Even without the roar of the crowd, the Challenge Cup has reached its peak. On Sunday, sixth-seed Chicago meets fourth-seed Houston in Rio Tinto Stadium to conclude a month of chaos.

Both Chicago and Houston have been held scoreless three times. Both sides have also scored three goals in a game. Entering the semifinal, both teams had a -1 goal differential.

With the tale of the tape so similar, the final may come down to intangibles. After a grueling schedule, nothing may be more important than endurance. As of Sunday, Chicago will have played its seven games in 29 days compared to Houston’s 26. If the Red Stars benefit from a few extra days, then Houston benefits from an extra 9.5 hours of rest between the semifinal and the final.

Chicago was built for this tournament. In early matches, Rory Dames rotated his starting squad, getting valuable looks at players for the future and preserving legs. Last game made clear that the Red Stars do not need the ball to win. They would prefer to get running.

At the same time, despite the rotation, Chicago looked incredibly tired last game. Sky Blue’s second goal came because Katie Johnson did not press the backline, allowing Midge Purce to streak down the right side unimpeded. Johnson had a great game, but up two goals for the majority of the game and chasing the ball, she faded as the game wore on. Roughly a half hour later, Johnson was laying on the grass, exhausted. But she and the Red Stars did just enough to secure a spot in the championship game.

Houston is on the rise. They have channeled years of underappreciation into a cohesive message. They have played themselves into their first championship game. Not only are they creating plenty of opportunities, including 14 shots and four on frame in the semifinal, but they have found an emotional leader in Rachel Daly.

Doubt us all you want. #HoldItDown pic.twitter.com/P9OPEx75Np

— Houston Dash (@HoustonDash) July 22, 2020

Chicago is where they are expected to be. While nothing is guaranteed in a tournament format, a fact that the North Carolina Courage proved, the Red Stars find themselves where they were a year ago — in a championship game.

Chicago has also lost many more players to injury. While Houston only lists Megan Oyster as questionable, Chicago has six players listed as out, including Morgan Gautrat, Yuki Nagasato and Tierna Davidson, and two more are questionable. The status of Casey Short is presently unknown.

In terms of play, Houston rises and falls with Kristie Mewis and Shea Groom. The midfield sets up everything that James Clarkson wants his side to accomplish. Katie Naughton and, when healthy, Megan Oyster have anchored the backline. The center back pairing each have a pass completion percentage greater than 78%.

For Chicago, Sarah Gorden has had an excellent Cup, exemplified by her 82.4% pass completion, the highest on her squad for any player with over 100 minutes. Julie Ertz has maintained and even raised her level of excellence; she truly dictates play from wherever she is on the pitch. Seven games without a front post header seems too long and the own goal will only feed her fire.

Sky Blue’s comeback is worth mentioning because as dominant as Chicago looked for the first hour of their semifinal collision, Sky Blue never quit. While the team from New Jersey was a sneaky pick in this tournament, they were very much an underdog against Chicago. It would have been easy for Sky Blue to be happy making it to the semifinal round, but even behind three goals, there was never resignation.

The two early goals obviously shocked Freya Coombe’s squad, but the veteran on-field leadership of McCall Zerboni re-assembled the team in a crucial huddle. The team did not concede for the rest of the half, and even when Chicago found a third goal with Sky Blue pressing for one of their own, New Jersey continued to believe.

It was no accident that getting Evelyne Viens and Imani Dorsey on the pitch precipitated the two goals. Most directly, Viens started the scoring with a flick header goal over the outstretched arms of Naeher, assisted of course by Zerboni. Less obviously, Dorsey’s presence on the left of the defense allowed Purce to push higher for that second goal.

While Portland made the most of their one true chance against North Carolina, they did not even find one against Houston. The Thorns, without a whole host of players, but most significantly with no Lindsey Horan, did not put a shot on goal.

Since allowing three goals in the opener, Houston’s defense has made tremendous strides. Its offense has risen and fallen, but seems to be peaking. The same can be said for the Red Stars. In its most recent game, Chicago scored more goals than the rest of the tournament combined.

Predicting the outcome of the final is a fool’s errand. Chicago has the experience in pressure moments, but Houston has not hid from the bright lights so far. The Dash prey on defensive lapses for goals, which are rarities for an Ertz-led defense, but not nonexistent.

In the end, I think Houston just wants it a little more. And given the mental and physical fatigue that has accumulated after a month in the bubble, that could prove to be the difference.

