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Team USA’s Meghan Duggan reflects on her legendary hockey career

Meghan Duggan and Hilary Knight with gold medals / JWS
Meghan Duggan and Hilary Knight with gold medals / JWS

Meghan Duggan recently retired from her decorated career as an American ice hockey player. During her 14-year tenure on Team USA, she captained the US women’s hockey team to their first gold in 20 years at the 2018 Winter Olympics, and won two silver Olympic medals as part of the 2010 and 2014 U.S. women’s hockey team. Duggan also won seven gold medals at the world championships. 

What have you been reflecting on these past few weeks after announcing your retirement? 

I’ve just been looking back on all the wonderful experiences and opportunities I’ve had and reflecting on all sorts of aspects of my career. Mainly, it’s been so fun to have some laughs with teammates. Obviously we’ve had wonderful opportunities with each other standing on podiums, and have been through a lot of adversity together. It’s been really fun to reflect on all the road trips, the hotels, dumb things that we did just to have fun or pass the time, and card games.

What are the conversations that you’ve been having with your now former teammates since making the announcement?

I’ve been just so blown away and overwhelmed with some of the kind words that my teammates shared with me. Throughout my career,  people have been the cornerstone. The people are the center of everything — my teammates, my family, coaches, organizations, fans, young girls — and it has been amazing to hear kind words from all these people, whether it was my impact on them or different experiences that we had together. I cried multiple times (happy tears). For some of the players who have been on the national team for 10 plus years together like Hilary Knight or Kacey Bellamy — we’ve been through a lot together through the ups and downs. Having conversations about that has been great.

We have a close relationship with Hilary — she’s actually one of our athlete partners. You’re both pioneers in the sport and obviously have a close relationship, which is cool to see!

It’s hard to put into words what the two of us have been through together while we were both on the national team for so long. We talked a bit about how we’ve grown up together through the sport. It’s been special, and we’ve leaned on each other a lot. I thank her for the role she’s played in my life and career. Hilary and some of the other women on the team — these are relationships that last a lifetime. I’m really thankful.

When you look back on winning Olympic Gold in 2018, what stands out? What are some of your favorite moments from that tournament? 

When I think back to that win, the games, the team, and the ride that we went on four years leading up to the games, I just think of unity. I think of how we had to transform together as a group. We did everything as a pretty tight knit group. It wasn’t always easy: We hit bumps along the way and we faced a lot of challenges. We had to deal with adversity off the ice with our plans for boycotting the World Championships in 2017. The unity along the way was such an unsung hero for us. To cap it off by being united on the ice and celebrate together as a team, and with our families… it was just really special.

In your piece for ESPN, you highlighted your negotiations with USA Hockey in 2017 as a highlight of your career. Can you explain to those who don’t know what happened there and why it was so instrumental for both you and the team? 

I think it was crucial for our team, our sport, and girls and women in all other industries to see what women can achieve through unity and collaboration. We were seeing inequities with regards to the support of the women’s team. After a while, enough was enough. We had to come together and come up with a plan and move forward. That’s one of the things for which I’m super proud of our team. It will definitely be a legacy of the group, and it really fills me with pride.

The contract you negotiated expires next year. What are your hopes for the next round of negotiations? 

My hopes are that both sides can agree that the terms that we came to previously were awesome, and that these terms were really good for our sport and for girls and women everywhere. We only need to continue to work together to drive it forward. Certainly, we’ve come a long way and made a lot of changes, but there’s a lot more ground to be made. My hope is that we can conquer some of those changes as well.

Do you have any advice for the players involved in those negotiations?

It’s all about unity. Unity doesn’t mean you have to think the exact same way or understand everything in the exact same way. But you have to be open and honest, have conversations, and mobilize together. That’s something that was really important for our group, and the reason why we were able to accomplish what we did.

I know that you and your wife welcomed your first child, George, in February. I am sure he keeps you all busy. In addition to your duties as a mother, what are your plans for the near future and the long term? 

I think being a new mom is at the center of my life right now, and it’s incredible. I’ve learned a lot about myself while going through pregnancy and becoming a mom. It’s the greatest thing I’ve ever done. I look forward to continuing to tackle all the adventures and challenges that come with being a mother, and putting my son in a position to thrive.

I obviously want to continue to make an impact in hockey. I think the best part is taking the space and time right now to figure out what that might look like. I will always be a champion for equality across many different avenues, whether we’re speaking about race, gender, or sexual orientation.

It’s so cool that your son is going to have two former professional female athletes to look up to. On a separate note, I read that a NHL GM position may potentially be in your future. What are your thoughts on what that path would look like?

I’ve always set really big goals for myself. When I was 10 years old, I said “I’m going to go to the Olympics and captain Team USA to a gold medal.” I think setting big goals and dreams is something I like to do for myself.

