The NWSL will add two teams in 2024, ESPN reported Thursday. NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman confirmed that the league is courting investor groups and aims to select the expansion franchises by the end of this year.

Berman has heard from “over 30 investor groups” interested in the NWSL, she said, though just a handful are ready to hit the ground running, sources told ESPN. While 2023 is “100% off the table,” Berman said, the league plans to add teams the following year.

Utah is expected to host one of those teams, according to ESPN. David Blitzer and Ryan Smith bought MLS’s Real Salt Lake earlier this year, and they have been vocal about wanting to bring a NWSL team back to the area. Blitzer said in January that the return of the Royals was a matter of “when, not if,” and sources told ESPN they expect a team in Utah in 2024.

Road blocks to the Royals’ return remain, though. A fixed fee for the reactivation of the franchise, believed to be approximately $2 million, was set 18 months ago by a previous NWSL commissioner, and the fee has since been increased to keep pace with rising NWSL valuations.

“We’re working with them to figure out what that means,” Berman told ESPN. “The process is underway. There are steps that need to be taken still in order to be in a position to be able to say, yes, in fact, that is happening.”

As for other possible expansion destinations, soccer journalist Grant Wahl reported in May that MLS teams in Atlanta, Austin, Cincinnati and Toronto all are interested. St. Louis and Nashville have also expressed interest, according to ESPN.

Prospective teams must meet three criteria at minimum, Berman said: a wealthy ownership group that is committed to the team, a strong market for fans, and a viable venue for professional soccer.

“I want to approach this group in a very transparent and democratic process, because we really want the best investors and partners for our board,” Berman said. “It’s not necessarily the case that just because someone has contacted us more, that we favor them. We’re going to make the best decision for the league.”

The fee for an expansion team could sit around $10 million, league sources told ESPN. But according to Berman, the market will determine the price when the time comes.

The possibility of relocation was also addressed. USL W League team Minnesota Aurora FC, which recently made its debut, has showcased the market for professional soccer in the state and the Pride were sold last year to the Wilf family, who also owns the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings.

But according to Berman, the relocation of a franchise like the Pride is not on the table, at least right now. Jarrod Dillon, Orlando’s President of Business Operations, also dispelled the rumors in a tweet Friday, saying “there are ZERO discussions selling or relocating” the Pride.

“Relocation is always the last resort, absolutely last resort,” Berman said. “I don’t think there’s a single market that we’re in today that can’t be successful. I believe that we have some work to do to help our teams be better, but relocation would be an absolute last resort.

“We have so much going on right now. As I describe it, the plane is in the air while we are also trying to think about the future of the league.”

While the last-place Connecticut Sun aren't exactly making a strong 2025 postseason run, they are playing spoiler, securing their fourth season victory in a 95-64 blowout win over a hungry No. 9 Golden State side on Sunday.

Eight-time All-Star Tina Charles — the WNBA's all-time top rebounder and second-best career scorer — led the game with 24 points, as the 36-year-old veteran continues to showcase her value.

"This season hasn't been the same as it always has for the Sun, but [fan] loyalty has really fueled us and we know that they're going to show up for us," said Connecticut guard Marina Mabrey after the win.

Monday's WNBA slate will see the Sun shoot for their first winning streak of the 2025 season, with Connecticut taking on a Seattle side they’ve humbled once already:

• No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 13 Connecticut Sun, 7 PM ET (ESPN3): The Storm is hunting consistency after splitting their last 10 games 5-5 — ceding ground in the WNBA standings — while the Sun aims to repeat their July 9th upset victory over Seattle.

• No. 2 New York Liberty vs. No. 12 Dallas Wings, 8 PM ET (ESPN): Injuries could impact Monday's showdown in Texas, as the Wings aim to benefit from a rested Paige Bueckers while the Liberty deal with a knock to star Breanna Stewart.

Higher ranked squads will always look to rebound, but Connecticut's trajectory proves that the underdogs can have their say on any given day.

World No. 5 England are bringing football home once again, lifting their second straight UEFA Women's Euro trophy after defeating reigning World Cup champs No. 2 Spain in the 2025 championship match on Sunday.

