What the Geno Auriemma-Dawn Staley confrontation was really about.
My column on the wild scene at the Final Four and Geno's escalation of the fiercest rival in women's college basketball:
https://t.co/Q5UQepXmJ3
The different perspectives I heard at the Phoenix Showcase were interesting. When discussing 2028s, I heard a lot of “well she’s still so young” from club coaches… yet some of these same players will be committing in a few weeks to where they’ll (possibly) be walking across the stage in 2032.
Kinda crazy when you think about it.
And it helps explain why the portal is overflowing—bad, uninformed, or rushed decisions about one of the biggest life-shaping experiences you’ll have.
It would be so much better if “labels” weren’t driving so much of this.
Everyone—clubs, players, parents—loves the shiny D1 or P4 commit post. But we never see the 1,000+ posts each year that say: “Bella just entered the portal and regrets her decision…”
“I want to play D1” — without regard to all the amazing D3 schools and programs.
“I want to play Power 4” — without being able to name the all the conferences or schools.
The best advice I can give: DO YOUR HOMEWORK.
You have more access than ever. You can become a private investigator with the resources at your fingertips.
Consistent roster turnover? That’s a major yellow flag—and it doesn’t take much digging to find it.
Use your network. Coaches, friends, clubs… you’re often just a few connections away from someone who knows the real story behind a program.
Forget the labels. Follow your fit.
There are plenty of D1 players who choose D3 because they fall in love with the school and experience. Just like there are plenty of slam-dunk P4s who choose great mid-majors—we have more than our fair share.
At the end of the day, no one cares where you went to school as much as you think they will.
But you’ll care a lot if you chose for the wrong reasons.
#CollegeSoccer #ResistTheLabels @wmtribewsoc
Forever #OrlandoUnited 💜
Eight years ago, tragedy struck our LGBTQI+ friends and neighbors.
Today, and every day, we continue to denounce hate and stand up for love, respect, and inclusivity by remembering and honoring the 49 lives taken at Pulse nightclub.
This is the first direct measurement of the Caitlin Clark Effect on the WNBA. If there are any disgruntled veteran players still out there, it’s probably time for them to come along for the ride.
Articles like these require a lot of trust from all parties involved. Thank you @MLSist for giving us a BTS glimpse of life for a ref.
Do yourself a favor and subscribe to The Athletic for content like this.
NEW: At MLS Cup,I had the opportunity to do something truly unique: embed with the @PROreferees crew for a few days.
It was an eye-opening, humanizing experience & a fun glimpse into a rarely-seen world.
My longread & photos, on @TheAthleticSCCR:
https://t.co/lJvcyxzI3U
A&T and Gallaudet new AR football helmet, aimed to level the playing field for deaf and hard of hearing players, got a thumbs up from the coach and quarterback. https://t.co/XhafT9ruMV