There is no denying that the PGA Championship, which starts Thursday at Southern Hills, has its headliners. That would be the 9:11 a.m. time on Thursday: Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth. But there are others worth discussing, from world No. 1 and reigning Masters champion Scottie Scheffler to previous No. 1 Jon Rahm and more.

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Also, what should we expect from Southern Hills? And who else besides the obvious big names should we keep an eye on in the year's second major? We gathered our experts to answer those questions and more.

Woods, McIlroy and Spieth are all paired together for the first two rounds. Come Sunday, who will have had the best week of the three?

Mark Schlabach: I'll go with Spieth. I heard someone say earlier this week that he's really good when he's confident and pretty bad when he's not. He's playing with a ton of confidence right now, after his victory at the RBC Heritage in April and runner-up finish at the AT&T Byron Nelson last week. He's one of the better scramblers on tour. That will come in handy at Southern Hills, where the run-offs are going to leave guys in some pretty precarious positions. You never know about Spieth's putter, but I like his chances more than Tiger's and Rory's. I just don't think Tiger is physically ready to win again -- the fact he's even out there is a medical miracle. I'd love to see Rory win another major because I think he's one of the more insightful players on tour.

Kevin Van Valkenburg: I think this is Spieth's best chance for the next five or six years to win the career Grand Slam -- future venues don't set up as well for his game. So I'm going to stick with my prediction that he wins this week. Everyone is going to be chipping this week, and he's still one of the most creative minds there is around the greens. Rory has a real shot to win, too, but something about this course is whispering Jordan to me.

Matt Barrie: Jordan Spieth. He's my official pick to win the PGA Championship this week and become the sixth player ever to win the career Grand Slam.

Paolo Uggetti: Seeing as to how I picked Spieth to win the whole thing, my hands are tied. But I wouldn't be surprised to see McIlroy in contention through the weekend. Coming off that sensational Sunday run at the Masters, Rory seems like he's back to enjoying golf again. It's now been eight whole years since he's won a major, and though that task feels tougher now than it did back then given the depth of the field, the momentary flashes of peak Rory he shows from time to time are tantalizing reminders that he can still tap into that version of himself. If Rory has actually found something in the last few months to help him turn the corner, this would be as good a weekend to unleash it as any.

Tom VanHaaren: ​​I feel like when Spieth gets on a roll, he really gets on a hot streak. I want to put Rory down as my answer, but Spieth was 25 under this past week to finish second at the Byron Nelson. It's time for him to win another big tournament. Like I said, I kind of feel like the answer is Rory, but something is pulling me to say Spieth. If he wins this one, he completes the Grand Slam and would be the third youngest to do it behind Woods and Jack Nicklaus.

Speaking of Tiger, what do you expect out of him this week?

Schlabach: I think he'll perform better than he did in Augusta. But, like I said earlier, I don't think he's physically ready to compete for a major championship victory. I'd love to be wrong, of course, because it would be one heck of a story. He says his surgically repaired right leg is stronger than it was at the Masters. It's been six weeks. It's going to be a lot warmer in Tulsa than it was at Augusta. I wondered if his putting woes at the Masters had as much to do with his back and the cold weather as much as anything else. A top-25 finish would be a step in the right direction, which should be enough for Tiger to keep working to get back on top.

Van Valkenburg: Some better putting than the Masters. We are all so in awe of the comeback, it overshadowed how truly bad he was with the flat stick over the weekend. I think he'll putt better, although he admitted in his pre-tournament news conference he simply can't practice putting the way he once did, for hours at a time. His back just won't allow it. I think a top 25 is realistic, though. The moderate rough means misses off the tee won't be automatic bogeys, and he's still really good at judging how a ball is going to come out of a tricky lie.

Barrie: I always believe that when Tiger Woods plays he'll be a factor. I do expect much like Augusta, he'll be very much in the conversation through Friday. Come the weekend, fatigue will set in again. Anything inside the top 30 would be an amazing accomplishment.

Uggetti: It's still strange to be in a position to not expect much from Tiger, but as he said Tuesday, his biggest challenge isn't even golf related, but rather walking, which will be an issue "for the foreseeable future." Coming to terms with that reality, for him and for us, is inevitably reframing the conversation around him. Every positive shot, finished round and cut made feels like a win. With a long course ahead and plenty of hills -- literal and figurative -- in his path this week, the task to get to the weekend feels tougher than it did at the Masters. Of course, Tiger did also say that he feels stronger. Even if expectations have to be restrained now, it doesn't mean there should be much doubt that he will always be capable of getting in the mix.

