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New coach Seb Hines wants to bring pride back to Orlando club

Seb Hines took over as the Pride’s interim coach for 15 games in 2022. (Courtesy of the Orlando Pride)

The Orlando Pride have promoted interim manager Seb Hines to a permanent head coaching role, signing him to a multi-year contract to lead the club into the 2023 season.

Formerly an assistant coach with the Pride, Hines took over as interim head coach for 15 games in 2022 after Amanda Cromwell was suspended and placed under investigation for allegations of workplace misconduct. At the time of his interim appointment, Hines became the first Black head coach in the NWSL, and now he makes more history as the league’s first-ever Black full-time head coach.

“After evaluating what we want the future for the Pride to be, listening to player feedback and discussing with Seb, it became very clear that he has earned the opportunity to continue leading our Club,” said Pride chairman Mark Wilf.

Orlando announced other infrastructural changes on Friday, including expanding the General Manager position to become Vice President and General Manager of Soccer Operations and committing more resources to player development, analytics, scouting and medical services. As part of the restructuring, the club parted ways with GM Ian Fleming. The changes come one month after the NWSL terminated the contracts of Cromwell and Pride assistant coach Sam Greene after an investigation substantiated claims of retaliatory behavior.

Prior to the announcement, Just Women’s Sports spoke with Hines about the appointment, charting a new team culture and his vision for a revamped Orlando Pride.

(Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.)

Let’s start with your opening thoughts on the incoming coaching announcement.

I’m just super grateful for the opportunity to lead this team in the next couple of years. I’m really, really grateful for Mark and the board and ownership to trust me in this process. I know it comes with a great responsibility, and I’m just really, really excited to get going and just really want to make the city proud. Now we can create something where the public can be excited about coming and watching the Orlando Pride.

Can you describe what your journey has been like from joining the squad as an assistant coach to taking this next step?

Yeah, so I retired [from Orlando City] at the end of 2017. And as it worked out, the Orlando Pride were training at the same facility as we were playing, so I was very close to [former Pride coach] Tom Sermanni. A lot of credit goes to Tom because he took a chance on me, coming out and watching training and being a part of training. My first year I volunteered, and then Marc Skinner came in and I asked him if I could still volunteer just to be a part of it. The third year, Mark took me on as a second assistant. From that moment, I was in it. Marc moved on, Becky Burleigh came in, and then obviously Amanda Cromwell came in last year. So, this would be my fifth year with the club.

Having seen a number of coaches go in and out, what do you think the value is to having someone who knows the club so well leading the team?

I think it’s not just me knowing the club; it’s knowing the organization, knowing the people. I’ve been here eight years now, so I’m in and around people constantly with my son playing youth soccer and my kids going to school. I get to get a feel for the city and the people. One thing I want to do is create an environment and a team that people are proud of and they know what they’re gonna get — an identity and a philosophy that everyone knows, when they see an Orlando Pride player, team, they know exactly what they’re gonna get.

So, I think like you said, I’ve been through a lot. I’ve seen multiple coaches come in and leave. And I think it’s just going in there and doing it my way and seeing if it progresses and gets better. We got a little taste of it towards the end of the season. It’ll be nice to start day one and hit the ground running straightaway.

In the second half of the 2022 season, the Pride turned into a gritty team that became difficult to play against. What further principles are you hoping to implement with the squad now that you’ll have a full preseason with them?

Like you said, we were harder to beat. I think we had to build a foundation to get results in games. Now, there’s no hiding place — we conceded too many goals and we didn’t score enough goals. So everything in the two boxes wasn’t good enough. I felt like when we did take over, we tried to control the middle. We tried to control with possession. I think we got more passes than we usually get and we weren’t as transitional. And some of our goals were beautiful, like they were really good goals.

I think what you’re gonna find next year is we’re building on what we created — have more grit, more determination, play with no fear, just go out there and give everything right from the start, and ultimately put the ball in the back of the net. Because we do create good goal-scoring opportunities, but ultimately we are going to get judged on goals and results.

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Orlando finished the season 10th in the NWSL standings but rebounded from a 2-2-5 start. (Courtesy of the Orlando Pride)

Are there any particular players you view as part of that core, whether young players or players you brought in last season?

We did a big revamp toward the end of 2021. It allowed us to have younger players come in and get minutes and get that experience under their belts, playing against some top teams, against top individuals. So for them now to have that experience to then go into next year knowing that, “This is what the league is about, this is what I need to step up to,” you can’t replace that.

