The U.S. women’s national soccer team closed out the group stage of the Concacaf W Championship with a 1-0 win over Mexico on Monday. Kristie Mewis scored the lone goal in the 89th minute to send the U.S. into the knockout round as the top team in Group A. On Thursday, they’ll face Costa Rica in the semifinals.

The match against Mexico wasn’t a must-win for the USWNT, which had already qualified for the 2023 FIFA World Cup and clinched a spot in the semis with a 3-0 win over Haiti and 5-0 defeat of Jamaica.

But for Mexico, the game mattered. Coming into Monday’s match in last place in Group A, they needed a win to have a chance at finishing third in their group and advancing to the 10-team intercontinental World Cup qualifying round. The odds weren’t in their favor in the last 17 minutes after Jacqueline Ovalle was issued a red card for cleating Rose Lavelle’s ankle and Mexico went a player down. Regardless, they found dangerous attacking opportunities that put the American defense to the test.

Canada and Jamaica will meet in the other semifinal, also on Thursday. Canada finished first in Group B with three wins over Costa Rica, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago.

All semifinalists have qualified for the World Cup. Now, the four teams will compete for the Concacaf trophy and a guaranteed spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Can the USWNT finish the job? Here are our main takeaways from the group stage.

Naomi Girma and Midge Purce need to go to the World Cup

The USWNT has brought in a lot of new players this year, all of whom have impressed at one point or another and proven capable of contributing to a World Cup title. While players like Emily Fox and Alana Cook have consistently been on the pitch, two others haven’t got the start every time but have stood out when they’ve had the chance.

Naomi Girma has thrived at reading plays and delivering long balls into the attack, such as her precise, over-the-top assist to Sophia Smith in the July 7 match against Jamaica. Throughout the tournament, she’s also prevented teams from penetrating into the attacking third by reading and intercepting passes. On Monday against Mexico, she was tasked with shutting down one-v-ones and clearing balls out of the box. The center back duo has been one of the USWNT’s steadiest units at Concacaf so far, with Girma joined by Cook and Becky Sauerbrunn in a two-player rotation. They haven’t conceded a goal yet.

Forward Midge Purce started her first game of the tournament on Monday, and she didn’t let it go to waste. After scoring in the opener against Haiti, Purce tried for another against Mexico, but it rang off the post. She isn’t afraid to take players on one-v-one and she makes her presence felt end to end, most notably when she dribbled from the half to Mexico’s endline and sent a perfect low cross to the foot of Lindsey Horan in the box for a shot that the goalkeeper saved.

A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE USWNT. 😲

Midge Purce's impressive run to feed an open Lindsey Horan goes right into the arms of Itzel González. 👀 pic.twitter.com/bAEfO3i7aw

— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) July 12, 2022

What has to be better

The USWNT, at times, has lacked creativity. Against Mexico, they passed back more often than usual, even when they had space in front of them to draw opponents in. Mexico’s physical defense was difficult to break down, but getting through low blocks isn’t a new problem for the U.S.

It became most troubling when Mexico went down a player to the red card and the USWNT still struggled to find the back of the net. Mexico often found themselves in the USWNT’s defensive third in the final 10 minutes.

There are likely a number of factors contributing to the USWNT’s difficulties up front, but the lineup rotations have been puzzling. At the beginning of Concacaf, head coach Vlatko Andonovski indicated that the starting lineup would remain similar throughout the tournament, but it has proceeded to change every game. With a roster as deep as the USWNT’s, it can be important to give multiple players a chance to warm up to the competitive environment, but constant changes can also have an adverse effect on chemistry. Rose Lavelle, one of the team’s most creative players in the midfield, was taken out of the starting XI Monday, at a time when they could have really used her.

The XI to close out Group A. 🇺🇸

— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) July 12, 2022

Can the USWNT win Concacaf?

The USWNT squad in its current form is not ready to win a World Cup, as Andonovski said himself Monday night. They have a lot of work left to do when it comes to tactics, but the individual talent on the roster runs deep, and it’s enough to find a way to win Concacaf.