VanHaaren: Tiger won the PGA Championship on this course in 2007, but this is a different Tiger Woods. I'm not expecting a ton from him this week. He said he thinks he can win, and I believe him when he says that. But the course is playing at almost 7,600 yards this week, and he's still trying to come back from his injuries. He made the cut at the Masters, but finished 47th. I would expect something similar from that week at Southern Hills, where he starts off playing well but gets tired by the end of the week.

There are a lot of intriguing groups over the first two days of the PGA Championship. Which other one interests you the most?

Schlabach: Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantlay are interesting to me because we've been waiting for each of them to do something at a major for a while. DJ hasn't done much of anything on U.S. soil since winning the Masters in November 2020. His second major victory seemed like it was going to be a big breakthrough, but then he missed the cut in two of four majors last year. Cantlay is probably the best player in the world without a major championship win. It's going to come at some point. JT should have more than one major championship victory -- the 2017 PGA Championship -- and he knows it.

Van Valkenburg: I love the Viktor Hovland, Will Zalatoris and Cameron Smith pairing because it's three incredible ball strikers who have one part of their game that can go totally squirrely at any moment: Hovland's chipping, Zalatoris' putting and Smith's driving. Each of them has the game to win here. If I were into wagers, I would grab Smith in an instant.

Barrie: I'll go with Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler and Collin Morikawa. The past three major championship winners are grouped together, which means all of them understand what it takes to win on the game's biggest stage. And each of them has a great shot of winning this week. Scheffler has said Southern Hills is his favorite course. If that's the case, we could be on Grand Slam watch after Sunday.

Uggetti: I'm with KVV. Give me the youth. The Zalatoris, Hovland and Smith group has an average age of 25 and contains all the makings of a sneaky entertaining watch. Personally, I think Hovland's style can be one of the more compelling watches on tour. I'm shocked that he hasn't had a top-10 finish at a major yet. Meanwhile, Smith is a metronome who feels like he's long overdue to win one. And Zalatoris, well, there will be putts.

VanHaaren: I would watch a live feed of the Tyrrell Hatton, Bryson DeChambeau and Max Homa group, especially if they were miked up. I can't think of three more different personalities to put together than those three. So maybe this isn't so much about the golf as it is who is playing with each other. If there's any way to sneak microphones near those three throughout the round, they should do it. For purely popcorn and entertainment, those three would be my pick. If we're talking about actual golf, then I want to see Rahm, Morikawa and Scheffler. Those three all have a shot to win.

What will see from world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler? Another win? A strong week but no trophy? A post-Masters letdown?

Schlabach: I'd be surprised if he's not in contention for the Wanamaker Trophy. He came up to Southern Hills a couple of weeks ago and shot 6-under 64 in a practice round. He has called it one of his favorite courses in the world, and he has some experience here from playing at the University of Texas. The odds are that Scheffler won't win again. Few heaters last that long, especially ones in which you win the first two majors of the season and win five times before May. But the guy is playing with a ton of confidence and more than likely thinks he's going to come out on top again.

Van Valkenburg: I'd lean toward a strong week but not a trophy. Winning back-to-back majors is ridiculously hard, and winning your second major is actually way harder than we seem to grasp. (Remember, it took Tiger almost 3 years after his dominant Masters win in 1997 to get it done.)

Barrie: Because I didn't want to pick the same guy twice -- I did pick Scheffler to win the Masters. So, this time, I went with another Texas player -- Jordan Spieth. I won't be the least bit surprised when Scottie Scheffler is in one of the final three groups come Sunday. In fact, I expect it.

Uggetti: Golf is so deep right now that even though Scheffler has shown he's worthy of being the No. 1 player in the world and a favorite at this tournament, it doesn't mean he can pull off back-to-back wins. He might play even better than he did at Augusta and could fall short of another trophy if a different guy has a ridiculous week. And there are so many guys who can do that. Still, it would be shocking to not see Scheffler inside the top-10 come Sunday.

VanHaaren: I think he'll play well but won't win. There's a lot of emotion that comes with winning the Masters. Jumping back in to try to win another major ends up being too much. If he were to win, he'd be just the 10th player to win each of the first two majors of the calendar year, so that tells you how rare of a feat it is. It would also give Scheffler five wins on the season, and no player has had five wins in a season by the end of May since Tom Watson did in 1980. So, I'm not going with Scheffler this week just based on odds and history.

