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NWSL Plans a One-Month Season With a 25-Game Tournament In Utah

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The top American ladies’ soccer group said it had organized to come back to the field one month from now. Yet, will the entirety of its stars appear?

The National Women’s Soccer League on Wednesday spread out an aggressive, and conceivably dangerous, plan to come back to the field late one month from now for its first rounds of a season that should begin in April yet wound up slowed down by the coronavirus pandemic.

Under the timetable that alliance authorities laid out Wednesday morning, the nine N.W.S.L. groups would assemble in Utah in late June and complete their whole season as a 25-game competition more than 30 days.

The proposed occasion, to be known as the N.W.S.L. Challenge Cup, will be an Olympic-style competition with a gathering play stage and afterward an eight-group knockout competition. The games — the first is set for June 27 — will be the alliance’s first rivalry since last October’s title game, and will succeed just through a blend of cautious arranging, broad infection testing, severe wellbeing conventions and no limited quantity of favorable luck.

And every last bit of it relies upon the players’ ability to partake, the nonappearance of new episodes and many tests when the games show up in Utah.

“Each player will have her own decision to make,” Lisa Baird, the N.W.S.L’s. new magistrate, said on a telephone call. “We will not require anybody to play in the tournament.”

Regardless of whether a player chooses to take part or not, she will get her full pay just as her clinical and lodging benefits for the 2020 season, Yael Averbuch, the official chief of the N.W.S.L. Players Association, said in a phone meet.

The entirety of the matches will be played in the Salt Lake City rural areas of Herriman and Sandy, the home of one of the class’ groups, Utah Royals F.C.

Under the configuration the N.W.S.L. has proposed, each group would play four games at the 5,000-seat Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman to decide seedings for an eight-group knockout round that will follow. The elimination rounds and last (set for July 26) would be played at the bigger Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, the home of the Royals.

No fans will be permitted to go to the games. CBS will communicate the competition opener and the last, and different games will be demonstrated live on the CBS All Access spilling stage.

Dell Loy Hansen, the Utah Royals proprietor, and his association will be the accepted host. Hansen, who likewise claims the Major League Soccer group Real Salt Lake and the two Utah arenas, will utilize his group’s sweeping preparing complex to oblige the entirety of the groups’ preparation and rivalry needs.

The N.W.S.L., which had considered proposition from three other potential host urban areas, plans to collaborate with two region inns to house each of the nine groups and their staff individuals in what the class is calling the N.W.S.L. Town — a semi isolate exertion that intends to reduce the danger of coronavirus contamination for all included.

“We want them to stay in the environment, but we want the environment not to feel like a restriction,” Baird said.

Hansen, who likewise talked on the telephone call, assessed that the town arrangement would incorporate around 300 players and 500 authoritative staff individuals. Players, generally, won’t be joined by their families, however those with youngsters will be permitted to bring them, and any vital parental figures.

The lodgings will have spaces for relaxation and recreational time, and inn staff individuals will be close by to suit non-soccer demands — whatever it takes, fundamentally, to keep the players on location.

“We just kind of opened the checkbook and said, ‘Get whatever they need,’” Hansen said.

Subtleties of the occasion are not last. As of late as Tuesday, class authorities and the affiliations speaking to the association’s average players and the individuals from the United States ladies’ national group were all the while arranging testing and disengagement conventions, best practices to abstain from contracting or spreading the infection, and off-the-field ensures for the groups and their players both during pretournament camps in their home urban areas and at the Utah occasion itself.

“Our hope is we are able to work with the league to make sure that as many players as possible feel that this is a not only a safe but exciting thing to participate in,” Averbuch said. “But there are players with unique health situations, family situations, who may decide not to participate, and that’s totally fine.”

Lists will be concluded by June 21, which is the principal day groups will be permitted to show up in Utah. Baird said the alliance was working with a migration legal counselor to make sure about visas for its worldwide players in the midst of new worldwide travel limitations.

