Kate Yanchulis
Oct 25, 2022
The No. 5 Wisconsin women’s volleyball team will face off against No. 1 Nebraska on Wednesday in the midst of an eight-game winning streak — and an ongoing photo leak investigation.
The University of Wisconsin police department is investigating a leak of private photos and videos of Badgers women’s volleyball players, which were then shared on the internet, the athletic department announced on Oct. 19.
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.
Despite the turmoil of the leak and the investigation, the Badgers keep winning. They swept Michigan State at home Friday and beat Michigan 3-1 on the road Sunday, improving to 15-3 overall and 9-1 in Big Ten play.
Still here. 😤 pic.twitter.com/A8a3bTwyMh
— Wisconsin Volleyball (@BadgerVB) October 24, 2022
Wisconsin outside hitter Sarah Franklin, who transferred from Michigan State in the offseason, stepped up against her former team. She recorded eight kills and four blocks in the win over the Spartans.
Against Michigan, middle blocker Devyn Robinson led the team with 17 kills. The Wolverines took the first set, but the Badgers won the next three to come away with the win.
“After set one, I felt like we just needed to stay calm and loose and it felt tense in the huddle, but we just had to realize that we have to take a deep breath and get back to our game,” Robinson said after the match.
Next up: a national championship rematch against top-ranked Nebraska (18-1, 10-0) in front of a sold-out crowd at UW Field House at 9 p.m. ET Wednesday. The match will air on Big Ten Network.
The Badgers bested the Cornhuskers in five sets to take their first NCAA title in program history last December. They’ll look to hand the Cornhuskers their first Big Ten loss of the season and extend their winning streak to nine matches.
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Claire Watkins
Jul 12, 2024
Thursday's2024 ESPYsdoubledas a celebrationof the rising popularity of women's sports, as retired tennis superstarSerena Williamshosted the proceedings with ease.
"Get up, get off the TikTok, work hard, find out how capable you are. Be great. Be so great they don't want to believe in you and then be even greater," she told the next generation at the end of her opening monologue.
Women's sports take center stage at ESPYs
Athletes in women's sports were big winners throughout last night's ceremony, reflecting awatershed yearacross the entire sporting landscape.
Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark took home both the Best College Athlete and Best Record Breaking Performance Awards for herhistoric NCAA career at Iowa.
USC star JuJu Watkinswon Best Breakthrough Athlete after an exceptional freshman season with the Trojans.
Gymnast Simone Biles won Best Comeback Athlete, as the two-time Olympian prepares for herthird Summer Gameslater this month.
Las Vegas Aces' all-time leading scorerA'ja Wilsoncame up big in both the Best Women's Sports Athlete and Best WNBA Player categories.
The undefeated2023-24 South Carolina Gameco*ckswon the award for Best Team.
Dawn Staley honored with individual award
SC coach Staley picked up her own honor,receivingtheJimmy V Award for Perseverancefor her continued contributions in the field of cancer research advocacy.
Named after NC State men's basketball coach Jim Valvando, the Jimmy V Award recognizes "a deserving member of the sporting world who has overcome great obstacles through perseverance and determination."
"I must confess, I feel a little undeserving of this recognition," Staley said in her acceptance speech. "Past recipients of the Jimmy V Perseverance Award have faced incredible challenges and proven themselves as true warriors. I have merely been a spectator to such immense courage and resilience."
After opening up about her family's personal connection to the cause, Staley spoke about her greater journey as an advocate, both on and off the court.
"I try my best to do things in the right way, knowing that some little girl is out there watching me... maybe, she's one of the 13 pairs of eyes that see every little thing I do everyday and make sure to comment on it, that's my team," she said, motioning to her undefeated Gameco*cks squad seated in the audience.
"How do I not fight pay disparity, when I do the same job and get paid less but win more?" she continued. "I can't ask them to stand up for themselves if I'm sitting down. Nor can I ask them to use their voice for change if I'm only willing to whisper."
Claire Watkins
Jul 12, 2024
USWNT manager Emma Hayes dropped a big piece of roster news on Friday, with Chelsea star forward Catarina Macario officially ruled out for the 2024 Paris Olympics due to "consistent irritation in her right knee."
The roster shakeup comes the day before the USWNT begins a series of twosend-off friendliesleading up to the Olympics. In the wake of the injury, forwardLynn Williamswill now be elevated from an alternate to a fully rostered player, with defenderEmily Samsmoving from training player to Olympic alternate.
Macario's original injury dates to 2022
In June 2022,Macariosuffered an ACL tearin her left knee while playing for former club team Olympique Lyonnais.
Before the injury, the Stanford University standout featured on the USWNT's expanded Tokyo Olympics roster in 2021. She went on to win the2022 Champions League titlewith Lyonbefore being sidelined the following month.
The 24-year-old continued to rehab the injury, sitting out the 2023 World Cup. Shereturned to the USWNTfor the first time since 2022 this past April. After helping lead the US to victory at the2024 SheBelieves Cup, Macario took the pitch again for the USWNT'sJune friendlies.
Looking to the future, Hayes called Macario's knee "not a long-term situation, just not going to recover in time for the Olympics" in Friday's announcement.
Pre-Olympic USWNT friendlies kick off
This Saturday, the newly formatted Olympic lineup with square off against Mexico in New Jersey.
It will be the first time the two teams have met sinceMexico upset the USin the Concacaf W Gold Cup group stage earlier this year. Since then, the US hasn't lost a single match, going 5-0-2 and picking up trophies at theGold Cupas well as SheBelieves Cup.
The USWNT's18-player Olympic rosterwilltake center stage this week, while alternates and training players joined the team at camp leading up to the friendlies. Training players Alyssa Thompson and Kate Wiesner will return to their NWSL squads prior toSaturday's USWNT friendly.
Many of the players on the US Olympic roster have just recently left their NWSL teams for the Olympic break, while three European club players — Lindsey Horan (Lyon), Korbin Albert (PSG), and Emily Fox (Arsenal) — have spent the last six weeks off the pitch.
A new USWNT paves its Olympic path
The pre-Olympic series will likelysee goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher return to the starting XI, after ahamstring injurykept her out of a pair of June friendlies.
The matches will also provide an initial glimpse of aUSWNT without longtime star Alex Morgan, who was not selected to play in this year's Summer Games. Morgan's absence will impact the frontline, with Sophia Smith most likely to take over at center forward.
Speaking from USWNT training camp,Naeher expressed positivity about this year's Olympic team.
"I just feel an energy shift — I've just feel like a joy and excitement of from the group," she said. "I think that's really exciting to come back into after being gone from it for a camp."
The US will play a second friendly inWashington, DCon Tuesday against fellow Concacaf competitor Costa Rica. For a team looking to redeem their international standing after adisappointing World Cup run, these next two outings will serve as a chance to develop the chemistry necessary to hit the ground running in Paris later this month.
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.
