Three months after giving birth to Marcel Soubrier on May 20, Crystal Dunn was called into the United States women’s national team camp ahead of the friendlies against Nigeria in September.

The 2021 Concacaf Player of the Year last wore the crest almost a year ago, playing two friendlies against Paraguay in September 2021. While Dunn isn’t officially on the roster that will take the field against Nigeria on Sept. 3 and 6 in Kansas City and Washington, D.C., she’ll attend the camp as a training player. Dunn is currently going through a similar process with her club team, Portland Thorns FC, where she’s returned to training but has not yet appeared in a match.

Head coach Vlatko Andonovski believes the 2019 World Cup champion will see the field for the national team before the end of the year.

“What those minutes are going to look like, I cannot be more precise because we need to see where Crystal is right now when she comes into camp,” he said. “So far, we know that she’s ahead of schedule. She’s doing very well and it’s important for her to start integrating back into the environment because now she will have a little bit different challenges outside of playing soccer and we’re all excited for it.”

😃✨ https://t.co/4zkaB3g9XZ

— Crystal Dunn | Soubrier | (@Cdunn19) August 22, 2022

A lot has changed for the national team in the year that Dunn has been away. Since November, Andonovski has built a young team with many new faces who have integrated with some veterans and taken the place of others. The coach invited Dunn to camp largely to give her the opportunity to develop relationships with the newer players.

“Crystal is someone that will be a very, very important player for us going forward if she can get back anywhere close to her best because of how good she is on the field, but also her experience and leadership qualities off the field will be important for the younger group that we have,” Andonovski said.

Dunn has known those off-field expectations for some time. Since going on maternity leave, she’s been in contact with the national team regularly, as often as every two weeks.

“I’ve always taken a lot of pride in being a great teammate,” she told Just Women’s Sports in June. “I’m super supportive. I think now, I’m almost 30 years old, so I’m going to take on a little bit more of a mentorship role.”

On the field, she’s just as ready to fight for minutes. Most recently a fullback with the USWNT, she’ll have to reclaim her role over newer players like Emily Fox and Sofia Huerta who have been making a case for themselves at outside back.

“I feel like I have to believe in myself to get back to that level and I know I can,” Dunn said. “When I am back, yeah, the coach is going to have to make tough decisions and I feel like that’s OK. I always welcome competition. I’m a competitor. But I’m also somebody who has always felt like I believe in myself and I believe in my ability.”

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

Washington Spirit star Trinity Rodman is gearing up to debut her Adidas Player Edition cleats this weekend, marking her return to the field by rocking the all-new F50 SPARKFUSION PE — a boot built by and for women athletes.

"Growing up as a kid in California, I could never have imagined a day where there would be a cleat literally inspired by me," the 2024 Olympic gold medalist said in a press release. "I can't wait to wear them."

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According to Adidas's Thursday release, designers worked to specifically engineer the boots to "excel with the speed and agility demands of the modern women's game."

To do so, the sportswear company researched the unique anatomy of the female foot to address the discomfort reported by women athletes when competing in unisex cleats.

Consequently, the F50 SPARKFUSION PE boasts key design adjustments to improve fit, arch support, stability, and comfort for women athletes. The boots also contain features to boost players' agility across multiple pitch surfaces.

In addition to the performance improvements, Rodman's Player Edition boots come in the 23-year-old USWNT star's favorite colors.

Grounded by a pearlescent white base alongside vibrant light blue details and bold pink stripes — an homage to Rodman's signature pink hair — the attacker's cleats aim to create "a dynamic look that captures Trinity's energy and personality."

Rodman will sport her Adidas Player Edition boots for the first time on Sunday, when her Washington Spirit host the Portland Thorns at 12:30 PM ET on ABC.

How to buy the Trinity Rodman F50 SPARKFUSION PE cleats

The Trinity Rodman Adidas F50 SPARKFUSION PE cleats are currently available for purchase online at adidas.com.

World No. 4 Brazil and No. 18 Colombia will take center stage on Saturday, when star-studded lineups full of NWSL talent will duke it out in the 2025 Copa América Femenina Final.

The Conmebol titans advanced to the continental tournament's grand finale via two distinctly different semifinals, as Colombia narrowly pushed past No. 32 Argentina in a penalty shootout on Monday before defending champions Brazil thrashed No. 63 Uruguay 5-1 on Tuesday.