Does Southern Hills favor a specific player?

Schlabach: I think you've got to have all the tools: distance and length off the tee, precision on approach shots, creativity around the greens and a consistent putter. I think it favors the players who are great with a wedge in their hands, and that means Justin Thomas, Spieth, Daniel Berger, Tiger and Scheffler. Players who have figured out the swirling winds will have an advantage, too.

Van Valkenburg: I kind of feel like we're just speculating on this one because we don't know what the course will play like since the Gil Hanse redesign. It feels like you have to have a complete game, not just be elite in one area, which would favor guys like Scheffler, Rahm, Thomas and McIlroy.

Barrie: The fairways are a good bit wider after the redesign, and trees have been removed. However, it's still very much a course you need to be in the right spot off the tee with the driver. So, the players who gain most strokes off the tee -- Rahm, Rory, Cam Smith -- should all have a great week.

Uggetti: All the discourse around the course seems to be that this setup will elevate the best players in the game to the top of the leaderboard. As recently as a few months ago, the best of the best was thought to be Rahm. The Spaniard won in Mexico earlier this month, leads everyone in strokes gained off the tee in 2022, and yet he feels a bit under-discussed in the face of Scheffler's dazzling run to the top of the world rankings. Rahm's game is built to win at any course, though, and Southern Hills could be where he steps back into the spotlight.

VanHaaren: I know the course is playing long, but the greens are going to be difficult all week, so approach shots and short game are going to win. Morikawa comes to mind with his iron play. Cam Smith has been playing well as of late, but has never finished in the top 20 at a PGA Championship. Smith leads the PGA Tour this season in birdie average at 5.38 per round, though, so if he can continue that pace, he should have a shot. Thomas always finds greens; he's third in strokes gained from tee-to-green in 2021-2022, but he's 82 in putting. If the putter is working, Thomas should be right there at the top of the leaderboard.

Who is the sleeper who could make some serious noise this week?

Schlabach: There's going to be a lot of attention on Talor Gooch, who grew up in Midwest City, Oklahoma. He also played collegiately at Oklahoma State. He talked about living out a dream this week by playing the PGA Championship at Southern Hills. The guy is a pretty damn good player, too. He is ranked 35th in the world and has 11 top-25s in 18 tour starts. He won for the first time on tour at the RSM Classic in November. He ranks seventh in shots gained around the green and hits it plenty far enough. If his putter gets hot, he might be a real factor.

Van Valkenburg: Cameron Young has a chance to be a star on tour, and most casual fans don't know who he is yet. The PGA Championship has a history of crowning longshots, so I honestly wouldn't be totally stunned if he shocked the field.

Barrie: Gary Woodland. The 2019 U.S. Open champion at Pebble Beach was born and raised in Kansas. He played his college golf at KU. This is to say, he knows what it's like to play golf in this area of the country. He said he feels confident in his game and with his putter. At 90-1, Woodland qualifies as a sleeper.

Uggetti: Joaquin Niemann. The Chilean put on a wire-to-wire clinic at Riviera earlier this year and has been building on that since. He's only 23 and has yet to really pop in a major since turning pro in 2019, but it feels like his game is bound to translate to a big stage sooner rather than later.

VanHaaren: I think I talked myself into Cam Smith when I said above that he is averaging 5.38 birdies per round. He hasn't done well in past PGA's, but he started the season at 21 in the official world golf rankings and is now up to No. 4. Smith and Scheffler are the only two players this season with multiple wins and a top-10 finish at the Masters, so I'm going with Smith.

Kansas City Royals star catcher Salvador Perez is expected to miss at least two weeks after suffering a sprained left thumb Tuesday against the Chicago White Sox.

The Royals placed Perez on the 10-day injured list after the opener of Tuesday's doubleheader against the White Sox.

Perez told reporters he suffered the injury when he swung through a pitch during his first at-bat against Chicago's Dylan Cease. The seven-time All-Star left the game in the seventh inning because he was having trouble gripping the bat but, according to Royals manager Mike Matheny, still wanted to play Game 2 of the doubleheader.

"He knows he's got a sprain, but he wanted to play," Matheny told reporters, according to MLB.com. "He knew he could play through it, but the issue is: 'What are we risking here?' We don't want to risk a season-ending injury if it gets worse."

