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Why UNC Lacrosse Wishes a Breakout Season in 2025

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Why UNC Lacrosse Wishes a Breakout Season in 2025

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The North Carolina Men’s Lacrosse program is heading into the 2025 season with a lot riding on it. After two straight years of finishing 7-7, it’s starting to feel like mediocrity is creeping into the program. Last season, UNC went 1-3 in conference play, and their out-of-conference losses to teams like Johns Hopkins and Princeton weren’t just defeats—they were blowouts. On the flip side, they also dropped some one-goal games to High Point and Army that, frankly, could’ve gone either way. UNC never sets up an easy schedule, with all of those opponents being tough as nails. But let’s face it, for a program of UNC’s caliber, they need more than moral victories. Sure, the season ended with a surprising win over Duke, but it was too little, too late. By then, they were out of postseason contention. And missing the postseason? That’s just not good enough for a program like UNC.

Let’s not forget that UNC isn’t far removed from a sensational 2021 season, where they were just one goal away from a national title shot. They fell short against Virginia in the NCAA Semifinals with a heartbreaking 12-11 loss. Since then, it feels like that one goal has set the program back for a few years. That 2021 season feels distant now, with the team struggling to find its footing ever since. UNC has been in a holding pattern of .500 seasons, a place where they simply don’t belong. And that’s exactly why this year is so critical—UNC lacrosse needs a big season.

The coaching staff at UNC is stacked with knowledge and experience. Joe Breschi and Dave Pietramala are two of the best in the business, and the fact that they’re on the same sideline is almost scary. You talk to anyone who’s played for either of them, and they’ll tell you how much they respect and connect with these coaches. Both have won at the highest level, and there’s no reason they shouldn’t be able to replicate that success at UNC. But the ACC is not getting any easier. Syracuse, after struggling for years, is finally trending upward under Gary Gait. Notre Dame has now won back-to-back titles and is pulling in five-star recruits left and right. Virginia? They’re always a threat, especially with Lars Tiffany at the helm. And as long as Danowski is running the show at Duke, they’ll be competing for national titles. The ACC is the toughest conference in lacrosse, and with teams like Syracuse and Notre Dame hitting their stride, UNC is in danger of getting left behind. They can’t afford to coast through another season—they need to pull off meaningful wins, especially in conference play.

The silver lining here is the talent UNC has in its locker room. Owen Duffy and Dominic Pietramala are going to be the core of this team for the next few years. As sophomores, they’ve already made an impact, and their potential is sky-high. They accounted for a huge chunk of UNC’s offense last season, and they’re only going to get better. The window is wide open with these two, but they need help. Fortunately, UNC has recruited well, bringing in two five-star midfielders and a handful of four-stars. These new guys are going to need to contribute early, and if they do, UNC could reach its full potential. You don’t want to waste Duffy’s and Pietramala’s careers with nothing to show for it, especially since they could go down as two of the best to ever wear a Tar Heel uniform.

But make no mistake, if UNC has another down year, you can no longer consider them a top-tier program. They have all the pieces—talent, coaching, resources—to be great, but another .500 season would be confirmation that they’re struggling to keep pace with the rest of the lacrosse world. UNC belongs in the conversation for national titles and deep postseason runs, and the lacrosse community is better when they’re competing at that level. There’s just too much at stake for them to drop the ball again.

The 2025 season could make or break UNC lacrosse. With the coaching staff they have, the talent they’ve recruited, and the pedigree of the program, there’s no reason they shouldn’t be competing for the ACC crown and a deep postseason run. But they need to prove it. If they can’t turn things around this year, the slide from national prominence could continue. For UNC, this season isn’t just about wins and losses—it’s about reestablishing their place among the elite.

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WNBA semifinals tip off on Sunday

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WNBA semifinals tip off on Sunday

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The GIST: In the midst of the above, the game plays on — the WNBA’s semifinals tip off on Sunday, meaning it’s time to level up from three-game sets to five-game series. More hoops, more drama.

No. 1 NY Liberty vs. No. 4 Las Vegas Aces at 3 p.m. ET: It’s the superteam showdown we’ve been waiting for, but one round too early. Still, this 2023 Finals rematch — led by the Aces’ U’nanimous M’VP A’ja Wilson and the Liberty’s two-time Finals MVP Breanna Stewart — is what hoop dreams are made of.

