Barcelona is set to take on Chelsea once again in the Champions League semifinals, and coach Jonatan Giráldez has his sights set on ending Chelsea’s run. 

It’s a rematch of last year’s semifinal, only this time both coaches are coaching in their final leg of UWCL matches with their respective teams. Giráldez will depart Barcelona for the NWSL’s Washington Spirit upon the conclusion of the season, while Chelsea’s Emma Hayes is set to take over the USWNT. 

While Giráldez has won the Champions League before with Barcleona, it’s the one trophy that has eluded Hayes in her time at Chelsea. 

"Emma's legacy is in what she has done at Chelsea and the growth [at the club] over more than 10 years," Giráldez said. "She has done a magnificent job at the club. The next [manager] will have bar set very high because she has done amazing things.

"She will hope to go out with a Champions League [trophy], but we are here to try and make sure that doesn't happen and to bring it home, which is our objective."

In her time with Chelsea, Hayes has won six Women’s Super League titles and five FA Cups. Chelsea has made the UWCL final just once – in 2021, when the team lost to Barcelona. Barcelona then ended Chelsea’s hopes again last year, winning 2-1 on aggregate in the semifinal before winning their second UWCL trophy in four years. 

The first leg of this year’s semifinal is set to be played at Barcelona’s Olympic Stadium, with Chelsea then playing at home in the second leg. 

"It will be a very even tie," Giráldez added. "Chelsea are a great side and the club have invested in the women's game in recent years -- and it shows. They've done well in the Champions League and are in great form, but so are we. I would have preferred to have the second leg at home, but it's not something we can control."

On Thursday, Sportico reported​ that former Milwaukee Bucks owner Marc Lasry is close to finalizing a deal to buy a controlling stake in the NC Courage from the NWSL club's current owner, Steve Malik. The sale reportedly values the team at $108 million, with Lasry eyeing 60% of the club's ownership.

That valuation is more than double Sportico's 2023 assessment of the North Carolina club at $52 million, reflecting NWSL franchises's skyrocketing values.

Cleveland makes NWSL expansion moves

NWSL expansion also made Thursday headlines as Cleveland Metroparks and franchise bid-leaders Cleveland Soccer Group announced their intention to build a women's soccer-specific stadium downtown, with the express purpose of bringing a new NWSL franchise to the city.

The newly purchased 13.6 acres slated to house the stadium is directly across the street from the Cleveland Guardians's Progressive Field, surrounded by businesses and infrastructure already set up to support thousands of fans.

Should Cleveland's bid be accepted, the project would become the first newly constructed professional women's sports stadium backed by a public-private partnership. 

Top-table NWSL teams face off in weekend clash

As the 2024 MVP race tightens, two of the NWSL's most exciting forwards will square off in Friday's top-table clash. Trinity Rodman's Washington Spirit will travel to Kansas City to take on Temwa Chawinga's Current. Last month, the Spirit handed KC a 4-1 defeat.

Chawinga leads the Golden Boot race​ with 15 goals and six assists in regular-season play, while Rodman has been a post-OIympic break standout. Her eight goals and six assists have helped lead second-place Washington to their first postseason berth since 2021.

How to watch Kansas City Current vs. Washington Spirit

Fourth-place KC will look to clinch a trip to the playoffs against Washington Friday night at 8 PM ET, with live coverage on Prime Video.

Atlanta clinched the eighth and final 2024 WNBA playoff spot on Thursday by handing league-leaders New York a 78-67 home loss on the last night of regular-season play.

In the second of three simultaneous battles for playoff contention, a WNBA-record 20,711 fans showed up in DC to watch the Mystics narrowly defeat Indiana 92-91.

Unfortunately, Washington's season turn-around was too little, too late. The postseason help they needed from Chicago fell through with the Sky's 87-54 blowout loss to Connecticut.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

Tina Charles claims two WNBA career records

As if a postseason ticket wasn't enough, Dream center Tina Charles also earned two league records in the win.

Just one month after becoming the WNBA's second all-time leading scorer, Charles surpassed Lynx legend Sylvia Fowles's 4,006 rebounds in Thursday's first quarter to ink herself as the league's all-time rebounds leader. She now has 4,014 career boards and counting.

