You may hear the name ‘Kristie Mewis’ circulating headlines over the next few days, following the midfielder’s instantaneous impact upon returning to the pitch for the U.S. women’s national team in a friendly against the Netherlands last Friday. 10 minutes after coming off of the bench, Mewis received a pass from teammate Lynn Williams, took a few touches, and buried a shot past Dutch goalkeeper Sari van Veenendaal, sealing a comfortable 2-0 win for the United States.

Mewis made scoring a goal against an international opponent look easy, as if it’s a part of her regular routine. But here’s the catch. Ahead of Friday’s game, Mewis had not made an appearance for her country since 2014.

Welcome back! Kristie Mewis scores in her first game with @USWNT in 6 years ???? pic.twitter.com/axtVgrV0Yc

— espnW (@espnW) November 27, 2020

To start, let’s revisit Mewis’s career. In 2013 and 2014, Mewis received call-ups to the U.S. women’s national team, earning 15 caps for her country before abruptly falling off of the national team radar. In terms of the National Women’s Soccer League, Mewis was traded a total of five times from 2013-2017 (with two of those trades happening only a week apart), bouncing from FC Kansas City to the Boston Breakers, then to the Washington Spirit, then to the Chicago Red Stars, before finally landing on the Houston Dash roster.

Needless to say, it was a tumultuous time for the young player — and just when she had begun to find her footing with the Dash, Mewis tore her ACL in a match against the Washington Spirit in May 2018.

NEWS: Kristie Mewis to miss the remainder of the season with left knee injury

INFO: https://t.co/3CnzYVKpUE pic.twitter.com/GT6ei4j9pa

— Houston Dash (@HoustonDash) May 28, 2018

Mewis’s injury was certainly a tough pill to swallow, as she was just beginning to return to the level of play that earned her two national call-ups four and five years prior. Now, she would be restricted to the sidelines for the remainder of the year. As teammate Rachel Daly would put it, “[The loss of Mewis] is obviously so difficult because I think she has been our best player this year.”

And indeed, she had — Mewis started all 11 of her appearances with the Dash that season, recording 919 minutes of playing time and scoring two goals. But unbeknownst to Mewis and her teammates, her injury would quickly prove to be a turning point in her playing career.

NEWS: Kristie Mewis to come back stronger and better next season after dominating a left knee injury ???? https://t.co/wRjnViUjt0

— Beast Mode Soccer® (@BeastModeSoccer) May 29, 2018

Given that an ACL injury takes anywhere from eight to twelve months to recover from, Mewis suddenly found herself coming to grips with the harsh reality that she had been okay with being ‘average’.

As reported by Seth Vertelney in October of this year, Mewis said of her injury: “Me tearing my ACL was kind of a blessing in disguise because I feel like it just woke me up a little bit. It just made me ask myself, ‘Kristie, what are you doing? You need to come back from this. You’re being OK with being 70 or 80 percent,’” she continued, “It was just hard to admit to myself that I wasn’t happy with where I was. But I think I just woke up one day and was like, ‘Let’s do this.’”

"I was OK with being average"

Kristie Mewis was very open about her career stagnation and what it took to get back to the #USWNT https://t.co/seR8PWXTRg

— Seth Vertelney (@svertelney) October 29, 2020

It was with that mindset that Mewis would return to the Dash in 2019, even better than before. She appeared in 22 matches for Houston, 20 in which she was a member of the starting line-up, logging 1,818 minutes of playing time, 4 goals, and an assist. But Mewis refused to stop there — she was on the cusp of greatness, which was further affirmed upon the receipt of her third national team call-up in November of 2019.

For Mewis, she could only go up from there—that is, until COVID-19 brought the 2020 NWSL season to a sudden halt. Amidst great uncertainty surrounding how the NWSL (and sports in general) would proceed, the NWSL Challenge Cup was announced. The first-time event would bring eight NWSL teams into a ‘bubble’ in late June, with each team playing a total of four matches in a preliminary round before a subsequent knockout tournament.

The Dash, who finished the 2019 season with a 7-5-12 record and in seventh place in league standings, were given +2,000 odds to win the Cup by the William Hill Sports Book — superior only to Sky Blue FC and the Orlando Pride, who were forced to opt out of the tournament due to a slew of positive COVID-19 tests within their organization.

