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.
Women’s sports, straight to your inbox
Start your morning off right with Just Women’s Sports’ free, 5x-a-week newsletter.
Emma Hruby
May 30, 2024
Women's hockey history was made on Wednesday, with PWHL Minnesota taking home the inaugural league championship Walter Cup.
After Boston forced a Game 5 in double-overtime on Sunday, Minnesota went on to notch a decisive victory with a final score of 3-0. Liz Schepers, Michela Cava, and Kendall Coyne Schofield all found the back of the net for Minnesota, with Schofield’s coming on an empty-netter to end the game.
The win came after a disappointing Game 4 loss at home that saw a game-winning — and possibly championship-winning — Minnesota goal waived off. But back in Boston, Minnesota was determined not to leave without that Cup.
"I just think to have something so good taken away, like last game, I just think we knew we had to have it," Taylor Heise, who was named Playoffs MVP after posting a league-leading eight postseason points, told the Athletic. "Like that feeling [of winning] — you had it and you want it back."
The captain and oldest member of the roster, Coyne Schofield had the honors of taking the first lap on the ice with the Walter Cup in hand.
"It makes me want to tear up thinking about it. She's done so much for this sport," Heise said about the captain. "She's definitely one of the people that's helped this sport grow and one of the reasons why this arena is sold out here tonight."
Minnesota goalie Nicole Hensley relayed that Coyne Schofield, who helped to found the PWHL, was more than worthy of the win.
"There’s so much about this day that she deserves," said goalie Nicole Hensley. “She has obviously done so much for this sport and for this professional league. It’s completely fitting that she’s the first one to touch the Walter Cup.”
Perhaps fittingly, Minnesota began the season with a win over Boston and ended it the same way. And yet as they entered the playoffs, the odds were stacked against them,
Minnesota started postseason play as the lowest seed after ending a regular season that saw record-breaking attendance numbers on a five-game losing streak. Then, on the brink of elimination against top-seeded Toronto — who started the first round on a 2-0 series lead — Minnesota won three straight to advance to the Finals.
"It’s honestly hard to put into words," said Coyne Schofield. "As soon as we got in, we never looked back. There were times we were down, but we weren’t out. Some people may have counted us out, but we believed in us, the entire way."
Emma Hruby
May 30, 2024
WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier have released more details about Unrivaled, their professional women's 3-on-3 basketball league set to debut in January 2025.
The co-founders announced early Thursday that player salaries will start in the six-figure range, making Unrivaled the highest-paid league in professional US women’s sports history.
"It’s really important to us," Collier told the Associated Press. "Compensation is a huge part of Unrivaled as a league and a business. All the players in this first year will have equity in the league. For players to have a piece of the pie essentially to grow their generational wealth is something we’re really excited about."
According to Stewart, the salaries will be "similar or more" than the average WNBA player's salary. Compensation has long been a sticking point in pro women's basketball, with many WNBA players stacking up off-court sponsorship deals or opting to spend their offseasons competing overseas to supplement their regular income.
"For years, women have relied heavily on off-court sponsorships for a majority of their income. With Unrivaled, we're revolutionizing the game by prioritizing investments in our stars and ensuring their on-court performance is reflected in their pay," Stewart said in Thursday's statement.
Additional player incentives include an equity stake in Unrivaled, which is backed by an investor group that spans the likes of Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, and golfer Michelle Wie West, among others.
First announced last summer, Unrivaled will take place in Miami over eight weeks of the WNBA offseason. It's expected to host 30 players spread among six teams, with the co-founders teasing some "superstar" signings, despite rosters having yet to be announced. The league says it has agreed to terms with 10 WNBA All-Stars, with details to come later this summer.
"Any person that you can think of, that is the best in the [WNBA] that you think is a great player, we've gone after them," Collier told Yahoo Sports. "That can give you a little bit of an idea."
The court will be about two-thirds the size of a WNBA court, with teams sticking to the same rosters throughout the season. Games will also be shorter than WNBA games, while still retaining the four quarter format.
"Breanna and I set out to create a league that would change the way women's sports are viewed and ultimately how sports leagues operate," said Collier. "We may have had the vision, but this isn't just our league — it belongs to the players, and the Unrivaled model reflects that."
Emma Hruby
May 30, 2024
Three-time Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas has withdrawn her 2024 Olympics bid.
Douglas made it official when she exited the Xfinity US Gymnastics Championships this weekend, citing an ankle injury suffered during training this week. The move ends her recent comeback attempt to make the 2024 Paris Olympic team after an eight-year hiatus.
Had she made the Olympic squad, the 28-year-old would have been the oldest American woman to compete in an Olympic gymnastics event since 1952.
"I love this sport and I love pushing my limits," Douglas told ESPN. "I hope I can inspire both my peers and the next generation of gymnasts that age is just a number, and you can accomplish anything you work hard for."
A two-time Olympian, Douglas became the first Black gymnast to win the all-around title at an Olympics in 2012. In 2016, she helped the US to back-to-back team golds at the Rio Games. In February 2024, she announced her impending comeback and returned to competition the following April at the American Classic. She also withdrew from her most recent outing at May's Core Hydration Classic after a troubling start at the uneven bars.
Douglas plans to continue to train after recovering from her injury, with an eye on making it to the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
"I proved to myself and to the sport that my skills remain at an elite level," Douglas said. "My plan is to continue to train for the LA 2028 Olympics. It would be such an honor to represent the US at a home Olympics."
Emma Hruby
May 30, 2024
There's been no shortage of drama at the 2024 French Open so far, with four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka giving world No. 1 Iga Swiatek a run for her money in Wednesday's second-round match.
Osaka looked every bit the former No. 1 that she is, despite the clay court not being her favored surface. After losing the first set to Swiatek in a tiebreak, Osaka took the second set 6-1. But up 5-2 in the third, Osaka could only watch as Swiatek fought back for a 7-5 set win to take the match.
"For sure, this match was really intense. Much more intense for the second round than I ever expected. For sure, I'll be more ready next time," Swiatek said after the match. "Naomi played amazing tennis... I'm happy that she's back and she's playing well."
The victory extends Swiatek’s Roland Garros winning streak to 16 matches. The two-time defending champion is looking for her third-straight trophy — and fourth overall — at the major.
For Osaka, the battle was an indicator of what might be in store for the rest of the year as she continues to make her way back from maternity leave. After all, she had match point at 5-3 in the third set before missing a couple of backhands that Swiatek swiftly converted for a break point.
"I cried when I got off the court, but then, you know, for me, I kind of realize I was watching Iga win this tournament last year, and I was pregnant. It was just my dream to be able to play her," Osaka told reporters in a postmatch press conference. "When I kind of think of it like that, I think I'm doing pretty well. And I'm also just trying not to be too hard on myself. I feel like I played her on her better surface. I'm a hard-court kid, so I would love to play her on my surface and see what happens."
It was Osaka’s best match in years, with some of her serves reaching 122 MPH. She won 92 of the 139 points that lasted four or less strokes, and finished with a 54-37 advantage on winners.
But even as Osaka looked more and more like her old self, it wasn’t enough to overcome the world No. 1. Swiatek’s bid to become the first woman to win three French Open championships in a row since 2009 continues.
Elsewhere, Coco Gauff easily handled Tamara Zidansek in straight sets in her own second round match, while Sofia Kenin and Ons Jabeur also advanced to the third round.
top stories
Watch
The One Where She Retires | Kelley on the Street
5 minutes 16 seconds
Women’s sports, straight to your inbox
Start your morning off right with Just Women’s Sports’ free, 5x-a-week newsletter.
