Last Week around the Leagues
by Fran Stuchbury
Published on December 26, 2023 under National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
This past week the Westchester Knicks were crowned the NBA G League Showcase Cup Tournament Champions, the North Carolina Courage of the National Women's Soccer League rewarded head coach Sean Nahas with a three-year contract extension, the Major League Rugby team in Los Angeles revealed it will be known as Rugby FC Los Angeles, and the Pro Volleyball Federation announced its first television partner with CBS Sports. Highlights from this week come from the NBA G League, Women's National Basketball Association, National Women's Soccer League, Major League Soccer, United Soccer League Championship, United Soccer League One, Major Arena Soccer League, Major League Rugby, Pro Volleyball Federation and American Ultimate Disc League, American Hockey League, Southern Professional Hockey League, Professional Women's Hockey League, Western Hockey League, North American Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, National Lacrosse League, Premier Lacrosse League, Canadian Football League, International League and Pacific Coast League,
BASKETBALL
NBA G League
The Westchester Knicks (12-4), the official NBA G League affiliate of the New York Knicks, defeated the Indiana Mad Ants (15-1) 107-99, to be crowned the 2023-24 NBA G League Showcase Cup Tournament Champions. Brandon Goodwin was named the 2023 G League Winter Showcase MVP. Goodwin secured 13 points, 13 assists, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals to end the night in a victory over the Indiana Mad Ants. Goodwin has played in all but one game this year (Rest), and has averaged 18.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 8.2 assists.
Here are the highlights.
Best Of The 2023 All-Showcase Team
Chance Comanche, who played for the NBA G League on the Stockton Kinds, allegedly admitted to strangling a woman in Las Vegas in a murder plot. He will face murder and conspiracy to commit murder charges in Nevada. KCRA's Michelle Bandur reports.
Women's National Basketball Association
The WNBA released its game schedule for the 2024 regular season, which will begin on Tuesday, May 14. The league's 28th regular season will conclude on Thursday, Sept. 19, followed by the WNBA Playoffs. The regular season will feature a record-high 40 games per team for the second consecutive season, with each team playing 20 home games and 20 road games. In addition, the WNBA Commissioner's Cup presented by Coinbase will have a new format that includes a two-week stretch in June where the league's schedule consists entirely of Commissioner's Cup games.
After three successful seasons of the WNBA's version of its in-season tournament, the WNBA today announced changes to the format of the league's Commissioner's Cup presented by Coinbase, the in-season competition launched in 2021 that designates a portion of regular-season conference games in the first half of the season as "Commissioner's Cup games. ¬Â Effective with the upcoming 2024 season, the league's 28th season, the reconfigured structure for the WNBA's in-season tournament will see each team play a total of five Commissioner's Cup games, one against each of its in-conference rivals. All games played during the two-week period from June 1-13 will be Commissioner's Cup qualifying games. Teams will play either three Commissioner's Cup games at home and two on the road, or two at home and three on the road. All Commissioner's Cup games will be a part of the team's 40-game schedule and will count toward the team's regular-season win-loss record.
The 2024 WNBA Draft Lottery landed the Indiana Fever with the No.1 pick, check out how it all went down behind the scenes.
SOCCER
National Women's Soccer League
The North Carolina Courage and head coach Sean Nahas have agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension, keeping the coach on the Courage sidelines through the 2026 season. Since taking over as head coach in October of 2021, Nahas has a 29W-21L-17D record in all competitions while guiding the Courage to back-to-back NWSL Challenge Cup titles in 2022 and 2023. He holds the most wins by a head coach in cup history with 10. Nahas also led the team to a third-place regular season finish in 2023, earning the club's first home playoff fixture since 2019.
NC Courage looking to maintain success with Sean Nahas as head coach
The Houston Dash re-signed veteran forward María Sánchez to a new deal, keeping a key player for the Dash in Houston through 2026, with a mutual option for 2027. "We are excited to share the signing of Maria Sanchez, a pivotal player and person on-and-off the pitch. Maria is a difference maker who embodies our club's ambition. Her world-class left foot and attacking abilities, her desire to be a champion in Houston, and authentic connection to our community are what makes her a leader," Dash general manager, Alex Singer said. "Securing Maria's long-term future was a priority as we know she will play an important role for the Dash for years to come. Signing Maria to this robust, new deal signifies our commitment to investing talent on the pitch and infrastructure to ensure their success."
Houston Dash's María Sánchez joins Attacking Third following her record contract extension announcement!
The Chicago Red Stars have named Lorne Donaldson as the club's new head coach. The former head of the Jamaican Women's National Team led the Reggae Girlz on a historic Women's World Cup run as Jamaica became the first Caribbean nation to advance to the round of 16. Donaldson, 68, joins the Red Stars ahead of the 2024 National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) Draft. "Lorne has a proven track record as a winning coach and an advocate for his athletes. We believe he has the experience and leadership skills to elevate our talented group of players," said Laura Ricketts, Red Stars Executive Chairperson. "As the president of the elite youth club Real Colorado, Lorne also has deep ties to some of the finest U.S. players. ¬Â
Lorne Donaldson Appointed Head Coach of Chicago Red Stars Team in the USA
Racing Louisville FC agreed to transfer forward Thembi Kgatlana to Tigres UANL in Liga MX Femenil for the second largest transfer fee in league history of $275,000. With the deal, the South African superstar will earn a salary of $550,000 per year from Tigres.
