The NWSL Challenge Cup is here, with teams set to compete for a record prize pool of $1 million.

Beginning on April 19, three groups of four teams each will compete in the group stage, which will conclude on Aug. 6. All three division winners will advance to the semifinals, as well as the runner-up with the most points across all the divisions.

For a more in-depth look at players and teams to watch during the Challenge Cup, see staff writer Claire Watkins’ predictions for the revamped 2023 edition.

What are the divisions?

• East Division:
  • NJ/NY Gotham FC
  • North Carolina Courage
  • Orlando Pride
  • Washington Spirit
• Central Division:
  • Chicago Red Stars
  • Houston Dash
  • Kansas City Current
  • Racing Louisville
• West Division:
  • Angel City FC
  • OL Reign
  • Portland Thorns
  • San Diego Wave FC

What happens in case of a tie?

If teams end up tied in points after the divisional round, the first tiebreak is goal differential, followed by goals scored. After that, the tiebreak moves to head-to-head results between the teams that are tied, followed by goal differential in those games. From there, it goes to head-to-head goals scored in games between the teams that are tied.

At the end of all of that, if teams are still tied, the tiebreak will rely on the number of yellow and red cards received by each team, and then to a draw.

When will the games take place?

The tournament is being held concurrently with the regular season for the first time. The inaugural 2020 edition replaced that year’s pandemic-canceled season, and the 2021 and 2022 editions were played during the preseason.

Challenge Cup games mostly will be played on Wednesdays, although during the World Cup break games also will take place on Friday and Saturday nights.

The two semifinal matches will take place on Sept. 6, followed by the championship match on Sept. 9.

What is the full schedule?

Note: All kickoff times are listed in Eastern Time. All matches are available on Paramount+ unless otherwise noted.

• Wednesday, April 19:
  • Orlando Pride vs. North Carolina Courage, 7:00 p.m.
  • NJ/NY Gotham FC vs. Washington Spirit, 7:30 p.m.
  • Houston Dash vs. Kansas City Current, 7:30 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)
  • San Diego Wave vs. Portland Thorns, 10:00 p.m.
  • Angel City FC vs. OL Reign, 10:00 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)
• Wednesday, May 3:
  • North Carolina Courage vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC, 7:00 p.m.
  • Houston Dash vs. Chicago Red Stars, 8:00 p.m.
  • OL Reign vs. Angel City FC, 10:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, May 10:
  • Washington Spirit vs. Orlando Pride, 7:30 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)
• Wednesday, May 17:
  • Racing Louisville vs. Kansas City Current, 7:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, May 31:
  • Chicago Red Stars vs. Racing Louisville, 8:00 p.m.
  • San Diego Wave vs. OL Reign, 10:00 p.m.
  • Portland Thorns vs. Angel City FC, 10:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, June 7:
  • NJ/NY Gotham FC vs. Orlando Pride, 7:30 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)
• Wednesday, June 14:
  • Washington Spirit vs. North Carolina Courage, 7:30 p.m.
  • Kansas City Current vs. Chicago Red Stars, 8:00 p.m.
  • Racing Louisville vs. Houston Dash, 8:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, June 28:
  • Orlando Pride vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC, 7:00 p.m.
  • Portland Thorns vs. OL Reign, 10:30 p.m.
  • Angel City FC vs. San Diego Wave, 10:30 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)
• Friday, July 21:
  • Racing Louisville vs. Chicago Red Stars, 7:00 p.m.
  • Portland Thorns vs. San Diego Wave, 10:30 p.m.
•  Saturday, July 22:
  • North Carolina Courage vs. Washington Spirit, 7:00 p.m.
  • Kansas City Current vs. Houston Dash, 8:00 p.m.
• Friday, July 28:
  • Washington Spirit vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC, 7:30 p.m.
  • OL Reign vs. San Diego Wave, 10:30 p.m.
• Saturday, July 29:
  • North Carolina Courage vs. Orlando Pride, 7:00 p.m.
  • Chicago Red Stars vs. Kansas City Current, 8:00 p.m.
  • Houston Dash vs. Racing Louisville, 8:30 p.m.
  • Angel City FC vs. Portland Thorns, 10:00 p.m.
• Friday, Aug. 4:
  • Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit, 7:00 p.m.
  • Kansas City Current vs. Racing Louisville, 8:00 p.m.
• Saturday, Aug. 5:
  • NJ/NY Gotham FC vs. North Carolina Courage, 7:30 p.m.
  • Chicago Red Stars vs. Houston Dash, 8:00 p.m.
  • San Diego Wave vs. Angel City FC, 7:30 p.m.
• Sunday, Aug. 6:
  • OL Reign vs. Portland Thorns, 6:00 p.m.

With recent transfers Talia von Oelhoffen and Kiki Iriafen joining first-team All-American JuJu Watkins and the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class at USC next season, the Trojans look to transition from an up-and-coming squad to a legitimate title contender. 

Former Oregon State graduate student von Oelhoffen is the latest collegiate talent to commit to the program, announcing her transfer Monday via ESPN. She follows ex-Stanford leading-scorer Iriafen in the jump to the pair’s one-time Pac-12 rival.

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The 5-foot-11 Washington native was a two-time All-Pac-12 guard during her time at Oregon State. But after the recent dissolution of the Pac-12, the Corvallis side found themselves without a permanent home conference going forward. Many big name players opted to take their skill elsewhere as a result, with von Oelhoffen’s fellow ex-Beaver Raegan Beers announcing her own departure to Oklahoma on Monday.

According to DraftKings, USC is now tied with UConn for the second-best betting odds to win the 2025 NCAA women’s tournament. Dawn Staley’s tested South Carolina side, poised for a repeat performance, holds down the number one spot.

