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Team USA’s Ariel Atkins is much more than a basketball player

(USA Basketball, courtesy of Ariel Atkins)

When Ariel Atkins learned she had made her first United States Olympic roster, she didn’t know quite how to feel. The 24-year-old Washington Mystics guard erupted in laughter and then fell into tears.

All of the early mornings she spent in the gym before the sun came up, the double workouts she did with her trainer, the baskets she shot until her arms felt like string beans, the late nights of watching film — those moments flashed before her like an old, familiar movie she’s seen at least one hundred times.

“It was just one of those, like, surreal moments, because it’s definitely something that you want and strive for,” Atkins says. “Me being on the U.S. national team is top tier. It’s always the best of the best, it’s always been the best of the best, and it’s a very hard team to make.”

Atkins called her parents and thanked them for supporting her, for being there from the beginning. She sent text messages to friends, family members and mentors. That list included her high school basketball coach, Cathy Self-Morgan. Atkins thanked Self-Morgan for pushing her to get better and for being a special person in her life. The text ended with: “We’re going to the Olympics coach!!!”

The way Atkins responded to the news is the essence of who she is. She wanted all of the important people in her life to know that they had made it, too.

“Growing up, that’s just who she’s been. She’s always had, I guess, a maturity about herself that’s just beyond her age,” says Lashonda Atkins, Ariel’s mother. “I know my mother-in-law used to look at our family photo albums and she would say, ‘She’s gonna be the glue.’ She was always pointing at her saying she’s always the strong one. It’s just who she was.”

To Atkins, it’s always been about the people in her circle and the people in her community. Basketball is secondary. It’s also the reward of those human connections. She did not travel the road that got her to her first WNBA All-Star Game and first Olympics alone.

“(I’m) just super thankful for my circle and my support system,” she says. “They really pushed me to be just a better human overall.”

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Atkins is averaging career highs in points, assists and rebounds in her fourth WNBA season. (Washington Mystics, courtesy of Ariel Atkins)

***

Atkins was in third grade when she first met Self-Morgan at a fifth-grade basketball camp.

“I told her it’s for fifth graders and she said, ‘No, I can do this,’” Self-Morgan recalled. “She proved to me that first day she could do it. Any time I challenged her after that, she could do it. She might look at me kind of with her head cocked sideways, but she’d turn around and she would get whatever job done.”

Self-Morgan coached for 42 years at Duncanville High School in Atkins’ hometown in Texas. She knew Atkins was special and had the potential to make it to the WNBA someday, even the Olympics.

When Atkins was a junior, they were losing to a team at a tournament in Houston by 15 points. Self-Morgan remembers the team laughing at them, and at halftime, she “chewed out” the players hard. It got their attention.

As soon as she turned her back to walk out of the locker room, she heard a voice hyping up the team, holding them accountable. It was Atkins. They ended up winning the game by ten.

“She always lifted up people around her first,” Self-Morgan said. “It got to the point where I would ask her to talk to teammates. When she graduated, I lost an assistant coach.”

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Atkins honed her basketball skills and love of the game at Duncanville High School. (Deena Byrd)

As a freshman at Duncanville, Atkins averaged just 3.2 points and 1.8 rebounds. But her game continued to improve year after year, thanks in part to her personal trainer and mentor, Lajeanna Howard. Howard had also played for Self-Morgan at Duncanville. She was coaching college basketball at the University of Louisiana Monroe when Self-Morgan called her to come back and work with the high school team, specifically Akins.

Howard and Atkins connected instantly. They’d get to the gym at 5 a.m. and stay there for hours, sometimes pulling double workouts. Even as a freshman, Atkins didn’t complain. She just put her head down and went to work. And it paid off.

By the time Atkins was a senior, she was averaging 17.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.8 steals and 3.9 assists as the starting guard. She led Duncanville to a 35-1 record and the Texas UIL Class 5A state title game that season, drawing the attention of many top college programs. A 2014 McDonald’s All-American, Atkins was ranked third overall and first overall at her position by ESPN.

Atkins ended up at the University of Texas. The campus was relatively close to home, but the transition from high school to college was a challenge for Atkins. Basketball was harder, the culture was different, academics were tough. At one point, Atkins even thought about transferring and reached out to the people she trusted most for guidance.

