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Introducing the Vulcan Pickleball Line in Support of the AGSA!

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We at the American Gold Sports Alliance (AGSA) are proud to announce that we have added the Vulcan Pickleball line of equipment to our raffle and giveaway opportunities, complementing our growing  fundraising efforts in support of the AGSA 501(c)(3) nonprofit sports foundation mission. Vulcan is renowned for its top-tier quality, innovative designs, and organizational support of girls and women athletes, making it a perfect fit for AGSA.

What This Means:

  • Vulcan Paddles: Explore a diverse range of paddles that cater to various playing styles, from precision control to powerful hits.
  • Pickleballs: Durable and consistent balls, designed to meet the needs of competitive play.
  • Accessories: Everything from grips to bags, ensuring you’re fully equipped on and off the court.

Supporting AGSA: By choosing Vulcan, you’re not just enhancing your game—you’re also supporting the AGSA’s mission to promote sportsmanship, integrity, and athletic excellence across all levels of play. A portion of proceeds from every Vulcan product sold will go towards AGSA programs, helping to develop and support athletes across the nation. Also, all raffles and giveaways will be in support of AGSA.

Visit us at AGSA.org or our AGSA Raffles Page to discover the full Vulcan line and join us in supporting a great cause. Elevate your game and make a difference today!

Erin Matson has carved her place in women’s sports. Can field hockey capitalize?

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Brendan Quinn | The Athletic

PARIS — The week was almost over, the Olympics nearly wrapped, when Erin Matson walked into the lobby of a botanical-themed boutique hotel. A sort of gilded garden pulled from a Parisian dream. This place is how the other side lives, and the name fit. La Fantaisie.

Nike booked a block of rooms during the Olympic Games. Its guests were part of an annual Athlete Think Tank, a consortium to survey influential women in sports. The list included Dawn Staley, Megan Rapinoe, Sue Bird and so on. They sat for group discussions, Master Class presentations from Serena Williams and Stacey Abrams, and for product sessions, giving feedback on Nike goods coming out soon and others still years from release.

The youngest member of the group was USC basketball star Juju Watkins. The second-youngest was Matson — a 24-year-old entering her second season as head field hockey coach at the University of North Carolina.

Matson arrived in the lobby wearing an oversized designer Nike sweatsuit. The chauffeur waiting outside was scheduled to leave for the airport in 45 minutes. Jess Sims, the Peloton instructor-turned-ESPN personality, walked past, asking if she and Matson were sharing a ride to Charles de Gaulle.

This is not the typical life of an American college field hockey coach. Matson is represented by Wasserman Group, the powerful sports and entertainment agency representing Katie Ledecky, Diana Taurasi, Nelly Korda and others, and this summer proved her reach. She walked the red carpet at the ESPYs. She was a featured speaker at the espnW Summit in New York City.

At a time when spiking interest in women’s sports is dictated heavily by name recognition and star power, Matson has found a place in these reserved spaces. Once the country’s top high school field hockey player and member of the U.S. national team at age 17, she played five seasons (2018-22) at North Carolina and won all imaginable honors. She became the NCAA’s third all-time leading goal scorer, was part of four national championship teams, and was named national player of the year three times.

But this year, instead of competing in Paris, the 24-year-old face of the sport was across town hanging out with Serena Williams as the U.S. national team went 1-3-1.

The backstory is layered. Following the December 2022 retirement of legendary coach Karen Shelton, UNC named Matson, then 22, as head coach of the winningest, most well-funded college field hockey program in the country. Many celebrated the move as daring — a succession mimicking Shelton’s rise 42 years earlier. It was another era, but Shelton once went from being a three-time national player of the year at West Chester, to high school head coach in New Jersey, to taking over UNC at 23. Others weren’t so cheery about the move. Some saw Matson’s hiring as ridiculous, a borderline insult to women’s sports, and criticized the school for what they saw as a closed job search.

Matson and the Tar Heels responded by winning the school’s 11th national championship in her first season as head coach.

All of this before turning 25.

Thus, the status.

Thus, Paris.

Matson filled a journal with notes and quotes. She talked to Staley about coach-captain relationships. She listened to Abrams speak on staying true to one’s values. She felt, at times, out of place. “Why am I here?” Not because of a lack of credentials, but because of field hockey’s ultra-niche place in women’s sports. It’s an issue much older than Matson.

Over lunch with Rapinoe one day, Matson was struck by a realization — that Rapinoe, a U.S. soccer icon, became so by being transcendent on the field and outspoken off the field. She raised the profile of women’s soccer as a player, a freedom afforded on the field more than when working as the CEO on the sideline.

In Paris, that field was Yves du Manoir Stadium. The U.S. national team, a group featuring two of Matson’s current players, one former player and five players she’ll coach against this fall, were outscored by eight goals and eliminated in pool play. They failed to medal, again, extending a streak dating to 1984.

The instinct, of course, is to make it make sense, but nothing is quite so simple here, and it’s only the sport that’s suffering.

Here’s the shortest possible version of the long, convoluted tale of Matson and USA Field Hockey. When hired at North Carolina, Matson knew taking a full-time job with a six-figure salary meant stepping away from the U.S. national team. In her version of events, she wanted a few years to settle into the job, then hoped to continue her playing career, splitting time between coaching and playing. She told UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham of her plans to pursue the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. He was all for it.