Last year, LSU loaded up in the transfer portal after beating Iowa to win the 2023 national championship. The Tigers were clear favorites coming into the 2023-24 season, but were bounced in the Elite Eight by Caitlin Clark’s Hawkeyes. Shortly thereafter, star transfer Hailey Van Lith opted to transfer a second time, this time signing with TCU. 

Yet while history proves that an excess of star power doesn’t always translate to on-court chemistry, on paper, USC sure looks ready to hold their own — in 2025 and beyond.

The United States and Mexico have withdrawn their joint bid to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup, per a Monday afternoon release from U.S. Soccer and the Mexican Football Federation.

According to the statement, they will instead focus on developing a "more equitable" bid for the 2031 tournament, with the ultimate goal of "eliminating investment disparities" between the men’s and women’s tournaments.

The federations went on to cite the upcoming 2026 Men’s World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico as an opportunity to build support for local infrastructure, improve audience engagement, and scale up media and partnership deals in preparation to "host a record-breaking tournament in 2031."

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"Hosting a World Cup tournament is a huge undertaking — and having additional time to prepare allows us to maximize its impact across the globe," said U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone. "Shifting our bid will enable us to host a record-breaking Women’s World Cup in 2031 that will help to grow and raise the level of the women’s game both here at home as well as across the globe."

The decision leaves just Brazil and a joint bid from Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands in the running for the 2027 host spot. Brazil — the rumored frontrunner — has never hosted a Women’s World Cup, while Germany hosted the 2011 tournament as a solo venture. 

Furthermore, this postponement doesn’t mean the U.S. is a shoo-in for 2031, as it's been previously reported that 2022 UEFA Women's EURO host England is considering their own Women's World Cup bid. FIFA is scheduled to confirm the winning bid after the FIFA Congress votes on May 17th.

Former Stanford leading-scorer Kiki Iriafen is set to join star rising sophomore JuJu Watkins at USC next year, reported ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Saturday. 

The 6-foot-3 forward is coming off a breakout season with the Cardinal, where the then-junior led Stanford to the Sweet 16 with an average of 19.4 points, 11 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. Walking away with the Pac-12’s Most Improved Player award and a spot on the All-Pac-12 team, Iriafen entered the portal at the close of last season and was subsequently ranked second on ESPN’s 2024-2025 transfer ranking list.

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At USC, Iriafen will play out her senior year alongside the Women's Basketball Coaches Association’s 2024 National Freshman of the Year JuJu Watkins, forming what could be an explosive partnership for the Trojans as they look to build momentum going into next season. The Southern California side advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1994 this year, ultimately falling to UConn in a heated 80-73 battle.

Iriafen wasn’t the only one making choices this past week. LSU guard Hailey Van Lith officially announced her own transfer to TCU on Friday, while Princeton standout Kaitlyn Chen committed to UConn for her final year of college eligibility. Other big names still weighing their options are Oregon State's Talia Von Oelhoffen and Raegan Beers, as well as UNC's Deja Kelly.

With conference realignment on the horizon and team fit a contending factor, the NCAA women's basketball transfer portal has been busier than ever. And while transfers can bolster many types of college programs, this particular offseason has seen talent-rich programs growing even richer.

Legendary WNBA superstar Candace Parker announced her retirement from professional basketball on Sunday, effective immediately.

"I promised I'd never cheat the game & that I'd leave it in a better place than I came into it," she wrote in an Instagram post. "The competitor in me always wants 1 more, but it's time. My HEART & body knew, but I needed to give my mind time to accept it."

The Las Vegas Aces forward was in the midst of rehabbing a right ankle injury and a left foot fracture after missing part of the 2023 season.

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One of women's basketball's most prominent trailblazers, Parker popularized the play of a "big guard." A back-to-back NCAA National Championship winner with Tennessee, she was drafted No. 1 overall by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2008. She was named both WNBA MVP and Rookie of the Year in her debut season with the league. 

Parker exits the pros a three-time WNBA champion, a two-time league MVP, seven-time WNBA All-Star, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and two-time NCAA champion, in addition to many more individual accolades. Throughout her 16-year career, she averaged 16 points, 8.5 rebounds, and four assists per game. She remains the only player in WNBA history to earn three WNBA titles with three different teams: LA in 2016, Chicago in 2021, and Las Vegas in 2023. 

In her announcement, the 38-year-old implied the physical toll of league play was a driving factor in her ultimate decision to walk away from the game, despite recently signing a one-year deal with Las Vegas.

"This offseason hasn’t been fun on a foot that isn’t cooperating," she wrote. "It’s no fun playing in pain (10 surgeries in my career) it’s no fun knowing what you could do, if only…it’s no fun hearing 'she isn’t the same' when I know why, it’s no fun accepting the fact you need surgery AGAIN.

"I’m grateful that for 16 years I PLAYED A GAME for a living & DESPITE all the injuries, I hooped," she continued. "I’m grateful for family, friends, teammates, coaches, doctors, trainers & fans who made this journey so special."

Fans weren’t the only ones shocked by Parker’s surprise retirement. In a reaction captured on video, Liberty forward Breanna Stewart responded to the news with a jaw-dropped, eyebrow-raised "What? Wow." 

Yet while the Naperville, Illinois native’s time on the court might be over, Parker says she isn't leaving the world of basketball anytime soon.

"This is the beginning," she wrote. "I’m attacking business, private equity, ownership (I will own both a NBA & WNBA team), broadcasting, production, boardrooms, beach volleyball, dominoes (sorry babe it’s going to get more real) with the same intensity & focus I did basketball."