With the Challenge Cup championship only days away, we are crowning our tournament Best XI ahead of Saturday’s tilt between NJ/NY Gotham FC and the Portland Thorns.

In no particular order…

GK: Ashlyn Harris, Orlando Pride

Harris strung together a series of outstanding performances during the Challenge Cup, earning two clean sheets and maintaining an 84.2% save success rate throughout Orlando’s four games. Most notably, Harris stopped two penalty kicks within a week’s time — one against the Washington Spirit and one against NJ/NY Gotham FC — earning the honor of Budweiser’s Player of the Week in the second week of the tournament.

Nothing was getting by @Ashlyn_Harris. Congrats on the @NWSL Player of the Week honors 😈 #CC21 | #AdAstra pic.twitter.com/axzCTDuNab

— Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) April 22, 2021

D: Brooke Hendrix, Racing Louisville FC

A staple in Louisville’s backline, Hendrix notched 16 clearances, 4 blocks and 3 interceptions through the group stage of the Challenge Cup, as well as a 60% success rate in tackles and a 65.2% success rate in duels. The defender also scored a goal during the team’s inaugural match, equalizing for Louisville in stoppage time against Orlando.

LATE DRAMA!

Brooke Hendrix makes it 2-2 🔥 pic.twitter.com/5O786baeD0

— CBS Sports Soccer (@CBSSportsSoccer) April 11, 2021

D: Gina Lewandowski, NJ/NY Gotham FC

A key component in securing Gotham FC’s championship berth, Lewandowski’s passing precision was heavily relied upon as she boasted an impressive 83% passing success rate through 360 minutes of play, completing 176 of 212 attempted passes and also adding 23 clearances. In the defensive third, Lewandowski maintained 85% passing accuracy, averaging 53 passes per 90 minutes.

D: Sarah Gorden, Chicago Red Stars

Also a force on the backline was Sarah Gorden, who was dominant across the board. Gorden maintained an 80% success rate in tackles, a 73.3% success rate in duels, and a 100% success rate in aerial duels. Still not impressed? The defender also notched nine clearances, one block and two interceptions, helping limit all West Division opponents to five goals total. 

D: Kelli Hubly, Portland Thorns

The unsung hero of the Portland defense, Hubly posted phenomenal stats throughout the tournament — a 100% success rate in tackles, a 68.2% success rate in duels, and a 75% success rate in aerial duels — while also tallying 26 clearances, two blocks, and eight interceptions. Likewise dominant was her passing accuracy, as she completed 131 of 156 attempted passes for an 84% passing success rate. Often overlooked among the Thorns’ star names, Hubly is as reliable as they come in the defensive third. 

M: Debinha, North Carolina Courage

Perhaps one of the most dominant offensive players of the Challenge Cup, Debinha scored three goals (two of which came in the same match), played seven key passes and maintained a 60% success rate in long passes, as she helped lift the Courage to a 2-1-1 record in tournament play. When paired with teammates Lynn Williams and Jessica McDonald, the Brazilian international was nearly unstoppable, taking 16 total shots throughout four games.

Debinha.

That's it, that's the tweet.#LOUvNC | https://t.co/0LtSAUK1Jw | #CC21 pic.twitter.com/RZx4pOc9NT

— National Women's Soccer League (@NWSL) April 26, 2021

M: Kristie Mewis, Houston Dash

Though Mewis only appeared in two matches for the Dash, her tournament performance was certainly of note. The midfielder scored twice in a 3-1 victory over Kansas City NWSL, earning herself Budweiser Player of the Week honors for her impressive showing. In the two games that Mewis did not appear in, the Dash failed to score, a telling sign of just how valuable Mewis was.  

M/F: Cece Kizer, Racing Louisville FC

Called a “hidden gem” by Racing Louisville coach Christy Holly, Kizer boasted a 66.7% goal conversion rate through four games, scoring two goals on only three shots while also assisting another. Kizer made history in her first Challenge Cup appearance, scoring Louisville’s first-ever goal against the Orlando Pride. If her Challenge Cup performances prove anything, it’s that the 24 year old could prove to be a cornerstone player for the NWSL’s newest club. 