Entering Saturday's match as the favorites, Brazil is led by reigning NWSL champion Marta, with the legendary attacker joined by fellow Orlando Pride midfielder Angelina as well as Gotham FC forward Gabi Portilho, Racing Louisville midfielder Ary Borges, and Kansas City Current goalkeeper Lorena.

Chasing a fifth straight and ninth overall Copa América title, there has never been a final in the tournament's 10 iterations to not feature Brazil.

On the other hand, Colombia is seeking their first-ever Conmebol crown behind a quartet of NWSL standouts: Washington Spirit midfielder Leicy Santos, Racing Louisville defender Ángela Barón, San Diego Wave defender Daniela Arias, and Utah Royals defender Ana María Guzmán.

Saturday's final will be the second straight and fourth overall to pit Colombia against Brazil, and comes just eight days after the pair faced off to a 0-0 draw in their final group-stage match — though notably, Brazil played the bulk of that game with 10 players after keeper Lorena earned a red card in the 24th minute.

How to watch the Copa América final

The 2025 Copa América Final kicks off at 5 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage airing on FS1.

With the US Open rapidly approaching — the WTA season's final Grand Slam — the tennis world's hardcourt titans are tuning up at the 2025 Canadian Open.

This year's tournament is in full swing up in Montréal, allowing players to hone their skills before next week's Cincinnati Open sets the tone for the annual New York City Slam.

Though stars like world No. 5 Mirra Andreeva, No. 9 Jasmine Paolini, and No. 11 Emma Navarro stumbled out of contention in the tournament's first two rounds, many heavy-hitters are still in play, including all three 2025 Grand Slam winners: Australian Open champion No. 8 Madison Keys, French Open victor No. 2 Coco Gauff, and newly crowned Wimbledon champ No. 3 Iga Świątek.

Joining Gauff in punching her ticket to Saturday's Round of 16 is fellow US player No. 32 McCartney Kessler, while Keys and several others in the US contingent — No. 4 Jessica Pegula, No. 7 Amanda Anisimova, and No. 116 Caty McNally — will battle to advance from the Round of 32 on Friday.

Other fan favorites are also still in the mix, including Japan's No. 49 Naomi Osaka and the UK's No. 33 Emma Raducanu, while 18-year-old phenom No. 85 Victoria Mboko is impressing as Canada's last-standing contender in play.

Notably sitting out this week is world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, with the 2024 US Open champ prioritizing her mental and physical rest ahead of her title defense.

How to watch the 2025 Canadian Open

The 2025 Canadian Open's Round of 32 continues throughout Friday before the Round of 16 takes the Montréal court on Saturday.

Continuous live coverage of the tournament will are on the Tennis Channel.

Two of the toughest WNBA stars will square off this weekend, as Minnesota Lynx forward and 2024 Defensive Player of the Year Napheesa Collier will battle it out against Las Vegas Aces center and reigning MVP A'ja Wilson in a Saturday showdown.

As the league's top two scorers, the 23.8 points per game put up by Collier will meet the 22.1-point average posted by Wilson for the second time this season, with Saturday's rematch coming just over a week after the Lynx toppled the Aces.

"Our defense is so good…. We just make it hard, and when every shot is hard, eventually it wears a team down, and that's our goal every night," Collier said after Minnesota routed Las Vegas 109-78 last Friday.

With less than two games separating third from sixth place on the league table, the WNBA standings have never been tighter, sending the stakes of this weekend's games through the roof:

• No. 3 Phoenix Mercury vs. No. 5 Atlanta Dream, Friday at 7:30 PM ET (ION): A mere half-game behind the Mercury, the Dream can leapfrog two teams to claim third with a win on Friday, as Phoenix aims to galvanize behind their own MVP candidate Alyssa Thomas.

• No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 7 Las Vegas Aces, Saturday at 3 PM ET (ABC): Facing this season's undisputed top dogs on a two-game winning streak, the Aces will look to blank the Lynx at home in Las Vegas.

• No. 6 Indiana Fever vs. No. 4 Seattle Storm, Sunday at 3 PM ET (ABC): The Fever have remained hot despite the absence of an injured Caitlin Clark, and a Sunday result against the Storm could push Indiana into the league's upper echelon.