Then two things happened. The Tar Heels won the national title in Matson’s first season. And the U.S. national team, one projected as a long shot to make the Paris Olympics, successfully qualified for the Games.

Reversing course on her original decision, Matson made a late effort to land a spot on the U.S. team, requesting a tryout and playing in the indoor Pan-Am Games to notch some international playing reps. While much of the already established U.S. national team had sacrificed time and energy, living and training at a facility in Charlotte, N.C., the official roster was not yet finalized. Multiple collegians who played their 2023 seasons would be invited to try out. Matson would not. USA Field Hockey issued a statement that Matson “did not qualify under the mandatory terms of the selection criteria.” Simon Hoskins, the executive director of USA Field Hockey, told The Athletic it was his decision to deny the tryout request, saying, “It’s an organizational policy, so it comes to me.”

The resulting backlash ran both ways. Matson’s supporters levied accusations of jealousy in the ranks of USA Field Hockey. Matson’s detractors criticized her for wanting special treatment and walking away from the national team in the first place. Acrimony and arguments mounted. Earlier this summer, a series of conversations with members of the 1984 bronze-medal winning team drew a variety of responses — both that USA Field Hockey wasn’t capitalizing on a new star, and that roster policies exist for a reason. Meanwhile, other current college coaches declined to go on the record to discuss the topic.

Anyone operating from a perch of perspective could see a valid case either way. Matson did choose to prioritize her coaching career over her playing career. At the same time, regardless of protocols or personal feelings, was it really in the sport’s best interest for her not to try out for the Olympics?

Field hockey, played evenly among men and women in other parts of the world, has long struggled to catch on in the United States. While other women’s sports have hit periods of momentum, field hockey has never moved into the mainstream. It’s regional. It requires specific (read: expensive) turf. It doesn’t draw droves of kids as a youth sport. So while other women’s sports have enjoyed measurable growth, like increased college scholarship totals, field hockey has stagnated. A lack of success at the national level can be seen as both a root cause and a byproduct. Since ’84, the United States has finished no better than fifth in any Games since.

Hoskins cites a lack of government funding.

“It’s just not fair,” he said. “It’s a subsidized industry that we’re competing in. It’s a real struggle for the organization.”

Money is one thing, but popularity is another, and field hockey has never waded into public consciousness because the public knows so little about it. Sports need stars; in this instance, the sport’s biggest American star wasn’t part of the game’s biggest stage in Paris. Well, she was, except she was watching track and swimming meets and posting pictures for her 70,000 Instagram followers while the U.S. team scored five total goals in five games.

Neither the results nor the optics add up.

Though the ugliness of the 2024 process is still fresh, Matson says she fully intends to pursue a spot on the 2028 Olympic team, even if that requires upwards of two years playing for the national team — “One hundred percent,” she said — but as an organization, USA Field Hockey must examine its shortcomings at the international level.

“I think there’s got to be changes (in the system),” Matson said. “I won’t sugarcoat that. I don’t know how many times we’ve got to fail for people to say that, but like, you know, come on. So I think there’s going to be. But there’s definitely no question that I would love to do that. I know I can help.”

Considering how fraught things turned through the spring, some will wonder what’s rectifiable.

“You don’t have to like me,” Matson said. “I’m not telling you to be my friend. I don’t need any more friends. I have support and I’m grateful. But why can’t we come to an understanding? Do we want to win or have the best chance to win? I don’t mean just here at the Olympics. Our sport needs to win.

“I’m not someone who lives in regret, gets hung up on that, or holds grudges. I truly believe if you want to grow or progress, you can’t be hung up on that stuff.”

In the meantime, Matson will keep coaching. In what felt like a wink to her detractors, she made a notable hire this summer. Romea Riccardo, who won five NCAA titles at UNC and graduated in December, was named as a full-time assistant coach on staff. Matson says Riccardo was to her what she was to Shelton. Once upon a time, the two were freshmen together.

“The argument from the schools that recruit against us is, ‘They’re a young staff; they have no idea what they’re doing,’” Matson said. “And you know, I always joke — don’t people know that we like a target on our back by now? If you just stay quiet and don’t tell me what you’re thinking, I’ll actually probably get less motivated. But if you keep telling me, oh, you’re too young, oh, you can’t do this and that — like, stop it, ‘cause you’re only hurting yourself.”

The 2024 North Carolina season will start next week with the Tar Heels, again, a national title favorite. Matson says she knows perceptions. “That, oh, Erin is off gallivanting in Paris. Oh, Erin is out in LA at the ESPY Awards,” she said. “But I don’t think people understand that I know how fortunate I am, and I use these opportunities and ask, how can we be better, how can the sport get bigger?”

Maybe that’s possible. Or maybe it’s fantasy.

Rising Stars Michelle Agyemang and Vivienne Lia Are Arsenal Through and Through

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By: Meredith Heil | Just Women’s Sports
In the UK, the path toward becoming a professional soccer player starts early.

Kids in the US usually start out with local or travel clubs before moving to a high school team and then maybe playing in college before going pro. And recently, a small but growing number of teenage players are opting to sign contracts with the NWSL before they’ve even finished school.

