USWNT forward Mallory Swanson has yet to join the Chicago Stars for 2025 play due to a personal matter, with the NWSL club confirming Wednesday that the standout striker will not feature in their Friday season opener against the reigning league champion Orlando Pride.
Chicago originally noted Swanson’s absence alongside their preseason roster announcement, adding that the organization is "fully supportive of her decision."
"I'd like to thank the club and the fans for their understanding during this time," Swanson said in the club's January release. "I appreciate the kindness and encouragement from my teammates and all the Stars staff and hope to be back with the team and playing in front of our fans as soon as I can."
Triple Espresso dwindles to a single shot
After lighting up the Paris pitch last summer, the USWNT's gold medal-winning attacking trio of Swanson, Sophia Wilson (neé Smith), and Trinity Rodman — self-dubbed the "Triple Espresso" — have yet to reunite on the national team roster, due in part to load management.
While a lingering back issue has kept Rodman out of every USWNT camp since the 2024 Olympics, the Washington standout made her return to play as a second-half substitute during the Spirt’s 2025 Challenge Cup win last Friday.
Portland Thorns star Wilson — who hasn’t played with the US since October — is officially out for the entire 2025 NWSL season after announcing her first pregnancy last week.
As for Swanson, a return timeline for both club and country remains unclear, with Chicago now preparing to open the season without their celebrated striker.
"Top player in the world, but the game still goes on," Stars head coach Lorne Donaldson told media Wednesday. "We still have players that we have to focus on, and I think that just gives somebody else another opportunity to come out and just say, 'Okay, I can do it,' because the game is not going to wait for us."
In a year without a major international tournament, maintaining player health on and off the field is massively important, leaving clubs adjusting to their shorthanded rosters and fans cheering for a very different NWSL than last season.
How to watch the 2025 NWSL season kick-off
The first peek at the new NWSL rosters in action hits fields this weekend, with all 14 clubs notching their first minutes by Sunday night.
The Chicago Stars will kick off 2025 play against the Orlando Pride at 8 PM ET on Friday, with the match streaming live on Prime Video.
At the same time, Rodman's Washington Spirit will take on a new-look Houston Dash, streaming live on NWSL+.
With Wilson sidelined, the Portland Thorns will face 2024 NWSL semifinalists KC Current in their 12:45 PM ET season opener on Saturday, with live coverage airing on ABC.
The USWNT held fast to the world No. 1 spot in Thursday’s updated FIFA rankings, dropping 18 points since their 2024 Olympic gold medal-winning run but still sitting 49 points ahead of No. 2 Spain.
Also maintaining their elite rankings were No. 3 Germany and No. 4 England, who each trail their predecessor by a mere six points.
Japan earned the Top 10's biggest boost, fueled by a 2025 SheBelieves Cup championship run that included a rare defeat of the US. As a result, the Nadeshiko leapt from No. 8 to No. 5, overtaking No. 6 Sweden, No. 7 Canada, and No. 8 Brazil in the process.
Japan's jump made them the only team in FIFA's Top 75 to rise more than two spots.
US Soccer officially intends to bid on 2031 World Cup
While the world No. 1 USWNT doesn't have any major tournaments to build toward this year, US Soccer is cementing future plans to bring the sport's biggest competition back to the US.
The national federation formally confirmed its intent to submit a bid to host the 2031 World Cup on Wednesday evening, bolstered by FIFA’s motion earlier that day which dictates that the 2031 tournament must be played either in North America or Africa.
"We are excited by the opportunity to welcome teams and fans, inspire the next generation, and grow the game regionally and globally," US Soccer announced on social media.
Though a formal bid submission is still to come, the US is already a frontrunner for hosting the competition. FIFA will decide on the 2031 World Cup host nation at the governing body's 76th Congress in 2026.
FIFA's other main decision-making group, the FIFA Council, could soon see incumbent US Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone join its 37-member ranks, as the former USWNT star is currently running unopposed for the North American seat previously held by ex-Mexico Football Federation president Yon de Luisa.
The US hasn’t held a FIFA Council seat since ex-USSF president Sunil Gulati’s position expired in 2021.
Cone’s likely March 15th election — plus the USWNT’s No. 1 ranking and planned 2031 World Cup hosting bid — gives US Soccer a valuable foothold in the global game.
Welcome to another episode of Sports Are Fun! presented by TurboTax.