No. 2 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 3 Connecticut Sun at 8:30 p.m. ET: Though it lacks the history of the first series, don’t let that fool you. Both teams can score in bunches: the Lynx’s Napheesa Collier is the postseason’s leading scorer, while the Sun’s Alyssa Thomas and fiancée DeWanna Bonner continue to drop buckets.

  • Plus, with two of the league’s most fearsome defenses going head-to-head, it’s giving spicy on the Scoville scale.



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WNBA: 2024 name caps the roller-coaster historical past of New York Liberty

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WNBA: 2024 name caps the roller-coaster historical past of New York Liberty

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The New York Liberty have finally reached the mountaintop.

In an epic back-and-forth Finals with the Minnesota Lynx, they won the decisive Game 5 67-62 before a roaring sold-out crowd at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The game also brought in a record-number 2.2 million television viewers.

It not only marked the first title in the franchise’s 28-year history, but also the first professional basketball title for New York since the Nets won the 1976 ABA championship. It’s the culmination of a journey that started all the way back at the beginning of the league in 1997, as New York joined Houston, Charlotte, Los Angeles, Utah, Sacramento and Cleveland as one of the original eight teams.

From the start, the Liberty were a marquee feature, with the talents like Rebecca Lobo, Teresa Weatherspoon, Crystal Robinson, Kym Hampton and Becky Hammon. They made four Finals appearances from 1997-2002, twice losing to the dynastic Comets. The Liberty earned a place in the annals of basketball history in Game 2 of the 1999 Finals, when Weatherspoon hit a buzzer-beating shot from beyond half court to tie the series against the Comets at one game a piece. Though the Liberty lost the deciding Game 3, Weatherspoon’s “The Shot” remains one of the league’s iconic moments.

For a time, New York was a perennial contender, making 19 playoff appearances and playing at the famed Madison Square Garden from 1997 to 2018.

But after losing in the 2002 WNBA Finals to the Sparks, things started to slide downward. Lobo was traded to Houston in 2001. Weatherspoon’s Liberty career came to an end in 2003. New York won only 11 games in 2006. Hammon, who was the star player in the mid 2000s, was traded to the San Antonio Stars in 2007. By the end of the 2000s, the Liberty were lingering in the league’s basement.

Things started to pick up under head coach Anne Donovan in the early 2010s. A squad led by Cappie Pondexter and Taj McWilliams-Franklin made the Eastern Conference Finals in 2010, where they lost to the Atlanta Dream. From 2011 to 2013, the Liberty were forced out of Madison Square Garden due to renovations, playing at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

In 2015, NBA legend Isiah Thomas was hired as the president of basketball operations. He named his Detroit Pistons teammate Bill Lambeer as head coach and acquired superstar Tina Charles in a trade. The Liberty finished first in the Eastern Conference that year. The following year, they made it back to the playoffs before losing in the second round to the Phoenix Mercury. In 2017, they lost in the second round to the Washington Mystics.

That same year, owner James Dolan announced he was selling the franchise. In the beginning, there wasn’t a buyer so the Liberty had to play home games at the Westchester County Center in White Plains, New York, a 90-year-old facility which housed the Westchester Knicks of the NBA G League. The Liberty went from playing in front of 10,000 fans to barely 3,000.

Then, the turning point came in 2019 when the franchise was purchased by the husband-and-wife team of Joe and Clara Wu Tsai, who owned part of the Brooklyn Nets. The team was relocated to the Barclays Center, where they’ve found a permanent home. After acquiring Sabrina Ionescu and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton in 2020, the team started to become a draw again. They hired Sandy Brondello as head coach and eventually brought along Courtney Vandersloot, Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart to round out their core.

Now, they are playing before packed houses every night as celebrities sit courtside.

They started at the top, downsized to the mid floor and then fell in the dark abyss of the basement before climbing their way back to the top with sheer grit and persistence.

Now, they’re champs.



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Ohio State : Fall Ball Version

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Ohio State : Fall Ball Version

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Ohio State scrimmaged North Carolina on Sunday October 13. The unofficial score was 7-7 at half, 18-13 Buckeyes after four quarters and 23-15 OSU after a fifth quarter. That’s a lot of goals – a positive sign for a Buckeye team who struggled to find the back of the net in 2024. Worth noting that Owen Duffy did not play for the Tar Heels. 

I spoke with Ohio State coach Nick Myers on my way home from Arkansas this past weekend. “The UNC event was a solid go and we had great crowd in our stadium.” 