Perez, 32, hopes to spend the minimum 10 days on the IL but acknowledged a quick return to the Royals will be "hard" because the sprained thumb is on his glove hand, making it difficult for him to catch.

"It's really sad to see Sal go down, but it's encouraging to hear that he's not going to be out long," Royals center fielder Michael Taylor told the Kansas City Star. "Obviously, he's a big part of our team."

Perez was off to a slow start this season before the injury, batting just .206 with six home runs and 16 RBIs in 34 games. The 2015 World Series MVP led the majors with 48 homers and 121 RBIs last season.

The Royals recalled catcher Sebastian Rivero from Double-A Northwest Arkansas to replace Perez on the active roster, but rookie MJ Melendez is expected to serve as Kansas City's primary catcher during the 12-year veteran's absence. Melendez, who caught all 18 innings of Tuesday's doubleheader, is batting .233 with one homer in 30 at-bats this season.

CLEVELAND -- Guardians manager Terry Francona has cleared Major League Baseball's health and safety protocols and returned to the team after missing four games with COVID-19.

Francona will be back for Wednesday's game against the Cincinnati Reds, along with bench coach DeMarlo Hale. They both tested positive for COVID-19 last week while the Guardians were in Chicago and returned to Ohio by bus as the team continued its trip to Minnesota.

Hitting analyst Justin Toole is also back with the Guardians, who have dealt with two separate outbreaks in recent weeks.

First baseman Josh Naylor remains the only Guardians player currently sidelined with the virus. Sandy Alomar and Mike Sarbaugh, the team's respective first- and third-base coaches, are still sidelined after testing positive.

Francona, 63, in his 10th season with Cleveland, dealt with some symptoms over the weekend but has been feeling well the past few days. He missed most of the past two seasons to handle some serious health issues.

With Francona back, pitching coach Carl Willis returns to his normal duties after serving as acting manager.

Hitting coach Chris Valaika returned to the Guardians on Tuesday after missing three games.

The WTA has followed the ATP's lead in deciding ranking points will be awarded for next month's UK grass-court events.

The decision is said to be finely balanced - with a verdict expected from both tours over the next few days.

Meanwhile, in his first interview since the ban was announced, LTA chief executive Scott Lloyd said the decision is the right one, and not discriminatory.

"I acknowledge the fact that it is a very complex matter and there's a range of opinions, but given the circumstance that we are operating under in this country and public sentiment about Ukraine, I feel we have made the right decision," Lloyd told BBC Sport.

"I don't believe discriminatory is the right description here. We are necessarily needing to work within the framework of government guidance here in the UK.

"We, alongside a number of other sports, have come to the same conclusion - the likes of boxing, motor sport, athletics and the IOC."

The ATP says the decision "undermines the ability for players of any nationality to enter tournaments based on merit" and is a violation of its rules.

The LTA could receive a significant fine, and if an especially harsh line is taken, the tournaments at The Queen's Club and Eastbourne could even face suspension from the ATP Tour.

Both the LTA and the All England Club have detailed how "directional guidance" from the government influenced their decision.

The LTA has just received a £10.2m support package from Sport England, and Lloyd was open about the importance of funding from central government.

"Our partnership with Sport England and indeed the government is very important to tennis in this country," he said.

"The government is going to invest some £22m in helping the LTA to restore park tennis facilities, which is very important for grassroots tennis.

"And of course we've got to remember that last summer tennis tournaments, and Wimbledon in particular, were one of the first sporting events to get back to some sense of normality post the Covid pandemic. That couldn't have been done without the support and partnership of the government."

The decision has, though, upset a lot of players, and there is a general feeling it could have been better communicated, and not simply presented as a fait accompli.

Removing points from tour events was ultimately considered less than ideal as it would have penalised those competing in the UK. Players have felt more strongly all along about withdrawing the points from Wimbledon, as it is the only real leverage the tours have.

Reaching a final decision remains complicated, and it is possible the ATP and the WTA will ultimately draw different conclusions.

And some players will be affected more than others. Last year's Wimbledon points are still expected to disappear from the ATP rankings if points are removed this year.

Novak Djokovic would therefore not have the chance to defend the 2000 points he won on Centre Court last year, and whatever happens at Roland Garros, he would lose his number one ranking.

