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Why it’s time for Catarina Macario to join the NWSL

Catarina Macario won a UEFA Women’s Champions League title with Olympique Lyon last year before tearing her ACL. (ANP via Getty Images)

After U.S. women’s national team forward Catarina Macario injured her ACL in June 2022, the common consensus was that she would recover fully in time for the 2023 World Cup, and that if she could compete physically, she’d be on the plane to New Zealand. Macario is a unique talent U.S. head coach Vlatko Andonovski had begun to build the team’s young attacking core around, before suddenly having to adjust to her absence.

As the weeks before the tournament continue to tick away, however, Macario has yet to return to the field for either the USWNT or her club team, Olympique Lyon. With the World Cup far from a foregone conclusion, the question of whether she’ll be ready to play in July has only grown.

Since graduating from Stanford in 2021, Macario has played in Europe with a great amount of success. But now that she is delayed in her ACL recovery, and trying to make the biggest roster of her still-young career, the scales may have finally tipped in the NWSL’s favor.

The World Cup is worth adjusting for

Macario opted not to enter the NWSL draft in 2021, instead taking her talents to Lyon, one of the giants of European women’s football. The reasons for her decision at the time were all sound: European clubs don’t adhere to a salary cap, meaning they could offer far more in salary to a young player on the rise. It also gave her a chance to control her own destiny based on demand for her skill, something the NWSL’s parity rules threatened to take away from the college superstar.

Macario might have longer-term plans in Europe after a successful run with Olympique Lyon, winning both Division 1 Féminine and the UEFA Women’s Champions League in 2022. But the NWSL’s greatest pull in the build-up to the 2023 World Cup is that they are playing league games right now.

Lyon lost their recent Champions League match against Chelsea, limiting the number of games the team has left before moving into the summer offseason. With four games remaining, there isn’t much need for Lyon to rotate Macario in even if she does prove ready for game time before the first week of June. The forward is also currently out of contract with Lyon, which might affect their desire to make sure she is building momentum for the next season.

With her future in Lyon far from certain, a sign-and-loan deal might not be on the table. Alternatively, getting a contract signed quickly in the NWSL could be the difference in getting considerable club minutes.

Andonovski has made it very clear he expects Macario to get playing time in a competitive environment before he’ll consider her for a World Cup spot, a philosophy that Alex Morgan confirmed on this week’s episode of Snacks.

“Vlatko has said something which no coach has ever really come out and said, which is, your club really dictates, right now, if you’re going to make this [USWNT] team,” Morgan told co-hosts Lynn Williams and Sam Mewis. “He’s going to games every weekend, looking at players. I feel like that’s the first time that we’ve had a coach come out and just be like, ‘Yeah, your club play is important, and that’s what’s going to make or break a spot for you.’”

Andonovski has brought players back into camp after long absences so he can either monitor them or get them playing time, but those returns were under club conditions that Macario has yet to achieve. For Macario, giving up a few long-term goals to ensure a smooth transition into competitive games might be worth it if it guarantees a World Cup spot.

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Macario has scored eight goals in 17 appearances for the USWNT since 2021. (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

What an NWSL entry might look like

Macario’s current situation has been drawn up in contrast to that of USWNT midfielder Julie Ertz, who returned to USWNT camp in April after a multi-year absence. Unlike Macario, Ertz was physically able to play in both of the U.S.’s April friendlies against Ireland, but she hadn’t suited up in an NWSL game in almost two years.

By next week, Ertz will be back in the swing of club play, having signed a one-year deal with Angel City FC in anticipation of joining the USWNT midfield in New Zealand. Ertz has the opportunity to play in up to 12 club matches before internationals leave for camp.

Ertz’s approach could be one that Macario follows, though their avenues to entry might be slightly different. A number of teams would be more than willing to give Macario a one-year contract, but the 23-year-old would have to enter through discovery rather than as a free agent like Ertz. Whether Macario’s rights are already held by a team is unclear, but again the NWSL’s parity rules complicate the young star’s path toward playing time.

