When Megan Rapinoe soared her penalty kick over the crossbar in the U.S. women’s national team’s World Cup elimination match Sunday against Sweden, her mouth twisted in a smile.

With the expression, the 38-year-old was not making light of the moment but ruing it. While the three more shootout rounds followed, the wayward shot ended up as the last of Rapinoe’s career, as the USWNT lost 5-4 on penalties to Sweden in the Round of 16.

“I mean, this is like a sick joke,” she said of the ending to her illustrious career. “For me personally, I’m just like, this is a dark comedy. I missed a penalty.”

Her miss, while not the final one for the USWNT, provided perhaps the cruelest twist of fate in the shootout. The USWNT had scored on its first three attempts — from Andi Sullivan, Lindsey Horan and Kristie Mewis — but Sweden missed its third, handing the ball to Rapinoe with a 3-2 advantage. But Rapinoe missed, and then so did Sophia Smith, and the first five penalty rounds ended in a 3-3 tie.

In the 2019 World Cup final, Rapinoe’s penalty kick in the 61st minute provided the decisive goal in the USWNT’s 2-0 win against the Netherlands. But in 2023, her miss helped seal the fate of the two-time defending champions.

“This is the balance to the beautiful side of the game,” she said. “I think it can be cruel.”

Rapinoe had announced her announced her retirement prior to her fourth career World Cup. She won the 2015 and 2019 titles with the USWNT, as well as the 2012 Olympic gold medal, the 2019 Ballon d’Or trophy and 63 international goals. And even in the immediate aftermath of the loss to Sweden, she could put the moment in perspective.

“I still just feel really grateful and joyful. And I know it’s the end and that’s sad,” she said, before emphasizing “just how much I’ve loved playing for this team and playing for this country. It’s been an honor.”

Megan Rapinoe is full of emotion after the final whistle 🇺🇸💔 pic.twitter.com/aUdercNr2y

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 6, 2023

FIFA Women's World Cups won't be the same without @mPinoe 🇺🇸👏

2x FIFA Women's World Cup Champion 🏆🏆
2019 Best FIFA Women's Player 🏆
2019 FIFA Women's World Cup Golden Boot 🏆
2019 FIFA Women's World Cup Golden Ball 🏆
2019 Ballon d'Or Féminin winner 🏆 pic.twitter.com/xLbC9oFrfS

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 6, 2023

Teams around the WNBA are under pressure to finalize their 12-player rosters before Monday's league-enforced deadline.

Teams must cut their 2024 rosters down to just 12 spots from as many as 18 training camp players. And while this year’s WNBA draft class is undoubtedly rife with talent, only 18 draftees remain rostered ahead of Monday's final cuts. Last year, just 15 of the league’s 36 draftees made it onto their team’s opening-day squad. 

And it's not just rookies. Veteran players are also on the chopping block, even former title-winners: On Thursday, the Minnesota Lynx waived 2021 WNBA champ Ruthy Hebard.

But with every wave of cuts, players that survive dismissal inch closer to claiming a coveted roster spot. The Las Vegas Aces have already reached that magic number 12, opening the door for draft picks Dyaisha Fair and Kate Martin to stay on with the reigning champs.

Additionally, Dallas has whittled their training camp group down to 12. Fifth overall pick Jacy Sheldon and undrafted rookie Jaelyn Brown continue to remain in the mix. 

Other teams, meanwhile, still have decisions to make. Seattle currently lists 13 players, while others like New York still have a full 18 players in training camp. It’s likely that the final preseason game will tip roster decisions one way or another as coaching staffs continue to evaluate performance and playing time. 

But being cut doesn't mean the end of the road for everyone. Should players be waived, they can still be signed to short-term hardship contracts with teams carrying injured players on their permanent rosters. 

The 2024 WNBA season kicks off on Tuesday, May 14th.

Two NWSL teams avoided some major setbacks on Thursday, as both Portland’s Morgan Weaver and Orlando’s Angelina were cleared of season-ending injuries after undergoing scope procedures earlier this week. 

