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‘Angel City’ documentary: The realest look yet at an NWSL team

Angel City captain Ali Riley celebrates a goal with Sydney Leroux during the club’s inaugural season in 2022. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

One of the NWSL’s highest-profile clubs is getting the Hollywood treatment this week, as the new three-part HBO documentary “Angel City” airs for the first time. The film covers the Los Angeles club from its inception, when a high-profile group led by team president Julie Uhrman, her business partner Kara Nortman and Academy Award-winning actress Natalie Portman brought their idea for a new kind of ownership model to life.

The film documents in great detail the building blocks to creating a team in the still-young NWSL, as Uhrman leads the charge in turning a dream into a very successful reality. It then follows the highs and lows of the club’s inaugural season as an expansion side, during which Angel City battles to make the 2022 NWSL playoffs.

“Angel City” portrays a strong proof of concept — that women’s sports can and should be treated as legitimate business — while also telling a classic sports story.

The film both serves as an entry point for casual fans to women’s soccer and provides diehard fans with an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at the club. Footage of NWSL teams has been compiled in the past (the likely never-to-be-seen documentary on Paul Riley’s North Carolina Courage being perhaps the most notable), but no club has ever been the subject of quite so deep a dive.

Portman’s production company not only created the documentary, but the Oscar winner also pitched the players on the idea of filming their season, starting from the very first team meeting. Players suddenly had to balance their jobs on the field with their appearances on camera.

“Natalie came in and really sat down with us and said her vision and why she wanted to do it,” says Angel City captain Ali Riley. “And it made everyone feel so much more comfortable with it.”

Director Arlene Nelson immersed herself in the world of women’s soccer and also took a trust-building approach, giving players her phone number early on, with an open offer to share any concerns.

“I think you see some of these reality shows, and you just get worried about how you’re going to be presented and what kind of drama they’re going to be looking for,” Riley says, noting that players were assured no one was looking to create a villain in order to make the documentary compelling.

“It was a real dance to build trust,” Nelson agrees. “To show up, and at the same time to give them their space.”

Sports documentaries have increasingly become effective ways to grow fandom, as seen in the wildly successful Netflix Formula 1 series “Drive to Survive,” HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” and Amazon Prime’s extensive “All or Nothing” series. The goal with these films has been to explain the ins and outs of a team or league to newcomers, while also not shying away from the conflicts that arise from high-performance environments in professional sports.

The makers of “Angel City” took a very similar approach.

Players got a chance to share their backstories as they embarked on one of the more unique journeys in their NWSL careers, playing for sold-out crowds and in front of A-listers like Jennifer Garner and Serena Williams. The scenes of triumph are epic, but a documentary free of tension won’t inspire fans to engage in the same way, and “Angel City” draws viewers in enough to feel the stakes.

“I think that it’s important to show that it all doesn’t come easy, and that there is friction, and that is where the trust comes in,” Nelson says.

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Angel City led the NWSL in attendance in its first year, averaging over 19,000 fans at home games. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The film offers a glimpse into many conversations between Angel City head coach Freya Coombe and general manager Eni Aluko, whose management styles clashed at times, leading to Aluko leaving the club before the end of the 2022 season. The team’s Challenge Cup campaign isn’t sugar-coated either, with Coombe calling the defensive performance “not even professional level” in a postgame exchange with Uhrman and season-long challenges presented by the team’s no-trade clause.

“Everyone’s worried about looking like an asshole on HBO,” Riley jokes. “But then you’re like, we don’t want this to be like everything is perfect.”

Angel City dealt with more than a few bumps in the road during their first year: It took them time to find a settled training facility, their head coaching hire came under intense scrutiny, and the NWSL fined the club for tampering before the season even began.

The film also doesn’t shy away from midfielder Katie Cousins’ controversial Instagram story about wearing Pride jerseys, her teammate’s reactions and the club’s internal response. And even as the team racked up accomplishments off the field — in both sponsorships and ticket sales — they weathered a series of serious injuries that greatly affected the course of their season. The setbacks at the center of the docuseries are the season-ending ACL tear forward Christen Press suffered halfway through the season and the limited availability of Sydney Leroux, whom ACFC acquired in a midseason trade with the Orlando Pride to aid the attack.

“I feel emotional just talking about it,” Riley says. “Because it’s hard to live it once, let alone to see it again in slow motion. The optimism of how the season was starting, and then with Christen getting injured and then having Syd [be injured], it’s just this rollercoaster. But that was so real.”

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Christen Press, ACFC's first signing in 2021, is still recovering from a torn ACL. (Harry How/Getty Images)

In one scene, defender Paige Nielsen expresses her disappointment at missing the team’s regular season home opener due to an injury, while simultaneously contemplating the risk of moving her wife across the country to join her in Los Angeles.

“I just feel a lot of pressure sometimes,” Nielsen says quietly to a trainer before trailing off.

“We’re not being paid millions of dollars to do this,” Riley says. “We make a lot of sacrifices to do what we love. You see the passion. The injuries are such a real part of sport.”