Some of our younger players are getting full 90-minute games and coming off the bench and making an impact, so we had to rely on them a lot in this last year. I think it will only help us moving forward. Obviously we’ll look to add more players to our roster and become a real competitive team in 2023.

There’s been a lot of conversation in recent years about how off-the-field culture shows up on the field. Where would you say the locker-room culture was at the beginning of last year and what changed between the beginning and end of last year? And what sort of cultural principles would you like the team to have that carry over to the on-field performance?

I think one thing that we want to do right from the start within the first week is define our core values, define our culture. I think we did a little bit of it when we took over to try and define who we were, but I think that can be done in preseason. And that’s going to be a very important piece of it. As we move forward and as we look at 2023, it’s making sure that everyone’s on the right page. Everyone’s going in the right direction. And we saw bits of that last year, but I feel like that can be a real collective effort from everyone within the coaching staff to the players, and everyone’s just bought into what we’re going to try and do next year.

That was the most encouraging thing for us, because we recognized that we weren’t a team of individuals. We were a team that had to stick together to grind out results, and we did that. We worked hard together. There were periods last year in training that I pushed the players. Like, we were doing double days, we were doing afternoon sessions in the sun. And it was ruthless. It was relentless. But it brought them together, and when you go through those sort of tough times, and then you get the results on a Saturday, it only spurs them on to do more.

As you mentioned, the big rebuild started at the end of 2021 and there was even more coaching turnover in 2022. The Pride have been a project of patience, having not made the playoffs since 2017. What made you excited to take on this role full-time, and what would you say to the people who are waiting for the fruits of that labor?

I think you’re absolutely right. It has been a club that’s had a lot of change throughout the years. And I think in my position now, I feel like we can have stability. I feel like with my vision going forward, we can create something that everyone can be proud of, everyone can be excited about, the city can be excited about, ownership can be excited about what is going to be coming from this team. So everyone’s bought in, everyone’s invested in it.

One last question: Next year, is it playoffs or bust?

[Laughs] That is our goal — playoffs, for sure. We’re not a million miles away. We can really make a good run up for it. Obviously it’s not going to be easy. No one’s giving you three points on a Saturday or Sunday. So we know we’ve got to do the work, and that is our expectation. Nothing less than that is acceptable, really.

Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

Top Tennis Stars Crash Out of Wimbledon in the First Round

US tennis star Coco Gauff reacts to her 2025 Wimbledon first-round loss to Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska.
World No. 2 Coco Gauff fell to Ukraine's unseeded Dayana Yastremska in the first round of 2025 Wimbledon on Tuesday. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)

The grass court chaos of Wimbledon didn't disappoint this week, as the unpredictable surface claimed more than one surprise victim in the 2025 Grand Slam's first round.

A full 10 of the London tournament's 32 seeded players fell in the competition's first round, including four of the WTA's Top 10: World No. 2 Coco Gauff, No. 3 Jessica Pegula, No. 6 Qinwen Zheng, and No. 9 Paula Badosa.

"I should just play no tournaments, get no wins, then roll into Wimbledon, and maybe I'll have better results," US star Pegula joked after her two-set Tuesday loss to Italy's No. 116 Elisabetta Cocciaretto, referencing her recent wins.

Gauff's short Wimbledon outing also represented a new challenge for the 21-year-old standout, as the top-ranked US tennis player struggled to bounce back after winning the 2025 French Open last month.

"I feel like mentally I was a little bit overwhelmed with everything that came afterwards," Gauff told ESPN. "So I didn’t feel like I had enough time to celebrate and also get back into it."

The upsets continued as Wimbledon entered its second round on Wednesday morning, claiming several more seeded players like world No. 5 Jasmine Paolini and No. 15 Diana Shnaider, though both No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and unseeded fan favorite Naomi Osaka cruised into the Slam's third round on two-set wins.

No. 8 Madison Keys now leads the US contingent, with fellow US contender No. 12 Amanda Anisimova joining the 2025 Australian Open champion in snagging their own two-set, second-round victories on Wednesday.

How to watch the 2025 Wimbledon Championships

Second-round play at the 2025 Wimbledon women's singles tournament continues on Thursday, as seven US players — including No. 10 Emma Navarro and No. 28 Sofia Kenin — look to advance to the competition's third round.

Live continuous coverage of the London Grand Slam airs on ESPN.

USWNT Faces Rivals Canada in Final Summer Friendly

USWNT players Alyssa Thompson and Sam Meza eye the ball during a June 2025 training camp.
The USWNT will face Canada in their final summer friendly on Wednesday. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

The world No. 1 USWNT will close out their summer international break against a familiar foe on Wednesday night, facing North American rival No. 8 Canada for the first time this year.

