If you ask Kansas City Current players to tell you how their worst Cinderella story started, they’ll likely put nine months ago on the calendar — February 2022.

Leaving four weeks of snowy 40-degree weather behind them, the new-look team headed to the Sunshine State and set up camp at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, just south of Tampa Bay.

“During pre-season I kept saying, ‘Something looks different'”, current defender Kristen Edmonds told On Her Turf ahead of Saturday’s NWSL Championship game against the Portland Thorns. “We went to Florida for a month and in the first two days I just had this feeling, for me, something very different this season.”

There have been some obvious changes: a new general manager in Camille Levin Ashtona new head coach matt potterand USWNT star hit additions Sam Mewis and Lynn Williams.

“We were just together constantly. We had meetings in the morning, we trained, we raced together, we started this crazy new lifting program,” said an eight-year NWSL veteran. La Bonta Water. “…I think because we started at square one and everyone bought in, it was very easy to build a successful team.”

NWSL Championship 2022: How to watch, TV info, playoff results

“Honestly, that [was] toughest pre-season I’ve ever had in my entire career,” added Edmonds, who joined the NWSL in 2014. “I don’t know exactly what it was because there were days where I was like, ‘Oh, my God, I’m dead. I need a day off. I need an extra day off. ‘… But just being around the band and us being together all the time, and just the vibes that I was feeling. It just seemed like we had something special, and obviously we did.

“After last year we came with something to prove,” said the midfielder Addie McCain, who joined Kansas City as a rookie in 2021. “So it felt like a fresh start. Everyone seemed to accept what the new staff had to offer, and it paid off pretty well.

To say their efforts paid off is an understatement. Just a season ago, the club kicked off the 2021 campaign with the generic name ‘KC NWSL’ after new owners took over. Playing on a converted baseball field, KC was winless in its first 17 games (including four Challenge Cup games) and only won in mid-August, beating OL Reign 1 -0. They finished the season bottom of the NWSL 10-team table, with a 3-14-7 record.

But the club didn’t let last year’s struggles get in the way of this year’s opportunity, according to Potter, who helped usher in the concept of a new identity for the current from the jump.

“It goes back to preseason where we probably spent more time figuring out what identity we want Kansas City Current to look like on and off the court,” he said.

MORE CURRENT KC COVERAGE: Alex Loera talks about his trip to Kansas City, 2022 NWSL Championship

But the 2022 NWSL season got off to a rocky start. After a strong preseason run that landed the Current in the Challenge Cup semi-finals, KC went into the regular season without any of its star acquisitions when Mewis (knee) and Williams (right hamstring and hip) were both sidelined with season-ending injuries. The Current went winless in its first five games, including a 3-0 loss to the Thorns in their regular season opener.

With Mewis and Williams sidelined, other players stepped in.

“It’s not a starting 11. We literally have a starting 20. Anyone can fall in that,” LaBonta said. “We call them game changers, not subs.”

The tide began to turn on Memorial Day weekend, when KC picked up its first victory of the season, a 1-0 win over Racing Louisville. The triumph kicked off a 13-game unbeaten streak that pushed the Stream into contention for the NWSL Shield in September.

The undefeated streak (the second longest in NWSL history) was punctuated in June by a move to the team’s $18 million training facility, which was entirely privately funded, according to the owners. Angie and Chris Long and co-owner Brittany Mahomeswho founded the team in December 2020. A bespoke 11,500-seat stadium is on track for the 2024 season, marking the first purpose-built stadium for an American women’s soccer team.

“Obviously after a not so good season before, I think a lot of people wouldn’t have thought we could get here,” the midfielder said. Desiree Scott, who played with the two previous versions of the club (Kansas City FC, Utah Royals). “But as the season went on…I think that belief continued to grow with our winning streaks, just the way we were playing…We thought we could get here and we are.

The Current finished the regular season 10-6-6, dropping to fifth in the standings but advancing to their first NWSL playoffs. They earned their place in the final with a 2-0 win over OL Reign, winners of this year’s NWSL Shield. On Saturday night, the Current will face a formidable opponent in Portland, which is contesting its fourth NWSL championship and has won twice before (2013, 2017).

