Star striker Temwa Chawinga is nearing yet another trophy, as the 2024 NWSL MVP and Golden Boot winner lifted her No. 1 Kansas City Current over No. 4 Gotham FC with her 15th goal of the season on Saturday — taking the lead in the 2025 scoring race.
Chawinga's 51st-minute tally secured the 2-0 victory, as the 2025 Shield-winners became the first-ever NWSL team to reach 20 wins in a single season — and the first to ever snag more than 60 points in a single campaign.
The Malawian international is now just the second player in league history to score at least 15 goals across multiple seasons, joining former NWSL star Sam Kerr's 2017, 2018, and 2019 runs for Sky Blue and Chicago.
With two regular-season matchdays left, the 2025 NWSL Golden Boot race is down to Chawinga and Gotham FC attacker Esther, with the Spain star chasing the Kansas City standout with 13 goals of her own.
Besides the two-goal advantage, Chawinga also currently holds the edge in momentum, with the Current striker scoring in her last four NWSL matches while Esther has been silent on goal since September 13th.
Trailing Chawinga and Esther in this year's Golden Boot race with a still-impressive 10 goals apiece are No. 8 Racing Louisville's Emma Sears and No. 14 Chicago Stars' Ludmila.
The Las Vegas Aces won the 2025 WNBA Championship in Friday's Game 4, sweeping the Phoenix Mercury to put a bow on the league's longest-ever season — while also starting the clock on its next CBA.
"We have great players," Aces guard Chelsea Gray told reporters, stressing the importance of the upcoming deal after helping secure Las Vegas's third title in four years. "You need to treat them like that."
Like many teams across the league, the Aces have just one player under contract for 2026 — rookie Aaliyah Nye — after a rash of now-free agents opted to sign one-year contracts in anticipation of salary shifts in the upcoming CBA.
With the October 31st deadline looming, negotiations are likely to extend past that mark amid mounting tensions between players and WNBA commissioner Cathy Englebert in recent weeks.
"I think they'll work it out somehow, I hope — I haven't been consulted," said Aces owner Mark Davis.
Davis also joked about making Becky Hammon the best-paid head coach in the WNBA, with the Las Vegas manager currently pulling in $1 million annually — four times the single-year supermax player contract under the league's current CBA.
Salary structure a tipping point in WNBA CBA negotiations
As for the players union, the WNBPA says they're aiming to expand revenue sharing, while the league is reportedly looking to keep salary structures mostly intact.
"It's basically the same system that we exist in right now," WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike told ESPN in August. "When you approach it from the perspective of their response to our proposal, yes, money is more, but ultimately if you look at the growth of the business, the money relative to the percentage of everything is virtually staying the same."
According to Front Office Sports, the most recent WNBA offer included an $850,000 supermax contract plus a veteran minimum near $300,000.
The WNBA will likely have until the end of 2025 to strike a deal, but with little common ground emerging thus far, the potential for a work stoppage looms large.
Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese is staying busy, announcing yet another high-profile partnership as she gears up to become the first-ever professional athlete to walk in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show next week.
The WNBA star will take to the lingerie company's catwalk in New York on Tuesday, October 15th.
"Stepping into a dream: From Angel to a Victoria Secret ANGEL," Reese posted to Instagram on Thursday. "I'm finally getting my wings — I'll be walking the Victoria's Secret 2025 runway show for the first time, and it feels like destiny. Wings on, heels ready."
Hitting the runway is just the latest entry on Reese's growing resume, with the 23-year-old most recently stepping in as the new face of Juicy Couture and launching a signature shoe with Reebok while becoming the cover star of the WNBA edition of NBA 2K26.
Even more, she'll soon make her feature film debut, playing herself in a cameo in the upcoming political thriller A House of Dynamite, which drops on Netflix on October 24th.
But first, Reese will make Victoria's Secret Fashion Show history.
"Angel Reese, welcome to the runway," Victoria's Secret wrote in a promotional post on Thursday. "The first professional athlete angel... major is an understatement."
How to watch Angel Reese in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show
The 2025 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show will air live on at 7 PM ET on Tuesday, October 15th on Prime.
Two of women's soccer's biggest stars are teaming up, with retired USWNT icons Alex Morgan and Mia Hamm joining forces to launch The Goal Cup, a new celebrity charity soccer match benefitting both the Alex Morgan Foundation and the Mia Hamm Foundation.
