In this week's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins gives a postmortem on this era of the Las Vegas Aces, before claiming the Liberty as WNBA championship frontrunners and prepping for Tuesday's Game 5 semifinal between the Lynx and the Sun.
Then, she chats about Orlando’s incredible run to the 2024 NWSL Shield, the individual NWSL records primed to fall, and aimlessness further down the league table.
The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.
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With three regular-season matches left, the still-undefeated Orlando Pride clinched the 2024 NWSL Shield with Sunday's rainy 2-0 win over the second-place Washington Spirit.
Marta converted the 57th-minute game-winning penalty kick, securing her team's first-ever piece of hardware with her eighth goal of the season.
"I stayed here because I want to make history with this team," the Brazilian soccer icon, who's been with the Pride for eight years, said afterwards. "And then we did tonight, and then we go for more."
Though the Pride's dominance this season is unmatched, Washington was notably without several key players. Between injuries and yellow card suspensions, the Spirit faced Orlando without Trinity Rodman, Casey Krueger, Hal Hershfelt, Leicy Santos, or Ouleye Sarr.
Chawinga ties Kerr's NWSL scoring record
It took less than two minutes for Kansas City's Temwa Chawinga to find the back of the net in Saturday's 2-0 win over Louisville, tying former Chicago Red Star Sam Kerr's single-season NWSL scoring record with her 18th goal.
With three matchdays to go, the Malawian striker is all but guaranteed to upend Kerr's 2019 record.
"I think that Temwa's ability to get behind the line and then drive towards the goal, and being aggressive going towards the goal, is something that differentiates her," KC head coach Vlatko Andonovski said after the match. "Temwa's just a pure goalscorer. We're happy that she's done it for us this season and hopefully she continues to do it."
Other noteworthy NWSL results
In other NWSL news, fifth-place North Carolina punched their postseason ticket with Saturday's 2-1 win over San Diego. The day before, last-place Houston become the first club eliminated from the 2024 playoff picture.
Gotham’s 5-1 Saturday blowout of Bay has the defending NWSL champs achingly close to leaping second-place Washington on the table. The two clubs are tied for points, with the Spirit's shrinking goal differential giving them the tenuous edge.
On the other hand, Saturday's 2-1 loss to 12th-place Utah extended Portland's NWSL winless streak to seven matches. The Thorns are remarkably still in seventh-place, but sit tied for points with eighth-place Bay FC. With lower-table teams hungry to rise above the postseason cutoff line, every match left could see Portland fall from contention.
League-leaders Orlando will play for their first-ever piece of hardware on Sunday, when a win over second-place Washington would see the Pride clinch the 2024 NWSL Shield.
If the undefeated Pride record a draw, a single win in the the season's last three matches would snag them the Shield. Should the Spirit hand Orlando their first season loss on Sunday, finishing atop the table would likely require two additional Pride victories.
While Orlando is very much in control of their destiny, Washington poses tough task, particularly considering a Spirit win or draw this weekend would clinch the playoff-bound club quarterfinal hosting duties.
However, the Pride may benefit from ongoing injuries to key Spirit players. After losing star rookie Croix Bethune to a season-ending injury in late August, Washington defender Casey Krueger is still out nursing an adductor injury while forward Trinity Rodman's recent back spasms have her questionable to compete this weekend.
When asked about Krueger and Rodman's availabilities on Wednesday, Spirit head coach Jonatan Giráldez said he would not play anyone who is not "100% available."
Speaking about Sunday's match, Giráldez said "[Orlando is] doing a good job, but we are doing a good job, too. We have chances to win and we have to face the game in the same way that we faced the game against Angel City." That Friday tilt with ACFC saw Washington claim the 2-1 win in a road match in which Rodman and Krueger did not travel with the team.
How to watch Orlando vs. Washington
The Pride will try to cross the 2024 NWSL Shield finish line by defeating the Spirit on Sunday at 5 PM ET, airing live on ESPN2.
NWSL weekend to clarify postseason picture
Playoff positioning isn't just on the line for the Pride and Spirit this weekend. With four matchdays left in the NWSL's regular season, this weekend's action has multiple end-of-season scenarios on the table.
Like the Spirit, third-place Gotham and fourth-place Kansas City have the chance to secure quarterfinal home-field advantage. Each must log a Saturday win and have a little help from 10th-place San Diego to do so.