Becoming a NHL GM is certainly a big goal. There has never been a female GM of an NHL team. There’s a lot of learning I have to do, but I thought, “don’t stop now at setting big goals for yourself.” It’s something that certainly I would love to do one day, but I obviously recognize getting there requires a lot of hard work.

Athletes often have a hard time retiring because of the lack of goals and structure. How are you planning to keep motivated day to day?

Transitioning from being an elite athlete into the “real world” is known to be difficult. I think the biggest thing for me is going to be taking the space right now to really think about what I want to do next. I don’t want to just jump into something because it’s there and I don’t have structure in my life.

I want to take space and time for my family as well. Being an elite athlete is the most incredible thing in the world, but you can tend to be selfish sometimes, too. There’s a lot of me I want to give to other people, especially my family.

I don’t sit idle very well, so I imagine I’ll have my hands in a handful of different things. I plan to follow my heart, my mind, have the conversations I need to have, reach out to mentors, and hopefully have a great transition.

But, I also know it’s not going to be easy — that’s the advice that I’ve been given and I try to give all the time. No one’s perfect. You have to love what you’re doing, regardless of what it is. You have to know it’s okay to face challenges. Learning in adversity is how we move forward. I’ll see what comes at me.

Will you stay involved with the PWHPA? 

The Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association is very close to my heart. For a large group of women in this country and North America who have been working on women’s professional hockey over the years, our ultimate goal and dream is to one day see girls and women be able to make a living playing professional hockey. The PWHPA is working tirelessly for this goal. I will definitely be involved in advancing women’s professional hockey in any capacity I can.

What are your long term hopes for the organization?

Simply put: a sustainable place for women to play hockey professionally and be paid a living wage sufficient to make a living. I hope women won’t have to work a hundred other jobs at the same time or live with their parents or their significant other just to be able to play a professional sport. That’s the goal, it’s as simple as that right now.

In addition, the group takes a lot of pride in using the platform to advance social issues, empower young girls who want to play hockey or other sports, and encourage physical activity.

USC’s McKenzie Forbes: From Gap Year to the NCAA Tournament

As part of our 1-v-1 video series, USC’s India Otto sat down to interview her teammate McKenzie Forbes. 

Here are five things to know from our conversation with the graduate transfer from Folsom, California.

#1 Inspired by USC’s Head Coach, Lindsay Gottlieb, McKenzie wants to be a basketball coach or work in the front office in the future.

When weighing in on what makes a good coach, McKenzie said x’s and o’s are important but “Coaching is a lot of relationship managing and people managing. I think you have to be a good people person and be able to build those relationships, but also in that same breath, you can’t be afraid to have people dislike you in moments. I think that’s a big part of leadership.”

#2 McKenzie says the trajectory of her career changed when she made the decision to transfer from Cal to Harvard.

 In order to transfer, she was forced to take a gap year and spend a lot of time in the gym. “I completely transformed my body and, going into the Harvard season, felt like I was a completely different player. Going to Harvard and playing in a more mid-major conference, I had the ball in my hands a lot more than I might have if I transferred to another Power 5. It really developed other parts of my game.”

#3 How does McKenzie think USC will do in the Women’s College Basketball Tournament?

“I’m not going to give a typical interview answer. I want a Final Four. We have that potential and capability. Like why not? Why not us? I think we have all the pieces.”

#4 Her older brother, Marcus, was her biggest mentor growing up.

“He was basically my trainer from Elementary school on until he went to college.”

#5 Fun facts about Forbes:

She can juggle and she was the quarterback of her Pop Warner football team. “I was slow but I could throw it!”

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

Christen Press back training with Angel City FC

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 15: Christen Press #23 of Angel City FC waves to fans following a game between the Portland Thorns and Angel City FC at BMO Stadium on October 15, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)

Christen Press continues to inch her way back to a return, having returned to training with her club team Angel City. 

Angel City FC coach Becki Tweed said on Wednesday that Press is back with the team full-time as she continues to make her way back from an ACL injury. While she’s still working on rehab, her being back with the team gives staff a better picture of her progress. 

"Christen [Press] is back with us full time which is amazing,” she said. “Having her in and around the team every day, continuing to work hard on rehab ... she's in a space where being in with the team is really important to her and her progression as well.”

The status update comes days after Press posted videos to social media that featured her doing lateral movement in cleats on grass. 

“Look out world she’s on the move !” Press captioned it. 

Press has been sidelined with an ACL injury since 2022, which caused her to miss the 2023 World Cup. She’s since had four separate surgeries to help repair her ACL.

Press told The Athletic a month ago that she’s been “relentless” in her optimism with her recovery despite it being a “slow process.”

“I have a bit of relentless optimism,” she told The Athletic. “I never, ever doubted that I would make it back on any of the timelines I’ve been on."

"Every single time I’ve heard, ‘You have to have surgery,’ I’m completely shocked,” she said. “When somebody asks me how it’s going, I’m like, ‘It’s going great. And it was going great every time. So I don’t know what to tell you anymore!’”

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.

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