We have finally arrived at the NWSL final, where two somewhat unlikely finalists will meet to crown a new league champion. The Chicago Red Stars and the Washington Spirit face off Saturday at Louisville’s Lynn Family Stadium in a game that isn’t quite easy to preview, let alone predict.

Before you place your bets on the championship game, let’s look at the keys to the matchup and how they could play into the final result.

The road so far

The Red Stars and the Spirit play very different styles of soccer, with unique sets of tools at their disposal. Chicago had a lackluster start to the season that included heavy defeats and doubts about their performances, both in the attack and on defense. But even after losing Alyssa Naeher and Julie Ertz to season-ending injuries, they figured out their team identity and started to string together more wins.

Chicago defends narrowly with a compact core. Gotham FC and the Portland Thorns, the two teams they’ve beaten so far in playoffs, were forced to play the ball wide and deliver crosses into the box from outside. The Red Stars took them out of their comfort zones and capitalized on it, upsetting both teams to advance to the final.

Washington has faced different kinds of problems throughout the season, most notably off the field with their coaching staff and front office. On the pitch, they stuck to a system of play that stemmed from organized defense. Kelley O’Hara and Emily Sonnett held down the backline, Aubrey Bledsoe won NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year for her play in net, Andi Sullivan guided the midfield and Ashley Hatch, Trinity Rodman and Ashley Sanchez spearheaded a fast and crafty attack.

Washington has also had a knack for winning games late. Of all six teams that qualified for the NWSL playoffs, the Spirit scored the most goals in the final 15 minutes of games and scored the most on counter-attacks, recording seven in each category.

What to expect

It might sound simple, but whichever group of midfielders has more possession of the ball and disrupts the flow of play will have the upper hand in this match. If Morgan Gautrat, Sarah Woldmoe and the rest of the Red Stars’ midfielders can press effectively in the middle of the park and deliver clean passes to Mallory Pugh (cleared to play Friday after missing the semifinal due to COVID-19 protocol), Chicago can wear Washington down.

Chicago’s defense has to be rock solid, since Washington’s speedy strikers will jump on any mistake. Washington’s front three resemble Portland’s with their pace and willingness to go 1v1. After shutting out the top-ranked Thorns last weekend, the Red Stars should look to play a similar style of defense on Saturday.

On the other side, if Washington’s midfield can do the same with Sullivan and Dorian Bailey, by exploiting gaps and lapses of concentration by the Chicago defense, Washington has a better chance of controlling the game. Look for the midfielders to set the tempo and pace of the game from the opening whistle.

It’s also worth noting that the Spirit have played more minutes than the Red Stars in the past two weeks after going into overtime with the North Carolina Courage in the quarterfinals. How well interim head coach Kris Ward sets up the rotation and times his substitutions will be a difference-maker for Washington.

Set pieces can also make or break this game. Chicago has scored six times on set pieces, more than any other team in the league. Washington has conceded four, making up almost a quarter of the goals they’ve given up all season.

Betting lines: What to bet?

The slight favorites for the sportsbooks are the Washington Spirit, as the higher seed in the playoffs and the team with more players who received national recognition this year, from Golden Boot winner Ashley Hatch to Rookie of the Year Trinity Rodman to Goalkeeper of the Year Aubrey Bledsoe. If you think the Spirit will win by the end of regulation time, DraftKings has the best line for you at +170. If your faith and money are with the Red Stars, who return Pugh and Kayla Sharples from COVID-19 protocol on Saturday, DraftKings offers the best line at +185.

As you can see, there’s not a lot separating these teams, but what caught my attention is the line for the draw. Given the possibility of the game going into extra time, it might be tempting to place your money on it. DraftKings has a good line at +210, but PointsBet has a slightly better one at +215. I think it’s worth considering for bettors.

Unibet, BetRivers, SugarHouse and Caesars also offer the opportunity to bet on the championship game. The lines are not as advantageous as the ones mentioned above, but maybe one not tied to the result will catch your eye.

Antonio Maza is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering NWSL betting. He also contributes to Bet Her. Follow him on Twitter @NwslAnalitica.

Washington Spirit star Trinity Rodman is gearing up to debut her Adidas Player Edition cleats this weekend, marking her return to the field by rocking the all-new F50 SPARKFUSION PE — a boot built by and for women athletes.

"Growing up as a kid in California, I could never have imagined a day where there would be a cleat literally inspired by me," the 2024 Olympic gold medalist said in a press release. "I can't wait to wear them."

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According to Adidas's Thursday release, designers worked to specifically engineer the boots to "excel with the speed and agility demands of the modern women's game."

To do so, the sportswear company researched the unique anatomy of the female foot to address the discomfort reported by women athletes when competing in unisex cleats.

Consequently, the F50 SPARKFUSION PE boasts key design adjustments to improve fit, arch support, stability, and comfort for women athletes. The boots also contain features to boost players' agility across multiple pitch surfaces.

In addition to the performance improvements, Rodman's Player Edition boots come in the 23-year-old USWNT star's favorite colors.

