This week, the Houston Dash and Portland Thorns — two NWSL teams on opposite sides of the postseason cutoff line — earned results that snapped skids.

On Saturday, Houston defeated 11th-place Seattle 1-0 to claim their first victory since May 24th, ending a nine-game winless streak. While the win didn’t exactly launch the 13th-place Dash into postseason contention, it did provide a glimmer of hope in an otherwise destabilizing season.

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The hero of the match was 2011 World Cup champ Yuki Nagasato, whose 50th-minute volley from the top of the box had such velocity that Reign keeper Claudia Dickey couldn’t even react before it crashed into the back of the net.

With the ongoing absence of head coach Fran Alonso, Saturday's result handed Houston interim coach Ricky Clarke his first NWSL victory.

Draw with ACFC ends Portland's losing streak

Notching their first point since July 5th,​ the seventh-place Thorns snapped a four-game losing streak with Monday’s 2-2 draw with 10th-place Angel City.

After Portland’s Morgan Weaver and Olivia Moultrie answered Alyssa Thompson's opening goal for a 2-1 lead, ACFC defender Jasmyne Spencer's hard-earned cross allowed Claire Emslie to secure the draw with a chaotic 76th-minute equalizer.

The result keeps both teams in the NWSL postseason race, each within three points of the cutoff line.

How to watch Portland and Angel City in NWSL action this week

Both Angel City and Portland will look to gain a crucial postseason advantage this weekend. No. 10 Angel City faces the tougher task in hosting No. 2 Washington on Friday, September 27th, at 10 PM ET, with live coverage on Prime Video.

Then on Saturday, September 28th at 10 PM ET, No. 7 Portland will take on No. 12 San Diego, airing live on ION.

With Aces star A'ja Wilson snagging her third MVP honors last weekend, the 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award has now taken centerstage. Both Wilson and Lynx standout Napheesa Collier are frontrunners, sparking heated debates.

Aces coach Hammon speaks out on A'ja Wilson

Last Thursday, Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon called out ESPN journalists who revealed their 2024 WNBA votes. Notably, Hammon went to bat for players not on her roster, like New York's Sabrina Ionescu, but particularly took voters to task for giving their DPOY nod to Collier.

"They got the MVP stuff right," she told the press. "The Defensive Player of the Year? If you have to, as a journalist or a reporter, go down a rabbit hole to find somebody else to be in the conversation, you already have the answer."

Lynx coach Reeve fires back in support of Napheesa Collier

As the previously scheduled guest on Monday’s episode of Good Game with Sarah Spain, Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve was asked if a DPOY vote for Collier “is a vote deserving of anger.”

In response,​ Reeve​ — the 2024 Coach of the Year favorite — explained that while she had not seen Hammon's press conference, "most people that I talk to think [Collier's] a unanimous decision."

"You look at the top three or four defensive teams — in A'ja's case, can you be the Defensive Player of the Year when your defense isn’t in that?" Reeve continued. "She's had an incredible year, but she can have MVP and Napheesa Collier is Defensive Player of the Year."

Who deserves to win WNBA Defensive Player of the Year?

Reigning back-to-back DPOY Wilson, whose 451 rebounds set the WNBA's new single-season rebound mark this year, has certainly made her case for a threepeat. She led the league in blocks per game, plus recorded a career-high steal rate this season.

Collier, who slightly trails Wilson in rebound and block rate this season, shines in steals, with a per-game average good for second in the league. But it's the Lynx forward's ability to defend multiple positions, plus her role in positioning Minnesota as the WNBA's second-best defense per possession — a measure that sees the Aces claim fifth in the league — that reportedly is giving her the edge with DPOY voters.

Ultimately, the choice between the two stars seems to be about individual prowess versus team contribution. It's a decision Reeve summed up as simply, “it depends on what you value when you vote.”

In this week's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins discusses the first day of WNBA playoff games, where postseason experience is key to surviving short series that could potentially send some tournament favorites packing.

Then, she takes a deeper look at Kansas City’s big win over the Washington Spirit in the NWSL, making a case for the Current’s postseason chances. She closes us out with quick updates on NCAA volleyball, college soccer, and a salute to the U-20 USWNT's 2024 U-20 World Cup run.