The other part of the sport that “Angel City” prioritizes is the game footage, which is immaculate. Nelson brought up to six camera operators to Angel City home matches, capturing close-up and expansive footage that gives the viewer a sense of what it’s like to be on the ground level of an NWSL match.

“We wanted you to feel the sweat dripping off their brows and the clashing of these gladiator-like warriors, we wanted you to feel like you were immersed in the game,” Nelson says. “It was just as important to us as an intimate single camera interview.”

As fans of women’s soccer know well, those details matter because they represent a level of equity the NWSL is still pushing toward in its 10th season. No one in the film was more adamant for growth in NWSL broadcasts than Portman, who lightly grills commissioner Jessica Berman on the league’s TV presentation in one “Angel City” scene.

“We’ve talked so much about the quantity of coverage and women’s sports, but it’s also about the quality,” Riley says. “There’s studies even showing that women players, athletes, are sexualized in how they’re documented, or just the camera angles, and we struggle with it sometimes in NWSL.”

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Kara Nortman, Natalie Portman and Julie Uhrman pose at the "Angel City" L.A. premiere on May 4. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images

In the pursuit of attracting new fans, the film embodies the concept that you have to educate as well as entertain.

“Sometimes you have to tell people what is cool and what to support. They don’t know what they don’t know,” Riley says.

Taking a page from the club it documents, “Angel City” is a story packed with ideas, successes and adversity, painting the picture of a club making incredible strides off the field while the team strives to join the upper echelon of the league.

“It’s something that I want every player to experience, especially women, to have the kind of attendance numbers we have, to be part of a club that has these strong values, that really wants to extend beyond ourselves,” Riley says. “What we have in Angel City is this huge platform and so many eyes on us, and I think the players are doing such an amazing job of taking advantage of that.”

“Angel City” premieres Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.

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

USL Super League Champs Tampa Bay Sun Plan 15,000-Seat Stadium for Ybor Harbor

A rendering of the proposed 15,000-seat stadium for the USL Super League's Tampa Bay Sun FC.
The 15,000-seat stadium will be the first of its kind in the USL. (The Beck Group)

The Tampa Bay Sun became the latest team to announce plans for a purpose-built women's soccer stadium this week, with the 2025 USL Super League champs looking to construct a 15,000-seat venue on the Ybor Harbor waterfront.

"We believe in the power of sport to inspire, unite, and drive meaningful change," said Sun majority owner Darryl Shaw in the club's Tuesday announcement. "By anchoring this historic neighborhood with a vibrant home for women's professional soccer, we're investing in our city's future and honoring the community that makes it thrive."

The state-of-the-art stadium for the top-flight USL club is the star of the proposal, though the 33-acre mixed-use development project also incorporates retail and residential spaces, as well as hotels, restaurants, and offices to house the United Soccer League headquarters.

While the new development has yet to announce a construction timeline or overall cost, the project comes as the USL Super League moves into its second season following a successful inaugural year.

"We're accelerating the growth of women's soccer while creating lasting benefits for Tampa Bay," said USL CEO Alec Papadakis. "The stadium development will be a place where fans and community come together and celebrate our sport."

"Tampa is a city of champions — and now we're dreaming even bigger," remarked Tampa mayor Jane Castor. "The stadium would deliver a place that captures our city's energy, inspires the next generation, and stands as a national symbol of what happens when cities invest boldly in women's sports and inclusive economic growth."

NWSL Stars Headline USWNT Roster Drop Ahead of Summer Friendlies

USWNT star midfielder Rose Lavelle looks on during a match at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Star midfielder Rose Lavelle is back on the USWNT roster for the first time since 2024. (Alex Grimm - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

The USWNT announced a few welcome returns on Wednesday morning, tapping a roster heavy on NWSL talent for the world No. 1 team's upcoming friendlies against No. 25 Ireland and No. 8 Canada.

Veteran midfielder Rose Lavelle is back in the fold, with the Gotham standout coming off ankle surgery to join her first US camp since November 2024.

Spirit midfielder Croix Bethune is also making a return, as she continues her recovery protocol following an August 2024 knee surgery.

The roster's lone European club player is star center back Naomi Girma, with head coach Emma Hayes opting to give most of the team's Europe-based stars a crucial break.

"[Girma] felt really strongly that she needed the minutes," Hayes explained, referencing the defender's recent months off the pitch due to a calf injury. "She wants to be involved with the national team because she felt she's missed a really key camp for us."

The Europe-based absences carved space for some new faces, with Gotham defender Lilly Reale, Seattle defender Jordyn Bugg, Kansas City defender Izzy Rodriguez, and Seattle midfielder Sam Meza all earning their first senior team call-ups.

With an average of 18.4 caps per player, this NWSL-heavy roster marks one of the least-experienced friendly lineups in the modern history of the USWNT.

