The NWSL is just over halfway through the regular season as they head into a two-week break. Teams played yet another week with multiple replacement players as international tournaments continued.

For the first time in a long while, the JWS power rankings feature movement from every team (find last week’s power rankings here). The Portland Thorns jump back into first, Kansas City move into a season-best fourth, and the bottom five teams are a jumble. Adding to the chaos is the fact that two of the top four teams from last week’s NWSL standings suffered losses, and one game was postponed.

Here are this week’s power rankings.

12. North Carolina Courage (2-5-2) -1

The Courage did not play this week. Their match against Angel City FC on Friday was postponed until Sept. 14 due to COVID-19 protocols. Their drop in the power rankings is a result of other teams moving ahead of them.

11. Racing Louisville FC (2-5-5) +1

There is something about playing the No. 1 San Diego Wave that lights a fire under Racing Louisville. They could have easily overtaken the Wave for a second time this year in what ended up as a 0-0 draw on Friday. The thrilling match of penalty shot saves and goal-line clearances was in Louisville’s favor as they controlled 53 percent of the possession and dominated in the second half especially.

10. NJ/NY Gotham FC (4-6-0) -1

With a 5-0 loss to the Portland Thorns on Saturday, Gotham FC now has the most losses (six) in the league despite having played the second fewest games. Somehow they had more possession at 53 percent and finished with a 79 percent passing accuracy, and still they were unable to create any dangerous scoring chances.

9. Washington Spirit (1-5-7) -1

“Washington caused a lot of problems,” Orlando Pride acting head coach Seb Hines said after their 0-0 draw Sunday. Despite Washington’s disappointing record, the statement is on brand for the Spirit, who give opponents some of the toughest competition they’ve faced this year. The Spirit controlled most of Sunday’s match in the attacking third and created plenty of chances that they weren’t able to put away. The lack of a finishing touch has been detrimental for them this season and is holding them back in these power rankings.

8. Orlando Pride (3-5-4) +2

Despite an otherwise disappointing season for the Pride, July hasn’t been a bad month for them. In their last three games, they’ve gone 1-0-2, most recently tying the Washington Spirit 0-0. Despite being outshot 17-4, Orlando should have had a couple of goals by halftime, especially on Darian Jenkins’ breakaway. In the second half, they worked together as a unit to read Washington’s plays. It’s clear this team has been growing over the past few games.

7. Angel City FC (5-4-2) -2

Like the Courage, Angel City didn’t play this week and has been surpassed by other teams as a result.

6. Houston Dash (5-4-3) +1

The biggest takeaways from the past week are that the Dash are the most dramatic team in the NWSL when it comes to score lines. and that acquiring Ebony Salmon was a darn good trade. Formerly with Louisville, Salmon scored a hat trick for her side in their 4-1 win over the Chicago Red Stars, who were No. 2 at the time of the match. The outcome was probably the least expected of the week, but not necessarily surprising. Since the beginning of June, the Dash have also recorded a 5-0 win, a 4-0 loss and a 4-3 win, making them one of the most unpredictable clubs in the league. For now, the decisive win bumps them up a spot in the power rankings.

5. OL Reign (4-3-5) -1

Tobin Heath’s short but much-anticipated debut with the Reign wasn’t enough to secure any points on Sunday. The team’s 1-0 loss to Kansas City was an even game, however, with the lone goal coming from a penalty shot. The Reign put a lot of pressure on the Current’s defense, and their own defense registered five blocks and 13 interceptions. They weren’t able to produce as many good scoring chances, with their forwards not controlling the attacking third in the way they’re capable of.

4. Kansas City Current (5-4-3) +2

The Current’s hashtag, #TealRising, couldn’t tell the story any better. A 1-0 win over the OL Reign on Sunday extended their winning streak to three and unbeaten streak to seven, vaulting them even further up the standings. Lo’eau Labonta’s penalty kick was the deciding goal, but the Current showed offensive flair throughout the game and goalkeeper AD Franch made a couple of big saves to keep Kansas City on the front foot.

THAT'S. OUR. KEEPER.

📽 the highlight reel you've all been waiting for: @ADizzle23 pic.twitter.com/EVOhyrReR8

— KC Current (@thekccurrent) July 19, 2022

3. San Diego Wave FC (6-3-4) +1

The Wave played the most exciting draw the league has seen all season against Racing Louisville on Friday. The points could have easily gone either way after the high-tempo affair. Although the stats leaned in Louisville’s favor, San Diego was the stronger side in the first half. They lost their grip in the second, but goalkeeper Carly Telford kept her team in the game, making six big saves across the 90 minutes.

2. Chicago Red Stars (5-2-5) -1

A 4-1 defeat to the Dash wasn’t expected when the Red Stars went into the game tied for the fewest losses in the league. When forward Mallory Pugh was sidelined with an injury during the Challenge Cup, the Red Stars had a tough time finding the back of the net, and the problem resurfaced with Pugh away at the Concacaf W Championship. Chicago had 21 shots against Houston but couldn’t find the back of the net.

1. Portland Thorns FC (5-1-6) +1

The Thorns are becoming the rulers of blowout victories. Even with players out on international duty, they’ve demonstrated an undeniable amount of depth, with five different players scoring in Saturday’s 5-0 shutout of Gotham FC. The Thorns join the Reign with the most shutouts in the league (six) as they move to second in the standings. Setting the new league record on Saturday for the three fastest goals scored after kickoff (10:13), they also top the NWSL with 29 goals and are the only team with a double-digit goal differential of plus-19.

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

USWNT stalwart Alex Morgan will miss at least one week of NWSL action after suffering a left ankle knock in her last club appearance, Wave manager Casey Stoney said on Thursday.

