The U-23 U.S. women’s national team will travel to Paris during the upcoming Feb. 12-21 international break for training and two games against the France U-23 national team, U.S. Soccer announced on Thursday. The games will take place on Feb. 17 and 20 at Clairefontaine, France’s National Training Center.

The U.S. U-23 roster is packed with college, NWSL and other top professional talent. Headlining the group is UANL Tigres forward Mia Fishel, who currently holds the Golden Boot title in Liga MX Femenil. Fishel has long been considered a potential call-up to the U.S. first team, but head coach Vlatko Andonovski hasn’t yet indicated he has the 21-year-old in his plans for this year’s World Cup.

“Mia is a very good young player,” Andonovski said in January. “Right now, after looking at everything, we decided the players that we have in camp are going to give us the best chance to be successful.”

“We analyze every goal that she scores,” he continued. “And analyze the difficulties of the goals, and compare to the players that we called up, and try to see how they would fit or how they would replicate [performances] on the team that we have.”

Fishel is joined in the attack by Angel City’s No. 1 draft pick, Alyssa Thompson, who has two caps with the U.S. first team. No. 2 draft pick and 2022 MAC Hermann trophy winner Michelle Cooper, now with the Kansas City Current, also features on the squad.

The #U23WYNT returns to the pitch for the first time this year for a camp and two matches vs. France on Feb. 17 & 20, outside of Paris. Among the invited players, seven were part of the 2022 U-20 @FIFAWWC Team.

— U.S. Soccer YNT (@USYNT) February 9, 2023

The rest of the roster is full of exciting rising talent. The midfield alone includes former Notre Dame sophomore Korbin Albert, who recently signed with Paris St. Germain, North Carolina Courage starter Brianna Pinto and college standouts Lexi Missimo (Texas) and Lia Godfrey (Virginia).

The defense features USWNT U-20 outside back Lily Reale, who recently won a national championship with UCLA. In addition to Reale, Albert, Cooper and Thompson, Lauren Flynn, Laney Rouse and Trinity Byars played for the U-20 USWNT in 2022. Last year, that team won the Concacaf U-20 Championship on their way to the U-20 World Cup. Pinto, Fishel and Kansas City draftee Alex Spaanstra were a part of the team that won the Concacaf U-20 Women’s Championship in early 2020 before the World Cup was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Goalkeepers Hensley Hancuff (Gotham FC, on loan to Australian side Brisbane) and Lauren Kozak (Portland Thorns) round out the group, giving the team a mix of players professional and college experience.

The coaching staff also features a few notable names. Head coach Carrie Kveton, former Washington Spirit and OL Reign assistant coach and current Head of Individual Development for FC Nordsjaelland in Denmark, will work with two record-breaking, national championship-winning assistants.

UCLA Margueritte Aozasa joins the group off a historic season with UCLA, after becoming the first head coach to win the women’s soccer DI NCAA title in their first year. Former Chicago Red Stars assistant Julianne Sitch will also serve as an assistant coach after becoming the first woman to lead a men’s team — DIII program University of Chicago — to a national championship as head coach.

Full roster (by position)

GOALKEEPERS (2): Hensley Hancuff (Brisbane Roar; Edmond, Okla.), Lauren Kozal (Portland Thorns FC; Ada, Mich.)

DEFENDERS (6): Megan Bornkamp (Clemson; Mooresville, N.C.), Lauren Flynn (Florida State; Arlington, Va.), Eva Gaetino (Notre Dame; Dexter, Mich.), Lilly Reale (UCLA; Hingham, Mass.), Laney Rouse (Virginia; Cary, N.C.), Kate Wiesner (Penn State; Monrovia, Calif.)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain; Grayslake, Ill.), Hannah Bebar (Harvard; Naperville, Ill.), Lia Godfrey (Virginia; Fleming Island, Fla.), Lexi Missimo (Texas; Southlake, Texas), Brianna Pinto (North Carolina Courage; Durham, N.C.), Alexis Theoret (Virginia; Oak Hill, Va.)

FORWARDS (6): Trinity Byars (Texas; Richardson, Texas), Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current; Clarkston, Mich.), Mia Fishel (Tigres FC; San Diego, Calif.), Taylor Huff (Florida State; Mansfield, Ohio), Alexa Spaanstra (Kansas City Current; Brighton, Mich.), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC; Studio City, Calif.)

The USA Women's Eagles still have a shot at a 2025 Rugby World Cup knockouts run thanks to a dramatic 31-31 draw against Australia on Saturday — putting all the pressure on next weekend's group-stage finale.

After falling to host nation — and world No. 1 — England in the tournament's record-breaking opener, the now-No. 8 US squad kept their World Cup dreams alive by pulling level with the No. 7 Wallaroos.

Saturday's thrilling draw brought drama to the competition's mostly lopsided pool-play results so far, and spoiled what would have been a guaranteed spot in the quarterfinals for Australia.

"The mood is disappointment because we were so close [to a win]," said US star Ilona Maher following the game. "But also excitement because there is more to play for in that we're not going home just yet. We're definitely proud of the fight."

