USWNT’s Lindsey Horan sticks with Lyon after Thorns transfer
(Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Lindsey Horan’s decision to stay with Olympique Lyonnais became official Thursday, as the Portland Thorns transferred her to the French club.
The U.S. women’s national team midfielder joined Lyon on an 18-month loan in January 2022 after six seasons with Portland in the NWSL. The loan expired this month, but the teams worked out a deal to keep her in Division 1 Féminine.
Lyon paid a transfer fee of €250,000 (approximately $274,000) to keep Horan in the fold, plus a potential €50,000 (approximately $54,750) in performance bonuses, per a news release. Her contract with the Thorns ran through the 2025 NWSL season, while her new deal with Lyon will keep her with the club through the 2025-26 European season.
In 88 regular-season appearances for the Thorns, Horan contributed 25 goals and and nine assists, and she won NWSL MVP in 2018.
“Portland holds such a special place in my heart,” Horan said in a release from the Thorns. “I made many incredible memories I will never forget. On top of that, I also had the opportunity to win multiple trophies and share that success with so many amazing people.
Madison Keys Upsets Iga Świątek in Australian Open Semifinal
Keys will seek her first-ever Grand Slam title in Saturday's Australian Open championship match. (Jason Heidrich/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images)
In the biggest upset of the 2025 Australian Open so far, 19-seed Madison Keys defeated world No. 2 Iga Świątek in a back-and-forth three-set semifinal early Thursday morning.
Entering as the tournament's only athlete to win every set, five-time Grand Slam champion Świątek conceded more games to Keys than in her previous five Australian Open matches combined.
Keys's speedy serve and heavy forehand paired with a Świątek double-fault pushed the match to a tie-break decider, with the US star ultimately winning 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (10-8).
"It just became who can get that final point and who can be a little bit better than the other one," Keys said post-match. "I'm happy it was me."
Keys's victory is just the latest chapter in a 2025 Australian Open run that's seen her beat three Top 10 contenders in Świątek, No. 6 Elena Rybakina, and No. 10 Danielle Collins. Those victories earned the 29-year-old her own Top 10 spot in next Monday’s WTA rankings.
With Thursday's win, Keys booked her second-ever Grand Slam championship match, returning to the sport's top stage for the first time since the 2017 US Open.
Keys must defeat reigning champion Sabalenka to earn her first Slam title on Saturday. (Shi Tang/Getty Images)
One last challenge awaits Keys
To claim her career's first Grand Slam trophy, however, Keys will have to defeat reigning champion and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who comfortably downed Spain's No. 11 Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-2 on Thursday in pursuit of a third-straight Australian Open title.
In their five previous meetings, Keys has only beaten Sabalenka once, topping her in Berlin in 2021.
Sabalenka won their most recent bout in the 2023 US Open semifinals. However, that three-set slog was similar to Keys's gritty victory over Świątek and, if she can maintain the composure and energy she displayed on Thursday, the US star's momentum could fuel her to similarly stun Sabalenka.
Keys will play defending Australian Open winner Aryna Sabalenka in the tournament's final. (Shi Tang/Getty Images)
How to watch the 2025 Australian Open final
Saturday's Australian Open final between Keys and Sabalenka will take the court at 3:30 AM ET, with live coverage on ESPN.
Dee Lab
Jan 23, 2025
Taurasi, Griner Rumors Build as WNBA Free Agency Heats Up
2025 could be the Mercury's first season in 13 years without Brittney Griner or Diana Taurasi. (Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Phoenix Mercury could be entering a new era, with unrestricted free agent Brittney Griner and 20-year WNBA veteran Diana Taurasi both feeding the rumor mill with departure buzz.
The legends have played their entire WNBA careers for Phoenix, sharing the court for more than a decade after joining the Mercury as overall No. 1 picks out of the WNBA Draft in 2004 (Taurasi) and 2013 (Griner).
Griner is actively exploring the free agency market, taking meetings with multiple teams this week while showing off her 3x3 skills with offseason league Unrivaled.
On the other hand, Taurasi is rumored to be retiring. However, neither the WNBA's all-time scoring leader nor the Mercury have confirmed any moves.
Last season, Phoenix anticipated the three-time league champ fulfilling a threat to quietly retire and avoid a farewell. Subsequently, the team honored Taurasi with an emotional "If This Is It" curtain call at the end of the 2024 season.
The 11-time All-Star's most recent statement about retirement came shortly after exiting in the first round of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs. That's when Taurasi voiced her indecision.
"I have not taken it lightly. I think about it every day," Taurasi told The Associated Press. "I’m still in deep thought about it. I want to make the right decision, you know, and I’m just taking my time a little bit."
As for Griner and other WNBA free agents, potential teams are currently courting these top athletes, as the league’s negotiation period officially opened on Tuesday.
No deal can be signed before February 1st. Meantime, many top free agents are capitalizing on what Unrivaled co-founder Breanna Stewart calls the offseason league's "one-stop shop" recruiting ground.
