Four teams. Two playoff spots. One game each. The last week of the 2022 NWSL regular season is coming down to the wire, with the final games taking place Friday through Sunday.

The Houston Dash, North Carolina Courage, Chicago Red Stars and Angel City FC are all within four points of each other and have 90 minutes to keep their postseason hopes alive.

Below, we break down what all four clubs need out of the weekend’s matches to join the Portland Thorns, OL Reign, Kansas City Current and San Diego Wave in the playoffs beginning Oct. 15. Wins are three points, draws are one, and in the case of a tie, the league will turn to goal differential to determine who gets the final spots.

Houston Dash — 33 points, 9-6-6, 7 +/-

To clinch playoff spot: Win/draw; or North Carolina loss; or Chicago loss/draw

Next match: at Washington Spirit (11th place, 3-8-10)

The Dash have the most straightforward path to earning their first playoff berth in franchise history. It’s worth remembering that Houston tied Washington 2-2 in their previous meeting this season, and the Spirit are always capable of matching the intensity of their opponents. But Washington is also in the mist of a two-game losing streak, while the Dash are 1-1-1 in September and know they could clinch a berth and $1,250 in playoff competition bonuses for each player with a win or a draw on Saturday. Houston is carrying momentum and confidence into the final stretch.

North Carolina Courage — 31 points, 9-8-4, 13 +/-

To clinch playoff spot: Win; or Chicago and Angel City draw

Next match: at San Diego Wave FC

It’s easy to count the Courage out because they spent so much of the regular season at the bottom of the standings after winning the Challenge Cup in May. To see the current version of this North Carolina team in the playoffs, however, wouldn’t be surprising. Five of the Courage’s nine wins this season have come in September, and they’re now tied with the first-place Portland Thorns with 46 goals scored.

The Wave, who defeated the Courage 1-0 in their previous meeting, won’t make it easy for them to achieve what seemed so unlikely two months ago. Despite already clinching a playoff spot, No. 4 San Diego is coming into this match just as hungry because a top-two ranking would earn them a bye to the semifinals.

Chicago Red Stars — 30 points, 8-7-6, 4 +/-

To clinch playoff spot:Win AND a North Carolina loss or draw

Next match: vs. Angel City FC

The Red Stars have been in the top six of the standings for so much of the season that it feels like a playoff spot should be theirs. But right now, their chances appear slim. They’ll have a hard time catching up with No. 5 Houston (33 points), because even if the Reds Stars win and the Dash lose, Chicago would have to open the floodgates to exceed Houston’s goal differential of seven in the case of a tiebreaker. The sixth playoff spot is more within reach, but they’ll have to surpass the Courage (31 points) to get there.

Angel City, the Red Stars’ opponent on Sunday, beat the defending NWSL finalists 1-0 in their last matchup. The biggest difference this time is that Chicago gets to host. Angel City has more wins than losses when playing in front of large crowds at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, but on the road they’ve lost four games and won just three. The Red Stars need to take advantage of that discrepancy.

Angel City FC — 29 points, 8-8-5, -2 +/-

To clinch playoff spot: Win AND a North Carolina loss

Next match: at Chicago Red Stars

Angel City making the postseason in their first year as an expansion club would be exciting. Though seventh in the standings for most of the season, they’ve proven it’s not just a pipe dream after defeating or tying every team above them in the standings at least once, except for OL Reign.

The challenge right now is getting over their discouraging performance against Racing Louisville FC on Sunday. Angel City fell 3-1, handing the 10th-ranked team their second win in 16 games. If North Carolina loses to San Diego, the final playoff spot comes down to Angel City’s match against Chicago. Neither side can afford even a draw. It’s going to be a battlefield.

Prediction

Last two in: Houston Dash and Chicago Red Stars

The Dash will claim the fifth playoff spot with a draw against the Spirit, the team with the most ties this season (10). Chicago will rise to sixth with a win over Angel City after North Carolina’s lethal attack fails to break down San Diego’s strong defense.

Jessa Braun is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering the NWSL and USWNT. Follow her on Twitter @jessabraun.

Nike is sending Team USA to Italy in style, with the sportswear giant's ACG (All Conditions Gear) brand releasing the designs for a special 2026 Winter Olympics collection this week.

Branded with Nike ACG badges alongside Team USA patches, this year's collection builds off a traditional red, white, and navy color scheme to outfit the country's Olympic and Paralympic athletes, as well as fans, ahead of the 2026 Games' February 6th opening ceremony in Milan.

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The designs include a long-sleeved T-shirt displaying an animated, winter sports-bound bald eagle and a zipped fleece sherpa and Therma-Fit skirt, both emblazoned with a bald eagle soaring over mountains.

Additionally, the collection boasts multiple T-shirts, long-sleeved sweat-wicking shirts, Polartec® jackets, and accessories including a baseball cap and winter beanie.

Nike is just one of many major brands outfitting Team USA for this year's competition, with the athletic corporation joining J.Crew in inviting fans to gear up for the Games after the fashion retailer dropped its own Winter Olympics capsule collection earlier this month.

