Wales head coach Rhian Wilkinson is no stranger to big-picture conversations about womens football, but in a recent SheKicks.net interview, she managed to weave in topics ranging from record-breaking transfers to bizarre courtside antics.Olivia Smith: The New Face of Football Professionalism?When 19-year-old Canadian forward Olivia Smith signed a world-record 1 million deal with Arsenal, it made headlines. Wilkinson believes Smith could do for football what Caitlin Clark is doing for the WNBA, usher in an era of total professionalism.Weve had phenomenal ambassadors for the game who werent paid, Wilkinson said. Now its that generation, the Caitlin Clarkes for basketball, the Olivia Smiths for football, who will bring the sport to an elite level.She compared this shift to Arsne Wengers influence on mens football, moving it from professional in name to meticulous in nutrition, recovery, and fitness.Sex Toys at WNBA Games? Unfortunate, But Not Worth Walking OffWilkinson was also asked about a series of WNBA games disrupted by sex toys thrown onto the court. While she finds it disruptive, she doesnt believe such incidents warrant taking a team off the field.Unless it were dangerous, people are always going to be foolish, she said. One fans action shouldnt define the whole crowd. Wilkinson drew parallels to the NHL tradition of throwing octopuses onto the ice, calling both weird but part of sports cultures stranger side.Learning From the Mens Game, Without the Same MistakesWilkinson stressed the importance of growing womens football on its own terms while avoiding the pitfalls of the mens game, particularly around pay disparity.Some players arent making enough to live on, she said. Theyre supplementing income with other jobs just to keep playing. That has to change.Wales Fitness Gap and Player Pool GrowthOne key to Wales international success, Wilkinson says, is getting players regular minutes at club level. You can sit on the bench for a year, maybe 18 months, but after that you need to be playing, she warned.The good news: the number of registered womens players in Wales has more than doubled in four years, from 8,000 to over 20,000. We need to keep that momentum, she added.Age Is Just a Number, Ask Jess FishlockAt 38, Welsh icon Jess Fishlock is still considering her international future. Wilkinson compared her to Cristiano Ronaldo and James Milner, saying age shouldnt be the deciding factor for retirement. If shes delivering for the team, its her call, she said.Changing of the Guard in the WSL?Looking ahead to the 2025-26 Womens Super League season, Wilkinson hinted Arsenal could finally challenge Chelseas dominance. I think Arsenal will run the season a lot closer, she predicted, adding that English clubs could also make a deeper Champions League push.From big-money signings to strange sideline stunts, Wilkinsons perspective makes one thing clear, womens football is entering a new, more professional era, but the journey will be anything but boring.Source