With only five regular-season NWSL matchdays left, every point counts as teams jockey for postseason seeding, with this weekend’s lineup potentially shifting the standings.

After Spirit star Trinity Rodman exited last week's match with a back spasm, the forecast for Friday's bout between 10th-place Angel City and second-place Washington went from fairly uneventful to decidedly uncertain.

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Rodman's now-confirmed absence, as well as that of teammate Casey Krueger, opens the door for ACFC to capitalize and snatch the three points LA needs to catapult them over the postseason cutoff line.

Two tight top-six tilts are also on deck later this weekend. First, third-place Gotham and fourth-place Kansas City will battle for a possible second-place spot on Saturday afternoon.

Then on Sunday evening, sixth-place Chicago will try to enhance their own playoff security against a North Carolina team whose fifth-place positioning is all but guaranteed.

Golden Boot race leaders headline NWSL MVP buzz

Also catching fire entering the NWSL's final stretch are individual award races, with 2024 Golden Boot race​ frontrunners Temwa Chawinga and Barbra Banda leading the charge for MVP.

With 16 goals, Chawinga's on pace to lap ex-Red Star Sam Kerr's 2019 single-season scoring record of 18, while Banda's 13 goals has tied Orlando teammate Marta's 2017 franchise best and her six game-winners put her on par with the NWSL’s single-season record.

Even amid Portland's struggles, last year's Golden Boot winner Sophia Smith's 11 goals and six assists on the season can’t be discounted. 

MVP race aside, despite her season-ending injury, Washington’s Croix Bethune still seems like a lock for Rookie of the Year with five goals and a league record-tying​ 10 assists.

Meanwhile, Pride keeper Anna Moorhouse and her single-season record 12 shutouts leads the Goalkeeper of the Year campaign.

Portland's Weaver takes this week’s top NWSL celly

Making her case for this week's top NWSL celly is Thorns striker Morgan Weaver, who capped off her 49th-minute goal with a team-wide "rockabye baby" party in Monday's 2-2 draw with Angel City.

The celebration was well-warranted: Still working back to full fitness after a May knee injury sidelined her for the summer, the goal was Weaver's first since returning to the pitch.

Weaver later told reporters that the celly was a shout out to teammate Bella Bixby's newborn daughter and assistant coach Vytas Andriuškevičius's soon-to-arrive baby.

Welcome to another episode of Sports Are Fun! presented by TurboTax.

Every week on Sports Are Fun!, co-hosts soccer legend Kelley O'Hara, sports journalist Greydy Diaz, Olympic diver Kassidy Cook, and JWS intern BJ serve up their hottest takes on the biggest women's sports headlines.

And in today's episode, the crew catches up on March Madness action as the NCAA tournament blows past the Elite Eight ahead of Friday's Final Four.

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"The first team I want to review is South Carolina," O'Hara says, opening up the conversation. "They beat Maryland and Duke both by four points. Thoughts on South Carolina's Sweet 16 and Elite Eight showing?"

"As I said last week, they've made me incredibly nervous, to a point where I have doubts right now," answers Diaz, admitting she had the 2024 NCAA champs going the distance for a second straight year.

"Especially if they face a UCLA in the in the final, who is who's going to cover Lauren Betts?" she continues. "They don't have that that 6'7" Kamilla Cardoso that they had last year. And having that presence by the rim is super important, offensively and defensively. I just think that they're small."

"That's their biggest weakness," agrees O'Hara.

"And sometimes their bench shows up, sometimes they don't. And for me, that's a big problem. You need depth," Diaz says.

Later omn, Sports Are Fun! dives into the upcoming USWNT friendlies, the NCAA transfer portal, Trinity Rodman and Ben Shelton, NWSL goals, and so much more!

'Sports Are Fun!' hosts debate the NCAA transfer portal

Next up, the crew sounds off on the NCAA transfer portal as more top players opt to leave their programs in search of a new home. They subsequently ask the question: What matters more, team loyalty or an NIL payday?

