Alex Morgan has finally broken through.

Entering the San Diego Wave’s game against the Portland Thorn on Saturday, Morgan had not scored in her previous eight NWSL matches.

Then, in the 38th minute, Morgan headed the ball from 10 yards out into the back of the net, giving the Wave a 2-0 lead that would turn into the final result. The goal came on a cross from Christen Westphal.

“She hits great crosses, so I knew I needed to be there at the right place at the right time,” Morgan told CBS at halftime.

Morgan looked pleased after the goal: She hugged her teammates with a relieved look on her face.

The goal also had postseason implications for the Wave. The victory marked the end of a two-game losing streak for the team, and helped San Diego clinch a spot in the NWSL playoffs.

“All-around, it was a huge performance from every single one of us,” midfielder Danielle Colaprico told the media afterward.

Morgan had last scored May 20, in the Wave’s 3-0 victory over Houston, and then she was held scoreless for the U.S. Women’s National Team’s four-game World Cup run.

She turned a corner Saturday against Portland. In addition to the goal she scored, she helped draw defenders away from Kyle Carusa earlier in the half, leading to Carusa being open for a goal.

“Because it’s Alex Morgan, they needed to make sure,” Carusa said. “What a lovely pass. Because it made my shot so much easier.”

The Wave enter their final two games of the regular season atop the NWSL standings and in line for a bye in the first round of the postseason.

San Diego hosts the North Carolina Courage next Saturday, and then finishes the regular season Oct. 15 at Racing Louisville.

Entering the final stretch of the NWSL season, the playoff field is hardly set. There are, in fact, 729 possible outcomes with postseason implications for this week’s games, according to the NWSL.

And that’s not so-called “girl math” a reference to a popular new meme, Angel City FC forward Sydney Leroux joked in a post to X.

Multi-layered scenarios for playoff berths abound throughout the league.

The Portland Thorns (9-5-5) enter Saturday’s match against the San Diego Wave with a league-best 32 points. The Thorns can clinch a playoff spot with a win, or with a draw and an Orlando Pride win or draw against Angel City. Portland can also clinch with a draw and with two more results: the Washington Spirit lose to the KC Current and Racing Louisville loses to or draws the Chicago Red Stars.

The endless possibilities are the product of a season of parity: All 12 teams remain in postseason contention, and each have scored at least 20 points for the first time in NWSL history.

Eventually some teams will rise above the rest, and the NWSL Championship is set for Nov. 11 at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, Calif., at 5 p.m. ET.

Fans who wanted to purchase Arsenal’s designer kits will soon be out of luck.

The bespoke away kit, created by adidas Creative Director Stella McCartney, was nearly sold out on Arsenal’s team shop as of early Saturday morning.

The team will debit the kit for an away Women’s Super League game at Manchester United on Oct. 6, marking the first time Arsenal’s women’s team will wear a different kit than the men.

“It’s so special to be marking this with a collection as playful and bold as this one,” Arsenal star Alessia Russo said in a press release. “For me, football has always been about having fun and getting creative – it’s why I got into it as a young girl and it’s what inspires me today.

“I love that this collection represents that, and I can’t wait to wear the shirt with pride on match day.”

As of early Saturday morning, there was only one size of the youth kit available, and the regular fit had only large and smaller sizes left. The authentic women’s and men’s fits were both sold out.

The eight-piece collection includes a shirt made with AEROREADY technology, which combines sweat-wicking and absorbent materials to ensure a dry feel.

“I love that the away jersey taps into the exciting intersection of fashion and football through its elevated geometric print and captivating hues – with technical performance materials at the core,” McCartney said. “It’s important that both players and fans alike can playfully express themselves as they move on and off the pitch, and we hope this bold, new collection can play a part in that.”

The men’s Arsenal team will wear the jerseys as a pre-match warmup before its game against Manchester City on Oct. 8.

A special visitor was in the house for Game 3 of the WNBA semifinals between the Connecticut Sun and New York Liberty.

Geno Auriemma, longtime coach of the UConn Huskies, sat courtside for the Liberty’s victory, alongside his wife, Kathy, UConn associate head coach Chris Dailey and former Huskies star Jennifer Rizzotti, now the president of the Sun.

With former players on both teams, Auriemma had a vested interest in the affair.

“It’s always great seeing them, especially when they come out and they come support,” Sun center Olivia Nelson-Ododa, a former Husky, told CT Insider after the game. “I just love seeing them, the team, everybody. And it’s special to me too for them to all show up like that and be able to watch me, especially at this level now too.”