Grounded by a pearlescent white base alongside vibrant light blue details and bold pink stripes — an homage to Rodman's signature pink hair — the attacker's cleats aim to create "a dynamic look that captures Trinity's energy and personality."

Rodman will sport her Adidas Player Edition boots for the first time on Sunday, when her Washington Spirit host the Portland Thorns at 12:30 PM ET on ABC.

How to buy the Trinity Rodman F50 SPARKFUSION PE cleats

The Trinity Rodman Adidas F50 SPARKFUSION PE cleats are currently available for purchase online at adidas.com.

World No. 4 Brazil and No. 18 Colombia will take center stage on Saturday, when star-studded lineups full of NWSL talent will duke it out in the 2025 Copa América Femenina Final.

The Conmebol titans advanced to the continental tournament's grand finale via two distinctly different semifinals, as Colombia narrowly pushed past No. 32 Argentina in a penalty shootout on Monday before defending champions Brazil thrashed No. 63 Uruguay 5-1 on Tuesday.

Entering Saturday's match as the favorites, Brazil is led by reigning NWSL champion Marta, with the legendary attacker joined by fellow Orlando Pride midfielder Angelina as well as Gotham FC forward Gabi Portilho, Racing Louisville midfielder Ary Borges, and Kansas City Current goalkeeper Lorena.

Chasing a fifth straight and ninth overall Copa América title, there has never been a final in the tournament's 10 iterations to not feature Brazil.

On the other hand, Colombia is seeking their first-ever Conmebol crown behind a quartet of NWSL standouts: Washington Spirit midfielder Leicy Santos, Racing Louisville defender Ángela Barón, San Diego Wave defender Daniela Arias, and Utah Royals defender Ana María Guzmán.

Saturday's final will be the second straight and fourth overall to pit Colombia against Brazil, and comes just eight days after the pair faced off to a 0-0 draw in their final group-stage match — though notably, Brazil played the bulk of that game with 10 players after keeper Lorena earned a red card in the 24th minute.

How to watch the Copa América final

The 2025 Copa América Final kicks off at 5 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage airing on FS1.

With the US Open rapidly approaching — the WTA season's final Grand Slam — the tennis world's hardcourt titans are tuning up at the 2025 Canadian Open.

This year's tournament is in full swing up in Montréal, allowing players to hone their skills before next week's Cincinnati Open sets the tone for the annual New York City Slam.

Though stars like world No. 5 Mirra Andreeva, No. 9 Jasmine Paolini, and No. 11 Emma Navarro stumbled out of contention in the tournament's first two rounds, many heavy-hitters are still in play, including all three 2025 Grand Slam winners: Australian Open champion No. 8 Madison Keys, French Open victor No. 2 Coco Gauff, and newly crowned Wimbledon champ No. 3 Iga Świątek.

Joining Gauff in punching her ticket to Saturday's Round of 16 is fellow US player No. 32 McCartney Kessler, while Keys and several others in the US contingent — No. 4 Jessica Pegula, No. 7 Amanda Anisimova, and No. 116 Caty McNally — will battle to advance from the Round of 32 on Friday.

Other fan favorites are also still in the mix, including Japan's No. 49 Naomi Osaka and the UK's No. 33 Emma Raducanu, while 18-year-old phenom No. 85 Victoria Mboko is impressing as Canada's last-standing contender in play.

Notably sitting out this week is world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, with the 2024 US Open champ prioritizing her mental and physical rest ahead of her title defense.

How to watch the 2025 Canadian Open

The 2025 Canadian Open's Round of 32 continues throughout Friday before the Round of 16 takes the Montréal court on Saturday.

Continuous live coverage of the tournament will are on the Tennis Channel.

Two of the toughest WNBA stars will square off this weekend, as Minnesota Lynx forward and 2024 Defensive Player of the Year Napheesa Collier will battle it out against Las Vegas Aces center and reigning MVP A'ja Wilson in a Saturday showdown.

As the league's top two scorers, the 23.8 points per game put up by Collier will meet the 22.1-point average posted by Wilson for the second time this season, with Saturday's rematch coming just over a week after the Lynx toppled the Aces.

"Our defense is so good…. We just make it hard, and when every shot is hard, eventually it wears a team down, and that's our goal every night," Collier said after Minnesota routed Las Vegas 109-78 last Friday.

With less than two games separating third from sixth place on the league table, the WNBA standings have never been tighter, sending the stakes of this weekend's games through the roof:

• No. 3 Phoenix Mercury vs. No. 5 Atlanta Dream, Friday at 7:30 PM ET (ION): A mere half-game behind the Mercury, the Dream can leapfrog two teams to claim third with a win on Friday, as Phoenix aims to galvanize behind their own MVP candidate Alyssa Thomas.

• No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 7 Las Vegas Aces, Saturday at 3 PM ET (ABC): Facing this season's undisputed top dogs on a two-game winning streak, the Aces will look to blank the Lynx at home in Las Vegas.

• No. 6 Indiana Fever vs. No. 4 Seattle Storm, Sunday at 3 PM ET (ABC): The Fever have remained hot despite the absence of an injured Caitlin Clark, and a Sunday result against the Storm could push Indiana into the league's upper echelon.