But across the pond in the UK, a promising footballer’s road to stardom can start as young as five years old. The academy system was established to guide aspiring young players as they work towards an adult contract, with professional clubs like Arsenal, Liverpool, West Ham, Chelsea, and others supplying their youth programs with full-time coaches, training facilities, and a match calendar. Then at 18, the senior club either offers the player a pro deal or releases them to pursue a spot on another team’s roster.

Arsenal soccer player Leah Williamson and Paris Saint-Germain player Mary Earps of England national team at Women’s Finalissima 2023
Captain Leah Williamson and goalkeeper Mary Earps are just two of the academy grads headlining the England national team. (Naomi Baker – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
The goal has always been to nurture and sustain homegrown talent, with academies around the league producing WSL and England national team icons like Leah Williamson, Lauren James, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Lauren Hemp, Chloe Kelly, and Mary Earps. And now more than ever, it’s something big league teams are focused on given the women’s game’s meteoric post-Euros rise in the UK.

Of course, academy life isn’t just afterschool practice and weekend fixtures at the training grounds. When senior clubs travel for international friendlies, they’ll often invite a few academy players to tag along. It’s a way to give the young players some exposure, bonding time with the team, and minutes on the field, all while the coaching staff has the opportunity to evaluate their progress and see how they gel with the club.

Arsenal Academy products Michelle Agyemang and Vivienne Lia in Washington, DC
Academy players often travel with the senior team for international exhibitions. (David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
That was the case for Michelle Agyemang and Vivienne Lia, two up-and-coming academy products who joined Arsenal FC on their recent USA tour. 18-year-old Agyemang recently graduated from Arsenal’s academy, signing her first pro contract with the team this past May after debuting in November 2022 at the age of 16. 17-year-old Lia is still finishing school and academy training, having taken the field with the senior club for the first time in February 2024.

Last week, JWS spoke to the England U19 standouts in Washington, DC ahead of Arsenal’s friendly with crosstown rivals Chelsea to learn more about their journeys from childhood Gooners to academy superstars and beyond.

How’s the trip going so far?
Michelle Agyemang: So far good. I think it’s been good to go out and see the monuments and stuff, and obviously training. It’s been nice to be around everyone as well.

Viv, this is your second team trip after Arsenal’s Australia exhibition in May. How are you finding it?
Vivienne Lia: It’s great. Australia was more hectic with the fans, but over here it’s been relaxed. But it’s also been more dense — because it’s pre-season, we’ve been working a lot more than we did in our postseason trip.

How old were each of you when you signed with Arsenal Academy?
MA: I was six.

VL: I was 14.

Naomi Williams, Michelle Agyemang, Vivianne Miedema, Freya Godfrey, Vivienne Lia and Katie Reid of Arsenal posing for a photo on the pitch
Michelle and Viv — pictured here with ex-Arsenal striker Vivianne Miedema and fellow academy products Naomi Williams, Freya Godfrey, and Katie Reid — both joined Arsenal at a young age. (Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
I know Arsenal has recently moved away from academy trials and now uses a talent identification team to recruit young players, but what was the process like when you joined?
MA: At the time, you just apply on a website, come in for a massive trial with about 30 girls, do a bit of training, and then if you’re successful, you go to a second round with less girls. And that’s it: Two sessions and then they send you an email or a letter. It’s quite simple really.

VL: Mine was quite similar. There was a trial system: one and two trials. At the first one there were quite a lot of girls and then it cut it off a bit. From there, you get an email whether you got in or not. Now it’s changed where they don’t have open trials — you come in for training sessions instead.

Did your parents sign you up?
MA: I was playing for a local boys team and my dad was like, “Oh, might as well just sign her up.” So he did, for a few different teams. And then we literally just rocked up to [a pitch] not too far from Colney for a little training session.

Do you remember that day?
MA: I do quite well. To be fair, we got lost on the way. We went to, I think it was a little farm instead of the training pitch. And then I remember my dad, he kind of pranked me a bit. He was like, “Oh yeah, sorry Michelle, you didn’t get in.” Then he actually brings out the letter. So it was really cute — a really good day.

Michelle Agyemang of England, centre, celebrates with team-mates Alexia Potter, left, and Vivienne Lia after scoring her side’s seventh goal during the UEFA Women’s Under-19 Championship 2023/2024 Finals
Alongside Arsenal, Michelle and Viv have long been fixtures of England’s youth national team system. (Photo by Tyler Miller – Sportsfile/UEFA via Getty Images)
If you were raised in the US, do you think you would have tried to turn pro at a young age or opt for the college route?
VL: I think probably the school route, because you want to get a firm foundation of education first. Because your career is not guaranteed at whatever age — you can get an injury, God forbid, and of course that’s part of the game.

MA: I’d say the same. It’s also the experience of college — so many of my friends have gone through college and it just looks like good fun, obviously alongside football. You miss that if you go straight to pro. Getting school alongside football is something we don’t get in England, so I think that’d be a really good balance to have between the two.

When you’re in the academy, how much time are you devoting to soccer?
MA: I’d spend as much time as I could on both. So as soon as I finished school, I’m straight into the car, changing in the car, eating in the car, doing homework in the car, on the way to training. And then on the way back, I slept. It was an endless cycle but that was the only thing I knew.