“They have certainly found joy in what they do and we try to improve every day. So if you’re going through those things, then it’s just another opportunity to believe that we can go on and do great things. That’s what we’re preparing for and that’s what hopefully will show up tomorrow night,” Potter said.

“I think the whole group is like, ‘Why can’t we? Why can’t we be the ones who won it all? We’re here,’ echoed the NWSL rookie defender Alex Loera.

MORE KC CURRENT COVERAGE: Lo’eau LaBonta on 2022 success, iconic cells and perseverance through NWSL turmoil

On Her Turf editor Alex Azzi contributed to this report.

TAMPA (September 21, 2022) – The American Athletic Conference on Wednesday announced the league’s full schedule for the upcoming 2022-23 men’s basketball campaign, the sixth for the head coach Brian Gregoire head of the University of South Florida.

The 2022-23 USF men’s basketball season, presented by Tampa General Hospital, officially opens Monday, Nov. 9 when the Bulls host Southeastern Missouri State at the Yuengling Center in Tampa at 20 h.

Additionally, tipping hours were announced for the Bulls’ non-conference home games. USF has six conference games scheduled to air on ESPN Linear Networks while the rest will air on ESPN+. All games for the 2022-23 season will also be shown on Bulls Unlimited (TuneIn Radio) and 102.5 HD-2.

South Florida opens conference play Thursday, Dec. 29 in Memphis (8 p.m.). The Tigers reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season with the help of a guard Tyler Harris who transferred to USF for the 2022-23 campaign.

USA action kicks off at Yuengling Center on Wednesday, Jan. 4 against Temple at 7 p.m., followed by a game against Wichita State on Sunday, Jan. 8 at 1 p.m.

The first two-game road trip will take the Bulls to Houston (Jan. 11) and ECU (Jan. 15 on ESPNU). A two-game homestand will follow with contests against Cincinnati on Wednesday, Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. and UCF on Saturday, Jan. 21. The War On I-4 showdown airs on ESPNU at 12 p.m.

Road games at Temple (January 25) and SMU (January 29 on ESPNU) precede another homestand against ECU (February 1, 7 p.m. on ESPNU or ESPN2) and Memphis (February 8, 7 p.m.). The latest two-game road trip sends USF to Cincinnati (February 11) and Tulsa (February 15).

The Bulls return home for a game against Tulane on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 8 p.m. on ESPNU before heading to UCF on Wednesday, Feb. 22 for the final War On I-4 matchup of the season. This game in Orlando will air on ESPN2 or ESPNU at 7 p.m.

South Florida wraps up its home slate with games against SMU on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. and Tulsa on Wednesday, March 1 at 7 p.m. before the regular season finale at Wichita State on Sunday, March 5.

The Bulls recently announced their non-conference schedule which includes nine home games, road games in Auburn and northern Iowa, and a pair of games in Daytona Beach for the Sunshine Slam (Nov. 21-22). .

USF’s full 2022-23 schedule includes 18 home games at Yuengling Center.

Tickets are on sale now. Fans are encouraged to visit USFBullsTix.com or call 1-800-Go-Bulls to purchase tickets.

To stay up to date with the latest USF men’s basketball news, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Facebook | instagram).

About USF Men’s Basketball

The USF men’s basketball team is led by head coach Brian Gregoire, which enters its sixth season in 2022-23. Gregory was introduced as the 10th head coach in program history in March 2017 after leading programs at Georgia Tech (2011-16) and Dayton (2003-11). Gregory spent nearly a decade as an assistant coach under Michigan State Hall of Fame head coach Tom Izzo and helped the Spartans win the NCAA National Championship in 2000 Gregory boasts over 300 career head coaching wins and six playoff appearances, including the 2010 NIT Championship with Dayton. In his second season in charge of the Bulls, Gregory led the team to the NCAA’s best win turnover, the most single-season wins in school history, and the 2019 College Basketball Invitational championship.