Billed as "two star-studded teams...coming together to benefit [the two] foundations through a day of competition, entertainment, and community impact," The Goal Cup will see Hamm and Morgan captain the rival squads in an "LA vs. San Diego" showdown at USC Rawlinson Stadium in Los Angeles on January 17th, 2026.
The charity match will boost both Morgan's and Hamm's foundations — nonprofits that work to increase opportunities and access for women and girls in sports, among other core tenets.
"The Goal Cup is about celebrating the game we love while creating real impact for girls and women," Morgan said in a statement. "I'm proud to team up with Mia, to launch the SoCal rivalry, and ensure soccer continues to be a force for good beyond the field."
How to attend Hamm and Morgan's The Goal Cup
Pre-sale access to the January 17th charity match opens at 1 PM ET on Tuesday before tickets become available to the general public on Wednesday.
Fans can sign up for early access and pricing at The Goal Cup.
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is back like she never left, following up her brief post-US Open championship recovery break and booking a spot in the 2025 Wuhan Open semifinals by blowing past the tournament's competition with a straight-set victory over No. 9 Elena Rybakina on Friday morning.
With the last three Wuhan Open titles under her belt — 2018, 2019, and 2024 — Sabalenka extended her career tournament record to 20-0 on Friday, as she gears up to take on US star No. 6 Jessica Pegula in the semifinals early Saturday morning.
"Honestly, that's just crazy," Sabalenka said of her success at the WTA 1000 event. "I feel a really great connection with the Chinese fans, I guess. I feel like at home playing in this stadium."
Sabalenka and Pegula aren't the only big names advancing this week, as No. 3 Coco Gauff cruised past unseeded Laura Siegemund 6-3, 6-0 to book her own semifinal appearance on Friday.
While the US star had little trouble dispelling her quarterfinals opponent, Polish phenom No. 2 Iga Świątek wasn't so lucky, falling to Italy's No. 8 Jasmine Paolini 6-1, 6-2 to set up a tight Saturday semifinals clash between Gauff and Paolini.
Sabalenka and Pegula's semi could also go the distance — Pegula is coming off six straight three-set matches dating back to the 2025 China Open, emerging victorious from five of them.
How to watch the 2025 Wuhan Open semifinals
Gauff and Paolini will kick off the 2025 Wuhan Open semifinals at 5 AM ET on Saturday, with Sabalenka taking on Pegula shortly after the first match.
The semifinal winners will then battle for the championship trophy on Sunday.
Live coverage of the semifinals and final will air on the Tennis Channel.
As No. 7 Racing Louisville zeroes in on a franchise-first berth to the NWSL Playoffs, the 2021 expansion team locked down a big part of their future on Thursday when they signed USWNT forward Emma Sears to a new contract through 2028.
"I'm so proud to be continuing my career with Racing Louisville FC — a club and city that have truly become home for me," Sears said in Thursday's team statement. "We've built something special here."
Drafted out of Ohio State by Louisville in 2024, Sears claimed the club's rookie scoring record with five goals last season before setting a new single-season scoring record for Racing this year, with the 24-year-old registering 10 goals so far in 2025.
"In her two years here in Louisville, Emma has quickly become a foundational player for this club, and she's only scratching the surface of her potential," said Racing GM Caitlyn Flores Milby.
With their star secured, Louisville's full focus is on climbing further above the postseason cutoff line, with Racing aiming to keep their current momentum going against the No. 14 Chicago Stars on Friday night.
Entering the weekend on a two-match winning streak, Louisville holds the edge over Chicago and the Stars' four-game winless run.
Even more, every point helps the narrow race to the 2025 NWSL Playoffs, as only four points separate Nos. 3 through 8 in the NWSL standings — with all but two postseason tickets still on the table.
How to watch Racing Louisville vs. the Chicago Stars on Friday
No. 7 Louisville will host No. 14 Chicago at 7:30 PM ET on Friday, with live coverage streaming on NWSL+.
The No. 4 Phoenix Mercury will fight for survival on Friday night, entering Game 4 of the 2025 WNBA Finals down 0-3 in the best-of-seven series to the No. 2 Las Vegas Aces — and without one of their brightest stars.
Phoenix forward Satou Sabally is officially out with a concussion after picking up the head injury in the fourth quarter of Wednesday's Game 3.
Sabally has been the Mercury's leading scorer this postseason, averaging 19 points plus seven rebounds per game during the 2025 WNBA Playoffs.
