Spirit blasts off behind Trinity Rodman hot streak

Gotta start ‘em young.

Spirit cleans up behind Trinity Rodman’s hot streak

No. 2 Washington is in good spirits, overcoming a slow start to register a fourth straight win in Saturday’s 4-2 victory over No. 12 Orlando.

• Spirit forward Sofia Cantore tallied two goals in the match’s first six minutes — the quickest brace in league history — before Claudia Martinez added a second-half strike and star Trinity Rodman notched her third goal in as many games.

• “I’m so proud of this team, I think they’ve done amazing,” said manager Adrian Gonzalez after Washington racked up nine points in eight days. “Sometimes you just need to suffer.” (Watch full highlights)

From the top: The Spirit trail No. 1 Portland by four points in the NWSL standings, as the Thorns recorded a fifth straight result in Sunday’s 2-0 win over Chicago.

• 20-year-old Portland midfielder Olivia Moultrie notched a goal and an assist in her 100th club appearance, becoming the youngest player in league history to accomplish the feat.

• “I can’t believe I’ve hit 100 games — it doesn’t feel like that at all,” Moultrie said. “I get to show up and do what I love every day and it doesn’t feel like a chore.” (Watch full highlights)

WNBA teams trim rosters as season tipoff nears

As preseason competition winds down, WNBA teams have begun the difficult task of culling rosters ahead of Friday’s regular-season tipoff.

• Golden State turned heads by waiving second-round pick Marta Suarez, after the Valkyries acquired the TCU product in a high-profile draft-night trade that sent first-rounder Flau’jae Johnson to Seattle.

• “We’re still evaluating, and every day could be something different,” head coach Natalie Nakase said, as Suarez remains up for inclusion as a developmental player. (See full report)

Big catch: Developmental roster spots are a new feature of the league’s freshly negotiated CBA — and they come with some calculated risk.

• Before converting a training camp contract to a developmental deal, teams must first allow players to clear waivers — allowing them to entertain real-time offers from other teams. (See full rules)

• Other recent cuts include UConn grad Aubrey Griffin (Lynx), former Duke guard Taina Mair (Storm), and Ole Miss forward Latasha Lattimore (Sky), as skilled players seek new homes and teams hit the market looking to fill gaps.

Utah flips the script on skidding Angel City

No. 5 Utah is on the rise, climbing the NWSL standings on a club record four-game winning streak after Saturday’s 1-0 win over floundering Angel City.

• Canada international Cloé Lacasse’s first-half strike broke the deadlock, putting the Royals on the front foot before LA midfielder Maiara picked up a red card, leaving ACFC to play out the second half down one.

• “As a coach, you can be very proud of if there is a plan, and you tell the plan, and the plan has some small adaptions, and the team just wants to do it,” said Utah manager Jimmy Coenraets. “That’s the biggest growth we’ve had since last season — being adaptable.” (Watch full highlights)

Ups and downs: The loss marked No. 8 Angel City’s third straight defeat, showing cracks in the foundation after a strong start to the season.

• “If we come out in the first half like we did in the second half, I think we win that game,” said Angel City defender Emily Sams. “That’s something that we can definitely learn from and take forward, that we don’t have to wait until we’re down a player, down a goal, to come out with that kind of intensity.” (See full recap)

Tune in: Utah will hunt another result on Wednesday, hosting No. 7 Houston at 10 PM ET, live on Paramount+.

JWS is diving into the WNBA Draft, inviting viewers inside the 2026 No. 2 overall pick’s big night with Olivia Miles: WNBA Draft Journey presented by P&G.

• Follow along as Miles prepares for the life-changing event, reflecting on her path from Notre Dame to TCU to hearing her name called on women’s basketball’s biggest stage.

• “A year ago today, I was figuring out my transfer stuff — that in and of itself was a whirlwind,” the guard told JWS. “I remember watching the draft last year and being like, ‘Dang, that will be me in a year.’ And now it’s here.”

Tune in: Catch Olivia Miles: WNBA Draft Journey on YouTube.

Lyonnes & Barcelona return to UWCL final

This year’s Champions League final is set, as eight-time champion OL Lyonnes and three-time winner Barcelona booked tickets to Oslo on dominant semifinal wins.

• Lyonnes overcame a 2-1 deficit against defending champion Arsenal in Saturday’s 3-1 rout, advancing to May’s final on a 4-3 aggregate behind goals from Wendie Renard, Kadidiatou Diani, and Jule Brand. (Watch full highlights)

• 2024/25 runner up Barcelona squashed Bayern Munich 4-2 on Sunday after a 1-1 first-leg draw, with veteran midfielder Alexia Putellas notching a brace while Salma Paralluelo and Ewa Pajor earned tallies. (Watch full highlights)

Big boost: Barcelona’s spirits were lifted on Sunday, as reigning Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí returned from a broken leg.

• “Six finals in a row is crazy,” said Bonmatí. “It says everything about the ambition and character of this team.”

PWHL talks expansion as playoffs heat up

The 2026 PWHL playoffs hit the ice this weekend, as Ottawa leveled its series against Toronto while two-time Walter Cup winner Minnesota took a one-game lead over Montréal.

• “This series will be so tight,” Charge head coach Carla MacLeod said after Game 2’s 3-1 finish. “We’ve seen it and we’ve said after last game, it’s going to be hard-fought.” (See full recap)

• “Our players battle hard,” Frost manager Ken Klee said after Game 1’s 5-4 overtime win. “Sometimes it’s us making mistakes, or other times it’s just them making great plays.” (See full recap)

Big moves: The PWHL also announced plans to add multiple signing windows in lieu of an expansion draft ahead of this fall’s four-team expansion.

• “Our approach has been thoughtful and player-focused, and we’ll share more details at the appropriate time,” the league told The Athletic. (Read full report)

Quote of the day

Dallas rookie Azzi Fudd
commenting on the league’s physicality after the Wings’ final preseason game.