In a 2-1 semifinal win over OL Reign on Sunday, defender Emily Sonnett put her body on the line for the Washington Spirit. Literally.

“Sonnett was part center back, part hockey goalie tonight with how many shots she was blocking,” interim head coach Kris Ward said after the game. “She’s just a warrior. I fail for words sometimes with her performances.”

OL Reign’s star forwards put the Spirit’s backline under heavy pressure from the opening whistle, with Eugénie Le Sommer finding the back of the net in the third minute to set a new NWSL playoff record for fastest goal. From there, the Spirit’s defense didn’t relent. OL Reign tallied 23 shots to the Spirit’s 13 in the game, but only three of them ended up on frame as the Washington backline blocked 12.

“I think we were caught in a vulnerable spot and they capitalized, but I don’t think there was any panic amongst the group,” Sonnett said. “We still felt very comfortable through the first half.”

Sonnett’s ability to stay calm in the heat of the moment is one of her defining characteristics. Even playing on some of the biggest international stages with the U.S. women’s national team, she always seems to find a way to lighten the mood.

“Sonnett is hilarious,” Ward said. “I love her to death because she’s really quite funny. It’s funny to see that play out during the game, and like at the most intense moment, she’ll drop a one-liner on you that you just were not prepared for at all.”

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After starting her NWSL career with the Portland Thorns, Sonnett joined the Spirit heading into the 2021 season along with USWNT teammate Kelley O’Hara, who had been with the Utah Royals (now known as the Kansas City Current).

Sonnett, 27, and O’Hara, 33, have been the anchors of Washington’s improved defense this season. In their last eight matches, including the quarterfinal and semifinal wins, the Spirit have conceded just three goals and recorded five shutouts.

“[Emily] and Kelley have been a big part of that just in terms of the organization of the team as well in this never-say-die mentality,” Ward said.

That mindset clicked in early September, after the team was forced to forfeit two matches for violating the league’s COVID-19 protocols that had resulted in four positive cases.

“That fired up Kelley O’Hara in a way that I’ve not seen before,” Ward said. “Her entire mentality from that point was like, ‘All right’ — how do I phrase this politely? ‘Forget you guys. We’re going and we’re going to win anyways.’ And she was steadfast in that and everyone jumped on board. …

“As difficult and as hectic and crazy as that moment in time was, it really, really was a galvanizing effect for us. Kelley and Sonnett were a big part of that because that was just how they reacted to that situation.”

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On Sunday, Sonnett and O’Hara led a backline with Sam Staab and Tegan McGrady. When they weren’t blocking shots from Le Sommer, Megan Rapinoe, Dzsenifer Marozsán and Rose Lavelle, they were getting involved in the attack. O’Hara, in particular, made several runs down the flank and served in crosses across the Reign’s goal line.

After OL Reign’s opening goal, Staab helped Washington answer less than 10 minutes later, placing a perfect long ball from the Spirit’s half into Reign’s box and right onto Trinity Rodman’s foot. Rodman let it take one bounce before slotting it past Reign goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi.

“Sam Staab has upped her game and has been very, very good,” Ward said.

Selected fourth overall by the Spirit in 2019, Staab became just the second NWSL rookie to play every minute of her first season. Rodman, last year’s No. 2 pick, was named Rookie of the Year by JWS and looks like a lock to win the same award from the NWSL.

Too easy, @trinity_rodman 😏#RGNvWAS | https://t.co/bONPZnEXuh | #NWSL21 pic.twitter.com/h5aj1KJYrw

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) November 14, 2021

Ward likes changing the team’s formation to give opponents different looks. That often means adding a fourth player across the back, such as Julia Roddar or Tegan McGrady.

“They’re both very sound defensively and they both have great qualities going forward,” he said. “So we’ve got a lot of really great pieces there.”

Ward feels comfortable slotting in new — and often younger — players because Sonnett and O’Hara provide a steadying presence. As the Spirit head into the final next Saturday against the Chicago Red Stars, just one win away from the franchise’s first NWSL championship, they will rely on their veterans once more.

“Credit to them,” Ward said. “They come good on their word more often than not, so here we are getting ready to head to Louisville.”

Jessa Braun is an editorial intern for Just Women’s Sports. She is also the Head of North American Content for the Women’s Sports Alliance. You can find her on Twitter @jessabraun.

For the first time in the NWSL's 12-year history, fans can now buy their own goalkeeper jerseys. And while replica goalkeeper jerseys representing all 14 NWSL teams hit the market on Wednesday, some didn't stick around for long. 

Fans across women's soccer have long vocalized their discontent over the position's lack of availability on social media, often comparing the shortcoming to the widespread availability of men’s goalkeeper jerseys. And as the NWSL has grown, so has demand — and not just from those in the stands. 

"To have goalkeeper kits available for fans in the women’s game as they have been for so long in the men’s game is not only a long-awaited move in the right direction, it’s just good business," said Washington Spirit goalie Aubrey Kingsbury in an team press release. "I can’t wait to see fans representing me, Barnie [Barnhart], and Lyza in the stands at Audi!"

just went looking at #nwsl goalkeeper kit stock out of curiosity — Alyssa Naeher's $145 kit already sold out S-XL (league announced GK jerseys on sale 3 hours ago)https://t.co/8bYA7tlwcx

— Meg Linehan (@itsmeglinehan) April 17, 2024

Business does, in fact, appear to be booming. Alyssa Naeher’s Chicago Red Stars kit sold out less than three hours after the league's announcement. Jerseys for other keepers like DiDi Haračić, Abby Smith, Michelle Betos, Katelyn Rowland, and Bella Bixby aren’t currently available via the Official NWSL Shop, though blank goalkeeper jerseys can be customized through some individual team sites. Jerseys start at $110 each.

