Taylor Kornieck knows what her opponents see when she runs on the field. The San Diego Wave forward is the tallest field player in U.S. women’s national team history, an asset she uses to her advantage in aerial challenges in the midfield and towering headers in the attack.

“I do think that it’s something that no other team has, just a huge 6-1 girl running straight down the middle, and it’s a very dangerous thing to have,” she said with a smile before San Diego’s season opener, a 3-2 win over the Chicago Red Stars last weekend.

But her obvious physical attributes sometimes make it easy to overlook other skills she brings to the game, not least of which is a voracious desire to learn and improve.

At halftime of their season opener, the Wave found themselves knotted in a 2-2 draw in front of over 30,000 home fans. Head coach Casey Stoney had drawn her midfield up into a box formation for the game, with Kornieck at the top of the box. Teams have extensive scouting reports for a player like Kornieck, especially for late in a game when set pieces can make the difference. Against Chicago, the Wave’s midfield approach began to stretch the Red Stars’ defense late in the match, helping Alex Morgan draw a penalty and score the game-winning penalty kick in the 89th minute.

“I think when Kornieck’s in the game, you’re almost stupid to not play to her strengths, because what she does is so special in our game,” Chicago Red Stars head coach Christ Petrucelli said after the opener.

But what those strengths are have been put under a microscope as the midfielder continues to make her case for the USWNT roster. An attacking midfielder for her club, Kornieck has been slotted in as a forward attacking midfielder, a defensive midfielder and, she says, sometimes even at center back when training with the U.S. The juggling act makes it harder to get a clear picture of a talented player who has yet to reach her ceiling.

Kornieck’s ascension to the USWNT began with a fresh start in 2022, just two years into her professional career. A standout at the University of Colorado, Kornieck was selected third in the 2020 draft by the Orlando Pride, highly touted not only for her physicality but her ability to progress play with the ball at her feet. The season that followed was not what Kornieck — or anyone else — expected. Weeks into preseason, the NWSL canceled their regular season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and held the first-ever Challenge Cup as a stopgap tournament.

But the Pride didn’t get a chance to participate. Players tested positive for COVID right before the tournament was set to begin, making travel to Utah impossible for the group.

Without a real rookie year, Kornieck played her first regular season with the Pride in 2021 and grew more unsure Orlando provided the trajectory she wanted for her career. She registered two goals and three assists as the Pride lost head coach Marc Skinner to the WSL’s Manchester United midseason and finished eighth out of 10 teams.

“I didn’t really have the greatest year,” she says. “I just knew deep down I could strive to be so much better than how I was playing there.

“I think I don’t even look back at Orlando anymore, because I just know that that truly wasn’t me. Now I’m starting to sprout here and really blossom in who I want to become.”

As San Diego began roster-building for the first time, Kornieck immediately saw the expansion club as a good fit for her, and worked with her agent to make a trade out West a reality. The new club presented not only a chance for her to move closer to home in Las Vegas, but also to grow into the player she knew she could be with the right guidance.

“I felt like in Orlando, I mean, even in college, I really didn’t get the opportunity to learn truly and, and learn properly from — I had great coaches, don’t get me wrong — but I just felt like in a professional career, you just need a little bit more,” she says.

The 24-year-old found that guidance under Stoney, who led the Wave to third place in the 2022 regular-season standings and the semifinals of the playoffs, marking the best finish by a first-year expansion side in NWSL history.

The process begins in training.

“She gives us the space to feel free to make mistakes, and I think that’s something that’s not really taken that seriously at other clubs,” Kornieck says. “Mistakes are what make you grow.”

Providing the space to make mistakes is an intentional approach by Stoney, who says she did a lot of listening in her first year as an NWSL coach to understand what players coming in from other clubs needed in a training environment.

“I listened about their experiences and what they had previously undergone with other coaches, and mistakes were not allowed,” Stoney says. “The consequences were huge, the way that they would get almost screamed at and disciplined if they did make mistakes.”