With England officially clinching the top spot in Pool A, Team USA now needs a blowout win over No. 15 Samoa with at least four tries scored (called a bonus point), as well as an Australian loss to England without a bonus point — plus a positive score differential over the Wallaroos — to advance.

How to watch Team USA at the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup

The No. 8 USA will close out their group-stage run by taking on No. 15 Samoa at 8:30 AM ET on Saturday, before awaiting their fate when No. 7 Australia plays No. 1 England at 12 PM ET.

Live coverage of all 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup games streams on Paramount+.

The Naomi Osaka comeback tour continued on Monday, as the world No. 24 tennis star took down No. 3 Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-2 in the pair's Round of 16 match at the 2025 US Open — booking her first Grand Slam quarterfinal since 2021 in the process.

"I'm a little sensitive and I don't want to cry, but honestly, I just had so much fun out here," Osaka said following the upset victory. "I was in the stands like two months after I gave birth to my daughter, watching Coco. I just really wanted an opportunity to come out here and play."

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Already a two-time US Open champion, Osaka has been eyeing a deep tournament run since returning from maternity leave in January 2024 — and she managed to take advantage of Gauff's fluctuating form to achieve her goal.

"It's disappointing," Gauff said after Monday's loss. "For sure it was not the level that I wanted to bring, but it is a step in the right direction, I feel. I maybe was a little bit empty — she forced me to earn every point out there today."

Japan's four-time Grand Slam winner will next face No. 13 Karolína Muchová in a Wednesday quarterfinal, with Osaka most recently ousting the Czechia national from the 2025 Australian Open's Round of 64.

How to watch the US Open quarterfinals

The 2025 US Open quarterfinals kicked off on Tuesday, with US star and world No. 4 Jessica Pegula booking her second straight semifinals berth at the New York Slam by defeating Czechia's No. 62 Barbora Krejčíková in straight sets.

The quarterfinals will continue when defending champion No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka faces another Czech contender, No. 60 Markéta Vondroušová, at 7 PM ET on Tuesday.

Wednesday will cap the round, with Osaka battling Muchová and Poland's No. 2 Iga Świątek taking on No. 9 US star Amanda Anisimova in a rematch of the 2025 Wimbledon final.

Live coverage of the 2025 US Open airs across ESPN platforms.

Despite a season spent at the bottom of the table, the No. 13 Chicago Stars have quietly become the NWSL team to beat, racking up a five-game undefeated streak behind a slate of dramatic draws — including Sunday's 1-1 result against the No. 2 Washington Spirit.

Come-from-behind draws fueled all five of the Stars' most recent points, with striker Ludmila having a particularly impressive star turn as of late.

The Brazilian national scored five times across Chicago's last three matches, including Sunday's lone team goal as well as a sub-10 minute hat trick that pulled the Stars level with the No. 10 North Carolina Courage on August 22nd.

"I think we'd be doing a disservice to the league if we laid down just because we're in last place and felt sorry for ourselves," quipped Stars defender Sam Staab.

Chicago will continue trying to extend their unbeaten streak under new interim manager Anders Jacobson, who oversaw his first NWSL match on Sunday while the Stars await the arrival of incoming permanent boss Martin Sjögren.

"It'll be a lot of him getting to know us, and us getting to know him in this next week or so," Staab said of the team's temporary head coach. "This league moves fast. Everything happens fast."

The No. 1 Kansas City Current tightened their grip atop the league on Saturday, claiming a 2-0 victory over the No. 10 North Carolina Courage to become the first NWSL team to clinch a spot in the 2025 playoffs.

Still undefeated at home on the year, Saturday's win marked the Current's sixth straight regular-season shutout and extended their lead in the NWSL standings to a massive 14 points.

"Our goal is to come out as a group and be the best that we can possibly be every game we play," said KC head coach Vlatko Andonovski afterwards. "We celebrate tonight, we rest tomorrow, and we get ready for the next one."

Though Kansas City is reaching historic heights, the rest of the league is sparking more questions than answers: The No. 4 Orlando Pride and No. 5 Seattle Reign are now on multiple-game winless streaks, and the No. 6 Portland Thorns have managed just one win in their last five matches.

On the flip side, No. 9 Angel City is making a concerted effort, extending their unbeaten run to four games with Monday's 2-1 win over No. 12 Bay FC — all while star winger Alyssa Thompson sat out amid mounting midseason transfer rumors.

"This group, the way they play and how they can grow together, I'm so proud of them today," said LA head coach Alexander Straus. "It's not been easy with all these things, the speculation and stuff."

2025 NWSL standings: Week 18

1. Kansas City Current (15-2-1)
2. Washington Spirit (9-4-5)
3. San Diego Wave FC (8-4-6)
4. Orlando Pride (8-6-4)
5. Seattle Reign FC (7-5-6)
6. Portland Thorns FC (7-6-5)
7. Racing Louisville FC (7-6-5)
8. Gotham FC (6-6-6)
9. Angel City FC (6-7-5)
10. North Carolina Courage (5-7-6)
11. Houston Dash (5-8-5)
12. Bay FC (4-9-5)
13. Chicago Stars FC (1-9-8)
14. Utah Royals (2-11-5)