VL: When you’re younger, it’s still a mix of it being a hobby but still your passion. But then as you get older — when it becomes more jam-packed, more serious — you have to try and find a balance between both. In England the systems are split, so you still have to go to school, but you also have to go to training. For me now, I go into school two, three times a week and training as well, so it’s about finding a good balance.

A general view of the soccer jerseys of Kyra Cooney-Cross, Emily Fox and Michelle Agyemang in the Arsenal dressing room
Growing up an Arsenal fan, Michelle always dreamed of taking the pitch for the Gunners. (Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
So you’re both lifelong Gooners — was Arsenal always the dream?
VL: Yeah, 100%. That was the dream for me. Of course, I grew up in North London — everyone’s either Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea, or you got the odd northern team they support. Everyone wants to play for their local club, their childhood club. It was always a dream of mine to play for Arsenal and to make history at this club.

When you were younger, did you see women’s football as a viable career path?
MA: Absolutely not, no. My mum was saying to me the other day that she just thought I’d just go to Arsenal to do a few training sessions and then come back home. But the development of the game has been so fast in recent years. So I never really saw it as a career until maybe under-10s, -12s when it actually started to get much bigger as a game. At the beginning, I don’t think I had a real plan for football. But things change, and here we are.

Michelle Agyemang and Viv Lia of Arsenal during the Arsenal Women’s visit to the Washington Mystics WNBA team
Michelle and Viv showed off their basketball skills while visiting the WNBA’s Washington Mystics in DC. (David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Was the experience the same for you, Viv, seeing as you joined the academy a bit later?
VL: Different actually. I always wanted to be a footballer — or at least an athlete. It was either tennis, track, or football for me. But I always had more of a love for football, so I was like, “Okay, if I don’t become a footballer, I’ll be a tennis player instead.” Like, “I’ll be in sport.”

Football was always what I wanted to do, but I wasn’t completely sure it was possible. But as a kid you’re like, “Oh yeah, it’ll be possible. I can do anything.” So I didn’t really think of that side of it until I got older I was like, “Oh, this is actually something that I can do as a profession.”

How has your game changed as you’ve gotten more time at the senior level?
MA: At Arsenal, the passing, the movement — everything is so crisp. It’s a shock at first but you adapt. For my game, I’ve added more technical bits: passing, moving, working together as a team. As a kid, you want to go run and score 10 goals, but you obviously can’t do that here. So working with teammates, moving the ball, moving myself to help other players — that’s a big part of my game that I’ve improved here.

VL: The details are so important at this top level. At youth level, you can get away with not pressing as hard or not recovering as quick, but [in senior club games] you’ll get punished for that. It makes sure that you’re always working to the best of your ability, but also it switches you on mentally. You have to keep attuned to how quick the game is or spot different triggers — that’s the main difference between senior football and youth football.

Bayern Munich goalkeeper Maria Luisa Grohs is beaten as Frida Maanum of Arsenal scores the opening goal during the UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter-final 2nd leg match between Arsenal and FC Bayern Munich
Frida Maanum’s opening goal against Bayern Munich at the 2023 Champions League quarterfinal is the stuff of Arsenal lore. (Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
What is your favorite Arsenal memory?
VL: It was the season before last season, the Champions League game against Bayern Munich at home when Frida Maanum scored top bins. I was ball-girling for that and I had the perfect view of it. I was like, “This is the best goal I’ve ever witnessed in my life.” Being an Arsenal fan, [knowing] the context of that game, I was like, “Wow, this is incredible.”

MA: That’s a good one. I’ll go for two seasons ago when we played Wolfsburg at home in the [Champions League] semi-final. I think it was two-two going into the second leg and then for me, coming on very late in the game — a Champions League debut — that was a massive moment. Just the atmosphere, 62,000 fans, everything.

After playing the Washington Spirit earlier this week, how do you find the NWSL compares to the WSL? Is there a different flow to the game? A different approach?
MA: We always associate America with athleticism, so the transition element was so fast at every point in the game, from the first minute to the last. And the atmosphere was very interesting as well. You got the fans hyping up a corner kick — like, “Get up and cheer. It’s a corner kick!” I’ve never seen that in my life, never ever seen that, but it’s nice as well. I liked it.

VL: Yeah, the game was very fast-paced. But it was really on runs, their wide players just bombing it forward. The physical level of the game is top. As you said, the rest of the world associates America with athleticism — powerful, fast, physical. That was something that I thought of straight away, like it’s less technical but still at a high level.

Vivienne Lia of Arsenal before the pre season friendly match between Washington Spirit and Arsenal Women
Representing the Arsenal at the senior level at the center of Viv’s future plans. (David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Where do you guys see yourself in five years?
MA: Right here.

Right in this room?
MA: Yeah. (laughs)

VL: In DC?

MA: Yeah, in DC. It would be awesome coming back. Imagine.

VL: I’ll say the same: At Arsenal, establishing myself in the senior game and really showing what I’m about. And that’s it — that’s a good one.

