The last time the Triad High School (Ill.) soccer team lost a game, the world was a much different place. The Knights’ 38-game unbeaten run (37 wins, one draws) stretches back to May 31, 2019.

After the pandemic scuttled the 2020 season before it began, Triad went undefeated last year en route to claiming the Illinois 2A state championship, including a regular-season win over eventual 3A state champ O’Fallon.

The Knights have outscored opponents by 50 goals so far this season, beating teams by an average of more than four goals. They have faced stiff competition, too, besting O’Fallon 1-0 earlier this month.

That stellar run has catapulted Triad to the No. 3 spot in our first spring soccer rankings.

Note that these rankings do not include teams from Georgia, Alabama and North Carolina, as those states are already in or close to their postseasons.

Thank you @TriadHighSchool and @TriadKnights for recognizing both programs tonight! It was great getting the band back together! Reunion tour starts in March 😉 #triadproud pic.twitter.com/f5Y32vAJQt

— Triad Lady Knights Soccer (@TriadGirlsSoc) December 24, 2021

1. Broomfield (Colo.), 9-0

The defending Class 5A state champions last lost May 10, 2019 and have outscored opponents 26-3 this season.

2. Naperville Central (Ill.), 9-0

With multiple future Division I players on the backline, headlined by Missouri-bound Sophia Skoubis and North Dakota commit Sarah McCracken, the Redhawks have not allowed a goal this season.

3. Triad (Ill.), 12-0

The Knights aren’t showing any signs of slowing down with a 13-0 win on Tuesday.

4. South County (Va.), 8-0-1

The Stallions bring back eight starters and 16 players overall from last year’s undefeated state championship squad.

5. Valor Christian (Colo.), 7-0

Oregon commit Ajanae Respass has scored seven goals in six games, and a matchup against No. 1 Broomfield looms on Saturday.

6. Bentonville (Ark.), 13-0-1

The Tigers have already avenged their three losses from last season, including beating the defending 6A champions, Fayetteville.

7. St. Dominic (Mo.), 11-1

The two-time defending state champions are led by senior forward Grace Bindbeutel, who was named the Gatorade Missouri Girls Soccer Player of the Year as a sophomore.

8. Legacy (Colo.), 10-1

The Lightning have to share the spotlight with cross-town rival Broomfield, which beat Legacy earlier this season, but are an impressive team in their own right.

9. Gretna (Neb.), 12-0

The defending Class A state champions have picked up right where they left off, outscoring opponents 67-3 and beating last year’s Class B state champs.

10. Colonial Forge (Va.), 8-0-1

The Eagles opened the season with a tie against last year’s Class 6A runner-up, Patriot, and then beat powerhouse Charles J. Colgan.

11. Fort Zumwalt South (Mo.), 11-0

The reigning Class 3A champions have won all their games by two goals or more.

12. Valley (Iowa), 8-0

Abbey Van Wyngarden is averaging a goal and an assist per game for a team that has won 24 of its last 25 games.

13. Blue Valley West (Kan.), 5-0

Gunning for a fifth consecutive state title, the Jaguars are off to a fast start.

14. Colgan (Va.), 10-1-1

The sole blemishes for the Sharks: a loss to Colonial Forge and a scoreless draw with South County.

15. Broken Arrow (Okla.), 9-1

The Tigers’ only loss was to Georgia powerhouse Westminster.

Free kick to celebrate my birthday! 🥳💪🏻#freshmanszn pic.twitter.com/7hNNShSmC1

— Lyla Marrs (@LylaMarrs) April 13, 2022

16. Bloomfield Hills Marian (Mich.), 4-0

The Mustangs are aiming for their fifth consecutive state title.

17. St. Thomas Aquinas (Kan.), 9-0

The reigning 5A champions have picked up right where they left off last season with a plus-30 goal difference.

18. O’Fallon (Ill.), 10-1

Last year’s 3A state champions have won two straight since losing to Triad.

19. James Island (S.C.), 12-0-2

The Trojans, defending state champions, have won 11 straight after tying two of their first three games.

20. Omaha Marian (Neb.), 11-1

It looks like it will be another banner year for Omaha Marian, which has won 14 state championships and finished runner-up six other times.

21. Muskego (Wis.), 5-0-1

The Warriors have conceded just two goals for an average of 0.33 goals allowed per game.

22. Chapin (S.C.), 17-1

Chapin has yet to be beaten in regulation, with its sole defeat coming on penalty kicks.

23. Yorktown (Va.), 7-1

Yorktown has reeled off seven consecutive wins since a 1-0 loss to South County in the opener.

24. Owasso (Okla.), 12-0

Owasso will face its toughest opponents yet as the regular season winds down, including Broken Arrow.

25. Lyons Township (Ill.), 9-0

Runners-up to O’Fallon last year, Lyons has played lockdown defense so far this season, giving up just one goal.

Phillip Suitts is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports. He has worked at a variety of outlets, including The Palm Beach Post and Southeast Missourian, and done a little bit of everything from reporting to editing to running social media accounts. He was born in Atlanta but currently lives in wintry Philadelphia. Follow Phillip on Twitter @PhillipSuitts.