Morgan was helped off the field after rolling her ankle in the later stages of the Wave’s 1-0 loss to the Orlando Pride last weekend, despite the San Diego side being out of available substitutes.

“She's got an ankle injury and she's out for this weekend, and then it'll be week by week from there,” Stoney said, confirming that Morgan’s been ruled out for Saturday’s showdown with NWSL newcomer Bay FC.

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Depending on its severity, Morgan’s ankle issue might have larger ramifications than missing a few weeks of NSWL play. Morgan was added to the team's Gold Cup roster after an ACL injury sidelined young striker Mia Fishel, and she's since made a number of USWNT starts in the team's Gold Cup and SheBelieves wins. A long-term injury could potentially derail the center forward’s Olympic plans.

With her return timeline uncertain, it's possible the injury could also impact Morgan's ability to participate in new head coach Emma Hayes' first U.S. friendlies in June and July.

Morgan's injury concerns aren't uncommon in the U.S. player pool, but add a sense of urgency as Hayes eyes the NWSL for top-performing players in the upcoming weeks. Gotham's Tierna Davidson and Rose Lavelle have also been dealing with injuries: Lavelle has yet to appear for Gotham, while Davidson exited last weekend's match early with a hamstring injury.

Gotham has yet to issue an update concerning Davidson's status.

This week, legendary Brazilian superstar Marta announced that she’ll retire from the national team at the end of 2024.

In an interview with CNN Esportes published Thursday, the iconic footballer confirmed that she would be hanging up her boots regardless of whether or not she ends up making Brazil's 18-player roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

“If I go to the Olympics, I will enjoy every moment, because regardless of whether I go to the Olympics or not, this is my last year with the national team,” she said. “There is no longer Marta in the national team as an athlete from 2025 onwards.”

Marta will retire as a giant of the women's game, having appeared in five Olympics and multiple World Cups. When discussing her retirement, she stressed confidence in the rising generation of Brazilian players, noting that she was, “very calm about this, because I see with great optimism this development that we are having in relation to young athletes." 

The statement echoes back to a plea she made during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup after Brazil lost to France 2-1 in the Round of 16. “It's wanting more. It's training more. It's taking care of yourself more. It's being ready to play 90 plus 30 minutes. This is what I ask of the girls,” she said then, addressing the young players following in her footsteps. 

In 2023, she signaled a farewell to World Cup competition with the same sentiment, telling media, “We ask the new generation to continue where we left off.”

If selected for the 2024 Olympic team, Marta has a shot at extending her own consecutive-scoring record with the ability to score in an unbelievable sixth-straight Olympic Games. She currently stands as Brazil’s top goalscorer, racking up 116 career goals in 175 matches, as well as the leading goalscorer in any World Cup, women’s or men’s, with 17 to her name. 

Marta will continue to play for the NWSL’s Orlando Pride through at least the end of 2024. The longtime forward and club captain has already contributed to multiple goals this season.

U.S. Soccer announced Tuesday that the USWNT will play their last home game on July 16th in the lead-up to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

The 2024 Send-Off Match against Costa Rica will take place at Washington, DC’s Audi Field — home to both the Washington Spirit and DC United — at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 16th. The friendly rounds out a four-game Olympic run-up campaign under incoming head coach Emma Hayes’ side, with the last two set to feature the finalized 2024 U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer Team roster.

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Hayes will appear on the USWNT sideline for the first time this June, helming the team as they embark on a two-game series against Korea Republic hosted by Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado on June 1st followed by Allianz Stadium in St. Paul, Minnesota on June 4th. 

The team is then scheduled to meet a talented Mexico squad on July 13th at Gotham FC’s Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, where the Olympic-bound lineup will attempt to rewrite February’s shocking 2-0 loss to El Tri Femenil in the group stages of this year’s Concacaf W Gold Cup. And while clear roster favorites have emerged from both of this year’s Gold Cup and SheBelives Cup rosters, a spate of recent and recurring injuries means making it to the Olympics is still largely anyone’s game.

Broadcast and streaming channels for the USWNT's final July 16th friendly at Audi Field include TNT, truTV, Universo, Max, and Peacock.

The USA Basketball Women's National Team is still considering Caitlin Clark for a spot on the Paris Olympics squad, says selection committee chair Jennifer Rizzotti. 

On Monday, Rizzotti told the AP that the committee will be evaluating the college phenom’s Olympic prospects by keeping a close eye on her first few weeks of WNBA play with Indiana.

The move is somewhat unconventional. While Clark was invited to participate in the 14-player national team training camp held earlier this month — the last camp before Team USA’s roster drops — she was unable to attend due to it coinciding with Iowa’s trip to the NCAA Women’s Final Four.

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Judging by the immense talent spread throughout the league in what might be their most hyped season to date, competition for a piece of the Olympic pie could be fiercer than ever before.

"You always want to introduce new players into the pool whether it's for now or the future," said Rizzotti. "We stick to our principles of talent, obviously, positional fit, loyalty and experience. It's got to be a combination of an entire body of work. It's still not going to be fair to some people."

Of course, Clark isn’t the first rookie the committee has made exceptions for. Coming off an exceptional college season that saw her averaging 19.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4 assists per game for UConn, Breanna Stewart was tapped to represent the U.S. at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil less than two weeks after being drafted No. 1 overall by the Seattle Storm. Eight years prior, fellow No. 1 pick Candace Parker punched her ticket to the 2008 Games in Beijing just two weeks after making her first appearance for the L.A. Sparks.

In the lead-up to Paris’ Opening Ceremony on July 26th, USA Basketball Women’s National Team is scheduled to play a pair of exhibition games. They'll first go up against the WNBA's finest at the July 20th WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix before facing Germany in London on July 23rd.

While an official roster announcement date hasn’t yet been issued, players won’t find out if they’ve made this year’s Olympic cut until at least June 1st.