Cristina Alexander

Portland has always had a team that can just...

make it to the end regardless of the circumstances like there's been some really hard years and a lot of adversity but I feel like what's special about every group that I've been a part of in Portland is there's always like heart there's always a fight and

We know that what we have in the locker room is all we need.

And we lean on that every year, especially when things get tough.

So to watch the team last year, despite injuries, despite not having players or changes, whatever it was, they still fought.

found a way and it was inspiring to watch and I'm excited to be a part of it.

And unfortunately the season ended with that loss to Washington in the semifinals.

It's such a tough way to fall short because I think, like you said, there was ups and downs throughout the year but the resiliency really shined through and Portland had really figured it out towards the end which got them there.

But how do moments like that shape the hunger of the team heading now into a fresh year?

I think it makes you hungrier.

I think when you get that close, it hurts for sure and it lingers and you never forget that feeling.

So going into the next year, it just makes you not want to fall short and do everything just a little bit better, do the details a little bit better and just take that next step so that you have more success.

And this offseason also brought a lot of change within the team just from Sam Coffey leaving and going to Man City and taking up that opportunity and moving on after being such a steady force in midfield, but also captain.

So how do you see leadership evolving inside the locker room now that one of the leaders has left?

I think the cool part about this sport is that there's so many ways you can lead.

It's not necessarily being the loudest in the room or being the most vocal.

It's like you can lead by example.

You can lead by doing all the little things right.

You can lead by how you train.

All of those things is what makes a leader.