U.S. women’s national team standouts Ashlyn Harris and Ali Krieger said FIFA’s decision to host the men’s World Cup in Qatar, a country where same-sex relationships are illegal, moved soccer “five steps backwards.”

Qatar has come under fire for human rights violations as well as the persecution of LGBTQ+ people. The host nation also has been accused of bribing FIFA to win the privilege of hosting the event.

Players on participating men’s national teams have backed off plans to wear rainbow armbands due to the threat of yellow cards, but former England women’s national team star and current BBC pundit Alex Scott wore one during a broadcast in a show of support for the LGBTQ+ community.

Harris and Krieger, speaking on their new series “The Most Important Thing,” addressed FIFA’s decision to hold the tournament in Qatar, calling it “so unfortunate.” The former USWNT teammates, who won the World Cup together in 2015 and 2019, are married with two children.

“It is one of the most important tournaments, if not the most important tournament, in all of sports, in the entire world,” Krieger said. “It’s supposed to bring people together and be inclusive, be accepting. And it’s in a country that is so behind and homophobic.”

Harris questioned the impact the tournament could have on the LGBTQ+ community, including the effect on players who count themselves as part of that community.

“Think about a young football player, players who are there, that are gay, who are so scared, who don’t feel safe,” she said. “How are we showing up for the queer community, the younger generation?”

“For Gianni to stand up in a press conference and say, ‘I understand, I was bullied as a kid. I had red hair and freckles.’ Come on. You are not marginalized,” Harris continued, addressing FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s much-maligned pre-tournament press conference. “He could barely even say the word gay.

“You’re supporting [Qatar] by allowing it to even happen, and putting [the World Cup] in countries like this that don’t accept [the LGBTQ+ community]. So we took five steps backwards and now you want me to support you in your decision-making moving forward?”

The USMNT had redesigned its logo to include the rainbow at their Al Gharrafa training facility, but the team hasn’t worn that logo during games. The team is only displaying the rainbow crest in areas that it controls, including in pre-match parties before World Cup games. And so far, no USMNT players have spoken out.

“I wonder what our men are thinking and feeling right now, because I haven’t really seen a lot of them speak out on this topic. Because I know for us and our team, we’re 100 percent together,” Krieger said. “We’re protesting. We’re speaking up. We’re using our platforms. We’re doing the absolute most against it.”

“We wouldn’t be playing in this tournament,” added Harris.

“So I wonder why it’s so difficult for our men to do the same. And to fight for issues they believe in and fight more on this grand stage. It’s the perfect time,” Krieger continued. “You have to be careful, because you don’t want to take away from the task at hand but these are people’s lives. These are your coworkers’ lives.”

Cameron Brink already has her rookie of the year pick for the upcoming WNBA season, and it’s Indiana-bound star Caitlin Clark. 

In the latest edition of Kelley on the Street, host Kelley O'Hara caught up with Brink in New York hours before the Stanford phenom went No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks at the 2024 WNBA Draft. When O’Hara asked who would win the WNBA's rookie of the year, she answered without pause.

"Caitlin Clark," she said, while a fan commented that she thought Brink would take home the award. Brink later added that the extra foul granted to WNBA players will be "good for me."

"I hope it’s me," Charisma Osborne, who was later drafted by the Phoenix Mercury, said when asked her ROY prediction. "But, I don’t know — we’ll see."

Watch more of Kelley on the Street:

Maria Sanchez issued a statement on Thursday, confirming recent reports that she has requested a trade from the Houston Dash. 

In it, she revealed that the club has been aware of the request "since late March."

"This has all taken a toll and isn’t an easy thing to talk about, but I want to confirm that I’ve requested an immediate trade," she wrote. "My expectations and reasons have been clear. I trust that my current club’s management will honor my decision in a timely manner and proceed with accepting a trade."

"I’m eager to refocus and dive back into what I love most: playing football," she concluded.