When I asked him about the more potent offense he replied, “We are playing faster than we ever have, and are a bit deeper on offense.”

The Buckeyes scrimmaged Robert Morris on Saturday and led 19-7 after four quarters. That’s another explosive outing for the offense. 

Encouraging signs considering that Ohio State is coming off a (6-9) season in 2024 which was preceded by a (5-9) record in 2023. OSU is a combined (2-11) on the road in the last two years. 

In 2024, the Bucks had three straight one-goal losses to post season teams – Maryland, Johns Hopkins and Michigan. Can they morph those one-goal losses into wins?

They return mostly intact this spring with 70% of their starts back and 80% of their scoring remains on the roster. Scoring goals hasn’t been easy. They ranked #50 in cumulative shooting percentage (26%) and #41 in cumulative efficiency finishing the year at #22 in the RPI. They averaged just five assists per game (#60). 

This fall, the attack rotation is between five seniors and a sophomore who are battling for playing time.  Coach Myers told me, “We played two separate attack units evenly in both scrimmages. 8 minute stints each and then switched. I actually liked it.”

Key seniors on offense

  • Alex Marinier – Ontario native (28,2)
  • Jake McKenna – 6-6 241 pounder (21,9)
  • Ed Shean – (17,11) California 
  • Gannon Meyers – Idaho product had (19,7)
  • Ben Mayer – Florida native (18,6)

The story is that Ohio State returns foundational producers on offense and added four functional transfers to its core. They’re all back, they just have to learn how to pass. 

An under-the-radar player to keep an eye on is sophomore Garrett Haas, who has played well in scrimmages against UNC and Romo. He was a freshman last year after playing high school ball in Texas and Utah, being named Utah Mr. Lacrosse in 2021. 

Haas is Mormon with seven siblings and spent two years in South Africa after high school on an LDS mission. Predictably, it took a year to recalibrate and catch up to the speed of college lacrosse and to get his body right. Garrett has been a pleasant fall surprise, he’s very skilled and surging up the depth chart. 

Goalies Henry Blake and Caleb Fyock are currently competing for the role. Fyock, aka Big Tasty, was 52% as a freshman starter. He’s listed currently at 6-2 and 297 pounds on the roster. 

Scarlet and gray have sufficient bodies at the SSDM spot but lack experience. 

The coaching staff returns intact. Over his first 14 seasons in Columbus, coach Nick Myers has won 120 games and is above .500 in the Big Ten. Ohio State’s signature moment was the 2017 Final Four and national championship game. Myers has done admirable work raising the profile of lacrosse in Ohio and the Midwest. Travis Crane is the defensive coordinator. Justin Tuma is the offensive coordinator. Andrew Vossler works with the goalie and FOGO’s while Mo Lavallee handles the operations. 

Coach Myers is searching for more depth at close defense. His top three are solid but he understands the importance of having a viable 4th guy. 

  • Bobby Van Buren – senior from North Carolina who was home schooled in high school. 
  • Cullen Brown – Jr from Landon. 
  • Kyle Foster – Soph from BL. 
  • Jonny Cool is the LSM, a junior from McDonogh School in Baltimore. 

Ace defender Bobby Van Buren was injured in 2024, costing him most of the season. Van Buren got hurt in the Robert Morris scrimmage last weekend.  OSU is waiting on an MRI and holding their breath. 

With external competitions done for the semester, 8 hour segments are next. That means passing & shooting sessions for offensive players in small groups, approaches & recoveries for d-men and plenty of reps for FOGO’s and goalies. OSU will hit the weights hard and bring their conditioning levels upward as January inches closer. 

The 2025 spring schedule is comparable to prior editions. OSU opens with Utah. Their big non-league games will be UVA in Columbus with trips to Notre Dame and Denver. The Big Ten slate is standard. 

Ohio State looks better on paper in 2025. If they can win the inches, I can see (6-9) flipping to (9-6) or to even a 10+ win campaign. 

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Ladies’s Football Stars Urge FIFA to Lower Ties With Saudi’s Aramco

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Ladies’s Football Stars Urge FIFA to Lower Ties With Saudi’s Aramco

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The Associated Press dropped its NCAA preseason All-America team on Tuesday, with Trojan guard JuJu Watkins and forward KiKi Iriafen representing a highly anticipated new-look USC on the list.

The 30-member national media panel also named UConn superstar and projected 2025 WNBA Draft No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers, Texas sophomore Madison Booker, and Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo to the exceptional five-player squad. What’s more, Watkins and Bueckers received unanimous nods.

