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Duke commit Taylor Williams’ star shines bright for Saint Francis

Taylor Williams had 22 kills, three blocks and three aces in a 3-1 win over Archbishop Mitty on Tuesday. (Fausto Ibarra)

Before Taylor Williams and her teammates at Saint Francis (Mountain View, Calif.) step onto the court, they dance, and the songs they choose run the gamut. From typical pump-up music to power ballads like High School Musical 2’s “Gotta Go My Own Way,” the Lancers let loose before every game.

It appears to be working.

The No. 11 Lancers are 34-0 after beating Archbishop Mitty 3-1 (25-20, 25-20, 16-25, 25-22) on Tuesday to win the California Interscholastic Federation NorCal title. Williams scored the match-winning point that advanced the Lancers to the state title game, finishing with 22 kills, three blocks and three aces and earning JWS Player of the Week honors along the way.

“I think we were all very nervous going into that game. We knew it was such an important game to win,” said Williams, a junior outside hitter. “We were confident. We played them so many times. I think everyone did their job. I think it’s some of the best level we’ve ever played.”

The matchup felt familiar to Saint Francis. On their home court, the team beat Archbishop Mitty for the sixth time this season. While Saint Francis might make it look easy, staying undefeated has been quite the challenge.

“A lot of people will take a look at our record and just assume it’s been a super smooth ride and that we’ve beat up on teams, but we’ve been pushed a lot this year,” Lancers coach Lake Merchen said. “It seems like every time the team across the net finds a way to get the advantage on us, they start pushing us really hard.

“We do a great job of maintaining our calm and responding really aggressively.”

Williams stepped up as a breakout star at the end of last season, filling the shoes of an injured senior, and she hasn’t relinquished the role since then. Prior to the start of the CIF Open Division tournament, Williams recorded 343 kills, 191 digs, 34 aces and 28 blocks, and while her stats are impressive, it’s her quiet leadership that emanates on the court.

“She’s learned how to support the people around her,” Merchen said. “I think she’s now the player everyone looks to in big moments, not just for big swings and big blocks, but someone who can be their rock. If Taylor looks good, if Taylor looks confident, we can be confident.”

Williams started playing volleyball when she was 8 years old. She was introduced to the game by her friend and current teammate, junior setter Hannah Maguire.

“Her mom played volleyball in college, so I think I was just best friends with her daughter. I thought it would be a fun thing to go and start playing volleyball,” Williams said. “I kind of just loved it ever since.”

In seventh grade, Williams decided to take volleyball more seriously. At the time, she was also playing basketball, so she quit and devoted nearly all her time and attention to volleyball, with the intention of someday playing at the Division I level. And it worked.

In September, Williams committed to Duke, a school known for both great athletics and academics.

For now, Williams is focused on what’s right in front of her, a state championship matchup against Cathedral Catholic, the No. 1 team in the country in the final JWS volleyball team rankings.

“We’re so ready to do it. Just for our last game of the season, we’re just super motivated,” Williams said. “We want to play our best. We want to play as a team. We want to be able to represent our school at state.

“I think we’re really excited to be there and compete against the best team in the nation.”

And on Saturday, before stepping onto the state championship stage, the Lancers will dance one last time.

Nika Anschuetz is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @nlanschuetz.

Team USA Holds Off Brazil to Win 2025 FIBA AmeriCup Championship

The USA Basketball team and coaching staff pose with a 2025 FIBA AmeriCup Champions sign after winning gold.
A young USA squad held off Brazil to claim the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup title on Sunday. (USA Basketball)

USA Basketball lifted the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup trophy on Sunday, taking down defending champions Brazil 92-84 to top the tournament's podium for the fifth time.

Pitting a roster of NCAA talent against Brazil pros like Chicago Sky center Kamilla Cardoso, Team USA battled back from a seven-point third-quarter deficit, then dominated the fourth quarter to send Brazil home with silver medals.

"What a performance by our team," said USA head coach Kara Lawson following the title win. "We knew it was going to be just a tough, physical game."

With 27 points in Sunday's championship game, guard Mikayla Blakes (Vanderbilt) set a USA AmeriCup scoring record en route to earning tournament MVP honors.

"This is my first time playing with USA Basketball, and to be able to cap it off with a win, a gold medal, and to play alongside such great players and great coaches, I couldn't ask for anything better," said Blakes.

After adding 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals in her 21 minutes off the bench on Sunday, guard Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame) joined Blakes in representing the USA on the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup All-Star roster.

Booking a spot on the tournament's All-Star second team was US guard Olivia Miles (TCU), whose 50 assists throughout the competition shattered the modern era's previous single-event record of 46.

Along with their gold medals, Sunday's win also gives the US automatic entry into the 2026 FIBA World Cup in Germany, where they'll look to snag a 12th overall and fifth consecutive world championship.

WNBA Standings Frontrunners Phoenix, Atlanta Right the Ship with Monday Wins

Atlanta Dream center Brittney Griner celebrates a turnover during a 2025 WNBA game.
Brittney Griner's Atlanta Dream bounced back with a win over the Golden State Valkyries on Monday. (Andrew J. Clark/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

Two WNBA championship contenders found their way back into the win column on Monday, when the No. 2 Phoenix Mercury and No. 4 Atlanta Dream each notched emphatic victories following disappointing weekend results.

