Category: Featured

Photo Courtesy of Roscoe Myrick

NWSL Players of the Week: Aug 12th – 18th

A weekly series where we break down the top performances of players in the NWSL.

The first player of the week comes from an unlikely source, the struggling New Jersey side, Sky Blue FC. It was rookie forward Paige Monaghan who scored a brace for Sky Blue to lift them over a hot Chicago Red Stars team.

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Monaghan first impacted the game in the 71st minute when she received the ball near the end line before cutting it back and firing a rocket into the top right corner among three enclosing defenders. The goal was truly sensational, and it was the first of Monaghan’s career. There could not have been a better way to open her scoring account in the NWSL. Monaghan struck again in the dying moments of the game with a 93rd minute winner. This time, the rookie latched onto a through ball and used her left foot to beat the Red Stars keeper to her near post with well-placed curling effort. The win was only Sky Blue’s third of the season, but their second against the Red Stars.

The win for Sky Blue snapped the Red Stars five game winning streak. With the victory Sky Blue was able to pull themselves out of last place in the table. The Red Stars missed out on a crucial opportunity to propel themselves into first place and sit in second still four points back of the leaders. Sky Blue faces off next against the Houston Dash on Saturday, August 24th at 8:30 pm ET on Yahoo! Sports.

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The second player of the week is a repeat offender in Amy Rodriguez. Rodriguez scored a 77th minute winner in a 2-1 victory over the Orlando Pride. It was the intelligent diagonal run of Rodriguez that allowed her to find a perfect pass and dispatch a calm finish over the Pride goalkeeper.

Rodriquez who plays for the Utah Royals has now scored three goals in her last three games. Rodriguez continues to prove her ability to show up in the big moments as this goal was defined as the winner. All of them have been crucial in the Royal’s recent success as they have won three straight and moved up the league table into fourth place just six points off the top spot. The goal was Rodriguez’s eight of the season. The Royals have scored eight in their last three games and only given up one over the past three games. Utah’s next match will be against the Washington Spirit today at 7:30 pm ET on Yahoo! Sports.

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The third and final player of the week is the league leader’s Tobin Heath who plays for the Portland Thorns. Heath played a very complete game and recorded an assist on the Thorns 3-1 victory over the Washington Spirit. The assist came from Heath in the 19th minute when she swung a dangerous ball into the box off a corner which was met by the head of Emily Sonnett. The goal doubled the lead of the Thorns and gave them a comfortable cushion over the Spirit.

While Heath will not be credited with the assist on the third goal, it was her delivery again from a corner kick that caused a scramble in the box and ultimately resulted in the Thorns third and final goal.

With the assist, Heath has hit 25 career assists which is the most of any NWSL player. The victory pushes the Thorns four points clear of second place and puts them in good position to remain atop the league table. The next match for the Portland Thorns will be against the second place Chicago Red Stars on Sunday, August 25th at 3 pm ET on ESPNEWS.  

Photo Courtesy of Reign FC

NWSL Player Spotlight: Megan Oyster

The World Cup is over which leaves all the focus turned to the NWSL. The players from the UWSNT and other World Cup teams are on various clubs all throughout the league. But just because Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd or Rose Lavelle might not be playing that night or for a specific team does not mean you should not still tune in. The NWSL is flooded with talent and we have created a weekly series that looks at players in the NWSL who did not go to France this summer, but could very well turn into your new favorite player. Next up in our series is Megan Oyster.

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When looking at top players people often turn to statistics and specifically score sheets. But that really favors the offensive players who contribute goals and assists. So what about the defenders who make bruising tackles, goal saving stops and the initial passes for goal sequences? The stat sheet does not tell their full story, but players like Megan Oyster deserve a lot of the credit for their team’s success.

She has been a part of the NWSL since 2015 when she was drafted by the Washington Spirit. She played every match for the Spirit in her first year and was named Newcomer of the Year and Defender of the Year for the club. However, after her second season Oyster was traded to the Boston Breakers. She played two seasons for the Breakers before the team folded and Oyster was selected by Reign FC in the Breakers Dispersal Draft.

Since joining the Reign, Oyster has started all but three games and only been subbed off twice. Last season the Reign, with the help of Oyster, had a league tying record of 12 clean sheets and only gave up 21 goals.

