USWNT suffers first-ever loss to Portugal

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The USWNT suffers first-ever loss to Portugal

The USWNT had an inauspicious start to their October window on Thursday, falling to Portugal for the first time in program history 2-1 in the team’s first game together in almost four months.

• “Ultimately, tonight was just not acceptable, it was not our standard,” midfielder Sam Coffey told TNT after the game.

• Midfielder Rose Lavelle opened the scoring in just the first minute to give the hosts the early lead, before the US conceded two unanswered goals off of corner kicks, first by Diana Gomes and then by Fátima Pinto. (Full highlights)

Big picture: The loss marked only the third time that the US has lost to an opponent outside the top 20 FIFA rankings, as USWNT players struggled to find each other on the pitch when faced with Portugal’s physicality and formation.

• “Sometimes as a coach in this position, it feels like Whack-a-Mole,” said US manager Emma Hayes. “You try and put one thing out, and then there's another one popping up.”

Tune in: The US will have a chance to bounce back, as they take on Portugal for a second time on Sunday at 4 PM ET, live on TNT.

• "It's a game of football, no one died," Hayes said. "We've got to be better, and I promise you, we will be better. We better be."

Report: Dallas Wings set to hire USF coach

The Wings have found their next coach, as multiple reports on Thursday linked longtime University of Southern Florida coach Jose Fernandez with the open head coaching position in Dallas.

• Fernandez is still finalizing his contract with the WNBA side after having led the USF Bulls for 25 years, making 10 NCAA tournament appearances.

• “His impact on USF athletics and our university community is profound, and his legacy will be remembered and celebrated for years to come,” USF athletics CEO Rob Higgins said in a statement on Thursday, acknowledging that Fernandez is leaving for a position in the WNBA.

Big picture: Replacing Chris Koclanes after one year, Fernandez will become Dallas’s fifth coach in seven seasons as the team tries to build around 2024 No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers.

• He will be the third WNBA hiring out of the college ranks in the last two years, after Atlanta Dream boss Karl Smesko (FGCU) and LA Sparks coach Lynn Roberts (Utah).

• The Wings enter 2026 with the highest odds to land next year’s No. 1 pick as well, as the team looks to improve on a 13th-place finish and make the playoffs for the first time since 2023.

The WNBA CBA back-and-forth continues

The WNBA league office and the Players Association exchanged escalating public statements this week, as both sides dispute terms surrounding a key CBA issue: revenue sharing.

• "When the players opted out a year ago, they made it clear they wanted a salary system that values their labor and allows them to grow with the business they are very clearly driving," WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson told ESPN in a statement this week, citing the disparity in revenue sharing percentages between the WNBA and the NBA.

• "The league's response has been to run out the clock, put lipstick on a pig and retread a system that isn't tied to any part of the business and intentionally undervalues the players,” she continued.

Big picture: Days ago, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said publicly that “[Revenue] share isn't the right way to look at it,” pushing instead for salary increases in “absolute numbers.”

• WNBA leadership, however, denied this week that their current offer to players is fully capped, saying, “It is incorrect and surprising that the Players Association is claiming that the WNBA has not offered an uncapped revenue sharing model that is directly tied to the league's performance.”

• "It is frustrating and counterproductive for the union to be making misrepresentations about our proposals while also accusing the league of engaging in delay,” the statement continued. “That is simply not true.”

Bottom line: With both parties clearly not seeing eye to eye, a resolution before the CBA’s October 31st deadline appears unlikely, though no extension has yet been formally requested.

Your favorite WNBA show is back, as an all new episode of JWS digital series Between the Lines with Lisa Leslie presented by State Street Investment Management brings another helping of unfiltered commentary, insider perspective, and cultural critique to basketball fans everywhere.

• In this week’s Between the Lines, Aces star NaLyssa Smith joins Leslie to chat about her basketball journey, landing in Las Vegas, and winning her first-ever WNBA championship this year.

• Leslie also reflects back on a blockbuster WNBA season — and the increasingly tense CBA negotiations looming over the league’s future.

Tune in: Catch Between the Lines with Lisa Leslie on YouTube.

England vs. Brazil headlines international football weekend

This weekend’s slate of international soccer features more than one blockbuster matchup, as the summer’s top performers begin the long process of preparing for the 2027 World Cup.

• 2025 UEFA Women’s Euro champions England will be hosting 2025 Copa America Femenina winners Brazil on Saturday at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, as part of the Lionesses’ four-game Homecoming Series.

• The match will serve as the first of a friendly series spanning two international breaks, including a Lionesses matchup against Australia on Tuesday.

Big picture: While England’s fans will get to enjoy the team’s victory lap after their second-straight Euro title, other top UEFA competition will be firmly focused on Nations League play.

• Germany takes on France this morning in the first leg of the semifinal round, before Spain battles Sweden at 2 PM ET, live on Paramount+.

Tune in: England takes on Brazil tomorrow at 12:30 PM ET, live on Paramount+ and Amazon Prime.

Tour de France Femmes sets course for 2026

The Tour de France Femmes confirmed its course for 2026 this week, setting up next year’s event as the longest iteration of the race in the women’s tour history.

• The course runs nine stages from August 1-9th, starting in Lausanne, Switzerland through to the finish line in Nice, France, covering a total of 1,175km with 18,795m of climbing.

• The course is divided into three flat stages, three hilly stages, two mountain stages and one individual time trial, with riders tackling Mont Ventoux — an iconic climb from the men’s event — for the first time.

Big picture: The Tour de France Femmes will be completing only its fifth year in 2026, debuting a standalone time slot a week after the men’s race ends, rather than scheduling the two events back-to-back.

• “People have embraced us and we are fixed in the sporting landscape,” said race director Marion Rousse. “The new dates, separate to the men, prove it.”

Quote of the day

USWNT forward Trinity Rodman

talking about her communication with Triple Espresso USWNT teammates Sophia Wilson and Mallory Swanson on Friendlies with Sam Mewis.