Rachel Daly plays for both the Houston Dash of the NWSL and the English national team. She spoke with Just Women’s Sports about the ongoing NWSL Challenge Cup, what gives the Dash their mental edge, and what she expects from the club the rest of the way. 

Overall, how has your experience been living in a bubble and playing games under these conditions? 

We haven’t left our hotel other than to go to training, which is hard, but I think we’ve managed it quite well. We play ping pong tournaments. I’ve learned how to juggle. We play Mario Kart. Just things you wouldn’t do a whole lot of if you were at home. I think it’s a good time obviously for the team to get to know each other on a deeper level as well. It’s quite a unique experience.

As far as the games, we started off really well. We were disappointed obviously to tie the first game. I think we dominated that whole game, it just didn’t go our way at the end. The OL Reign game was good for us and was a massive confidence boost for the team. I think we needed that. I think we actually played really well. It was good for our team to get a good win and the media started to recognize us for who we are versus our old Dash ways. I think that was positive. Then, we took a bit of a hit and lost to Sky Blue, but some players were rotated. I think it’s obviously hard in tournaments to manage everyone’s game loads and things like that. It was a really disappointing result for us, but we still have a lot to look forward to.

What’s surprised you about the quality of play so far? 

I think what’s been exciting about us is obviously the amount of goals we scored. Five in the first two games is quite a big deal for us. We’ve never scored that many goals in the past in two games, but we’ve been pushing this past month or so in preseason on getting people in the box and creating scoring chances.

I think soccer games are quite tight all over, really. When you watch MLS now, their games are nil-nil, one-nil. Even the Premier League in the first week, I think there were about eight nil-nil games. I think it’s just getting that fatigue out of your body when you’re in quarantine and you can’t really train. You come into preseason, you’re only playing against each other. The shock of playing against another team and trying to get up to speed with the level of play again has been tough.

How has it been playing without fans?

You know what? I honestly don’t even notice it to be honest. At first I felt it was going to be a bit weird, having no sound, whatever. I think once you get out there, I think the only thing you’re thinking about is football.

You’re coming off a good year last year and a successful semi final World Cup run with England. Now you’re a co captain of the Dash. What does all that mean to you and how have you built off that momentum during the tournament?

It’s obviously been a long year of not playing since the off season last year. For me, this was just about trying to get through this tournament and get a positive result. Getting to the semifinal, getting to the final, that’s obviously something we’re pushing for. I think if I can help the team in any way I can, obviously for me that’s important. Dash has been a big part of my life for the past five years. The club means a lot to me, so I think every time I step out on that field, I think it’s more of a proud moment too versus just playing football, going out, and enjoying yourself. I’m actually playing to represent a club that I have loved for the past five years.

You’ve talked about this “do or die” Dash mentality elsewhere and how the team is often seen as an underdog. Can you speak to that idea?

Yes, I think we always have been an underdog, but we’ve brought that on ourselves. We’ve never performed to the level we should have. We’ve always come in the league and been sixth, seventh, eighth. We’ve never ever made the playoffs. That’s through our own fault. I think for us this year it was all about earning respect and gaining respect from the opposition, from the media, from the fans, and I think that attention came to us a little bit after the Reign game, which was nice.

For us, it is a do or die attitude. We had a lack of structure these past few years, but now we’ve actually got a really good quality team. We’ve got players that are new this year, players that have come back from last year, and the previous years. Different people, different personalities, different ability levels. I think that’s something that we capitalize on. There’s also the fact that you don’t have a US national team player on our team. That boosts our team a little bit more to push on, do well, and perform without that. I think we’re the only team in the league that doesn’t have one. That’s a big thing for us. We just want to go out in this tournament and show people what we can do and what we are capable of.

What are your expectations for the remainder of the tournament?

We want to win. We go out every game, we want to win every game. Obviously, it’s a bit of a weird one because everyone makes the knockout round, so people can rest and whatever, but I think we’ve gone in with the attitude every game to win. That’s not changed and that’s not going to change. Hopefully, we get a good draw in the quarters and push on. Our ultimate goal is to be in the final.

USWNT stalwart Alex Morgan will miss at least one week of NWSL action after suffering a left ankle knock in her last club appearance, Wave manager Casey Stoney said on Thursday.

Morgan was helped off the field after rolling her ankle in the later stages of the Wave’s 1-0 loss to the Orlando Pride last weekend, despite the San Diego side being out of available substitutes.

“She's got an ankle injury and she's out for this weekend, and then it'll be week by week from there,” Stoney said, confirming that Morgan’s been ruled out for Saturday’s showdown with NWSL newcomer Bay FC.

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Depending on its severity, Morgan’s ankle issue might have larger ramifications than missing a few weeks of NSWL play. Morgan was added to the team's Gold Cup roster after an ACL injury sidelined young striker Mia Fishel, and she's since made a number of USWNT starts in the team's Gold Cup and SheBelieves wins. A long-term injury could potentially derail the center forward’s Olympic plans.

With her return timeline uncertain, it's possible the injury could also impact Morgan's ability to participate in new head coach Emma Hayes' first U.S. friendlies in June and July.