Defenders have to be precise with their tackles and clear the ball out of the defense without harming the offensive player. For the Reign, Oyster has averaged a 76.1% success rate for her tackles and only committed 28 fouls with zero yellow cards. When Oyster goes in for a tackle she ensures she is going to get the ball.

Not only does Oyster tackle efficiently she also has key clearances to keep the offense from even getting close to scoring a goal. She is instrumental on set pieces and can knock the ball out of harm with a quick touch.

The month of June meant no national team members in the NWSL with the World Cup going on. Oyster shined for the Reign and earned herself on the NWSL Team of the Month for June.

Oyster has played in all of the games this season for the Reign and has played a full 90 minutes in 13 straight matches. She is the team’s workhorse intercepting 31 passes this year with 12 blocks. Oyster is a true defender who understands her main role is to guard the goal and not attack the other team’s net. She has only scored four goals in her NWSL career, but has certainly stopped plenty of others from going in.

The Reign have been riddled with injuries this season. They currently have six players with season ending injuries and five more players listed as out for their upcoming game. Even with the injuries the Reign are in fourth place and just four points out from first place. Thanks large in part to Oyster the Reign have given up the fourth fewest goals all season, but their offense has scored the second fewest amount of goals.

Their next game happens to be against Sky Blue, the NWSL team with fewest amount of goals scored. This game will most likely not be high scoring, but Oyster and company will ensure the fans see plenty of defensive stops.

All eyes should be peeled to the match that had to be moved to Red Bull Arena, home of the MLS team, the New York Red Bulls, to accommodate all of the fans. Sky Blue is hoping for a lower bowl sellout and quite possibly their highest fan attendance in club history. The two teams will kickoff on Sunday at 1 pm ET on ESPNEWS

Photo Courtesy of Amy Pearson

The WNBA Heads to NBA 2K20

The WNBA is getting a massive amount of exposure soon. According to various reports, NBA 2K20 will include WNBA players for the first time in the franchise’s history.

Last week, 2K made the announcement on Twitter and shared early gameplay featuring some of the league’s biggest stars. The tweet also featured interviews with Los Angeles Sparks forward Candace Parker and Seattle Storm forward Breanna Stewart. Parker and Stewart wore motion capture gear as they did various motions for the game.

Parker spoke about her history with NBA 2K and the process of being integrated into the game.

“Just like my counterparts in the NBA, I grew up playing NBA 2K,” said Candace Parker, Los Angeles Sparks forward. “After getting myself scanned and integrated into NBA 2K20 earlier this summer, I was amazed at how 2K is able to replicate women’s basketball at such a realistic level. You can tell they are taking the time to capture the essence of the WNBA and have created an immersive experience that all fans of basketball will love.”

Giving the WNBA exposure in NBA 2K will help grow each player’s individual brand as well as the league itself. The attention the league would be getting caught the eye of Cathy Englebert, the WNBA’s commissioner. She also spoke on the addition of the WNBA to NBA 2K20.

“We are excited to have WNBA players as part of this top- selling video game, helping to bring more exposure to these elite players, expanding our fan base and providing an immersive gaming experience featuring women role model athletes.”

While this is the WNBA’s first time in an NBA 2K game, NBA Live featured the WNBA in a previous game. They featured the WNBA in NBA Live 18. NBA Live kept the tradition going by adding them in last year’s game and adding the women to more and more feature with each release. Being integrated into the top video games for basketball will be instrumental in growth for the league.

NBA 2K20 will be released on September 6. The game will feature all 12 WNBA teams as well as the 30 teams of the NBA. With NBA 2K’s popularity, the league gains exposure and potentially new fans. It is a win-win for both sides.

Photo Courtesy of Jamie Smed

NWSL Players of the Week: Aug 4th – Aug 11th

A weekly series where we break down the top performances of players in the NWSL.

The first player of the week is 23-year old goalkeeper Casey Murphy who currently plays for Reign FC. Murphy bolsters an impressive five clean sheets on the season through the eleven games she has played.

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Murphy came up big in back to back games picking up two clean sheets and recording seven saves between the two matches. Murphy made five saves in a shutout win against the Houston Dash on the second of August.