"It's never friendly, you know? It's always like a final," US midfielder Sam Coffey told media earlier this week. "We all know each other super well."

"I'm really excited to be a part of it again for our younger, newer players," she continued. "I think it's going to be a huge learning opportunity on what representing this crest means."

The Northern neighbors are the USWNT's most frequent opponent, with the US entering the pair's 67th meeting with a 53-4-9 all-time record against Canada.

Wednesday's matchup will also mark Canada's first US clash under new head coach Casey Stoney, who joined the team in January following her abrupt June 2024 dismissal by the NWSL's San Diego Wave FC.

As for US boss Emma Hayes, she'll be looking for yet another refreshed set of starters on Wednesday after swapping out all 11 players between the team's two friendlies against Ireland last week.

"It's a testament to players and staff alike that we can rotate to different groups like we did last game, and everybody's understanding [the tactics] to varying degrees," Hayes said on Tuesday.

With months to go before the next USWNT camp in October, Wednesday's showdown serves as the last chance for bubble players to prove their worth, all while the team aims to cap the summer window with a big win over their longtime rivals.

How to watch the USWNT vs. Canada on Wednesday

The USWNT will cap their three-friendly summer break against Canada at 7:30 PM ET in Washington, DC.

Live coverage of the clash will air on TNT.

Indiana Upsets Minnesota, Wins WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Without Clark

The Indiana Fever celebrate and lift the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup trophy.
The Indiana Fever upset the Minnesota Lynx to win the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup. (David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Indiana Fever lifted their first trophy since 2012 on Tuesday night, winning the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup with a 74-59 upset victory over reigning Cup champs Minnesota — all while injured star guard Caitlin Clark watched from the sidelines.

To snag the win, Indiana leaned on balanced scoring, with forward Natasha Howard's 16-point, 12-rebound double-double leading the Fever's five double-digit shooters.

At the same time, the Fever employed a shutdown defense, limiting the Lynx to their lowest point total of the season.

Beyond the $500,000 payout, Tuesday's win gives the 8-8 Fever a momentum boost as the team continues contending with both high-profile departures and the limited availability of their floor general.

"We have a resilient group, you know?" Indiana head coach Stephanie White said after the game. "They're tough, mentally and physically, they pull for one another. I'm just really proud."

"It felt good to get a win under gut-check circumstances," echoed guard Kelsey Mitchell. "To have so much going on and still stay consistently for each other, it was beautiful. It felt really amazing."

As for the league-leading Lynx, the Commissioner's Cup loss won't impact Minnesota's regular-season WNBA standings — and they’ll hope to build on the learnings from last night's ego blow.

Minnesota also has a bit of history one their side, as the last two Commissioner's Cup runners-up went on to win the WNBA Championship in the same year.

"We have to take this game to heart and learn from the mistakes we made, the way we showed up, the way we prepared, and make sure we don't do it again," said Lynx center Alanna Smith.

How to watch the Indiana Fever, Minnesota Lynx this week

Neither 2025 Commissioner's Cup contender will have much time to reflect on Tuesday's game, as both Indiana and Minnesota will dive back into regular-season WNBA play on Thursday.

The Fever will host the Las Vegas Aces at 7 PM ET, airing on Prime, before the Washington Mystics visit the Lynx at 8 PM ET, with live coverage on WNBA League Pass.

Indiana Fever Guard Sophie Cunningham Sounds Off on WNBA Expansion

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham speaks to reporters before the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup final.
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham expressed concern about the new WNBA expansion cities. (David Dow /NBAE via Getty Images)

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham turned heads on Tuesday, criticizing the latest WNBA expansion plans in light of ongoing WNBPA CBA negotiations.

Cunningham drew ire from some fans after expressing skepticism about the WNBA awarding expansion teams to Detroit and Cleveland over other possible cities, while also suggesting that the league might be growing too quickly.

"You want to listen to your players, too. Where do they want to play?" she told reporters ahead of Indiana's Commissioner's Cup win. "I'm not so sure what the thought process is there, but at the end of the day, you want to make sure that you're not expanding our league too fast."

"It's kind of a hard decision-making situation. But man, I don't know how excited people are to be going to Detroit or [Cleveland]."

Elsewhere, Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally also voiced her expansion concerns on Tuesday, calling on the WNBA to keep player support at the forefront when adding expansion teams.

"We really have to put an emphasis on the players that are in our league right now," she told reporters. "Maybe focus on the teams that find excuses continuously to lack investment in their players before we focus on adding more to the grain of people that can't really be sustained."

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