Prediction: Houston 2, Chicago 1

Star LSU guard Flau'jae Johnson knows exactly what she'd get head coach Kim Mulkey for Christmas.

"Blue crabs," she told Just Women's Sports in November, days before DICK'S Sporting Goods declared her Greatest Wrapper in the Game, a holiday campaign touting the college senior's own limited-edition run of wrapping paper and official holiday campaign video. "Me and her, we like to eat blue crab."

Ranked No. 5 in the AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll, LSU is never far from the Final Four conversation. But Johnson — who's increasingly brought a personal touch to her leadership role on the Tigers — has ambitions that extend far beyond finishing out her collegiate career on top.

Already an NCAA champion with eyes on next year's WNBA draft, the 22-year-old dynamic guard  has cemented her legacy as a multi-talent. She's a decorated musician and rapper, an interdisciplinary studies major with a minor in sports administration, and a menace on the court with a motor that never quits. 

"I gotta be me first," she said — and that's the secret to her success.

As LSU's leading scorer, Flau'jae Johnson is off to the races

Johnson knows that the Tigers' nonconference schedule rarely features marquee matchups. 

"We don't play nobody in our nonconference schedule," she said. "From December on out, that's when it gets really [exciting]." 

Mulkey often schedules a slow start for the team, gradually building towards peak form once LSU enters SEC play in January.

That hasn't stopped the Tigers from showing the country what they're capable of this season. They've scored more than 100 points through all eight matchups so far, setting a new NCAA record for consecutive 100+ point games. 

Johnson's progress has featured heavily in every blowout win. She leads the team in points, assists, and three-point percentage per game. But she sees her greatest growth in the intangibles.

Flau'jae Johnson steps up as LSU coach Kim Mulkey's right hand

A self-described loner, Johnson strived to connect with new teammates throughout her four years in Baton Rouge. It's an especially important task as part of an LSU team that thrives through the transfer portal. 

The Tigers won the NCAA championship in 2023 — Johnson's freshman year — led by transfer forward Angel Reese, who was then joined the following year by high-profile transfers Hailey Van Lith and Aneesah Morrow. This season, former South Carolina Gamecock MiLaysia Fulwiley has entered the mix, with Johnson quickly creating chemistry. 

"Ballers just want to ball, like hoopers just want to hoop," she said. "You find different ways to bond and gel with teammates." 

When the accomplished hip hop artist's not in the groove working on music, she's trying to extend a hand to the team's freshest faces. "It's been a new job for me as a leader on the team," she said. "It's been easy though, because we just want to hoop."

Year-in, year-out, the Tigers' success relies on picking up instructions and learning schemes quickly, with Johnson — a player very comfortable with Mulkey's system — stepping up to take on the role of team liaison. 

"You've just got to read everybody, their emotions, how they're feeling, and you've just got to be there for everybody," she explained. "But that's not hard for me, because I'm an older sister."

Holiday trips and Secret Santas: Flau'jae Johnson's familial drive

Family is everything to Johnson. Being a college basketball star can make the holiday season tough, as the season runs straight through time she'd love to spend back home in Georgia. And with conference play on the horizon, she knows she has to stay focused on the court now more than ever.

"I kind of put that out of my mind, that I won't be with my family until I go pro, because it used to be hard on me seeing my little brothers go trick-or-treating and stuff without me," she reflected, noting how excited she was to use her own DICK'S wrapping paper to shower her family with gifts this year. 

Her favorite college holiday memory also involves her family, when her entire family traveled to the team's Thanksgiving tournament in the Bahamas. 

"My momma snuck food on the plane — literally the whole Thanksgiving, she cooked it and froze it and put it under the plane," she said, beaming. "And we had a smash Thanksgiving meal in freaking the Bahamas."

This year, Johnson's already looking forward to her team's annual Secret Santa exchange, while also planning to spend her limited time off this winter on a surprise family cabin trip to Colorado The world of NIL has opened up a whole new realm of possibilities for Johnson to spread her growing wealth, and she's taken to those opportunities with easy charm.

Setting sights on No. 1, from Baton Rouge to the WNBA

Far from settling for a decorated college run and lucrative personal brand, Johnson is also locked in on making a smooth transition to the WNBA. The calendar year for rising pros is a physical gauntlet, with the draft taking place just weeks after what LSU hopes will be a deep NCAA tournament campaign.

"I'm so ready to go pro," she said. "I really want to establish myself, to show I could be the number one pick in the draft. I feel like my talent level is there, but I've got to execute." 