"The women's basketball transfer portal is very much so alive and heating up," starts O'Hara, switching gears. "And we've seen some big names, including Taniya Latson from FSU and Cotie McMahon from Ohio State enter the portal."

"Obviously none of us experienced the transfer portal, but I'm curious what everyone's group thoughts are," she asks.

"Every year it gets crazier and crazier, but there's money to be made now," says Diaz. "So listen, go where the money's at. And as a coach, who am I to say, 'They're offering you $500,000. I don't got it.' Go make the bread."

"It would stress me out," says Cook. "When you start making money, all you can think about is, what if I could be making more? But some of these people are still teenagers — 19, 20 years old — and they're making these big decisions."

"Back in the day, you also had an allegiance to your school — you were playing for your school and playing because you love the sport," she adds. "Now you're playing where you can get the most money."

"Audi Crooks at Iowa State, she said 'The grass is greener where you water it. So quit asking,'" says O'Hara. "Because people were asking, 'Are you going to enter the transfer portal?'"

"I love that because I feel like I would have done the same thing," the proud Stanford grad continues. "If I was operating in this day and age, and had the opportunity to go make a ton of money, I think that my heart would still win out over my head."

About 'Sports Are Fun!' with Kelley O'Hara

'Sports Are Fun!' is a show that’ll remind you why you fell in love with women's sports in the first place.

Join World Cup champ, Olympic gold medalist, and aspiring barista Kelley O'Hara as she sits down with sports journalist Greydy Diaz and a revolving cast of co-hosts and friends. Together, they're talking the biggest, funnest, and most need-to-know stories in the world of women’s sports.

From on-court drama to off-field shenanigans, to candid (and silly) chats with the most important personalities in the space, this show screams "Sports Are Fun!"

Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.

Fifth-year UConn star Paige Bueckers confirmed to Huskies legend Rebecca Lobo on Friday that she will indeed be declaring for the 2025 WNBA Draft, opting to forgo her final year of college eligibility.

“Honestly, I thought I declared a long time ago,” Bueckers joked, making it clear that she has always considered this season to be her last in a UConn jersey.

Her decision follows UConn guard Azzi Fudd's announcement that she will forgo the 2025 WNBA Draft. Instead, the 22-year-old will will return to the Huskies for the 2025/26 NCAA basketball season.

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The 23-year-old's declaration came one day before she scored a career-high 40 points in the NCAA tournament's Sweet 16. The subsequent 82-59 blowout advanced UConn's March Madness run to the Elite Eight.

“Obviously, Paige was spectacular,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said after Saturday's win. “That was as good a game as I’ve seen her play the whole time she’s been here, at the most important time. When you’re a senior and you’ve been around as long as she has, this is what you’re here to do. This is why you came here.”

“Honestly, we just wanted to keep our season going as long as possible,” added Bueckers. “We all love playing together, we love playing here. We just love this program.”

Other expected top WNBA draft picks remain uncertain

Bueckers is considered a lock for this year’s No. 1 overall draft pick, currently held by Dallas. But uncertainty has loomed over other lottery slots, with the No. 2 and No. 3 picks recently exchanging hands.

Notre Dame senior Olivia Miles’s professional intentions remain unknown as of Saturday, with the projected No. 2 pick telling reporters she’s “leaning towards” declaring after crashing out of the NCAA tournament.

Eligible LSU junior Flau’jae Johnson is similarly undecided following Sunday’s loss to UCLA, with the soon-to-be 22-year-old also an expected top draft pick.

While the NWSL’s Big Three — Orlando, Kansas City, and Washington — still sit above the pack after weekend wins, an unexpected fourth club has been hanging tough alongside last year’s contenders.

LA side Angel City is one of just three remaining unbeaten clubs going into this week’s international break, alongside Orlando and Kansas City.

Angel City rights the ship after a losing 2024

Entering 2025 on uncertain footing, Angel City is still without a permanent manager after former coach Becki Tweed’s offseason departure.

Under interim manager Sam Laity, the club managed two 1-1 draws before earning their first win against Seattle on Sunday, behind goals from rising star Alyssa Thompson and rookie Riley Tiernan.