“There’s a lot of different adjustments, especially coming from Duncanville in any college program, because you’re so used to being phenomenal,” said Howard. “And you have to adjust to coaching, the setting, not having the people around you that you’re accustomed to having around.”

Self-Morgan doesn’t typically support transferring. She’s an old-school coach who believes that players should push through the hard times because they’ll be better off for it on the other side. But she knew Atkins was struggling, so she decided to look into the situation and reach out to another school.

“The culture at Texas was just different,” Self-Morgan said. “The seniors were the top dogs and the freshman needed to sit down and be quiet. And when Ariel sees things that aren’t right, she’s not going to sit down and be quiet. So that year, in my opinion, she just kept watching as a spectator and being suppressed, and not being able to be who she was and is.”

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Atkins scored 1,497 points during her career at Texas, 20th in program history. (Deena Byrd)

“I think college was the first time that I was really away from my family,” Atkins said. “I’m a huge family person. I have a really big family. I’m always with them when I’m home or with an aunt, uncle, grandma, grandpa. To not have them with me and to go through those transitions was really tough.”

Atkins eventually changed her mind about transferring and decided to stick it out the rest of her freshman year. She didn’t know it at the time, but doing so would only make her stronger. Especially because WNBA legend Tina Thompson joined the coaching staff as an assistant the following season.

From that moment on, everything shifted.

***

It wasn’t the first time Atkins and Thompson had met. When Atkins was younger, she played in an AAU tournament in Dallas. She was very shy back then and doesn’t remember speaking to Thompson, but she remembers being in awe. Now, Thompson was one of her coaches.

“Anytime somebody approaches me as a human first, I immediately am intrigued and interested in what they have to say, because a lot of times, as athletes, people really approach us as basketball players, as athletes first,” Atkins said. “And even from (Tina’s) first day coming in to (the University of Texas) and just meeting all of us and everything, she approached me as a human more so than anything. And I think that was my first, like, (real) introduction to her.”

The more Atkins grew to trust in Thompson, the more she took her advice and life lessons to heart.

“It’s easier to follow someone who has gone through it before,” she said. “They’ve walked it. So when they talk, you can believe it.”

Unlike a lot of WNBA players, Atkins didn’t really think about making it to the pros. She was always focused on getting better and making it to the next level; basketball was fun and putting in the work made it more enjoyable, but it didn’t go beyond that. It didn’t register with her that her game was evolving to the point where WNBA scouts were starting to take notice.

To her family, friends and coaches, however, Atkins was always destined for the WNBA. Self-Morgan says she knew from the first moment she met Atkins as a third grader. Howard had seen Atkins’ potential, too. And when Thompson arrived at Texas, she told Atkins she had what it took to get there.

“I think it sunk in when she was young, playing in the driveway, because she always said it. Whenever she did some move on her dad and made him look bad, she’d say, ‘Yeah, that’s the WNBA there for you,’” said Lashonda.

Her senior year at Texas, Atkins averaged 14.9 points and 5.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. At 5-foot-8, Atkins had size and strength, and she could score, defend, help out on the boards and put in maximum effort on the court. There was no more avoiding the WNBA’s interest in her. The Mystics scooped up Atkins with the seventh overall pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft.

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(Washington Mystics, courtesy of Ariel Atkins)

When she arrived in Washington, the WNBA’s East Coast fan base wasn’t familiar with the guard from the Big 12. Atkins saw it as an opportunity.

“She’s a driven type of person. Whatever she sets her mind to, she’s focused and she’s willing to work for it. She knows she has to work hard,” Lashonda said. “She endears people to her. She knew fans didn’t know her, but she wanted to work hard and show them who she is. She wanted the fans to get to know her.”

Atkins did just that, averaging 22.5 minutes, 11.3 points, 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game as a rookie. That didn’t mean the transition from college to the pros was easy. Atkins considers it her biggest basketball lesson to date. She had to figure out how to separate herself and give her team more.

“Like, how do you find your uniqueness? How do you (set) yourself apart?” Atkins said. “I think that’s been, for me, one of the toughest things to do, because I don’t need to step outside of myself. You just need to be yourself a little more.”

That team-first approach has endeared Atkins to those around her, even the most legendary players.

“Ariel’s an utmost professional. She’s one of the most selfless players that I’ve played with in a long time,” said Mystics and U.S. teammate Tina Charles. “She’s equipped with a lot of things that many players her age don’t have, that I didn’t have. So it’s really great to see her maturing into the woman that she is on and off the court.”

