To say that Rose Lavelle shone in 2019 would be an understatement. The breakout star of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup not only won the tournament along with the rest of U.S. women’s national team, but she scored a scintillating goal in the final to seal the USWNT’s win against the Netherlands.

Nothing controversial about this one. What a goal from Rose Lavelle!

(via @TelemundoSports) pic.twitter.com/et3Ee7wd71

— Planet Fútbol (@si_soccer) July 7, 2019

Lavelle’s efforts in the final, as well as in the other five matches she started in the tournament, led to her being awarded the Bronze Ball as the third-most outstanding player in the tournament. Later in the year, she was named the sixth-best player in the world at The Best FIFA Football Awards and was also named as part of the starting eleven in the 2019 FIFA FIFPro World XI.

Rose Lavelle finished her stellar 2019 Women's World Cup with a tournament-clinching goal in the USWNT's win over the Netherlands.

After winning the Bronze Ball, will Lavelle be America's next big star? pic.twitter.com/FzfsHrszTQ

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) July 8, 2019

At only 25, Lavelle is expected to be one of the faces of the USWNT for years to come, specifically when some of the older players of this Golden Generation start to bow out of international duty.

So it’s no wonder that her fall signing with Manchester City, along with USWNT teammate Sam Mewis, generated as much excitement as it did. City, and in turn, the entire FAWSL, was getting two superstars.

WE MOVE! Welcome to City, @roselavelle ! ????

???? #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klUGiM pic.twitter.com/U3SXgo4meJ

— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 18, 2020

But with excitement comes expectations. Mewis has hit the ground running at Manchester City. Lavelle has not.

It’s not entirely or even mostly the young USWNT star’s fault. A few months into her Man City stint, it’s clear that coach Gareth Taylor does not know how to utilize Lavelle on his team. Not only has this diminished Lavelle’s playing time and impact, but it’s hurt City’s chances as a team.

The biggest problem stems from Taylor playing Lavelle out of position during her limited chances. Lavelle primarily plays as an advanced central midfielder in the #10 role. In theory, Lavelle’s job is to provide an attacking drive from midfield against the opposition’s backline, which will then often lead to one of two scenarios: she is either able to use her linkup play to create a chance for a teammate or give herself a shot on goal (as she did in the World Cup final).

Taylor, however, seems adamant on playing Lavelle elsewhere. She has played on the left quite a bit, whether as a left midfielder or as a left winger, and Taylor has also shoehorned her in as a centre-forward this season. Playing out of position has handicapped Lavelle. And because she hasn’t been able to show her true potential, she’s been benched. Against Manchester United, she didn’t even step foot on the field.

Has Man City manager Gareth Taylor spoken publicly about Rose Lavelle's playing time—and why he's playing her out of position when she does get on the field?

— Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) November 14, 2020

It’s a frustrating cycle to witness. And what’s even more frustrating is that Manchester City could really use someone like Lavelle.

City are known as one of the FAWSL’s ‘Big Three’ along with Arsenal and Chelsea. The three have been interchangeable at the top of the league since 2014.

Things might change this season with both Manchester United and Everton starting off strong. Both are ahead of City, who sit in fifth place right now. City’s rocky start has come down to inconsistent performances. They either blow teams away or are stagnant in their attack.

A pivotal moment for City was the recent Manchester Derby. It was a chance to advance higher than fifth in the table and to take off points from their league-leading rival. City was cruising by halftime, up two goals thanks to Chloe Kelly and Laura Coombs, but United mounted a comeback, and by the seventy-fifth minute, the match was tied 2-2. City had over 15 minutes to push for a late winner, but Lavelle, a player whose specialty is unlocking tight defenses, remained on the bench as an unused substitute while her teammates struggled against United’s robust defensive line.

Imagine having Rose Lavelle on the bench and...keeping her there lmao

— Gaby Kirschner* (@gabykirschner) November 14, 2020

The match ended with both teams getting a point a piece, and the question still standing: Why is Lavelle not playing?

City remains in fifth now, and while it is still only halfway through the season, there is a good chance that they do not finish in the top three and are unable to qualify for a Champions League spot, something that has become somewhat of a standard for Manchester City.

???? The #BarclaysFAWSL table after #WomensFootballWeekend ???? pic.twitter.com/c0f0jlOsKn

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) November 15, 2020

It is unclear as to why Lavelle is being mismanaged by Taylor. The good news is that the answer to City’s problems is sitting on their bench. Fans need to hope that Taylor understands that. He’ll have a chance to show he does when Manchester City and Manchester United collide once more in Thursday’s Conti Cup match.

Washington Spirit star Trinity Rodman is gearing up to debut her Adidas Player Edition cleats this weekend, marking her return to the field by rocking the all-new F50 SPARKFUSION PE — a boot built by and for women athletes.

"Growing up as a kid in California, I could never have imagined a day where there would be a cleat literally inspired by me," the 2024 Olympic gold medalist said in a press release. "I can't wait to wear them."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

According to Adidas's Thursday release, designers worked to specifically engineer the boots to "excel with the speed and agility demands of the modern women's game."

To do so, the sportswear company researched the unique anatomy of the female foot to address the discomfort reported by women athletes when competing in unisex cleats.

Consequently, the F50 SPARKFUSION PE boasts key design adjustments to improve fit, arch support, stability, and comfort for women athletes. The boots also contain features to boost players' agility across multiple pitch surfaces.

