Last Week around the Leagues
by Fran Stuchbury
Published on April 20, 2021 under Major Arena Soccer League (MASL)
This past week the Dallas Wings selected Texas center Charli Collier with the first overall pick in the 2021 Women's National Basketball Association Draft, the National Lacrosse League team in Albany unveiled its name as the Albany FireWolves, Major League Soccer started its 25th season, and the San Diego Sockers won the Major Arena Soccer League championship. Highlights from this week are from the Women's National Basketball Association, National Lacrosse League, American Hockey League, ECHL, North American Hockey League, Western Hockey League, Canadian Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Major League Soccer, National Women's Soccer League, United Soccer League Championship, Major Arena Soccer League, Indoor Football League, Canadian Football League and Major League Rugby.
BASKETBALL
Women's National Basketball Association
Two-time All-American Charli Collier of Texas was selected by the Dallas Wings with the first overall pick of WNBA Draft 2021. A finalist for the Lisa Leslie Award as the nation's top center, Collier is the first No. 1 overall selection in the WNBA Draft from the University of Texas. In her final season for the Longhorns, she averaged 19.0 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. With the No. 2 overall pick, the Wings selected center Awak Kuier of Finland, making history as the first WNBA team to make back-to-back selections to open the draft.
Debbie Antonelli joins CBS Sports HQ to break down the Dallas Wings selecting Charli Collier No. 1 Overall in the WNBA Draft.
Relive some of the best moments of the 2021 WNBA Draft night.
The WNBA released its 2021 regular season game schedule with the league tipping off its landmark 25th season on Friday, May 14 with a weekend of action featuring all 12 teams. The league will unveil its complete television schedule in the upcoming weeks. Due to the ongoing pandemic and the Olympic break, instead of the originally planned 36 games, the 2021 regular season will see each team play 32 games - 16 at home and 16 on the road. Each team will play three games apiece versus 10 opponents, and two games - one home and one away - against one team from the opposite conference.
BIG3
Former NBA shooting guard Nick Young signed a contract to play for the Enemies in the Big3 basketball league during its 2021 season this summer.
LACROSSE
National Lacrosse League
Albany NLL, announce that the Albany FireWolves will be the official name for the National Lacrosse League team that recently relocated to the Capital Region. The FireWolves name was developed to pay tribute to the lacrosse teams that came before them, while also recognizing and honoring the founders of the great sport of lacrosse. The New England Black Wolves, the team that relocated to the Capital Region and the old Albany Attack both had wolves in their moniker, as does the new FireWolves name, which also incorporates the indigenous roots of the sport.
The National Lacrosse League is back in Albany, New York and Ryan McCarthy comes on to break down all things Albany Fire Wolves.
Premier Lacrosse League
The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) powered by Ticketmaster announced its locations, venues, dates, and matchups for the entire 2021 season. From Opening Weekend on June 4th through the PLL Championship on September 19th, the PLL will host game weekends in 11 major market cities across the country, including an All-Star weekend and a three-weekend playoff structure. The entire 2021 PLL season will be viewable on the NBCU family of networks, with all games available to stream live and on-demand on Peacock. The 2021 season will feature more than half of its games on NBC and NBCSN, with a full broadcast schedule to be announced at a later date.
HOCKEY
American Hockey League
Just your typical overtime winning goal for the Henderson Silver Knights
ECHL
ECHL Plays of the Week
ECHL Saves of the Week
North American Hockey League
NAHL Plays of the Week
NAHL Stars of the Week
Western Hockey League
Saskatoon Blades defenseman Rhett Rhinehart registers his first-career hat trick
United States Hockey League
In a 5-4 win over Team USA, Jesse Tucker notched his 85th career assist to become the Green Bay Gamblers all-time leader in assists. Tucker surpassed Kyle Novak, who tallied 84 assists in his two seasons with the Gamblers (2011-2013). In three seasons with the Gamblers, the 2020-21 team captain has surpassed the 40 point mark each year.
Canadian Hockey League
The Canadian Hockey League, in association with our three member leagues, the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, has made the very difficult decision to cancel the 2021 Memorial Cup. "The CHL is committed to the health and safety of our players, their families and billets, our teams, staff and officials, and the communities in which we play. That has driven all of our difficult decisions for the last year as we have dealt with this global pandemic," said CHL President Dan MacKenzie. "The decision was made based on the limitations on travel, border restrictions, and quarantining requirements that would make it impossible to produce league champions. ¬Â
Sam Cosentino breaks down the news that the Memorial Cup has been cancelled for the second year in a row.
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
Top 10 Goals of the Month
SOCCER
Major League Soccer
Houston Dynamo FC's Memo Rodriguez scores the first goal in the 2021 MLS Season
National Women's Soccer League
Snagging a goal and assist in North Carolina Courage's 3-2 win over the weekend, Jessica McDonald earns Budweiser Woman of the Week honors.
Orlando Pride Ashlyn Harris takes home the Verizon Save of the Week for her penalty save against Gotham FC.
United Soccer League Championship
Oakland Roots Sports Club announced on that Marshawn Lynch - NFL superstar, entrepreneur, philanthropist and proud Oakland native - had joined the club's ownership group. A graduate of Oakland Tech, former Cal Berkeley player and Superbowl champion, Lynch joins Oakland Roots as an owner and partner on a new initiative to bring financial literacy and freedom to Oakland families.
Legendary NFL running back Marshawn Lynch joins SportsNation to reveal why he has invested in his hometown Oakland Roots Soccer Club.