New-look USC faces high NCAA expectations

Last season, Watkins put together arguably the most impressive freshman campaign in NCAA basketball history, averaging over 27 points per game and setting a national freshman scoring record with 920 points.

Along with this week’s AP nod, the sophomore secured the 2024/25 Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year vote last month.

In grad student Iriafen, USC landed this offseason’s top transfer, as the Stanford standout flew south in the wake of both the Pac-12’s 2024 dissolution and the April retirement of Cardinal leader Tara VanDerveer — the winningest coach in NCAA basketball history.

Last season, Iriafen averaged a double-double at 19.4 points and 11 rebounds per game. Now on the preseason No. 3 team, she’ll aim, alongside Watkins, to improve on the Trojans’ 2024 Elite Eight run — their best March Madness performance in 30 years.

USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb called Watkins the X-factor in Iriafen’s transfer decision.

“Kiki came because she wanted to play with JuJu, who recruited her because she wanted to play with Kiki,” she explained. “It’s exciting to see their personalities mesh.”

NCAA preseason All-America team pick Madison Booker had a standout freshman season at Texas. (Soobum Im/Getty Images)

Underclassmen lead the charge in NCAA preseason All-America team

With the sophomore trio of Watkins, Booker, and Hidalgo, young players are leading the 2024/25 NCAA season, even before the November tip-off.

“It’s unbelievable,” remarked Gottlieb. “Those players excelled as freshmen and their teams won. They did it in multiple ways. It’s really exciting for the game and the future of it.”

Last season, Hildago’s 22.6-point average led Notre Dame to the ACC Tournament title and the NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16.

Booker, on the other hand, had an unexpected breakout season after the star Texas guard Rori Harmon was sidelined with an ACL injury. The newly minted starter stepped up for Texas in a big way, ultimately averaging 16.5 points, five assists, and five rebounds through her freshman year.

Last season, Booker also led the Longhorns to a Big 12 Tournament title.

South Carolina players chat during a 2024 preseason women's college basketball game.
None of the 2023/24 undefeated South Carolina players made the 2024/25 preseason All-America team. (Justin Ford/Getty Images)

South Carolina snubbed?

Notably, the preseason All-America team does not include any players from reigning NCAA champion South Carolina, who went undefeated in their 2023/24 campaign. The news comes a little over a week after the Gamecocks topped the preseason AP women’s college basketball rankings.

“We knew we’d have a target on our backs this season as the reigning champions and this preseason ranking just confirms that,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley told the AP last week. “We appreciate the recognition, but I know our coaching staff and our team are more focused on what we see in the gym every day. And that’s every player working extremely hard to get better individually and as a team.”

The publication first started compiling an NCAA preseason All-America team ahead of the 1994/95 season.



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WNBA: Giant adjustments anticipated in 2025 loose company

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WNBA: Giant adjustments anticipated in 2025 loose company

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The confetti has fallen. The trophy’s been raised. The parade is scheduled.

So naturally, the next question is: What’s going to happen in the 2025 WNBA season?

Before prognostications about what might come to be in 2025 can be proffered, much roster reorganization will occur. In early February, a stacked class of free agents will begin to make decisions about where they’ll hoop in 2025. Before then, the league will hold its first expansion draft since 2008, with the Golden State Valkyries beginning to build their roster on December 6. There’s also the prospect of trades. Five teams still need a new head coach. And on top of all that, the WNBPA elected to opt out of the current CBA, a decision that could influence players’ and teams’ plans for 2025, as the possibility of a work stoppage before the 2026 season looms.

To begin to get a grasp on the various shake ups that might rattle the WNBA ahead of the 2025 season, here’s a list of the 2025 free agents, organized by their 2024 teams and with their 2024 salaries also noted. All players who ended the 2024 regular season on a roster are included, while a few prominent players who did not play in 2024 are listed under the team that retains their rights.

When gaming out scenarios for your favorite team or player, keep in mind that teams can protect six players, regardless of contract status, for the expansion draft. (As of right now, it is expected that teams’ lists of protected players will not be disclosed to the public ahead of the draft.) Golden State also will be permitted to select only one unrestricted free agent in the expansion draft. The salary cap for the 2025 season is $1,507,100, with a supermax salary at $249,244.