The turnaround is noteworthy. ACFC finished the 2024 season in 12th place — far below playoff contention. Today, they sit in fourth place.

“This is the foundation of this young, energetic team, and we are going to have enormous growth and the most potential,” Laity said after Sunday’s victory.

In a season still searching for unexpected storylines, Angel City’s early success could lay the foundation for some serious standings shakeups to come.

Top three NWSL teams also score big weekend wins

The Washington Spirit, Orlando Pride, and Kansas City Current also saw key weekend wins, maintaining their hold on the NWSL standings' top three spots.

Washington kicked things off on Friday, topping visitors Bay FC 2-0 behind an Ashley Hatch brace. Orlando followed on Saturday with a 2-1 win over San Diego, with Brazilian star Marta notching the game-winner with a penalty kick in the 76th minute.

That same day, Kansas City triumphed 3-0 over a struggling Utah Royals. Temwa Chawinga, Michelle Cooper, and Debinha all contributed to the final score, with each goal coming in the match's first half.

2025 NWSL Standings: Week Three

1. Orlando Pride (3-0-0)
2. Kansas City Current (3-0-0)
3. Washington Spirit (2-1-0)
4. Angel City FC (1-0-2)
5. San Diego Wave FC (1-1-1)
6. Seattle Reign FC (1-1-1)
7. Houston Dash (1-1-1)
8. Bay FC (1-1-1)
9. Racing Louisville FC (1-1-1)
10. North Carolina Courage (0-1-2)
11. Portland Thorns FC (0-1-2)
12. Gotham FC (0-1-2)
13. Utah Royals (0-2-1)
14. Chicago Stars FC (0-3-0)

No. 2 seed TCU rode their Cinderella story to their very first Elite Eight berth on Saturday, ousting one-time Women's March Madness favorite No. 3 seed Notre Dame 71-62 behind a 26-point performance from transfer guard Hailey Van Lith.

While chalky on paper, the victory was indeed a bracket-buster, setting the Horned Frogs up for tonight’s showdown against No. 1 seed Texas after the Longhorns’ 67-59 Sweet 16 win over No. 5 seed Tennessee.

“Hailey’s a dog,” said TCU senior Madison Conner of Van Lith, who set the school’s single-season scoring record en route to her fifth Elite Eight appearance. “Regardless of if it’s on the offensive end or on the defensive end, she’s going to do anything it takes to win.”

“Going into this game, I was really just going to go and have no regrets,” said Van Lith. “I wasn't going to put any pressure on myself to necessarily win. I was going to go out there and have fun and play with the joy that God gave me.”

USC faces UConn in highly anticipated Elite Eight rematch

Tonight’s blockbuster Elite Eight rematch between No. 1 seed USC and No. 2 seed UConn will look different without injured superstar JuJu Watkins. But the Trojans aren’t done fighting.

USC lost Watkins to a season-ending ACL tear in the tournament’s second round. Nevertheless, a determined USC took down No. 5 seed Kansas State 67-61 in Saturday’s Sweet 16 clash. Freshmen Avery Howell and Kennedy Smith combined for 37 points on the night.

“With Ju going down, obviously it was a bit of adversity that we had to face,” Smith said after the game. “But just having her in our presence — we talked to her before the game and she was still rooting us on, things of that nature — [we're] just keeping her in our hearts and minds and playing for her as well as for each other.”

USC will subsequently have their hands full. Leading the Huskies to the Elite Eight, UConn star Paige Bueckers is fresh off a career-high 40-point Sweet 16 performance against Oklahoma.

“You try not to think about the stakes or the pressure or getting to the Final Four,” Bueckers said ahead of tonight's rematch. “Obviously that's there, so you try not to think about it and just go out and play every single game the same way like it's your last, like it's the most important 40 minutes of your life... We just want the season to keep going as long as possible. So leaving nothing up to chance, giving it our all for that 40 minutes to play for another 40 is our team mindset.”

Where to watch Women's March Madness games tonight

TCU tips off against Texas tonight at 7 PM ET before UConn takes on USC at 9 PM ET. Both games will air live across ESPN platforms.