Costa Rica will load their backline like they did against Canada, and the U.S. might struggle with it on Thursday. But a few quick passes in the box worked for Canada. The U.S. is definitely capable of that, too.

If the USWNT ends up facing Canada in the finals on Monday, it will be their toughest competition yet. Canada has been practicing a defensive formation with two players in the six position, and they also have two of the best center backs in the world in Kadeisha Buchanan and Vanessa Gilles. The USWNT should consider starting the midfield trio of Lavelle, Andi Sullivan and Ashley Sanchez for maximum creativity on the ball to break through Canada’s Olympic gold-winning defense.

Jessa Braun is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering the NWSL and USWNT. Follow her on Twitter @jessabraun.

In this week's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins breaks down the 2025 resurgence of the San Diego Wave, a team currently sitting in third on the NWSL table following a disastrous 2024 season.

First, Watkins chats through the Wave's 2024 on- and off-pitch losses, from the abrupt firing of head coach Casey Stoney to the midseason retirement of superstar Alex Morgan to the transfers of franchise players Abby Dahlkemper and Naomi Girma — moves that left the 2023 Shield-winners below the 2024 postseason cutoff line.

Given the 2024 upheaval, "San Diego was set up to surprise," says Watkins. "They not only look better this year than they did last year, but right now they look better than a lot of the other teams in the league despite that talent loss."

There are two reasons for the Wave's 2025 rise, argues Watkins, starting with roster construction. San Diego has a bevy of young talent, including 17-year-olds Kimmi Ascanio, Trinity Armstrong, and Melanie Barcenas, as well as notable NCAA signings in Quincy McMahon and Trinity Byars — proving the Wave is flourishing in the NWSL's post-draft era.

"This is the new era of NWSL where teams, if they can sell young players on the future, they don't have to give up assets to sign those players," explains Watkins. "The best pitch wins. And San Diego, for all of their troubles last year, seems to still have a pretty compelling pitch to get these players to sign for them."

Along with the ability to identify and sign top young talent, explains Watkins, the Wave is also putting together a fast, creative style of play that is allowing San Diego to dominate possession and snag wins.

Could San Diego be in its "dynasty build" era?

Looking forward, while San Diego is clearly on the upswing, Watkins outlines the possible final components the club still needs to push them to the top of the league.

Noting that a young core is likely to struggle with consistency, Watkins says that some midseason pickups to either "let that offense go supernova or [to secure] a veteran stabilizing midfield force would be really useful for them."

Ultimately, Watkins questions San Diego's future in the context of the club's 2024 exodus and 2025 success, asking "Is this a setup for a five-year dynasty build, or is this a team that is always going to be stuck in this cycle of strong talent ID, good development —but then those players move on?"

About 'The Late Sub' with Claire Watkins

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes on the USWNT, NWSL, and all things women's soccer. Special guest appearances featuring the biggest names in women’s sports make TLS a must-listen for every soccer fan.

Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women's Sports newsletter for more.

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Duke women's basketball head coach Kara Lawson will lead a different team this NCAA offseason, taking on sideline duties for Team USA at this summer's 2025 FIBA Women's AmeriCup in Chile, USA Basketball announced on Tuesday.

Likely one of the last coaching decisions handled by committee, Lawson — alongside assistants DeLisha Milton-Jones and Jennie Baranczyk, the head coaches of Old Dominion and Oklahoma, respectively — will aim to return the four-time champions to the top of the biannual tournament's podium, after falling short to Brazil in the 2023 gold medal game.

The 2005 WNBA champion boasts a long history of success with USA Basketball, earning 2008 Olympic gold amid multiple medals as a player before beginning her coaching career.

Since then, the 44-year-old helped lead various USA Basketball teams to an astounding 75-5 competition record, picking up nine gold medals along the way.

Most recently, Lawson added 2024 Olympic gold as an assistant coach to her inaugural 3x3 Olympic championship as a head coach at the 2021 Tokyo Games.

"I'm incredibly honored," said Lawson in a USA Basketball statement. "It's such a gift. It's a gift that has given me so much over the years as a player, as a committee member, and as a coach. I've always tried to compete and give my best.... That won't change this summer."

