On Sunday evening, late into the night on all coasts, the San Diego Wave made more history. After becoming the first expansion club in league history to make the NWSL playoffs in their inaugural season, the Wave did one better, defeating the Chicago Red Stars 2-1 in extra time to book their ticket to a semifinal date with the Portland Thorns.

The Wave came into the match with an element of uncertainty, as the injury bug had appeared to strike at the exactly wrong time. Katie Johnson and Abby Dahlkemper were ruled out of the match due to injury, and Taylor Kornieck and Alex Morgan were listed as questionable in the weeks leading up to the match.

This meant that San Diego was likely going to have to rely on its other star asset: Casey Stoney, the team’s manager. The Wave’s tactical flexibility has been an undercurrent of their success in their first year, despite a reputation for “route one” soccer. Stoney and Co. showcased their full-team discipline to defend in their regular season finale, a 0-0 draw against the North Carolina Courage.

That performance hinted at what a game might look like if Morgan and Kornieck were unavailable, after the U.S. women’s national team players suffered injuries late in the regular season. As it turned out, the concerns were unfounded (despite slight gamesmanship from Stoney as to the severity of their injuries.) Morgan and Kornieck both started on Sunday and were critical to the Wave’s execution on offense.

Chicago came out in a high press, generating turnovers and disrupting San Diego’s ability to move the ball forward. One such moment of pressure gave the Red Stars an unexpected early lead. San Diego goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan, who has been excellent in long-ball distribution this year, made an uncharacteristic mistake in the 10th minute, spilling the ball at the top of the box to the feet of Yuki Nagasato. Before anyone else could react, Nagasato calmly chipped the keeper to put Chicago ahead 1-0.

The Red Stars capitalize on a mistake to take an early lead!!@chicagoredstars | #MKOT pic.twitter.com/BiyjU2Lihg

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) October 17, 2022

Sheridan’s mistake was the kind that can make or break a playoff game as competitive as this one. The Red Stars seized the momentum for the rest of the first half, combining well through their newly healthy midfield box formation and cutting through the center of the pitch with ease. San Diego’s defense, though, held firm, doing just enough to keep Mallory Pugh from getting a lethal shot off or Nagasato from pouncing on another mistake.

The Wave also held their own on the wings despite struggling with the Red Stars’ on-ball dribbling talent. Chicago did well to advance continuously into San Diego’s 18-yard-box without resistance, and yet at the half, the Wave were down only 1-0. As the first half wore on, San Diego also began to get separation on set pieces, with the 6-foot-1 Kornieck proving nearly impossible to mark in the air time and time again.

After halftime, San Diego tapped into depth, tactics and some old-fashioned belief to get back into the game. The downside of an aggressive press, like the one the Red Stars started the game with, is that you pay the price with your legs later in the match, and Chicago began to wear down in the second half. Stoney subbed in Sofia Jakobsson, who started to get acres of space along the left wing. It was Jakobsson’s run down the sideline that led to the game’s equalizer, with midfielder Emily van Egmond scoring her first NWSL goal of the season. The Wave also began pressuring the Red Stars’ center-backs and defensive midfielders, affecting their ability to control the tempo as they had in the first half.

Annnnnnnd they're back in the game! @Em_surf gets her first NWSL goal since 2014 to equalize for the Wave!! @sandiegowavefc | #WaveFC pic.twitter.com/NDmJtIzE3w

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) October 17, 2022

It’s true that San Diego relied on a direct style of play that can be criticized as predictable, but it’s also true that it’s an exhausting style to try to defend. As Naomi Girma continued to send in probing long passes, and Morgan put her body on the line to reach the ends of those passes, the Red Stars began to run out of gas in a footrace they were trying to avoid.

In extra time, the Red Stars left a substitute unused, and a number of starters began to struggle with cramping and lack of pace. San Diego also brought on Amirah Ali for a waning Kornieck, and control of the match began to tip in the Wave’s favor.

Which brought all roads back to Morgan, the 2022 Golden Boot winner who showed some of the qualities that make her such a special player in big games. Fans know Morgan as a player who can streak into space and get in behind a defense. But on Sunday, Morgan played the role she perfected in the 2019 World Cup, which is to sit in the trenches and open up attacking lanes just enough to make a difference.

The goal in the 110th minute came off a corner kick. Morgan’s patience on the ball in the moment allowed her just enough space to slip the shot underneath goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher and end Chicago’s season.

IT HAD TO BE ALEX MORGAN!!@sandiegowavefc | #WaveFC pic.twitter.com/McOwynzpgK

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) October 17, 2022

Morgan didn’t look 100 percent on Sunday, but she changed her game to bolster her effectiveness; and as she went, so her team followed. The Wave aren’t always ready with an immediate Plan B when they’re put on their heels, but you don’t make it this far in the NWSL season without a little bit of luck and effort, buying yourself enough time to adjust.

Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

UCLA-bound high school senior Sienna Betts led the West team to a decisive 104-82 victory over the East in the McDonald's All-American Girls Game held last night at New York's Barclays Center.

The 6'4" forward contributed 16 points, seven rebounds, and two assists, earning MVP honors for her performance. ​

Betts is currently the class of 2025's No. 2 overall recruit. Only Texas-based point guard Aaliyah Chavez, who recently committed to the Oklahoma Sooners, ranks above her.

