The USWNT’s 39-game unbeaten streak remains intact after a pair of friendlies against Sweden and France. Two of the best teams in the world, each of them tested the USWNT as the squad continues to prepare for this summer’s Olympics. 

Last Saturday, Sweden provided the learning opportunity manager Vlatko Andonovski was hoping for, as Sweden scored first before the US came back to settle for a 1-1 draw. Sweden outplayed the US for much of the game, exposing weaknesses the team can now focus on strengthening after a relatively breezy start to 2021.  

Three days later, the USWNT notched a 2-0 victory over France, showcasing just how adept they are at rapidly course correcting. 

Though the coming weeks will shed more light on the Tokyo roster, these past two games provided some clear learnings to chew over. 

Here are our five key takeaways:

1. No matter what happens, Carli Lloyd is a legend 

Carli Lloyd etched her name into the history books on Sunday, becoming only the third soccer player (women’s or men’s) to ever hit 300 international caps. She joins the ranks of former teammates Kristine Lilly and Christie Pearce Rampone, who retired with 354 and 311 caps respectively. 

Alex Morgan praised her teammate and former co-captain, telling reporters that Lloyd is still passing along the culture of the national team to the next generation of players. 

“It’s great to have her on this team and have her leading the way still.”

Whether or not she makes the Olympic roster, Lloyd is already a legend for the national team. (But you better believe she’ll do everything she can to make that team.) No matter which way you cut it, 300 caps is simply absurd. 

Lloyd, for her part, says her career so far with this team has been an honor, as “nothing is ever given, everything is earned.”

Closing in on her 300th cap, @CarliLloyd - in her own words - on what the milestone means 👑#Carli300 pic.twitter.com/TYHFan3ojQ

— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) April 10, 2021

2. The backline looks locked 

Though there hasn’t been much doubt about which core defenders Vlatko will take to Tokyo, these past two games further solidified that Abby Dahlkemper, Crystal Dunn, Kelley O’Hara, and Becky Sauerbrunn remain locked in as the starters. 

Tierna Davidson may have likewise secured a spot after her 90-minute battle against Sweden’s tenacious offense in the center back position, adding to her impressive play as an outside back during the SheBelieves Cup. 

With five spots seemingly filled, all eyes will now be on the remaining contenders: Emily Sonnett, Midge Purce, Alana Cook, Ali Krieger, and Casey Krueger, who will all have to prove at the club level that they belong in Tokyo this summer. 

3. Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan are (almost) fully back 

It’s hard to imagine that the team plane could leave for an international tournament without Megan Rapinoe or Alex Morgan on board. But after Rapinoe opted out of play for most of 2020 and Morgan gave birth, incurred a knee injury, and battled COVID-19, fans and coaches alike had to get used to the idea that the two stars may have been slow in returning to fitness.

Well, after this trip, those worries can be largely laid to rest. 

Leaving Europe with two penalty kick goals, Rapinoe now leads the USWNT for goals scored in 2021. As for Morgan, Andonovski said she has her “killer instinct back” after drawing a penalty and scoring against France. 

💅 She’s not gonna miss from there. pic.twitter.com/fJTkL2XXht

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) April 10, 2021

“I’m very happy with the way she’s progressing and where she is at this point in the preparation,” Andonovski said of his star striker.

🫖 pic.twitter.com/EYSeYULxq6

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) April 13, 2021

4. Vlatko is still searching for ways to maximize his midfield 

Andonovksi played a bit of musical chairs in the midfield in the match against France, subbing in Lindsey Horan for Rapinoe in the 63’, which moved Christen Press to the 11 spot and Rose Lavelle up high on the right.

The move gave us a glimpse into how Andonovksi plans to maximize his roster by having Horan, Lavelle, Sam Mewis, and Julie Ertz all on the field at once. 

“All four of them are incredible players, and as a coach, you want to have the best players on the field at the same time,” he told the press after the game, dispelling previous notions that those four were playing for just three spots. 

5. Questions remain for Catarina Macario and Kristie Mewis 

Andovski was hoping to have Catarina Macario at this camp, however, she was forced to stay home due to protocols surrounding Lyon’s recent COVID outbreak. The French club is scheduled to return to play on April 18, giving Andonovski a handful of opportunities to assess her performance before the next camp. 

