The four group-stage winners at the UEFA Women’s Euro prevailed in their  quarterfinals to set up a pair of intriguing semifinal matchups.

Host England will take on Sweden on Tuesday at Bramall Lane, while Germany will face off against France on Wednesday at Stadium MK.

All four teams have fielded impressive performances so far, and each semifinalist can make its case as the favorite heading into the final week of competition.

Why each semifinalist could win the Euros

England

Playing on home soil, England is eager to bring home a trophy in front of a friendly crowd. Acting as hosts has benefits and drawbacks, with the Lionesses enjoying overwhelming support but also facing a great deal of pressure.

While England showed its vulnerabilities in the team’s 2-1 quarterfinal win over Spain, the comeback victory should give the Lionesses confidence heading into the semifinals. The squad’s grit and proven ability to pull out a win against the run of play will likely buoy the English side as the hosts gear up to face Sweden.

England boasts impressive attacking depth, with Beth Mead leading the tournament’s scorers, logging five goals and three assists.

Alessia Russo has also been stellar off the bench for the Lionesses, notching three goals as relief for starter Ellen White. With attacking threats all over the pitch, including Georgia Stanway, Lauren Hemp and Fran Kirby, England has a range of options in the final third.

England has also been dangerous off the bench, with Ella Toone and Chloe Kelly joining Russo on an impressive reserve lineup.

Organized under coach Sarina Wiegman, England has the talent and home-field advantage to secure its most consequential trophy in decades.

Take a bow, @StanwayGeorgia! pic.twitter.com/BgGJBYIKBu

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) July 20, 2022

Sweden

Sweden is out for redemption after a heartbreaking silver-medal run during last summer’s Olympics.

Despite a slow start to the Euros, the Swedes dug deep to secure a 1-0 quarterfinal win behind a thrilling stoppage-time goal.

With key defenders Hanna Glas, Emma Kullberg and Jonna Andersson out of the quarterfinal due to positive COVID-19 tests, Sweden persevered despite being short-sided. Should the squad get its defensive lineup back in full ahead of the semifinal, Sweden will be in a much better position to halt England’s humming offense.

Most of Sweden’s Euro matchups to date have featured compact backlines, with the squad tasked with breaking down a variety of low-to-mid blocks. England, however, will be on the attack, presenting Sweden with an opportunity to get out in transition and find space in the final third.

Germany

Germany enters its semifinal against France with a clean sheet as the only remaining team yet to concede a goal.

With 11 total goals, Germany’s offense is also firing on all cylinders behind a commanding showing from Alexandra Popp. The 31-year-old has logged four goals through four matchups, while midfielder Lina Magull pulls the strings at the center of the pitch.

Germany has never lost to semifinal opponent France in a major tournament and has taken home the Euro trophy in seven of the last nine editions of the tournament.

Adept on both sides of the ball, Germany looks to be the most well-rounded squad heading into the home stretch.

Germany find their footing through Magull to take a 1-0 lead 💫 pic.twitter.com/mVJgSpRrL9

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 21, 2022

France

France has forged ahead despite losing marquee player Marie-Antoinette Katoto to injury during the team’s group-stage match against Belgium.

Kadidiatou Diani has stepped up in Katoto’s absence, putting opponents’ backline under sweltering pressure. While Les Bleus have faced adversity, the team is motivated to overcome its obstacles. The 2022 tournament marks France’s Euro semifinal debut, where Le Bleus will face Germany, a team they have yet to beat in four major contests.

With its reserves fielding stellar performances, France may just have the tenacity to pull off the win.

Cameron Brink already has her rookie of the year pick for the upcoming WNBA season, and it’s Indiana-bound star Caitlin Clark. 

In the latest edition of Kelley on the Street, host Kelley O'Hara caught up with Brink in New York hours before the Stanford phenom went No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks at the 2024 WNBA Draft. When O’Hara asked who would win the WNBA's rookie of the year, she answered without pause.

"Caitlin Clark," she said, while a fan commented that she thought Brink would take home the award. Brink later added that the extra foul granted to WNBA players will be "good for me."

"I hope it’s me," Charisma Osborne, who was later drafted by the Phoenix Mercury, said when asked her ROY prediction. "But, I don’t know — we’ll see."

Watch more of Kelley on the Street:

Maria Sanchez issued a statement on Thursday, confirming recent reports that she has requested a trade from the Houston Dash. 

