Carli Lloyd is enjoying the moment as she approaches her final game with the USWNT.

“It’s special,” she told reporters when asked about the tributes she’s received from teammates. “I know I’ve probably been misunderstood by teammates, coaches, fans, just about everyone.

“I’ve given everything I have to this team, day in and day out, every time.”

Lloyd also talked about how thankful she is for the ways in which her teammates have pushed her to be a better player.

“Towards the end of my career, people have a greater understanding of what I’m about, why I’ve been the way that I’ve been, and that I’ve just wanted to help this team win championships,” she said. “I wanted to just be the best player that I can possibly be. Every single day.

“And those big moments, those moments where everything’s on the line, where we’re three, four games into a major tournament. That’s where I love to show up, and I’m going to miss those moments. Those moments are the greatest moments ever.”

On Tuesday morning, Lloyd released an essay through Players Tribune entitled “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye.” In the piece, Lloyd discusses the many peaks and valleys she has traversed in her 17-year career with the national team, saying, “It was really freaking hard… People see the glory. They see the parades. But they don’t see everything that goes into it.”

Lloyd concludes the piece by saying she’d do it all again in an instant, a sentiment she shared on Monday with reporters.

“I’ve had four World Cups. Four Olympics. Won some, lost some, but those moments are just the best moments to be able to perform on and play on. And I’m thankful for every single one of my teammates. I’m going to miss them dearly, and I’m going to be the biggest fan cheering them on for this next cycle.”

Lloyd will play in her final USWNT game Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on FS1.

WNBA roster transactions have officially revved back up, with the Washington Mystics sending two-time All-Star guard Ariel Atkins to the Chicago Sky over the weekend. In exchange, the Mystics will receive the No. 3 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft — putting Washington in control of the April 14th Draft's third, fourth, and sixth picks.

Even more, the Mystics snagged both a 2027 second-round pick and a 2027 first-round pick swap while Chicago immediately rosters the Mystic’s last-remaining 2019 title-winner.

Atkins, who has spent her entire seven-year WNBA career with Washington, exits as the Mystics all-time three-point shooter with 397 shots drained from beyond the arc. She also ranks in the franchise's Top 5 for career steals, points, assists, field goals, free throws, and minutes played.

"Ariel has made a tremendous impact on this league since her rookie year," Chicago GM Jeff Pagliocca said in a team statement.

"As one of the league’s top defensive specialists and a consistent scorer, she is a threat on both ends of the floor who will help us build a playoff-contending team in Chicago."

WNBA trades showcase veteran vs. rookie roster decisions

With headline-making trades dominating the WNBA's news cycle and a game-changing CBA on the horizon, teams across the league have been weighing the potential upside of a high draft pick with speeding up postseason ambitions via a more experienced roster.

Chicago's move to acquire Atkins lends itself toward the latter, with the Sky seemingly aiming to pair the productive guard with the return of star Angel Reese to the lineup.

Washington, on the other hand, has racked up significant power in both this year's draft and future draws from the collegiate and international talent pools, perhaps signaling a more long-term development strategy.

Some squads, however, are attempting to do both. Seattle, for example, currently owns the No. 2 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, yet the Storm still beefed up their roster by signing veteran forward Katie Lou Samuelson last week, after she mutually parted ways with the Indiana Fever.

Teams shooting for deep 2025 runs are now facing a key decision: Are they building toward the future, or is the future now?

For the second straight week, NCAA basketball saw its No. 1 team humbled, as top-ranked Notre Dame fell to No. 13 NC State in Sunday's 104-95 double-overtime thriller.

NC State’s guards led the pack, with sophomore Zoe Brooks topping the scoresheet with a 33-point, 10-rebound double-double. Wolfpack seniors backed her up with Aziaha James contributing 20 points and star Saniya Rivers posting a near triple-double.

"We just kept fighting. We wanted to win this game really bad, and we did everything we could to win," Brooks told reporters after the game.

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NC State breaks 19-game Notre Dame winning streak

As for the Irish, senior guard Sonia Citron played hero at the end of regulation, draining a clutch three-pointer to force the first overtime period.

Unfortunately, however, Notre Dame couldn’t execute at the end to hold off the Wolfpack’s upset campaign. Despite sophomore star Hannah Hidalgo finishing the game with a team-leading 26 points, she began to fade down the stretch, eventually fouling out without a single overtime score contribution.