Kristie Mewis saw the field for about ten-minutes against Sweden and was listed as an available sub for the France match. It’s reasonable to wonder why she wasn’t given an opportunity to play more during the trip given her impactful showing in multiple games since re-joining the national team. It’s possible that Vlatko has seen what he needs to see from her for the time being and will continue to analyze Mewis as she returns to her home market. 

Up next: 

The USWNT is scheduled to return to the pitch in June to host the Tournament of Nations. As for us, we’ll continue playing roster roulette while juggling multiple screens as we watch the upcoming NWSL, FAWSL, and Champions League matches.

With the 2025 NCAA gymnastics season in full swing, top collegiate athletes are already eyeing mid-April's national championship in Fort Worth, Texas.

Unlike elite gymnastics, where difficulty can outweigh execution, the college level values precision over big tricks, so Division I athletes all aim for perfect 10s in their competition performances.

Despite this difference, many of the world's most decorated elite gymnasts also compete in the NCAA. Two-time Olympian Jade Carey is back for her senior season with No. 14 Oregon State while her US teammate in both Tokyo and Paris, Jordan Chiles, is entering her junior year at No. 11 UCLA.

The Bruin, who took the 2024 NCAA season off to prepare for last summer's Olympics, will attempt to reclaim the national titles on uneven bars and floor exercise that she earned in 2023.

Top teams poised for the podium

After earning their first national title last spring, No. 2 LSU is hitting the 2025 mat armed with a stacked roster, headlined by 2024 all-around champion Haleigh Bryant and social media star Livvy Dunne.

Add in last year's freshman phenom Konnor McClain, whose prowess on the balance beam ultimately clinched LSU the NCAA trophy, and 2024 Olympic alternate Kaliya Lincoln, who opened her NCAA career with a 9.825 vault two weeks ago, and the Tigers are more than capable of a back-to-back run.

LSU isn't the only SEC team predicted to make a deep run this season, as the conference is once again flush with perennial contenders.

Elite US stars Kayla DiCello and early Freshman of the Year frontrunner Skye Blakely will join two-time US Olympic alternate Leanne Wong in trying to return No. 7 Florida to the NCAA championship meet. At the same time, new SEC team No. 1 Oklahoma, winner of seven of the last 10 NCAA trophies, could see senior Jordan Bowers de-throne Bryant for the 2025 all-around title.

Also causing early national championship chatter are 2024 finalists No. 5 Cal, who return two of the country's best all-arounders in senior Mya Lauzon and junior eMjae Frazier, and Big Ten champs No. 6 Michigan State, whose veteran-heavy lineup boasts stars Skyla Schulte and Sage Kellerman.

How to watch NCAA gymnastics this weekend

Some of the country's top NCAA gymnasts will take the mat when No. 7 Florida visits No. 2 LSU at 7:30 PM ET on Friday. Live coverage will air on ESPN2.

The NCAA unanimously approved implementing a women's March Madness revenue-sharing plan on Wednesday, aligning the women's side with the compensation program the men’s edition has enjoyed since 1991.

"This is a historic day for women's sports, women's basketball, and the NCAA," said NCAA president Charlie Baker in the college sports governing body's statement. "Today's vote means our members have the opportunity to do even more on campus to promote and support female athletes. I can't wait to see all the incredible things they do."

Sparked by 2021's landmark NCAA gender equity review, the decision ultimately actualized after years of pressure from administrators and coaches.

"The long-awaited, hard fought for, and well-earned day is here," said UNC coach and Women's Basketball Coaches Association president Courtney Banghart. "I am so grateful for the effort of so many to bring this reality to our sport."

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Deep March Madness runs earn more revenue

Beginning this year, each team competing in the Division I tournament will now receive performance-based units of revenue, with deeper runs earning more units.

With plans to grow the prize pool to $25 million by 2028, this year's inaugural $15 million purse represents 26% of the competition's $65 million media rights valuation — putting it proportionally on par with the percentage allocated to the men's fund.