Cameron Brink already has her rookie of the year pick for the upcoming WNBA season, and it’s Indiana-bound star Caitlin Clark. 

In the latest edition of Kelley on the Street, host Kelley O'Hara caught up with Brink in New York hours before the Stanford phenom went No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks at the 2024 WNBA Draft. When O’Hara asked who would win the WNBA's rookie of the year, she answered without pause.

"Caitlin Clark," she said, while a fan commented that she thought Brink would take home the award. Brink later added that the extra foul granted to WNBA players will be "good for me."

"I hope it’s me," Charisma Osborne, who was later drafted by the Phoenix Mercury, said when asked her ROY prediction. "But, I don’t know — we’ll see."

Watch more of Kelley on the Street:

Maria Sanchez issued a statement on Thursday, confirming recent reports that she has requested a trade from the Houston Dash. 

In it, she revealed that the club has been aware of the request "since late March."

"This has all taken a toll and isn’t an easy thing to talk about, but I want to confirm that I’ve requested an immediate trade," she wrote. "My expectations and reasons have been clear. I trust that my current club’s management will honor my decision in a timely manner and proceed with accepting a trade."

"I’m eager to refocus and dive back into what I love most: playing football," she concluded.

Thank you, everyone, for the outpouring of kindness and support. pic.twitter.com/gcnN7dhCJU

— Maria Sanchez (@Maria17_7) April 19, 2024

Reports of Sanchez's trade request first surfaced on ESPN last week, and were later confirmed by multiple sources. 

In December of last year, Sanchez signed a three-year contract with the Dash valued at $1.5 million including bonuses and an option year. It was the largest contract in NWSL history at the time — a figure that would be eclipsed by multiple contracts in the following months. 

Sanchez spent the offseason as a restricted free agent, meaning that Houston could match any other team's offer to retain her rights. Should the Dash trade Sanchez, her current contract terms would remain intact, limiting potential buyers to teams able to afford to take on an inking of that size.

The Dash has yet to address the trade, instead reiterating to ESPN that Sanchez is "under contract, a choice she made in free agency at the end of 2023." 

Both the NWSL trade window and transfer window close tonight, April 19th, at 12 a.m. ET. The window will stay closed through the next 11 regular season games, reopening on August 1st, 2024.

The four-time league champion Seattle Storm unveiled their new practice facility on Thursday, with Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel dubbing Interbay's Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance the team’s "new home."

"It's just such a special space," Brummel told Fox 13 Seattle. "I think when the players get here, it's gonna be overwhelming."

The sprawling 50,000-square-foot, $64 million property is just the second designated practice facility to be designed and built expressly for a WNBA team, with the Storm further noting that 85% of all design and engineering team members involved in the project's construction were women and people of color. The finished product holds two professional indoor courts, two 3x3 outdoor courts, a state-of-the-art locker room, and players' lounge, plus designated areas for strength and conditioning, kitchen, dining, and nutrition, and recovery. 

"This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance," said Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder in an official team release. "It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports."

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For their part, the team can't wait to make the faciilty their own.

"It's amazing," Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Fox 13. "Not having to drive everywhere around, knowing you have access anytime of the day to get into the gym, to workout." 

Head coach Noelle Quinn said she predicts the team is "never going to leave this building."

"Which is a good thing for me," she continued. "You talk about having an edge in performance. We want our athletes to not only perform on the court, but get whatever they need."

All of the Storm's staff and operations will now live under one roof, and the team also has plans to launch a youth basketball program operating out of the building.

The Caitlin Clark effect is quickly making its mark on the big leagues, as WNBA host teams around the country rush to upgrade their Fever games to larger arenas in order to accommodate surging ticket sales.

With Clark mere weeks away from her Indiana Fever debut, both the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have officially relocated their scheduled home games with head coach Christie Sides' squad. On Thursday, the Mystics became the latest to adjust their plans, moving their June 7th matchup from Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southwest DC to the more centrally located — and much larger — Capital One Arena "due to unprecedented demand."

The Mystics home court's capacity taps out at 4,200, while Capital One Arena — home to the Wizards, Capitals, and Georgetown Hoya's Men's Basketball — can fit nearly five times that crowd at some 20,000 spectators.

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"The move to Capital One Arena will allow for additional fans in the stands as well as premium hospitality options, including Suites and the all-new all-inclusive courtside Hennessy Lofts," the team announced via Thursday's press release.

The Aces were one of the first teams to switch venues, aiming to take on the Indiana Fever in front of as many as 20,000 fans inside T-Mobile Arena on July 2nd. That’s a sizable a boost from their home venue, which holds just 12,000.

For those still planning to face the Fever in their home arenas, ticket prices have skyrocketed. Previously scheduled construction has already forced the LA Sparks to relocate their first five games — including their May 24th clash with the Fever — to Long Beach State's Walter Pyramid. The temporary venue is quite the downsize, holding just 4,000 in comparison to Crypto.com Arena's near-19,000. As of Friday, the get-in price for that game started around $400.

Despite fans launching a Change.org petition urging relocation, the Chicago Sky say they're unable to move their June 23rd Fever meeting from Wintrust Arena's 10,000-seat facility to the 23,500-seat United Center due to a concert. Tickets for that game start around $325 as of Friday.