Six months ago, USWNT fans were arguing whether Lynn Williams deserved a spot on the team’s Olympic roster. The best-case scenario for Williams (at the time) was simply making the final 18, while at worst she’d be an alternate. Even her most ardent supporters weren’t sure whether she’d actually get much playing time in Tokyo.

But after a standout game against Paraguay on Thursday in which she scored and had two assists, as well as a tournament-saving performance against Netherlands in Tokyo — to say nothing of Williams’ years of NWSL production — it’s clear the terms of the conversation have shifted.

It’s no longer a question of whether she deserves to make the team. Williams is here to stay. The new question is whether she should start for the USWNT. And the answer is that Williams clearly deserves a chance.

Williams was one of the last players cut from the 2019 World Cup team, but was brought back into the USWNT fold once Vlatko Andonovski took over as coach.

At the time, the scouting consensus on Williams was that she had above-average defensive abilities (for a forward) and was probably the fastest player on the pitch, but needed to work on consistently finishing in front of goal.

😏 Tell ‘em @lynnraenie 💨💨💨 pic.twitter.com/82vky3OzeZ

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) October 28, 2020

“I think that Vlatko sees my defensive side as key to the success of this team right now,” Williams told Just Women’s Sports back in April, “and my willingness to work back as a forward.”

Williams was initially named an alternate for Tokyo, with Andonovski calling it a “good next step” for the forward:

“Hopefully she’ll be on the full roster in the near future or in the World Cup, 2023. We know the quality that she has.”

Williams ended up making the full Olympic roster after FIFA modified the rules to include alternates. After hardly seeing the field in the group stage, Williams was chosen to start against Netherlands in a must-win quarterfinal match.

The USWNT went down 1-0 early in the match, before Williams took over. She first assisted Sam Mewis to tie the game at one before scoring herself — with a beautiful finish in the box — to give the team the lead.

Lynn Williams with a goal and assist in 3 minutes to give the USWNT the lead 💥 @brfootball

(via @NBCOlympics)pic.twitter.com/Ea8dgRpLzA

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 30, 2021

In the biggest game of her career, Williams proved she was more than a defensive specialist and put to bed the narrative that she can’t make plays in front of goal.

The performance wasn’t a surprise to anyone who has watched Williams’ club career. With 56 goals in the NWSL, she’s second on the league’s all-time scoring list, just 11 behind Sam Kerr. Even this year, she ranks sixth in the league, which might not seem impressive, until you take into account the time missed while in Tokyo. No. 1 and 2 scorers Bethany Balcer and Sydney Leroux have each scored eight goals in 18 games. In seven fewer games, Williams has scored six.

Can Williams, 28, consistently score on the international stage? Williams had the third-most points on the USWNT in 2020 after Lindsey Horan and Christen Press. In 2021, she ranks sixth in goals and assists, despite having only eight starts. If her playing time matched the other big-name forwards on the team, it’s hard to imagine she wouldn’t keep pace.

Context is important here: Carli Lloyd is retiring in October. Megan Rapinoe could soon follow. Christen Press and Alex Morgan will both be 34 at the next World Cup. Tobin Heath will be 35.

Lloyd has proven that players can still be productive well into their 30s, but it’s clear that Andonovski will need fresh legs in Australia. And with World Cup qualifiers just around the corner, now is the time to give younger players their chance.

On a team with so much talent, versatility is crucial — and that’s exactly what Williams has. She scores goals but is also good defensively, a game-changing quality often overlooked in the attacking third. Andonovski has repeatedly praised her ability to press other teams in sparking the USWNT’s counter-attack. In Tokyo, Williams proved the stage wasn’t too big for her. And yes, at the 2023 World Cup, she will still probably be the fastest player on the pitch.

Williams has made the most of her limited opportunities, and her trajectory is still pointing up. Heading into preparations for the 2023 World Cup, it would be smart to give the young veteran a more significant role on the team. Big things happen when she’s on the pitch; she just needs playing time to prove it.

Jessa Braun is an editorial intern for Just Women’s Sports and the Head of North American Content for Women’s Sports Alliance. You can find her on Twitter @jessabraun.

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.