We have history!

Cece Kizer scores the first goal for @RacingLouFC 💫 pic.twitter.com/GA0fwB8zXR

— CBS Sports Soccer (@CBSSportsSoccer) April 10, 2021

F: Midge Purce, NJ/NY Gotham FC

Yet another key player in punching Gotham’s ticket to the championship game, Purce bagged two goals in the highest-scoring match in Challenge Cup history, as Gotham beat North Carolina 4-3. In 269 minutes played, the forward added four interceptions, a successful cross and two key passes, linking with teammates Carli Lloyd and Paige Monaghan to wreak havoc on opposing defenses.

F: Trinity Rodman, Washington Spirit

Making headlines throughout the Challenge Cup was rookie Trinity Rodman, who started three of four matches for the Washington Spirit and logged her first professional goal against the NC Courage. The 18-year-old was selected second overall in this year’s NWSL draft, and following her tournament performance, some wonder if she should have gone first. Rodman tallied 11 shots, six of which were on target, while also adding 11 key passes and an assist. 

First touch 🥵 https://t.co/3IHNV73z0D

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) April 10, 2021

F: Jessica McDonald, North Carolina Courage

Playing an integral role in five of the nine goals scored by the Courage during the Challenge Cup, McDonald recorded three assists and two goals in 343 minutes of tournament play, as well as four shots on target and an 83.3% success rate in long passes. After opting out of the 2020 Fall Series due to COVID-19 concerns, it seems that the forward has not missed a beat in her return to the Courage. 

As the NWSL returns from the international break, powerhouse clubs below the playoff line are preparing for a midseason push that could make — or break — the 2025 regular season.

With just three matchdays left before the league's extended summer break, which begins June 23rd and ends on August 1st, clubs will look to shore up their spots on the NWSL table before pressing pause on regular-season play.

Hovering just outside the 2025 postseason line in a 12-point tie are a trio of NWSL clubs, all hunting midseason weekend wins to boost them back into contention:

• No. 9 Gotham FC vs. No. 1 Kansas City Current, Saturday at 1 PM ET (CBS): Having slipped under the playoff line while off hoisting the first-ever Concacaf W Champions Cup, the Bats have their work cut out for them against the league-leading Current on Saturday — though Gotham could see their midfield bolstered by the return of star Rose Lavelle from her 2024 ankle injury.

• No. 11 Bay FC vs. No. 5 Portland Thorns, Saturday at 7:30 PM ET (ION): Bay FC's bid to jump into the league's Top 8 runs through the second-hottest club in the NWSL right now, with the Thorns looking to add to their five-match regular-season unbeaten streak this weekend.

• No. 4 Washington Spirit vs. No. 10 North Carolina Courage, Sunday at 4 PM ET (Paramount+): The Courage have dropped just one of their last five matches after a winless season start, but they'll face a Washington side hungry for a win in DC. Despite holding a league-record 5-0-0 road tally this season, the Spirit have stumbled on the home front, earning just one 2025 victory in Washington.

The NWSL outlined new rules for expansion roster building and intra-league loans on Thursday, as two new franchises prepare to enter the league in 2026 without the benefit of an expansion draft.

"With the introduction of free agency and the elimination of the NWSL Draft and Expansion Draft, it was important for us to establish alternative player acquisition assets that support incoming teams while maintaining competitive balance across the league," said NWSL VP of player affairs Stephanie Lee in a league announcement.

Incoming clubs Boston Legacy FC and NWSL Denver will each have access to over $1 million in allocation funds to spend on players beginning on July 1st through the end of 2027.

Both teams can also sign players without being held to a salary cap until the secondary transfer window in 2025, providing players can be loaned out, put on Season Ending Injury designation, or acquired with allocation money used toward the salary cap.

Once the secondary transfer window opens this year, both Boston and Denver will have a $250,000 cap under which they can ink college athletes or international players not under contract.

In addition, the NWSL declared open season on intra-league loans on Thursday, allowing all teams to add athletes to their rosters from other league entities — provided both the player and the league approve the loan.

