Golden Nuggets: Alex Morgan Revitalizing USWNT Offense

Athletics News

New Era Commences For Cal Aquatics

By Jonathan Okanes, Cal Athletic Communications

BERKELEY - Last week at the corner of Bancroft Way and Fulton Street, UC Berkeley broke ground on a state-of-the-art facility that will benefit both Cal's world-class aquatics programs as well as the entire campus.

The California Aquatic Center will be a 52-meter training pool with a bulkhead & diving tower, locker rooms and team room. It will serve as a practice facility for Cal's men's and women's swimming teams as well as its men's and women's water polo teams. By moving the training sessions to the new center, Rec Sports will be able to offer more pool time to the general campus at Spieker Aquatics Complex.

"We are committed to excellence in everything we do, and to make that excellence a reality for everyone that is part of the university," UC Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks said. "I see that in the process of coming to this groundbreaking. I see it in the project that we are about to begin - another facility that is going to make it possible for us to show to campus and to the world how important the aquatic programs are.

"Our aquatic athletes are models for our university. They are models for our athletic programs. They are models for all of us."

National Football League

Aaron Rodgers won't call his own plays; Peyton Manning doesn't, either

Earlier this year, Packers coach Mike McCarthy announced that he wouldn't be calling the plays for Green Bay going forward. But don't look to Aaron Rodgers to take over the job as play-calling quarterback.

"Nobody does that," Rodgers said in a recent interview.

Wait a minute. Nobody? Doesn't Peyton Manning call his own plays? Isn't Rodgers, the reigning MVP, sharp enough to run his own plays as the defense comes at him?

Truth is, Rodgers noted, Peyton doesn't call his own plays. And it's not a matter of not knowing the plays, it's more a matter of having more input on what the defense is offering up in any given situation.

"I think everybody would want a starting point [for deciding on a play call]," Rodgers said. "We all have moments where we have [called specific plays], whether it's a no-huddle situation or two-minute. Everybody wants a starting point. It's tough to have to call every single play, so it's always nice when you can have a good starting point and you can make a slight adjustment if you have to."

NBA Finals

Robertson Helps Warriors Win NBA Championshop

CLEVELAND - Theo Robertson, a former standout on the California men's basketball team from 2005-10, helped the Golden State Warriors win the 2015 NBA Championship Tuesday night, serving as a member of the team's video department.

Robertson is in his first season working with Golden State after having previously served as Director of Operations for two seasons on former Cal head coach Mike Montgomery's staff and an administrative fellowship with the Pac-12 after graduating from Cal in 2010 with a degree in social welfare.

If the Cavs lose tonight I'll listen to a country album of @JaredGoff16's choice from start to finish

— Trigga (@BryceTreggs) June 16, 2015

.@BryceTreggs per your request. Good luck pic.twitter.com/f0CyGfhiwo

— Jared Goff (@JaredGoff16) June 17, 2015

FIFA Women's World Cup

Alex Morgan is breathing life into the U.S.'s lackluster offense

EDMONTON, Alberta — When Alex Morgan plays, the U.S. is different team.

The star forward, who made her first World Cup start ever Tuesday night in the USA's 1-0 win over Nigeria, gives the Americans more chances to be successful when she's on the field.

"Her runs are good," said central midfielder Carli Lloyd. "She makes good, looping, bending runs outside the defenders, and gets in the back line really well, and has a good knack for the field, and kind of positioning and reading the game well."

Morgan only played a combined 23 minutes in the USA's first two matches against Australia and Sweden, but was on the field for 65 alongside Abby Wambach in the team's final group match against Nigeria.

"I think what we've been kind of missing throughout these games is we've been needing forwards to kind of check back so we can play off them and them be a bouncing board," Lloyd said. "And I think that Abby and Alex did that really well this game.

"Alex also made runs behind the back line, so that's important. We can't lose that. We still need to be able to play to feet and have people up there that we can dish the ball in and we can swing it around teams, but those penetrating passes are what are going to make us win games, so we need that as well."

With the support of every fan, the #USWNT bench gets stronger. Thanks for showing you #sharethebench #1N1T pic.twitter.com/IktyPLGgR2

— Alex Morgan (@alexmorgan13) June 15, 2015