Thank you, everyone, for the outpouring of kindness and support. pic.twitter.com/gcnN7dhCJU

— Maria Sanchez (@Maria17_7) April 19, 2024

Reports of Sanchez's trade request first surfaced on ESPN last week, and were later confirmed by multiple sources. 

In December of last year, Sanchez signed a three-year contract with the Dash valued at $1.5 million including bonuses and an option year. It was the largest contract in NWSL history at the time — a figure that would be eclipsed by multiple contracts in the following months. 

Sanchez spent the offseason as a restricted free agent, meaning that Houston could match any other team's offer to retain her rights. Should the Dash trade Sanchez, her current contract terms would remain intact, limiting potential buyers to teams able to afford to take on an inking of that size.

The Dash has yet to address the trade, instead reiterating to ESPN that Sanchez is "under contract, a choice she made in free agency at the end of 2023." 

Both the NWSL trade window and transfer window close tonight, April 19th, at 12 a.m. ET. The window will stay closed through the next 11 regular season games, reopening on August 1st, 2024.

The four-time league champion Seattle Storm unveiled their new practice facility on Thursday, with Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel dubbing Interbay's Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance the team’s "new home."

"It's just such a special space," Brummel told Fox 13 Seattle. "I think when the players get here, it's gonna be overwhelming."

The sprawling 50,000-square-foot, $64 million property is just the second designated practice facility to be designed and built expressly for a WNBA team, with the Storm further noting that 85% of all design and engineering team members involved in the project's construction were women and people of color. The finished product holds two professional indoor courts, two 3x3 outdoor courts, a state-of-the-art locker room, and players' lounge, plus designated areas for strength and conditioning, kitchen, dining, and nutrition, and recovery. 

"This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance," said Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder in an official team release. "It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports."

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For their part, the team can't wait to make the faciilty their own.

"It's amazing," Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Fox 13. "Not having to drive everywhere around, knowing you have access anytime of the day to get into the gym, to workout." 

Head coach Noelle Quinn said she predicts the team is "never going to leave this building."

"Which is a good thing for me," she continued. "You talk about having an edge in performance. We want our athletes to not only perform on the court, but get whatever they need."

All of the Storm's staff and operations will now live under one roof, and the team also has plans to launch a youth basketball program operating out of the building.

The Caitlin Clark effect is quickly making its mark on the big leagues, as WNBA host teams around the country rush to upgrade their Fever games to larger arenas in order to accommodate surging ticket sales.

With Clark mere weeks away from her Indiana Fever debut, both the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have officially relocated their scheduled home games with head coach Christie Sides' squad. On Thursday, the Mystics became the latest to adjust their plans, moving their June 7th matchup from Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southwest DC to the more centrally located — and much larger — Capital One Arena "due to unprecedented demand."

The Mystics home court's capacity taps out at 4,200, while Capital One Arena — home to the Wizards, Capitals, and Georgetown Hoya's Men's Basketball — can fit nearly five times that crowd at some 20,000 spectators.

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"The move to Capital One Arena will allow for additional fans in the stands as well as premium hospitality options, including Suites and the all-new all-inclusive courtside Hennessy Lofts," the team announced via Thursday's press release.

The Aces were one of the first teams to switch venues, aiming to take on the Indiana Fever in front of as many as 20,000 fans inside T-Mobile Arena on July 2nd. That’s a sizable a boost from their home venue, which holds just 12,000.

For those still planning to face the Fever in their home arenas, ticket prices have skyrocketed. Previously scheduled construction has already forced the LA Sparks to relocate their first five games — including their May 24th clash with the Fever — to Long Beach State's Walter Pyramid. The temporary venue is quite the downsize, holding just 4,000 in comparison to Crypto.com Arena's near-19,000. As of Friday, the get-in price for that game started around $400.

Despite fans launching a Change.org petition urging relocation, the Chicago Sky say they're unable to move their June 23rd Fever meeting from Wintrust Arena's 10,000-seat facility to the 23,500-seat United Center due to a concert. Tickets for that game start around $325 as of Friday.