reclaimed their world No. 1 ranking. In order to stay there, head coach Emma Hayes noted, the team must seek out matches against other top international foes.

"It was a fantastic summer for our team, and we’re going to take a lot of great lessons and memories from our time in France, but now we are looking forward to continuing our process,” said Hayes.

"In order for our team to keep learning and growing, and for the coaching staff to continue to evaluate players, we need to play the best teams possible. Playing matches in Europe against some of the world’s top teams will be an important part of our journey."

With England sitting at No. 2 in the world and the Dutch at No. 11, this final 2024 road trip is exactly what the US boss ordered.

Megan Rapinoe takes a penalty kick to score the USWNT's first goal against the Netherlands in the 2019 World Cup final.
The USWNT defeated the Netherlands in the 2019 World Cup final, with Megan Rapinoe scoring the game-winning penalty. (Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

The Dutch are a familiar friendly foe

In their 11 previous meetings with the Netherlands, the USWNT has only lost once: a 4-3 defeat in their first-ever matchup in 1991. In the years since, the States have had the upper hand, logging eight wins and two draws.

The duo has ramped up the drama in their matches, though, facing each other in world championships in three of their last four bouts.

The USWNT's 2019 World Cup final win is arguably the team's most meaningful Dutch defeat, though recent tilts have appeared significantly tougher. While the US walked away with the win in the pair's 2021 Olympic quarterfinal, they needed penalty kicks to do so. And in the States's admittedly disappointing 2023 World Cup run, they played the Netherlands to a 1-1- draw in the group stage.

How to watch the USWNT's European friendlies

The US will take on England on November 30th at 12:20 PM ET. Their meeting with the Netherlands will kick off at 2:45 PM ET on December 3rd.

Both friendlies will air live on TNT, or you can stream the games via Max and Peacock.

NWSL Unveils New Tiffany & Co. Shield and MVP Trophies

The new NWSL season MVP and Shield trophies shine
Tiffany & Co. designed the new NWSL regular-season MVP and Shield trophies. (NWSL)

The NWSL, in collaboration with Tiffany & Co., dropped revamped Shield and regular-season MVP trophies on Wednesday.

The bold new hardware is part of a plan to “set a new standard for recognition in women’s sports” by giving the Tiffany treatment to all NWSL end-of-season awards. This year's two additions join the redesigned Championship and Championship MVP awards that kicked off the league’s partnership with the jewelry company last year.

An NWSL Shield worthy of superheroes

Both awards are handcrafted by Tiffany & Co. The refreshed MVP award includes a silver soccer ball atop a tall base.

"The best players in the world play here at the NWSL, and it is only fitting that we work with Tiffany to honor the best of the best," said NWSL chief marketing and commercial officer Julie Haddon in the league's announcement. “It has been a long time coming to create a suite of awards that are as extraordinary as our athletes."

Inspired by ancient Greco-Roman armor, the 24K gold and sterling silver Shield features a unique, interactive design. It is equipped with a handle so it can be removed from its base and held like "a true shield." 

The silver soccer ball that's part of the new NWSL season MVP trophy
The 2024 NWSL regular-season MVP race could see Temwa Chawinga or Barbra Banda claim the new Tiffany & Co. trophy. (NWSL)

Orlando poised to handle the new hardware

As the still-undefeated league leaders, the Orlando Pride are the clear frontrunners to claim the redesigned NWSL Shield.

The second-place Washington Spirit, third-place Gotham FC, and fourth-place KC Current are technically still in the running. However, with four matchdays left, Orlando can clinch the Shield outright by either defeating the Spirit this Sunday or winning two other remaining matches.

The regular-season MVP award race is tighter. Though Golden Boot leader Temwa Chawinga (KC) and the league's next top scorer Barbra Banda (Orlando) have pulled away from the pack.

And if Banda snags the honor, both new trophies will likely be bound for Florida.

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