Six months ago, USWNT fans were arguing whether Lynn Williams deserved a spot on the team’s Olympic roster. The best-case scenario for Williams (at the time) was simply making the final 18, while at worst she’d be an alternate. Even her most ardent supporters weren’t sure whether she’d actually get much playing time in Tokyo.

But after a standout game against Paraguay on Thursday in which she scored and had two assists, as well as a tournament-saving performance against Netherlands in Tokyo — to say nothing of Williams’ years of NWSL production — it’s clear the terms of the conversation have shifted.

It’s no longer a question of whether she deserves to make the team. Williams is here to stay. The new question is whether she should start for the USWNT. And the answer is that Williams clearly deserves a chance.

Williams was one of the last players cut from the 2019 World Cup team, but was brought back into the USWNT fold once Vlatko Andonovski took over as coach.

At the time, the scouting consensus on Williams was that she had above-average defensive abilities (for a forward) and was probably the fastest player on the pitch, but needed to work on consistently finishing in front of goal.

😏 Tell ‘em @lynnraenie 💨💨💨 pic.twitter.com/82vky3OzeZ

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) October 28, 2020

“I think that Vlatko sees my defensive side as key to the success of this team right now,” Williams told Just Women’s Sports back in April, “and my willingness to work back as a forward.”

Williams was initially named an alternate for Tokyo, with Andonovski calling it a “good next step” for the forward:

“Hopefully she’ll be on the full roster in the near future or in the World Cup, 2023. We know the quality that she has.”

Williams ended up making the full Olympic roster after FIFA modified the rules to include alternates. After hardly seeing the field in the group stage, Williams was chosen to start against Netherlands in a must-win quarterfinal match.

The USWNT went down 1-0 early in the match, before Williams took over. She first assisted Sam Mewis to tie the game at one before scoring herself — with a beautiful finish in the box — to give the team the lead.

Lynn Williams with a goal and assist in 3 minutes to give the USWNT the lead 💥 @brfootball

(via @NBCOlympics)pic.twitter.com/Ea8dgRpLzA

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 30, 2021

In the biggest game of her career, Williams proved she was more than a defensive specialist and put to bed the narrative that she can’t make plays in front of goal.

The performance wasn’t a surprise to anyone who has watched Williams’ club career. With 56 goals in the NWSL, she’s second on the league’s all-time scoring list, just 11 behind Sam Kerr. Even this year, she ranks sixth in the league, which might not seem impressive, until you take into account the time missed while in Tokyo. No. 1 and 2 scorers Bethany Balcer and Sydney Leroux have each scored eight goals in 18 games. In seven fewer games, Williams has scored six.

Can Williams, 28, consistently score on the international stage? Williams had the third-most points on the USWNT in 2020 after Lindsey Horan and Christen Press. In 2021, she ranks sixth in goals and assists, despite having only eight starts. If her playing time matched the other big-name forwards on the team, it’s hard to imagine she wouldn’t keep pace.

Context is important here: Carli Lloyd is retiring in October. Megan Rapinoe could soon follow. Christen Press and Alex Morgan will both be 34 at the next World Cup. Tobin Heath will be 35.

Lloyd has proven that players can still be productive well into their 30s, but it’s clear that Andonovski will need fresh legs in Australia. And with World Cup qualifiers just around the corner, now is the time to give younger players their chance.

On a team with so much talent, versatility is crucial — and that’s exactly what Williams has. She scores goals but is also good defensively, a game-changing quality often overlooked in the attacking third. Andonovski has repeatedly praised her ability to press other teams in sparking the USWNT’s counter-attack. In Tokyo, Williams proved the stage wasn’t too big for her. And yes, at the 2023 World Cup, she will still probably be the fastest player on the pitch.

Williams has made the most of her limited opportunities, and her trajectory is still pointing up. Heading into preparations for the 2023 World Cup, it would be smart to give the young veteran a more significant role on the team. Big things happen when she’s on the pitch; she just needs playing time to prove it.

Jessa Braun is an editorial intern for Just Women’s Sports and the Head of North American Content for Women’s Sports Alliance. You can find her on Twitter @jessabraun.

The 2025 Wimbledon Championships wrapped its second round on Thursday, with the grass court Grand Slam seeing just 15 of the tournament's 32 seeded players advance to the Friday and Saturday's third round.

A full half of the WTA's Top 10 players did not survive the week, with 2024 Wimbledon finalist and world No. 5 Jasmine Paolini joining four first-round star exits by falling to unseeded Kamilla Rakhimova in a three-set, second-round battle on Wednesday.

At the same time, unseeded fan favorites like Japan's No. 53 Naomi Osaka and England's own No. 40 Emma Raducanu secured third-round spots at the London Slam, joining top surviving contenders like No. 4 Iga Świątek and defending Wimbledon champion No. 16 Barbora Krejčíková.

Notably, a full five US players managed to move ahead, tied for the largest national contingent still standing at the tournament.

Led by 2025 Australian Open champion No. 8 Madison Keys, the US group also includes No. 10 Emma Navarro and No. 12 Amanda Anisimova, as well as unseeded players No. 54 Danielle Collins and No. 55 Hailey Baptiste.

With matches against Świątek and No. 7 Mirra Andreeva, respectively, Collins and Baptiste have a tough third round ahead — though Navarro's battle against the 2024 champ Krejčíková arguably headlines Saturday's slate.