It is indistinct what number of individuals from the U.S. ladies’ national group, who speak to the heft of the association’s best players and marquee attractions, will participate. The colleagues stay split on playing, as indicated by two individuals with information on their arrangements, with some anxious to get back on the field and others careful about the wellbeing and injury dangers of a packed season played — aside from the elimination rounds and last — on counterfeit turf and during a pandemic.

All things considered, the group’s capacity to produce an arrangement that would spare its season when other ladies’ alliances have fizzled qualifies as a triumph. Under the initiative of Baird — who has recognized the significance of expanding on the energy of the ladies’ World Cup triumph and a solid class season in 2019 — the N.W.S.L. has figured out how to sign three new advertisement accomplices: P&G and Secret, which will fill in as introducing supporters for the Challenge Cup, and Verizon, which reported a multiyear concurrence with the group on Wednesday.

“Our belief is it could — could — pay for itself,” Hansen said of the tournament. “But that will be seen at the end, and there are always expenses that aren’t foreseen.”

For the entirety of their arrangement, association authorities recognized that coronavirus diseases could rise inside the competition network inside the long stretch of rivalry.

During its arranging procedure, the N.W.S.L. gathered a 15-specialist team to make testing and contact-following conventions to attempt to guarantee that play could proceed notwithstanding a disease inside the competition bubble.

“The goal is not shutting down the tournament, or a team, with one positive result,” said Dr. Daryl Osbahr, an individual from the team, who said that the board of trustees had not decided what number of positive tests would close down the competition totally.

Matthew Ronald grew up in Chicago. His mother is a preschool teacher, and his father is a cartoonist. After high school Matthew attended college where he majored in early-childhood education and child psychology. After college he worked with special needs children in schools. He then decided to go into publishing, before becoming a writer himself, something he always had an interest in. More than that, he published number of news articles as a freelance author on apstersmedia.com.

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49ers’ Playoff Chances Decline Despite Sunday’s Victory

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The 49ers’ resounding victory over the unfortunate Chicago Bears on Sunday gave them a chance to look like Super Bowl contenders for the first time. However, the Niners’ odds of making the playoffs worsened despite the win.

For San Francisco, especially in the NFC West, it was a difficult weekend for their hopes of qualifying for the NFC playoffs. Despite improving to 6-7, the Niners’ odds of winning the division were reduced by one percentage point from the previous week to 4% according to the Athletic’s playoff model. They still had a 6% chance of making the playoffs overall.

Using various statistical models or projections doesn’t seem to improve the situation significantly. San Francisco has an 8% probability of making the playoffs, according to NFL.com’s NextGenStats model. The Niners have a 2% chance of winning the division and a 4% chance of making the playoffs, according to the Washington Post’s most pessimistic prediction.

The Niners’ three blown leads in their divisional matchups and the prolonged consequences from them are the primary causes of the lower odds, despite their victory.

The division-leading Seattle Seahawks improved to 8-5 on Sunday by defeating the Arizona Cardinals 30-18 in the Valley of the Sun. That earned Seattle their third division victory of the season and kept San Francisco two games behind them.

If Seattle defeats the Rams on the road in Week 18 and records one additional victory (hosting the Packers and Vikings before traveling to play the Bears), the Niners will not be able to win the division, even if the 49ers finish 10-7, which would put their division record at 3-3. A victory over the Rams would give Seattle four NFC West victories, and since the teams have split their two games this season, division record will be the next tiebreaker.

In the meantime, the Rams advanced to 7-6 by defeating the Buffalo Bills 44-42 in a shootout in Inglewood. The Rams will end their schedule by playing the Jets away from home before hosting the Cardinals and Seahawks, but the 49ers can even the score in their Thursday night matchup. The Rams, who are now 2-1 in the division, could sweep their next three games and defeat the 49ers for a division title even if they lose; the final two victories would give them four NFC West victories.