Meanwhile, Lloyd says he is comfortable having Lord Davies as the LTA chairman, even though he currently runs the private equity firm LetterOne, which was founded by the sanctioned Russian oligarch Mikhail Fridman.

Lloyd insists there are no double standards given the organisation's stance on Ukraine.

"There is no doubt that Mervyn [Lord Davies] is absolutely in support of the UK government's position on the war in Ukraine, and the actions he's taken in respect of that company have been bold and strong," he said.

"I understand his desire to want to save some 100,000 jobs or so which exist within those businesses.

"The position he has taken is effectively to expel any Russian interest from that business."

Premiership club Newcastle have signed Ospreys fly-half Josh Thomas on a two-year contract.

The former Wales Under-20 international will join up with the Falcons ahead of next season.

"Moving to Newcastle is an exciting opportunity which I couldn't really turn down - it's a challenge I'm looking forward to," Thomas said.

"There are loads of positive aspects to playing in the Premiership, and I want to go up to Newcastle, really compete and test myself.

"I like to take the ball to the line and challenge defences, have a crack and put players into space.

"I'd like to think I have an eye for a gap, so when it's on, it's on. I like to have a go, and that's pretty much my approach to it."

Ospreys are currently ninth in the United Rugby Championship with 44 points from 17 matches.

Newcastle are 11th in the Premiership with 33 points and two games of the season remaining.

Thomas' arrival for the 2022-23 campaign follows the signing of Spain lock Josh Peters from Doncaster Knights.

Thomas Tuchel has suggested Andreas Christensen may have played his last game for Chelsea after revealing he has not been in the right frame of mind.

The 26-year-old pulled out of last weekend's FA Cup Final against Liverpool just hours before kick-off with Tuchel hinting at issues that have restricted the centre-back's availability for several weeks.

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Christensen has started just one of the club's previous six matches -- a 3-0 win away at Leeds on May 11 -- as he closes in on a move to Barcelona this summer when his contract at Stamford Bridge expires.

Chelsea face Leicester City on Thursday before a final day clash against relegated Watford and Tuchel admitted his doubt over whether fans would see Christensen in action for the club again.

"I don't think it is that he does not want to play, he was not able to play [against Liverpool]," Tuchel said. "It is a huge difference. We had more than this conversation but on the Saturday morning, he finally told me.

"[I am] not sure yet if he is involved [on Thursday] and on the weekend but Andreas came on the morning of the [FA Cup final] to inform me that he is not ready to play, not to start and not be on the bench.

"He had his reasons, they stay private and confidential. It was not the first time as you can see over the last weeks that we had some of the same situations.

"That's why he did not play so regularly over the last weeks. We thought that we are in a good progression, in a good development because he played very, very strong in the match before the final against Leeds.

"The conversation took place, we had to respect it, we of course respected it. He still has our support but for tomorrow I'm not sure. Probably unlikely for the weekend. It was on very short notice before the cup final and not only before this match, in other matches in the weeks before so no chance I have any prediction it will be [Thursday] or the weekend."

Asked whether he felt let down by Christensen, who joined Chelsea from Brondby aged 15 in 2012, Tuchel said: "We had to accept it and we will accept it. I try the best I can not to take things personal and I still believe Andreas wanted to play in these kind of matches.

"I still believe that he could in terms of potential and what he gives to the team. That's why he was a key player for us but he struggled over the last few weeks when he was not in the squad or not playing.

"Also he was physically available, not being injured physically. So that was not completely out of the blue sky. I am missing maybe the word here, it was not the ideal scenario for us. We thought we prepared him in the best way possible and with the game at Leeds, where we managed a lot of pressure on us in a very impressive way, we thought we had him available.

"He is a key player and if you arrive in a final against Liverpool, you want all your players available which is not the case."

SAN DIEGO -- Nearly three years after earning consecutive Women's World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019, former U.S. women's national team head coach Jill Ellis is seated in the outdoor patio of a local coffee shop, warm beverage in hand.

On a near-perfect Southern California day in May and just a couple of miles from the beach, Ellis, now president of the National Women's Soccer League expansion side San Diego Wave FC, was upbeat ahead of her team's inaugural regular season home-opener. The club president appeared enthusiastic about the start of not only the latest chapter in her life, but also her new role, which has allowed her to have a different impact within the game.

"Stepping away from coaching made me realize I want to pursue this bigger purpose," said the English-born American citizen, who had made a name for herself as a successful college coach with UCLA before joining the U.S. national team structure. "You just suddenly realize it's bigger than just the 120 x 72 [field]."

