5 O.C. players help SET 18U girls win USA Water Polo Junior Olympics gold
The club season before college, with Evans headed to Princeton and Weir bound for Stanford, amounted to a free agent period. But the young women soon found their destination in the Saddleback-El Toro Water Polo Club and coach Ethan Damato.
'SET welcomed us with open arms,' Evans said. 'Immediately, I felt like part of the team. There was no transition period. We just really, really blended with them. It was like we had been playing together for years.'
The result was a gold medal, SET's third straight in the 18-and-under division. SET Black beat Regency 8-5 in the title match Sunday at Woollett Aquatics Center.
Evans had a goal and three assists in the final, while Weir also scored.
Laguna Beach graduates Siena Jumani and Kara Carver, as well as incoming Breakers senior Brooke Schneider, also contributed for SET. Carver, bound for USC, capped her junior club career by earning her eighth Junior Olympics gold medal.
'It's just an incredible experience,' she said. 'This team is like no other, and I just loved being a part of it. It was really nice to have this be our last game and our last club experience before college, and going out on a win.'
Jumani, a goalkeeper bound for UC Santa Barbara, made six saves in the first half of the title match before Clarysa Sirls played goalie in the second half. She also helped the Breakers win the CIF Southern Section Division 1 title in February.
'It's like the perfect ending for everything,' Jumani said. 'We've just had fun throughout all of it.'
Christina Flynn scored three goals in the final and earned MVP honors for SET, coached by Damato, the former longtime Laguna Beach coach who recently was hired to guide the JSerra girls' water polo team.
SET had lost to top-seeded SOCAL in group play on Friday, but beat SOCAL 10-9 in the 18U semifinals earlier Sunday. Weir scored the equalizing goal, then Evans netted the game-winning counterattack goal after stealing the ball up top, helping SET beat SOCAL for the first time in four meetings this year.
'I saw the opportunity and I took it,' said Evans, who could say the same about joining SET for the title run.
The Corona del Mar 18U girls finished with gold in the Classic Bracket on Sunday, beating San Clemente 12-5 for the title at Yorba Linda High.
CdM went a perfect 7-0 in the tournament, including an 18-10 semifinal win over North Irvine Black.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
7 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Marina Mabrey, Tina Charles help Connecticut Sun beat shorthanded New York Liberty
Emma Meesseman joined the squad on Friday and the 2019 WNBA Finals MVP suited up, but didn't play as she was still getting acclimated to the squad. Coach Sandy Brondello expects her to be in the lineup on Sunday when the teams play again in Connecticut. Advertisement For the Sun (5-21), it was a big victory for a young team looking to establish its identity. Reserves Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Leila Lacan each had 16. Connecticut trailed 20-15 after the first quarter before getting hot in the second. The Sun took a 44-37 lead at the break when Charles hit a jumper just before the halftime buzzer. The Sun shot 50 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes. — Connecticut Sun (@ConnecticutSun) The team kept it going in the third and extended its advantage to 56-46 on Mabrey's 3-pointer with 3:36 left in the period. New York, which was playing its sixth game in 11 days, got within 69-62 on Stephanie Talbot's layup with 5:08 left. But those were the last points the team scored. Advertisement Sabrina Ionescu scored 23 points and Jonquel Jones add 14 for New York, which had 21 turnovers.
USA Today
7 hours ago
- USA Today
Allen Iverson praises Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's work ethic
Back home in Canada, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has given back to future generations with a couple of months left before the Oklahoma City Thunder start their 2025-26 season as reigning NBA champions. Gilgeous-Alexander had one of the greatest individual seasons ever seen. He brought him about every award imaginable. He won the MVP award, the Western Conference Finals MVP and the NBA Finals MVP. He also captured the scoring title. His historic dominance led to a championship ring. Gilgeous-Alexander was joined by special guest Allen Iverson at his recent youth basketball camp. The former has been pretty vocal about his idolization of the latter. You can kinda see why, too. Both are lanky guards who rely on superb isolation scoring to be one of the NBA's best players. At the No Flukes Foundation event, Iverson talked to the group of kids about Gilgeous-Alexander. And of course, had a tongue-in-cheek comment about the importance of practicing. The former MVP winner is most known for his all-time rant about practice. "You have to practice to become whatever you're trying to become in life," Iverson said. "You think Shai didn't practice? Become the MVP, the best player in the world? You have to practice." Gilgeous-Alexander's work ethic has elevated him into one of the NBA's best players. Three straight 30-plus point campaigns came out of nowhere as he wasn't even the headliner in the infamous 2019 Paul George trade. To see him develop from a decent lottery prospect to an MVP winner led the Thunder to their first championship.
Newsweek
7 hours ago
- Newsweek
WNBA Commissioner Breaks Silence on Caitlin Clark Bullying Controversy
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. More eyeballs are on the WNBA than ever before, which unfortunately for the league, means it has some explaining to do when it comes to why there's been an apparent increase in physicality, fouls, and bullying this season. And while Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark has seemingly been at the center of all things controversial with the league this season — she's been knocked around by most of her opponents, she's been fouled hard on multiple occasions, and she was front-and-center in a few instances of fan harassment toward players — the league seems to be well aware that its biggest issues go beyond just Clark. "I know there's that perception (about bullying) and obviously we're the best women's basketball league in the world," WNBA commissioner Cathy Englebert recently told the Daily Mail. "I think people love watching our game, and it is physical. Everyone thinks it's just Caitlin, but everybody's getting bumped." With Clark in particular, many have noticed opposing players taking more liberties with how aggressively and physically they've played her this season, and the reigning Rookie of the Year has the battle scars to show for it. She's missed 14 of the Fever's 27 games this season due to a handful of injuries including a left quadriceps sprain, a left goring strain, and a right groin strain (not all of which were caused by other players). Despite the number of fouls she's drawn and the physical beating Clark's body has taken this season, Englebert applauded the Iowa alum for how she's taken everything in stride. More Basketball: Napheesa Collier Calls Out Alarming Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese WNBA Trend Caitlin Clark poses with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected first overall pick by the Indiana Fever during the 2024 WNBA Draft at Brooklyn Academy of Music on April 15, 2024 in New York... Caitlin Clark poses with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected first overall pick by the Indiana Fever during the 2024 WNBA Draft at Brooklyn Academy of Music on April 15, 2024 in New York City. More"All our players are experiencing it," Englebert continued. "Caitlin has been great. She's handled it great. I'm proud of Caitlin on how she's handled all this. I'm proud of all the others and how they're handling it with grace. But it's a physical game on the court, and I think players understand that." Englebert also noted beyond the player-on-player turmoil, the WNBA also has an issue with how the players are being treated by fans too. And she's the only one to speak out against it. Minnesota Lynx star and MVP frontrunner Napheesa Collier sounded off during a recent appearance on the "A Touch More" podcast about how fans have been treating players, calling it "toxic" and "disappointing" behavior — a sentiment Englebert seemingly agrees with. More Basketball: Giannis Antetokounmpo's Surprise Role in Mikal Bridges' $150M Knicks Payday "It's obviously unacceptable, the vitriol that's out there for not just WNBA players, but female athletes," Englebert added. "They get it harder than anyone else. I get it as a female commissioner. ... It's just unfortunate that we're in a society where a lot of people can type things with no accountability. "[Players] have been experiencing it for a long time, but social media now is so widespread, and we've brought tens of millions of more fans into the league. So I think it's heightened... but we also have to try to do as much as we can to fight against it."