Given that the Washington Commanders are 8-5, the 49ers still have a chance to earn a wild card berth. However, the 49ers will need to lose two of their next four games (at the Saints, hosting the Eagles and Falcons, and then at the Cowboys) in order to even have a chance of catching up to Washington. Although it seems unlikely, it is undoubtedly conceivable.

Regardless of your point of view, the 49ers will not be in charge of their own fate and will want assistance from some of their NFC opponents in order to maintain their prospects of making the playoffs.

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Caitlin Clark declined a larger offer and invested in the team ownership bid despite earning a five-figure WNBA salary

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The investment group for FC Cincinnati stated that Caitlin Clark is contributing to a bid for a Cincinnati-based National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) expansion team.

“The NWSL Cincinnati bid team is thrilled that Caitlin Clark has joined our ownership group in pursuit of bringing women’s professional soccer to our city,” the announcement read.

“Her passion for the sport, commitment to elevating women’s sports in and around the Greater Cincinnati region and influence as an athlete and a role model for women and girls around the world make her a vital part of our compelling bid to become the 16th team in the NWSL.”

Cincinnati joins Cleveland and Denver as the third finalist for an expansion bid.

The amount that Clark contributed to the proposal has not been made public.

According to 2024 Sportico data, the average NWSL team is worth $104 million. At $250 million, Los Angeles’ Angel City FC is the league’s most valuable team, while the Chicago Red Stars are the least valuable at $53 million.

Clark’s investment would certainly surpass her whole yearly WNBA pay if it were even close to 1% of the average franchise’s total worth.

The Impact Of Caitlin Clark On Men’s Basketball In Detail

In the first year of her rookie deal with the WNBA, Clark earned $76,535 in salary. She will earn $78,066 next year.

Joining the new Unrivaled 3-on-3 league, which will take place during the WNBA summer, gave Clark the opportunity to augment her basketball revenue. Clark was apparently being offered more than $1 million by Unrivaled. Clark, however, declined. Like other WNBA players, she declined chances to play professional basketball in Europe.

This offseason, Clark played a little amateur golf, but she has mostly been going to Taylor Swift concerts and other athletic events, such as Butler University college basketball games, which are coached by her boyfriend.

It will be April 2025 before she reports to training camp for her second WNBA season.

Clark is thought to have numerous more sources of income from endorsement deals, though.

Over the course of eight years, Clark’s endorsement contract with Nike is worth roughly $28 million. This contract covers Nike marketing initiatives, product endorsements, and promotional appearances.

She also has agreements with Goldman Sachs, Wilson Sporting Goods, Gatorade, Bose, State Farm, Buick, H&R Block, Topps, and Shoot-A-Way.

Hy-Vee even makes a cereal that she calls “Caitlin’s Crunch Time.”

Since Clark keeps her spending habits under wraps, not much else is known about her lifestyle. However, if the city wins the expansion franchise, everyone will know if she is responsible for her investment in the Cincinnati FC proposal. Clark’s involvement as an investor might influence the choice.

Swift and Clark were recently featured on the cover of Time magazine’s Inspiring Women special edition issue, which highlighted eight women in leadership roles, including several athletes.

Clark appeared in all 15 of the WNBA’s most watched games from the previous season.

The willingness of Cincinnati residents to support a professional women’s soccer club might therefore have a significant impact on her financial future if that secures her investment group the NWSL team.

In 2023, Cincinnati’s median household income was $54,314. In 2022, the median household income in the Cincinnati metro region was $75,062, which is somewhat higher than the median for the entire country. Women make up more than half of Cincinnati’s population.

The WNBA does not have a team in Cincinnati. It does, however, have FC Cincinnati, a men’s professional soccer team in Major League Soccer. The city’s only professional sports teams are the Reds of Major League Baseball and the Bengals of the NFL.

Since turning pro, Clark’s fiercest WNBA competitor has already acknowledged having financial difficulties.