Then, Murphy came up big again with two saves against the first place Portland Thorns in a 1-0 home victory for the Reign. While, it might seem as if the Dash game was more impressive any goalkeeper will tell you that it is the games where there is less action that prove to be more difficult. This is because goalkeepers in these games must stay focused and might need to only make one or two big saves to propel their team to victory.

This win help the fourth place Reign trim the deficit in the standings between them and the first place Thorns. The Reign’s next match will be against the last placed Sky Blue FC on Sunday, August 18.  

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The second player of the week is really going to go to the entire defense of the Chicago Red Stars. The Red Stars who saw a shaky start to their season have heated up as of late propelling them to five straight victories. The victories have been a direct result of their much-improved defensive play as they have tallied four clean sheets in their last five matches.

On the second of August the Red Stars held the Utah Royals scoreless despite the relentless attack. The Royals put in 25 crosses, won six corners and finished the game with 16 shots. The Red Stars defense stood tall. Most recently the Red Stars squeaked by the Washington Spirit by a score of 1-0. Again, the defense did its job as it was able to safely repel the Spirit’s nine shot attempts, two corners, and 18 crosses. The Red Stars fantastic defensive play as of late has earned them the second spot in the league table right behind the Portland Thorns. With a game in hand The Red Stars sit in second just one point behind the Thorns. Their next match comes against the Orlando Pride on Wednesday, August 21.

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The third and final player of the week is the Utah Royals attacker Amy Rodriguez whose goal capped off a 3-1 win against the Reign on Sunday. Rodriquez struck in the 68th minute of the match to give the Royals a two-goal cushion and see out an important victory against the Reign, who sit two points ahead of them in the league table. Both teams have played 16 games each.

The win against the Reign makes it two in a row for the Royals who are trying to improve their position in the table. The goal for Rodriguez makes it her second goal in three games. On Wednesday, August 7, Rodriguez found the back of the net in the 48th minute to finish off a 3-0 victory over Sky Blue FC. The latest two goals bring her tally up to seven goals on the year.

Rodriguez has shown her versatility as well since she has scored four goals with her right foot and three with her left foot. After the latest victory the Royals will look to grab their third win in a row when they face off against the second to last-placed Orlando Pride on Saturday, August 17th.

Coverage of the NWSL can be followed on Yahoo! Sports and the ESPN networks. Check back in for next round’s Players of the Week.        

Photo Courtesy of Lorie Shaull

A 2019 WNBA Playoffs Picture

The Playoffs are Near

With a few weeks left in the WNBA season, fans cannot help but think of the playoffs. The WNBA playoffs are set to start on September 11 with a last possible Finals date of October 11. The playoffs are less than a month away and teams preparing for them. Here is a look at the WNBA playoffs and where teams currently stand.

The playoffs are an exciting time for the WNBA and its fans. The format of the playoffs is different from the NBA’s format, but it still features the best teams of the league.

In the NBA, the top-eight teams of both conferences are seeded and face each other until two teams remain. The Eastern Conference champion faces the Western Conference champion to determine who wins the NBA Finals. The WNBA is a bit different.

Playoff Format

In the WNBA, the top-eight teams of the entire league are seeded by their regular-season record. Then, those teams go through a bracket, where the top-two seeds receive double byes and the third and fourth get first-round byes. This means the top two seeds do not play until the Semifinals and the third and fourth seed does not play until the second round. The first round features seeds 5-8, and the winner advances to the second round.

In the first round, the fifth seed goes against the eighth seed, and the sixth seed faces the seventh. The first round is single elimination and the winners of these games advance.

The second round is also single-elimination and consists of matchups between the fourth and fifth seed, and the third and sixth seed. After this round is over, the remaining teams face the top-two seeds. The lowest seed faces the first seed, and the other faces the second. For example, in last year’s Semifinals, the Phoenix Mercury matched up with the Seattle Storm. The Storm were the first seed, and the Mercury were fifth. The Atlanta Dream were second, and the Washington Mystics were third. The Mercury were the lowest seed of the remaining teams and had to play the first seed.

Then, the Semifinals, a best-of-five series, leads to the WNBA Finals. The Finals are also a best-of-five series and determine who wins the WNBA championship. Last year’s playoffs ended with the Seattle Storm winning the title.