***

Atkins has never been afraid to use her voice. She’s been active in her community since she was in high school and her mother taught her the importance of giving back. And as her platform has gotten bigger over the years, she’s realized the opportunity she has to speak louder than ever before — particularly when it comes to social justice.

“I think it’s something the WNBA has always done, ever since I became aware of it, even going back to the Minnesota Lynx when they wore the shirts during their warm-up, and then the league fining them for that,” Atkins said. “This league just has a history of women speaking up and speaking out about not only what they believe in, but speaking up for people whose community they’re a part of.”

During the 2020 bubble season, the Mystics walked out of a scheduled game against the Atlanta Dream in solidarity and protest the day after Jacob Blake was shot by police in Kenosha, Wisc. Atkins spoke for her team, telling the Washington Post: “These moments are so much more bigger than us. … If we do this unified as a league, it looks different. … We matter.”

“I had the opportunity to speak and it wasn’t planned or anything by my team, so like, I guess I was the person for the job,” Atkins said “I really call that a God moment because… I was very angry. I didn’t really know what I wanted to say, but I know how I felt, so I was just hoping to hone everything that our team was talking about and what we were all feeling that day and before that day and even to this day, and try to portray that out into the world or whoever was listening at the moment.”

Atkins’ urge to speak up for what she believes is right does not come from a feeling of pressure or responsibility, she says, but a calling based on opportunity. When the moments arise, she feels the need to use her platform for people who need it.

“I have the resources, and if I have the resources, I’m gonna help, you know?” she said. “I think it’s more so in our nature and just who we are as people. There’s s a lot of people in our league that are very caring, that want to help, that are super understanding, and want to empower their community, our community, in the best way that we can.”

Looking back at her evolution from high schooler to Olympian, Atkins says she’s grown in her faith, in her relationship with her family, and her relationship with herself. Along the way, her support system has been everything to her.

Whenever Atkins goes back to Duncanville, she goes to lunch or dinner with Self-Morgan and some of her former high school teammates. Self-Morgan, who retired in 2020, cherishes her connection with Atkins.

“I’m always just thoroughly in awe and supportive, and just one of her biggest fans,” said Self-Morgan. “She is your complete athlete, young lady, person, human being.”

Howard still trains and works with Atkins, and they talk all the time. They watch film, break it down and zero in on areas of improvement. They’re always working on getting better, even when Atkins is overseas.

“When I first met her, she was a kid. I called her kid all the time. But the thing that I can appreciate, and I’m sure that everybody that’s been connected to her as well, is we had the opportunity to grow up and truly be a village and part of someone that is so special,” said Howard. “I just told her the other day, I saw her on the red carpet for (Team USA) and I’m like, ‘Wow — kid, you’ve finally grown up.’ It’s just special to be able to be a part of somebody’s journey and how hard work can really pay off.”

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(Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

As for Atkins’ family, they are as tight as ever.

”It feels so good,” said Lashonda. “You know, every parent wants the best for their child. Every parent believes in their child, even when their child sometimes don’t feel they believe in themselves. As parents, we always have that belief in them.”

Atkins, who turns 25 this week, has already accomplished so much. With Team USA set to begin Olympic play Tuesday against Nigeria, a gold medal in Tokyo would only add to the list.

None of it changes what Atkins’ primary focus has always been — to be her best self, connect with people and put good out into the world. The secret is that Atkins’ approach to life matters just as much on the basketball court, where there’s always something more to strive for, to put in work for, to achieve.

“We’re still waiting on her to hit a buzzer shot,” joked Lashonda.

Chances are, somewhere over in Tokyo, Atkins is in a gym right now . . . working on it.

Sophia Smith re-signs with Portland on record deal

(Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports)

Sophia Smith is now the NWSL’s highest-paid player. 

The Portland Thorns announced on Wednesday that they have signed Smith to a new contract through the 2025 season, with an option for 2026. While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, the team did reveal that Smith is now the highest-paid player in the league on an annual basis.

It’s the latest in what has been a series of record-breaking contracts in the NWSL offseason. 

Chicago Red Stars forward Mallory Swanson, Bay FC forward Racheal Kundananji, and Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda all signed multi-year deals worth between $2 million and $2.5 million in total. While Smith’s contract is shorter and not worth as much over the long-term, the annual worth is higher. 