While a four-game sweep to claim the title seems a tall order for Phoenix — particularly without Sabally's scoring — a home-court victory on Friday could comfort the Mercury's home crowd and soften the blow of what feels like an impending Aces championship.
"At the end of the day, it's about getting each other open shots," Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas said on Wednesday. "All season long, we've seen different defenses, so it's not about just one person. It's about us playing connected, playing for each other."
"We're facing elimination," she added. "We've had plenty of opportunities to go out there and get a win. At some point, we have to take it upon ourselves."
Though Las Vegas has one hand on the 2025 WNBA trophy, Phoenix can still prove they can execute their brand of basketball with their backs against the wall.
How to watch Game 4 of the 2025 WNBA Finals
The No. 4 Phoenix Mercury will get one last crack at survival in the 2025 WNBA Finals as they look to halt the No. 2 Las Vegas Aces' momentum in Game 4 on Friday.
The matchup will tip off live at 8 PM ET on ESPN.
The 2025 WNBA Finals tipped off with a bang last week, with Friday's Game 1 averaging 1.9 million viewers on ESPN to become the most-watched championship opener since 1997.
The Friday matchup between the No. 2 seed Las Vegas Aces and the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury peaked at 2.5 million viewers, a 62% increase over the 2024 Finals opener between the Minnesota Lynx and eventual champion New York Liberty.
That Game 1 viewership ranked second only to the inaugural WNBA season championship 28 years ago — a single-elimination title game in which 2.8 million fans watched the Houston Comets take down the New York Liberty on NBC.
Game 2 continued the record breaking, with Sunday's broadcast averaging 1.2 million viewers on ABC.
With an average of 1.5 million fans tuning in, the first two 2025 WNBA Finals games boast the best viewership numbers in 25 years, nearly matching the 1.54 million average claimed by the opening two clashes between the New York Liberty and Houston Comets on NBC and Lifetime in 2000.
The record-breaking ratings underscore significant viewership growth across the WNBA postseason, with Game 1 Finals ratings increasing by nearly 700% since 2019 while this year's average postseason viewership is already up 16% over 2024.
The NWSL just added another high-profile minority owner, with Chicago Bears star Caleb Williams buying into the ownership group of 2026 expansion team Boston Legacy FC on Thursday.
Via his strategic investment firm 888 Midas, the NFL quarterback joins fellow big-name athletes Indiana Fever center Aliyah Boston and Olympic gold medal-winning US gymnast Aly Raisman as Boston Legacy investors.
"Women's sports is a movement, and I admire and respect the work that the team and the NWSL continues to do to grow the sport and empower future generations of athletes," the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner said in the club's Thursday announcement. "Boston Legacy FC is building something special, and we're proud to be a part of what's next."
Boston Legacy controlling owner Jennifer Epstein also noted that the investment from Williams "highlights the powerful momentum of women's professional soccer."
"It symbolizes a new era of cross-league support and recognition," said Epstein. "With best-in-class athletes, a rapidly growing fan base, and undeniable energy around the NWSL, we are proud to welcome Caleb as a partner as we prepare for the 2026 inaugural season."
Athlete investment in women's sports continues to grow, with many teams now following the micro-ownership model made famous by Angel City FC in 2022.
The Houston Dash are on the brink of a $120 million sale, with Sportico reporting on Wednesday that owner Ted Segal is in advanced talks on a deal that would sever the NWSL club's ties to their MLS counterpart, the Segal-owned Houston Dynamo.
Any agreement is likely to face extensive reviews, however, with questions arising about the funding sources of the buyer, RHC Group.
Namely, RHC Group founder Richard Hsiao is the 24-year-old US-born son of Chinese billionaire Jianhua Xiao, who's currently serving a 13-year prison sentence for what the Chinese government described as financial crimes.
According to Sportico sources, RHC's funds do not have ties to Hsiao's father, but instead originate from "the independent wealth of Hsiao's mother, Zhou Hongwen."
While the NWSL traces the proposed deal's funding, Hsiao is already going through the league's standard background check, a process he reportedly began months ago.
Characterizing the league's "due diligence process" as "ongoing," the NWSL said, "As with all such matters, the NWSL Board of Governors retains full authority to approve or deny any ownership change based on the league's governance standards."
Should the Dash sale go through, the prospective new owners reportedly intend to invest in club infrastructure while keeping the team in Houston.