Major Arena Soccer League
The San Diego Sockers took the road less traveled to a familiar destination. Cesar Cerda's goal with 54 seconds remaining in the 15-minute Mini-Game snapped a 1-1 tie and lifted the San Diego Sockers to a 15th professional indoor championship, beating the Ontario Fury 2-1 to take a 2-1 series win, and the Major Arena Soccer League title. The Sockers lost 6-5 in overtime to Ontario in Game Two to even the series, then came back 30 minutes later, rallying from a 1-0 deficit in the Mini-Game to win. Forced to play the entire season outside of San Diego due to the COVID pandemic, the Sockers played 17 away matches, including seven in the playoffs, rallying from a 4-6 regular season to emerge victorious.
The Ontario Fury and San Diego Sockers met for Game 2 of the 2021 Ron Newman Cup Finals. The Fury won in OT to even the series and force a 15-minute mini game. The Sockers edged the Fury 2-1 in Game 3 to claim the Cup.
The St. Louis Ambush and head coach Hewerton Moreira have mutually agreed to part ways, effective immediately, the parties announced. Moreira, who has been known throughout his soccer career simply as Hewerton, took the reigns of the Ambush for the 2017-18 season, following one year at the helm of the Cedar Rapids Rampage. In his four seasons with the Ambush, he took a team that had been 1-19 the prior season and finished the 2021 season with a winning record and a playoff appearance.
FOOTBALL
Indoor Football League
The Iowa Barnstormers have named Rob Keefe as Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator, Head Coach Les Moss announced. Keefe has an extensive coaching background, with 14 years of experience. Most recently, Keefe served as Head Coach of the Albany Empire (AFL) in 2019, leading the team to an Arena Bowl XXXII victory in front of 12,000 fans after a 10-2 first place regular season record.
With four Indoor Football League teams now in camp and preparing for the 2021 season, IFL Commissioner Todd Tryon joins Fred Shaffer to discuss the start of the new season and expectations for a great 2021 campaign.
Terrance Williams, a former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver (2013-18), has signed with the Massachusetts Pirates for the 2021 IFL season. "I'm going to bring experience and big-play ability to the offense. Getting a chance to play with Martavis Bryant, the quarterbacks, and the rest of the team is good. I'm going to lead by example."
Williams was selected in the third round, 74th overall, of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Cowboys. Following his NFL career, Williams was selected by the St. Louis Battlehawks in the 2020 XFL Supplemental Draft.
National Arena League
Albany Empire announce that Tom Menas has been named as the team's head coach effective immediately. Menas comes to Albany from the IFL Green Bay Blizzard, where he served as their Offensive/Defensive Line and Special Teams Coach. Prior to the IFL, Menas served as a head coach for both the Oakland County Racers as well as Oakland University, where he led the team to a National Championship.
Canadian Football League
Five legendary players from the Canadian Football League (CFL), an iconic head coach and an instrumental leader are included in the Class of 2021 unveiled by the Canadian Football Hall of Fame (CFHOF) and Museum. To be inducted under the Player category are defensive linemen Will Johnson and Mike Walker, wide receiver Nik Lewis and defensive backs Orlondo Steinauer and Don Wilson. In the Builder category, former Montreal Alouettes Head Coach Marv Levy and the sixth CFL Commissioner Doug Mitchell are to be inducted.
Hear comments from all 7 members of the 2021 Canadian Football Hall of Fame class as they reflect on their careers and what it means to them to become a Hall of Famer.
BASEBALL
Major League Baseball Draft League
A diverse and experienced group of former players, coaches and instructors will manage the six founding teams in the inaugural MLB Draft League, Major League Baseball and Prep Baseball Report announced. The Frederick Keys will be led by Derrick May in 2021. May comes to the Keys with 15 years of coaching experience after a ten-year playing career with the Cubs (1990-94), Brewers (1995), Astros (1995-96), Phillies (1997), Expos (1998) and Orioles (1999). May was drafted No. 9 overall by the Chicago Cubs in the 1986 draft. He appeared in 797 MLB games boasting a .271 batting average with 52 home runs and 310 RBIs.
The State College Spikes will return to action with a new skipper in 2021 as former major league outfielder Delwyn Young will manage the club for the inaugural season of the MLB Draft League. Young, 38, has deep bloodlines in baseball. His father, Delwyn Young Sr., played Minor League baseball from 1981-1994, and his uncle, Selwyn Young, also played in parts of five Minor League seasons from 1981-1995. Young's grandfather, Fate Young, served as a Major League scout for more than four decades.
With a name as synonymous as baseball itself in Northwest Central West Virginia, it is with great pleasure the West Virginia Black Bears today announce that Jedd Gyorko has been appointed manager for the Black Bears for 2021 in the team's inaugural season in the MLB Draft League. The Morgantown-native, WVU Hall of Fame player and eight-year Major League infielder is the 5th manager in the Black Bears history. For Gyorko, 32, this season will be the first of his coaching career.
Major League Baseball and the Williamsport Crosscutters have announced that former San Francisco Giants minor league manager Billy Horton has been tabbed to manage the Cutters in the inaugural season of the MLB Draft League. Horton, 47, held several Minor League coaching positions in the Giants' system from 2012-19, working exclusively with the organization's Arizona Rookie League affiliates. Horton led the AZL Giants Orange squad to a winning record in his first year as manager in 2018, following a six-year stint on the AZL Giants'.
OTHER SPORTS
Major League Rugby
Top Five Tries for Week Four
Did we miss anything newsworthy or downright fun? Have a nomination for next week's column? Contact us today and let us know.
Major Arena Soccer League Stories from April 20, 2021
- Last Week around the Leagues - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