“We are over the moon to have Soph commit again to the Thorns. She is a proven, world-class talent and one that we are excited to have contribute to the team’s continued success,” said head coach Mike Norris in a statement. “We look forward to working with her in a Thorns jersey as she continues to shine as one of the top strikers in the world.”

In just four seasons in the NWSL, Smith has led the Thorns to five trophies – including the 2022 NWSL championship – while winning league and championship MVP in 2022. In 61 appearances with Portland, she has 34 goals – including a brace to start this season against Kansas City. 

She’s also a member of the USWNT, having scored 16 goals in 44 international appearances.  Set to become a free agent at the end of this season, she told ESPN she “thought of all the options” but ultimately Portland felt like the right decision.

"There is no place like Portland," Smith said in a small roundtable interview that included ESPN. "I don't believe there's an environment like Portland to play in and it's a city that's so special to me and a city that I feel like I've grown up in almost and become who I am."

She also told ESPN that the team’s new ownership “changes everything.” The club is now led by the Bhathal family, who bought the club after Merritt Paulson was forced to sell it following his part in the NWSL’s abuse scandal. 

"Since I've been here there has been a lot of things going on with this club -- a lot of not-great things going on with this club -- and I have just been waiting for some stability and some reassurance that this club is headed in the right direction, and the Bhathal family coming in is doing exactly that, if not more,” Smith said. 

"Their vision for this club is so exciting, and you can just tell how passionate they are about making this what it should be and continuing to push the standard in women's soccer globally.”

Caitlin Clark offered $5 million to compete in Ice Cube’s league

IOWA CITY, IOWA- MARCH 25: Guard Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates as time runs out in the second half against the West Virginia Mountaineers during their second round match-up in the 2024 NCAA Division 1 Women's Basketball Championship at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on March 25, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)

Caitlin Clark has been offered $5 million to play in Ice Cube's Big3 league, he confirmed on social media Wednesday after the offer leaked.

"We intended the offer to remain private while Caitlin Clark plays for the championship," Ice Cube wrote on social media. "But I won't deny what's now already out there: BIG3 made a historic offer to Caitlin Clark. Why wouldn't we? Caitlin is a generational athlete who can achieve tremendous success in the BIG3."

While there has yet to be a women's player in the league, both Nancy Lieberman and Lisa Leslie have been part of the league as coaches and won championships.

"The skeptics laughed when we made Nancy Lieberman the first female coach of a men's pro team, and she won the championship in her first year," Ice Cube continued. "Then Lisa Leslie won it all in year two. With our offer, Caitlin Clark can make history and break down even more barriers for women athletes."

Ice Cube, whose name is O’Shea Jackson, says that the offer was made with the intention that Clark be able to compete in the WNBA “offseason.” Clark is largely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft in April. But it’s unclear how the scheduling of the two leagues would work. 

The 2024 Big3 season is set to tip off on June 15, with 10 games spanning through mid-August. The WNBA regular season, meanwhile, begins on May 14 and ends on Sept. 19.

On “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday, Jackson said that the league has yet to hear back from Clark. 

“We just need an answer, as soon as they are ready to give it to us,” he said. “It’s always 50-50 till we get a no. At the end of the day, it’s a generous offer.”

The offer – as well as the confusion on Jackson’s part about the timing of the WNBA season – caused some current WNBA players to react. 

"It's funny cause I be seeing his son at W games.. they don't talk?" wrote former No. 1 pick Rhyne Howard

"So no other women's basketball player has came to mind in the last 7 years?" wrote Lexie Brown, adding that she'd support if Ice Cube wanted to build a women's iteration of the league. She later discussed it on the Gils Arena Show, noting that his reasoning of wanting to “uplift and support WNBA players and women athletes” is a “cop out.”

Kalani Brown, meanwhile, told Clark to "take that money" and start a women's Big3.

WNBA salaries has been a talking point in recent months as more collegiate stars declare for the league. WNBA stars have often made more money playing abroad than they have in the WNBA. Clark is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft on April 15, with a rookie salary of $76,535 for lottery draft picks (Nos. 1-4) that rises to $97,582 by her fourth season. But she also has an NIL valuation of almost $3.5 million.