Their opponents, eighth-place Bay FC and ninth-place Racing Louisville, respectively, have arguably the most to lose in tomorrow's tilts, as both are fighting to finish above the postseason cutoff line.
Fifth-place North Carolina is on the cusp of clinching their playoff berth, though it's the Courage's demise against the Wave on Saturday that would grant Gotham and KC hosting rights.
Meanwhile, Utah, Houston, Seattle, and Angel City could all be eliminated from playoff contention by Sunday night.
The NWSL, in collaboration with Tiffany & Co., dropped revamped Shield and regular-season MVP trophies on Wednesday.
The bold new hardware is part of a plan to “set a new standard for recognition in women’s sports” by giving the Tiffany treatment to all NWSL end-of-season awards. This year's two additions join the redesigned Championship and Championship MVP awards that kicked off the league’s partnership with the jewelry company last year.
An NWSL Shield worthy of superheroes
Both awards are handcrafted by Tiffany & Co. The refreshed MVP award includes a silver soccer ball atop a tall base.
"The best players in the world play here at the NWSL, and it is only fitting that we work with Tiffany to honor the best of the best," said NWSL chief marketing and commercial officer Julie Haddon in the league's announcement. “It has been a long time coming to create a suite of awards that are as extraordinary as our athletes."
Inspired by ancient Greco-Roman armor, the 24K gold and sterling silver Shield features a unique, interactive design. It is equipped with a handle so it can be removed from its base and held like "a true shield."
Orlando poised to handle the new hardware
As the still-undefeated league leaders, the Orlando Pride are the clear frontrunners to claim the redesigned NWSL Shield.
The second-place Washington Spirit, third-place Gotham FC, and fourth-place KC Current are technically still in the running. However, with four matchdays left, Orlando can clinch the Shield outright by either defeating the Spirit this Sunday or winning two other remaining matches.
The regular-season MVP award race is tighter. Though Golden Boot leader Temwa Chawinga (KC) and the league's next top scorer Barbra Banda (Orlando) have pulled away from the pack.
And if Banda snags the honor, both new trophies will likely be bound for Florida.
In this week's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins takes a look at the first games of the 2024 WNBA semifinals, discussion whether or not Aces and Lynx fans can find the silver lining in their teams' respective shortcomings heading into Game 2.
Then, she shouts out the big winners and losers of this weekend's NWSL's slate, including this season's historic Golden Boot race and the competition to clinch one of the final playoff spots.
The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.
Subscribe to The Late Sub to never miss an episode.
Welcome back to Fast Friends with Kelley O'Hara and Lisa Leslie!
In today's episode, our hosts cover the 2024 WNBA semifinals, including the New York Liberty's Game 1 victory over the Las Vegas Aces and Connecticut Sun guard Marina Mabrey's impressive playoff run.
"There is a player, Marina Mabrey... How she got out of Chicago, I will never know, mid-season," Leslie says on the episode. "But that is a game-changer."
Also on today's docket? Kelley's NWSL end-of-season table predictions and much more.
Coming off the success of JWS's Olympic commentary show The Gold Standard, Fast Friends features two legendary athletes serving up insider insights and unique takes on the biggest stories in women's sports every week.
Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.
KC Current forward Temwa Chawinga notched her 17th regular-season goal in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Gotham, closing in on former Chicago Red Star Sam Kerr's single-season NWSL scoring record.
After scoring off a corner kick via a dynamic run and a touch around the keeper on Saturday, Chawinga needs just one more goal to tie Kerr's 2019 record.
Chawinga is already running away with the NWSL Golden Boot race. With four matches left in the 2024 regular season, the Malawi National Team captain has a four-goal lead over Orlando forward Barbra Banda.
Notably, Kansas City had a little help from the stands on Saturday, when a fan headed Current forward Michelle Cooper's overshot ball back inbounds with impeccable form.
Portland extends regular-season NWSL winless streak
The Thorns's struggles continued this weekend. Portland hasn't won a regular-season game since July 5th, and they extended that streak with Saturday's tepid 2-0 loss to the 10th-place San Diego Wave. The loss marked their second to San Diego in under two weeks, as the Thorns fell to the Wave in Concacaf W Champions Cup play earlier this month.
The 2022 NWSL champs, who've struggled to create and capitalize on offense, have been without USWNT star Sophia Smith for the last two matches as the forward deals with an ankle injury.
