Crystal Dunn is back with the U.S. women’s national team one year after her last appearance.

Dunn had been absent from the USWNT since last October. The defender played in the team’s friendlies against Paraguay in September 2021, but she opted out of the friendlies against South Korea the following month.

Her absence came with a good reason: She was pregnant with her first child, her son Marcel, who was born in May.

The 2021 Concacaf Player of the Year already made her NWSL return in early September for the league-leading Portland Thorns, less than four months after giving birth.

Dunn trained with the USWNT during the most recent international window in early September ahead of two friendlies against Nigeria. At that time, coach Vlatko Andonovski said Dunn was “ready to play” for the team.

“She’s as ready and as intense as she’s always been, and as enthusiastic as she’s always been,” Andonovski said. “She’s so energetic. I just love having Crystal back in camp and looking forward to see her in one of the next camps.”

On Thursday, Andonovski echoed his earlier sentiments and said the team is “excited” to have Dunn back in the fold.

“We had her as a training player in the last camp, and she looked as sharp as ever,” he said. “She looked quick, her numbers were great in terms of physical outputs and we’re looking forward to have her back now and available for selection.

“I have no doubt that Crystal will integrate back on this team very, very quick.”

Dunn’s presence at the September training camp should ease her adjustment to the roster, Andonovski said. She adds some depth that had been lost with veteran Kelley O’Hara out due to injury.

The 30-year-old plays on the backline for the USWNT but plays in the midfield for her NWSL club. And while the coach still sees Dunn as a defender for the national team, he left the door open for change.

While Dunn has been limited to a bench role so far for the Thorns, she recorded two shots in the team’s game against Racing Louisville on Sept. 21.

One of the faces of the USWNT, the 2019 World Cup champion returns to the team with a new outlook on life that is “just going to make me an even better player, and a better person,” she told Yahoo Sports.

“I think being away from the game for so long really has allowed me to build back myself in a way that I’ve never been able to do,” she said.

For his part, Andonovski said he had no concerns about the USWNT’s ability to support Dunn as she embraces her new role as a mother.

“We do have a system and protocols in place to support the players to support the moms on the team,” said Andonovski. “We’ve done it for for a couple of years now, obviously with Alex [Morgan] being on the team. This is nothing new and our administration and support staff are tremendous in terms of supporting the players and giving them the best chance to be successful in the environment.”

Ticket prices are skyrocketing across the WNBA, with commissioner Cathy Engelbert addressing the surge after several New York Liberty fans wore T-shirts in protest of the increase.

Donning orange shirts emblazoned with the phrase "We've been priced out," New York fans came together to express their frustrations at a recent game.

The WNBA fans' custom shirts referred to season ticket price jumps of more than 250%, saying the Liberty is asking upwards of $30,000 for 2026 renewals.

Some New York season ticket holders noted that their 2026 renewal more than triples the cost they paid for the team's 2024 championship-winning campaign.

The exponential increase isn't just occurring in the New York market, however — it points to an overall rise in ticket prices across the WNBA.

The WNBA's recent ticket surge has seen seats across the league jumping by an average cost increase of 43% in the last year alone.

"In order to fund all these investments that owners are making, and obviously paying the players more which we will do in this next CBA cycle…that's the reality," Engelbert said on Thursday's episode of In Case You Missed It with Khristina Williams. "That's our responsibility as a league and team owners."

Calling the price hikes a result of "simple economics" and "high demand," Engelbert acknowledged the effect on fans, though did not address potential solutions.

"I realize there's some concern out there, certainly that we don't price out our kind of core fan base," she noted.

Chelsea FC is playing it close to the chest, with big-name new signing Alyssa Thompson and previously injured superstar Sam Kerr waiting in the wings as manager Sonia Bompastor teases a 2025/26 WSL season debut for the pair.

Kerr joined the 18-player game-day roster for Chelsea FC's opening-day victory over Manchester City last Friday, but saw her season debut delayed as the Australian remained an unused sub while Thompson greeted fans from the stands.

This Sunday's matchup against Aston Villa provides another chance for the standouts to take the pitch, as the six-time reigning WSL champs hunt another result.

"With Alyssa, we are looking for her to be able to play. We don't have the confirmation yet, but we are hoping for her to be able to play in this game," Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor said earlier today. "I think she has already shown some good things this week in training, and we can see what she can bring to the team."

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Bompastor went on to call last week's decision to keep Kerr on the bench "my choice," saying "She's doing everything she can to be available for the squad and available to start…. The next step for her is to be involved in a short game in the league, and maybe we'll see that on Sunday."

USWNT fans will not get a glimpse of defender Naomi Girma, however, as the January 2025 Chelsea addition sat out last Friday's clash with a calf injury and remains unavailable.

How to watch Aston Villa vs. Chelsea FC this weekend

With the possibility of Thompson and Kerr taking the WSL pitch, Chelsea will visit Aston Villa at 7 AM ET on Sunday, with live coverage of the match streaming on ESPN+.

Splashy new Gotham FC addition Jaedyn Shaw is returning West, as the No. 6 NY/NJ club preps for a Friday night clash against the No. 3 San Diego Wave — Shaw's original NWSL team — days after signing the USWNT prospect from the No. 11 North Carolina Courage.

"I'm so excited to be a part of this incredible club and community," the 20-year-old said after her NWSL-record $1.25 million transfer to Gotham. "I'm looking forward to playing alongside world class players and giving my all to help the team win another championship."

After finding immediate success with the Wave in 2023, Shaw requested a trade to the Courage in January 2025, initiating what turned out to be a short stint in Cary, NC.

"I've grown so much just over the past few months, being at the Courage," Shaw told ESPN on Thursday. "I feel like I've matured a lot. I've had to experience things that I haven't necessarily experienced in my career and having to deal with those things."

Gotham and Shaw are currently "working toward an updated and extended contract," per a team release on Thursday, with the young attacker looking to boost Gotham's offense while adding to her 16-goal and five-assist NWSL career tally.

How to watch the San Diego Wave vs. Gotham on Friday

Shaw could take the pitch for No. 6 Gotham in her new club's Friday night visit to the No. 3 San Diego Wave.

The match kicks off at 10 PM ET, with live coverage airing on Prime.

The No. 1 Kansas City Current are closing in on the 2025 NWSL Shield, gearing up for a Saturday night showdown against the No. 2 Washington Spirit that could inject insurmountable distance between the Current and the rest of the league.

With a 14-point lead at the top of the NWSL standings, Kansas City has already clinched a postseason berth, and the Current only need only a few more results to secure a franchise-first league trophy.

Even more, KC enters Saturday's match on an 11-game unbeaten streak, with the Current hosting the Spirit at their home CPKC Stadium — a pitch where Kansas City has yet to drop a match this year.

Despite that dominance, it may not be smooth sailing for the Current, as Washington's future is beginning to take shape behind recently returned star Trinity Rodman, whose brace lifted the Spirit over the No. 7 Seattle Reign last Sunday.

"She's not back, because she's a different player," Washington head coach Adrián González told reporters about Rodman's level of play. "After her injury, she's more prepared mentally. She's having enough time to get the minutes, the training, and the exposures that she needs with no pressure."

How to watch the Kansas City Current vs. Washington Spirit

The No. 1 Kansas City Current will host the No. 2 Washington Spirit on Saturday, with the top-tier match kicking off live at 7:30 PM ET on ION.