Despite the unfavorable circumstances, Mewis and her team were determined to prove themselves, cruising through the preliminaries of the tournament and eventually defeating the Utah Royals in penalty kicks to advance past the quarterfinals. Now, the chance to punch their ticket to the Challenge Cup final was well within reach with a win over the Portland Thorns. A late goal by Rachel Daly would send Houston to the final, where they went on to secure a comfortable 2-0 win over the Chicago Red Stars, defying the odds to earn their first hardware in club history.

An integral part of the Challenge Cup victory, Mewis started 7 matches and played 558 minutes, notching a goal and an assist in the process.

Kristie Mewis played an important role in the Challenge Cup final, but she took the post-match celebration to another level. On making the absolute most of a long-awaited taste of victory: https://t.co/2RSpsreuwS

(????: @nwsl) pic.twitter.com/uEutgoO8Vl

— Brooks Peck (@BrooksDT) July 27, 2020

In the subsequent NWSL Fall Series, the Dash boasted a 3-1-0 record, finishing the short-lived 2020 season at second place in the table. Likewise dominant were Mewis’ stats through the four matches — she notched two goals and five assists, continuing to reach new heights. The cherry on top? Being called into the USWNT team training camp for the fast-approaching friendly against the Netherlands.

WE SAID GOOD MORNING ????????

ⓘ ???????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????? ???????????????? ???????????????? ???????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????? ???????? ???????????? ????????????????????

— Houston Dash (@HoustonDash) November 17, 2020

Back in December, Mewis discussed her initial return to the USWNT in an interview with American Soccer Now.

“Putting the U.S. crest on again was pretty cool. I always hoped I would be able to do it again. It was definitely a special moment for me since it has been a really long time,” she said. “I have made huge strides to get back. But I obviously don’t want to just get back to where I was, I want to get back to an even better place. So that’s what I’m striving for. I want to be better than I was before I tore my ACL. I don’t just want to be the same.”

Mewis certainly isn’t the same player she was before her injury — in fact, she is exponentially better — and others are starting to take notice. In only 30 minutes of play during Friday’s friendly, she made a lasting impression on the national team, inscribing her name on the scoresheet with the added bonus of getting to celebrate the achievement alongside her sister, Sam.

Inclusion for the Olympics may still be a long shot, but at just 29 years of age, Mewis still has time to work her way into the national team rotation. Friday’s goal may have been a remarkable milestone in her six-year comeback, but if Mewis has proved anything over the past year and a half, it’s that she’s no longer settling for just being good enough. She wants to be great, and it’s time we take notice.

Kristie Mewis, the epitome of perseverance:

- 3rd pick in the inaugural NWSL draft
- Traded 5 times (including twice in 1 week)
- Dropped from national team
- Torn ACL in 2018
- 2020 Challenge Cup winner
- Fall Series assist leader
- Scores today, 2,722 days between USWNT goals pic.twitter.com/nBKuZjqSLq

— Torie Peterson (@ToriePeterson) November 27, 2020

FIFA confirmed that the inaugural Women’s Club World Cup will now kick off in 2028, officially delaying its original 2026 launch this week.

Instead, soccer's world governing body will introduce a new Champions Cup next year, with FIFA ratifying both events on Wednesday.

The alternate Champions Cup will be a smaller, six-club affair with winners from regional tournaments like the UEFA Champions League and Concacaf Champions League.

FIFA plans to make the Champions Cup an annual event set for every year that does not include the quadrennial Club World Cup.

While worldwide club tournaments are an exciting prospect, a crowded schedule, lack of secured funding, and little news of the proposed 19-team Club World Cup’s development prompted timing concerns as 2026 rapidly approaches.

Now kicking off in early 2028, the Club World Cup will initially begin with six top clubs representing the AFC, CAF, Concacaf, CONMEBOL, the OFC, and UEFA. Those teams will take part in the play-in stage, where three winners will advance to the group stage.

Those three clubs must then contend with five directly qualified UEFA teams, plus two direct qualifiers each from CAF, CONMEBOL, AFC, and Concacaf.

While demand for increased global programming is spreading, FIFA’s delay underlines the logistical hurdles of creating new competitions — not to mention the strain they can cause athletes.

