Courage tops the Current | Fulwiley picks LSU | Arsenal ousts Lyon

It’s all show business.

The Courage rattles the Current

North Carolina earned their first win of the 2025 NWSL season in style this weekend, handing previously undefeated Kansas City their first loss behind a last-gasp goal by Ashley Sanchez.

• The comeback 3-2 victory boosted the formerly last-place Courage to No. 11 in the standings, while the league-leading Current’s grip on No. 1 is loosening as they pull level in points with No. 2 Orlando.

How it happened: NC trailed KC 2-1 entering second-half stoppage time, after goals from Haley Hopkins and Bia Zaneratto put the Current in the lead.

• Kaleigh Kurtz’s 90-minute equalizer began to flip the script for the Courage, before Sanchez buried the closer three minutes later.

Big picture: Saturday’s tally fit right in with the rest of the NWSL, with the weekend slate delivering 24 goals across seven matches.

• Orlando notched a three-goal comeback against No. 9 Angel City to take all three points against the visitors, while fifth-place San Diego took down last-place Chicago 3-0 at home.

• However, it was No. 6 Portland and No. 12 Louisville that produced the sixth matchday’s most dramatic scoreline, settling for a 3-3 draw after the Thorns converted two penalty kicks.

Bottom line: “This is just another example of how good this league is, and how you literally cannot relax even for a second regardless of who you play and where you play them,” Current head coach Vlatko Andonovski said, summing up a strong showing across the NWSL.

Gotham’s roller-coaster week

No. 4 Gotham got the better of East Coast rivals No. 3 Washington on Saturday, taking the Spirit down 3-0 behind a brace from Golden Boot-leader Esthér Gonzalez to solidify their spot in the league’s top five.

• “This was one of the proudest moments for us as a team and as a club,” Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amorós said after the match. “I couldn’t be prouder of the players. I think they’ve been outstanding the whole week.”

Big picture: The weekend’s win caps off a crowded three-match week for the Bats, with Gotham beating Angel City 4-0 last Friday and falling to Portland 4-1 on Tuesday before securing their multi-goal victory over DC.

• Esthér scored all seven of her goals this season in the last four games, tying the NWSL record for most goals scored in a four-game span.

• In her third season with the NJ/NY side, the 32-year-old has already become the team’s second all-time leading scorer, passing Carli Lloyd and Midge Purce with her 18th Gotham goal on Saturday.

Silver linings: However, injury-ridden Washington’s performance wasn’t a total loss, as 2024 Rookie of the Year Croix Bethune returned to the pitch for the first time since tearing her meniscus shortly after winning Olympic gold with the USWNT last summer.

• “I do feel like I’m about 90%,” Bethune told reporters after the match. “I had a hip/quad situation. I feel like that gave me a little bit more time to get stronger for my knee and just make sure I’m overall 100%.”

Bottom line: While the Spirit continues to deal with an onslaught of injuries, Gotham — now just a point behind Washington in the standings — is steadily creeping in on the 2024 NWSL Championship runners-up’s third-place spot.

Fulwiley joins SEC rival

Ex-South Carolina star MiLaysia Fulwiley officially joined the Gamecocks’ SEC rivals LSU on Friday, putting the cherry on top of the Tigers’ winning transfer period.

• Fulwiley won a national championship with South Carolina in 2024, but started in just three of her 77 games played despite averaging 11.7 points per game and shooting 42.6% from the field

• According to multiple reports, the Columbia, South Carolina native actually committed to LSU weeks ago — the same day she announced she’d be leaving her hometown school.

Fuel to the fire: Fulwiley’s move only deepens one of the powerhouse conference’s hottest rivalries, with either South Carolina or LSU featuring in each of the last four NCAA championship games.

• The sophomore guard won the SEC tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award in 2024, after the Gamecocks beat the Tigers to secure last year’s conference title.

Big picture: This year’s transfer portal has profoundly impacted the women’s college basketball field, with more than 1500 athletes — over 25% of all DI players — looking to jump ship.

• While the portal closed last week, there are no deadlines for committing to a new program or returning to their original school, with talents like former USC guard Kayleigh Heckel reportedly still looking for the right fit.

Bottom line: As the dust settles on a highly competitive 2024/25 season, roster shakeups could transform some teams into bonafide contenders — though history proves that building a superteam doesn’t always guarantee a championship win.

Sports are a numbers game. And whether it's shattering PWHL attendance records or dropping triple-doubles on the college court, there's never been a better time to celebrate the most powerful moments in women's sports.

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Arsenal punches ticket to UWCL final

Arsenal advanced to their first UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) final in 18 years on Sunday, beating eight-time tournament winners Lyon 4-1 to punch their ticket to next month’s title matchup against reigning champs FC Barcelona.

• The Gunners overcame a 2-1 first-leg deficit to defeat Lyon, with the French side suffering their first UWCL semifinal ousting since 2009.

Big picture: The only English team to ever lift the European trophy back in 2007, Arsenal will play underdog against Barcelona, after the decorated Spanish club handed Chelsea back-to-back thrashings to seal their place in the final — and end the Blues’ quadruple quest.

• Barcelona has now reached five out of the last six Champions League finals, taking home titles in 2021, 2023, and 2024.

Up next: The teams will have a little less than a month to prepare for the UWCL’s grand finale, as the 2024/25 final kicks off on May 24th in Lisbon, Portugal.

PWHL playoff race heats up

As PWHL players returned to the ice after a busy international break, the second-year league’s postseason race is in full swing, with Boston, Ottawa, and Minnesota teams battling for two remaining tickets to this year’s Walter Cup playoffs.

• Boston and Ottawa hold a points advantage over 2024 winners Minnesota, as Sunday’s 2-0 loss to New York saw the reigning champion Frost on the brink of elimination.

• While Montreal and Toronto have already clinched their berths, New York has been eliminated from playoff contention for a second straight year, putting the Sirens in the running for the No. 1 pick at this year’s PWHL draft.

Get ready: The 2025 PWHL playoffs will likely begin on May 6th, with two semi-finals leading to a best-of-five final series.

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