Diana Taurasi famously skipped the 2015 WNBA season at the request of her Russian club, who paid her more to sit out than she would have made in the W. Her contract with the club was reportedly near $1.5 million per year.

Jackson also seemed to suggest that his league could be an alternative to going abroad

“America’s women athletes should not be forced to spend their off seasons playing in often dismal and dubious foreign countries just to make ends meet,” he wrote. Although it’s unclear whether or not the rapper intends to make offers to additional WNBA players. 

While the league does hold prioritization rules in its CBA, those typically apply only to players playing in overseas leagues. It’s unclear whether or not that would prevent Clark’s participation in the Big3 league. WNBA players that don’t want to go overseas currently have the option of playing in Athletes Unlimited, which competes in the WNBA offseason.

USC’s Aaliyah Gayles Opens Up About Her Journey Back to Basketball

USC Basketball - Aaliyah Gayles

As part of our 1-v-1 video series, USC’s India Otto sat down to interview her teammate Aaliyah Gayles. Here are five things to know from our conversation with the redshirt freshman guard from Las Vegas.

#1 Aaliyah suffered from a near-death act of violence in 2022.

The incident taught her a lot about herself and the support around her. “[USC] Coach Lindsay [Gottlieb] was one of the first people to fly out there and come see me. That means a lot to me off the court.” 

#2 Her favorite USC memory is when she surprised her teammates after getting out of the hospital.

She left her walker at the door to show she was on the road to returning to the court. “That was my favorite memory because it was family. It was my first time being able to walk to you guys and see you practice.”

#3 There's a reason she wears #3.

#3 was her grandpa’s favorite number and a golden number in her life. Plus, AG3 has a nice ring to it. 

#4 She has a list of basketball GOAT’s:

Candace Parker, Magic Johnson, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, and Cason Wallace.

#5 There have been many celebrity appearances at USC’s games over the years, especially this season.

Aaliyah’s favorites include Will Ferrell, Kehlani, and Saweetie. And she hopes Lil Durk will come to watch a game soon.

Watch the full conversation on the Just Women’s Sports YouTube channel.

Gotham, USWNT forward Midge Purce out with ACL tear

(Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)

Midge Purce announced on Wednesday that she has torn her ACL. 

The Gotham FC and USWNT forward went down with the injury on Sunday during Gotham’s 1-0 win after tweaking it earlier in the game. Gotham coach Juan Carlos Amorós did not have any immediate updates following the match, with further evaluation revealing the tear. 

“It’s a reality I’m still struggling with and has left me with not too much to say,” Purce wrote in a statement on social media. “I’m heartbroken to no longer be available for my season with Gotham FC or for Olympic selection with the USWNT – know I’m rooting for you both all year long. 

“Though you may not see it, I’ll be doing everything I can to get back on the field.”

Purce is just the latest women's soccer star to tear her ACL, and joins USWNT teammate Mia Fishel in having torn her ACL in the last couple of months. Other notable players include Catarina Macario and Christen Press, with Macario only just returning to the USWNT lineup after tearing hers in 2022. 

International stars such as Alexia Putellas, Beth Mead, Vivianne Miedema and Leah Williamson have also suffered ACL tears. 

Purce’s injury caused Amorós to call out the international schedule, which has been a growing point of concern as more players fall victim to injuries and the playing schedule becomes more packed. Kansas City’s Debinha suffered a hamstring injury in the team’s opening game, while both Lynn Williams and Rose Lavelle have yet to play for Gotham due to injuries picked up during the W Gold Cup. 

“We lost Midge during the game which for me is a bittersweet flavor,” Amorós told reporters after Sunday’s game. “By the way, it’s another player that came from the Gold Cup. Last week, it was Debinha. We are paying the consequences of a tournament that shouldn’t have happened.”

“We’re talking about protecting the players, [who shouldn’t] go to play an international competition after one week of preseason,” Amorós continued. “We’ve seen the consequences now. We’ve got Rose, Lynn, last week it was Debinha in Kansas [City] and now we have Midge. From my experience, the clubs are going to keep paying for that competition."

In her statement, Purce said that “so many friends, teammates and even players I’ve only ever competed against” reached out to offer support. 

“I am so blessed,” she wrote. “Your messages have meant so much to me throughout this process, you have consoled what, for a moment, felt inconsolable. Thank you for reminding me that our football world is not only full with incredibly talent but also, incredible kindness.”

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