Nelson-Ododa and Tiffany Hayes are the former UConn players on Connecticut, with Breanna Stewart and Stefanie Dolson representing Auriemma’s program for New York. Morgan Tuck, the Sun’s director of franchise development, is also a former Huskie.

Auriemma watched as the Liberty rolled to a 92-81 victory thanks in part to outsourcing the Sun by 21 points in the first quarter. At one point, Nelson-Ododa got into a yelling match with teammate DiJonai Carrington that was separated by DeWanna Bonner.

The 2023-24 UConn team was also in attendance, including star guard Paige Bueckers, but sat further away in the sold out arena. After the game, Auriemma met Stewart’s two-year-old daughter, Ruby.

The Las Vegas Aces‘ proficiency on offense is well-documented. But on Friday, with a berth in the WNBA Finals on the line, it was Las Vegas’ defense that took center stage.

The Aces held the Dallas Wings scoreless over the final five minutes of their Game 3 semifinal matchup, and hung on for a 64-61 series-clinching victory.

Las Vegas’ 3-0 sweep means it will play the winner of the other semifinal series between the Connecticut Sun and the New York Liberty.

“This was a real gut-check type of win,” Aces coach Becky Hammon told reporters after the game. “Kudos to our defense holding it down and giving us a chance to crawl back into that game. Not the prettiest of games. We’re happy to be walking out of here with a win.

“At the end of the day, you have to take a look at our entertainment value, too. People don’t want to see a game in the 60s. It should be the finest display of basketball that the WNBA has right now. It was very ugly basketball.”

The Aces’ 11-0 run to end the game put a bow on a series in which Las Vegas outplayed Dallas. The Aces won the first game of the series, 97-83, and the second, 91-84. But in the clincher, when Las Vegas’ vaunted offense struggled, the team’s defense met the moment.

A’Ja Wilson, for instance, who had scored at least 30 points in her past three games, scored just 13 points on 4-for-10 shooting. But she shone on the other side of the ball: she recorded 13 rebounds and held Wings players to 1-for-10 shooting during plays in which she was the primary defender.

“Especially when it’s not going as well for me on the offensive end, I try to see what I can do to get my team and me going,” Wilson said. “It doesn’t have to be an offensive rhythm, but a defensive rhythm. It’s like, ‘If I’m not scoring, I can’t let you score.'”

Tensions are starting to boil over for the Connecticut Sun.

The Sun lost to the New York Liberty, 92-81, on Friday night, falling to the brink of elimination in their best-of-five WNBA semifinal series. And in the first quarter, after New York took a 20-point lead, there was an intense moment between Connecticut players on the bench.

DeWanna Bonner got in between DiJonai Carrington and Olivia Nelson-Ododa, who were yelling at each other. Bonner pushed Carrington away from the bench to break up the screaming match.

The Liberty lead the series 2-1 and can clinch a berth in the finals with a Game 4 victory Sunday.

“Just, you know, disappointed certainly with the way that we started the game,” Sun head coach Stephanie White told reporters afterward. “I felt like our energy level from the beginning was just really poor for whatever reason. You know, I’m proud of our group for the second through the fourth quarter, but that’s not good enough when you’re planning for an opportunity to go to the finals.”

Alyssa Thomas (23 points, 14 assists, nine rebounds) was a bright spot for the Sun, but she also expressed some frustration during the game. Shortly after the bench altercation, Thomas turned toward the Connecticut bench and shouted:

“Somebody want to play today? Anybody. Does anybody want to play today?” she said, according to the Register Citizen.

The Liberty outscored the Sun, 37-16, in the first quarter, and though Connecticut made it more competitive, the early gap was too much to overcome. Forward Breanna Stewart led New York with 25 points and 11 rebounds.

“We love each other. We’re all sisters,” Sun point guard Ty Harris said. “So we talked about it. We come together. That’s pretty much it honestly. It’s a game of runs, basketball; things get heated but we still love each other. We’re gonna come together and bring a better effort next time.”

Esther González knows how to put on a show.

In her home debut for Gotham FC, Gonzalez, captain of the Spain national team, scored two goals in the team’s 2-0 win over the Washington Spirit on Saturday.

“I’ve spent a lot of time imagining this moment — getting here, getting to know the city, getting to know my new teammates,” González told the Philadelphia Inquirer earlier in the week. “In Spain, there’s a different playing style that I’m used to, and I’m here to show a new version of myself, get something extra to my game.

“If you’re in a new place with good feelings, everything is easier. I’ve chosen wisely, and this is the place where I can be the best I can.”

Those words proved to be prescient. González’s first goal came in the 65th minute, when she scored with her right foot from the center of the box on a run. But she was not done.