Distributions will begin in 2026 and, like the men’s program, they will be paid directly to conferences, whose member schools will collectively decide how to best invest the unrestricted funds.

For the 2025 edition, a unit will reportedly be worth $113,636. According to ESPN's calculations, a Final Four team could amass approximately $1.26 million for its conference over the next three years.

With conferences and schools set for an influx of funds should their teams flourish at the national tournament, the revenue plan becomes a significant incentive for institutions to further invest in women's basketball.

Ultimately, the NCAA's move not only addresses the sport's equity disparity, it could also bolster the annual tournament's level of competition.

Unrivaled basketball hits the court for the first time on Friday and, according to ESPN, the debut league's style of play will look a little different from the 3×3 Olympic game's rules.

Unlike the half-court version currently played in major international 3x3 basketball competitions, Unrivaled's full-court edition uses slightly smaller court dimensions from a traditional 5×5 setup.

Similarly, the inaugural league's format follows a four-quarter setup, but opts for seven-minute periods rather than the WNBA's 10-minute quarters. The shot clock will also be a speedier 18 seconds versus the professional 5×5 game's 24 seconds.

Unrivaled victories, however, rest solely in fourth-quarter play. This "winning score" quarter denotes that the win goes to the first team to score 11 more points than the highest final third-quarter score. For example, if a game's third quarter ends with a 45-43 scoreline, the first team to post the target score of 56 points in the final period walks away with the victory.

This system essentially eliminates the possibility of overtime. League organizers also hope it deters the late-game fouls used strategically and prolifically in 5×5 contests.

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Unrivaled 3×3 format revamps fouls

Speaking of fouls, Unrivaled is also condensing the free throw system to keep the game moving. Each player has six fouls to give, but each shooting foul will earn a single free throw at the line.

Those awarded free throws, however, will contain different point opportunities depending on the foul incurred. Fouled two-point shots grant a single free throw worth two points, while a free throw awarded from a three-point attempt will be worth three. All and-ones are worth one point.

With six players rostered on each of Unrivaled's six teams, the league also tweaked the traditional rule of fouling out to ensure games can be completed should they become especially chippy. If an athlete fouls out with only three available players left on their team, that player can continue competing. She will instead incur a technical foul — resulting in one opponent free throw — for each additional foul.

The new league's rules all point to Unrivaled's efforts to put an engaging, fast product on the court.

"This game is rooted in how you would play basketball as a kid on a black top," Unrivaled president of basketball operations Luke Cooper told ESPN's Kendra Andrews on Tuesday. "There's flow, there's pace. When you are watching, it feels like you are watching basketball... it's not a gimmick."

The WNBA free agency carousel started spinning this week, with teams evaluating rosters and coring athletes to either retain talent or trade players for a return.

Thus far, cored players include Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum, New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart, Dallas Wings forward Satou Sabally, and Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams.

Squads employ single-use coring on WNBA stars

Each of the WNBA's teams can core one unrestricted free agent on their roster, ensuring them exclusive rights to that cored athlete. Cored players receive an offer for a one-year, supermax salary contract, along with the option to negotiate different terms.

Cored athletes are unable to directly sign with another franchise, but they can be part of a trade offer by their coring team.

New York cored Stewart after she expressed interest in remaining with her 2024 WNBA Championship-winning squad. Sabally, on the other hand, will likely be part of a sign-and-trade deal after telling media late last week that she is looking to leave Dallas in 2025.

Plum's situation with the Aces is less clear-cut: The two-time WNBA champion could re-sign with her team, though Las Vegas could be exploring opportunities to cash in should she want to compete elsewhere.

Other offers spark WNBA free agent negotiations

In addition to coring, WNBA teams have also begun sending qualifying offers to certain restricted free agents, allowing them to initiate negotiations with those players.

Most notably, despite making Monday offers to three players — guard Dana Evans, forward Michaela Onyenwere, and forward Nikolina Milić — Chicago has yet to extend a qualifying offer to the Sky's 2024 points-leader Chennedy Carter.

Ultimately, while negotiations kick off next week, WNBA contracts cannot be finalized until free agency revs up in February, meaning more shuffling is on deck as teams gear up for the longest and most competitive roster-building season in recent memory.