In it, she revealed that the club has been aware of the request "since late March."

"This has all taken a toll and isn’t an easy thing to talk about, but I want to confirm that I’ve requested an immediate trade," she wrote. "My expectations and reasons have been clear. I trust that my current club’s management will honor my decision in a timely manner and proceed with accepting a trade."

"I’m eager to refocus and dive back into what I love most: playing football," she concluded.

Thank you, everyone, for the outpouring of kindness and support. pic.twitter.com/gcnN7dhCJU

— Maria Sanchez (@Maria17_7) April 19, 2024

Reports of Sanchez's trade request first surfaced on ESPN last week, and were later confirmed by multiple sources. 

In December of last year, Sanchez signed a three-year contract with the Dash valued at $1.5 million including bonuses and an option year. It was the largest contract in NWSL history at the time — a figure that would be eclipsed by multiple contracts in the following months. 

Sanchez spent the offseason as a restricted free agent, meaning that Houston could match any other team's offer to retain her rights. Should the Dash trade Sanchez, her current contract terms would remain intact, limiting potential buyers to teams able to afford to take on an inking of that size.

The Dash has yet to address the trade, instead reiterating to ESPN that Sanchez is "under contract, a choice she made in free agency at the end of 2023." 

Both the NWSL trade window and transfer window close tonight, April 19th, at 12 a.m. ET. The window will stay closed through the next 11 regular season games, reopening on August 1st, 2024.

The four-time league champion Seattle Storm unveiled their new practice facility on Thursday, with Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel dubbing Interbay's Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance the team’s "new home."

"It's just such a special space," Brummel told Fox 13 Seattle. "I think when the players get here, it's gonna be overwhelming."

The sprawling 50,000-square-foot, $64 million property is just the second designated practice facility to be designed and built expressly for a WNBA team, with the Storm further noting that 85% of all design and engineering team members involved in the project's construction were women and people of color. The finished product holds two professional indoor courts, two 3x3 outdoor courts, a state-of-the-art locker room, and players' lounge, plus designated areas for strength and conditioning, kitchen, dining, and nutrition, and recovery. 

"This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance," said Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder in an official team release. "It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports."

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For their part, the team can't wait to make the faciilty their own.

"It's amazing," Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Fox 13. "Not having to drive everywhere around, knowing you have access anytime of the day to get into the gym, to workout." 

Head coach Noelle Quinn said she predicts the team is "never going to leave this building."

"Which is a good thing for me," she continued. "You talk about having an edge in performance. We want our athletes to not only perform on the court, but get whatever they need."

All of the Storm's staff and operations will now live under one roof, and the team also has plans to launch a youth basketball program operating out of the building.

The Caitlin Clark effect is quickly making its mark on the big leagues, as WNBA host teams around the country rush to upgrade their Fever games to larger arenas in order to accommodate surging ticket sales.

With Clark mere weeks away from her Indiana Fever debut, both the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have officially relocated their scheduled home games with head coach Christie Sides' squad. On Thursday, the Mystics became the latest to adjust their plans, moving their June 7th matchup from Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southwest DC to the more centrally located — and much larger — Capital One Arena "due to unprecedented demand."

The Mystics home court's capacity taps out at 4,200, while Capital One Arena — home to the Wizards, Capitals, and Georgetown Hoya's Men's Basketball — can fit nearly five times that crowd at some 20,000 spectators.

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"The move to Capital One Arena will allow for additional fans in the stands as well as premium hospitality options, including Suites and the all-new all-inclusive courtside Hennessy Lofts," the team announced via Thursday's press release.

The Aces were one of the first teams to switch venues, aiming to take on the Indiana Fever in front of as many as 20,000 fans inside T-Mobile Arena on July 2nd. That’s a sizable a boost from their home venue, which holds just 12,000.

For those still planning to face the Fever in their home arenas, ticket prices have skyrocketed. Previously scheduled construction has already forced the LA Sparks to relocate their first five games — including their May 24th clash with the Fever — to Long Beach State's Walter Pyramid. The temporary venue is quite the downsize, holding just 4,000 in comparison to Crypto.com Arena's near-19,000. As of Friday, the get-in price for that game started around $400.

Despite fans launching a Change.org petition urging relocation, the Chicago Sky say they're unable to move their June 23rd Fever meeting from Wintrust Arena's 10,000-seat facility to the 23,500-seat United Center due to a concert. Tickets for that game start around $325 as of Friday.