In an October social media post, Chicago Sky star Angel Reese acknowledged that she is unable to use her WNBA earnings to cover her rent. Reese earned $73,439 as a rookie with the Sky, but her annual rent of $8,000 is $96,000.

Reese said to her audience, “I just hope y’all know,” that “the WNBA don’t pay my bills at all. I don’t even think that pays one of my bills. Literally. I’m trying to think of my rent for where I stay at. Let me do the math real quick.”

“I’m living beyond my means!” Reese said with a laugh after realizing her pay and what she was paying.

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Some ‘telekinesis’ helps the Utah Jazz defeat the Mavericks 115-113 for their first home victory

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To be honest, after the 3-pointer he had just made, that was the only suitable reaction. Clarkson almost double-dribbled, almost ran out of time, and then almost committed a backcourt violation. His shaky running 3-pointer from the wing instead went in.

At the end, he could have done the same.

To be honest, after the 3-pointer he had just made, that was the only suitable reaction. Clarkson almost double-dribbled, almost ran out of time, and then almost committed a backcourt violation. His shaky running 3-pointer from the wing instead went in.

After catching Dallas in a preswitch, Clarkson zipped a pass under the rim to a wide-open John Collins. With 6.4 seconds left, he made an uncontested two-handed slam that proved to be the game-winning basket as Utah defeated the Mavericks 115-113.

During that last possession, Luka Doncic was on Collins down low. Doncic had his sights set on the corner, and Quentin Grimes started to cheat up the wing to meet Collins, who seemed to be expecting him to run up to set a pick for Clarkson.

The issue? He was left alone in the most hazardous area of the court when Collins chose not to go up.

“I’m just happy me and John had some, like, telekinesis action going on,” Clarkson stated. “I mean, he just read my eyes and knew what I was looking for.”

“Me and JC were just like looking at each other: ‘You gonna be open?'” Collins grinned as he spoke. “You can see JC saying (with his eyes), ‘No stay, Here you go.’ And it was just like a great play that shows our chemistry. We always had a JC-to-JC connection. JC made a great read, finished the play, and we finally got a home win.”

Collins completed a 28-point evening with the final dunk, maintaining his impressive recent play.

After it appeared that the home team was losing the game, he scored Utah’s final two baskets. Utah led by 16 points early in the fourth quarter after a solid third quarter, which has been unusual for the Jazz this season. Doncic then guided Dallas to victory.

The Dallas star finished the game with nine assists and 37 points. With 1:33 left, he helped Derrick Lively, giving the Mavericks a two-point advantage.

At that moment, Utah appeared to have no answer for a Mavericks team on the rise and was without Lauri Markkanen, who was hurt in the eye and missed the end of the game.

Collins and Clarkson supplied one.

“JC and John were unbelievable down the stretch,” Hardy stated. “Their poise really stood out. JC, made big plays. John made big plays all night. His energy is infectious for us.”

Clarkson finished a 3-point play on the other end after he was knocked down by a bucket. Then, with 36.7 seconds left, Collins dunk after rebounding a rejected Clarkson jumper to put Utah ahead 3 points.

Klay Thompson’s wing three to tie the game only served to set up the last play by Clarkson and Collins.

“They got confused on whether they were switching or not—sort of two guys went back out towards the corner and JC threw him a dart,” Hardy recalled. “But that’s JC and John understanding the moment together.”

Collin Sexton ended with 16 points and five rebounds, while Clarkson finished with 20 points and four assists. Kyle Filipowski scored 11 of his 14 points in a dominant second quarter, and Lauri Markkanen added 14 points before he left.

Six of the Jazz’s players were in double figures.

“Tonight’s not about like the X’s and O’s piece, the tactical piece. It was about the mental and the physical toughness the team showed throughout and really stuck with it against a good team tonight. That’s what we’re looking for,” Hardy stated.

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