US Tennis Star Madison Keys Talks US Open, Staying Healthy, and Redefining Success

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Madison Keys was just 16 when she featured in her first US Open, and the home Grand Slam holds a special place in the now-29-year-old’s tennis star’s heart.

“It’s truly the best, greatest feeling in the entire world,” Keys told JWS last week. “I think there have been some of my most heartbreaking moments in front of a US Open crowd, but also some of my absolute most favorite, literally to the point of mid-match getting goosebumps.”

Ahead of today’s 2024 US Open kickoff, Keys commented on the power of the New York Slam’s fans, saying, “The thing I’ve always loved about playing at the US Open is that, literally no matter how down and out you felt, the entire crowd was still there trying to get you through and push you through.”

Madison Keys celebrates winning a set at Wimbledon in July.
An injury forced Madison Keys to withdraw from Wimbledon mid-match in July.


A chaotic 2024 sets up Keys’s US Open appearance
The world No. 14 has had a rollercoaster 2024 season, missing the Australian Open due to injury before making solid finishes at WTA events in Miami, Madrid, and Strasbourg.

The Illinois product then suffered an injury at Wimbledon, withdrawing in the Round of 16 while in a winning position against eventual finalist Jasmine Paolini. “As devastating as that match against Jasmine was,” detailed Keys, “it was also one of my favorite matches that I’ve played, just because I feel like we were both playing so well.”

Her veteran perspective allowed Keys to calmly view the injury for what it was: a simple setback. “[Wimbledon] was really reassuring that I didn’t do anything wrong,” Keys said. “It wasn’t this big thing that we had to worry about or manage. It was just really horrible timing.”

US tennis player Madison Keys smile and rests at practice before the Toronto Open earlier this month.
Managing her health and her schedule is proving vital to Madison Keys’ goal of a long tennis career. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)
Prioritizing health is vital to Keys’s tennis career
The 2016 Rio Olympic semifinalist pulled out of the 2024 Paris Games in an effort to maintain her health and gear up for the season’s final Slam — a decision she says was hard-won.

“It’s one of the greatest honors to be able to play for your country and play at an Olympics, and it was honestly one of my favorite tennis moments of my life,” she said. “But I’m getting older — I’ve been on tour for a long time. They like to call me a veteran now, and I think you have to start shifting gears a little bit to prioritize the best schedule…to be able to maintain a high level and stay healthy.”

Recognizing that pacing her seasons will help protect her health and, ultimately, her career, Keys is clear on her path forward. “At this point in my career, my biggest goal is I want to play tennis for as long as I want to play tennis,” she said. “I don’t want some outside force to be the reason that I have to step away from the game.”

When it comes to her health, Keys says the details matter, like prioritizing nutrition and sleep in the run-up to another US Open and partnering with supplement companies to boost her conditioning along the way.

“I’ve started to change my perspective on success and goals,” said Keys. “At the end of every day, being able to say, ‘Okay, did I accomplish my goal? If not, what were the lessons learned? How can I move forward with them?’ I think that’s honestly the best way to go about success in tennis.”

Who’s next for the USWNT? Bethune, Yohannes headline next wave of talent

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By: Jason Anderson | Pro Soccer Wire

The U.S. women’s national team began the Emma Hayes era in impressive fashion, winning gold at the 2024 Olympics. Despite the English head coach having just a few weeks from the end of her successful tenure at Chelsea to prepare for a major tournament, the USWNT looked more like itself than it had in years.

Still, this was by no means a finished product, and Hayes’ next act will be making sure this wasn’t simply a case of being the team that endured the specific grind of an Olympic tournament better than anyone else. Hayes would be the first to tell you that winning one tournament — particularly one where all three knockout games were so close-run — doesn’t mean the job is done.

With eight gold medal final starters under the age of 26, and younger players like Jaedyn Shaw and Jenna Nighswonger seemingly certain to play a bigger role going forward, plenty of places in Hayes’ regular rotation seem settled.

However, with one-third of the USWNT Olympic roster already over 30 and the next major tournament a whole three years away, this is a crucial moment for the team. Whether it’s simply to increase competition for places — a hallmark of USWNT culture that softened following the 2019 World Cup — or to remake the core group more comprehensively, one thing is clear: The starters in the Olympics will not be the first 11 at the 2027 World Cup.

Pro Soccer Wire isn’t privy to whatever long list of players Hayes wants to evaluate and promote in the coming months, but we can take our best guess.

In alphabetical order, here are the best bets to claim major USWNT roles in the near future:

Croix Bethune: Midfielder, Washington Spirit
Bethune is so obviously the next big thing for the USWNT that this segment is almost a cheat. Hayes named the Washington Spirit rookie as an Olympic alternate, and subbed her into a group-stage game after Jaedyn Shaw’s leg injury.

But just to reiterate: Bethune is one assist away from tying Tobin Heath’s NWSL record for assists in a single season after just 16 games as a pro. She’s in the league MVP race, which is to say she’s one of the best players in the world in 2024.

Rose Lavelle is a star for a reason, but the 29-year-old’s battle with injuries has been a story in nearly every tournament she’s played. The fact that Hayes opted to drop her in the gold medal game raises questions about whether the coach is ready to fully trust Lavelle.