In this week's Sports Are Fun!, soccer icon Kelley O'Hara, sports journalist Greydy Diaz, retired NWSL star Merritt Mathias, and JWS intern BJ serve up their hottest takes all things women's sports.
In true Sports Are Fun! style, the crew dives right in. First up: WNBA legend Diana Taurasi's recent retirement announcement.
"I was introduced to Diana Taurasi at age 10 when she started her career at UConn," recalls Mathias. "At that time, I was very much like, 'I'm going to UNC, I'm going to play on the national team.' To see her at UConn — the UNC equivalent for women's basketball — and just the swag she had, the way she carried herself... For me, she transcended the sport."
"Thinking about her legacy — over 20 seasons, six gold medals, all-time leading scorer," says Diaz. "But a lot of people throughout her career, even now, don't know that she's Latina. I feel like that's a huge part of her legacy."
"To see a Latina dominate the sport as one of the greatest ever, if not the greatest, that's super special," she adds.
The co-hosts additionally tackle the SheBelieves Cup results, the SEC coin flip, the 2025 NWSL jerseys, and so much more.
Co-host Mathias urges new USWNT generation to carry the torch
After that, Sports Are Fun! weighs in on coach Emma Hayes's youthful USWNT. That's when Mathias asks if this generation will keep speaking out on cultural and political issues.
"I hope that this iteration of the USWNT starts to find their collective voice," the three-time NWSL champion asserts. "As they head into the 2027 World Cup, this is the first time this generation of players is being confronted with the weight and responsibility of [wearing] that crest."
"It's the truest reflection of America that we've seen from the USWNT, the most diverse," she continues. "It's also going to play under an administration [where] what makes everything great about this women's national team — diversity, equality, inclusion — is being attacked."
"I love that America looks like this because I love our women's national team," agrees O'Hara. "I think that is a great point."
"Will this generation look at the Megan Rapinoes, the Christen Presses, the Alex Morgans, the Becky Sauerbrunns, the Kelley O'Haras, and say, 'We, like you, will continue to push,'" Mathias asks, shouting out her Sports Are Fun! co-host.
"'We are going to uphold the narrative that marginalized groups matter. Because every single one of them is represented on our USWNT.'"
"That's powerful," O'Hara responds.
About 'Sports Are Fun!' with Kelley O'Hara
'Sports Are Fun!' is a show that’ll remind you why you fell in love with women's sports in the first place.
Join World Cup champ, Olympic gold medalist, and aspiring barista Kelley O'Hara as she sits down with sports journalist Greydy Diaz and a revolving cast of co-hosts and friends. Together, they're talking the biggest, funnest, and most need-to-know stories in the world of women’s sports.
From on-court drama to off-field shenanigans, to candid (and silly) chats with the most important personalities in the space, this show screams "Sports Are Fun!"
Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.
The world No. 1 USWNT will take on familiar foe No. 17 China PR in a pair of late spring friendlies, with US Soccer announcing matchups scheduled for May 31st in St. Paul, Minnesota, and June 3rd in St. Louis, Missouri, on Monday.
The games follow two California-hosted friendlies against No. 7 Brazil, set to be played during FIFA’s early-April international break.
The USWNT has a deep competition history against China, having faced the Steel Roses 60 times —more than any country other than No. 6 Canada. China also boasts the second-most US defeats with nine, though they haven't upended the USWNT since 2015.
In total, the US boasts a 38-9-13 all-time record against their longtime rival, including arguably the team's most famous victory: the history-making penalty-kick win in the 1999 World Cup final at the Rose Bowl.
"I love these games because they combine some rich women’s soccer history with the present, with both countries going through transitions in preparation for '27 World Cup qualifying," said USWNT head coach Emma Hayes about the upcoming friendlies in the federation's announcement.
Friendlies to test young USWNT players
The new calendar additions will provide Hayes yet another chance to try out less experienced players — a strategy that saw a particularly youthful USWNT take second place at February’s SheBelieves Cup.
"Our process continues and it’s a patient and comprehensive one," Hayes explained. "It’s up to our coaching staff to give players opportunities — opportunities they have earned — and it's up to the players to show us they can perform at the highest levels."
The US will also honor a recent history-maker at the June 3rd match, as the team officially celebrates St. Louis product and former USWNT captain Becky Sauerbrunn, who hung up her boots in December.
