USWNT faces Spain in its toughest test of 2026

Soccer legend Alex Morgan threw out the first pitch at Petco Park on Wednesday — and the Padres put some much-due respect on her name.

USWNT takes on Spain at Audi Field

The USWNT faces a steep climb on Saturday, taking on world No. 1 Spain in the first of two friendlies with level-setting implications as the 2027 World Cup nears.

• The US will be without recently injured veterans Naomi Girma and Sam Coffey, as manager Emma Hayes evaluates her roster’s revamped depth after an extensive experimentation period.

• “I haven’t for one minute ever had the best available squad,” said Hayes. “You’re never going to, that’s the reality of it.” (See full report)

Scouting report: Hayes will likely lean on players that battled Top 10 opponents Japan and Brazil earlier this year, with no new faces expected to get starts.

• The US hasn’t played Spain since 2022 — a four-year span that saw La Roja pick up the 2023 World Cup, two Nations League titles, and FIFA’s top ranking while the USWNT fell to No. 2 despite its 2024 Olympic gold win.

• “It’ll be a really good benchmark for us,” midfielder Rose Lavelle said. “We always go into every game with the expectation that we want to win, but we also want to use it as a huge growth opportunity.” (See full roster)

Tune in: The USWNT takes on Spain on Saturday at 2:30 PM ET (TBS).

A’ja Wilson wins record 5th WNBA MVP

A’ja Wilson has done it again, as the Las Vegas Aces forward won a league-record fifth WNBA MVP award on Thursday — her third in as many years.

• Wilson received 65 of 74 first-place votes and nine second-place votes, beating out Lynx rookie Olivia Miles, Fever stars Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell, and Liberty veteran Breanna Stewart.

• “This one here is just a little bit different,” Wilson said. “As a girl, you dream so big, and you write your goals out, and you just never imagine that you will be able to check them off.” (See full report)

Eyes on the prize: Wilson opted to skip the traditional pregame ceremony tonight, as No. 3 Las Vegas hunts semifinal redemption against No. 2 Golden State.

• “I love the fans, but I will not be doing that,” she said. “I will be warming up with my team... Everyone in this room knows how much of a competitor I am [and] what my main focus is.”

• Wilson averaged 26.2 points per game in 2026 — ranking second in WNBA history behind her own 26.9-point 2024 average — while tallying four of the top seven single-season points totals on record. (See full stats)

Semifinal underdogs shoot for WNBA history

The underdogs are heading home, as both No. 8 New York and No. 3 Las Vegas host must-win Game 3 clashes in tonight’s WNBA semifinal slate.

• The Liberty will try to get past No. 4 Atlanta, after Wednesday’s controversial OT win cemented the Dream’s 2-0 series lead. (See full recap)

• The Aces will look for answers against No. 2 Golden State, after the Valkyries overcame a late rally to push the reigning champion to the brink of elimination. (See full recap)

Sizing up: History is stacked against the home sides, as no WNBA team has ever come back from a 2-0 deficit to win a best-of-five playoff series.

• The sportsbooks also favor a first-time title-winner, with Golden State (+120) and Atlanta (+130) outpacing Las Vegas (+800) and New York (+1300).

• “The goal is to get one quarter at a time,” said Aces head coach Becky Hammon. “And you got to string it together.” (See full odds)

Tune in: New York welcomes Atlanta tonight at 7:30 PM ET (ESPN2), before Las Vegas tips off against Golden State at 9:30 PM ET (NBC Sports).

Late-season roster shakeups hit the NWSL

NWSL transactions have heated up, as Thursday’s roster freeze deadline saw a flurry of activity as teams gear up for 2026 postseason runs and plan for the future.

• No. 14 Bay FC star Racheal Kundananji is on her way to No. 16 Chicago in a surprise move, heading to the Stars for $700,000 in transfer fees after joining Bay for a then-record $788,000 in 2024.

• “Racheal is a proven goal scorer and a fierce competitor, and we’re thrilled to add a player of her quality to our roster,” said Chicago Chief Soccer Officer Vlatko Andonovski. (See full release)

Around the horn: No. 13 Boston received a late-season boost, signing forward Gift Monday from No. 3 Washington for $500,000 in transfer threshold funds.

• Spanish defender Leila Ouahabi also jumped ship, leaving Chicago for No. 1 Gotham just months after signing with the Stars in June. (See full tracker)

PWHL expansion teams drop debut jerseys

The PWHL is showing its true colors, as the league’s four 2026/27 expansion teams released their inaugural jerseys this week ahead of December’s puck-drop.

• Each team’s market — Detroit, Hamilton, Las Vegas, and San Jose — stretches diagonally across the debut kits, with names and logos to be revealed at a later date.

• “These jerseys give fans another way to show their pride while carrying forward a PWHL tradition of putting the city name front and center in a team’s inaugural season,” said EVP of Business Operations Amy Scheer. (See full lineup)

Paying homage: Color palettes reflect each team’s hometown, with Detroit adopting an automotive-inspired white, silver, red, and black scheme, while Hamilton’s gold, deep red, burnt orange, and cream motif honors its steel industry.

• Las Vegas evokes Nevada’s landscape with green, gold, and navy, while San Jose’s mandarin orange and sky blue accents reflect the Bay Area. (See full release)

Get yours: Replica jerseys are set to drop one week before December 5th’s season opener, with player name and number t-shirts available now via the PWHL Shop.

2027 LPGA Tour promises record prize money

The LPGA Tour is making plans, rolling out a 2027 framework that features more efficient routing, new venues, and a record $147 million in prize money.

• The season spans 33 events, with a streamlined calendar meant to reduce fatigue and facilitate more prestigious competition.

• “We’ve made meaningful strides in how our athletes move around the world, what venues they play, and how much they play for,” said Commissioner Craig Kessler. (See full schedule)

Big picture: Golfers will tee off across 11 countries and 13 US states next season, including two Asian swings and one European swing.

• The boost extends beyond the majors, with over $94 million allotted for non-major tournaments — up nearly $12 million — while 20 events will offer player benefits like housing and travel assistance. (See full report)

Quote of the day

Indiana guard Caitlin Clark
responding to rising concerns about Fever fan conduct following teammate Kelsey Mitchell’s headline-making 2026 exit interview.