USF retired three numbers from its history: Chucky Atkins (12), Charlie Bradley (30) and Radenko Dobras (31). The Bulls have earned three NCAA Tournament bids, appeared in the NIT eight times and won the 2019 College Basketball Invitational.


For tickets, contact the USF box office at 1-800-Go-Bulls or by going online at USFBulsTix.com.

– #GoBulls –

For indoor sports leagues like Bellmore Merrick Basketball, the coronavirus pandemic has created challenges for administrators, who want to keep their organizations active while keeping kids and parents safe.

Despite the challenges, Bellmore Merrick Basketball has remained a fixture in the community, thanks to some decisions made by its leaders to move the league to outdoor courts in good weather. Now, as the league prepares for the winter season, it’s ready to go indoors and provide new clinics for basketball players of all ages.

The league has been around for more than 45 years, according to Mike Kruter, one of its administrators. Kruter has been involved with the BMBB as a volunteer for 27 years, he said. His three children played in the league.

“The league has always been promoted as a non-competitive community league,” Kruter explained.

Before the pandemic, the normal season ran from November to March. Kindergarten and first graders participate in clinics, which teach the basics of the game, and once they enter second grade, regular league play, with 12 to 14 games, begins and continues until the 12th year.

The 2019-20 season was the last time BMBB played indoors, and the season was cut short due to the pandemic. At the time, some 800 children were playing in the league. Later in 2020, he was unable to obtain permits from local school districts for the use of their gymnasiums as restrictions continued.

In the spring of 2021, Kruter said, the league needed to do something to ensure it didn’t fold. “To keep the league and the brand there,” he said, “we decided to bring the basketball league outside.”

In conjunction with the Town of Hempstead, BMBB has received permits to use the courts at Newbridge Road Park in South Bellmore. It brought together spring, summer, and short fall seasons in 2021, and a spring and summer season this year. About 400 children participated in the outdoor games, Kruter said.

The move away brought about some changes. Indoors, matches are played on a full court. On the outside, fewer pitches dictated a pivot to half-court plays. Despite the changes, Kruter said, the change was welcomed by parents.

“The parents were very grateful,” he said. “We managed to get the kids out.

Now, Kruter added, as the league looks to winter, it has been told by Bellmore school districts that they will be issuing permits for gymnasium use again. BMBB is now shifting gears to rebuild its indoor league – and exciting changes are ahead.

In the past, instructional clinics were only offered to younger players, and the league found that older kids lacked additional instruction that could help them improve their skills. In partnership with the Progressive Hoops basketball education group, led by former NCAA Division 1 player Steadman Short, clinics will now be offered to middle and high school students who play in the league.

Short, originally from Greenville, South Carolina, now lives in Bellmore and is a doctor. ed. professor at the Academy Charter School in Uniondale. He played basketball at the University of Mississippi, and professionally in Europe and South America, before moving into coaching.

Short said he hopes the clinics will help players who are on or might be interested in trying out for school teams. Because clinics weren’t offered in the past, he said, he also hoped they would provide older players with training they may have been missing. “It’s that avenue to bridge the gap,” he said. “It keeps the transition going.”

Short has done clinical work with BMBB in the past, and Sal Dilapi, who is a director at Kruter, said it has always gone well. Dilapi is the organization’s chief referee, although he also assigns and schedules officials for matches. Not everything was back to normal post-Covid, Dilapi said, and league officials are glad they were able to keep him running.

Registration is now open online, at BMBB.org, Kruter said. Entry forms, available online, can also be mailed to PO Box 364, Bellmore. The league is a non-profit organization and Kruter’s sporting goods store Lifestyle Sports in Wantagh provides uniforms.

Parents are registering their children, Kruter said, and the league has recruited new volunteers. He has a long-standing commitment to the league, he said, because he understands the importance of youth sports organizations. “I do it because I know how important sport is for kids,” Kruter said. “Even more in today’s world.”

Although the league faces some uncertainty as it resumes indoor play, its administrators are looking forward to another successful season from November. The clinics taught by Short will still take place outdoors at Newbridge Road Park in September and October. For more information about them, visit the Progressive Hoops Instagram page, @Progressive.Hoops, and to find out more about the league, visit their website or contact [email protected].