Stoney’s approach has given her players the freedom to make the occasional risky pass, a skill Kornieck showcases with the ability of a veteran. She plays an attacking role in the midfield for the Wave, sitting right underneath Alex Morgan, who was also a teammate in Orlando.

“I think she has more of a clearer idea of what is expected of her from Casey,” Morgan says. “Which I think really helps her a lot in inner confidence, and knowing exactly what she needs to do on and off the field.”

Kornieck credits her first season in San Diego for helping her tighten up her positioning in space, which then allows her to focus on receiving and progressing the ball. When asked about her underrated strengths, she says she trusts her own vision in tight spaces, sometimes making the pass that no one else sees.

“I think it gives me more space in my brain to focus on other things,” she says.

The ability to adjust her positioning has proven to be her greatest asset to the national team, where head coach Vlatko Andonovski has used the midfielder in many different roles primarily off the bench.

“Of course everyone sees her as one of the tallest players, if not the tallest field player, in the league, but what people didn’t maybe see until last year was just how good she is at her feet, and getting out of situations that most people wouldn’t be able to get out otherwise,” says Morgan.

As a No. 6 option at the international level, Kornieck solves problems through short passes, minimizing risk in dangerous areas and not playing the tricky ball she’s known for in the NWSL. Once again, she’s had to learn to adapt to wildly different roles based on the game she’s entering, but Kornieck approaches the challenge with the same desire to improve.

“I need to just focus on me as a player,” she says, “and knowing my characteristics as a player instead of a certain position.”

Playing for the USWNT, the No. 1 team in the world, comes with a certain amount of outside pressure. Kornieck relies on Morgan, a USWNT veteran, for guidance on how to adapt to two very different roles for club and country.

“I’m always just picking her brain on just any more information she could give me,” Kornieck says.

.@taylorkornieck heads home the corner! pic.twitter.com/45gITngDeP

— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) January 21, 2023

Defensive positioning and simple passing are her focused areas of improvement, but she’s eager to pick up the skills to become a more well-rounded player.

“If you teach me how to do that, and I get some of that in my game as well on top of playing that long ball, which I do feel really comfortable doing, I think you could create something incredible,” she says.

For the USWNT, Kornieck embraces being whatever type of player she’s asked to be, with the goal of making her first major tournament roster for the 2023 World Cup. With just one national team camp left before Andonovski names the roster, Kornieck has continued to get consistent call-ups, most recently for the April international window, and appears to be one of the young players close to achieving that goal.

For the Wave, the task at hand is simpler: generate attack, score goals and keep improving. The club isn’t happy to simply repeat their 2022 success; they want to win every trophy available to them this year and play more nuanced styles of soccer, which requires the consistent progress that Kornieck embodies.

“I’ve worked closely with Taylor now for a year, I’ve seen so much growth and improvement,” Stoney says. “And I want to continue on that streak with her, because I think her ceiling is very high, and there’s so much more growth to come.”

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

Star LSU guard Flau'jae Johnson knows exactly what she'd get head coach Kim Mulkey for Christmas.

"Blue crabs," she told Just Women's Sports in November, days before DICK'S Sporting Goods declared her Greatest Wrapper in the Game, a holiday campaign touting the college senior's own limited-edition run of wrapping paper and official holiday campaign video. "Me and her, we like to eat blue crab."

Ranked No. 5 in the AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll, LSU is never far from the Final Four conversation. But Johnson — who's increasingly brought a personal touch to her leadership role on the Tigers — has ambitions that extend far beyond finishing out her collegiate career on top.

Already an NCAA champion with eyes on next year's WNBA draft, the 22-year-old dynamic guard  has cemented her legacy as a multi-talent. She's a decorated musician and rapper, an interdisciplinary studies major with a minor in sports administration, and a menace on the court with a motor that never quits. 

"I gotta be me first," she said — and that's the secret to her success.

As LSU's leading scorer, Flau'jae Johnson is off to the races

Johnson knows that the Tigers' nonconference schedule rarely features marquee matchups. 