Major League Soccer
With the first overall selection in MLS SuperDraft 2024 presented by adidas, Toronto FC selected Lipscomb University midfielder Tyrese Spicer. Spicer was previously announced as a pre-signed senior ahead of MLS SuperDraft 2024. A native of Trinidad and Tobago, Spicer was a standout at Lipscomb, scoring 29 times and adding 18 assists in his 57-game collegiate career. In 2023, Spicer was named a United Soccer Coaches First-Team All-American after he led the ASUN Conference with 14 goals in 16 appearances, including a remarkable 10-game scoring streak. The attacker also earned MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist honors for his performances this season.
Toronto FC's Tyrese Spicer joins Scoreline after being selected with the first pick in the 2024 MLS Superdraft.
Felipe Cardenas breaks down why US Soccer denied the request made by Major League Soccer earlier in the week.
United Soccer League Championship
The USL Championship today announced its 2024 schedule, with the league's 14th set to kick off on Saturday, March 9 with a nine-match slate. Each team willplay 34 matches in the quest for spots in the 2024 USL Championship Playoffs. The full 408-game regular season unfolds over 34 weeks and concludes on Oct. 26. Great rivalries, rising stars, and compelling storylines have the USL Championship primed for a third straight year of attendance growth after drawing more than 2.3 million fans through the gates in 2023. This year, expansion side Rhode Island FC embarks on its inaugural season as a club, led by Head Coach Khano Smith. North Carolina FC returns to the Championship after exercising its option to move up from USL League One, where the club played three seasons, including its 2023 title-winning campaign. The USL also announced t that Rio Grande Valley FC has ceased operations. Founded in 2015 as a development team for MLS club Houston Dynamo FC, RGV FC was granted permission in 2021 to remain in the USL Championship, provided it continued to meet all league and federation requirements.
USL Championship - Save of the Year - Jahmali Waite
United Soccer League One
USL Texoma, a group dedicated to bringing a professional soccer club to the Texoma region, today unveiled the brand identity of its club. The club will be known as Texoma FC and will possess an identity that resembles and tells the story of the entire region. The colors of our crest are magnolia and red. Magnolia is inspired by Durant's city nickname: City of Magnolias, whereas red is the color of the famous Red River - a flowing river that is shared by both Texas and Oklahoma and a key feature of the Texoma region.
The club hosted an event in Sherman unveiling the team's identity to the public and giving them a glimpse into their inspiration for the design.
Major Arena Soccer League
The Major Arena Soccer League conducted the second MASL College Draft today via Zoom. All thirteen teams participated in the draft's three rounds. Thirty-nine players selected overall with the first two picks being territorial and the third-round selection was at-large. With the first overall pick the Dallas Sidekicks selected Maycol Reyes, a midfielder from Midwestern University. Eddie Puskarich, head coach of the Dallas Sidekicks commented, "Maycol Reyes is a dynamic player with a lot of promise. He had a distinguished career at Midwestern University and we are excited to welcome Maycol to our Sidekicks family! ¬Â
Put down that egg nog and those cookies and take 5 minutes to catch up on everything in the MASL with MASL in 5, starring Alex Bastyovanskzy!
OTHER SPORTS
Major League Rugby
Major League Rugby (MLR), which represents the highest level of rugby competition in North America, is pleased to officially announce its newly relocated team, Rugby FC Los Angeles (RFCLA), will join the pitch in 2024. Along with the official team name announcement, RFCLA will call AEG's Dignity Health Sports Park (DHSP) home for the upcoming season. The new team name of Rugby FC Los Angeles comes with a new team mark and color scheme. RFCLA's new logo celebrates L.A.'s iconic art-deco style, while also giving a nod to the strong and mighty oak tree as the mark is outlined by an acorn. A stylized "L" is incorporated into the "A" for a sleek and clean look, while also paying tribute to the team's original city of Atlanta. The new team colors include various hues of blue and yellow to embrace the energetic Los Angeles community and its vibrant culture rooted in sea and sun.
Major League Rugby (MLR), which represents the highest level of rugby competition in North America, is pleased to announce the schedule of matches for the 2024 season and an overhauled competition structure for its teams. For the seventh iteration, the MLR regular season will include 18 weeks of action for its 11 teams, with two bye weeks for each team. Rather than be divided into two conferences as in years past, the league will compete in a single table and play six opponents twice in the season and four opponents once. The top eight teams will qualify for the Championship Series.