It comes after Cambage and the Los Angeles Sparks parted ways late last month in a mid-season “contract divorce” on the eve of the WNBA playoffs.

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“It is with support that we share Liz Cambage’s decision to terminate her contract with the organization,” Sparks managing partner Eric Holoman said in a press release at the time.

“We want what’s best for Liz and have agreed to part ways amicably. The Sparks remain excited about our core group and are focused on our run towards a 2022 playoff berth.”

Now Cambage has publicly responded to her surprise departure from the Sparks for the first time.

“While I’ll miss rocking the purple and gold, I’ll be taking this time to focus on my healing and personal growth before providing clarification on past rumours,” she wrote in an Instagram post.

“Thank you to all my supporters, family and friends for all the love and light you continue to surround me with.”

The 30-year-old appeared to take a subtle swipe at “rumours” around her abrupt departure from the Sparks and said she would have more to say on the matter in the future.

“I’ve decided to step away from the league for the time being and I’m hopeful that the WNBA will do their part in creating safer environments and a stronger support system for their players,” she said.

“Playing for the Sparks was a dream come true and I’m honored to have shared the court with such amazing ladies for as long as we did. I’m sorry to have left abruptly and I wish it would have ended on a different note.”

Cambage is a four-time WNBA All-Star but her professional basketball career is now hanging by a thread.

The Sparks were reportedly the only team willing to sign Cambage during the off-season, meaning there may be no takers left in the American league for the center, who averaged 13 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 25 games with the Sparks this season .

Damning details have come to light in the wake of Cambage’s exit from the Sparks, with issues arising before the season began, according to Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes.

Cambage had requested to wear a retired jersey number, before turning her attention to a number that belonged to current player Amanda Zahui B.

Zahui B. declined Cambage’s request, but the Aussies insistence saw management wilt and hand over the number 1 jersey. Zahui B. only learned the news via social media.

The handling ruffled feathers among the team.

In film sessions Cambage repeatedly threw her teammates under the bus and blast them for not getting her the ball enough.

Cambage stormed out of the locker room after playing her last game for the Sparks against her former team the Las Vegas Aces on the weekend.

“I can’t do this anymore. Best of luck to you guys,” she stated before storming out, sources with knowledge of her departure told Yahoo.

Interim head coach Fred Williams said Cambage struggled with conditioning and facing double and triple-team match-ups, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Cambage made comments about her intentions to leave the Sparks to multiple people within the organization, according to Girls Talk Sports TVwhich reported “chemistry issues” among Los Angeles players that date back to late May.

Cambage’s career has been plagued by controversy in recent years. She pulled out of the Opal’s Olympic campaign last year after allegations she used a racial slur towards Nigerian players during a warm-up game.

Opals captain Jenna O’Hea confirmed in May Cambage had told the Nigerian players: “Go back to your third world country.”

News Corp revealed she physically lashed out at Nigerian players and referred to her opponents as “monkeys”, which Cambage has denied.

The Australian has slammed the Opals and said she had “zero” interest in representing her country at this year’s World Cup.

In light of Cambage’s departure from the Sparks, footage emerged of an awkward press conference in July, where she is seated next to Sparks teammates, Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike.

In the video, the Ogwumike sisters — who are Nigerian — can be seen squirming uncomfortably and even rolling their eyes as Cambage speaks about her return from Covid-19

.

Jhe North Bellmore-North Merrick Basketball League, which has been around since the 1960s, is in danger of shutting down this year, due to a lack of volunteers to help run the program.

Board member Kirk Oshan has been involved with the league for about 20 years, he said. His children played there, and so did he when he was a child.

At its peak, Oshan said, the league had about 650 active boys and girls, from sophomores to high school students. He couldn’t have a season for the past two years due to the coronavirus pandemic, but in 2019 there were 475 players and enough active board members.

“Maybe in the last 10 years or so,” Oshan said, “things started to change.”

Coaches started leaving the league, he said, followed by administrators, for a variety of reasons. Often it was because people were retiring and moving away, or because their kids were no longer in the league. Now, Oshan said, after the two-year hiatus, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find new volunteers.