Here’s the thing, though: even if those questions all end up being brushed aside, Bethune has flat-out played her way into the team to such an extent that her role as an alternate was arguably less than she deserved at the Olympics. Based on current form, it is already her time.

To be frank, it would be baffling if the USWNT’s Bethune era doesn’t get underway in the coming months.

Center backs abound
Hayes took just two natural center backs to France, with Naomi Girma and Tierna Davidson backed up by a do-it-all defensive option (Emily Sonnett) and a fullback (Casey Krueger).

However, that was less a statement about the players available and more of a risk taken due to the unreasonable 18-player squad limit in place for the Olympics. Emily Sams was brought along as an alternate, but the Orlando Pride center back is one of several who will be vying for a place in Hayes’ plans.

The list here is long enough that we’re going to cluster them all into this section. Sam Staab is out for the rest of 2024 due to a torn Achilles tendon, but was granted a long-awaited call-up before the Olympic roster was announced. Paris Saint-Germain’s Eva Gaetino was called in for the SheBelieves Cup, indicating that Hayes wants to evaluate several options.

North Carolina Courage pair Malia Berkely and Kaleigh Kurtz have both acquitted themselves very well in a system where being able to defend in space is a must. Washington’s Tara McKeown would bring some much-needed aerial ability to the table, particularly as Brazil and Mexico have both shown that the USWNT is uncertain when games become long-ball battles.

Girma, Davidson, and Sonnett are probably settled into their spots on the team, but beyond that? The competition to get into the mix is serious.

Mandy Haught: Goalkeeper, Utah Royals
It’s not clear whether there will be an opening among the goalkeeper pool, with Alyssa Naeher offering a reminder of what she’s still capable of in the gold medal triumph over Brazil. With Casey Murphy and Jane Campbell yet to hit 30, and Aubrey Kingsbury pushing that duo for the final spots on the Olympic squad, it’s a deep group.

However, Haught was the No. 1 for an NJ/NY Gotham FC side that took the NWSL title last year. In 2024, she’s second among goalkeepers only to Ann-Katrin Berger (the player the Bats brought in after trading Haught for expansion draft protection) in American Soccer Analysis’ Goals Added (G+) metric, a measurement of all-around contribution to a team’s success.

Yes, Utah has had a rough go of it in 2024, but it would be so much worse if Haught weren’t playing at the level of a Best 11 contender. While the 25-year-old may have some rough edges in terms of coming out of her area, the stuff that’s harder to teach — raw shot-stopping, bravery, and agility — is in place.

If Naeher decides this was her last hurrah with the USWNT, or if Hayes wants to up the competition among her goalkeeping options, look for Haught to get called up in the near future.

Hal Hershfelt: Midfielder, Washington Spirit
Another Olympic alternate, Hershfelt was something of a surprise inclusion by Hayes. The rookie has had a strong start to her NWSL career, but before Hayes’ arrival seemed on course for a post-Olympics call-up rather than ending up on the flight to France.

However, you have to consider how Hershfelt’s well-rounded skill-set aligns with some impending USWNT needs. Teams like Brazil and Mexico have shown in 2024 that speed, aggression, and physical strength are issues for the USWNT’s central midfield starters.

The Spirit box-to-box midfielder isn’t necessarily a Julie Ertz clone, but covers huge swaths of the field while bringing a bite that the U.S. has lacked without the retired star. As a ball-winning presence that can drive the team forward on the ball or with her range of passing, Hershfelt seems to be an ideal compliment to any of the USWNT’s midfield starters from this Olympic tournament.

Hayes’ call-up underlines the argument that Hershfelt has a set of tools that the USWNT has long prized. With Horan slowing down, and with a midfield that otherwise skews towards the less physically imposing side of the coin, don’t be shocked if Hayes finds minutes for Hershfelt in the team’s fall friendlies.


Claire Hutton: Midfielder, Kansas City Current
Hayes went more or less all-in on Sam Coffey for these Olympics, which almost proved costly after the Portland Thorns midfielder picked up a suspension for the USWNT’s quarterfinal against Japan.

With Sonnett needed at the back, Korbin Albert looked uncomfortable playing out of position as the No. 6 on the day. With bigger rosters in the team’s future, that’s a good reason to evaluate the 18-year-old’s fit within the senior team going forward.

It doesn’t hurt that Hutton has a chokehold on a starting spot for Vlatko Andonovski’s league-leading KC Current. Defensive midfield is a position that often requires experience, yet Hutton has looked like a hard-nosed, grizzled veteran as a teenage rookie in that role.

Much like Hershfelt, Hutton brings some toughness and speed to the job, and winning a starting midfield job on this Kansas City team is impressive work. Hutton’s argument for future call-ups is as strong as just about anyone else on this list.


Ally Sentnor: Winger/Forward, Utah Royals
Utah has had a nightmare on the field in 2024, but like Haught, Sentnor has thrived regardless. The rookie attacker is having the kind of season that points to future call-ups on the horizon.

On a team that has been routinely outplayed and that has lacked weapons going forward, the 20-year-old has still managed to secure a place in the NWSL’s top three in terms of shot-creating actions (level with Bethune and trailing only Temwa Chawinga). Of the 10 players to attempt the most dribbles this season, Sentnor’s 47.6% rate trails only MVP candidate Barbra Banda, placing Sentnor ahead of players like Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman.