“I have been talking to Vlatko, obviously, about the whole situation,” Macario said on CBS Sports last week. “Specifically because my season in Lyon [ends soon] and I’m hoping obviously to play as soon as I can. But, like I said, sometimes with injuries, you just have to be patient, you need to have time and just hope everything heals well.”

One obvious solution would be for Macario to re-sign with Lyon and then immediately complete a short-term loan to OL Reign. OL Groupe, however, is currently looking to divest from their ownership of the Seattle NWSL club, likely dashing any further collaboration between the European side and their North American counterpart.

Another, more permanent option would be for Macario to figure out an entry into the NWSL as a contracted player and sign with a team closer to home. Macario grew up in the San Diego area, and might still be able to find a long-term destination depending on salary cap space and current personnel.

So much of Macario’s future will ultimately depend on when she is physically ready to return to the field. But making the World Cup roster has to be the entire story, not just a subplot. For NWSL fans, it might mean a long-awaited debut.

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

Top Tennis Stars Crash Out of Wimbledon in the First Round

US tennis star Coco Gauff reacts to her 2025 Wimbledon first-round loss to Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska.
World No. 2 Coco Gauff fell to Ukraine's unseeded Dayana Yastremska in the first round of 2025 Wimbledon on Tuesday. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)

The grass court chaos of Wimbledon didn't disappoint this week, as the unpredictable surface claimed more than one surprise victim in the 2025 Grand Slam's first round.

A full 10 of the London tournament's 32 seeded players fell in the competition's first round, including four of the WTA's Top 10: World No. 2 Coco Gauff, No. 3 Jessica Pegula, No. 6 Qinwen Zheng, and No. 9 Paula Badosa.

"I should just play no tournaments, get no wins, then roll into Wimbledon, and maybe I'll have better results," US star Pegula joked after her two-set Tuesday loss to Italy's No. 116 Elisabetta Cocciaretto, referencing her recent wins.

Gauff's short Wimbledon outing also represented a new challenge for the 21-year-old standout, as the top-ranked US tennis player struggled to bounce back after winning the 2025 French Open last month.

"I feel like mentally I was a little bit overwhelmed with everything that came afterwards," Gauff told ESPN. "So I didn’t feel like I had enough time to celebrate and also get back into it."

The upsets continued as Wimbledon entered its second round on Wednesday morning, claiming several more seeded players like world No. 5 Jasmine Paolini and No. 15 Diana Shnaider, though both No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and unseeded fan favorite Naomi Osaka cruised into the Slam's third round on two-set wins.

No. 8 Madison Keys now leads the US contingent, with fellow US contender No. 12 Amanda Anisimova joining the 2025 Australian Open champion in snagging their own two-set, second-round victories on Wednesday.

How to watch the 2025 Wimbledon Championships

Second-round play at the 2025 Wimbledon women's singles tournament continues on Thursday, as seven US players — including No. 10 Emma Navarro and No. 28 Sofia Kenin — look to advance to the competition's third round.

Live continuous coverage of the London Grand Slam airs on ESPN.

USWNT Faces Rivals Canada in Final Summer Friendly

USWNT players Alyssa Thompson and Sam Meza eye the ball during a June 2025 training camp.
The USWNT will face Canada in their final summer friendly on Wednesday. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

The world No. 1 USWNT will close out their summer international break against a familiar foe on Wednesday night, facing North American rival No. 8 Canada for the first time this year.

"It's never friendly, you know? It's always like a final," US midfielder Sam Coffey told media earlier this week. "We all know each other super well."

"I'm really excited to be a part of it again for our younger, newer players," she continued. "I think it's going to be a huge learning opportunity on what representing this crest means."

The Northern neighbors are the USWNT's most frequent opponent, with the US entering the pair's 67th meeting with a 53-4-9 all-time record against Canada.

Wednesday's matchup will also mark Canada's first US clash under new head coach Casey Stoney, who joined the team in January following her abrupt June 2024 dismissal by the NWSL's San Diego Wave FC.

