Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe have made the cut for the U.S. women’s national team’s World Cup qualifying roster.

The veteran forwards are among the 23 players on coach Vlatko Andonovski’s 23-player Concacaf W Championship roster, released Monday. The eight-team tournament, set in Mexico in July, will decide four automatic berths to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, as well as one berth to the 2024 Paris Olympics.

In addition to the roster, Andonovski named three alternates who will join the squad for the June camp and friendlies against Colombia. Defender Carson Pickett and midfielders Sam Coffey and Jaelin Howell will report to Colorado and Utah for the USWNT’s June 25 and 28 matches against Colombia.

“Since we were last together in April, we’ve been evaluating a lot of games and hours of video and have had extensive conversations among the coaching staff to arrive at this 26-player roster for the Colombia games and the final 23 for qualifying,” Andonovski said in a statement. “As usual, the players don’t make these decisions easy, but we feel this is a roster that can accomplish all of our goals over the four weeks we will be together for what we hope will be seven successful games.”

The Gals of Summer! 🇺🇸

The #USWNT’s 23-player roster for the @ConcacafW Championship is here! 🎉

— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) June 13, 2022

USWNT Concacaf W Championship Roster

Goalkeepers: Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)

Defenders: Alana Cook (OL Reign), Emily Fox (Racing Louisville FC), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC), Sofia Huerta (OL Reign), Kelley O’Hara (Washington Spirit), Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns FC), Emily Sonnett (Washington Spirit)

Midfielders: Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon), Taylor Kornieck (San Diego Wave FC), Rose Lavelle (OL Reign), Kristie Mewis (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit)

Forwards: Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit), Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave FC), Midge Purce (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Mallory Pugh (Chicago Red Stars), Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC)

Top takeaways

• No Christen Press: Christen Press has been a mainstay for the USWNT in big tournaments but has been absent from the squad’s roster as of late. The veteran striker appeared in solid form for Angel City this season before suffering an apparent knee injury in the NWSL club’s Sunday game, having to be helped off the field by the trainer. But according to Andonovski, she wouldn’t have made the roster even at full health.
• First caps: Midfielder Taylor Kornieck earned her first USWNT call-up after fielding consistent performances with the San Diego Wave, notching two goals and an assist on the season. Alternates Pickett and Sam Coffey also earned their inaugural USWNT call-ups. Pickett is leading the NWSL in chances created, averaging 2.5 per 90 minutes from the Courage’s backline, while Coffey has been a steadying force for the Thorns’ midfield.
• Megan Rapinoe is back: USWNT veteran Megan Rapinoe made Andonovski’s World Cup qualifying roster despite appearing in just four matches for 154 minutes this season with OL Reign. With Lynn Williams and Catarina Macario injured, however, space has opened up on the team’s frontline. Rapinoe’s propensity to show up in big moments makes her hard for Andonovski to leave off his roster in consequential tournaments.

Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson is hitting the small screen, teaming up with apparel sponsor Nike and LEGO to host the Danish toymaker's new YouTube Shorts series Clicked In.

According to a Saturday announcement for the series, "Wilson is getting together her closest LEGO Minifigure friends to talk sport, style, and tell unbelievable stories from her real life."

The 2025 WNBA MVP first joined the two brands' new multi-year partnership in May, teaming up to help "inspire kids everywhere to play both on and off the court."

"I have loved playing with LEGO bricks since I was a kid, and know that my creativity and play helped me not only in sports but also at school and in life," Wilson said in a press release last May. "I'm thrilled to be part of this partnership with Nike and the LEGO Group and know we can help to make a positive impact with kids and adults alike."

With new episodes dropping every Sunday through mid-November, LEGO is calling Wilson's upcoming YouTube Shorts series "the biggest mini sports show ever."

In addition to the streaming series, Nike and LEGO will also release the third installment of their kids' clothing and accessories line in less than two weeks, with the full collection set to drop on October 11th.

Angel City welcomed four new owners on Monday, as NBA star Chris Paul headlines four high-profile investors buying into the 2022 NWSL expansion side under the leadership of controlling owner Willow Bay.

A 12-time NBA All-Star, Paul is joined by fellow NWSL investors philanthropist Solina Chau, organizational development consultant Ina Coleman, and entrepreneur Paul Bernon.

"Chris, Solina, Ina, and Paul exemplify the values and vision that define ACFC," said Bay in a club statement. "Their outstanding leadership across business, sport, advocacy, and social impact makes them ideal partners as we continue building a world-class club that is forward-thinking, inclusive, and ambitious."

"It's an incredible honor to join Angel City FC as an investor and owner," Paul said on Monday. "Being able to join ACFC is not only an amazing opportunity, it's a chance to support women's sports and help drive positive change."

Valued at upwards of $250 million, Angel City has long been a draw for celebrity co-owners. The investor roster includes tennis legend Billie Jean King, singer Christina Aguilera, and actors Natalie Portman, Jennifer Garner, and America Ferrera.

Despite the big-name backers, ACFC currently sits 11th in the 2025 NWSL standings with just four matches left on the year. The team is in danger of missing the playoffs for the second straight season.

The WNBA Class of 2025 balled out this season, with the league naming every one of this year's top four draft picks to the All-Rookie Team on Monday — the first quartet to achieve the feat since 2014.

The 2025 No. 1 overall draft pick and Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers leads the first-year squad, with the Dallas Wings guard joined by Seattle Storm center and No. 2 pick Dominique Malonga as well as the Washington Mystics' Nos. 3 and 4 selectees — guard Sonia Citron and forward Kiki Iriafen, respectively.

One undrafted player rounds out this year's WNBA All-Rookie Team, with international signee and Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaün making the cut after averaging 11.3 points per game for the 2025 expansion side — helping lead the Valks to a history-making playoff berth in their inaugural season.

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Three members of the 2025 WNBA All-Rookie Team — Bueckers, Citron, and Iriafen — also became All-Stars in their debut season, with each joining Salaün in logging double-digit point averages across their inaugural pro campaigns.

Bueckers claimed even more scoring history, with her 692 total points trailing only 2024's Caitlin Clark and 2006's Seimone Augustus for most points tallied in a WNBA rookie season.

As for Malonga, the 19-year-old made her own mark as the youngest-ever WNBA player to record 100 career points.

The NWSL is gearing up for the 2025 postseason, releasing this year's Championship Week schedule — including a brand-new end-of-season awards ceremony — on Monday.

Prior to the championship match on Saturday, November 22nd, the festivities in San Jose, California, will kick off with the first-ever NWSL Awards on Wednesday, November 19th.

Calling it a "landmark celebration of excellence in women's soccer," the live awards ceremony on ESPN2 will honor the season's Best XI as well as the 2025 NWSL MVP, Rookie of the Year, Golden Boot winner, Coach of the Year, and the top position players (Midfielder, Defender, and Goalkeeper of the Year).

In addition, the NWSL will announce the winner of the 2025 Lauren Holiday Impact Award during the program.

The league is also bringing back some fan favorite events to this November's Championship Weekend, including the NWSL Skills Challenge, in which players will face off for a cut of a $30,000 prize pool at San Jose State University on Friday, November 21st.

The following day will see the return of Fan Fest, with games, activations, food, and music counting down to kickoff of the 2025 NWSL Championship match, with an additional Post-Game Party wrapping the weekend's celebration at San Pedro Square Market on Saturday evening.