On Monday, the U.S. women’s national team will face their toughest opponent of the Concacaf W Championship so far: Canada.

Both teams have already qualified for the 2023 FIFA World Cup after finishing atop their groups, and now they will compete for a berth in the 2024 Olympics in the Concacaf championship game Monday night (10 p.m. ET, Paramount+). They’re both undefeated in this year’s qualifying tournament and have outscored their opponents 12-0. They’re also both riding 3-0 semifinal victories into the final game.

The last time the two sides met in August 2021, Canada defeated the USWNT 1-0 in the semifinals of the Tokyo Olympics. It was a rare win for the Canadians, who hadn’t beaten the U.S. since 2001. The Americans hold a 51-4-7 all-time edge in the regional rivalry.

But after the Canadians won their first Olympic gold in Tokyo, looking stronger in each international tournament since then, the outcome isn’t as predictable as it used to be. The USWNT also has many new players who have yet to test themselves against an opponent as formidable as Canada.

U.S. head coach Vlatko Andonovski said after the group stage that he doesn’t think the team is ready for the World Cup at this point in their development. But are they ready for Canada? Here’s what to know ahead of the Concacaf W final.

Defense ready to be tested

Neither team in this matchup has conceded a goal yet this tournament. They’ve each had their turns controlling possession and not allowing opponents the opportunity to spend a significant amount of time in their boxes. Now, both defenses will be challenged under higher pressure.

When the ball did get into the USWNT’s box in the group stage, Naomi Girma made a difference when she was in the lineup with her ability to read plays and shut down attacks.

Mexico, the USWNT’s toughest opponent in the tournament so far, was able to exploit them outside of the box, getting off multiple shots from the space between the midfielders and the backline. Canada won’t be afraid to take those chances if they have space. The U.S. will have to keep an eye on center midfielder Jessie Fleming, who can put strikes on target from far out.

Overall, the back four have been the USWNT’s strongest unit so far, contributing heavily to the attack with the center backs’ accurate long balls and the outside backs’ crosses and runs into the attacking third that have resulted in multiple goals and chances.

Lately, Canada has defaulted to a defensive formation that includes two players who are used to playing the No. 6: Quinn and Desiree Scott. If Canada head coach Bev Priestman opts for them both to hang lower, the loaded defense is nothing the USWNT hasn’t seen before, but they’ll still have to prove they can beat it.

Lack of creativity on the attack

The USWNT has become known for their creativity, but it’s been lacking during the Concacaf tournament, and they’ll be hard-pressed to find it in their toughest match yet.

Midfielder Rose Lavelle is usually the mastermind behind the inventiveness, weaving through the midfield until she finds ample space ahead of her to run at backlines. With the low blocks and loaded backlines Concacaf opponents have thrown at the USWNT, Lavelle has struggled to find the space she needs to dictate the game in the ways she’s used to. If Canada plants two defensive midfielders in her way, the U.S. attack could continue to be in trouble.

Canada hasn’t historically been known for their creativity, but the impact their substitutes can make is enough to catch opponents off guard. Canada’s substitutes have scored half of the team’s 12 goals. Adriana Leon most recently recorded a goal and an assist in the semis, delivering a cross right to the head of fellow substitute Allysha Chapman in a play that encapsulated Canada’s attacking strategy.

⚽ GOAL @CanadaSoccerEN!

🇨🇦 Great effort by @allyshachapman to score the header! 2-0. | #CWC pic.twitter.com/1L1dOey5AI

— Concacaf W (@ConcacafW) July 15, 2022

Midfielder Julia Grosso has also provided a spark to the Canadian attack this tournament, demonstrating quick and precise decision-making in the box. She scored her first three international goals in Canada’s opening two games, and her efforts helped wake her team up in the first match against Trinidad and Tobago. With Canada up only 1-0 at the half, Grosso put them on the board twice in the second and led the way to a 6-0 win.

Predictions

Until Canada can clean up their passing, the U.S. should have most of the possession as they continue their high-press strategy. Goals, however, could be hard for them to come by against Canada’s dominant backline that includes Chelsea’s Kadeisha Buchanan, Angel City FC’s Vanessa Gilles and San Diego Wave goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan.

I wouldn’t be surprised if neither side scores in the first 45 minutes as the U.S. adjusts to its new opponent. While they might press more, Canada will quietly wait for a moment to counterattack. The first halves of the USWNT-Canada matchups at the Tokyo Olympics and in the 2020 Concacaf final ended in scoreless draws.

The U.S. will generate multiple scoring opportunities, but Canada’s defensive pressure will make it difficult for them to finish. Canada likely won’t have as many chances, but I predict Fleming, their leading goal scorer in the tournament, will put one away late into the second half before the team locks it down on defense to hold onto a 1-0 victory.

Jessa Braun is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering the NWSL and USWNT. Follow her on Twitter @jessabraun.

Cameron Brink already has her rookie of the year pick for the upcoming WNBA season, and it’s Indiana-bound star Caitlin Clark. 