Atlanta Dream

  • Maya Caldwell (reserved, $36,841)
  • Tina Charles (unrestricted, $130,000)
  • Lorela Cubaj (reserved, $64,154)
  • Cheyenne Parker-Tyus (unrestricted, $200,000)
  • Aerial Powers (unrestricted, $155,000)
  • Iliana Rupert (suspended—contract expired)

Chicago Sky

  • Chennedy Carter (unrestricted, $76,535)
  • Diamond DeShields (unrestricted, $100,000)
  • Dana Evans (restricted, $78,469)
  • Isabelle Harrison (unrestricted, $160,000)
  • Nikolina Milić (reserved)
  • Michaela Onyenwere (restricted, $85,690)
  • Brianna Turner (unrestricted, $150,000)

Connecticut Sun

  • Caitlin Bickle (reserved, $22,231)
  • Veronica Burton (reserved, $50,180)
  • DeWanna Bonner (unrestricted, $209,593)
  • DiJonai Carrington (restricted, $78,469)
  • Brionna Jones (unrestricted, $212,000)
  • Tiffany Mitchell (unrestricted, $139,050)
  • Astou Ndour-Fall (unrestricted, $125,000)
  • Alyssa Thomas (unrestricted, $218,000)

Dallas Wings

  • Jaelyn Brown (reserved, $64,154)
  • Natasha Howard (unrestricted, $234,350)
  • Awak Kuier (suspended—contract expired)
  • Satou Sabally (unrestricted, $195,000)
  • Sevgi Uzun (reserved, $64,154)

Indiana Fever

  • Temi Fagbenle (restricted, $76,535)
  • Kelsey Mitchell (unrestricted, $212,000)
  • Erica Wheeler (unrestricted, $202,154)

Las Vegas Aces

  • Alysha Clark (unrestricted, $110,000)
  • Sydney Colson (unrestricted, $76,535)
  • Queen Egbo (reserved, $11,433)
  • Tiffany Hayes (unrestricted, $88,000)
  • Kelsey Plum (unrestricted, $200,000)

Los Angeles Sparks

  • Aari McDonald (restricted, $89,302)
  • Kia Nurse (unrestricted, $142,500)
  • Li Yueru (reserved, $64,767)

Minnesota Lynx

  • Olivia Époupa (reserved, $64,154)
  • Natisha Hiedeman (unrestricted, $120,000)
  • Myisha Hines-Allen (unrestricted, $180,200)
  • Jessica Shepard (suspended—contract expired)
  • Cecilia Zandalasini (reserved, $64,154)

New York Liberty

  • Kennedy Burke (unrestricted, $76,535)
  • Ivana Dojkić (reserved, $64,154)
  • Rebekah Gardner (reserved)
  • Marine Johannés (reserved)
  • Jaylyn Sherrod (reserved, $30,488)
  • Breanna Stewart (unrestricted, $205,000)
  • Courtney Vandersloot (unrestricted, $194,670)
  • Han Xu (suspended—contract expired)

Phoenix Mercury

  • Amy Atwell (reserved, $9,527)
  • Monique Billings (unrestricted, $60,243)
  • Brittney Griner (unrestricted, $150,000)
  • Mikiah Herbert Harrigan (reserved, $64,154)
  • Natsha Mack (reserved, $64,154)
  • Charisma Osborne (reserved, $45,098)
  • Celeste Taylor (reserved, $56,639)
  • Diana Taurasi (unrestricted, $234,936)

Seattle Storm

  • Joyner Holmes (unrestricted, $61,380)
  • Nneka Ogwumike (unrestricted, $204,500)
  • Mercedes Russell (unrestricted, $160,000)
  • Victoria Vivians (unrestricted, $76,535)
  • Sami Whitcomb (unrestricted, $140,000)
  • Gabby Williams (unrestricted, $23,491)

Washington Mystics

  • Elena Delle Donne (unrestricted)
  • Emily Engstler (reserved, $64,154)
  • Sug Sutton (reserved, $64,154)
  • Julie Vanloo (reserved, $64,154)
  • Shatori Walker-Kimbrough (unrestricted, $97,850)

Thanks to Her Hoop Stats for contract details.

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WNBA denounces poisonous fan habits throughout record-setting postseason

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WNBA denounces poisonous fan habits throughout record-setting postseason

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The GIST: Following two more higher-seed sweeps on Wednesday, the semis are set, but unfortunately, outstanding play and one legend’s possible swan song were eclipsed by serious off-court issues.