Five minutes later she scored again, this time with her left foot, on an assist from Lynn Williams. She celebrated with her teammates, a wide smile on her face, as the home fans celebrated.

Gonzalez officially debuted for the team on the road, against North Carolina on Sept. 2. She arrived in the NWSL on the heels of Spain’s victory in the World Cup, which has been overshadowed by the controversy surrounding Luis Rubiales, former president of the Spanish Soccer Federation. Rubiales resigned last week stemming from outcry surrounding his unsolicited kiss of star Jenni Hermoso during the medal ceremony.

The San Diego Wave suffered two major losses Saturday night.

The team lost to the Kansas City Current, 2-1, falling out of first place in the NWSL standings. And perhaps more important for the team’s long term future, star striker Alex Morgan suffered an injury in stoppage time and limped off the field.

San Diego coach Casey Stoney said afterward she had no updates on Morgan, who didn’t score a goal for the 13th consecutive game. Last season, Morgan won the NWSL’s goals title and never went more than three matches without scoring

The Wave can reclaim the top spot in the standings with three regular season games remaining, but they’ll need to play better than they did Saturday; the Wave didn’t record a shot on goal in the first half, losing the possession battle 57 percent to 43 percent.

“I was extremely disappointed with our first half,” San Diego coach Casey Stoney told reporters.

Morgan wasn’t the only NWSL star to suffer an injury this weekend. Washington Spirit midfielder Ashley Sanchez also suffered an injury during the team’s 2-0 loss to Gotham FC on Saturday. Spirit coach Mark Parsons said afterward he had update on Sanchez, who has scored five goals and recorded an assist this season.

Stephanie White’s first season with the Connecticut Sun has been a success. Now, her work has been formally recognized.

White was named 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year, the league announced Sunday, having received 36 of 60 possible votes. The Sun earned the No. 3 seed in the playoffs after a 27-13 regular season despite significant roster turnover.

“We’re honest. We’re transparent. We expect a lot, they give a lot, and they expect a lot from each other, and they expect a lot from us,” White said in an interview with ESPN. “I think that allows us to, I guess for lack of a better term, overachieve when people think we might not be or would have been in the position that we’re in.”

The Sun lost Jonquel Jones, the 2021 WNBA MVP, and Jasmine Thomas in the offseason. Then, two-time All-Star Brionna Jones suffered a torn Achilles in June, ending her season.

But Connecticut marched on, with Alyssa Thomas and others leading the way. Thomas averaged 15.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, 7.9 assists and 1.8 steals during the regular season.

“Everyone here has had the expectation that we want to compete for a championship, and that’s just our mindset,” White said.

The Sun earned their seventh-straight playoff berth, and then beat the Minnesota Lynx, 90-60, in the first game of their opening round series.

“We know their back is against the wall, but we have to play like our back is against the wall every possession as well,” White said. “So I’m pleased with how we came out and performed, but I know that game’s over and we’ve got to do that again and we’ve got to take it to another level.”

Every great rivalry needs two opposing forces.

And for the past decade, Megan Rapinoe has been just that for Christine Sinclair. Former teammates at the University of Portland, Sinclair and Rapinoe have been rivals in the NWSL and on the international stage, Sinclair for Canada and Rapinoe for the U.S. Women’s National Team.

Saturday night might have been the final time the two stars met on an NWSL pitch – Sinclair for the Portland Thorns, Rapinoe for the OL Reign – and afterward Sinclair spoke about what Rapinoe means to her.

“I’ve spent my entire career competing against her, whether it’s for Canada or with Portland,” Sinclair told reporters. “I have so much respect for her. We’re definitely two different types of people, but what she’s done for the game, she’s helped inspire an entire generation of young soccer fans.

“I’m going to miss playing against her. This rivalry is going to miss having her, and our fans are going to miss booing her.”

The Thorns won the game, 2-0, with goals from Hina Sugita and Morgan Weaver. When Rapinoe was subbed out in the 86th minute, she received a standing ovation from the Portland crowd.

Rapinoe and Sinclair were teammates on the 2005 Portland team that beat UCLA in the College Cup Finals. They eventually ended up on opposing sides in the NWSL, planting the seeds for what turned into one of the league’s fiercest rivalries.

Meghan Klingenberg, a Thorns defender and Rapinoe’s former national team teammate, spoke of the intensity of the matchup in advance of the game.

“From a significance point of a friend, I’m incredibly proud and happy for Pinoe to have this type of sendoff, and I hope we really f—k it up this weekend,” Klingenberg said. “We don’t give a f—k that Megan Rapinoe is coming to town and it’s her last game.”