Leading for a total of four minutes throughout the entirety of the knockouts, Sunday's win marked England's third consecutive comeback victory this tournament, as the Lionesses bested La Roja in a penalty shootout to become the first back-to-back European champions since 2013.

Armed with more confident knockout-stage results, Spain came out swinging in the first half, going up 1-0 behind Mariona Caldentey's 25th-minute strike.

However, England would not be denied, equalizing off a header from Alessia Russo in the 57th minute to eventually force extra time at a 1-1 deadlock.

The stalemate held through the additional 30 minutes, invoking yet another penalty shootout in true 2025 Euro fashion.

Spain struck first, but three uncharacteristic missed shots from Caldentey, reigning Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmatí, and 2023 World Cup breakout star Salma Paralluelo handed England control of the shootout.

Forward Chloe Kelly — the 2022 title-winning scorer — came through for the Lionesses again, sinking the final shot from the spot to secure England's second major tournament title.

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Sunday's victory also added to Sarina Wiegman's personal perfect Euro record, as the England manager emerged from her third European Championship with a third straight title — two with the Lionesses and one with the Netherlands in 2017.

"She's amazing," Kelly said of Wiegman. "She is an incredible woman. What she's done for this country, we should all be so grateful."

Despite Spain's edge, England showcased the mentality it takes to cap an unlikely run with a fairytale ending — one that could fuel them down the path to another trophy as attention shifts toward the 2027 World Cup.

The top WNBA titans showed some weakness this weekend, as both the No. 1 Minnesota Lynx and No. 2 New York Liberty suffered unexpected upset losses at home.

First on Saturday, the No. 10 LA Sparks staged a 101-99 upset win over reigning WNBA champions New York, notching their fifth straight victory thanks to a dramatic buzzer-beater from guard Rickea Jackson.

Liberty standout Sabrina Ionescu led the game with 30 points, stepping up in the loss after star Breanna Stewart exited with a leg injury less than four minutes into the game.

Similarly, despite perennial MVP candidate Napheesa Collier putting Minnesota on her back with a 32-point performance on Sunday, the league-leading Lynx couldn't contain the No. 4 Atlanta Dream, falling 90-86 in their first home loss of the season.

The win helped the Dream shoot up the WNBA standings, overtaking fourth place from the Seattle Storm, whose 69-58 Saturday loss to the No. 8 Washington Mystics sent them stumbling into the No. 5 spot.

The No. 7 Las Vegas Aces have also been pushing, leapfrogging the Mystics with a 106-80 win over the No. 12 Dallas Wings on Sunday.

"One of the toughest things is going through hard things and remaining optimistic and positive," Aces head coach Becky Hammon said of her team's battle-ready mindset. "My main focus was just to keep everybody upbeat."

While multiple squads have consistently impressed this season, no single team has remained unanswered above the rest — a nod to the league's growing depth and subsequent parity.

British golfer Lottie Woad saw her star skyrocket on Sunday, as the 21-year-old phenom took the 2025 Scottish Open trophy — becoming the second player in three years to win in their professional LPGA debut in the process.

"I think it's quite hard to do that, but very special to win in my first event," Woad said after the win. "Everyone was chasing me today, and [I] managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots."

The debut win places Woad alongside US star Rose Zhang, who opened her career by lifting the 2023 Mizuho Americas Open trophy at 20 years old.

After previously refusing purses to maintain NCAA eligibility, the rising Florida State senior's first pro payday totals $300,000 of the tournament's $2 million overall payout.

Woad made even more history along the way, as her 21-under-par performance tied 2022 Scottish Open champion Ayaka Furue's all-time record score at the tournament.

Second-place finisher Hyo Joo Kim — the world No. 8 South Korean star — capped her weekend performance a full three strokes behind Woad, who rose 38 spots to sit at No. 24 in the world rankings with her stunning victory.

Ultimately, with each of the 2025 LPGA Tour's 19 tournaments thus far claiming a different winner — the longest stretch of parity in the organization's 75-year history — the former world No. 1 amateur is arguably minting herself as this season's breakout star.