"We don't play nobody in our nonconference schedule," she said. "From December on out, that's when it gets really [exciting]." 

Mulkey often schedules a slow start for the team, gradually building towards peak form once LSU enters SEC play in January.

That hasn't stopped the Tigers from showing the country what they're capable of this season. They've scored more than 100 points through all eight matchups so far, setting a new NCAA record for consecutive 100+ point games. 

Johnson's progress has featured heavily in every blowout win. She leads the team in points, assists, and three-point percentage per game. But she sees her greatest growth in the intangibles.

Flau'jae Johnson steps up as LSU coach Kim Mulkey's right hand

A self-described loner, Johnson strived to connect with new teammates throughout her four years in Baton Rouge. It's an especially important task as part of an LSU team that thrives through the transfer portal. 

The Tigers won the NCAA championship in 2023 — Johnson's freshman year — led by transfer forward Angel Reese, who was then joined the following year by high-profile transfers Hailey Van Lith and Aneesah Morrow. This season, former South Carolina Gamecock MiLaysia Fulwiley has entered the mix, with Johnson quickly creating chemistry. 

"Ballers just want to ball, like hoopers just want to hoop," she said. "You find different ways to bond and gel with teammates." 

When the accomplished hip hop artist's not in the groove working on music, she's trying to extend a hand to the team's freshest faces. "It's been a new job for me as a leader on the team," she said. "It's been easy though, because we just want to hoop."

Year-in, year-out, the Tigers' success relies on picking up instructions and learning schemes quickly, with Johnson — a player very comfortable with Mulkey's system — stepping up to take on the role of team liaison. 

"You've just got to read everybody, their emotions, how they're feeling, and you've just got to be there for everybody," she explained. "But that's not hard for me, because I'm an older sister."

Holiday trips and Secret Santas: Flau'jae Johnson's familial drive

Family is everything to Johnson. Being a college basketball star can make the holiday season tough, as the season runs straight through time she'd love to spend back home in Georgia. And with conference play on the horizon, she knows she has to stay focused on the court now more than ever.

"I kind of put that out of my mind, that I won't be with my family until I go pro, because it used to be hard on me seeing my little brothers go trick-or-treating and stuff without me," she reflected, noting how excited she was to use her own DICK'S wrapping paper to shower her family with gifts this year. 

Her favorite college holiday memory also involves her family, when her entire family traveled to the team's Thanksgiving tournament in the Bahamas. 

"My momma snuck food on the plane — literally the whole Thanksgiving, she cooked it and froze it and put it under the plane," she said, beaming. "And we had a smash Thanksgiving meal in freaking the Bahamas."

This year, Johnson's already looking forward to her team's annual Secret Santa exchange, while also planning to spend her limited time off this winter on a surprise family cabin trip to Colorado The world of NIL has opened up a whole new realm of possibilities for Johnson to spread her growing wealth, and she's taken to those opportunities with easy charm.

Setting sights on No. 1, from Baton Rouge to the WNBA

Far from settling for a decorated college run and lucrative personal brand, Johnson is also locked in on making a smooth transition to the WNBA. The calendar year for rising pros is a physical gauntlet, with the draft taking place just weeks after what LSU hopes will be a deep NCAA tournament campaign.

"I'm so ready to go pro," she said. "I really want to establish myself, to show I could be the number one pick in the draft. I feel like my talent level is there, but I've got to execute." 

"The W is fascinating," she added. "It's forever growing, and it's powerful women doing these things. So I'm just excited to be in that group."

Johnson has recently been focusing on her fitness, anticipating increased physicality at the pro level — while also aiming for balance. "They're not going to be swinging me around like I'm a little rag doll," she laughed. "[But] I feel like my mind is the most important part. I want to grow, I want to get better."

Of course, other than committing to winning at all levels, Johnson doesn't know exactly what her future holds. For now, she'll continue to make music, sharpen her game, and stay true to herself. As a player with so many gifts to give, the rest will come naturally.

Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) stocked up by adding 43 former NCAA and Olympic stars to its ranks on Monday night, with Talons utility player Maya Brady — niece of retired NFL legend Tom Brady — leading the charge as the No. 1 overall pick by the incoming Oklahoma City Spark in the league's expansion draft.

Starting the inaugural 2025 AUSL campaign on injured reserve, the former UCLA standout went on to feature in six games for the championship-winning Talons, registering one double, one home run, and five RBIs on the season.

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The now-six -team league absorbed the previously independent Spark as part of an initial expansion plan, acquiring the Oklahoma City-based squad with the intention of finding permanent homes for all AUSL teams in the near future.

Also joining the AUSL next year is new franchise Cascade, which snagged Volts pitcher and former University of Oklahoma ace Sam Landry as the No. 2 overall pick on Monday.

Though the four original teams protected five players each, the Spark and Cascade raided their rosters in the expansion draft, claiming stars like infielders Sydney Romero (Talons) and Jessi Warren (Volts) as well as pitchers Alana Vawter (Blaze) and Payton Gottshall (Volts) for their debut lineups.

Immediately following the expansion draft, all six teams took part in an allocation draft, selecting athletes from either the 2025 AUSL Reserve Pool or those previously competing outside the league.

Former Oklahoma and Oklahoma State pitcher Kelly Maxwell earned the top pick in the allocation draft, with the new Cascade player joined by other recent NCAA softball legends like former Sooners Kinzie Hansen, Jayda Coleman, and Jocelyn Alo, Florida State's Kat Sandercock and Sydney Sherrill, Washington's Sis Bates, and Clemson's Valerie Cagle.

US Soccer officially launched the Kang Women's Institute on Tuesday, creating a new platform dedicated to "advancing health, performance, and development for women and girls across the sport" funded by $55 million from multi-team owner Michele Kang.

"For far too long, women and girls have trained under systems and standards built for men, and the Kang Women's Institute is an essential first step in changing that," US Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone said in a federation statement. "By grounding our work in real research and evidence, we can finally give female players the support, care, and understanding they deserve.

"This is the beginning of a much larger effort, and Michele has helped us take a huge leap forward in reshaping the future of the women's game for generations to come."

After adding a $25 million investment last April to her original $30 million pledge to US Soccer in 2024, Kang is going all in on addressing the stark lack of sports medicine and exercise science research into women athletes — and female physiology at-large.

"This Institute will put female athletes at the center of US Soccer's scientific research and build the evidence, systems, and standards that will allow women and girls to reach their full potential," promised Kang.

The Institute also outlined its early initiatives in Tuesday's press release, with injury prevention and workload management, developmental best practices, and physical and mental player well-being headlining the projects.

"This is not just about closing a research gap," said Kang. "It's about creating a future where every player has the knowledge, care, and opportunity to thrive."

The PWHL is rapidly looking to ramp up expansion, with EVP of business operations Amy Scheer saying this week that the third-year pro hockey league could welcome "two to four" new teams as soon as next year.

"If I was a betting woman, I'd say it'd be four teams. And then I think we'll hold at 12 for a bit," she told CNBC Sport, noting the league's immediate success with 2025/26 expansion sides the Vancouver Goldeneyes and the Seattle Torrent — the latter of which shattered the US women's hockey attendance record in their Friday home opener.

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Accordingly, the PWHL will continue testing possible new markets using the league's historically packed Takeover Tour, with this season's 11-city route expanding to feature seven new host venues.

"What does the support of women's sports look like there?" Scheer said, outlining the league's criteria for assessing potential markets. "If there's an NHL team, what does that look like? Or from the building, is there government support there? How does it impact travel? So there's a lot of factors."

As for the league's notably speedy expansion pace, Scheer told Front Office Sports that the PWHL has "proven that time is overrated."

"The more our numbers grow, the more value we have as a league, the more value we have against our partnerships we sell, the more merchandise we sell," Scheer explained. "Those two things — growth and profitability — are not separate."