2019 Playoff Picture

This year, there may be a new champion. There are teams that are playing well and have the chance to dethrone the Storm. Let’s look at the WNBA’s current standings and see who has the best chances of making the playoffs.

This week, the WNBA released a power ranking for Week 12. The ranking measures where teams currently stand (as of Week 12). They slightly differ from the standings but show what teams have made (vast) improvements.

In the Week 12 Power Rankings, the Washington Mystics are ranked first. They jumped one spot from Week 11’s rankings.

The Mystics have a record of 17-7. This gives them the best record of the league and the top spot of both the power rankings and standings. The Mystics are playing well, and look like the team to beat. But they may have competition.

The Los Angeles Sparks are second in the power rankings and third in standings. They have a record of 15-8. The Sparks are on a five-game winning streak as they climb up the ranking. Their recent performance made them jump from fourth (in a previous power ranking) to second. The Sparks are playing well and are showing why they are a team to look out for.

The Power Rankings feature other teams such as the Connecticut Sun, the Las Vegas Aces and the Chicago Sky. These teams are playoff-bound and have a good chance of being there come September 11. But things could change.

Standings

As of now, the Mystics would be the first seed of the playoffs. The final seed would be the Phoenix Mercury. The remaining teams fill in other seeds. If the playoffs started today, the eight playoffs teams would consist of the Mystics, the Sun, the Sparks and more. A list of the seeds can be found below.

  1. Washington Mystics
  2. Connecticut Sun
  3. Los Angeles Sparks
  4. Las Vegas Aces
  5. Chicago Sky
  6. Seattle Storm
  7. Minnesota Lynx
  8. Phoenix Mercury

Once the playoffs begin, these teams would be seeded in the WNBA playoff format. The Mystics and Sun would get double byes, the Sparks and Aces get a first-round bye, and the remaining teams play in the first round.

There are a few more weeks in the regular season, then the playoffs begin. If the standings remain relatively the same, fans have an idea of what the playoffs will look like. If these matchups occur, fans are in for a treat. So, let’s stay tuned and see what happens.

Photo Courtesy of James Smed

NWSL Player Spotlight: Aubrey Bledsoe

The World Cup is over which leaves all the focus turned to the NWSL. The players from the UWSNT and other World Cup teams are on various clubs all throughout the league. But just because Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd or Rose Lavelle might not be playing that night or for a specific team does not mean you should not still tune in. The NWSL is flooded with talent and we have created a weekly series that looks at players in the NWSL who did not go to France this summer, but could very well turn into your new favorite player. Next up in our series is Aubrey Bledsoe.

Often times goalkeepers can be an afterthought since they are not a field player, but for arguably the best goalkeeper in the league it seemed fitting she would be one of the first player spotlights. Bledsoe is only one of three goalkeepers to play every minute so far in this NWSL season for her club. Most teams have rotated keepers whether it’s because of injury or World Cup duty, but the Washington Spirit are selfishly happy Bledsoe is not on a national team roster.

Bledsoe has been with the Spirit since she was traded ahead of the 2018 season by the Orlando Pride. She was limited in her time with the Pride since they had USWNT keeper, Ashlyn Harris. The move to the Spirit gave Bledsoe the starting role and the ability to prove she is one of the bests. Bledsoe broke the single season save record in 2018 with 108 saves. She also only conceded 30 goals in the 21 games she was in net for Washington.

2018 saw Bledsoe rise as a top goalkeeper and 2019 has proven she can stay at the top for years to come. She has been awarded Player of the Week twice this season, and understand that is not keeper of the week that is Player of the Week honors. The month of June was the month for players who did not go over to the World Cup to showcase they are elite and deserve to be in this league when the national team players return. What better way to demonstrate that than being named the best in your position for the month? Bledsoe did just that as the goalkeeper for the June NWSL Team of the Month, voted on by the NWSL Media Association.

Point blank saves seem to be a specialty of Bledsoe. She has minimal time to react and the percentage of scoring greatly increases for the attacker, but her relentless pursuit to keep the ball out of her net defies the odds over and over again.

In case a single point blank save is not enough here is one more that earned her Save of the Week just last week.