In just about any attacking category, Sentnor’s name is at or near the top of the list, and unlike the USWNT’s top players, she’s doing this without much support. With Mina Tanaka and Cloé Lacasse joining Utah, the versatile Sentnor may well be able to make a stronger case for inclusion on the roster for the post-Olympic friendlies coming up in the fall.


Gisele Thompson: Defender, Angel City FC
The younger Thompson sister is among the 30 field players at any position in G+ this season (third-best among fullbacks), and is standing out despite Angel City’s erratic performances.

That dovetails well with some impending team needs with the USWNT. While Emily Fox looks secure as a starter, Thompson could find her way into a role as the Arsenal defender’s understudy. Crystal Dunn and Krueger will both be in their mid-30s by the time the 2027 World Cup arrives, and while neither is showing signs of slowing down right now, Hayes has to be prepared for that eventuality.

Thompson’s strengths right now center on her one-on-one play, in both directions. In 612 minutes played thus far this season, her rate of successful dribbles exceeds that of Dunn and Nighswonger, and compares favorably with the league’s best attacking fullbacks. Defensively, Thompson’s quick feet and competitiveness make her tough to beat, which is what the USWNT needs to shut counter-attacking threats down.

Thompson’s first job is winning a full-time starting role with Angel City, where there’s competition from veterans Jasmyne Spencer and Merritt Mathias. Still, don’t be surprised if Hayes wants to see how she operates within a USWNT environment, or if Thompson emerges as Becki Tweed’s first-choice option down the stretch.


USWNT-experienced players looking to get back into the picture
When we talk about who’s next for the USWNT, we can’t forget some really talented players who have, in the early days of Hayes’ tenure, found call-ups harder to come by.

Ashley Sanchez has over the last two or three months been in electric form for the North Carolina Courage, and seems to have solved how to add more goals to her game in Sean Nahas’ system. Sanchez is sixth in the NWSL with 62 shot-creating actions on the season, which puts her right up there with Bethune, Smith, and Rodman.

Taylor Flint has flown under the radar at Racing Louisville, but the towering midfielder has been arguably the best No. 8 in the league this year. There may be more of a stretch on her end to operate within a more patient, possession-oriented system, but like Hershfelt she could really add a lot when the USWNT finds itself in a more direct, physical sort of game.

Alyssa Thompson was finding her form in league play before the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup began, particularly in terms of chance generation off the dribble. Thompson is a very different player from Lynn Williams, but with the latter turning 31 in May, it’s a good idea to have more options available in terms of speed on the wings.

Andi Sullivan was a pre-Olympic call-up as a training player, and has had a stronger 2024 with Washington (a team that looks significantly less confident when the defensive midfielder has been off the field). In Hayes’ more coherent USWNT midfield structure, Sullivan should be in the mix to compete with Coffey.

Lily Yohannes: Midfielder, Ajax
Yohannes scored on her USWNT debut back in June, before Hayes said that the 17-year-old wasn’t quite ready to make her choice between being cap-tied to the U.S. or the Netherlands.

The midfielder’s staggering maturity in a USWNT shirt was not a surprise given her UEFA Women’s Champions League play, and winning that recruiting battle is very likely a top priority for Hayes in the months to come.

It just so happens that Yohannes will also have an avenue to playing time that could accelerate her development. She has the size and mobility to compete with Hershfelt, Albert, and others for time as the USWNT’s No. 8, while arguably being even more comfortable as a No. 6.

Yohannes’ range of passing, vision, and composure are off the charts already, and she has all the potential needed to become a dominant midfielder in the years to come, whether that’s in a U.S. kit or in Dutch orange. It’s not crazy to think of her as becoming one of the team’s star players, and her current trajectory favors that happening in the next few years.

Connecticut Sun Sells Out TD Garden in Boston, Makes WNBA History

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By: Claire Watkins | Just Women’s Sports

The Connecticut Sun earned a big win in more ways than one on Tuesday, defeating the LA Sparks 69-61 in front of a sold-out crowd at Boston’s TD Garden. Hosted by the Sun — who usually play at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut — it was the first WNBA game ever held inside the home of the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics.


While Boston will see women’s soccer return in 2026 via an NWSL expansion team, the Sun currently serve as New England’s only WNBA team — and fans came out in force to support their home side. Last night’s announced attendance of 19,156 stands as the largest in Connecticut Sun history, as well as the third-highest WNBA attendance this season.

Fans were treated to an end-to-end battle as the Sparks held a first quarter lead into the fourth quarter when, buoyed by the raucous crowd, DiJonai Carrington led Connecticut to a 14-0 comeback. Her efforts helped the Sun notch their 20th win, becoming just the second WNBA team to hit 20 victories this season.

“Hopefully, this is the start of something beautiful,” Sun star Alyssa Thomas said after the game. “This is the kind of atmosphere you want to play in.”

DiJonai Carrington led the Sun’s fourth-quarter comeback over the Sparks on Tuesday
DiJonai Carrington led the Sun’s fourth-quarter comeback after calling out the game’s lack of promotion.