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After becoming the first and only head coach to win back-to-back Women's World Cups, Ellis made headlines in 2019 when she stated that she would finish her run with the USWNT, leading to her last game in October of that year. Moving on from her remarkable managerial spell that started in 2014, Ellis then worked behind the scenes through a mentorship program and scholarship fund for women's coaches, before eventually looking towards more ways to influence the sport. Despite the fact that other national team positions were open, she became intrigued by the business end of growing the game and recognized that she could help in a front office position at the club level.

"I could have stayed in the safety of the sideline, because it's familiar to me, it's comfortable for me, but I was ready," noted Ellis.

"I've said that you won't win world championships without having a really good club infrastructure, and although we've had club soccer in this country for a while and this is our third iteration of it or go around on it, I just felt that was a platform that I really could commit to bring some experience to."

After taking the leap with the NWSL's most recent franchise last year, 2021 was a whirlwind. Initially set for a debut with Sacramento, the league announced last summer that the home for the expansion team would instead be in San Diego, with Ellis leading the way as president. With its debut NWSL season set for early 2022, the team, which didn't even have a name or crest until late 2021, needed to develop at a blistering pace.

"We were on a very tight timeline to launch this team. It was shorter probably than any pro franchise has ever gotten off the ground. We literally announced our name, our colors, and then five months later, we got a team on the pitch," said Ellis.

Most importantly, she also had to move across the country. Ellis, her brother and three dogs made the lengthy drive from Miami to San Diego. Her wife and daughter, via plane, were in charge of bringing their two cats. "We were kind of like Noah's Ark," stated Ellis with a laugh. "Leave no man behind!"

Like many other San Diegan transplants, she soon became enamored with the area. During the rare moments she can step away from work, Ellis can be found hiking around hills in the northern end of the county or entertaining family and friends who want to visit the tourist-friendly city. "I like the tempo of life here," she said about her surroundings. "Obviously you can push it in terms of your work, but then there's this kind of ability to exhale."

Which isn't to say that she has too much time to rest these days. As pleasant as the backdrop might be, Ellis was candid about the difficulties of her new role.

No longer coaching on the sidelines, most of her day-to-day tactical maneuvering is now spent on the phone and in meetings. Stepping into the job with the Wave, there was a sudden need for a greater understanding of ticket sales, marketing, sponsorship and administration. Before, as a national team coach, she would typically get five to 10 emails a day. As president of a new NWSL franchise though, that number has skyrocketed to around 50 per day, regularly.

"I've said this and people kind of do a double take. I slept like a baby as a national team coach," Ellis stated bluntly. But with her current responsibilities that expand far beyond the reaches of a field? There isn't the same level of control over several components and elements, which "keeps you up at night."

"I've actually felt more pressure in this role than any job I've ever had."

As Ellis tells it, this pressure is not about being overwhelmed by external factors, but more so of an internal recognition that "everything matters" to her. Nonetheless, there was a sense of confidence and excitement when discussing the challenge. What also helps is that, nowadays, she's "not shy about learning."

When Ellis was a young coach, she admitted that she thought she needed to have all of the answers. She never showed any hints of not knowing what to do, even if she was confused. Once this thought-process was let go, Ellis believes that she grew as a leader by simply looking nearby and tapping into the skillset of those around her who could help. Had she not done that, she assumes she would have never been able to take her current job.

"Listen, set pieces on the [national] team was not my absolute focus point. I had an expert do that," said Ellis. "You give them enough flexibility, plus support to allow their strengths to shine."

"It's the same approach [as club president]."

Ellis is no longer coaching -- and confessed that she's so focused on getting the club off the ground that she doesn't really think about returning to the sideline -- but in a sense, she's still directing and instructing a squad within her organization, and her exact experience with the USWNT has allowed her to bring along people who fully believe in her vision. For Laura Wolf Stein, San Diego Wave's Vice President of Marketing, working with Ellis was an invaluable opportunity for many hires like herself.

"You would ask any of those people what were the draws, what was the hook that had you leave your job that you loved to come over and take this risk, make this jump. For me personally and for so many of us, [it was] being able to be coached by one of the best coaches in the world," Stein stated.

"I don't care if she's never been the head of a business. I want to be coached by someone who knows how to pull the best out of people. All of us feel that."

