All Scores

How a rookie head coach led UCLA soccer to new heights

Marguerite Aozasa has guided the Bruins to the third-most wins in the NCAA this year. (Courtesy of UCLA Athletics)

UCLA head coach Margueritte Aozasa was in her office with her assistants on Nov. 8 when she saw that her player, sophomore Lilly Reale, was named the Pac-12 Defender of the Year. Half an hour later, Aozasa received the news through social media that she had won Coach of the Year.

The first rookie coach to win the honor, Aozasa has led the Bruins to a 17-2 record in the regular season and the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. And on Monday, they will compete in the College Cup final.

“It’s humbling,” she said of the award. “While I’m honored that this is an individual recognition, I really need to start a petition for it to be called ‘Staff of the Year’ because I’m just so thankful for my assistants and all our support staff. They really make my job possible.”

Aozasa is in her first year, but she’s familiar with what it takes to run a successful program. Having coached since she was 19 years old, Aozasa was an assistant at Stanford for seven years, guiding the team to two NCAA titles in 2017 and 2019 along with five Pac-12 titles from 2015-19.

She took over the Bruins program from Amanda Cromwell, who left to become head coach of the NWSL’s Orlando Pride but was placed on administrative leave less than two months into the season. A joint investigation between the NWSL and NWSL Players Association later substantiated claims of retaliatory behavior, leading to Cromwell’s termination.

Aozasa, a two-time captain and four-year starting defender for Santa Clara, wanted to turn UCLA into as much of a defensive powerhouse as an attacking engine. Her goal was to make the Bruins one of the best defensive teams in the country, and that’s exactly what they became. UCLA registered 12 shutouts in 19 games, their goals-against average of .474 tied for fourth in the nation, and Reale was named UCLA’s second-ever Pac-12 Defender of the Year.

Reale’s honor, especially, was a testament to the defensive strides UCLA made this year.

“She’s an incredible person and just very steady for us,” Aozasa said. “I think as a defender, it’s sometimes hard to gain recognition, especially on a good team.”

Off the field, the ingredients to UCLA’s recipe for success have been honesty and trust.

“I think transparency is really an expression of respect in a lot of ways,” Aozasa said. “And we try to be accessible and compassionate. I think those are really values of our staff, and so we’ve created a very strong, supportive, empowering environment for our players to play within it.”

After she was hired in the last week of 2021, Aozasa started out by meeting with every single player, sometimes for an hour. The chats were free-flowing. She wanted to know everything so she could assess how best to move forward.

“What’s your previous experience?”

“What do you want to get out of this?”

“What type of player are you?”

“What are your tendencies?”

She’d then explain her own goals, the changes she wanted to make to the team’s system and the identity she wanted the program to have.

“Everything we’ve done thus far starts with those relationships,” Aozasa said.

The trust the Bruins built during the preseason is reflected in their chemistry on the field, where they play without fear of making mistakes. A fun-loving group that laughs and dances through pressure-filled situations, the players embraced the staff from day one, which allowed Aozasa to introduce her plans quickly.

They also got closer through hard times. Just two months after Aozasa joined UCLA, she received the news that her former goalkeeper, Stanford’s Katie Meyer, had died by suicide.

“When she passed, the news was just … I hit the floor,” Aozasa said. “It just was so shocking. It was so upsetting.

“But in a weird way, her death and the conversations we had stemming from that as a team really accelerated the process of our team, building that trust between our staff and players.”

One of Aozasa’s goals has been to create an environment where mental health is a high priority. Meyer’s death not only opened conversations about mental health and challenges that student-athletes were facing, but it also brought Aozasa’s own mental well-being into sharp focus. And her players and the athletic department were there to help.

Two days after Meyer passed, one of UCLA’s older players called Aozasa.

“Margueritte,” the player said, “we talked as a team. You need to know that if you need to go there, we’re OK.”

“I was like, ‘Wow. Like, wow,’” recalled Aozasa. “I had not been there that long. I was so struck by the team’s support as I went through that loss personally.”

There were times Aozasa missed training to go to Stanford because that’s what she needed in those moments.