"FIFA needs to involve its stakeholders, like the NWSLPA and NWSL, for an event like this to reach its potential," NWSL Players Association executive director Meghann Burke told ESPN on Wednesday.

"Otherwise, they are hamstringing women's football yet again like they've done since time immemorial."

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UK takes aim at 2027 FIFA World Cup

In other international soccer news, the UK announced Wednesday that the country is preparing a bid to host the 2035 FIFA World Cup, with England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland joining forces in an attempt to bring the sport’s biggest event to the United Kingdom.

England’s track record should make the bid particularly attractive after hosting the 2022 Euro to record-shattering attendance and global viewership success — and seeing the home side emerge victorious in the Lionesses first-ever major tournament win.

"Football is and always will be at the core of our country’s identity," said UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, throwing the government's full support behind the bid.

"That pride was on full display when England hosted the Women’s Euro 2022. It not only showed the best of our nation to the world but inspired a generation of girls into the game, all whilst boosting the economy."

Should FIFA ultimately award the 2035 hosting duties to the UK, that tournament will mark the first World Cup hosted by the nation since the men's 1966 edition.

With Brazil set to host the 32-team 2027 World Cup and the US expected to lead a serious bid for the expanded 48-team 2031 edition, the FIFA Council officially recommended this week that either African or European nations serve as host for 2035.

Former perennial contender Stanford basketball's 36-season NCAA tournament streak are likely over, as the unranked Cardinal fell out of the ACC tournament in the first round on Wednesday.

No. 14-seed Clemson delivered the 63-46 tournament-ending blow to No. 11-seed Stanford, who shot just 31.5% from the field to score their fewest points of the season.

"We’re not going to let this one game define us or who we are," said head coach Kate Paye. "We’re hopeful we get to continue to play, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to be here today."

March Madness chances dim with Stanford loss

While the NCAA basketball committee will have the final say on March 16th's Selection Sunday, the loss is a statistical death knell for Stanford's March Madness hopes, as the Cardinal drops to an underwhelming 16-14 record with Wednesday's loss.

Stanford has featured in every edition of the NCAA tournament since failing to advance in the 1986/87 season, racking up three national championships and 15 Final Four berths in that time.

The Cardinal holds the second-longest streak of appearances in the Big Dance, trailing only eight-time champion Tennessee, who have featured in every one of the NCAA's 42 tournaments.

The dramatic drop-off comes during a season of significant change for the Cardinal, who saw star Cameron Brink graduate into the WNBA, legendary head coach Tara VanDerveer retire after 38 seasons at the helm, and standout forward Kiki Iriafen transfer to USC last spring.

Even more, the dissolution of the Pac-12 had Stanford joining the ACC in last summer's conference realignment fray.

Rebuilds shape NCAA as top teams become 2024/25 underdogs

While the Cardinal experienced arguably the biggest upheaval since last season, they're far from the only top NCAA program enduring a rebuilding era.

After losing a handful of 2023/24 standouts, Stanford’s former Pac-12 foe Oregon State — who now competes in the West Coast Conference — faces slim national prospects after going unranked all season despite last year’s Elite Eight finish.

Similarly, back-to-back Final Four contenders Iowa also finds itself on shaky ground, taking the No. 11 seed in the steep Big Ten tournament as they strive to rebuild in the post-Caitlin Clark era.

All in all, the 2024/25 NCAA bracket will likely look a little different than in years past, as former March Madness shoo-ins struggle to find their footing amid graduating stars, heightened transfer portal activity, and conference realignment growing pains.

Iowa eyes bracket-busting March Madness run

Of all the rebuilding programs, Iowa is potentially the team most poised to make some noise during March Madness, with the Hawkeyes snagging some key ranked wins already this season — including last month’s upset of No. 2 USC.

With Clark’s alma mater aiming to bust brackets in the Big Dance, the Hawkeyes will use Wednesday's big 81-54 win over No. 14-seed Wisconsin to fuel them in Thursday's second round of the Big Ten tournament, where they'll face No. 6-seed Michigan State.

Earlier this season, Iowa fell in a slim 68-66 December loss to MSU, and the teams enter Thursday's matchup with nearly identical season records.