Lack of WNBA promotion causes stir ahead of untelevised Boston game
Despite the sellout success, the game wasn’t broadcast nationally, with only WNBA League Pass and social media platform X providing live coverage.

“I think that there could have been a lot more publicity or promo from the top,” Carrington — who posted about the issue early Tuesday — told reporters. “You know, Connecticut had announced that we were having this game probably almost a year ago.”

Aryna Sabalenka primed for US Open after Cincinnati Open win

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Pa Sport Staff | The Independent

Aryna Sabalenka missed Wimbledon with injury, but has impressed on her return to the court

Aryna Sabalenka continued her impressive build-up ahead of the US Open with a 6-3 7-5 victory over Jessica Pegula in the Cincinnati Open final.

Sabalenka, who missed Wimbledon with a shoulder injury, had beaten world number one Iga Swiatek in the semi-finals and is set to return to second spot in the next WTA rankings update.

The Belarusian soon built on an early break against Pegula in the opening set to hold for a 4-1 lead which she never looked like relinquishing.

After Pegula was broken again in the first game of the second set, it seemed Sabalenka would be coasting towards another WTA title, but lifted by the home support, the American dug in.


Sixth seed Pegula took her first break chance in the 10th game to level at 5-5, only for Sabalenka to immediately break back and then serve for the match once again.

Sabalenka kept the pressure on, setting up a championship point with another big forehand winner, which she converted when Pegula dropped a return into the net.

It was a first title for Sabalenka since she landed a second consecutive Australian Open success in January, sealing a perfect week for the 26-year-old who did not drop a set.

“This trophy means a lot, it is a really big achievement, especially coming after injury, with this fear of getting injured again,” Sabalenka said in her courtside interview, broadcast by Sky Sports.

“My team did everything they could to make sure I felt as good as I can and I am proud of myself I was able to handle all of those emotions.”

Mondo Duplantis soars to Paris 2024 pole vault gold and breaks own world record 

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By Sean McAlister

Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis has done it again.

The Swedish pole vaulter flew over the bar at a new world record height of 6.25m, having already secured Paris 2024 gold earlier in the evening on Monday, 5 August with a vault of 6.00m.

This is the ninth time Duplantis has broken the world record, beating the mark of 6.24m he set in the Xiamen Diamond League in April this year.

“I haven’t processed how fantastic that moment was,” he said after his historic jump. “It’s one of those things that don’t really feel real, such an out-of-body experience. It’s still hard to kind of land right now.

“What can I say? I just broke a world record at the Olympics, the biggest possible stage for a pole vaulter. [My] biggest dream since a kid was to break the world record at the Olympics, and I’ve been able to do that in front of the most ridiculous crowd I’ve ever competed in front of.”

The crowd he spoke of in the Stade de France has become used to breathtaking moments at these Olympics, but few can compare to this mammoth effort from Duplantis.

As chants of “Mondo, Mondo, Mondo” rang around the stadium, Duplantis did what he does best, first breaking the Olympic record with a jump of 6.10m and then raising the bar higher to 6.25m.

As he flew over the bar, he was met with roars from across the masses of people inside the Stade de France who had witnessed the greatest jump — and jumper — in history.

“I tried to clear my thoughts as much as I could,” he said of the momentous reception he received from the stands. “The crowd was going crazy. It was so loud in there, it sounded like an American football game. I have a little bit of experience being in a 100,000-capacity stadium, but I was never the centre of attention. [I was] just trying to channel the energy everybody was giving me, and they were giving me a lot of it. It worked out.”

With the screams of joy from the crowd only matched by Duplantis’ own, the 24-year-old jumped from the mat and straight into the arms of his loved ones.

On a night filled with unforgettable moments, this is one that will be talked about for years to come.

His gold medal in Paris continues his incredible streak at major international outdoor championships, which has seen him win gold at the past three worlds and — after Monday — the last two Olympic Games.

Sam Kendricks of the USA won silver with a jump of 5.95m and Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis took bronze (5.90m).

U.S. Wins Gold Medal, Sets World Record in 4×100 Mixed Relay

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henry bushnell

PARIS — The U.S. won swimming’s mixed medley relay here at the 2024 Olympics, recovering from a flop at Tokyo 2021 to beat China and Australia in world-record time.

The U.S. team of Ryan Murphy (backstroke), Nic Fink (breaststroke), Gretchen Walsh (butterfly) and Torri Huske (freestyle) finished in 3:37.43, narrowly ahead of China by 0.12 seconds.

Murphy swam the U.S. into a slight lead over the first 100 meters. China’s Qin Haiyang took back the lead at the 200 with a strong breaststroke leg. But Walsh and Huske, one of the stars of the week for Team USA swimming, closed with fury and held off China.

It was, in many ways, the expected result. And it was the only acceptable result for a country that has long been the giant of this sport; the country that likes to call its Olympics trials — and not the Olympics — the fastest swim meet, top-to-bottom, in the world.

Three years ago, however, the U.S. missed the podium entirely. A team also featuring Murphy and Huske — but questionably constructed by U.S. coaches — finished three full seconds behind Great Britain, way back in fifth place.

This time around, coaches got the lineup right. They selected four silver medalists in their respective 100-meter individual races. And together, as a collective, the silver medalists swam to a relay gold and a world record.

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