"This should be the benchmark," said Spirit Chief Operations Officer Theresa McDonnell. "The expectation is that all players’ jerseys are available to fans. Keepers are inspiring leaders and mentors with their own unique fan base who want to represent them... I can’t wait to see them all over the city."

Decorated gymnast Simone Biles took to the popular Call Her Daddy podcast this week to open up about her experience at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, revealing she thought she was going to be "banned from America" for her performance.

After Biles botched her vault routine due to a bout of the "twisties," she withdrew from the team final as well as the all-around final in order to focus on her mental health. She later reentered the competition to win bronze in the individual balance beam final.

In her interview with podcast host Alex Cooper, Biles admitted to feeling like she let the entire country down by failing her vault attempt.

"As soon as I landed I was like 'Oh, America hates me. The world is going to hate me. I can only see what they’re saying on Twitter right now,'" she recalled thinking. "I was like, ‘Holy s---, what are they gonna say about me?'"

"I thought I was going to be banned from America," she continued. "That’s what they tell you: Don’t come back if not gold. Gold or bust. Don’t come back."

Widely regarded as the greatest gymnast of all time, Biles has hinted at a desire to join her third Olympic team in Paris, though her participation won't be confirmed until after the gymnastics trials in late June. She holds over 30 medals from the Olympic Games and World Artistic Gymnastics Championships combined, and if qualified, would be a sure favorite heading into this summer’s games.

Caitlin Clark is reportedly close to cementing a hefty endorsement deal with Nike.

The Athletic was the first to break the news Wednesday evening, commenting that the deal would be worth "eight figures" and include her own signature shoe. On Thursday afternoon, the publication tweeted that the deal would top $20 million, according to lead NBA Insider Shams Charania. Both Under Armour and Adidas are said to have also made sizable offers to the college phenom and expected future WNBA star.

The new agreement comes after Clark's previous Nike partnership ended with the conclusion of the college basketball season. She was one of five NCAA athletes to sign an NIL deal with the brand back in October, 2022. 

Considering Clark's overwhelming popularity and Nike's deep pockets, the signing's purported value doesn't exactly come as a shock. New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu’s deal with the brand is reportedly worth $24 million, while NBA rookie and No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama’s deal is rumored to weigh in at $100 million. And in 2003, LeBron James famously earned $90 million off his own Nike deal. 

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Clark’s star power continues to skyrocket, with the NCAA championship averaging 18.9 million viewers and the 2024 WNBA Draft more than doubling its previous viewership record. Following the draft, Fanatics stated that Clark's Indiana Fever jersey — which sold out within an hour — was the top seller for any draft night pick in the company’s history, with droves of unlucky fans now being forced to wait until August to get their hands on some official No. 22 gear.

In Wednesday's Indiana Fever introductory press conference, the unfailingly cool, calm, and collected Clark said that turning pro hasn’t made a huge impact on how she’s conducting her deals.

"If I’m being completely honest, I feel like it doesn’t change a ton from how I lived my life over the course of the last year," she said. "Sponsorships stay the same. The people around me, agents and whatnot, have been able to help me and guide me through the course of the last year. I don’t know if I would be in this moment if it wasn’t for a lot of them."

Former Oklahoma slugger Jocelyn Alo has signed on with Athletes Unlimited and will compete in the AU Pro Softball AUX this June.

The NCAA record holder in career home runs (122), total bases (761), and slugging percentage (.987), Alo was originally drafted by the league in 2022 but opted instead to join the newly debuted Women’s Professional Fastpitch. 

Alo currently plays for independent pro softball team Oklahoma City Spark, with team owner Tina Floyd reportedly on board with her recent AUX signing. AUX games are scheduled for June 10-25, while the Spark's season will kick off June 19th. Alo will play for both. 

Among those joining Alo on the AUX roster are former James Madison ace pitcher Odicci Alexander and former Wichita State standout middle infielder Sydney McKinney.

According to Alo, the decision to play in the Athletes Unlimited league was fueled by her desire to propel women's sports forward as well as provide more exposure to a sport that's given her "so many opportunities."

"Not only to challenge myself more, but just for the growth of the game," Alo said, explaining her reasoning to The Oklahoman. "I genuinely believe that professional softball can be a career for girls."

Joining AUX is also one more step in her plan toward representing Team USA at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

"I’m constantly thinking about how can I do these little things right in these four years to prepare me for the biggest stage of softball," she told The Oklahoman. "I definitely want to play in the Olympics, for sure."

Alo further expressed enthusiasm in the hope that the rise of other women’s sports, like women’s basketball and the NWSL, will push softball’s professional viability even higher.

"We’re seeing the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League) get their stuff going, I see the WNBA starting to get hot," she continued. "I feel like the softball community is like, 'All right, it’s our turn and it’s our turn to just demand more.'"