It might seem like an overstatement, but Bledsoe is the reason the Spirit are still in the hunt for the playoffs. Their offense has been lackluster at times only scoring 19 goals compared to the top three teams in the league with 30, 31 and 26 respectively. Take those low amount of goals and put them next to just the 14 goals Bledsoe has conceded all season and you can see why. Those 14 goals given up is tied for least allowed with the Utah Royals and when stacked up against the top three teams they have allowed 15, 20 and 19 respectively.

The Spirit’s 6-5-3 record is good enough for fifth place and seven points out of first place. In their five losses all but one has been decided by one goal, the exception was only a two goal difference. Bledsoe keeps the Spirit in the game.

She has a league best 55 saves and is only allowing an average of one goal a game. That average is third among goalkeepers who have played at least 10 games this season.

It is hard to imagine the Washington Spirit without Bledsoe in goal and supporters of the club do not want to think about what their record and goals against would look like without her. Luckily, Bledsoe looks in top form and is not slowing down anytime soon.

If you want to see Bledsoe for yourself you can watch the Washington Spirit host the Chicago Red Stars later today at 7pm ET on Yahoo! Sports. Today might be her greatest test since the Red Stars have the league leading goal scorer in Sam Kerr. The best offensive player vs the best goalkeeper, what more could you want?

Photo Courtesy of BDZ Sports

Predictions for the WNBA Awards Winners

As the WNBA season continues, some of the league’s players have had great seasons. The season is a bit past the midway point, and the award races are getting good. Here are a few predictions of the winners of the WNBA awards.

Most Valuable Player: Elena Delle Donne

A few weeks ago, WOW Sports did an MVP Power Ranking. The player in first place was none other than Washington Mystics forward Elena Delle Donne.

Delle Donne averages 18.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks. She is in the top-five for categories such as points per game, rebounds per game, efficiency and 3-point percentage. She ranks second, fifth, first and fourth respectively. Even in blocks, Delle Donne is right outside the top-five. She ranks seventh and is extremely close to Liz Cambage and Elizabeth Williams, who are fifth and sixth with 1.6 blocks each. Delle Donne ranks in several categories and could move up the rankings in some of them. She has time to do so.

Delle Donne and the Mystics are playing well this season. They are second in the Eastern Conference with a record of 15-7. If they continue to play well, they not only have a chance to contend, but Delle Donne arguably becomes the favorite for MVP. So, Delle Donne has a good chance.

Rookie of the Year: Napheesa Collier

The Rookie of the Year should go to former UConn forward Napheesa Collier. Collier was the sixth pick of the 2019 WNBA draft. The Minnesota Lynx drafted the four-year player who averaged 20.8 points and 10.8 rebounds in her senior year. Now she is making an impact in the WNBA.

In her rookie season, Collier averages 11.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.9 steals. On Tuesday, Collier had a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Collier has played well and has a case for this year’s Rookie of the Year. If she keeps up her level of play, the Rookie of the Year should be coming her way.

Defensive Player of the Year: Jonquel Jones

The Defensive Player of the Year should go to Jonquel Jones of the Connecticut Sun.

Jones is a 6-foot-6 forward/center who is an exceptional defensive player. This season Jones averages 15.8 points. But it is not her scoring that is putting the league on notice. It is her defense that is most effective.

This season, Jones averages 2.1 blocks and 1.3 steals. She also averages 10.4 rebounds with most of them being on the defensive end. She averages 7.1 defensive rebounds compared to 3.3 rebounds on the offensive end.

Jones ranks first in total rebounds and blocks. She also ranks seventh in points as the Sun are first in the Eastern Conference (and league) with a record of 16-6. Jones will remain a threat on the defensive end.

Most Improved Player: Dearica Hamby

Dearica Hamby is a forward for the Las Vegas Aces. She averages a career-high 10.6 points and seven rebounds. These stats are a jump from her average of 7.4 points and 3.6 rebounds last season. Her stats have improved in nearly every category. She has improved in assists, steals and blocks. This is an impressive accomplishment for any player.

Ironically, Hamby also has a good chance at Sixth Woman of the Year. She has played in 23 games and started in five. Her role change came as the Aces are waiting for A’ja Wilson’s return. Hamby has stepped up and filled that void, at least partially. Regardless of her role, Hamby has a good chance at winning either Most Improved Player or Sixth Woman of the Year. Or, she could get both. Either way, she will win at least one of them.

