Atlanta is reportedly next in line to join the NWSL, with sources telling The Athletic on Sunday that the Georgia capital has won the bid to field the league's 17th franchise, with the newest expansion club aiming to take the pitch in 2028.

AMB Sports & Entertainment — the parent company to MLS side Atlanta United and the NFL's Falcons — shelled out a record $165 million expansion fee to enter the league, a significant jump from the $110 million Denver Summit FC owners paid to snag the 16th NWSL club in January 2025.

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With the Atlanta United routinely drawing some of the largest crowds across MLS, the move to Georgia allows the NWSL to tap into both the area's existing soccer fanbase as well as the United's pitch at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the anticipated downtown home of the incoming women's club.

Also setting up shop in Atlanta in the near future is US Soccer, after AMB founder Arthur Blank donated $50 million to help fund the federation's 2026 relocation.

If confirmed, the Atlanta expansion will continue a wave of growth for the NWSL, with new teams kicking off their inaugural campaigns in Denver and Boston next year — despite rising concerns about dwindling attendance across several key markets.

The University of Washington women's soccer team completed the 2025 Big Ten double on Sunday, when the No. 13 Huskies defeated the No. 9 Michigan State Spartans in a championship match penalty shootout to lift the conference tournament trophy — just one week after winning the regular-season title.

The weekend victory proved an emotional one for the Huskies, coming just days after the team lost 21-year-old senior goalkeeper Mia Hamant to Stage 4 kidney cancer on Thursday.

"Obviously, it's been a hard week but it just shows how much this team loves each other, how much they care about each other, and how much we love Mia," said University of Washington head coach Nicole Van Dyke.

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"Mia's been with us the whole time," Van Dyke continued. "She's a part of everything we do and she will always be. I can't put into words how appreciative we are of the support that everyone that has given her, her family, this team, our program. I'm just so happy for these kids."

How to watch Washington in the 2025 NCAA tournament Selection Show

The Washington Huskies will now join the weekend's 29 other conference champions in finding out their 2025 NCAA College Cup paths on Monday, when the national committee reveals its 64-team Division I tournament bracket at 4 PM ET.

The 2025 NCAA soccer tournament Selection Show will stream live on NCAA.com.

World No. 5 Elena Rybakina lifted her first-ever WTA Finals trophy on Saturday, when the 2022 Wimbledon champ upset No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets 6-3, 7-6(0) to close out the 2025 tennis calendar in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The 26-year-old Kazakhstan star — who notably was the final player in the eight-athlete field to secure her tournament spot — capped her run on a winning tear, taking down No. 2 Iga Świątek, No. 4 Amanda Anisimova, and No. 6 Jessica Pegula en route to the 2025 title.

"It's been an incredible week. I honestly didn't expect any result, and to go so far is just incredible," Rybakina said following her championship-winning match.

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Handing Sabalenka just her second-ever defeat in the final match of the WTA Finals — and doing so with just the third dropped tie-break in Sabalenka's 2025 season — Rybakina emerged from the end-of-year round-robin tournament without a single loss — earning her a women's tennis-record $5.23 million winner's check.

"She played incredible," Sabalenka said of her opponent, after Rybakina scored an impressive eight aces against the world No. 1 in the clash. "I feel like I did my best today. It didn't work, but I think so many things I have to be proud of. And yeah, I'm leaving this tournament without any disappointment."

No. 2-seed Washington have booked their second straight NWSL semifinals berth, after a short-staffed Spirit bested a resilient No. 7 Racing Louisville side in penalty kicks following Saturday's 1-1 quarterfinal draw.

Washington forward Gift Monday first broke the 0-0 stalemate in the 73rd minute after VAR called back an early Spirit goal, while Racing forward Kayla Fischer managed to keep Louisville's hopes alive with a second-half stoppage time equalizer.

Washington goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury then played penalty shootout hero for a second straight year, blocking two sharply hit strikes to allow the Spirit to advance 3-1.

"At the end of the day, there was no chance that we could lose this game," said Spirit head coach Adrián González postgame. "It was a matter of just keep insisting — that's the mentality we have."

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The Spirit had more than Racing's tenacity to contend with this weekend, however, as an MCL strain continues to sideline star forward Trinity Rodman.

Washington defenders Gabby Carle and Tara McKeown both exited Saturday's match with injuries, as well, as players pile up on the Spirit's availability report.

How to watch the Washington Spirit in the 2025 NWSL semifinals

No. 2 Washington will next face No. 3 Portland in the 2025 NWSL semis, with the Thorns punching their record-10th semifinal ticket by downing the No. 6 San Diego Wave 1-0 in their own extra-time showdown on Sunday.

The Spirit take on the Thorns for a shot at competing for the 2025 NWSL title at 12 PM ET on Saturday, airing live on CBS.

Reigning NWSL champs Orlando kicked off their repeat title bid in style, with the No. 4-seed Pride topping a tough No. 5 Seattle Reign 2-0 to punch their ticket to the 2025 semifinals on Friday.

Orlando midfielder Haley McCutcheon opened scoring in the 21st minute, giving the Pride a slim lead well into the second half before captain Marta broke out into a 100-yard solo dash through Seattle's backline, earning the second-half stoppage-time penalty kick that ultimately put the match out of the Reign's reach.

"We have talked so much about this season and compared it to last season," Marta said postgame. "Of course, we don't do the same things we did last year, but we have the same players and the same mentality. We still work so hard and still believe."

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After Marta put on the burners to earn that kick from the spot, the Brazil legend chose to cede the spotlight to a beloved teammate.

Marta gave the ball to fellow Pride and Brazil star Luana, a midfielder who recently returned to the pitch after successfully battling Hodgkin's Lymphoma — with Luana going on to sink the penalty to mark her first goal in an Orlando jersey.

"Handing the ball over to Luana optimizes Marta as an individual," said Orlando manager Seb Hines. "She never puts herself above the team and gave the ball to Luana to have her moment."

How to watch the Orlando Pride in the 2025 NWSL semifinals

The No. 4 Orlando Pride will next host No. 8 Gotham FC in the 2025 NWSL semifinals.

The pair will kick off their clash at 3 PM ET on Sunday, with live coverage airing on ABC.