USWNT rocks New Zealand behind Emma Sears hat trick

Birds of a feather…

USWNT rocks New Zealand to cap October friendlies

The USWNT closed out the international window in style on Wednesday, dominating New Zealand 6-0 to cap a three-friendly slate with an emphatic statement.

• Forward Emma Sears tallied the team’s first hat trick since 2022, backed up by a brace from Catarina Macario and a long-range strike from Rose Lavelle.

• “It’s just about making the most of my opportunities, encouraging my teammates here the best I can, and just coming into games where I might be needed,” said Sears postgame. “Whether that's coming off the bench, or starting like I was tonight.” (Watch full highlights)

Big picture: USWNT manager Emma Hayes pitted an inexperienced group against the world’s 33rd-ranked team, starting three teenagers back-to-back for the first time since 2000 with the entire US starting defense sharing just 11 international caps between them.

• Last night’s starting XI averaged 17.3 caps per player, narrowly beating out April’s Brazil-facing team for the least-capped USWNT lineup in 25 years.

• “We’re developing real competition in our squad,” Hayes said afterwards. “Internally, the important thing for us is that we get to be ourselves, and we get to play the way we want to play.”

Looking ahead: What started with a whimper ended with a bang, as the USWNT’s youth movement continues to force tough roster calls with a pair of November friendlies against Euros semifinalists Italy — and next year’s World Cup qualifiers — fast approaching.

UConn basketball star Sarah Strong headlines ESPN’s Top 25

UConn basketball continues to pile on the preseason accolades, with ESPN’s annual Top 25 women’s NCAA player rankings listing star sophomore Sarah Strong at No. 1 ahead of her second season with the Huskies.

• UConn emerged as the only program with two Top 10 players, as ESPN put teammate Azzi Fudd at No. 8 going into her final NCAA season.

• New UConn transfer Serah Williams also made the cut at No. 18, as the preseason AP No. 1 Huskies attempt to repeat their 2025 title despite losing superstar Paige Bueckers to the WNBA.

Making the team: 2025 Final Four participants No. 2 Lauren Betts (UCLA), No. 4 Madison Booker (Texas), No. 11 Joyce Edwards (South Carolina), and No. 17 Kiki Rice (UCLA) round things out, accompanied by individual standouts No. 3 Hanna Hidalgo (Notre Dame) and No. 5 Flau’jae Johnson (LSU).

• The lineup also featured big-name offseason transfers, including highly touted newcomers No. 6 Olivia Miles (TCU), No. 7 Ta’Niya Latson (South Carolina), No. 14 Gianna Kneepkins (UCLA), and No. 19 MiLaysia Fulwiley (LSU).

• Freshmen were not eligible for ESPN’s preseason ranking, though they can be added throughout the year as the list gets updated.

Stay tuned: See the Top 25 in action, as the 2025/26 NCAA women’s basketball season tips off this Monday at 11 AM ET. (See full schedule)

Report: WNBA star Paige Bueckers set to make feature film debut

WNBA Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers is branching out, with Deadline reporting Wednesday that the Dallas Wings guard has signed on to star in an upcoming sports drama from Apple Original Films.

• Dubbed Jess & Pearl, the film is based on an original idea by Scandal writer and producer Zahir McGhee, with production backing by Middle Child Pictures’ David Bernad (White Lotus) and Wasserman’s Lindsay Kagawa Colas and Tommy Alter, while Bueckers serves as an executive producer.

• “Set in the world of women’s basketball, the film follows two phenoms who forge an extraordinary bond as teammates until fame, competition, and the ruthless business of college athletics threaten to turn their friendship into an epic rivalry,” stated Deadline.

Good company: Bueckers wouldn’t be the first WNBA player to dive into the world of cinema in recent years, after enterprising Sky forward Angel Reese made her own feature film debut in Netflix’s A House of Dynamite earlier this month.

• Though the UConn alum is facing a packed offseason, with Bueckers committed to join Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball for the first time in January.

ESPN extends Athletes Unlimited broadcast deal

Athletes Unlimited’s broadcast reach got even stronger this week, as the pro women’s sports organization scored a blockbuster media rights extension with ESPN ensuring three more years of basketball, volleyball, and softball coverage.

• “The growth we’ve seen across Athletes Unlimited’s leagues speaks to the power and appeal of women’s sports,” said ESPN EVP of programming and acquisitions Rosalyn Durant. “We’re excited to deepen our partnership and bring even more of these moments and athletes to fans everywhere.”

The details: ESPN will exclusively air 50 AU Softball League games annually — including 47 regular-season matchups and the AUSL Championship Series — while ABC committed to airing the first-ever pro softball game on network television.

• The broadcast giant already has a vested interest in softball’s future, with June’s Women’s College World Series Finals delivering a record-high 2.2 million viewers across ESPN networks.

• AU’s basketball and volleyball footprint is also growing, with all 24 games from each competition’s season set to air live.

• “This renewed and expanded partnership affirms the strength of our properties and reflects the growing enthusiasm for women’s professional sports,” said AU chief broadcast officer Cheri Kempf.

Germany advances to Nations League Final amid €100 million FA investment

Germany is headed to the UEFA Women’s Nations League Final, advancing with a 3-2 aggregate advantage after surviving a semifinal comeback bid from France in Tuesday’s 2-2 draw.

• DFB-Frauen will now face reigning Nations League champions Spain in November’s two-legged finale, after the perennial titans quickly dispatched Sweden at a 5-0 aggregate score with Tuesday’s 1-0 victory.

Big picture: Germany’s international prowess isn’t new, but the German Federation is doubling down on the national team’s future, making a €100 million investment in the country’s top-flight domestic league.

• The German Football Association (DFB) announced the plan last week, marking the largest single investment in German women’s football history.

• “We want to ensure that the women’s Bundesliga can stand on its own two feet: economically, structurally, and in terms of visibility,” DFB president Bernd Neuendorf told German newspaper Frankfurter Rundschau.

Quote of the day

USWNT fans inside Kansas City’s CPKC Stadium
chanting for Current captain Lo’eau Labonta to take the pitch in last night’s USWNT friendly against New Zealand.