"This is a uniquely different situation, different window, where so many senior players will not be with us in this camp," Hayes told reporters. "This is probably the last time I'll be able to do this in the lead-up to qualifying for the World Cup."

With much of the USWNT's trusted core resting during this window, Hayes will snag a critical — and possibly final — look at how lesser-known NWSL players size up against international competition.

The June/July 2025 USWNT roster

  • Goalkeepers: Angelina Anderson (Angel City), Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign) Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals)
  • Defenders: Kerry Abello (Orlando Pride), Jordyn Bugg (Seattle Reign), Naomi Girma (Chelsea), Lilly Reale (Gotham), Tara McKeown (Washington Spirit), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash), Izzy Rodriguez (Kansas City Current), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride), Emily Sonnett (Gotham), Gisele Thompson (Angel City)
  • Midfielders: Croix Bethune (Washington Spirit), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current), Rose Lavelle (Gotham), Sam Meza (Seattle Reign), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns)
  • Forwards: Lynn Biyendolo (Seattle Reign), Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current), Yazmeen Ryan (Houston Dash), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville), Ally Sentnor (Utah Royals), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City)

How to watch the upcoming USWNT friendlies

The No. 1 USWNT will kick off their summer friendlies in Commerce City, Colorado, taking on No. 25 Ireland at 9 PM ET on June 26th before the pair clash again in Cincinnati, Ohio, at 3 PM ET on June 29th.

The US will close out the window against No. 8 Canada, facing their longtime rivals in Washington, DC, at 7:30 PM ET on July 2nd.

Live coverage of the first match will air on TBS, with TNT set to broadcast the following two games.

Fever, Lynx Advance to 2025 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Championship

Connecticut Sun guard Saniya Rivers guards a three-point shot from Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark during a 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup game.
Three ejections were issued in Tuesday's Indiana Fever win over the Connecticut Sun. (Brian Choi/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Indiana Fever advanced to the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup championship on Tuesday night, clinching their franchise-first Cup final berth following a tense battle with the Connecticut Sun that saw three ejections and two flagrant fouls.

In the game's first half, Sun guard Jacy Sheldon committed a Flagrant 1 on Fever guard Caitlin Clark, with Sheldon and teammate Marina Mabrey receiving a pair of technicals for shoving after the call.

With Indiana dominating late in the matchup, Fever guard Sophie Cunningham committed a Flagrant 2 on Sheldon, spurring a scuffle that ended with Cunningham, Sheldon, and Sun guard Lindsey Allen all being ejected.

The rest of Tuesday's Commissioner's Cup action played out mostly as expected, with New York securing an 86-81 comeback victory over the Atlanta Dream. However, because of the Fever's victory, the Liberty fell just short of returning to the Cup final.

The Minnesota Lynx also launched a comeback to take down Las Vegas 76-62, successfully punching their ticket to defend their 2024 Cup title — despite star forward Napheesa Collier exiting the showdown with an apparent back injury.

Ultimately, while on-court performances should have driven the narrative, lack of referee control overshadowed the night.

"Everyone is getting better but the officials," Indiana head coach Stephanie White said after the Fever's win. "We need to remedy that. I mean, we've heard every coach talk about it. I don't know what the answer is."

How to watch the WNBA Commissioner's Cup Championship

The grand finale of the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup between the Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx will tip off at 8 PM ET on July 1st, with live coverage on Prime.

FIBA EuroBasket Tips Off with WNBA Stars Headlining European Teams

Great Britain center Temi Fagbenle watches a shot during a 2023 FIBA EuroBasket game against Germany.
Valkyries center Temi Fagbenle is one of several WNBA players participating in the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket tournament. (Nikola Krstic/MB Media/Getty Images)

The FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2025 has arrived, with the 16-team regional tournament tipping off its group stage on Wednesday before the knockout stages begin on June 24th.

Hosted across the continent with games in Czechia, Germany, Italy, and Greece, the 40th edition of the annual competition carries the additional weight of serving as a qualifying event for the 2026 FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournaments.

As a result, the top five teams in this month's EuroBasket contest will earn automatic spots in one of the March 2026 qualifiers.

Leading the charge to this year's trophy are 2023 winners Belgium, who enter the EuroBasket tournament as reigning champions.

However, 2024 Olympic silver medalists France have since stepped into the spotlight, with the always-dangerous Spain also threatening a podium finish.

Familiar faces to WNBA fans will feature on the 2025 EuroBasket courts this month, as several WNBA players have temporarily departed their US clubs to join their national teams in Europe, including Belgium guard Julie Allemand (LA Sparks), Great Britain center Temi Fagbenle (Golden State Valkyries), and Germany forward Leonie Fiebich (New York Liberty).

As a major international tournament, the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket is exempt from the WNBA's prioritization rule, meaning eligible players can miss regular-season league play to compete in the overseas contest without being in violation of WNBA protocols.

How to watch FIBA Women's EuroBasket in the US

The EuroBasket group-stage action tipped off on Wednesday morning, with all games streaming live on Courtside 1891.

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