How to purchase items from the Nike ACG x Team USA collection

The Nike ACG x Team USA line will hit shelves on Friday, January 23rd, with fans able to snag pieces prior to the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The collection will be available for purchase via nike.com.

Stars of the 2025 Euro stole the EA FC 26 spotlight this week, as the video game giant's fan-voted 2026 Team of the Year recognized some of international soccer's top achievers on Thursday.

Champions England fielded four honorees as forward Alessia Russo joined a trio of Lioness defenders — Leah Williamson, Millie Bright, and Team of the Year captain Lucy Bronze — on the 11-player list.

"Being named the first-ever Women's EA Sports FC TOTY Captain is an honour," Bronze said in a statement. "2025 was an amazing year — winning the Euros again and picking up my first BWSL with Chelsea — so much of that success is thanks to our fans, and it's great to see them recognize my efforts with this award."

The rest of the EA FC 26 Team of the Year also favored European titans, as Euro runners-up and Nations League winners Spain also saw a quartet of players make the roster. La Roja fully owned the Team of Year midfield as stars Aitana Bonmatí, Mariona Caldentey, and Alexia Putellas joined forward Clàudia Pina on Thursday's lineup.

Rounding out the squad were three other European club standouts as EA FC 26 also tapped Chliean goalkeeper Christiane Endler (OL Lyonnes), French defender Selma Bacha (OL Lyonnes), and Polish forward Ewa Pajor (FC Barcelona).

The first Grand Slam of 2026 has arrived, as the main draw of the Australian Open hits the court on Saturday evening, promising some early-round fireworks.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka enters as the tournament favorite, though the rest of the WTA Top 10 promises to give her a run for her money — as No. 2 Iga Świątek chases the only major tournament title still eluding her.

Meanwhile, No. 9 Madison Keys will attempt to defend her 2025 crown, as fellow US products No. 3 Coco Gauff, No. 4 Amanda Anisimova, and No. 6 Jessica Pegula also locked down top seeds.

Another US superstar will return this weekend, with 45-year-old Venus Williams following up her impressive 2025 performances by accepting a wild-card entry to her first Australian Open in five years.

"Even though I've been on tour for a long time, this is also still my first experience as [reigning champion]," Keys said. "I'm really just trying to soak in all of the really cool fun parts."

How to watch the 2026 Australian Open

The 2026 Australian Open begins at 7 PM ET on Saturday, with Williams as well as top-seed Sabalenka and world No. 7 Jasmine Paolini set to face their first opponents on the first day of the Slam's main draw.

The second day of first-round matches will see the rest of the WTA elite in action, as No. 2 Świątek, No. 3 Gauff, No. 4 Anisimova, No. 6 Pegula, and No. 9 Keys — as well as No. 5 Elena Rybakina, No. 8 Mirra Andreeva, and No. 10 Belinda Bencic — will hit the hardcourt in Melbourne starting at 7 PM ET on Sunday.

All matches in the 2026 Australian Open — from the first round through the women's final on Saturday, January 31st — will air live across ESPN platforms.

Monday's NCAA basketball action will put two of the nation's top guards to the test, as No. 10 TCU faces No. 14 Ohio State in Newark, New Jersey's Coretta Scott King Classic — part of a stacked MLK Day slate.

Buckeye sophomore Jaloni Cambridge is on a tear in this season, averaging 21.8 points per game — good for No. 10 in the country — and tallying 102 points, 20 rebounds, and 20 assists across Ohio State's last three games.

At the same time, TCU has seen similar stylings from Notre Dame transfer Olivia Miles, with the senior putting up a career-high 19.2 points per game while sitting at No. 9 in the nation behind her 7.3 assists average for the Horned Frogs.

Even more, Miles is lapping her collegiate cohort in triple doubles on the season, posting four of the elite stat-sheet performances while all other NCAA players have a maximum of one.

Both teams are meeting expectations head-on this season, impressing following 2025 NCAA tournament exits that spurred significant offseason roster changes.

Ohio State star forward Cotie McMahon transferred to Ole Miss after the Buckeyes' second-round ousting, while TCU graduated standout starting guard Hailey Van Lith and center Sedona Prince.

With Miles and Cambridge leading the charge, however, both squads are flourishing: TCU faltered just once in their 2025/26 campaign so far — a January 3rd overtime loss to unranked Utah — while Ohio State's two season losses came at the hands of titans No. 1 UConn and No. 3 UCLA.

"Ultimately, [TCU forward] Marta [Suarez] and Miles are two of the best players in college basketball," Horned Frogs head coach Mark Campbell said after Sunday's win over Arizona State. "But for our team to reach our full potential, we need these other players to show great growth. And I think we have."

How to watch TCU vs. Ohio State basketball on Monday

The No. 10 Horned Frogs will take on the No. 14 Buckeyes at 12 PM ET on Monday, airing live on FOX.