Betts to join sister Lauren Betts at UCLA next year

Betts's performance is a good indicator of her potential impact at UCLA next year. There, she'll join forces with her sister Lauren Betts, the senior currently leading the Bruins to this season's NCAA Final Four after transferring in from Stanford.

The Betts sisters' arrival is highly anticipated, with Lauren opting to forgo the 2025 WNBA Draft in order to play out her final year of college eligibility alongside her little sister.

“For me, it [committing to UCLA] was a lot about how the coaches care about you off the court, and the coaches at UCLA, they really care about your mental health,” Betts told The Flagler College Gargoyle after committing last year. “Every team that I’ve ever been on, we’ve been a family… So, they really cared about that part of basketball for me, and they showed me that on my visits and when I called to talk to them.”

Betts in good company as McDonald's All-American Game MVP

In Brooklyn, Betts showcased her ability among the sport's best high school talent. Recent McDonald's All-American MVPs have all gone onto fuel prominent NCAA programs, including top-ranked recruits UConn's Sarah Strong, South Carolina's Joyce Edwards, USC's JuJu Watkins, Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo, and UCLA's own Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez.

The McDonald's All-American Game has a storied history of highlighting promising players, with past MVPs subsequently laying the foundation for future superstars.

Less than a day after Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles shocked the women’s basketball world by opting to enter the transfer portal rather than declare for the 2025 WNBA Draft, the Irish’s transfer fall-out has continued.

Sophomore guard Emma Risch and freshman forward Kate Koval have also entered the portal, with Koval — who started in 10 games this season — leading the Irish in blocks.

Between transfer moves and graduating seniors, sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo remains Notre Dame’s only returning starter — a sharp turn for an Irish squad ranked No. 1 in the country just six weeks ago.

Other top NCAA programs see transfer portal movement

Notre Dame isn’t the only top-tier program experiencing a roster shakeup after exiting the 2025 NCAA tournament.

LSU sophomore forward Sa'myah Smith entered the transfer portal after the Tigers’ season ended in Sunday’s Elite Eight. USC sophomore guard Aaliyah Gayles subsequently followed suit after the Trojans fell to UConn on Monday.

Schools like TCU have become national contenders via the transfer portal, with the Horned Frogs recruiting both Hailey Van Lith and Sedona Prince ahead of their first-ever Elite Eight run. Former Kentucky center Clara Silva is the latest transfer to commit to TCU, as the team comes off their best tournament finish in school history.

The modern era of NCAA roster-building is upon us, with top players taking the reigns as ambitious teams scramble to fill offseason gaps.

The NWSL is looking to sign a new Sunday night TV deal, according to a Sports Business Journal report published this week.

The league is targeting a two-year deal starting in 2026, with both new and existing TV partners interested in picking up additional NWSL games.

NWSL looks to build on multimillion dollar TV deal

The NWSL is currently two years into a four-year, $240 million TV partnership with ESPN, Prime, ION, and CBS Sports. However, the current contract doesn’t cover the entire schedule. And with league expansion planned for 2026, even more inventory is on the way.

SBJ notes that the market for this season’s lineup has been strong. In fact, all four media partners have already sold out all their 2025 advertising slots.

“You cannot find a place to spend right now,” IMG’s Hillary Mandel said at a recent Business of Soccer event hosted by SBJ. “We know what’s motivating interest is the fact that there’s no place to invest. That’s a phenomenal story in such a short period of time."

ESPN spotlighted for TV network-owned Sunday lineup

ESPN could be a prime candidate for a Sunday package, with the network set to move on from Sunday Night Baseball after the 2025 MLB season.

The NWSL has traditionally leaned into network-owned nights, with Prime airing Friday night matchups and ION running Saturday double-headers.

The NWSL’s most recent contract subsequently added serious value to the league. And the returns have networks coming back for more, setting up a potential bidding war and easing growing pains as new teams join the fold.

UCLA will hit the court for their first-ever NCAA Final Four on Friday, but as they extend the most successful season in program history, the Bruins have looked anything but green.

“We said talent was going to be our floor,” UCLA head coach Cori Close said after Sunday’s Elite Eight win over LSU. “Our character, our chemistry, our habits were going to be our ceiling.”

With just two losses on the season, UCLA’s status as a first-rate NCAA title contender has actually been years in the making.

Roster-building paves the way to the Final Four

In 2022, the Bruins signed the No. 1 recruiting class in the country, stacking their roster with top high school standouts Gabriela Jaquez, Kiki Rice, and Londynn Jones.

UCLA then upped their game even further last year, when 2022 No. 1 overall recruit Lauren Betts transferred in from Stanford — a move that fueled the Bruins all the way to the Sweet 16 with the promise of even greater success.

“Everyone came to UCLA for this reason: to do something we haven't done in a really long time,” Jaquez said on Sunday. “[I’m] just really proud of my teammates, the staff, the coaches, just continuing to get better every day and grow from each season prior.

With Lauren Betts at center, UCLA leans on depth

As one of the most dominant post players in college basketball, Betts is at the literal center of every UCLA performance. But that doesn’t mean the Bruins lack the depth it takes to handle a team like Final Four opponent UConn.

“When we have a deep team, I don’t have to be in the game at all times,” Betts said. “I have a team full of players who are just amazing and talented in their own right, and they put in the work.”

All in all, UCLA is coming into their own after developing much of its squad from the ground-up. Now it's time to make the case that patient roster-building can pay off on NCAA basketball’s biggest stage.