The season also features the addition of the Miami Sharks and the relocation of Rugby ATL to Los Angeles, joining the Chicago Hounds, the Dallas Jackals, the Houston SaberCats, NOLA Gold, Old Glory DC, the New England Free Jacks, the San Diego Legion, the Seattle Seawolves, and the Utah Warriors.
The full RUNDOWN on Major League Rugby's newest team, RFCLA
RFLCA Head Coach Steve Brett and player Jason Damm on growing rugby and MLR in Los Angeles
Pro Volleyball Federation
Pro Volleyball Federation - the premier women's volleyball league in North America - has announced an agreement with CBS Sports to become an official television partner of Pro Volleyball Federation. With the agreement, Pro Volleyball Federation joins CBS Sports' deep lineup of women's sports programming. "This is another groundbreaking day in the history of Pro Volleyball Federation," touted Pro Volleyball Federation co-founder Dave Whinham. "In CBS Sports we have a great partner that believes in the growth of women's professional volleyball in North America. We are very proud of this relationship and excited about the dynamic new ways we will be able to present our matches within the CBS Sports platform. ¬Â CBS Sports is the first partner to be announced as part of Pro Volleyball Federation's media rights package, which is expected to include both domestic and international rights. The multi-year CBS Sports agreement includes a minimum of 10 matches to be aired in 2024, plus the semifinals and championship match of Pro Volleyball Federation's championship weekend.
Franklin Sports partnered with Pro Volleyball Federation to design a REAL Pro Volleyball to rival any other ball played in any other league in the world. In teaming up, Franklin and Pro Volleyball Federation will bring the highest level of women's professional volleyball to the United States.
American Ultimate Disc League
Defensive plays made some of the biggest moments during the 2023 season!
HOCKEY
American Hockey League
Brandon Bussi understands how fortunate he is to be a professional hockey player. So if you see a group of Providence Bruins visiting a school, hospital or other places in the community, most likely Bussi will be among them.
Southern Professional Hockey League
Week 9 SPHL Goals
Professional Women's Hockey League
PWHL Minnesota players share most memorable Xmas gifts
Western Hockey League
WHL Top 10 Plays of the First Half
North American Hockey League
NAHL Top Plays - December 11-17, 2023
Ontario Hockey League
Top 10 Plays of the First Half
Top 5 Rookie Goals - OHL Best of the First Half
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League
Top 5 Plays of the Week
LACROSSE
National Lacrosse League
NLL Week 3: Top 5 Plays
Commissioner Brett Frood joined the broadcast at halftime in Banditland to talk about the roots of OUR game, and the future through NLL UnBOXed.
Premier Lacrosse League
Dallas-natives Nakeie Montgomery and Charlotte North speak on overcoming the barriers to playing the Creator's game-- And how they hope to inspire others from non-traditional lacrosse backgrounds to do the same.
FOOTBALL
Canadian Football League
Top 10 CFL Catches of 2023
Top 10 Interceptions of 2023
Indoor Football League
The Massachusetts have signed former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Trevone Boykin for the 2024 season. Boykin also was a standout quarterback at Texas Christian University (TCU) from 2011 through 2015. Boykin, a 6'0", 213 lb., native of Mesquite, TX, joined the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2016. That season he appeared in five NFL games and was 13 of 18 passing for 145 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also ran eight times for one yard. The following season Boykin was a member of the Seahawks practice squad.
National Arena League
The Omaha Beef professional indoor football team announced that they have parted ways with head coach Rayshaun Kizer. The Beef have immediately began a search for a new head coach, as they enter the 2024 season.
BASEBALL
International League
Baseball America announced the Norfolk Tides as their 2023 Minor League Team of the Year. The Tides had the best record in the International League at 90-59 and won the league championship series in three games vs. the Durham Bulls for their first International League Championship since 1983. Norfolk went on to represent the league in the Triple-A National Championship at Las Vegas vs. Oklahoma City and won ,7-6.
Best of 2023: Worcester turns a triple play
Midwest League
The South Bend Cubs, High-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, have once again been named one of the top Minor League Baseball teams in the country. Out of 60 clubs, Baseball America has selected the South Bend Cubs as the 2023 Single-A Bob Freitas Award winner, which includes both High-A and Low-A teams. Presented annually to a franchise from each of Minor League Baseball's classification levels, the Freitas award recognizes long-term business success, community involvement, and operational excellence. "It's an honor to be recognized as one of the top organizations in Minor League Baseball by Baseball America," said South Bend Cubs Chairman and Owner Andrew T. Berlin. "We've made a number of changes and improvements to enhance the fan experience over the last twelve years with even more on the way. It's a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire staff. ¬Â
Pacific Coast League
Best of 2023: Salt Lake City Bees - Trey Cabbage launches 487-foot homer
Did we miss anything newsworthy or fun? Have a nomination for next week's column? Contact us today and let us know.
National Women's Soccer League Stories from December 26, 2023
- Last Week around the Leagues - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury
- Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report - OSC Original by Dan Krieger
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.