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.

Subscribe to The Late Sub to never miss an episode.

Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson became just the second player in WNBA history to be unanimously crowned MVP on Sunday, claiming the 2024 title shortly before the league playoffs began.

In a record-breaking season league-wide, Wilson's 451 rebounds set the WNBA's new single-season rebound mark. She also inked herself in the history books as the first WNBA athlete to post 1,000+ points in a season.

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Stat sheet aside, it's her commitment to her team that Aces head coach Becky Hammon says sets Wilson apart.

"We always talk about, 'Make your teammate great, and then in the process you become the greatest,'" Hammon explained.

"A'ja is...the greatest, because she's so authentically committed to that: pulling greatness out of other people. She's amazing. She's the best player in the world, and she's one of the best people in the world."

The 28-year-old now joins retired WNBA legends Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, and Lauren Jackson as the only players to ever earn three career MVP awards. She previously won in 2020 and 2022.

Lynx forward Napheesa Collier​ finished second in 2024 MVP voting, followed by 2023 MVP Breanna Stewart, Indiana rookie Caitlin Clark, and Connecticut Sun vet Alyssa Thomas.

Top seeds hold court in first WNBA postseason games

In Sunday's postseason tip-off, all four top-seeded WNBA teams managed to avoid upsets. First, in the league-leading Liberty's 83-69 win over No. 8-seed Atlanta, New York guard Courtney Vandersloot made postseason history by​ notching her 365th career playoff assist to break Sue Bird's all-time playoff record.

Making postseason history of her own, Connecticut's Marina Mabrey​ scored a playoff-record 27 points off the bench to help the No. 3-seed Sun top the No. 6-seed Fever 93-69.

The aforementioned Collier — this season's MVP runner-up — also impressed by putting up 38 points for the No. 2-seed Lynx in Minnesota's 102-95 victory over No. 7-seed Phoenix.

In arguably Sunday's most dramatic ending, No. 5-seed Seattle went cold against reigning champs Las Vegas in the fourth quarter. After leading the No. 4-seed Aces by as many as 12 points, the Storm failed to score a single last-quarter field goal, ultimately handing Las Vegas the 78-67 win.

The second bouts in the WNBA's best-of-three first round will take the court on Tuesday and Wednesday, with if-necessary third games slated for Thursday and Friday.

USWNT and NWSL great Kelley O'Hara is officially on Gotham FC's season-ending injury list due to "chronic knee degeneration," the club announced on Saturday.

Set to retire at the end of this season, the news means O'Hara played her last pro match​ on September 8th. Gotham will toast O'Hara's decorated career on October 20th, when they face Orlando for their final regular-season home game.

Gotham and KC punch tickets to NWSL playoffs

With four of eight 2024 NWSL playoff spots now accounted for, No. 3 Gotham FC and No. 4 Kansas City​ punched their tickets to the postseason this weekend.

The Current made their postseason statement on Friday, taking down the visiting No. 2 Washington Spirit 3-0 behind Golden Boot race leader Temwa Chawinga's 16th goal.

Notably, the Spirit's loss saw star Trinity Rodman exiting the match with a visibly intense back spasm in the 75th minute. Afterwards, Lena Silano was dealt a red card in second-half stoppage time.

Then on Sunday, Gotham secured their postseason berth with a tidy 1-0 win over last-place Utah in New Jersey. 

Gotham FC makes history at White House

After playing three matches in six days, Gotham FC traveled to Washington, DC, where they became the first club in NWSL history to visit the White House for an official team celebration on Monday.

While the USWNT has visited the White House for winning the World Cup — most recently in 2015 — only one women's soccer club has ever been honored as such. Sky Blue FC, the same franchise that rebranded into Gotham, was welcomed by Obama in 2010 for winning the folded WPS’s 2009 championship.

Joining President Joe Biden for Monday's commemoration was NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman and members of the 2023 championship team, including retired defender Ali Krieger.

Krieger had another reason to celebrate: On Thursday, she was named Gotham's first-ever team ambassador.