Taking place in the middle of the 2025 WNBA season, the Team USA roster could feature NCAA talent.

"The goal is to put together a competitive team, one that represents all the standards that we hold dear to us," added Lawson.

The 2025 FIBA AmeriCup team that Lawson will lead will be announced after next month's trials, shortly before the tournament tips off on June 28th.

FIFA announced the eight cities that will host matches at the 2027 World Cup in Brazil on Wednesday, primarily selecting sites on the South American country's East Coast over tropical regions that require more extensive travel.

In addition to Rio de Janeiro's iconic Maracanã Stadium, the tournament's 64 games will take place across Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Fortaleza, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, and São Paulo.

"The selection of the host cities represents the moment where the dream begins to take shape," said Brazil’s minister of sport André Fufuca. "Each of the selected host cities represents Brazil — a diverse and vibrant Brazil, with people who are passionate about football, and places that already live and breathe the sport and that will now have the opportunity to leave a transformative legacy for their communities and for generations to come."

The 32 teams battling for the 2027 World Cup will begin their hunt on June 24th of that year, with the final taking place on July 25th.

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Marta, Formiga help announce 2027 World Cup cities

To bolster the news, FIFA tapped famous Brazilians for its announcement video, including star futsal player Amandinha and two-time NWSL champion Debinha.

Also helping drop the eight cities were the country’s most iconic women's soccer legends, Marta — the World Cup's all-time leading scorer — and Formiga, the only athlete to compete in seven editions of the tournament.

"I won't be on the pitch in 2027, but I'm always ready to represent Brazilian football – even more so at a special moment like this," said the retired Formiga.

"I know every corner of our country, and I can tell you: Each of these cities is full of women's football talents who need support and inspiration," she continued. "The Women's World Cup will be an opportunity for them to see the greatest up close and think, 'If they can be there, so can I.' That's the impact that only an event of this size can have."

Using the 2027 World Cup — the first ever hosted in South America — to grow the women's game is top-of-mind for former player Mariléia "Michael Jackson" dos Santos, who now serves as the country's director of women's football promotion.

"We want to create a solid network that will last well beyond 2027," said dos Santos. "The idea is to decentralise the impact so that women's football flourishes in every corner of the country."

"It's a unique opportunity to change the game, and we're going to make the most of it because Brazilian women's football deserves it, and so do the girls in our country."

WNBA teams continued to trim their 2025 rosters this week, as preseason matchups set the stage for the league's May 16th regular-season tip-off.

After wrapping their 2025 preseason slate on Tuesday, Wednesday saw the Las Vegas Aces waive Harvard alum Harmoni Turner — drafted 35th overall last month — and fourth-year veteran center Queen Egbo.

Turner was the Aces’ third-round pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. pic.twitter.com/buxEKqdVVe

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) May 7, 2025

Other standouts recently shown the door include Indiana Fever recruit Bree Hall (20th overall pick from South Carolina), the Seattle Storm's Madison Conner (29th overall pick from TCU), and Minnesota Lynx rookie Diamond Johnson (undrafted from Norfolk State).

While teams can sign up to 18 athletes to training camp rosters, they must whittle their lineups down to the league's regular-season max of 12 players, a system that sparks lots of movement — both in cuts and additions — in the days leading to tip off.

To that end, after the Golden State Valkyries cut their 17th overall draft pick Shyanne Sellers on Saturday, the Atlanta Dream snatched up the Maryland grad on waivers on Monday — just in time for their final preseason showdown with Indiana on Saturday.

Also receiving good news this week was Dallas's Maddy Siegrist, as the third-year forward saw the Wings exercise her fourth-year rookie option on Tuesday.

Alongside Indiana's 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston, Villanova grad Siegrist and the former South Carolina standout are the only 2023 draftees officially on rosters before the 2025 season's start.

Flush with talent and low on roster spots, the WNBA has long been one of the hardest sports leagues to secure a place in — and even more fan favorites are likely to land on the chopping block in the coming days.