How to watch Wimbledon this weekend

While world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is still holding strong in the dwindling field, this year's Wimbledon play is proving that the London Slam is anyone's to take, as the grass court humbles even the sport's top stars.

Expect the twists and turns to continue as tennis's best battle for spots in Sunday's Round of 16.

Round-of-32 Wimbledon play kicks off at 6 AM ET on Friday, with live continuous coverage of the tournament airing on ESPN.

The 2025 European Championship is officially underway, as Euro action kicked off with a group-stage upset on Wednesday.

Though the 2025 UEFA tournament's opener was a sweltering affair amid a European heat wave, world No. 26 Finland prevailed, earning a 1-0 upset win over No. 14 Iceland in Group A.

Finnish winger Katariina Kosola played hero, curling in the winning goal in the match's 70th minute — just 12 minutes after Iceland midfielder Hildur Antonsdóttir picked up the competition's first red card.

"The result is important for our confidence," Kosola said after Finland's first major tournament win since the 2009 Euro. "It was the kind of goal I have been practicing a lot."

"It's terrible to lose and we feel frustrated," said Iceland head coach Thorsteinn Halldórsson. "It is an even group and we knew Finland were good, but our first half wasn't good enough."

Elsewhere, No. 16 Norway closed out Wednesday's slate on top of Group A, taking three points by defeating host No. 23 Switzerland in day's second match.

Led by captain and 2018 Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg — who pulled the match even with a second-half strike — Norway battled to a 2-1 comeback win, despite the Swiss side outshooting and out-possessing the Norwegians.

How to watch this week's 2025 Euro action

Group B steals the 2025 Euro spotlight on Thursday.

While No. 13 Italy snagged a 1-0 opening win over No. 20 Belgium to kick off the day, 2023 World Cup champions and tournament favorite No. 2 Spain will face No. 22 Portugal at 3 PM ET.

Friday's Group C slate will pit No. 12 Denmark against No. 6 Sweden at 12 PM ET, before No. 3 Germany contends with No. 27 Poland at 3 PM ET.

Closing out the first group-stage matches will be arguably the toughest draw of the 2025 Euro pool.

Saturday's Group D slate features major tournament debutants No. 30 Wales against the No. 11 Netherlands at 12 PM ET, with No. 10 France taking on defending champions No. 5 England to cap the day at 3 PM ET.

Live coverage of 2025 Euro matches will air across Fox Sports platforms.

The world No. 1 USWNT ruled the pitch on Wednesday night, shutting out North American rivals No. 8 Canada 3-0 to finish the international window on a high note.

Catching the Canada backline sleeping, US midfielder Sam Coffey opened the scoring at the 17-minute mark before 19-year-old Claire Hutton claimed her first-ever USWNT goal by heading in a Rose Lavelle corner kick in the game's 36th minute.

Houston Dash forward Yazmeen Ryan then padded the US tally in the waning minutes of the match, finding the back of the net just eight minutes after subbing onto the field.

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Despite fielding a young roster, the US overpowered a veteran-heavy Canada side in almost every category, topping their Northern neighbors in shots, shots on target, possession, and — most notably — set pieces.

Canada ultimately couldn't match the game's mental pace or physical battle, as the USWNT scored all three goals off dead ball situations — a free kick, a corner kick, and a throw-in.

"It's not about the opponent," US head coach Emma Hayes said after the match. "It's about what we do, and I felt that was extremely dominant."

With Wednesday's contributions, the USWNT finishes the summer window with 11 goals scored across the three friendlies — and zero goals conceded.

The US now enters an extended break before reconvening for another as-yet-unannounced friendly series in October — but players will be expected to perform in the meantime.

"I said to the players in the end in the huddle, if you want to compete to win the biggest things, it's not what you do here that matters," said Hayes. "It's what you do when you go back to your club."

The 2025 WNBA regular season returns on Thursday night, with teams at the top of the league standings looking to prove their mettle against close competition across the long holiday weekend.

The No. 5 Seattle Storm have arguably the toughest weekend assignments, taking on the No. 4 Atlanta Dream on Friday before tackling the No. 3 New York Liberty on Sunday.

Four middle-of-the-pack teams will look to close in on a double-digit season win tally while the league's frontrunners strive to maintain their advantage in this weekend's slate:

• No. 7 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 8 Indiana Fever, Thursday at 7 PM ET (Prime): Though still without star Caitlin Clark, the Fever hope to harness their 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup victory momentum against an Aces side tied with Indiana with an 8-8 season record.

• No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 4 Atlanta Dream, Thursday at 7:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): Seattle will look to make strides against a strong Atlanta side while putting last Sunday's stinging 84-57 loss to up-and-comer Golden State in their rearview.

• No. 6 Golden State Valkyries vs. No. 1 Minnesota Lynx, Saturday at 8 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The rising Valkyries must face a Lynx side hunting redemption, as the league-leaders look to bounce back from their stifling Tuesday Commissioner's Cup upset loss.

• No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 3 New York Liberty, Sunday at 1 PM ET (CBS): With injured Liberty center Jonquel Jones still sidelined, the Seattle Storm will have a chance to steal a weekend game against the reigning champs, as New York struggles to re-find their footing.

With the 2025 WNBA All-Star break looming, early top performers must keep standards high if they want to hold the line when the season crosses the midway point.