Coach of the Year: Curt Miller

The Coach of the Year can go different ways. Several teams are playing well, and their coach is a big part of it. However, this year’s Coach of the Year could go to Curt Miller of the Connecticut Sun.

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Miller is no stranger to Coach of the Year, as he won the award in 2017. He won after leading his team to a 21-13 season. This was a turnaround from his first season when the Sun finished 14-20. This season, the Sun are 16-6. They are also on a seven-game winning streak. The Sun are playing well, and Miller is a part of their success.

The Season Continues

The regular season continues as the playoffs begin next month. If these players keep playing well (and Miller and the Sun keep winning), these candidates should win their respective awards.

Photo Courtesy of BDZ Sports

NWSL Player Spotlight: Yuki Nagasato

The World Cup is over which leaves all the focus turned to the NWSL. The players from the UWSNT and other World Cup teams are on various clubs all throughout the league. But just because Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd or Rose Lavelle might not be playing that night or for a specific team does not mean you should not still tune in. The NWSL is flooded with talent and we have created a weekly series that looks at players in the NWSL who did not go to France this summer, but could very well turn into your new favorite player. Second up on our series is Yuki Nagasato.

The USWNT start their Victory Tour today which will give fans the opportunity to see how competitive the NWSL is without their stars.

Not only is the NWSL flooded with American talent but also international stars who kept the league going during the World Cup. Nagasato, who is from Japan, has played with the Chicago Red Stars since 2017. However, she saw limited action in 2017 due to an injury, but was still able to give the Red Stars a goal in just six appearances. Her appearances doubled to 12 in 2018 as well as her goals doubling to two and adding an assist. So far in 2019 she has 14 appearances but has doubled her 2018 goals to four and added four assists to her impressive resume.

Nagasato’s four goals has her ranked eighth in the NWSL and her four assists as her tied for second, only behind last week’s Player Spotlight, Lynn Williams.

The Red Stars are crowded with talent especially from World Cup players including Sam Kerr, Julie Ertz, Alyssa Naeher and Morgan Brian. Despite all of that talent on a roster Nagasato is still arguably one of the most integral pieces to the Red Stars success. Nagasato leads the team in assists but her passing all across the field has been able to lead to scoring chances that do not always put her on the stat sheet. She has the second highest pass success rate at 77.5% behind Brian (79.2%). Her second place standing is a little misleading since Nagasato has a total of 512 passes whereas Brian has 197 passes. Another impressive stat for Nagasato is that she does lead the team in the number of key passes with 33 and the next closest is Kerr with only 17.

Nagasato and Kerr find themselves in sentences together often and have created one of the most lethal offensive duos in the league. The very first goal of the 2019 NWSL season saw a signature threaded Nagasto pass to a clinical Kerr finish.

Nagasato has her stats show can provide her own offense and add goals for the Red Stars. Often times she is scoring while in the air showing she has a true aerial presence. Her latest goal was scored with a flying volley on the hip of the defender.

Nagasato is important to the Red Stars and will be key in helping them stay a top team in the league. Chicago is currently in third place, but just three points off from the lead. They have won four of their last five games and will look to continue their hunt for first place in their next match against the Utah Royals.

You can watch Nagasato and the Red Stars take on the Royals later today at 8:00 pm ET on YAHOO! Sports.

Photot Courtesy of Jamie Smed

Jill Ellis, Head Coach of the USWNT Team Steps Down

US Soccer announced today that head coach Jill Ellis will be stepping down in early October. Ellis will be a part of the Victory Tour that US Soccer has created as friendly games across the US celebrating the World Cup win.

Ellis has been with the team since May 16, 2014 and had an overall record of 102-7-18. Her biggest accomplishments as a head coach were back-to-back Women’s World Cup wins in 2015 and 2019. The first coach to ever win two World Cup titles on the women’s side, let alone back-to-back.

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Once Ellis has officially finished as the head coach in October she will remain become an ambassador for US Soccer for at least the next year to help promote the game at various events.

In US Soccer’s statement, Ellis said she believed this was the timeframe she wanted when she took the job in 2014.

When I accepted the head coaching position this was the timeframe I envisioned. The timing is right to move on and the program is positioned to remain at the pinnacle of women’s soccer. Change is something I have always embraced in my life and for me and my family this is the right moment.”