Across her 16-year professional career, the star center back helped the US win back-to-back World Cups in 2015 and 2019, a 2012 Olympic gold, and eight straight Concacaf championships.
The two China friendlies will also continue the USWNT's 2025 trend of facing non-European teams, due in large part to Europe's long 2025 UEFA Nations League schedule, which spans multiple international breaks and takes priority over overseas friendlies.
While Europe ramps up for a continental battle at this summer's Euro, the USWNT will continue down the long road to 2027 — a road that provides plenty of time to develop budding superstars while paying homage to the success of prior generations.
How to buy tickets to see the USWNT vs. China PR friendlies this summer
Tickets for both upcoming friendlies against China are available now via presale, with general sales opening at 11 AM ET on Friday.
The May 31st St. Paul match will kick off at 5:30 PM ET, with live coverage on TBS. St. Louis's game is set for 8 PM ET on June 3rd, and will air on TNT.
The USWNT suffered their first loss under manager Emma Hayes on Wednesday, falling 2-1 to No. 8 Japan and ceding the SheBelieves Cup title for the first time since 2019.
Only needing a draw to lift the trophy thanks to a goal differential, Japan's Yūka Momiki opened scoring almost immediately. Momiki capitalized on a scramble in the USWNT penalty area to give the Nadeshiko a 1-0 lead in the game's second minute.
With that goal, Japan became the only team to ever score in the first two minutes of a match against the USWNT twice, after first doing so at the 2024 SheBelieves Cup.
The 14th minute saw the USWNT draw level behind attacker Ally Sentnor’s second tournament goal, before Japan defender Tōko Koga slotted in game-winner shortly after subbing into the second half.
After leading Japan to their first-ever SheBelieves Cup title, Utah Royals forward Mina Tanaka's four goals earned her the tournament's Best Player award.
In her post-game remarks, Hayes called the tournament winners "without question one of the best teams in the world, with players that are extremely well played-in together."
Hayes's strategy remains unshaken by first USWNT loss
While the US walked away defeated, Hayes remains adamant that prioritizing player pool evaluation and showcasing less experienced players over winning at all costs will pay off in the long run.
"You’re comparing Hasegawa to a 17-year-old for us," Hayes told broadcaster TBS after the match, referencing 28-year-old world-renowned Japan and Manchester City defensive midfielder Yui Hasegawa. "Let’s have some perspective. I think it’s important to be calm in this moment."
"It's okay to be disappointed — I told the players that," she added. "It’s really important to remember moments like this and the learnings that we take from it… [You] learn the most important things when you play a top-class opponent. I’d rather do that now than much later."
The USWNT is now 15-1-2 under Hayes, who officially took the reins in May 2024. Unlike her early rosters, who immediately — and successfully — contended for Olympic gold, Hayes is now executing on her public commitment to develop young players.
Any loss stings for the world’s No. 1 team, but Hayes's strategy should reap longterm gains. To her point, it's better to test tomorrow's players now, rather than bank on them instantaneously leveling up on the 2027 World Cup pitch.
The world No. 1 USWNT is gearing up for the year’s toughest matchup to date, taking on No. 8 Japan in in pursuit of their eighth SheBelieves Cup title in Wednesday’s tournament final.
The US needs a win to lift the trophy, while a surging Japan can secure their first-ever SheBelieves Cup with a draw thanks to a steep goal differential advantage.
"It’s just the perfect game, it’s just what you want," USWNT head coach Emma Hayes said after Sunday’s win over Australia. "Japan, you can see on current form, scoring lots of goals, the quality of their play is so, so high."
Offense-heavy Japan to meet fresh-faced USWNT
Japan’s roster is led by Utah Royals forward and 2025 SheBelieves Golden Boot leader Mina Tanaka, who’s registered four goals and three assists over the Nadeshiko's first two tournament games — matches in which Japan dominantly outscored their opponents 8-1.
As for the USWNT, fans should expect more heavy roster rotation, following the history Hayes made against the Matildas by swapping out the team's entire starting lineup from their first-match victory over Colombia.
While the US is undoubtedly shooting for hardware, Hayes hasn’t lost sight of her plan to give less experienced players opportunities to develop against elite teams in a year without a major international tournament.
"This is the perfect game for where we are at, to learn a lot about ourselves," she told reporters ahead of Wednesday’s clash.
