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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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.
Dee Lab
Jul 9, 2024
The NWSL’s final pre-Olympic break matches are in the books, but that doesn’t mean club teams won’t get a workout before the league’s August 23rd regular season return.
All 14 squads — minus their Paris-bound teammates — will square off in the first-ever NWSL x LIGA MX Femenil Summer Cup beginning July 19th.
Going up against the NWSL are Mexico’s top six 2023 Liga MX teams: Tigres UANL, Club América, Chivas de Guadalajara, Rayadas de Monterrey, Pachuca, and Tijuana.
All 33 matches will air on CBS Sports platforms, with Seattle Reign FC kicking off the tournament against the Utah Royals at 9 PM ET on CBS Sports Network and Paramount+.
How the NWSL x LIGA MX Femenil Summer Cup works
The Cup’s 20 teams are split into five groups of four, with each group facing off round-robin style over a total of 30 group stage matches.
Only four of those five teams will advance to the August 6th semifinals. To move on, a club must both win their group and have amassed enough points to be amongst the top four winning teams, eliminating the group stage-winning team with the lowest points.
The two Summer Cup finalists will then have months to prepare for the title-winning match, set for October 25th — one week before the NWSL’s last regular season match weekend.
Interleague cups in the women's game
While interleague contests aren’t new to the women’s game — think UEFA Champions League — they’ve been relatively rare until recently.
The Women’s International Champions Cup, which featured at least one NWSL team alongside two or three international clubs, ran for four years, with its final 2022 edition including the Portland Thorns, Liga MX’s Monterrey, the WSL’s Chelsea FC, and Cup champions Olympique Lyonnais.
The inaugural edition of the W Champions Cup, which kicks off next month, will pit Gotham, the Thorns, and the Wave against eight other Concacaf clubs, all vying for a spot in the newly minted 2026 FIFA Women’s Club World Cup.
In the US and abroad, new interleague competitions are continuing to pop up in an effort to meet growing demand — though subsequent injury concerns plague the increasingly packed calendar.
Dee Lab
Jul 9, 2024
With less than three weeks before the Paris Olympics, official women’s basketball rosters are continuing to emerge in what’s shaping up to be an elite 12-nation tournament.
Three teams — China, Puerto Rico, and Serbia —have yet to announce their players, while Nigeria and Germany still have to whittle their provisional lineups down before the Summer Games begin.
Canada, Australia, Spain, and Belgium all recently dropped their 12-player squads, joining previously announced rosters from Tokyo medalists Team USA (gold), Japan (silver), and France (bronze).
Out of the 9 finalized and provisional teams, 27 players representing five countries currently play in the WNBA, with an additional 10 competing in the NCAA.
International Olympic basketball teams to watch
With no less than seven WNBA players, Australia’s Olympic basketball lineup lists the most W stars outside of Team USA.
Led by NY Liberty coach Sandy Brondello, the Opals feature four rookies as well as three-time WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson.At 43, the Aussie will become a five-time Olympian this summer after a 12-year hiatus from Olympic competition.
Jackson, who called the final days leading up to the Opals roster drop "the hardest, pressure wise," will be looking to add to her medal collection in Paris —she’s never left the Games without one.
As for Canada, they’re bringing four tough WNBA standouts — Aaliyah Edwards (Mystics), Kia Nurse (Sparks), Laeticia Amihere (Dream), and Bridget Carleton (Lynx) — to Paris.Former Fever and Lynx center Natalie Achonwa also made the roster, becoming Canada’s first four-time Olympic women’s basketball player.
"Knowing this is my last time in that jersey, I want to cherish every second of this journey," Achonwa commented upon making the team.
Stiff Olympic competition for Team USA
Team USA’s path to an eighth-straight gold isn’t a walk in the park, with fellow Group C competitors Japan, Germany, and a strong Belgian side primed to give the States a run for its money.
Belgium made their Olympic debut in Tokyo, yet enter Paris as a serious podium contender behind 2021 WNBA champion and current FIBA EuroBasket MVP Emma Meesseman.
Outside Group C, France arguably poses the biggest Olympic basketball threat to the US. Les Bleues will look to former Sky and Storm forward Gabby Williams — France’s leader in scoring, assists, rebounds, and steals — to help them move up the table.