Along with the two World Cup titles Ellis also won six other tournaments in her as the head coach including both CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying Championships and two SheBelieves Cups.

Perhaps the most shocking part of this announcement is that Ellis will not stay on to coach for the Olympics in 2020. While Ellis did guide the USWNT to two World Cup titles, she was not able to win any Olympic medals. Her lone Olympics under her tenure actually produced the worst finish for the UWSNT in any major tournament, exiting in the quarterfinals.

US Soccer is still searching for the team’s first ever general manager and then a search to find the ninth head coach in the United States Women’s Soccer history will commence.

Photo Courtesy of WomenTalkSports

A Brief History of the WNBA All-Star Game MVP

On Saturday, the WNBA held its marquee event. The league held its 16th All-Star Game. The event took place in Las Vegas.

Over the past few weeks, the league has prepared for this event by determining their team captains, their starters and the reserves of this game. The team captains were chosen due to being the leading vote-getters. Elena Delle Donne of the Washington Mystics was the leading vote-getter and became team captain. A’ja Wilson became the second team captain after being second in All-Star votes. Once the other starters and reserves were announced, the two team captains selected their rosters in the WNBA All-Star draft.

With the rosters set, it was finally time for Team Delle Donne and Team Wilson to face off.

Every year, the WNBA gives the WNBA All-Star Game MVP to the player with the best performance. The league established the All-Star game in 1999 (two years after its first season), where former Los Angeles Sparks center and WNBA legend Lisa Leslie won the award. Leslie finished the game with 13 points as the West beat the East 79-61.

Leslie won the Game MVP two more times after her win in the inaugural All-Star game. She won in 2001 and 2002. The West won both games as she scored 20 points, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked three shots in 2001. She had 18 points and 14 rebounds the following year. Leslie won a total of three MVPs during her time in the league. The only other player to do so is Maya Moore of the Minnesota Lynx, who won in 2015, 2017 and 2018. In last year’s game, Moore had 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

Swin Cash (then playing for the Seattle Storm) won the All-Star MVP in 2009 and 2011. Cash set a scoring record in 2009 as she scored 22 points. She followed up with 21 points in 2011.

Besides the multiple-time All-Star MVPs, there are several players that won throughout the years. Tina Thompson of the Houston Comets won in 2001, Nikki Teasley of the Sparks won in 2003. The next three All-Star games had three different MVPs as Sheryl Swoops, Katie Douglass and Cheryl Ford won in 2005, 2006 and 2007 respectively.

Candace Parker won in 2013, and Shoni Schimmel won in 2014, as they were the last two MVPs before Maya Moore. So, the league has had an excellent, diverse group win All-Star MVP.

This year, the MVP went to a member of Team Wilson. This player had a fantastic game and was on fire from deep. She finished the game with 25 points and tied the All-Star record for most 3-pointers with seven. She joins Shoni Schimmel (who made seven 3-pointers in 2014’s game) and Kristi Toliver (who did the same in 2018). This year’s MVP was Indiana Fever guard Erica Wheeler.

Wheeler has an interesting backstory as she went undrafted out of Rutgers and went to play internationally. She earned a try-out with the Atlanta Dream in 2015 but was cut. Then, she briefly joined the New York Liberty before going back to international leagues. Wheeler found a home with the Indiana Fever in 2016 and has played for them since then.

Wheeler is a first-time All-Star. She earned her spot and made a name for herself on the big stage. She finished the game with 25 points including seven 3-pointers and seven assists while putting the league on notice. Wheeler won MVP as Team Wilson beat Team Delle Donne 129-126. Her win made her the first undrafted player to win All-Star MVP and the fifth undrafted player to be named an All-Star.

Wheeler’s MVP win was emotional as she could not hold back her tears. She dedicated her win to her mother (who she lost to cancer) as she told the world “I belong.”

“My main goal today was, ‘I want to be unforgettable once we play this game.’ And I think I did that,” Wheeler said.

The 2019 WNBA All-Star game was a good one. It was a competitive game that nearly came down to the wire and Wheeler’s game was unforgettable.

Wheeler joins the ranks of WNBA greats such as Lisa Leslie, Swin Cash, and others, and did it through hard work and perseverance. Her win is well-deserved.