USWNT hits the Midwest | USC climbs the ranks | Sabrina exits Unrivaled

Sometimes a picture really is worth 1,000 words.

USWNT sets Midwest friendlies

The USWNT will take on China PR in a pair of Midwest friendlies this summer, with US Soccer announcing matchups scheduled for May 31st in St. Paul and June 3rd in St. Louis on Monday.

• The games follow two California-hosted friendlies against Brazil, set to be played during FIFA’s early-April international break.

Big picture: “I love these games because they combine some rich women’s soccer history with the present, with both countries going through transitions in preparation for ’27 World Cup qualifying,” said USWNT head coach Emma Hayes.

• The US has only faced non-European teams so far this year, with 2025’s UEFA Nations League and the upcoming Euros taking priority over friendly overseas competition.

• The new calendar additions provide Hayes yet another chance to try out less experienced players — a strategy that saw a particularly youthful USWNT take second place at February’s SheBelieves Cup.

Giving props: The USWNT will honor former captain Becky Sauerbrunn ahead of their St. Louis matchup, after the two-time World Cup winner and Olympic gold medalist retired from professional soccer this past offseason.

• A St. Louis native, Sauerbrunn got a similar treatment the last time the USWNT visited Energizer Park (previously CityPark) in April 2023, when the team celebrated Sauerbrunn’s 200th cap before defeating the Republic of Ireland 1-0.

Bottom line: While Europe ramps up for continental battle this summer, the USWNT continues down the long road to 2027 — a road that provides plenty of time to develop budding superstars while paying homage to the success of prior generations.

USC climbs the AP rankings

AP dropped the final Top 25 Women’s College Basketball Poll of the regular season on Monday, with shifts in momentum mirroring last weekend’s rollercoaster NCAA finale.

• No. 2 USC reached their highest ranking since 1986, taking over rival UCLA’s spot after firmly defeating the now-No. 4 Bruins on Saturday.

• No. 6 Notre Dame slid three spots after a tough run that saw the struggling Irish lose two straight games and their grip on the outright ACC regular-season title.

Big picture: A recent flurry of high-profile unranked losses also impacted yesterday’s AP update, with No. 9 LSU sinking two spots after falling to Ole Miss.

• No. 14 North Carolina, No. 18 Tennessee, and No. 20 Kansas State also saw precipitous drops after giving up games down the stretch, with the week’s greatest gain going to No. 11 Duke.

• A mid-major titan did manage to break through, however, as South Dakota State took the No. 25 spot after winning the Summit League.

What’s next: Top-ranked teams will get a few days to rest before jumping into conference tournament play, giving them one last chance to heat up ahead of Selection Sunday.

Star athletes buy into women’s sports

The WNBA and NWSL welcomed some new high-profile owners on Monday, as a pair of superstar athletes announced they were investing in the future of the country’s leading pro women’s leagues.

• Tennis icon Serena Williams has purchased a stake in the 2026 WNBA expansion team Toronto Tempo, with the 23-time Grand Slam winner set to weigh in on the Canadian upstart’s visual elements like jersey designs, merch deals, and more.

• 2024 WNBA champion and Bay Area native Sabrina Ionescu also padded her portfolio, buying into 2024 NWSL addition Bay FC, where she’ll serve as an official commercial advisor.

Big picture: Athletes both current and retired are increasingly getting involved in the business side of women’s sports, from USWNT alums Julie Foudy, Mia Hamm, and Abby Wambach backing Angel City and Sue Bird buying into both Gotham FC and the Seattle Storm to Caitlin Clark throwing her support behind Cincinnati’s recent NWSL expansion bid.

• “This moment is not just about basketball; it is about showcasing the true value and potential of female athletes — I have always said that women’s sports are an incredible investment opportunity,” Williams said in yesterday’s statement.

• “I whole-heartedly understand how important investment really is and obviously you can talk about it and be about it, but you really have to want to be committed to it and invest to be able to see what you believe in come to light,” echoed Ionescu in an interview with ESPN.

Bottom line: Players having pathways towards ownership opportunities not only keeps legendary names in the game, it also proves that women’s sports is and continues to be a booming business.

Sabrina departs Unrivaled

With just a few weeks left in the regular season, Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball announced several roster changes ahead of yesterday’s games.

• Sabrina Ionescu has played her last game with Phantom BC, departing Miami due to commitments made before the Liberty star agreed to join the offseason league.

• Ionescu’s Liberty teammate Betnijah Laney-Hamilton is also on her way out, after the Laces relief signing exited with an undisclosed injury.

• In return, Natisha Hiedeman has been reassigned to Phantom BC, while Naz Hillmon was added to the relief player pool.

• Laces’ Kate Martin and Rose’s Kahleah Copper are currently sidelined with injuries, though both are expected to return.

Playoffs take shape: Despite mounting injuries, Rose BC clinched a spot in Unrivaled’s first-ever postseason on Monday, taking down the Laces 58-53 behind yet another Chelsea Gray game-winner.

• A win on Friday secures Rose the No. 2 seed — but they’d have to take down the league-leading No. 1 seed Lunar Owls to make it happen.

WSL debates ditching regulation

The Women’s Super League is facing some major changes, as clubs prepare to vote on altering — or even abolishing — the traditional promotion and relegation system that’s long seen teams moving between tiered UK leagues each season.

• Current proposals include transitioning both the 12-team top-flight WSL and second-tier 11-team Championship League to a closed system by 2026/27, with the goal of expanding to a combined 32 teams by 2030.

• Promotion to the WSL might still continue, with the winning Championship club moving up each year, while relegation would be off the table regardless of performance.

Bottom line: The NWSL has found success in the stability and growth a closed system provides, but ditching relegation could hurt the WSL’s credibility if it’s seen as a rejection of what’s widely considered an essential tenet of English football — at least for now.

Quote of the day

Longtime NWSL and Japan star Yuki Nagasato
announcing her retirement from professional soccer on Monday.