"You're able to talk to other players directly," Satou Sabally said from Unrivaled's Miami campus. "You can figure out what do they have, what type of resources, how important is their team to the owners?"
Regardless of where they go, expect most free agents to ink one-year deals, as this year's CBA negotiations will likely increase 2026 salaries — making athletes hungry to level up again in next year's free agency market.
JWS Staff
Jan 23, 2025
Kelley O’Hara Debuts Just Women’s Sports Studio Show ‘Sports Are Fun!’
'Sports Are Fun!' places Kelley O'Hara at the intersection of women's sports and fun. (Just Women's Sports)
Just Women's Sports alongside Olympic gold medalist and two-time World Cup champion Kelley O'Hara are proud to announce the debut of Sports Are Fun!, a new studio show premiering February 4th.
Presented by Intuit TurboTax, Sports Are Fun! features O'Haraand co-host Greydy Diaz discussing anything and everything from the world of women's sports with help from a rotating cast of co-hosts and guests. Production runs through 2025.
Everything you love about women's sports — with a little extra fun
"This is a show that will remind fans why they fell in love with sports," O'Hara said ahead of the show's launch. "That means tapping into all the stories, big or small, that get the group chat going. You'll feel like you’re there with us, talking about your favorite games, teams, and athletes."
O'Hara retired from professional soccer in 2024 after a legendary career that included winning two World Cups, an Olympic gold medal, and two NWSL Championships. She also helped secure equal pay for the US women's national soccer team.
"The next step in the evolution of women’s sports is building out a media ecosystem that can keep fans connected around-the-clock," said Just Women's Sports founder and CEO Haley Rosen. "This show closes the gap when it comes to innovative, personality-driven coverage, and we're thrilled to be partnering with Intuit TurboTax as they make a splash in the women’s sports space."
'Sports Are Fun!' marks O'Hara's first post-retirement media venture. (Ira L. Black/Getty Images)
O'Hara takes to the screen in her post-retirement era
Sports Are Fun! is by no means O’Hara's first foray into media. But it does mark the official beginning of her second career as a full-time on-air personality and content creator.
The first episode of Sports Are Fun! will debut February 4th, 2025. Catch every episode via Just Women’s Sports' YouTube page, as well as across all audio podcast platforms.
JWS Staff
Jan 22, 2025
Angel City FC Unveils New Dedicated Training Facility
Angel City officially opened its new performance center on Tuesday. (Kiyoshi Mio/Imagn Images)
Angel City officially cut the ribbon on their new training facility on Tuesday, showing off their expanded performance center as NWSL preseason gets underway.
The nine-acre Thousand Oaks site boasts 1.5 full-sized pitches and 50,000 square feet of indoor space, making it the league's largest NWSL-specific practice ground.
Top facilities could help recruit athletes to Angel City. (Angel City Football Club)
The center also houses a 5,400-square-foot gym, multiple locker rooms, medical offices, an outdoor lounge, an onsite content studio, a children's playroom, and rehab, hydrotherapy, and nutrition areas.
Having practiced at Cal Lutheran University since the expansion franchise's 2022 debut, ACFC later relocated across campus to the former home of the NFL's LA Rams. They then transformed the site into their record-setting performance center after completing a multi-million dollar remodel.
"Today we get to celebrate an extraordinary milestone for Angel City. Our new performance center reflects our commitment to the future of ACFC to its sustained excellence, and to providing our players with the best possible environment to train, to recover, and to thrive," said ACFC controlling owner Willow Bay in a statement. "My husband Bob Iger and I know how important it is, and how essential it is to ensure that our players have everything they need to be successful both on and off the pitch. This state-of-the-art performance center, let's be clear — it sets the bar, but it really should be the norm."
Angel City's new state-of-the-art gym is part of a plan to enhance team recruitment. (Angel City Football Club)
An unmatched tool for the new NWSL recruitment era
Offering a record-setting performance center to Angel City players could have the unexpected benefit of attracting and retaining future talent for LA.
With the abolishment of NWSL college and expansion drafts and the requirement to gain player permission for all trades taking effect under the league's new CBA, clubs now face a new era of athlete recruitment.
The new Angel City performance center includes plenty of room for team meetings. (Angel City Football Club)
Rather than benefitting from the previous and arguably more passive system, NWSL franchises must now take a decidedly more active approach to roster-building by wooing potential players and impressing those currently on their squads. Adding top-tier facilities is a major way to sweeten the deal, giving Angel City a potential leg up over other clubs.
"This facility, when people have been here and seen this, I don't know how you're going to want to leave," incoming Angel City sporting director Mark Parsons told reporters at yesterday's unveiling event.
"My job has just got much, much more easy with this facility," Parsons continued. "This is unlike nowhere else. I’m excited to be a part of an organization that cares that much. But I’m also excited that my skill set just got a bit easier, because everyone’s going to want to be here."