When UCLA kicked off its season in mid-August, the Bruins were closer than ever and ready to play for each other. In just their fourth and fifth games, they beat the top two teams in the nation, Duke followed by North Carolina and 21-time national champion coach Anson Dorrance.

Aozasa and Reale had six other Bruins join them on the Pac-12 awards list. Also named to the first team were forward Reilyn Turner — Nike’s first student-athlete signed to an NIL deal — and defender Quincy McMahon, while goalkeeper Lauren Brzykcy and midfielder Sunshine Fontes received second-team honors. Forward Ally Cook, freshman midfielder Ally Lemos and midfielder Maricarmen Reyes were named to the third team. Lemos and midfielder Sofia Cook made the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team.

UCLA kicked off the NCAA tournament with a 4-1 win against Northern Arizona, then advanced on penalties against Central Florida. They beat Northwestern, Virginia and Alabama in succession to reach the championship match at 6 p.m. ET Monday.

“Try not to let it get bigger than it is, so that it doesn’t distract from what we’re really trying to do,” Aozasa said. “Can we play how we know we can play and bring some joy in the game, even though it is kind of a pressure-filled situation?”

Last year, UCLA lost to UC Irvine in the first round after winning 16 games in the regular season. On Monday night, all eyes will be on the No. 1 Bruins to see if they can not just flip the script but clinch the NCAA title, with the 2022 Pac-12 Coach of the Year leading the way.

Jessa Braun is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering the NWSL and USWNT. Follow her on Twitter @jessabraun.

Liberty Star Breanna Stewart Questionable as New York Aims for 1st-Round Playoff Sweep

An emotional Breanna Stewart sits on the bench after the New York Liberty star was injured in Game 1 of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs.
New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart exited Sunday's Game 1 of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs with a left knee injury. (Aryanna Frank/Getty Images)

No. 5 New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart isn't letting Sunday's left knee knock take her off the 2025 WNBA Playoffs court, with the forward planning to compete in Game 2 against the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday night.

An emotional Stewart finished Game 1 on the bench, going down with a knee injury in overtime of the Liberty's 76-69 upset win over the Mercury on Sunday.

"What I felt in that moment scared me more than anything," Stewart told reporters on Wednesday morning.

A Monday MRI revealed a sprained MCL, and though the two-time WNBA MVP did not practice on Tuesday, she participated in the team's Wednesday shootaround and said her pain had diminished to a three out of 10.

"[As long as] I don't wake up from my nap and feel like s—t," said Stewart, "I'm willing to take that [chance of re-injury] because I want to be out with my team, and they told me that structurally everything looks OK."

Even when the game-day status for Stewart was still unknown, New York Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello promised that the defending champions would give their star "as much time as we can."

"We know what's at stake," Brondello told reporters on Tuesday. "We don't want to go back to Phoenix [for Game 3], but they're going to come in hungry."

Stewart echoed that sentiment on Wednesday morning, saying "We want to finish it here. Not having to go back to Phoenix is our main priority."

How to watch the Phoenix Mercury vs. New York Liberty in Game 2

No. 5 New York will look to oust No. 4 Phoenix from the 2025 WNBA Playoffs with a first-round sweep on Wednesday night, when the Liberty host the Mercury for Game 2 at 8 PM ET.

The matchup will air live on ESPN.

Track Star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Breaks US 40-Meter Semis Record

US star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone runs in the 400-meter semifinals at the 2025 World Athletics Championships.
Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone set a new US record in her 400-meter semifinal at the 2025 World Athletics Championships. (Christian Petersen/Getty Image)

Star sprinter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is reaching new heights, setting a new US record for the 400-meter race in the event's Tuesday semifinals at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

The four-time Olympic gold medalist finished the flat event in 48.29 seconds, shaving more than 0.40 seconds off the previous US record of 48.70 seconds set by track legend Sanya Richards-Ross in 2006.

Both her personal best and the fastest time in the world for that event this year, McLaughlin-Levrone's performance also makes her the seventh-fastest woman of all time in the 400-meter dash — elevating expectations that she could challenge the long-standing world record of 47.60 seconds, set by then-East German sprinter Marita Koch in 1985.

Known for her dominance in the 400-meter hurdles, the 26-year-old made the decision to focus on the flat 400-meter event ahead of this year's competition. 