The games are non-competitive. “Every kid on every team plays the same time,” Oshan explained. “It’s more about knowing how to play the game, sportsmanship – and hopefully having fun.”

Todd Kamelhar, one of the league’s co-chairs, has served on its board of directors for eight years and has been its chairman for five. “I was really brought in by a group of guys who had a passion to keep this league alive,” he said. “My children graduated and I was already a board member. I stayed because of the great experience my kids had in the league.

“We only have one manager who still has kids in the league, and that’s kind of sad,” Kamelhar added. “We cannot get parents to volunteer.

The season normally begins in November and ends with a playoff in March. Oshan said every team, regardless of their regular-season record, qualifies for the playoffs. In the 2019–20 season, the league had 45 teams competing.

The league is non-profit and the season usually consists of 10 games, although for the 2022-23 season they may consider reducing this number to eight, in the interest of reducing costs, but these factors remain to be considered. determine. The fee is remarkably reasonable compared to other youth sports, Oshan noted, and includes a mesh jersey.

League managers are more involved, Kamelhar said, and at least one attends every game. “Our league is all about fairness,” he said. “It’s designed for kids who just want to play.”

Games are played at North Bellmore and North Merrick gymnasiums, high schools, colleges and elementary schools in the area. Prior to the start of the season, arrangements are made with school districts and the league hires referees to officiate games.

“We need to have the right insurance,” added Oshan, “and we’re on top of our game in terms of what needs to be done.”

The league is not limited to residents of North Bellmore and North Merrick. In the past, children from Bellmore, Merrick and East Meadow have played. According to Oshan, it comes down to volunteers who are willing to join and help keep the league alive.

“We have no future if we do nothing,” he said. “The league will have to close. I feel sick about this – I want a place where these kids can play.

Longtime coach and former league president Herb Maletz said he would be sad to see him go. “Looks like we’re going broke,” he said. “We don’t want to close – the community loves us – but we can’t go on without help. We desperately need new blood to continue.

For now, Kamelhar said the board is not ready to run the league again in 2022-23 and needs at least five new volunteers. “It’s a matter of time,” he said. “We have to commit to the season going forward. It takes a village.

The league has a website, NBNMBBall.com. Those interested in volunteering can contact Oshan at [email protected] or (516) 425-6800.

“This league has been around for a very long time,” Kamelhar said, “and it would be a shame if it had to end.”

The Bristol Flyers have signed British playmaker Jelani Watson-Gayle from Fresno Pacific University.

The 23-year-old playmaker has put pen to paper on his first professional deal after signing a one-year contract, with the option of a further year.

Watson-Gayle arrives at Bristol after a successful five-year college career in NCAA Division II – enjoying spells with Benedict and Miles, ahead of his final year at Fresno Pacific.

Last season, Watson-Gayle led the Sunbirds to the PacWast Conference Tournament for the first time in program history, while also being named PacWest Newcomer of the Year and First-Team All-Conference.

He averaged 19.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, including a game-high 34 points against Chaminade in December, to go along with seven steals.

Upon signing his first professional contract with the Flyers, Watson-Gayle said, “I’m really looking forward to starting my professional career with the Flyers.

“I’ve been away from home for seven years now, so I can’t wait to play in England again.

“I’ve never played for Coach Kapoulas before – we had a great conversation on the phone and he expects me to earn my minutes this year.

“He said he wanted to dedicate time to my growth as a player and that was really important to me.”

Prior to his college career, Watson-Gaye gained valuable experience on the international stage, having been part of the UK Under-20 team that competed in Division A at the 2018 European Championships.

Flyers head coach Andreas Kapoulas said: “Jelani is a talented and hardworking British player who has enjoyed an excellent college career at D2 level, winning many honours.

“He had several outstanding performances last season in a strong conference and led his team to its first conference tournament in program history.

“I really enjoyed talking to him during the recruitment process and I could tell that he will fit into our system very well with his tenacity and skills.

“He will be a great role model for the club’s young players in our program and we are very happy to have him start his professional career at Bristol.”