Each team can have no more than 12 players either in or out on loan at a time, and clubs can only bring in or send out a maximum of three athletes to/from any other single squad.

Overall, the NWSL intends these moves to bolster competition for both its current and future clubs.

"The introduction of intra-league loans — available to all teams — adds greater flexibility and opportunity for player development and strategic roster management league-wide," noted Lee.

World No. 2 Coco Gauff earned a ticket to her third career Grand Slam final on Thursday, advancing to the 2025 French Open championship match by ending French wild-card No. 361 Loïs Boisson's Cinderella story with a dominant 6-1, 6-2 semifinal victory.

"This is my first time playing a French player here. I was mentally prepared that [the crowd] was to be 99% for her, so I was trying to block it out," said the 21-year-old US star. "When [the crowd was] saying her name, I was saying my name to myself just to psyche myself up."

"[Loïs has] shown she's one of the best players in the world," Gauff added about her opponent's remarkable tournament run following their clash. "I hope we have many more battles in the future, especially here. Today it was just my day."

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The player standing between the 2023 US Open champ and her second Grand Slam trophy is none other than world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who looked at ease taking down four-time French Open winner No. 5 Iga Świątek 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-0 in the tournament's other semifinal on Thursday.

Notably, the three-set defeat was Świątek's first Roland-Garros loss in an astounding 1,457 days — a 26-match winning streak that dated back to 2021.

The 2025 French Open will now be the third straight Slam in which Sabalenka has reached the final, with the top-ranked tennis star making six WTA title-match appearances in 2025 alone.

Head-to-head, Sabalenka and Gauff have an evenly split 5-5 record.

While Gauff earned her US Open title with a Sabalenka defeat, Sabalenka has the recent edge, snagging wins over Gauff in three of the pair's last four meetings — including May's clay battle in the 2025 Madrid Open final.

How to watch the 2025 French Open final

The world's top two tennis players will square off at the 2025 French Open championship match at 9 AM ET on Saturday, airing live on TNT.

The 2025 Women's College World Series (WCWS) are headed to a winner-take-all Game 3, as Texas Tech evened this week's best-of-three championship series with a 4-3 victory over Texas on Thursday.

Anchored by another gutsy performance from star pitcher NiJaree Canady, the Red Raiders capitalized on missteps by the Longhorns, plating their four runs thanks to a hit-by-pitch, a wild pitch, a sacrifice fly, and a fielding error.

Down but not out, Texas broke through with a sixth-inning home run from star senior Mia Scott before plating two more in the game's final frame.

With the tying run just 60 feet away, Canady locked in, ending the Longhorns' threat with a strike-out to claim Texas Tech's first season win over their state rivals at just the right time, keeping the Red Raiders' national title hopes alive.

"NiJa was huge," said Texas Tech head coach Gerry Glasco about his ace's Game 2 performance. "She went out there and pitched her tail off."

Canady likely to toss every Texas Tech pitch at WCWS

After Wednesday's botched intentional walk put Texas within one win of the NCAA trophy, Canady bounced back by again assuming control in the circle, tossing every Texas Tech pitch for the seventh postseason games in a row — a streak dating back to the Red Raiders' first Super Regional game.

"Obviously [Wednesday] night wasn't my best game. I feel like this game wasn't my best game, either," said Canady, despite stifling Texas's late surge. "I was just leaving it out on the field."

Glasco will undoubtedly tap Canady to throw Friday's decisive clash as well, with Texas Tech's championship hopes resting on their $1 million player.

Should she complete Game 3 and secure a program-first national championship in the process, Canady will become the first pitcher since 2012 Alabama ace Jackie Traina to toss every WCWS pitch for a title-winning team.

On the other hand, Texas's four-pitcher bullpen game means sophomore ace Teagan Kavan — who threw just two outs on Thursday night — should be fresh and ready to test the Red Raiders in the final game of the 2025 NCAA softball season.

How to watch the 2025 WCWS championship game

The decisive Game 3 of the 2025 WCWS championship series will take the field in Oklahoma City at 8 PM ET on Friday, with live coverage on ESPN.