Following the permanent hiring of manager Rob Gale, Portland sits seventh in the NWSL standings and are currently tied for points with eighth-place Bay FC. With just four regular-season games left, the continuation of the Thorns's winless streak could mean a 2024 postseason without the usually dominant club.
With 13th-place Utah next on their NWSL schedule, Portland will take aim at their first three-point finish in three months on Saturday.
On Friday, EA Sports released FC 25, the latest edition of the company's best-selling soccer video game — now with increased playability and storytelling on the women's side.
For the first time in history, EAFC — formerly known as FIFA — is throwing Women's Manager and Player Career Mode into the mix. In Career Mode, players now have full access to 2024/25 rosters across the world's top women's leagues: NWSL, WSL, Première Ligue, Frauen-Bundesliga, and Liga F plus UEFA Women's Champions League.
"It's been a few years since they've been implementing women into the game and I've had a presence in this community," Gotham forward Midge Purce told JWS at Thursday night's FC 25 launch party in New York City. "It's been fun to see that presence grow in a really authentic way. For the first time ever, women have Career Mode and that's a really sick addition that you wish came from the beginning, but it's really nice that it's being added now."
According to EA Sports, Women's Career Mode features all the same detailed capabilities as Men's Manager Career Mode, but also incorporates "unique challenges that exist solely within the women's game."
FC 24's Ultimate Teams paved the way for Women's Career Mode
Last year, FC 24 introduced women's football athletes into the brand's popular Ultimate Team mode. This addition allowed users to create their dream squads with both current stars as well as titans of the game like Mia Hamm and Kelly Smith as well as comic book-inspired "Women's Heroes," or stylized versions of real-life legends like Sonia Bompastor.
This year's upgrade represents a significant shift in programming for EA FC, which ended its 30-year partnership with international soccer's governing body FIFA after the game's 2023 release. The success of 2024's Ultimate Team inclusion likely preempted EA Sports' decision to expand women's soccer offerings to Career Mode. In addition to the managerial track, FC 25 users can also start a career on the pitch, following a player from team to team as they build skills via training and gameplay.
"The key thing that we wanted to do was present the women's career authentically, and make it feel like it really was, not just like men's career with women players," EAFC 25 design director Pete O'Donnell told reporters at a July 2024 preview event. "A lot of the systems behind the two mostly work the same, but it's the financial models and other things that make a really big difference."
In FC 25, women's soccer stars are on par with the men
FC 25 is the second video game to feature a career track for athletes in women's sports, following 2K Sports' 2021 edition of NBA 2K.
However, NBA 2K's The W mode operates separately from the men's side, while FC 25 takes a more integrated approach, allowing users to transition from playing on a women's team to managing a men's team, while Ultimate Team also allows athletes from both men's and women's leagues to play on the same squad.
According to Purce, seeing women's soccer elevated to the same level as men's, even in video game form, can impact users long after they turn off their consoles.
"When you can see and play with other players, that's crazy — like there's [ACFC star Sydney] Leroux in the locker room," she said. "It just makes it easier for girls to be engaged in it in a way that we haven't been before.
"When I was younger I used to play what was known as FIFA, but I would've played more if there were women I could have played with. If I could've used [Japanese soccer icon Homare] Sawa, I'd have loved that. That would have been nuts."
EA FC's women's soccer offerings show broad appeal
And it's not just young girls taking advantage of EA FC's increased interest in the women's game.
In FC 24's first 24 days on the market last year, EA Sports released statistics showing that 357 million online Ultimate Team squads had at least one women's soccer star among their starting XI. Additionally, women's leagues accounted for four of the top 10 leagues in terms of representation across all online Ultimate Teams.
"My brother, who plays EA a lot, he'll call me and get really upset about my ratings, or he'll use me and be like, 'You just scored a goal!'" Purce continued. "To be in the conversation — where they do know you and they're either happy or upset — that's sports. In the sports world, it's more important to be in the space than anything else."
EA SPORTS FC 25 is now available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
Portland Thorns captain and Canada national team star Christine Sinclair announced her retirement on Friday, saying that the 2024 NWSL season will be her last as a professional player.
After starting her career in Canada in 1999, this season marks her 25th as a professional footballer. The 41-year-old, who retired from international play as the world's all-time leading scorer in December 2023, will leave the game as one of the most decorated players in history for both club and country.