In addition to the performance improvements, Rodman's Player Edition boots come in the 23-year-old USWNT star's favorite colors.

Grounded by a pearlescent white base alongside vibrant light blue details and bold pink stripes — an homage to Rodman's signature pink hair — the attacker's cleats aim to create "a dynamic look that captures Trinity's energy and personality."

Rodman will sport her Adidas Player Edition boots for the first time on Sunday, when her Washington Spirit host the Portland Thorns at 12:30 PM ET on ABC.

How to buy the Trinity Rodman F50 SPARKFUSION PE cleats

The Trinity Rodman Adidas F50 SPARKFUSION PE cleats are currently available for purchase online at adidas.com.

World No. 4 Brazil and No. 18 Colombia will take center stage on Saturday, when star-studded lineups full of NWSL talent will duke it out in the 2025 Copa América Femenina Final.

The Conmebol titans advanced to the continental tournament's grand finale via two distinctly different semifinals, as Colombia narrowly pushed past No. 32 Argentina in a penalty shootout on Monday before defending champions Brazil thrashed No. 63 Uruguay 5-1 on Tuesday.

Entering Saturday's match as the favorites, Brazil is led by reigning NWSL champion Marta, with the legendary attacker joined by fellow Orlando Pride midfielder Angelina as well as Gotham FC forward Gabi Portilho, Racing Louisville midfielder Ary Borges, and Kansas City Current goalkeeper Lorena.

Chasing a fifth straight and ninth overall Copa América title, there has never been a final in the tournament's 10 iterations to not feature Brazil.

On the other hand, Colombia is seeking their first-ever Conmebol crown behind a quartet of NWSL standouts: Washington Spirit midfielder Leicy Santos, Racing Louisville defender Ángela Barón, San Diego Wave defender Daniela Arias, and Utah Royals defender Ana María Guzmán.

Saturday's final will be the second straight and fourth overall to pit Colombia against Brazil, and comes just eight days after the pair faced off to a 0-0 draw in their final group-stage match — though notably, Brazil played the bulk of that game with 10 players after keeper Lorena earned a red card in the 24th minute.

How to watch the Copa América final

The 2025 Copa América Final kicks off at 5 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage airing on FS1.

With the US Open rapidly approaching — the WTA season's final Grand Slam — the tennis world's hardcourt titans are tuning up at the 2025 Canadian Open.

This year's tournament is in full swing up in Montréal, allowing players to hone their skills before next week's Cincinnati Open sets the tone for the annual New York City Slam.

Though stars like world No. 5 Mirra Andreeva, No. 9 Jasmine Paolini, and No. 11 Emma Navarro stumbled out of contention in the tournament's first two rounds, many heavy-hitters are still in play, including all three 2025 Grand Slam winners: Australian Open champion No. 8 Madison Keys, French Open victor No. 2 Coco Gauff, and newly crowned Wimbledon champ No. 3 Iga Świątek.

Joining Gauff in punching her ticket to Saturday's Round of 16 is fellow US player No. 32 McCartney Kessler, while Keys and several others in the US contingent — No. 4 Jessica Pegula, No. 7 Amanda Anisimova, and No. 116 Caty McNally — will battle to advance from the Round of 32 on Friday.

Other fan favorites are also still in the mix, including Japan's No. 49 Naomi Osaka and the UK's No. 33 Emma Raducanu, while 18-year-old phenom No. 85 Victoria Mboko is impressing as Canada's last-standing contender in play.

Notably sitting out this week is world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, with the 2024 US Open champ prioritizing her mental and physical rest ahead of her title defense.

How to watch the 2025 Canadian Open

The 2025 Canadian Open's Round of 32 continues throughout Friday before the Round of 16 takes the Montréal court on Saturday.

Continuous live coverage of the tournament will are on the Tennis Channel.

Two of the toughest WNBA stars will square off this weekend, as Minnesota Lynx forward and 2024 Defensive Player of the Year Napheesa Collier will battle it out against Las Vegas Aces center and reigning MVP A'ja Wilson in a Saturday showdown.

As the league's top two scorers, the 23.8 points per game put up by Collier will meet the 22.1-point average posted by Wilson for the second time this season, with Saturday's rematch coming just over a week after the Lynx toppled the Aces.

"Our defense is so good…. We just make it hard, and when every shot is hard, eventually it wears a team down, and that's our goal every night," Collier said after Minnesota routed Las Vegas 109-78 last Friday.

With less than two games separating third from sixth place on the league table, the WNBA standings have never been tighter, sending the stakes of this weekend's games through the roof:

• No. 3 Phoenix Mercury vs. No. 5 Atlanta Dream, Friday at 7:30 PM ET (ION): A mere half-game behind the Mercury, the Dream can leapfrog two teams to claim third with a win on Friday, as Phoenix aims to galvanize behind their own MVP candidate Alyssa Thomas.

• No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 7 Las Vegas Aces, Saturday at 3 PM ET (ABC): Facing this season's undisputed top dogs on a two-game winning streak, the Aces will look to blank the Lynx at home in Las Vegas.

• No. 6 Indiana Fever vs. No. 4 Seattle Storm, Sunday at 3 PM ET (ABC): The Fever have remained hot despite the absence of an injured Caitlin Clark, and a Sunday result against the Storm could push Indiana into the league's upper echelon.