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Rodman storms back in style

Spirit star Trinity Rodman made a fairytale return from injury on Sunday, scoring the game-winner off the bench to lift Washington over Portland 2-1 at home.

• Suiting up for the first time since seeking treatment for a lingering back issue in April, Rodman entered the game in the 76th minute before breaking open the 1-1 deadlock in second-half stoppage time off a volley from midfielder Croix Bethune.

• “That was just the hardest thing I’ve had to go through with injury and everything,” an emotional Rodman told reporters after the game. “I’m just really happy to be back. I missed the team, I missed doing what I love.”

Big picture: The result launched the Spirit into third place in the NWSL standings, leapfrogging now-No. 4 San Diego after the Wave picked up just one point in Saturday’s 0-0 draw with North Carolina.

• No. 1 Kansas City widened their lead over the standings, claiming a 10-point advantage over No. 2 Orlando after securing a 2-0 victory over No. 7 Louisville.

• No. 5 Seattle proved the weekend’s other big winner, earning one of the league’s three wins by topping No. 11 Angel City 2-0.

Bottom line: The NWSL’s regular season break gave teams time to regroup, but time is ticking as the season’s back-half inches closer to the postseason finish line.

Fever keep climbing

No. 5 Indiana rattled off a fifth straight win over the weekend, rolling through opponents to sit five games above .500 for the first time in 10 years — all with superstar guard Caitlin Clark stuck on the sidelines.

• “This is a group that’s been resilient all season long,” head coach Stephanie White said after Friday’s 88-78 win over Dallas, with the Fever going on to notch a close 78-74 victory in Seattle on Sunday.

• “While we don’t like it, sometimes it can be a blessing in disguise,” White added, commenting on Clark’s prolonged absence. “Because everybody else finds themselves.”

Big picture: Now positioned just a half-game behind No. 4 Phoenix after the Mercury ceded ground to No. 3 Atlanta 95-72 on Friday, Indiana will be laser-focused on pushing up the WNBA standings this week.

• Mercury All-Star Satou Sabally exited the court in the second half of Friday’s loss to the Dream, with Phoenix head coach Nate Tibbets later telling reporters, “She didn’t bring the energy that we needed.”

• The No. 6 Storm and No. 7 Aces found themselves in a holding pattern over the weekend, with Seattle dropping two close matchups while Las Vegas bounced back from Saturday’s 53-point blowout loss to Minnesota with a 101-77 drubbing of No. 8 Golden State on Sunday.

Bottom line: Squads crowding the top of the table are starting to separate themselves from the pack — they just might not always be the teams fans expect.

Lynx land DiJonai

No. 1 Minnesota made headlines on Sunday, finalizing a trade to acquire 2024 WNBA Most Improved Player DiJonai Carrington from No. 11 Dallas.

• In return, the Wings received forward Diamond Miller, guard Karlie Samuelson, and a 2027 second-round draft pick, while waiving veteran center Teaira McCowan.

• Minnesota’s move comes in the wake of No. 2 New York successfully signing 2019 WNBA champion Emma Meesseman, with the Belgium international making her debut against the Sun on Sunday.

• “She made the wrong choice,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said of Meesseman’s decision, after the 2025 EuroBasket champ reportedly considered joining Minnesota.

Big picture: After stocking up on veteran talent prior to taking Paige Bueckers No. 1 in the 2025 WNBA Draft, Dallas now appears to be shifting gears to a more methodical youth-focused rebuild.

• The Wings dealt Smith away to the Aces in return for a 2027 first-round pick earlier this summer, with Dallas currently skidding toward a shot at securing a second consecutive No. 1 draft pick next year.

Sentnor heads to KC

2024 NWSL No. 1 draft pick Ally Sentnor is on the move, with the No. 14 Utah Royals trading off the USWNT prospect to the No. 1 Kansas City Current on Friday.

• ESPN reported Utah received a record-$600,000 transfer fee in return, plus a future sell-on fee and performance add-ons in lieu of players.

• “Thank you to the Royals for drafting this small town girl, and giving me the opportunity to start a lifelong dream of playing professional soccer,” Sentnor said in a statement.

Worst to first: The deal sends Sentnor from the very bottom to the very top of the NWSL table, as the 2024 Young US Player of the Year gears up for a cultural reset — and a reunion with best friend Claire Hutton — in Kansas City.

Marta shines in Copa Final

Brazil lifted the Copa América Femenina trophy for the ninth time on Saturday, with the reigning champs topping Colombia in penalties after a hard-fought 4-4 draw.

• Drama ran through the final from start to finish, from the Colombia head-butt foul that led to Brazil’s first-half equalizer and Colombia taking the lead off an own goal, to Brazil super-sub Marta netting a last-ditch equalizer to send the match into extra time.

• Eventual tournament MVP Marta scored again in extra time, only to be canceled out by Washington Spirit star Leicy Santos’s spot-on free kick — before Brazil goalkeeper Lorena sealed the win in the penalty shootout.

Up next: Brazil’s next major tournament appearance will be as 2027 World Cup hosts, though 39-year-old Marta’s future with the team remains uncertain.

McLaughlin-Levrone cleans up

Olympic hurdles legend Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is making strides on the flat track, winning the 400-meter race at this weekend’s USATF National Championships to book a spot in the World Championships.

• The four-time gold medalist opted to skip her signature 400-meter hurdles to focus on the 400-meter flat event, going on to finish just two-tenths of a second shy of the Sanya Richards-Ross’s US record of 48.70.

• “I think this year and this event has taught me patience,” she said after the win. “I’ve learned a lot about myself… I'm figuring out a race that is very foreign to me and taking on new challenges and being comfortable.”

Hot pursuit: McLaughlin-Levrone will continue to hunt the 400-meter flat record at next month’s 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

Number of the day 

1,000

New York’s Sabrina Ionescu registered 36 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists in Sunday’s win over Connecticut, becoming the fastest WNBA player to reach 1,000 career assists since 2003.