"I definitely wasn't expecting that time," she said afterwards. "It just shows the fitness is there. I'm excited for the finals and grateful to have taken down a record by an amazing woman."

How to watch McLaughlin-Levrone in the 400-meter final

McLaughlin-Levrone will take aim at the 2025 World Athletics Championships' 400-meter podium — and, perhaps, another record time — during the event's final on Thursday.

The US star will race against 2024 Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino and silver medalist Salwa Eid Naser when the final begins at 9:24 AM ET.

Live coverage will air on USA Network.

Indiana Fever Push Atlanta Dream to Game 3 Decider in WNBA Playoffs Action

Indiana Fever guard Lexie Hull celebrates her team's Game 2 win in the first round of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs.
The Indiana Fever evened their first-round series in the 2025 WNBA Playoffs with Tuesday's upset win over the Atlanta Dream. (A.J. Mast/NBAE via Getty Images)

The injury-ridden No. 6 Indiana Fever put on a show in their first home postseason game since 2016 on Tuesday night, handing the No. 3 Atlanta Dream a 77-60 defeat to force a deciding Game 3 in the first round of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs.

"This group has continued to show their heart and their character, night in and night out," said Fever head coach Stephanie White post-game.

Indiana guard Kelsey Mitchell led the charge once again, scoring a game-high 19 points to extend the Fever's playoff campaign.

The win marked Indiana's first postseason victory in nine years, as the Fever hopes to exceed expectations and make a deep playoff run despite carrying a lengthy injury report.

"Our backs were definitely against the wall in this, and we know that we've just been through so much this season," Fever center Aliyah Boston told reporters after Tuesday's victory. "Coming out with this win and then giving ourselves another chance in Game 3 — emotions are high."

How to watch the Indiana Fever vs. Atlanta Dream in Game 3

The No. 6 Indiana Fever will travel back to Atlanta to battle the No. 3 Dream in the 2025 WNBA Playoffs' first-round winner-take-all Game 3 on Thursday.

The teams will tip off at 7:30 PM ET, with live coverage on ESPN2.

Seattle Upsets Las Vegas in Playoffs Game 2, Snap 17-Game WNBA Winning Streak

Seattle Storm guard Brittney Sykes high-fives guard Erica Wheeler during Game 2 of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs.
The Seattle Storm snapped the Las Vegas Aces' 17-game win streak on Tuesday, forcing a deciding Game 3 in the first round of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

The No. 7 Seattle Storm came out on top on Tuesday, claiming an 86-83 Game 2 win in the first round of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs to snap the No. 2 Las Vegas Aces' 17-game winning streak — extending the best-of-three series to a winner-take-all finale.

Fueled by a combined 50 points from Skylar Diggins and Nneka Ogwumike, Seattle rallied back from a 14-point second-half deficit to keep their playoffs run alive — capping Tuesday's comeback by outscoring Las Vegas 16-4 in the last four minutes of the matchup.

"We are not unfamiliar with tight games," Ogwumike said afterwards. "We are not unfamiliar with playing from behind."

"Nobody's found the answer to this [Las Vegas] equation for, what, 16, 17 games," noted Diggins. "For us, it was coming out and showing that we weren't scared to play against them.... I thought in the first game that we played hesitant and I was proud of the way that we responded tonight."

Diggins also acknowledged the impact of Seattle's raucous fans on the game's outcome, saying "Obviously, we had a great home crowd on our back to feed off of."

Thanks to the league's new home-away-home first-round playoff structure, the shared home-court advantage is making series sweeps less likely.

Seattle will face a tougher task on Thursday, when the Storm attempts to defeat the Aces again — this time in front of a Las Vegas home crowd.

"We know this team is tough to beat one time and we have to beat them again," said Diggins. "But we bought ourselves another 40 minutes tonight."

How to watch the Seattle Storm vs. the Las Vegas Aces in Game 3

No. 7 Seattle and No. 2 Las Vegas will square off in a winner-take-all Game 3 to determine which team advances to the 2025 WNBA semifinals on Thursday.

The clash tips off at 9:30 PM ET, with live coverage on ESPN2.

Start your morning off right with Just Women’s Sports’ free, 5x-a-week newsletter.