The context: Amid a season full of record WNBA attendance and viewership, there’s also been an increased amount of derogatory comments made about players’ race, gender identity, sexuality, and beyond.

  • And a portion of this escalation comes from some problematic Indiana Fever fans. For some background, in June, Fever rookie sensation Caitlin Clark condemned the weaponization of her name for misogynist and racist causes.

The latest: This week, as the No. 3 Sun swept the No. 6 Fever out of the playoffs, the discourse reached a tipping point. Before Wednesday’s Game 2, Carrington revealed she’d been sent death threats after another physical moment with Clark in Game 1.

  • Following the Sun’s 87–81 Game 2 series-clinching win, Connecticut superstar Alyssa Thomas spoke to the media, explaining that over her 11-year career, she has never faced racial insults like the ones hurled at her by Fever fans this season. Despicable.

The WNBA’s response: After Thomas’ remarks, the WNBA released a statement, affirming that “derogatory or threatening comments” toward players will not be tolerated. Still, with more eyes on the league than ever, the time to address the negativity affecting players is past due.



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WNBA: Washington Mystics brush aside Thibaults from GM, head trainer roles

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WNBA: Washington Mystics brush aside Thibaults from GM, head trainer roles

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The Washington Mystics’ season ended over one month ago, when, after starting the season 0-12, the team just missed out on the playoffs following a 6-4 finishing stretch.

On Tuesday, the leadership of Monumental Basketball decided the team’s in-season progress was not enough to secure the futures of general manager Mike Thibault or head coach Eric Thibault, as the organization announced it had “agreed to mutually part ways” with the father-son tandem.

On the decision, Monumental Basketball president Michael Winger said:

After extensive reflection and conversation, we have decided we are at a point in our competitive and evolutionary cycle to turn the team over to new leadership with a renewed vision to carve our path into the future of WNBA basketball.

He then offered words of appreciation for both Thibaults, sharing:

Coach Mike elevated the Mystics program to its proud status as a league leader in innovation, the standard bearer in player care, and a model franchise. He built and coached the Championship team, developed high performing players, and pioneered many of the processes teams use today in building rosters and organizations. His fingerprints are all over this franchise and will be for years to come. We are grateful for Mike’s commitment, passion, and leadership and wish him well. Coach Eric is a skilled coach and equally talented motivator. Our players are fortunate to have played for Eric these past two seasons, as will many other players in this league for decades ahead.

The elder Thibault had been with the organization since before the 2013 season, the start of a 10-year head coaching tenure that was highlighted by the team’s 2019 WNBA championship. Before the 2023 season, Mike stepped away from coaching, solely focusing on the general manager role he also had held. He turned over head coaching duties to Eric, who had been an assistant to his father since 2013.

The Mystics are now the fifth WNBA team without a head coach, joining the Los Angeles Sparks, Chicago Sky, Atlanta Dream and Dallas Wings. Washington’s dismissal of Eric Thibault means that every team that missed the 2024 playoffs is looking for a new head coach. The Mystics are the second team, along with the Wings, also in need of a new general manager.

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Lacrosse Fall Ball: The place Successful Groups Are Constructed

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Lacrosse Fall Ball: The place Successful Groups Are Constructed

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Fall ball at the college level is a beast in and of itself. Once you become a collegiate athlete, the idea of an offseason essentially disappears. Your summers may be the closest you’ll get to an offseason, but even during that time off from school, the work never really stops. If you show up to lacrosse fall ball out of shape or with subpar stick skills, you might be closing the door on your chance for playing time before the spring season even begins. But what exactly makes fall ball so important?

Lacrosse is a complex game with countless elements that require hours of practice in each specific element in order to be successful. These elements include offense, defense, face-offs, man-up, man-down, clearing, and riding as just a few of the facets that teams must focus on. The spring season simply doesn’t provide enough time to install all of these crucial components, especially with today’s college lacrosse landscape of games starting as early as February. There is a heightened pressure to get these major elements installed in the fall. If a team doesn’t spend enough time investing into each these elements, they will face an uphill battle come spring, scrambling to install concepts that should already be in place.

With only two hours of practice each day and so much to address, every minute of lacrosse fall ball needs to be productive. The fall is not the time to focus on getting in shape or learning basic stick skills. If a team is still working on fundamentals during this period, they are missing out on valuable time that should be spent fine-tuning strategies and learning the X’s and O’s of the game. Coaches understand this more than anyone. If you’re a returning or freshman player who shows up with poor conditioning or lackluster stick skills, you’re starting at a disadvantage. First impressions matter, even for veterans, because each season brings new dynamics and new expectations. Coaches aren’t concerned with last year’s performance; they’re focused on the future. If you can’t keep up with the concepts being installed from the start, you’re setting yourself back in the eyes of your coaches and teammates.