Morgan's injury concerns aren't uncommon in the U.S. player pool, but add a sense of urgency as Hayes eyes the NWSL for top-performing players in the upcoming weeks. Gotham's Tierna Davidson and Rose Lavelle have also been dealing with injuries: Lavelle has yet to appear for Gotham, while Davidson exited last weekend's match early with a hamstring injury.

Gotham has yet to issue an update concerning Davidson's status.

This week, legendary Brazilian superstar Marta announced that she’ll retire from the national team at the end of 2024.

In an interview with CNN Esportes published Thursday, the iconic footballer confirmed that she would be hanging up her boots regardless of whether or not she ends up making Brazil's 18-player roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

“If I go to the Olympics, I will enjoy every moment, because regardless of whether I go to the Olympics or not, this is my last year with the national team,” she said. “There is no longer Marta in the national team as an athlete from 2025 onwards.”

Marta will retire as a giant of the women's game, having appeared in five Olympics and multiple World Cups. When discussing her retirement, she stressed confidence in the rising generation of Brazilian players, noting that she was, “very calm about this, because I see with great optimism this development that we are having in relation to young athletes." 

The statement echoes back to a plea she made during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup after Brazil lost to France 2-1 in the Round of 16. “It's wanting more. It's training more. It's taking care of yourself more. It's being ready to play 90 plus 30 minutes. This is what I ask of the girls,” she said then, addressing the young players following in her footsteps. 

In 2023, she signaled a farewell to World Cup competition with the same sentiment, telling media, “We ask the new generation to continue where we left off.”

If selected for the 2024 Olympic team, Marta has a shot at extending her own consecutive-scoring record with the ability to score in an unbelievable sixth-straight Olympic Games. She currently stands as Brazil’s top goalscorer, racking up 116 career goals in 175 matches, as well as the leading goalscorer in any World Cup, women’s or men’s, with 17 to her name. 

Marta will continue to play for the NWSL’s Orlando Pride through at least the end of 2024. The longtime forward and club captain has already contributed to multiple goals this season.

U.S. Soccer announced Tuesday that the USWNT will play their last home game on July 16th in the lead-up to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

The 2024 Send-Off Match against Costa Rica will take place at Washington, DC’s Audi Field — home to both the Washington Spirit and DC United — at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 16th. The friendly rounds out a four-game Olympic run-up campaign under incoming head coach Emma Hayes’ side, with the last two set to feature the finalized 2024 U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer Team roster.

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Hayes will appear on the USWNT sideline for the first time this June, helming the team as they embark on a two-game series against Korea Republic hosted by Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado on June 1st followed by Allianz Stadium in St. Paul, Minnesota on June 4th. 

The team is then scheduled to meet a talented Mexico squad on July 13th at Gotham FC’s Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, where the Olympic-bound lineup will attempt to rewrite February’s shocking 2-0 loss to El Tri Femenil in the group stages of this year’s Concacaf W Gold Cup. And while clear roster favorites have emerged from both of this year’s Gold Cup and SheBelives Cup rosters, a spate of recent and recurring injuries means making it to the Olympics is still largely anyone’s game.

Broadcast and streaming channels for the USWNT's final July 16th friendly at Audi Field include TNT, truTV, Universo, Max, and Peacock.

The USA Basketball Women's National Team is still considering Caitlin Clark for a spot on the Paris Olympics squad, says selection committee chair Jennifer Rizzotti. 

On Monday, Rizzotti told the AP that the committee will be evaluating the college phenom’s Olympic prospects by keeping a close eye on her first few weeks of WNBA play with Indiana.

The move is somewhat unconventional. While Clark was invited to participate in the 14-player national team training camp held earlier this month — the last camp before Team USA’s roster drops — she was unable to attend due to it coinciding with Iowa’s trip to the NCAA Women’s Final Four.

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Judging by the immense talent spread throughout the league in what might be their most hyped season to date, competition for a piece of the Olympic pie could be fiercer than ever before.

"You always want to introduce new players into the pool whether it's for now or the future," said Rizzotti. "We stick to our principles of talent, obviously, positional fit, loyalty and experience. It's got to be a combination of an entire body of work. It's still not going to be fair to some people."

Of course, Clark isn’t the first rookie the committee has made exceptions for. Coming off an exceptional college season that saw her averaging 19.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4 assists per game for UConn, Breanna Stewart was tapped to represent the U.S. at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil less than two weeks after being drafted No. 1 overall by the Seattle Storm. Eight years prior, fellow No. 1 pick Candace Parker punched her ticket to the 2008 Games in Beijing just two weeks after making her first appearance for the L.A. Sparks.

In the lead-up to Paris’ Opening Ceremony on July 26th, USA Basketball Women’s National Team is scheduled to play a pair of exhibition games. They'll first go up against the WNBA's finest at the July 20th WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix before facing Germany in London on July 23rd.

While an official roster announcement date hasn’t yet been issued, players won’t find out if they’ve made this year’s Olympic cut until at least June 1st.