JWS Staff
Nov 29, 2022
Defending champion Wisconsin volleyball ended its regular season on an 18-match winning streak.
The Badgers have not lost since Sept. 25, even as the team endured a tough Big Ten schedule and the turmoil of a photo leak investigation, and now they enter the NCAA tournament with a 25-3 overall record and the No. 1 seed.
— Wisconsin Volleyball (@BadgerVB) November 28, 2022𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙊𝙢𝙖𝙝𝙖 begins now.
Badgers earn the No. 1 Seed in the Top Right Region. pic.twitter.com/BPSfSPSNHc
The University of Wisconsin athletic department announced on Oct. 19 the investigation into a a leak of private photos and videos of Badgers women’s volleyball players, which were then shared on the internet.
At least one of the photos appears to have been taken after the team won the Big Ten title last November and shows members of the team posing with their sports bras lifted, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
The athletic department called the leak a “significant and wrongful invasion” of the athletes’ privacy. Yet even after the off-court issue, which highlighted the vulnerable position of college athletes, the Badgers continued to roll.
Wisconsin finished its conference season Saturday with a 3-1 win against Ohio State, clinching a 19-1 conference record and theBig Ten title. The only loss came on Sept. 25 against Minnesota.
“There was so much learning that came from our one loss against Minnesota,” coach Kelly Sheffield said. “That was really important for where we are right now. There was so much opportunity for us to learn throughout the course of the year and I am so proud of them.”
The 18-match winning streak is tied for the second-longest winning streak in program history. The 19-1 conference record is tied for the best conference record in program history.
Wisconsin already has sold out all-session tickets to its first- and second-round matches in the NCAA tournament. The Badgers will start their quest for a repeat title at 8 p.m. ET Friday against Quinnipiac.
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Dee Lab
Jul 11, 2024
On Tuesday, 25 Seattle-basedsports and businessprofessionalsannounced their investmentin anew USL W League teamoperated by popular semi-proUSL League Two men’s sideBallard FC.
Headlined byLauren Barnes(Seattle Reign),Jess Fishlock(Seattle Reign), Olivia Van der Jagt (Seattle Reign), and Sam Hiatt (Gotham FC), alongsideSeattle Storm co-owner Ginny Gliderand Jen Barnes, owner of the women's sports-focusedRough & Tumble Pub, the yet-to-be-namedBallard squadwill enter the pre-professional league next May.
Current Ballard FC president Sam Zisette will oversee both the men’s and women’s clubs, while vice president and seasoned athletic trainerTiffany Mallickwill shift her focus on the women's team.
"Our goal is to create better opportunities for young women to develop their skills on and off the field," said Reign captain Lauren Barnes in ateam press release. "The path to professional soccer didn’t exist on the same scale while I was growing up, and I’m thrilled to be part of changing that for future players."
"Introducing a USL W League team to Ballard is a monumental step in advancing our organization and soccer community," added Zisette. "Ballard is a special place with an immense sense of pride, passionate spirit, and love for soccer. We can’t wait to see the community embrace this new team!"
What is the USL?
TheUnited Soccer League(USL), which organizes multiple US leagues across all divisions, has recently upped its commitment to the women's game.
In addition to the developmental USL W League — which started in 2022 and now fields80 teams across four conferencesplus three 2025 expansion teams, including Ballard — USL is set to launch the fully professionalUSL Super Leaguenext month.
Witheight inaugural clubs(and plans to expand to 20 teams by 2026), the USL Super League will join the NWSL as the only other Division 1 women’s league in the country.But unlike the NWSL, the USL Super League will mirror the European schedule, operating from fall through spring with its official kickoff slated forAugust 17th.
As with USL W Ballard, the Super League also has some star power behind it. In May,WNBA All-Star rookie Angel Reese joined the ownership group of Washington'sforthcoming DC Power FC.
USL W League gears up for postseason action
But before the USL Super League takes the pitch,theirpre-professional counterpartswill finish up their 2024 postseason run.
On Saturday, the USL W's four conference champions will square off inthe league semifinalson Saturday, July 13th, with NC Courage U23 hosting Tennessee SC and the Colorado Storm facing Detroit City FC in Michigan.Winners from those two matches will then battle it out at the USL W League final on July 20th.
All USL W postseason action can be streamed live onSportsEngine Play.
Dee Lab
Jul 11, 2024
Around the WNBA, big-name players A'ja Wilson, Kahleah Copper, Caitlin Clark, and Angel Reese made good use of Wednesday's jam-packed five-game schedule, kicking off a pre-All-Star Weekend campaign that promises not to disappoint.
Aces' A'ja Wilson racks up a perfect 20/20
Two-time MVP A’ja Wilson was the star of the show yesterday, throwing down epic numbers in one of her most successful performances so far this season
Wilson registered a 24-point, 20-rebound double-double in the Aces’ 84-79 win over Seattle, marking the six-time All-Star'sfirst-ever 20/20 game.
Storm guard Jewell Loyd’s 28 points led the game, but between Wilson’s numbers and fellow Ace Jackie Young’s 27 points, Vegas managed to leapfrog fifth-place Seattle to secure a fourth-place spot in theWNBA standings.
Top-ranked WNBA teams keep scoring
At the top of the table,the Liberty beat the Sun 71-68 to oust Connecticut from the pair's previous tie for first in the standings.