Angelina has been described by her club as "week-to-week," while Weaver has been placed on Portland’s 45-day injury list. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

The Thorns won their May 4th game without Weaver 2-1, continuing their season turnaround, while the Pride remain one of two unbeaten teams in the NWSL.

In other injury list news, Christen Press posted a video on Thursday of her running with a trainer and doing drills, providing further updates on her road back from a June 2022 ACL tear.

🚨CHRISTEN PRESS IS SHOOTING AND RUNNING 🤩

(yes, we're freaking out)

🎥: @ChristenPress pic.twitter.com/BUjIyzj4xh

— The Women's Game (@WomensGameMIB) May 9, 2024

Angel City coach Becki Tweed has told reporters that Press is back with the team, but has not issued a timetable for her return to the field.

A group led by Toronto billionaire Larry Tanenbaum will bring a new WNBA franchise to Canada, CBC Sports reported early this morning. 

Set to begin play in 2026, the team will be owned and operated by Tanenbaum's Kilmer Sports Inc. Tanenbaum is a minority owner and chairman of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Toronto Maple Leafs, Raptors, Toronto FC, Argos, and Marlies. He originally explored an expansion team via MLSE, but was turned down by other members of the board. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

The Toronto addition will be the WNBA's 14th team. It follows the Bay Area's WNBA Golden State, which will debut in 2025. 

An official announcement is expected May 23rd in Toronto, according to reports. 

"We continue to engage in productive conversations with interested ownership groups in a number of markets but have no news to report at this time," a WNBA spokesperson said in a statement. Tanenbaum's Kilmer Sports group, meanwhile, told CBC Sports that his organization has “no update at this time.”

In April, commissioner Cathy Engelbert said that Toronto was among the cities being considered for WNBA expansion.

The WNBA has a growing footprint in Canada, as the league's held wildly successful exhibition games north of the US border for the last two seasons. 

In 2023, a preseason matchup between Chicago and Minnesota sold out Toronto’s 19,800-capacity Scotiabank Arena. This past Saturday, the league drew more than 16,000 fans to Edmonton for a preseason showdown between LA and Seattle.

The Toronto team will reportedly play at Coca-Cola Coliseum, an 8,000-seat arena which is currently home to the Marlies as well as Toronto’s PWHL franchise.

The Las Vegas Aces took to the White House yet again on Thursday to celebrate their 2023 WNBA championship victory. 

The decorated team was hosted by President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and First Lady Jill Biden, marking the first time the Bidens have welcomed the team personally.

Last year, Harris hosted the Aces after the Bidens were unable to attend due to a last minute conflict. Harris applauded the team for their 2022 win, pointing to the "grit and determination" they showcased en route to their WNBA Finals win over Connecticut. 

President Biden is ready to PLAY! 🤣

The @LVAces presented personalized jerseys for the @POTUS and @VP 🔥 pic.twitter.com/vm8iWbMpxj

— WNBA (@WNBA) May 9, 2024

The Aces won back-to-back championships in 2023, becoming the first WNBA franchise to repeat the feat since 2002. More impressively, they did so without 2022 Finals MVP Chelsea Gray and center Kiah Stokes, both of whom were sidelined with injuries for the title-clinching Game 4. Star forward A’ja Wilson ended up claiming the 2023 Finals MVP honors.

Following the team’s White House visit, the Aces will visit Wilson’s alma mater South Carolina for an exhibition game against the Puerto Rico women's national basketball team. According to head coach Becky Hammon, the unconventional matchup came about when other WNBA teams lacked interest in facing the reigning champs in preseason play.

"We just started kind of building from there," Hammon told the Las Vegas Review Journal. "It’s really cool for players to go home, and that’s where she’s from. She’s the centerpiece of our whole organization."

Kelsey Plum jokingly called Wilson the "mayor of South Carolina" before citing the trip as an opportunity to build team chemistry ahead of their season opener against Phoenix on Tuesday.

"We have some new pieces, and we’re just trying to figure out where our rhythm is," Plum said, referring to recent roster prospects like Iowa grad Kate Martin, among others. "Because when the season starts, it happens fast."