In the latest edition of Kelley on the Street, host Kelley O'Hara caught up with Brink in New York hours before the Stanford phenom went No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks at the 2024 WNBA Draft. When O’Hara asked who would win the WNBA's rookie of the year, she answered without pause.

"Caitlin Clark," she said, while a fan commented that she thought Brink would take home the award. Brink later added that the extra foul granted to WNBA players will be "good for me."

"I hope it’s me," Charisma Osborne, who was later drafted by the Phoenix Mercury, said when asked her ROY prediction. "But, I don’t know — we’ll see."

Watch more of Kelley on the Street:

Maria Sanchez issued a statement on Thursday, confirming recent reports that she has requested a trade from the Houston Dash. 

In it, she revealed that the club has been aware of the request "since late March."

"This has all taken a toll and isn’t an easy thing to talk about, but I want to confirm that I’ve requested an immediate trade," she wrote. "My expectations and reasons have been clear. I trust that my current club’s management will honor my decision in a timely manner and proceed with accepting a trade."

"I’m eager to refocus and dive back into what I love most: playing football," she concluded.

Thank you, everyone, for the outpouring of kindness and support. pic.twitter.com/gcnN7dhCJU

— Maria Sanchez (@Maria17_7) April 19, 2024

Reports of Sanchez's trade request first surfaced on ESPN last week, and were later confirmed by multiple sources. 

In December of last year, Sanchez signed a three-year contract with the Dash valued at $1.5 million including bonuses and an option year. It was the largest contract in NWSL history at the time — a figure that would be eclipsed by multiple contracts in the following months. 

Sanchez spent the offseason as a restricted free agent, meaning that Houston could match any other team's offer to retain her rights. Should the Dash trade Sanchez, her current contract terms would remain intact, limiting potential buyers to teams able to afford to take on an inking of that size.

The Dash has yet to address the trade, instead reiterating to ESPN that Sanchez is "under contract, a choice she made in free agency at the end of 2023." 

Both the NWSL trade window and transfer window close tonight, April 19th, at 12 a.m. ET. The window will stay closed through the next 11 regular season games, reopening on August 1st, 2024.

The four-time league champion Seattle Storm unveiled their new practice facility on Thursday, with Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel dubbing Interbay's Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance the team’s "new home."

"It's just such a special space," Brummel told Fox 13 Seattle. "I think when the players get here, it's gonna be overwhelming."

The sprawling 50,000-square-foot, $64 million property is just the second designated practice facility to be designed and built expressly for a WNBA team, with the Storm further noting that 85% of all design and engineering team members involved in the project's construction were women and people of color. The finished product holds two professional indoor courts, two 3x3 outdoor courts, a state-of-the-art locker room, and players' lounge, plus designated areas for strength and conditioning, kitchen, dining, and nutrition, and recovery. 

"This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance," said Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder in an official team release. "It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports."

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For their part, the team can't wait to make the faciilty their own.

"It's amazing," Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Fox 13. "Not having to drive everywhere around, knowing you have access anytime of the day to get into the gym, to workout." 

Head coach Noelle Quinn said she predicts the team is "never going to leave this building."

"Which is a good thing for me," she continued. "You talk about having an edge in performance. We want our athletes to not only perform on the court, but get whatever they need."

All of the Storm's staff and operations will now live under one roof, and the team also has plans to launch a youth basketball program operating out of the building.

The Caitlin Clark effect is quickly making its mark on the big leagues, as WNBA host teams around the country rush to upgrade their Fever games to larger arenas in order to accommodate surging ticket sales.

With Clark mere weeks away from her Indiana Fever debut, both the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have officially relocated their scheduled home games with head coach Christie Sides' squad. On Thursday, the Mystics became the latest to adjust their plans, moving their June 7th matchup from Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southwest DC to the more centrally located — and much larger — Capital One Arena "due to unprecedented demand."

The Mystics home court's capacity taps out at 4,200, while Capital One Arena — home to the Wizards, Capitals, and Georgetown Hoya's Men's Basketball — can fit nearly five times that crowd at some 20,000 spectators.

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"The move to Capital One Arena will allow for additional fans in the stands as well as premium hospitality options, including Suites and the all-new all-inclusive courtside Hennessy Lofts," the team announced via Thursday's press release.

The Aces were one of the first teams to switch venues, aiming to take on the Indiana Fever in front of as many as 20,000 fans inside T-Mobile Arena on July 2nd. That’s a sizable a boost from their home venue, which holds just 12,000.

For those still planning to face the Fever in their home arenas, ticket prices have skyrocketed. Previously scheduled construction has already forced the LA Sparks to relocate their first five games — including their May 24th clash with the Fever — to Long Beach State's Walter Pyramid. The temporary venue is quite the downsize, holding just 4,000 in comparison to Crypto.com Arena's near-19,000. As of Friday, the get-in price for that game started around $400.

Despite fans launching a Change.org petition urging relocation, the Chicago Sky say they're unable to move their June 23rd Fever meeting from Wintrust Arena's 10,000-seat facility to the 23,500-seat United Center due to a concert. Tickets for that game start around $325 as of Friday.