How to watch Thursday's NCAA conference tournament games

The unranked Hawkeyes will tip off against the No. 24-ranked Spartans at 9 PM ET. Live coverage will air on Fox Sports.

Former world No. 1 tennis star Naomi Osaka hit another setback on Wednesday, falling in straight sets in the first round of the 2025 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells to Colombia’s unseeded Camila Osorio.

Osaka earned her first-ever WTA title at Indian Wells, defeating Daria Kasatkina to become the event's 2018 champion.

Wednesday's 6-4, 6-4 loss marked the now-No. 56 Osaka's first return to the court since an abdominal injury forced an early end to her impressive 2025 Australian Open run.

"It feels like a bump in the road," said the four-time Grand Slam champion after the match. "I don’t feel like I played well at all, but I still feel like I had so many chances to be in the match."

The match was Osorio's Indian Wells debut, with the No. 53 player now standing as the only Colombian woman to ever defeat a former world No. 1 player.

"It's a dream come true," said Osorio. "I really wanted to play on this court and was really excited and looking forward to playing a champion like Naomi, so I can't believe it."

WTA stars aim for title, rankings boosts at Indian Wells

Indian Wells serves as the opener for the Sunshine Double, a pair of early-season high-profile WTA 1000 events that sees the world’s top players hitting the US hardcourt. The annual tournament duo includes this week's event in California and, later this month, Florida's Miami Open.

Positioned in the tennis calendar's longest break between Grand Slams, the Sunshine Double often gives players a competitive opportunity to build up their rankings by accruing points in the lead-up to May's French Open.

To that end, the world's top contenders will all enter the Indian Wells fray on Friday, including No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and the tournament's defending champion, No. 2 Iga Świątek.

The event's convenient West Coast locale also attracts a wealth of US entrants, with No. 3 Coco Gauff, No. 4 Jessica Pegula, and 2025 Australian Open champion No. 5 Madison Keys joining fellow Stateside competitors No. 8 Emma Navarro, No. 14 Danielle Collins, and No. 18 Amanda Anisimova on this week's Indian Wells court.

How to watch the 2025 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells tennis tournament

The 2025 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells will be contested through March 16th, with all seeded competitors beginning their tournament runs in Friday's Round of 64.

Live coverage of the tournament will air across the Tennis Channel's platforms.

Toy titan Mattel is celebrating March 8th's International Women’s Day by launching a new Barbie Role Model line that features two famous athlete duos.

Highlighting the importance of female friendships, the brand has focused this year's campaign on 2024 Olympic gold medal-winning gymnasts Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey as well as Australian tennis icons Evonne Goolagong Cawley and Ash Barty.

Chiles and Carey also repped Team USA at the 2021 Tokyo Games, where Chiles helped the US take silver in the team competition, while Carey earned individual gold in the floor exercise.

"I’ve always been passionate about empowering the next generation of female athletes and I couldn’t be more grateful to be recognized as a Barbie as a Role Model this International Women’s Day with Jordan," said Carey.

"Together, we are so excited to showcase the limitless power of friendship to girls everywhere. I wouldn’t be here today without support and encouragement from great friends like Jordan."

Barbie honors First Nations Australian tennis stars

Former world No. 1 tennis stars and First Nations Australians Evonne Goolagong Cawley and Ash Barty also feature in the Barbie collection.

Barty retired in 2022 with wins in three of the four Grand Slams. Aboriginal sports legend Goolagong Cawley exited the sport in 1985 with 86 WTA Tour singles titles, including seven Grand Slam trophies.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would be a Barbie myself," Barty told reporters. "I think it's just such an incredible experience to be a part of."

Another women's sports crossover for Barbie

This isn’t Barbie’s first foray into women’s sports. Past collections gave athletes like WNBA legend Sue Bird, Canadian soccer superstar Christine Sinclair, and tennis trailblazer Venus Williams the iconic doll's treatment.

Barbie also released lines in connection with the 2011 Women's World Cup. Additionally, the toy brand spotlighted women's sports with its 2023 Career of the Year collection. And late last year, Barbie partnered with the PWHL to release branded accessories representing the pro hockey league's teams.

"There’s no power or peace quite like knowing you have a support system of women behind you," remarked Chiles. "I hope that partnering with Barbie to celebrate the power of female friendship reminds the next generation of champions that we are stronger together."