Fall ball is the perfect time to instill the core principles of a program, both on and off the field. It’s not just about learning plays or refining skills; it’s about building and reinforcing the team’s culture. How does the team handle adversity? Who will step up as a leader when the going gets tough? How hard will the players work when no one is watching? These are questions that need answers, and they can’t be left until spring. You can’t expect a team’s culture to develop overnight—it takes a dedicated fall season to set the tone for the months to come. Ignoring these cultural aspects during lacrosse fall ball will inevitably lead to problems down the line. A team that sleeps on the fall will find it impossible to fix its cultural issues once the season is in full swing.

While all of this might sound harsh, the truth is that no team is a finished product in the fall. The best teams are the ones that embrace the process of getting better everyday and are not focused on the results. A bad week of practice in the fall doesn’t mean you’re doomed to miss the field in the spring, but coaches expect effort, commitment, and progress everyday. The players who show up in shape and with sharp stick skills demonstrate their dedication over the summer, which makes a good impression. Championships are built in the fall, not the spring. Success starts with showing up every day, paying attention to detail, and giving your all. Lacrosse fall ball is a time to hoot and holler, stay dialed in, and buy into the process of improvement. No team will win games in the fall, but they can certainly lose them by failing to put in the necessary work.

Lacrosse fall ball sets the foundation for the entire season. It’s where teams build their culture, hone their skills, and lay the groundwork for success. The fall may not be about results, but it is about preparation, and the teams that thrive in the spring are the ones that have already put in the work long before the season starts.

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USA Rugby to Compete in November PR7s Event

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USA Rugby to Compete in November PR7s Event

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Competing for the first time since Paris, Olympic bronze medalists USA Rugby will feature in Portlands’s Premier Rugby Sevens All-Star Tournament next month.

The one-day event will pit Team USA against the PR7s All-Stars across multiple 14-minute matches.

“We anticipate this event to be a record-setting tournament for rugby fans in the US,” said PR7s founder and CEO Owen Scannell. “Our PR7s All-Star format ensures high-level competition as the US national teams prepare to return to international competition… We’re thrilled to make history with USA Rugby.”

Captained by USA rugby’s Alena Olsen, the Southern Headliners compete in the Premier Rugby Sevens league. (David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Premier Rugby Sevens leads the sport

The USA Rugby-sanctioned PR7s is a 16-team touring league at the highest level of rugby sevens competition in the US. Since its 2021 launch, the league has also enshrined equal pay into its fiscal model. Boasting the sport’s top domestic talent, PR7s next season will kick off in summer 2025.

PR7s was well-represented in Paris as a full 21 of the league’s athletes found their way onto the Olympic podium. Five helped New Zealand win back-to-back gold and four boosted silver-medalists Canada to their best Olympic result yet. Plus, a full 12 of the 14 athletes on Team USA’s bronze medal-winning roster have played on the PR7s pitch.

Harnessing Olympic success to grow US rugby

Next month’s PR7s All-Star Tournament aims to capitalize on this summer’s Olympic medal moment in growing the sport.

“This is a great opportunity for fans to see our Olympians back in action and for rugby to continue building momentum in the US with our partners at PR7s,” said USA Rugby CEO Bill Goren on Tuesday.

Even before last summer’s medal matches, the Paris Games’ rugby sevens competition drew sold-out crowds of over 66,000 fans and built celebrity followings.

Team USA’s bronze, the first Olympic medal ever won by the US in rugby sevens, sparked instant support for the sport domestically, from fans and investors alike. Only hours after the medal ceremony, the US team received a $4 million investment from women’s sports owner and new rugby sevens fan Michele Kang to support a run to LA’s 2028 podium.

The PR7s All-Star Tournament is the next step in the sport’s domestic growth. Even more, it’s the first competition where fans can celebrate their Olympic heroes on home soil.

How to buy tickets to the PR7s All-Star Tournament in Portland

The tournament kicks off at 5 PM ET on November 17th at Portland’s Providence Park, with tickets available via SeatGeek. 

The post USA Rugby to Compete in November PR7s Tournament appeared first on Just Women's Sports.



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