Semifinal showdowns take the NWSL pitch

A double-booked Audi Field means double the lines for Saturday’s NWSL semifinal.

Semifinal showdowns take the NWSL pitch

And then there were four, as two tense semifinal matchups take the pitch this weekend with a trip to the 2026 NWSL Championship on the line.

• No. 7 Utah strives to keep its Cinderella story alive on Saturday, visiting a No. 3 Washington side hot off its 4-1 quarterfinal victory over No. 6 Portland.

• No. 4 Kansas City then takes on 2026 Shield winner No. 1 Gotham, aiming to avenge June’s Challenge Cup loss in Sunday’s high-stakes rematch.

Scouting report: Behind MVP candidate Trinity Rodman, the Spirit’s attack will test Royals keeper Mandy McGlynn’s postseason clean-sheet record, while the scrappy Current will have to get past Gotham’s lockdown defense.

• “Going into playoffs, you have nothing to lose, you have to work your absolute hardest,” said Rodman. “When we do that off the first whistle, it’s really hard for any team to get any type of momentum.” (See full preview)

• “When you look around the team, there’s a lot of fighters,” KC manager Chris Armas said. “You have to be tough for playoffs.” (See full preview)

Tune in: The NWSL semifinals kick off tomorrow at 12 PM ET (CBS)

‘The Real SC’ promises NCAA fireworks

Sunday promises a heavyweight bout, as No. 1 South Carolina hosts No. 3 USC in the NCAA’s second annual battle to determine The Real SC.

• Both squads enter undefeated, though the Gamecocks are coming off ranked wins over No. 19 Maryland and No. 23 UNC.

• “I’m happy this team is finding an identity, and that identity starts with our defense,” South Carolina boss Dawn Staley said. (See full results)

Scouting report: The home side will have to contain the Trojans’ Big Three — JuJu Watkins, Jazzy Davidson, and Saniyah Hall — in order to defend its 2025 crown.

• Watkins is posting 24.3 points per game in her first year back from a March 2025 ACL tear, while also leading the team in rebounds, assists, and steals.

• “We definitely haven’t shied away from talking about the expectations,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb told JWS. “We know they exist, and we want to get the team ready with what that entails.” (See full stats)

Tune in: South Carolina takes on USC on Sunday at 1 PM ET (ABC).

WNBA teams bank on Sunday’s 2027 Draft Lottery

The WNBA is on the clock, as Sunday’s 2027 Draft Lottery sets this season’s bottom-table teams up for a brighter future.

• Houston (formerly Connecticut) and Toronto share the highest top-pick odds at 32.9%, followed by Washington (16.1%), Seattle (9.3%), Portland (5.2%), and LA (2.4%, 1.2%).

• Despite making the 2026 playoffs, the Mystics landed Chicago’s spot in a previous trade, while the Sparks’ second selection arrives by way of Phoenix. (See full format)

Setting the field: Each team is hunting the No. 1 pick, eyeing college stars like JuJu Watkins (USC), Madison Booker (Texas), and Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame).

• Due to the NCAA’s five-year eligibility rule, senior standouts can opt to skip next year’s draft — but updated pro salaries could sway their decisions.

• “We started seriously discussing this draft class last season,” Tempo GM Monica Wright Rogers said. “We’re consistently talking with college coaches and agents, trying to understand the route that these players want to take.” (Read full report)

Tune in: The 2027 Draft Lottery airs live on Sunday at 7:30 PM ET (ESPN).

Catch up on the latest women’s soccer headlines, as an all-new The Late Sub presented by Ally Bank dishes up host Claire Watkins’s hottest takes on all things USWNT, NWSL, Champions League, and more.

• In the episode, Claire catches on the NWSL playoffs, breaking down the quarterfinals’ biggest takeaways including Utah’s royal upset over San Diego and Trinity Rodman’s Spirit offensive

• Plus, Claire analyzes each remaining team’s strengths and weaknesses ahead of this weekend’s semifinals while ranking her top championship matchups.

Tune in: Catch The Late Sub with Claire Watkins on YouTube.

Ally Bank, Member FDIC.

Mirra Andreeva cruises in WTA Finals debut

There’s drama on the horizon, as the 2026 WTA Finals charges ahead with one last semifinal berth still up for grabs at Indian Wells.

• No. 3 Mirra Andreeva cruises to the final four on a 2-0 record, joined by fellow semifinalists No. 5 Jessica Pegula and No. 8 Linda Nosková.

• Coming of a straight-sets loss to Andreeva, No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka takes on No 6. Elina Svitolina in today’s win-or-go-home final group-stage match. (See full schedule)

Fireworks loading: With No. 4 Coco Gauff eliminated, Pegula next faces Andreeva — just days after a hot mic caught the US veteran calling the 19-year-old a “diva.”

• “It’s the match people wanted, well now you are going to get it,” Pegula said.

Tune in: WTA Finals coverage resumes today at 3 PM ET (Tennis Channel).

Orlando makes coach Yolanda Thomas official

Orlando is sealing the deal, officially naming former interim manager Yolanda Thomas as the Pride’s fifth permanent head coach.

• After taking over for ex-boss Seb Hines in August, Thomas now becomes the first Black woman head coach in NWSL history.

• “This is a deeply meaningful moment for me both professionally and personally,” she said. “I am honored to lead a club that I care so deeply about and a group of players I believe in wholeheartedly.” (See full release)

Looking ahead: Thomas will lead Orlando through a major offseason roster revamp, with nine players currently out of contract — including Brazil legend Marta.

Quote of the day

Atlanta forward Angel Reese
after an old photo of the LSU alum with UConn coach Geno Auriemma surfaced on social media.