Portland Thorns star Sophia Smith fought off two Gotham FC defenders and charged down the rain-soaked field toward opposing goalkeeper Mandy Haught. With the scoreless match on her foot, Smith sprinted closer and closer to Haught. But Haught reached her first.

The Gotham netminder threw herself at Smith’s feet and robbed the MVP candidate of the ball, killing the Thorns’ best scoring chance of the game and helping to secure her team’s 1-0 victory over the No. 2 seed Thorns in extra time at Portland’s Providence Park.

“I saw Crystal, I saw Soph, and I was like, ‘OK, let’s make something happen,’” Haught said. “On the pass, I was just ready, I was balanced to go forward. … I wanted to command my box and come out there strong, and that’s exactly what I did.”

With the win, Haught and No. 6 seed Gotham advance to the NWSL Championship at 8 p.m. ET Saturday, Nov. 11, at San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium. The 2023 final will be the first in franchise history for the New Jersey-based club, which won its first playoff match in the first round over the North Carolina Courage.

Portland spent the majority of the first half on the defensive, with Gotham maintaining possession almost 70% of the time. The Thorns were able to even out the possession through the rest of the match. But, after not playing together for three weeks due to their first-round bye and then the international break, Portland was unable to stall New York’s momentum.

WHAT A STOP MANDY HAUGHT!! pic.twitter.com/C77Z9alcgV

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) November 6, 2023

Gotham’s stifling defense limited scoring chances for the Thorns, holding them to three shots on target and six scoring chances total. Each time Portland got the ball into New York’s third, Gotham had an answer.

“We did such an amazing job at regaining the ball in the middle, we doubled down and we had back pressure,” Haught said. “And that was just incredible fight from everyone on the team to press from behind and from the front. And that is really how we were able to stop a lot of their transitions and attacks.”

Haught’s stop of Smith in the 79th minute helped to force extra time.

And in the 107th minute, Katie Stengel netted the game-winning goal for Gotham — a boot through traffic into the top left corner of the cage. But it was Gotham’s scrappy defense that put the reigning NWSL champions away and extended captain Ali Kreiger’s career.

“It literally has taken everyone this year to get to where we are,” Haught said. “It’s just the amazing camaraderie in this group that’s just like, ‘We’re going to do this for us, we’re going to do this for Kriegs, we’re not done yet and we’re going to go all the way.”

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The signature Nike logo for Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark has arrived, with the sportswear giant revealing the WNBA star's branding on Monday ahead of a planned collection drop in October.

According to Nike's press release, the logo's interwoven letter Cs "reflect Caitlin's magnetic connection with fans around the globe."

Meanwhile, a smaller, central C represents how Clark developed her game "from the inside out."

"To me, this is more than just a logo, it's a dream come true," Clark said in a statement. "People always talk about leaving your mark on the game — and this is another way I can do that."

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After signing a record $28 million deal with the sportswear company in 2024, Clark joins other WNBA superstars like Las Vegas Aces forward A'ja Wilson and New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu in getting the Nike signature treatment.

Following an initial logo collection that includes T-shirts, hoodies, shorts, and pants, Clark will drop a signature Nike collection with both apparel and her debut signature shoe sometime next year.

"At Nike, we've always drawn inspiration not only from the world's greatest athletes but also from those who elevate the spirit of sport itself," said Ann Miller, Nike's Global Sports Marketing EVP. "Caitlin exemplifies both."

How to buy the Nike x Caitlin Clark logo collection

A navy blue and yellow Clark logo T-shirt will hit North American shelves on September 1st, with the rest of the line following on October 1st.

All items will be available to purchase online.

The LPGA Tour is taking over New England, as the second iteration of the FM Championship tees off from Norton, Massachusetts, on Thursday.

The four-day tournament will feature 35 of the world's Top 40-ranked players, all shooting for a piece of the $4.1 million total purse — the 2025 LPGA Tour's largest non-major payday.

Big names in search of a bounce-back performance headline the field, led by former No. 1 Nelly Korda, with the now-No. 2 US star still in pursuit of her first win of the 2025 season.

"Some of my stats are maybe better than even last year — it's just crazy," Korda said last week, commenting on her recent struggles. "That's just golf. By this time last year, I had six wins under my belt and [now] my stats are better, and I have zero wins."

Newly minted No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul will also make an appearance, as will 2024 FM Championship winner No. 10 Haeran Ryu.

Rookie phenom Lottie Woad is also in the mix, with the No. 18 English golfer determined to reclaim her winnings ways and shake off a missed cut at last week's 2025 CPKC Women's Open.

How to watch LPGA stars at the FM Championship

The 2025 FM Championship tees off at 7 AM ET on Thursday, and coverage of the four-day competition will air daily at 3 PM ET on the Golf Channel.

The UNC Tar Heels are having a rough start to the 2025 NCAA soccer season, logging two upset losses in the first two weeks of competition to plummet from their No. 1 spot in the preseason rankings.

North Carolina stumbled right out of the gate, becoming the first reigning national champs to drop their season opener in 23 years with their 2-0 fall to Tennessee, before the Tar Heels added a second 2-0 loss to Georgia last Thursday.

As a result, a precipitous poll drop have the once top-ranked Tar Heels now sitting at No. 22 in the nation, with Stanford rising behind four straight wins to take the UNC-vacated No. 1 spot.

Meanwhile, North Carolina's SEC conquerers earned big boosts: Georgia made their season rankings debut at No. 13 this week, and a four-match opening winning streak saw Tennessee skyrocket to No. 2.

Tennessee's early-season success also includes a second massive win, as the preseason-unranked Vols defeated 2022 champion and then-No. 4 UCLA 1-0 last Wednesday to prove that their shocking opening upset was far from a fluke.

Redshirt junior forward Shae O'Rourke is leading Tennessee's charge, netting five goals across their four games — including scoring all three against the two recent NCAA champs.

As for UNC, the Tar Heels have time to right the ship under newly permanent head coach Damon Nahas, with the team looking to log some wins over lopsided opponents before their next ranked matchup against fellow ACC foe No. 24 Virginia Tech on September 11th.

Global seven-a-side soccer venture World Sevens Football (W7F) is on its way Stateside, announcing Tuesday that the second-ever W7F tournament will kick off in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, later this year.

After a successful debut in Portugal last May, the eight-team competition will put another $5 million purse on the line when it takes over Beyond Bancard Field, the home of the USL Super League's Fort Lauderdale United FC from December 5th through the 7th.

While European clubs — including eventual champions Bayern Munich — dominated the inaugural W7F field, the tournament is now looking to platform teams based in North and South America for its US edition.

Like the first iteration, W7F will again team up with media partner DAZN for live match coverage from Florida.

W7F boasts a Player Advisory Council that includes the USWNT's two-time World Cup champions Tobin Heath and Kelley O'Hara, plus a trio of former international stars — England defender Anita Asante, longtime Sweden captain and midfielder Caroline Seger, and France defender Laura Georges — all of whom are also shareholders in the upstart.

"We saw undeniable proof of concept [in Portugal]. Now, we're building on that momentum," W7F head of football Adrian Jacob said in Tuesday's press release. "This isn't just a tournament — it's a movement, this time in America, where women's soccer has unprecedented momentum."