Phoenix tasted revenge by blasting No. 11 Dallas 102-72, with guard Sami Whitcomb's game-leading 36 points and 2025 All-Star forward Alyssa Thomas's triple-double (15 points, 15 assists, 10 rebounds) sending the Wings' rookie core packing.

After last Thursday's surprise upset, Dallas's injury-shortened lineup couldn't keep pace in a rematch with the deeper, more experienced Mercury.

The No. 6 Golden State Valkyries also showed their limits on Monday, dropping their sixth road game of the season in a 90-81 loss to the Dream.

Energized by a 24-point performance from 2025 All-Star starter Allisha Gray, Atlanta capitalized on the Valks' fourth-quarter collapse, outscoring the 2025 expansion side 15-2 to book the win.

"I'm telling the refs, 'This is a hard game for us,'" Golden State head coach Natalie Nakase said afterwards. "I get it — home cooking. But to me, I thought for sure that [Valkyries players] were going up just as aggressive as their players, and we just did not get the whistle."

With All-Star Weekend fast approaching, regular-season Cinderella stories are beginning to break away from the true powerhouses, as teams keep chasing Minnesota at the top of the WNBA standings.

How to watch the Phoenix Mercury this week

While Atlanta will be resting until Friday, Phoenix is back in action on Wednesday, when the Mercury will host the league-leading Lynx at 3:30 PM ET.

Live coverage of the game will air on WNBA League Pass.

OL Lyonnes Boosts Midfield with USWNT Stars Lily Yohannes, Korbin Albert

USWNT midfielders Lily Yohannes and Korbin Albert pose in the new 2025 US jerseys.
USWNT stars Lily Yohannes and Korbin Albert will suit up for OL Lyonnes in the fall. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)

Eight-time UEFA Champions League winners OL Lyonnes will have even more US flair next season, with the French football titan announcing the signings of USWNT stars Lily Yohannes and Korbin Albert over the last week.

Joining the newly rebranded Lyon side from Dutch club Ajax on a reported €450,000 ($527,000) transfer fee, Yohannes's new contract runs through 2028.

Albert also signed a three-year deal on Friday, solidifying her transfer from Première Ligue rivals PSG — the club that the 21-year-old has played for since her early exit from Notre Dame in 2023.

Yohannes and Albert will join USWNT captain Lindsey Heaps in the OL Lyonnes midfield, with US billionaire and multi-team owner Michele Kang (Washington Spirit, London City Lionesses) overseeing the operation.

Backed by her global women's sports organization Kynisca, Kang reportedly beat WSL giants Chelsea FC to the punch in signing 18-year-old Yohannes on Monday.

OL Lyonnes has been stocking up after failing to make it past the 2024/25 Champions League semifinals, adding PSG striker Marie-Antoinette Katoto, Chelsea FC fullback Ashley Lawrence, Barcelona defender Ingrid Engen, and Vfl Wolfsburg attacker Jule Brand to a roster now led by former Washington Spirit head coach Jonatan Giráldez.

While international tournaments play out across the world this summer, the club carousel continues to spin as heavyweight teams vie for the sport's top talent.

NWSL Stars Score Big in WAFCON Openers

Zambia players, including NWSL stars Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji, pose during a training session before 2025 WAFCON.

The NWSL is already making a splash at this year's Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), with three of the league's top scorers stealing the spotlight following the 2025 tournament's July 5th kick-off.

Zambia forwards Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride) and Racheal Kundananji (Bay FC) both found the back of the net in their national team's group-stage debut against host country Morocco, helping the Copper Queens earn an opening point in the 2-2 Saturday draw.

Banda struck first, notching the tournament's first goal with one of her signature long-range strikes in the first minute of the match, before Kundananji answered Morocco's 12th-minute penalty equalizer with a Banda-assisted 27th minute goal of her own.

Notably, the NWSL is powering Zambia's entire front line, as Banda's Pride teammates, Grace Chanda and Prisca Chilufya, joined the scorers in leading the Copper Queens' Saturday attack.

Then on Sunday, Kundananji's Bay FC teammate Asisat Oshoala wrote her name on the 2025 WAFCON scoresheet, registering Nigeria's first tournament goal by heading the ball past Tunisia goalkeeper Salima Jobrani in the fourth minute of the match.

With Houston Dash defender Michelle Alozie helping hold down their back line, the Super Falcons opened their WAFCON account with a 3-0 win.

How to watch NWSL stars at 2025 WAFCON

WAFCON action revs back up when the second matches of group play kick off on Wednesday, as the 12 2025 tournament teams all chase defending champions South Africa.

Zambia will hunt their first tournament victory against Senegal at 12 PM ET on Wednesday, before Nigeria looks to maintain their winning ways against Botswana at 3 PM ET on Thursday.

All 2025 WAFCON matches will air live on beIN Sports.

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