After putting up 10 points and 10 rebounds in Thursday's win, Charles was also crowned the WNBA's career double-double leader. That 194th double-double lifted Charles just above Fowles on the stat sheet.

Reaching those milestones in New York is especially appropriate for Charles, who grew up in Queens and later played six seasons for the Liberty.

"It's special... [and] befitting that she got to break [those] record[s] here in front of friends and family," Dream coach Tanisha Wright noted.

How to watch the 2024 WNBA playoffs

The WNBA postseason tips off on Sunday, when the entire slate of first-round matchups will start their best-of-three series:

• No. 1 New York Liberty hosts No. 8 Atlanta (1 PM ET, ESPN).
• No. 2 Minnesota hosts No. 7 Phoenix (5 PM, ESPN).
• No. 3 Connecticut hosts No. 6 Indiana (3 PM, ABC).
• No. 4 Las Vegas hosts No. 5 Seattle (10 PM, ESPN).

Each series will follow a home-home-away structure. That means higher seeds could sweep at home, avoiding the risk of a decider away. Even so, lower seeds need just one road win for a shot at a major upset.

Team USA's U-20 World Cup​ run has come to an end after Wednesday's 1-0 semifinal loss to tournament favorites North Korea (DPRK).

The result marks the U-20 USWNT's best showing since their 2016's fourth-place finish, when they similarly fell to DPRK in the semis before the North Korean side advanced to win the Cup.

DPRK outshot the US 18-7 last night, but 17-year-old Choe Il-Son was the lone player to find the back of the net, securing the eventual game-winner in the 22nd minute. With five goals on the tournament so far, Choe is now in a three-way tie atop the competition's Golden Boot race.

Japan tops the Netherlands in second semifinal

While the US gave DPRK arguably their toughest match of the World Cup, Japan overwhelmed the Dutch with their attacking prowess last night, outshooting the Netherlands' 24-1 to notch the 2-0 win.

Notably, both goals by "the Young Nadeshiko" were scored by North Carolina Courage midfielder Manaka Matsukubo, the only NWSL player on Japan's roster.

Where to watch the U-20 World Cup final and third-place match

On Saturday, the US will battle the Netherlands for third-place hardware, with live coverage on Fox Soccer Plus.

Then on Sunday, the World Cup championship match will mirror March's U-20 Asian Cup final, where DPRK forced six-time champs Japan to relinquish the title for the first time since 2013. The final will air live on FS2.

Should DPRK emerge victorious on Sunday, they'll join the US and Germany as the only nations with three U-20 World Championships.

San Diego attacker María Sánchez lit up Snapdragon Stadium last night, leading the Wave to a 3-2 home victory over Portland in Concacaf W Champions Cup play. 

Goals from Sophia Smith​ and rookie Reilyn Turner gave Portland a 2-0 lead entering the 67th minute, but Sánchez’s hat trick — which included two converted penalty kicks — secured San Diego's dramatic comeback win.

Calling Sánchez "an incredible human being...[who's] a pleasure to coach," Wave boss Landon Donovan told the post-match press corps that his entire team was "awesome" last night. "To go down two goals and just continue to believe and keep playing and putting them under pressure was awesome. I'm just really proud of them."

Portland Thorns' team woes continue

Last night's result — though not counted toward the NWSL season — marked Portland's fifth straight loss against league opponents. The sixth-place Thorns have yet to earn a point on the NWSL table since returning from the Olympic break.

When asked about the usually dominant Thorns’ recent downfall, Portland's new permanent head coach Rob Gale said "We need to get healthy bodies available for 90 minutes."

With forward Morgan Weaver on limited minutes as she works back to full form following a May knee surgery, and Smith joining her in being pulled at halftime last night with what Gale called "some lower body problems," Portland's attack suffered in the tilt.

That said, the lopsided affair also saw mental errors, with the Thorns scrambling for possession and excessively fouling — mistakes Portland hopes to eliminate before hosting San Diego in NWSL play in nine days.

Where to watch Concacaf W Champions Cup group play tonight

Halfway through the international club tournament’s four-match group stage, the Wave now leads Group B while Portland sits in third. The top two teams in each group will advance to May’s semifinals.

As for the third NWSL team competing for the inaugural Cup, Group A's Gotham FC will host Liga MX club Monterrey in their second group match at 7 PM ET tonight, with live coverage on the CBS Golazo Network.