As for US boss Emma Hayes, she'll be looking for yet another refreshed set of starters on Wednesday after swapping out all 11 players between the team's two friendlies against Ireland last week.

"It's a testament to players and staff alike that we can rotate to different groups like we did last game, and everybody's understanding [the tactics] to varying degrees," Hayes said on Tuesday.

With months to go before the next USWNT camp in October, Wednesday's showdown serves as the last chance for bubble players to prove their worth, all while the team aims to cap the summer window with a big win over their longtime rivals.

How to watch the USWNT vs. Canada on Wednesday

The USWNT will cap their three-friendly summer break against Canada at 7:30 PM ET in Washington, DC.

Live coverage of the clash will air on TNT.

Indiana Upsets Minnesota, Wins WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Without Clark

The Indiana Fever celebrate and lift the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup trophy.
The Indiana Fever upset the Minnesota Lynx to win the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup. (David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Indiana Fever lifted their first trophy since 2012 on Tuesday night, winning the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup with a 74-59 upset victory over reigning Cup champs Minnesota — all while injured star guard Caitlin Clark watched from the sidelines.

To snag the win, Indiana leaned on balanced scoring, with forward Natasha Howard's 16-point, 12-rebound double-double leading the Fever's five double-digit shooters.

At the same time, the Fever employed a shutdown defense, limiting the Lynx to their lowest point total of the season.

Beyond the $500,000 payout, Tuesday's win gives the 8-8 Fever a momentum boost as the team continues contending with both high-profile departures and the limited availability of their floor general.

"We have a resilient group, you know?" Indiana head coach Stephanie White said after the game. "They're tough, mentally and physically, they pull for one another. I'm just really proud."

"It felt good to get a win under gut-check circumstances," echoed guard Kelsey Mitchell. "To have so much going on and still stay consistently for each other, it was beautiful. It felt really amazing."

As for the league-leading Lynx, the Commissioner's Cup loss won't impact Minnesota's regular-season WNBA standings — and they’ll hope to build on the learnings from last night's ego blow.

Minnesota also has a bit of history one their side, as the last two Commissioner's Cup runners-up went on to win the WNBA Championship in the same year.

"We have to take this game to heart and learn from the mistakes we made, the way we showed up, the way we prepared, and make sure we don't do it again," said Lynx center Alanna Smith.

How to watch the Indiana Fever, Minnesota Lynx this week

Neither 2025 Commissioner's Cup contender will have much time to reflect on Tuesday's game, as both Indiana and Minnesota will dive back into regular-season WNBA play on Thursday.

The Fever will host the Las Vegas Aces at 7 PM ET, airing on Prime, before the Washington Mystics visit the Lynx at 8 PM ET, with live coverage on WNBA League Pass.

Indiana Fever Guard Sophie Cunningham Sounds Off on WNBA Expansion

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham speaks to reporters before the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup final.
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham expressed concern about the new WNBA expansion cities. (David Dow /NBAE via Getty Images)

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham turned heads on Tuesday, criticizing the latest WNBA expansion plans in light of ongoing WNBPA CBA negotiations.

Cunningham drew ire from some fans after expressing skepticism about the WNBA awarding expansion teams to Detroit and Cleveland over other possible cities, while also suggesting that the league might be growing too quickly.

"You want to listen to your players, too. Where do they want to play?" she told reporters ahead of Indiana's Commissioner's Cup win. "I'm not so sure what the thought process is there, but at the end of the day, you want to make sure that you're not expanding our league too fast."

"It's kind of a hard decision-making situation. But man, I don't know how excited people are to be going to Detroit or [Cleveland]."

Elsewhere, Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally also voiced her expansion concerns on Tuesday, calling on the WNBA to keep player support at the forefront when adding expansion teams.

"We really have to put an emphasis on the players that are in our league right now," she told reporters. "Maybe focus on the teams that find excuses continuously to lack investment in their players before we focus on adding more to the grain of people that can't really be sustained."

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