But what about her influence outside of the office and on the pitch? Will Ellis head over to training and tinker with some tactics?

Not exactly.

From day one, Ellis made a point to head coach Casey Stoney that "this is your team to coach, to select the players, to play how you want to play." Of course, there have been conversations about how they see the game and about what style of play would suit the team, but in the end, it's Stoney's job to mold, shape, select and train. And few could complain about how things have been going with the current setup.

Although the debut club understandably had a shaky start in the 2022 preseason NWSL Challenge Cup tournament with a 1W-2T-3L record, once the regular season began in late April, San Diego has been exceptional in its first few performances.

As Ellis put it in the interview before their home-opener: "[We] cannot sort of slowly grow in this. Listen, I get it, there's a process but we want to come in and we want to have an impact."

In their first official NWSL regular season match on May 1, San Diego earned a 1-0 away win over the Houston Dash. Six days later in their inaugural home-opener, the club took things to another level in an outstanding and lopsided 4-0 victory against NJ/NY Gotham FC. With star player Alex Morgan scoring four goals, becoming just the third player in NWSL history to reach this single-game record,it was a spectacle for the 5,000 supporters that packed the scenic Torero Stadium at the University of San Diego.

Well that was fun. @sandiegowavefc claim a dominant 4-0 win in their NWSL regular season home opener. All four goals from Alex Morgan. pic.twitter.com/I5OsL54ZuZ

— Cesar Hernandez (@cesarhfutbol) May 8, 2022

"To have the turnout at our home-opener and then to be able to put on a show like we did tonight, getting a clean sheet -- which is extremely important -- and scoring goals, I don't think we could've asked for a better game for ourselves and for this city," said Morgan afterwards, who was a part of Ellis' 2015 and 2019 World Cup-winning rosters.

One week later in front of 5,000 more at Torero Stadium on May 15, San Diego held onto their perfect start with a convincing 2-1 win at home against the Chicago Red Stars, who were finalists in last season's playoffs. While defender Kailen Riehl scored for the first time in the 2022 NWSL regular season, Morgan increased her incredible goal tally to five in just three matches.

"Immensely proud," said assistant coach Rich Gunney after the 2-1 result last Sunday. "Proud of the whole staff, Casey [Stoney], the environment and the experience we've created already and how the players are thriving."

Is this all a sign of more thrilling and captivating performances in San Diego Wave's future? "I used to always tell the [national team] players if they played really, really well --- because it's about entertainment --- I would say I would have bought a ticket to watch you guys play today," noted Ellis before that home-opener. "Entertainment for me, when I was a coach, was having the players feel synchronized, energized, ready, prepared to try and get the result and battle hard. Now it's the same thing, but I want more people to enjoy that feeling with me."

In the stands, more could follow.

The NWSL club will soon move away from the intimate and compact Torero Stadium (capacity: 6,000). By September, they'll host games at Snapdragon Stadium, a 35,000+ venue being built by San Diego State University for their college football program. Once the site that housed the NFL's Chargers, who broke the hearts of countless local sports fans after moving up north to Los Angeles in 2017, there's a sense that Ellis and the Wave can be part of a process that fully dispels the negative memories left by the professional football franchise.

There's an immense amount of work to do for the young NWSL club to help accomplish this and to win over more supporters -- especially when you consider those who have recently questioned their lofty price tag on limited jerseys -- but the numbers from their last nationally-televised match showcases that there is potential. During an April 2 preseason Challenge Cup match between San Diego and Los Angeles' Angel City FC, a total TV viewership of 456,000 on CBS easily surpassed any MLS regular season match that weekend, as well as the the men's league average of 276,000 viewers for the 2021 season.

Time will tell if these numbers are a flash in the pan, a nod to the power of women's soccer in Southern California, or perhaps more Angelenos tuning in. Whether the San Diego Wave can maintain their entertaining style of play and fill Snapdragon Stadium with a passionate fanbase also remains to be seen.

On and off the pitch, it's far too early to make long-term predictions for the NWSL franchise, but those initial moments have certainly shown that there is undeniable potential. Either way, for Ellis, she'll continue down her new path. Whether hiking in the hills or taking calls in the office, she'll aim to find ways of progressing in her latest post-national team chapter.

"How can you continue to grow? I think change is sometimes hard but it's also where you maximize growth," said Ellis.

"Even if sometimes it's not perfect or you fail at it, you're always going to grow if you're challenging yourself."