"I am certain we will have to suffer, because the way they dominate the ball, the way they progress up the pitch, with their rotations, with their dynamic advantages. I’m looking forward to watching."
The new-look national team has managed a perfect record so far this year, but contending with a highly clinical Japan side will take the competition to new heights — and make Wednesday's tournament title truly anyone’s to grab.
How to watch USWNT vs. Japan at the 2025 SheBelieves Cup final
The USWNT will kick off against Japan from San Diego's Snapdragon Stadium at 10:30 PM ET on Wednesday, with live coverage on TBS, Max, and Peacock.
Welcome to another episode of Sports Are Fun! presented by TurboTax.
In an all-new episode of Sports Are Fun!, soccer icon Kelley O'Hara, sports journalist Greydy Diaz, and JWS intern BJ serve up their hottest takes all things women's sports. And this week, a special guest host — writer, comedian, television host, actor, and internet personality The Kid Mero of 7PM in Brooklyn and Victory Light fame — gets in on the fun.
Of course, the crew doesn't hold back. Starting with a deep dive into UConn superstar Paige Bueckers's ongoing quest for an NCAA championship title.
"I don't know Paige well at all, but I assume getting this record — cool," O'Hara says, referencing Bueckers recently passing Huskies legend Diana Taurasi to become UConn's ninth all-time leading scorer. "But if I'm her, I want a championship."
"If I'm P Buckets, I'm like, 'Yo, listen, I've done everything, I've eclipsed DT in the record books,'" echoed Mero. "Y'all know the history of UConn women's basketball, it's crazy — it's like the Yankees of women's basketball. So to have your name as a championship winner, to have all these records, that's the complete package."
Over an action-packed 65 minutes, Sports Are Fun! also tackles how the USWNT has been performing at the 2025 SheBelieves Cup, trash talk in the women's game, Connecticut denying Marina Mabrey's trade request, the NCAA cashing in on Women's March Madness, and so much more.
'Sports Are Fun!' hosts O'Hara, Diaz, and The Kid Mero embrace trash talk
Before getting into the Paige Bueckers of it all, Sports Are Fun! weighs in on Rose BC's Angel Reese trash talking Phantom BC's Sabrina Ionescu on the Unrivaled bench. And to no surprise, they're here for it.
"Another storyline is trash talking," O'Hara introduces. "Angel Reese was picked up on camera during a timeout [saying] 'Sabrina can't fucking guard.'"
"And Sabrina basically said trash talking is part of the sport — you see it in the NFL, you see in the NBA. But for some reason when it gets to the to women's sports, it's like people don't want to talk about it," continued the two-time World Cup champ. "In my opinion, I love trash talking — it's a game within the game. And I'm all for it because I think it makes it interesting."
"[Trash talk] makes it fun," Mero agreed. "Listen, gambling has has invaded every aspect of sports. You know why? Because it makes it fun. I don't give a shit who's playing in the Frito-Totito Bowl, like San Diego Tech State versus like Grady Academy of Culinary Arts. I don't care who's playing, but I know the spread is 35.5... Let's roll the dice."
"What makes sports fun?" Mero adds. "Competing."
About 'Sports Are Fun!' with Kelley O'Hara
'Sports Are Fun!' is a show that’ll remind you why you fell in love with women's sports in the first place. Join World Cup champ, Olympic gold medalist, and aspiring barista Kelley O'Hara as she sits down with sports journalist Greydy Diaz and a revolving cast of co-hosts and friends. Together, they're talking the biggest, funnest, and most need-to-know stories in the world of women’s sports.
From on-court drama to off-field shenanigans, to candid (and silly) chats with the most important personalities in the space, this show screams "Sports Are Fun!"
Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.
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.
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 USWNT hit the ground running on Thursday, taking down Colombia 2-0 to kick off the 2025 SheBelieves Cup with a bang.
Catarina Macario opened the scoring in the 33rd minute with her first international goal in almost three years, before 21-year-old Ally Sentnor put the game out of reach at the 60-minute mark with her first-ever international tally.
"Everybody is super happy, super proud, and I'm sure everybody back at Chelsea is too," US head coach Emma Hayes said of Macario’s strike, as the forward continues her long return from injury.
USWNT rookies show out
Hayes’s decision to feature less experienced players in the match paid off, with the winning side bolstered by numerous first caps, starts, and a screamer of a goal for the world No. 1 team.