"The W is fascinating," she added. "It's forever growing, and it's powerful women doing these things. So I'm just excited to be in that group."

Johnson has recently been focusing on her fitness, anticipating increased physicality at the pro level — while also aiming for balance. "They're not going to be swinging me around like I'm a little rag doll," she laughed. "[But] I feel like my mind is the most important part. I want to grow, I want to get better."

Of course, other than committing to winning at all levels, Johnson doesn't know exactly what her future holds. For now, she'll continue to make music, sharpen her game, and stay true to herself. As a player with so many gifts to give, the rest will come naturally.

Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) stocked up by adding 43 former NCAA and Olympic stars to its ranks on Monday night, with Talons utility player Maya Brady — niece of retired NFL legend Tom Brady — leading the charge as the No. 1 overall pick by the incoming Oklahoma City Spark in the league's expansion draft.

Starting the inaugural 2025 AUSL campaign on injured reserve, the former UCLA standout went on to feature in six games for the championship-winning Talons, registering one double, one home run, and five RBIs on the season.

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The now-six -team league absorbed the previously independent Spark as part of an initial expansion plan, acquiring the Oklahoma City-based squad with the intention of finding permanent homes for all AUSL teams in the near future.

Also joining the AUSL next year is new franchise Cascade, which snagged Volts pitcher and former University of Oklahoma ace Sam Landry as the No. 2 overall pick on Monday.

Though the four original teams protected five players each, the Spark and Cascade raided their rosters in the expansion draft, claiming stars like infielders Sydney Romero (Talons) and Jessi Warren (Volts) as well as pitchers Alana Vawter (Blaze) and Payton Gottshall (Volts) for their debut lineups.

Immediately following the expansion draft, all six teams took part in an allocation draft, selecting athletes from either the 2025 AUSL Reserve Pool or those previously competing outside the league.

Former Oklahoma and Oklahoma State pitcher Kelly Maxwell earned the top pick in the allocation draft, with the new Cascade player joined by other recent NCAA softball legends like former Sooners Kinzie Hansen, Jayda Coleman, and Jocelyn Alo, Florida State's Kat Sandercock and Sydney Sherrill, Washington's Sis Bates, and Clemson's Valerie Cagle.

US Soccer officially launched the Kang Women's Institute on Tuesday, creating a new platform dedicated to "advancing health, performance, and development for women and girls across the sport" funded by $55 million from multi-team owner Michele Kang.

"For far too long, women and girls have trained under systems and standards built for men, and the Kang Women's Institute is an essential first step in changing that," US Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone said in a federation statement. "By grounding our work in real research and evidence, we can finally give female players the support, care, and understanding they deserve.

"This is the beginning of a much larger effort, and Michele has helped us take a huge leap forward in reshaping the future of the women's game for generations to come."

After adding a $25 million investment last April to her original $30 million pledge to US Soccer in 2024, Kang is going all in on addressing the stark lack of sports medicine and exercise science research into women athletes — and female physiology at-large.

"This Institute will put female athletes at the center of US Soccer's scientific research and build the evidence, systems, and standards that will allow women and girls to reach their full potential," promised Kang.

The Institute also outlined its early initiatives in Tuesday's press release, with injury prevention and workload management, developmental best practices, and physical and mental player well-being headlining the projects.

"This is not just about closing a research gap," said Kang. "It's about creating a future where every player has the knowledge, care, and opportunity to thrive."

The PWHL is rapidly looking to ramp up expansion, with EVP of business operations Amy Scheer saying this week that the third-year pro hockey league could welcome "two to four" new teams as soon as next year.

"If I was a betting woman, I'd say it'd be four teams. And then I think we'll hold at 12 for a bit," she told CNBC Sport, noting the league's immediate success with 2025/26 expansion sides the Vancouver Goldeneyes and the Seattle Torrent — the latter of which shattered the US women's hockey attendance record in their Friday home opener.

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Accordingly, the PWHL will continue testing possible new markets using the league's historically packed Takeover Tour, with this season's 11-city route expanding to feature seven new host venues.

"What does the support of women's sports look like there?" Scheer said, outlining the league's criteria for assessing potential markets. "If there's an NHL team, what does that look like? Or from the building, is there government support there? How does it impact travel? So there's a lot of factors."

As for the league's notably speedy expansion pace, Scheer told Front Office Sports that the PWHL has "proven that time is overrated."

"The more our numbers grow, the more value we have as a league, the more value we have against our partnerships we sell, the more merchandise we sell," Scheer explained. "Those two things — growth and profitability — are not separate."