Some of the key matchups going into Saturday’s NWSL Championship game between the Portland Thorns and the Kansas City Current are obvious: Sophia Smith vs. AD Franch, Kansas City’s legs vs. Portland’s bench, Bella Bixby vs. elaborate goal celebrations.

But in any game of this magnitude, with an NWSL trophy on the line, you can expect a few unsung heroes to step up. These are the underrated impact players we’ll be watching at Audi Field in primetime.

Portland Thorns

Kelli Hubly

Hubly’s progression as a center back since joining the Thorns as a national team replacement player in 2017 has been meteoric. She’s been relied upon heavily in recent years as Portland’s center-back duo of Becky Sauerbrunn and Emily Menges have not been able to play consistent minutes together (last year due to Sauerbrunn’s absences, and this year due to Menges’ lingering injury.) Hubly has fully seized the opportunity, and she will need to provide enough coverage and pace on Saturday to allow Sauerbrunn to set up Portland’s distribution.

Raquel Rodriguez

Though perhaps still frozen in time in the eyes of fans as the young talent that won Rookie of the Year in 2016, Rodriguez was actually the most seasoned player starting in Portland’s midfield in their semifinal on Sunday. The Thorns appear to want Rodriguez to operate as a one-two punch with Crystal Dunn, who is still building her minutes after giving birth to her son in May. Rodriguez is a ball-winning No. 8 who can go box-to-box and provide an outlet in distribution while getting in the way of the other team’s ball movement. Her ability to disrupt and counter will be key to the early midfield battle — as will any more goals like this one.

ROCKY RIGHT ON CUE 🤩@raque_rocky | @ThornsFC pic.twitter.com/FkWb1K1uXG

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) October 23, 2022

Hina Sugita

If the Best XI First and Second Teams include 22 of the best NWSL players from the 2022 regular season, Sugita has a case for being No. 23. She’s the main creative spark in Portland’s midfield, pulling defenders in to stretch space for Smith to run in behind and create chances. She can also strike herself, with a number of quality shots this season from both outside the 18-yard box and inside at tough angles. If the final turns into a shootout, Sugita is a player you want on your side.

Morgan Weaver

Weaver is sometimes overlooked as the other rookie the Thorns drafted in 2020 alongside Smith, the No. 1 pick and a 2022 MVP candidate. Weaver spent the first few years of her professional career coming off the bench, but under head coach Rhian Wilkinson, she has made the left wing her own. She’s focused as much on making runs to the endline and crossing balls in as she is on cutting inside for shots of her own. Her ability to do both forces defenders to make decisions that open up space for others.

Kansas City Current

Alex Loera

If the 2022 Rookie of the Year shortlist had extended to five names, Loera would have had a good argument for making it. The 23-year-old had a strong regular season, notching three assists in 20 matches, but she has risen to another level in the playoffs. The Kansas City midfield had to deal with absences in both knockout games — first, the suspension of Desiree Scott and then the season-ending injury to Claire Lavogez. Loera scored her first NWSL postseason goal against the Reign in the semifinals, and she’ll be called upon again to shore up the midfield defensively and break lines in the attack.

Hailie Mace

You might be thinking, Hailie Mace isn’t an unsung hero —  she played for the USWNT just last month. True! But while she’s played outside back internationally, Mace as an attacking midfielder is still somehow underrated. The 25-year-old is almost difficult to place on the field because of how competent she is in various roles. But she’s at her most dangerous when she’s moving the ball forward for the Current, such as last Sunday when she posed a consistent threat to the Reign’s defense. Against Portland on Saturday, Mace will be key to Kansas City’s ability to create clear chances on the counter.

Elizabeth Ball

Ball has one of the most difficult jobs in Kansas City’s defensive setup as the central center back in a three-back system. While Kristen Edmonds and a rotation of Adissyn Merrick and Izzy Rodriguez defend in isolation on either side, Ball has to be savvy in her positioning and calm when the ball is in the air. Her communication with Loera and Scott will be critical to locking down dangerous areas in front of the Current’s penalty area and, of course, keeping Sophia Smith off the scoresheet.

Kate Del Fava

Del Fava got the glory with her stoppage-time winner in the Current’s quarterfinal against Houston, but it’s her ability to defend that could be a difference-maker on Saturday. Del Fava’s defensive positioning is underrated on the wings: She expertly pushes players onto their weak foot and cuts off dribbles inside to force hopeful crosses in the air. With the Thorns’ Morgan Weaver creating chaos on the outside, Del Fava will likely be tasked with keeping her from moving effectively, and that will be a premier battle to watch.

Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

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.