The loss snapped Notre Dame's 19-game winning streak, and will likely cost the Irish their No. 1 spot in this week’s AP Poll as a result — setting the stage for a possible fourth top-ranked team this season.

Parity takes the spotlight as NCAA basketball season wraps up

The last time four different DI women's basketball teams laid claim to the No. 1 spot in a single season was during the 2020/21 NCAA campaign. That's when South Carolina, Louisville, UConn, and eventual champions Stanford each spent time atop the AP Poll.

No season has featured more than four total No. 1 teams since the 1976 inception of the AP Top 25.

That said, the NCAA’s biggest defining factor this season has undoubtedly been parity, making each game — and poll spot — anyone's to grab.

With the win-or-go-home reality of March fast approaching, a number of talented teams are able to pull off upsets at any given time. Therefore, there's almost zero room for error left for title contenders, as a single mishap will send even top squads packing once the Madness tips off.

The USWNT remains unbeaten in 2025 after holding off Australia 2-1 to secure their second SheBelieves Cup win on Sunday.

Veteran forward Lynn Biyendolo (née Williams) opened scoring less than one minute into the match, giving the relatively inexperienced US starting roster an early edge. Sealing the win was second-half substitute Michelle Cooper, who notched her first-ever international goal in just her second USWNT cap.

However, the US weathered continuous pressure from the Matildas, with late sub Michelle Heyman exploiting a defensive hole in transition to head in an 80th-minute goal — Australia's only shot on target all match.

"We played a high quality team, a very experienced team, so for our players to produce a result like that is a really healthy indicator of our program and the talent pool that we have available to us," USWNT head coach Emma Hayes said after the game.

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11 fresh USWNT faces tapped for SheBelieves matchup

The US swapped out their entire starting XI from Thursday’s opening win over Colombia in Sunday's match — the first time the team has rotated all 11 players between games since 2000.

As the team’s new-look roster continues to take shape, 19-year-old midfielder Claire Hutton earned her first USWNT cap and start in the victory. Meanwhile, fellow 19-year-old Gisele Thompson, who snagged her first senior team minutes as a late substitute last Thursday, banked her first USWNT start.

Hutton is now the 15th player to make her USWNT debut since Hayes was handed the squad's reins in May 2024, putting the manager's commitment to developing roster depth on full display. To that end, Sunday's initial lineup also boasted six starters with less than five senior team caps.

How to watch USWNT vs. Japan in the 2025 SheBelieves Cup final

The 10th edition of the SheBelieves Cup will wrap up on Wednesday, when the world No. 1 USWNT will take on No. 8 Japan in a winner-take-all final.

With the Nadeshiko's explosive offense giving them a significant advantage over the US in goal differential, the USWNT must defeat Japan to lift their eighth all-time SheBelieves Cup — a draw would grant Japan a first-ever trophy in the annual tournament.

Wednesday's final will kick off at San Diego's Snapdragon Stadium at 10:30 PM ET, with live coverage across TBS, Max, and Peacock.

The Portland Thorns inked a multiyear sponsorship deal with home security company Ring this week, marking the most lucrative jersey partnership in NWSL history.

While exact terms were not disclosed, sources confirm that the sum surpasses Bay FC's $2.6 million per-year contract with Sutton Health, as well as Gotham FC's similarly undisclosed Dove sponsorship, reported as a league record last week.

"Working with Ring goes beyond logo placement— it's about deepening our connection with fans and enhancing their experience," said Lisa Bhathal Merage, governor of Portland Thorns and Portland WNBA, in a team release.

"Ring's vision aligns perfectly with our mission to bring fans closer to the team and the game. This collaboration provides unprecedented access and strengthens the bond between our players, fans, and city while continually elevating the fan experience.”

In addition to jersey placement, Amazon-owned Ring will also feature on Portland's cold-weather jackets and media backdrops. Ring also plans to engage in several community initiatives.

Brand partnership deals surge in value across the NWSL

NWSL branding deals are skyrocketing in value, with Gotham FC announcing the a then-record back-of-jersey deal in league history with Dove just last week.

Angel City broke the previous front-of-jersey value record in 2022, as their partnership with DoorDash reportedly brought in over $10 million over the course of a five-year deal.

The race to the top doesn’t stop on the field, as brands increasingly buy into the vision of women’s sports with evaluations skyrocketing and visibility higher than ever.