The U.S. women’s national team would like to forget its heartbreaking semifinal loss to Canada during the Tokyo Olympics. That, however, won’t be an option for the USWNT, as the squad gets set to face the Canadian national team for the first time since last August’s defeat.

The North American rivals will clash Monday in the Concacaf W Championship final with an Olympic berth on the line.

What should the USWNT learn from its Olympic loss to Canada?

The starting 11 that lined up for the USWNT’s Olympic semifinal in Tokyo featured very different faces compared to the United States’ regulars at the Concacaf W Championship.

In Tokyo, Alyssa Naeher started in goal, while Kelley O’Hara, Becky Sauerbrunn, Tierna Davidson and Crystal Dunn rounded out the backline. Julie Ertz, Rose Lavelle and Lindsey Horan made up the midfield, and Alex Morgan, Lynn Williams and Tobin Heath started up top.

Davidson, Dunn, Ertz, Williams and Health are not even in Mexico for this go-round with the USWNT due to a combination of pregnancies and injuries.

With so many new roster additions, s including Naomi Girma, Sofia Huerta, Ashley Sanchez and Sophia Smith, it’s hard to draw a throughline from the USWNT of the Tokyo Olympics to the USWNT of the Concacaf W Championship.

That doesn’t mean, though, that the squad can’t learn from the bronze-medal run at the Summer Games.

Canada converts the penalty to take the lead. #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/r856yMXjIb

— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 2, 2021

Like at this year’s Concacaf tournament, the USWNT relied on heavy rotation for the 2021 Olympics but failed to establish robust chemistry, producing a sputtering, disjointed offense.

“It’s hard to have a great performance when you have so much change,” commentator and former USWNT goalkeeper Briana Scurry said on CBS after the USWNT’s Thursday win. “That’s part of the continuity that is not there right now because there are so many players coming in and out based on minutes and what not.”

To overcome the lack of cohesion, the USWNT will need to deploy more creative and unexpected runs behind Canada’s backline to break down its opponent’s defensive structure.

The USWNT’s offense has grown into the tournament, but the team’s timing still looks slightly off, with balls not making it into the attacking third on time.

On the other side of the ball, USWNT players will also have their work cut out for them.

Canadian forward Janine Beckie has created the most chances of the Concacaf tournament, with the 27-year-old lethal on the flanks. The USWNT likes to get its outside backs up the pitch and involved in the attack, but Beckie could complicate things. Neutralizing Beckie will be key if the USWNT wants to continue its dominance on the flanks.

In the center of the pitch sits another danger in Jessie Flemming, with the Chelsea star able to dribble out of trouble in the midfield. Her distribution at center midfield is essential to spurring Canada’s attack, with Flemming expert at finding passes in compact space.

The USWNT will need a defensive counter to Flemming as the United States continues to find its depth in the No. 6 position.

Mentality also was a major talking point following the USWNT’s Olympic loss to Canada, and the USWNT will be eager to show that any locker room woes were left in Tokyo.

“I think at the end of the day, at some point, you got to, there’s all the preparation that you can do and there’s all the analyzing and there’s all the tactics and everything, and then there’s everything else,” Megan Rapinoe said of the team’s Olympic performance.  “And I think that’s what we’re missing, and you can’t put a name on ‘everything else.’ But it’s just the getting it done from players, from all of us.”

Coach Vlatko Andonovski has spoken extensively about the importance of testing his younger player during the Concacaf W Championship. Canada will be the USWNT’s most telling test yet.

The Concacaf W Championship final between the United States and Canada will kick off at 10 p.m. ET Monday on Paramount+.

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.

Hailey Van Lith is reportedly on her way to TCU, says Talia Goodman of The Next Hoops.

The former Louisville star joined LSU for the 2023-24 season, but a disappointing run in Baton Rouge saw her enter the transfer portal once again at the season’s end. Van Lith opted to use her fifth year of eligibility versus declaring for the WNBA draft.

Van Lith was admittedly less effective as a Tiger. Her field goal percentage decreased from .411 in 2022-23 with Louisville to .388 at LSU. She also went from averaging 19.7 points per game to just 11.6, due in part to a change of position from shooting guard to more of a point guard role.

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At an end-of-season banquet last week, LSU coach Kim Mulkey used her speech to wish Van Lith well, calling her "one of the hardest working players that I’ve ever coached."

"Her aspirations were to get drafted this year," Mulkey said, according to NOLA.com. "And she realized, 'I need another year, and I need to go back to a place where I can relax and get back to my normal position.'

"And what do you do? You hug her, and you wish her well."

The decision to commit to TCU may come as a surprise after Van Lith paid a visit to Mississippi State last weekend. The Horned Frogs finished out the 2023-24 season 21-12 overall, coming in 9th in the Big 12 and scoring an average of 69.5 points per game. The program also made headlines in January when they held mid-season open tryouts in response to an onslaught of sidelining injuries.