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USWNT rolls over Ireland

The USWNT topped the Republic of Ireland 4-0 on Thursday, dominating the first of two friendly matchups against the Girls in Green this week.

• Veteran midfielder Rose Lavelle notched a goal and an assist in her first appearance for the US in 2025, with goals by defender Avery Patterson, midfielder Sam Coffey, and forward Alyssa Thompson rounding out the scoresheet.

Young guns: Despite relative inexperience, this USWNT lineup maintained control from the very first whistle, holding 68% of possession while keeping Ireland from registering a single shot on goal.

• The US also saw new faces step up, as defender Lily Reale, defender Jordyn Bugg, and goalkeeper Claudia Dickey earned their first caps without a hitch.

Big picture: While USWNT boss Emma Hayes is still figuring out her player pool, her team has been busy racking up the results.

• “Being able to trust my teammates around me, trusting Emma — she’s helped me a lot,” Thompson said after the game. “Just the coaching staff in general, I feel like I've learned so much.”

• “My natural instincts are to go into the attack more,” Patterson told the broadcast after tallying her first-ever senior team goal. “I think it’s a little bit of that, and also the backing of my coaches.”

Tune in: The USWNT closes out their series against the Republic of Ireland this Sunday at 3 PM ET, live on TNT.

Mystics cast a spell

The Mystics were off to the races last night, taking down the Aces 94-83 without leading scorer Brittney Sykes as Washington’s rebuild continues to trend ahead of schedule.

• Rookie guard Sonia Citron lead the team with 21 points, as the Mystics finished with five players in double-digit scoring including fellow first-years Kiki Iriafen and Lucy Olsen.

• Thursday’s other matchup also ended in an upset, as the Caitlin Clark-less Fever fell to the Sparks 85-75 — and dropped to a 7-8 record in the process.

Up next: A wacky week of results sets the stage for a packed weekend of marquee matchups, headlined by star power and potential shakeups to the WNBA standings.

• No. 1 Minnesota vs. No. 4 Atlanta, Friday at 7:30 PM ET (ION): The Lynx will hope for star Napheesa Collier’s return tonight, as recently upset Minnesota takes on an Atlanta team smarting from their own Tuesday loss.

• No. 9 Indiana vs. No. 12 Dallas, Friday at 7:30 PM ET (ION): Indiana is also aiming for a superstar return, as Clark’s availability remains in question ahead of the Fever’s first glimpse of Paige Bueckers and the Wings.

• No. 2 New York vs. No. 3 Phoenix, Friday at 10 PM ET (ION): An ailing Liberty side will try to hold off Phoenix, who are charging into Friday on a five-game winning streak with the chance to make it six.

Bottom line: Top-table matchups might draw the crowds, but the past week’s results prove that any team can rise above given the right circumstances.

College stars tip off in Chile

The 2025 FIBA AmeriCup 5×5 tournament tips off in Santiago, Chile this weekend, as a youthful Team USA battles nine other countries from North and South America with a ticket to 2026 FIBA World Cup on the line.

• Brazil enter as the tournament’s reigning champs after beating the silver medalist US in 2023, with Team USA aiming to avenge the loss by winning a fifth all-time gold medal at this year’s FIBA 5×5 competition.

• The group stage runs from June 28th through July 2nd, with the knockouts extending through July 6th.

Big picture: Led by Duke head coach Kara Lawson, this 12-player US squad follows the federation playbook by tapping college talent, with the NCAA’s finest looking to gain international experience and hone their skills against the pros.

• The roster features familiar faces, including March Madness stars Olivia Miles (TCU), Flau’Jae Johnson (LSU), Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame), Madison Booker (Texas), Audi Crooks (Iowa State), Raegan Beers (Oklahoma), and Joyce Edwards (South Carolina).

• “[W]e haven’t seen the level of physicality and experience we’re going to see down there,” Lawson said this week. “So that remains to be seen if we’re going to be able to impose that athletic, physical play. But there’s no doubt we’re going to try.”

Tune in: The USA open their AmeriCup campaign against hosts Chile tomorrow at 10 PM ET, live on FIBA streamer Courtside 1891.

Kipyegon crosses the finish line

Three-time Olympic gold medalist Faith Kipyegon fell six seconds short of making running history on Thursday, clocking a time of 4:06.42 in her attempt to become the first woman to break the four-minute mile.

• Kipyegon did beat her own previous world record by 1.22 seconds, though yesterday’s time won’t count as a new record as the race came during Nike’s unofficial Breaking4 event.

Big picture: Kipyegon had the benefit of multiple pace-setters, as well as an aerodynamic suit, 3D-printed Nike FlyWeb sports bra, and custom spiked shoes in the much-hyped Paris attempt.

• “I have proven that it’s possible and it’s only a matter of time. I think it will come to our way. If it’s not me, it will be somebody else,” she said afterwards.

Switzerland aims to break Euros record

As host nation Switzerland prepares to kick off the 2025 European Championship next week, the tournament’s overall attendance record is already projected to fall.

• More than 570,000 of the 673,000 available tickets have been sold as of Thursday, closing in on England’s 2022 record of 574,875.

• In addition to the tickets already on sale, stadiums are set to release another 32,000 to accommodate the knockout stages in the coming weeks.

Big picture: While Switzerland is poised to claim the Euros’ total attendance title by the competition’s July 27th finale, England’s single-game record of 87,192 will be safe, as no Swiss venue matches Wembley Stadium’s capacity.

Watch more: “A USWNT Fan’s Guide to the Euros” on The Late Sub

Number of the day 

10

With Thursday’s right-footed goal, USWNT star Rose Lavelle became one of just four US players to score at least 10 goals with each foot, joining Alex Morgan, Mallory Swanson, and Sophia Wilson.