In her social media announcement, Sinclair wrote about Portland, "As I finish out this last ride, I want to say what a privilege it has been to represent this unique, beautiful, and passionate city that I will always call home."
Sinclair was a Thorn from the start
Sinclair, a two-time NCAA champion with the University of Portland, joined the Thorns in the NWSL's 2013 inaugural season, leading the club to the league title that year. The 11-season captain helped Portland pick up two more championships in 2017 and 2022, in addition to the 2016 and 2021 NWSL Shield.
Her 64 regular-season goals are the most in Thorns history and third all-time in the NWSL. Across all NWSL competitions, Sinclair has tallied 79 goals, and is one of just two players to have scored in every type of league competition.
Portland will honor their longtime star with a ceremony on November 1st, immediately following the team's final regular-season match. Currently in seventh-place above the NWSL playoff line, a Thorns postseason berth would extend Sinclair's pro career.
Sinclair's unmatched international career
When Sinclair stepped off Team Canada's pitch for the final time on December 5th, she did so as international soccer's all-time leading scorer. To date, no current player — man or woman — is within 50 goals of her record 190.
Called up for the first time at 16 years old, Sinclair's 23-year Team Canada career included six World Cups and four Olympic Games, where she earned gold in 2021 after winning bronze in both 2012 and 2016. Her 331 international appearances is second only to USWNT legend Kristine Lilly.
A game-changer off the pitch and on
Off the pitch, Sinclair has worked to improve the game in Canada, using her voice to fight for equal treatment and pay for the women's team. That work is far from complete, and Sinclair alluded to her ongoing efforts in her Friday announcement.
"I still have the same passion as that young 4-year-old growing up in Burnaby, BC, but as I hang up my playing boots, I vow to channel it in a new way. To continue growing the game I love, while inspiring the next generation," she wrote.
Before her final international game in 2023, Sinclair told reporters that she still plans to "definitely be involved" in soccer. Sinclair has previously mentioned the possibility of coaching or working with the Northern Super League, Canada's new top-flight women's league set to begin play in 2025.
With only five regular-season NWSL matchdays left, every point counts as teams jockey for postseason seeding, with this weekend’s lineup potentially shifting the standings.
After Spirit star Trinity Rodman exited last week's match with a back spasm, the forecast for Friday's bout between 10th-place Angel City and second-place Washington went from fairly uneventful to decidedly uncertain.
Rodman's now-confirmed absence, as well as that of teammate Casey Krueger, opens the door for ACFC to capitalize and snatch the three points LA needs to catapult them over the postseason cutoff line.
Two tight top-six tilts are also on deck later this weekend. First, third-place Gotham and fourth-place Kansas City will battle for a possible second-place spot on Saturday afternoon.
Then on Sunday evening, sixth-place Chicago will try to enhance their own playoff security against a North Carolina team whose fifth-place positioning is all but guaranteed.
Golden Boot race leaders headline NWSL MVP buzz
Also catching fire entering the NWSL's final stretch are individual award races, with 2024 Golden Boot race frontrunners Temwa Chawinga and Barbra Banda leading the charge for MVP.
With 16 goals, Chawinga's on pace to lap ex-Red Star Sam Kerr's 2019 single-season scoring record of 18, while Banda's 13 goals has tied Orlando teammate Marta's 2017 franchise best and her six game-winners put her on par with the NWSL’s single-season record.
Even amid Portland's struggles, last year's Golden Boot winner Sophia Smith's 11 goals and six assists on the season can’t be discounted.
MVP race aside, despite her season-ending injury, Washington’s Croix Bethune still seems like a lock for Rookie of the Year with five goals and a league record-tying 10 assists.
Meanwhile, Pride keeper Anna Moorhouse and her single-season record 12 shutouts leads the Goalkeeper of the Year campaign.
Portland's Weaver takes this week’s top NWSL celly
Making her case for this week's top NWSL celly is Thorns striker Morgan Weaver, who capped off her 49th-minute goal with a team-wide "rockabye baby" party in Monday's 2-2 draw with Angel City.
The celebration was well-warranted: Still working back to full fitness after a May knee injury sidelined her for the summer, the goal was Weaver's first since returning to the pitch.
Weaver later told reporters that the celly was a shout out to teammate Bella Bixby's newborn daughter and assistant coach Vytas Andriuškevičius's soon-to-arrive baby.