2024WNBA All-StarDeWanna Bonner’s 22 points led the Sun, while Liberty guardSabrina Ionescu sank 21 points alongside Breanna Stewart’s 18-point, 14-rebound double-double to extend New York's record to 18-4 on the season.
And in Phoenix, the Mercury dominated the last-place Wings 100-84 behindKahleah Copper’s32 points — the most drained by any player that day. Yet despite double-doubles from both Teaira McCowan andArike Ogunbowale, Dallas fell to 5-18 on the season with the loss.
Rookies Clark, Reese, and Cardoso put up numbers
Fever starCaitlin Clarkowned Indiana's stat sheetyesterday with 29 points and 13 assists, becomingthe first player in WNBA or NBA history to drop 25+ points, five rebounds, 10+ assists, five steals, and three blocks in a single game.
Clark's effort wasn't enough to hold off the otherwise struggling Mystics, however, whostunned the Fever 89-84 behind a monster 26 points from Ariel Atkins.
Chicago's rookies joined forces to lift the Sky over the Dream 78-69, as Kamilla Cardoso added her own double-double to teammateAngel Reese’s record-extending 14th.
This season, Reese and Cardoso have combined to average just under 20 rebounds per game so far this season. If that metric holds, they’ll makeWNBA historywith the highest average for any duo in a single season.
What happens next for WNBA teams
WithAll-Star Weekendtipping off one week from today, only 15 regular season games remain before the WNBA's scheduledOlympic break.
Whether they currently sit in first or last place, all 12 teams will want to hit the ground running when playresumes on August 15th.
Meredith Heil
Jul 10, 2024
Today, NBA 2K25 announced back-to-back WNBA Champion, two-time WNBA MVP, and six-time WNBA All-Star A’ja Wilson as its latest cover athlete.
Las Vegas's newly minted all-time leading scorer, Wilson will grace the cover of the GameStop exclusive NBA 2K25 WNBA Edition. She will also be featured on the dual-league All-Star Edition alongside 2024 NBA Champion Jayson Tatum.
"Being featured on the NBA 2K25 cover is a big moment for me and a testament to the ever-growing fandom of the WNBA," said A’ja Wilson in Wednesday's press release. "Seeing more and more WNBA athletes scanned into NBA 2K25 to best capture the style and confidence of the league has been empowering, and I can't wait for fans to experience it in-game."
Wilson has had a standout season so far. The back-to-back reigning Defensive Player of the Year not only topped the Aces' all-time scoring list, but also leads the league in points per game with an average of 27 and sits second in average rebounds per game with 10.9. In May, she announced a signature shoe deal with Nike, and later this month, she'll be heading to Paris as a part of Team USA's 12-player Olympic 5×5 roster. It will be the 27-year-old's second time competing in the Summer Games.
"In a year that showcases competition at the highest level — and in a play style that is uniquely one’s own, we’re thrilled to share Jayson, A’ja, and Vince as the NBA 2K25 cover athletes" said Greg Thomas, president at 2K studio Visual Concepts. "The development team has delivered another innovative experience for basketball lovers, setting up NBA 2K25 to be the next icon in this long-standing dynasty."
The New-Gen version of the video game is available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Powered by enhanced ProPLAYTM technology, the release delivers the franchise’s most true-to-life basketball experience yet, offering players the ultimate control in how they dominate the competition in modes such as MyNBA, The W, and in The City.
According to the press release, the WNBA Edition will be available for $69.99 while the All-Star Edition will run $99.99. NBA 2K25 will be available on September 6th on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
Claire Watkins
Jul 10, 2024
As the NWSL heads into theOlympic break,it's time to take stock of the players currently in contention for individual accolades byseason's end.
Only 10 regular season games remain after the league's August 23rd return, despite this season being four games longer than last year's campaign.
The NWSL Golden Boot award comes down to two
The league's Golden Boot frontrunners are well known, withOrlando's Barbra Bandaand KC's Temwa Chawinga leading the pack.
At the moment, Chawinga has a slight edge on Banda even though both forwards are tied at 12 goals apiece: Chawinga has registered six assists to Banda's five, giving her the award's first tiebreaker. Banda, however, has racked up her goals in just12 games, while Chawinga's tally has come over 16 games.
With 10 matches to go, Banda and Chawinga could be on pace to break former Chicago Red StarSam Kerr's 18-goalsingle-season record.
NWSL MVP award is still anyone's game
While Banda and Chawinga are certainly shoo-ins for this year's MVP conversation, a few other players also deserve some attention.
Rookie of the Year favoriteCoix Bethuneleads the league in assists with a staggering nine while sitting tied for seventh in goals scored with five.
USWNT stars Trinity Rodman andSophia Smithshould also be considered, asRodman'spassing and finishing continue to stand out while Smith's performance has resulted in 10 goals and six assists on the season.
Plenty of NWSL competition for defensive awards
Orlando and Gotham have the stoutest defenses in the league this year, with both Defender and Goalkeeper of the Year candidates in the mix.
Orlando defender Emily Sams has proven her versatility, playing outside back after entering the league as a center-back while also being called into herfirst USWNT camp.
Recently signed Gotham goalkeeperAnn-Katrin Bergermight be behind in games played, but she's been statistically solid ever since joining the2023 NWSL champions.
And don't count out two-time reigningDefender of the Year Naomi Girma, who has been consistently excellent even as San Diego's season has wavered.