In just her third cap and first start for the senior national team, Sentnor's efforts earned her praise from Hayes, who called the young attacker's performance "tenacious on both sides of the wall."
Also excelling in her first USWNT start was 17-year-old Lily Yohannes, who lofted the ball forward in pursuit of Macario’s opening goal and stood out as the most creative passer within a US midfield that completed over 500 passes.
"She's really switched on and someone who understands the importance of doing everything for the team and for that I really admire her," Hayes said after the match.
Hayes also continued her efforts to mint new USWNT players with a trio of first caps in Thursday's match. While forward Michelle Cooper and defender Gisele Thompson snagged their first USWNT minutes as late substitutes, center-back Tara McKeown grabbed a starting spot, then capitalized on the opportunity by registering an assist to set up Sentnor's jaw-dropping goal.
Hayes has emphasized the need for the USWNT to develop its future, but Thursday’s performance showed that the future might be closer than originally expected — especially considering the big names missing from this window’s USWNT roster.
Sonnett celebrates 100th USWNT cap
Alongside all the noteworthy firsts, the USWNT also had the chance to celebrate its veteran leadership on Thursday.
Prior to the match, the team honored Emily Sonnett for her 100th cap before the versatile defender captained the squad as a starting center-back on the night.
Notably, Sonnett's USWNT tenure includes competing in all 10 iterations of the SheBelieves Cup — more than any other player.
USWNT to face Australia in second SheBelieves match
Now sitting in second in the SheBelieves Cup standings, the USWNT trails only Japan due to goal differential after the Nadeshiko toppled Australia 4-0 on Thursday afternoon.
The struggling Matildas, who failed to register a single shot on goal against Japan, must now face the seven-time SheBelieves champion USWNT in Arizona on Sunday — a team Australia has only defeated once in the pair's 35 all-time meetings.
The last time the teams met, the US defeated the Matildas 2-1 in the final group stage match of the 2024 Olympics to advance to the quarterfinals.
This time out, expect heavy roster rotation from Hayes's squad as players look to stay healthy for their club seasons, with some still ramping up to full fitness before the 2025 NWSL season.
How to watch the USWNT vs. Australia in the SheBelieves Cup
The USWNT kicks off against Australia in the 2025 SheBelieves Cup at 5 PM ET on Sunday, with live coverage on TBS, Max, and Peacock.
The 2025 SheBelieves Cup kicks off on Thursday, when head coach Emma Hayes’s refreshed USWNT roster will take on No. 21 Colombia at Houston’s Shell Energy Stadium.
The match is the first of three international friendlies that the world No. 1 USWNT will play during the annual tournament's 10th edition, with games against No. 15 Australia and No. 8 Japan set for Sunday and Wednesday, respectively.
SheBelieves to test young USWNT players
With a number of big-name veterans missing from the February roster and the road to the 2027 World Cup just beginning, Hayes is using the 2025 SheBelieves Cup to try out less experienced USWNT players against some of the world’s best contenders.
"The reality is we have top ability, that's clear, but we want to develop a combination of things: their personal resilience, which we do, and their learning mindset," Hayes told reporters earlier this week.
"We give them the opportunity, and that opportunity will either tell us that they're ready now, or they're ready later."
One guaranteed area of focus throughout the tournament will be goalkeeping, as the USWNT seeks a replacement for previous mainstay Alyssa Naeher, who hung up her boots at the end of 2024.
With Naeher and her 115 career appearances behind them, Hayes confirmed that both Jane Campbell and Mandy McGlynn are expected to earn starts during this window.
Campbell, the net-minder for the NWSL's Houston Dash, has eight caps with the USWNT, while Utah Royals keeper McGlynn earned her first and only appearance in the team's 3-0 win over Argentina last October.
"[Campbell and McGlynn] have to demonstrate they can make the important decisions under pressure — both sides of the ball," Hayes noted.
With Hayes firmly past the "must win" mode with which she began her USWNT tenure, her next challenge is to properly test this new next-gen roster’s resilience, as the slow and steady ramp-up to the Brazil-hosted 2027 World Cup outweighs immediate results.
How to watch the USWNT vs. Colombia in the SheBelieves Cup
The USWNT will kick off against Colombia at 8 PM ET on Thursday, with live coverage across TBS, Max, and Peacock.