MATCH INFO:

Manchester City Women vs. Everton Women

Wembley Stadium, London, United Kingdom

Kickoff: November 1, 2020, at 9:30 a.m. EST

WHERE TO WATCH: The FA Player

The Vitality Women’s FA Cup is expected to come to an exciting close as Everton and Manchester City face off in the final match of the tournament this Sunday at 9:30 a.m. ET at Wembley Stadium in London.

1⃣ week to go ????#WomensFACup pic.twitter.com/tQTZd3abtn

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) October 25, 2020

All eyes on Sunday. ⏳#MondayMotivation ???? #WomensFACup pic.twitter.com/IwRh9n7zQX

— Everton Women (@EvertonWomen) October 26, 2020

Everton, currently sitting in second place in the WSL 1 League, has logged four wins in their last five matches and boasts a 4-1-0 record, with only two points differentiating them from first-place Arsenal. Man. City, however, has won two, lost two, and drawn one of its last five contests, bringing their record to 2-2-1 and rendering the club in fifth place within the WSL 1 League standings.

In their most recent match, Man. City drew against Reading FC, ending the game deadlocked at a score of 1-1. The contest saw a goal from Man. City newcomer Sam Mewis, who signed with the club in August after spending three seasons with the North Carolina Courage in the National Women’s Soccer League and recording 67 caps for the US Women’s National Team. Mewis has certainly lived up to the lofty expectations surrounding her move to the FAWSL, scoring three goals in only five appearances with Man. City and logging valuable minutes in the midfield aside fellow USWNT standout Rose Lavelle.

It's 1-1 at the Madejski! @sammymewy levels the score ????#BarclaysFAWSL pic.twitter.com/Kdvv8UbdE8

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) October 18, 2020

Similar to Man. City’s latest result, Everton also drew their most recent game, tying Brighton & Hove Albion 2-2 and putting an end to the club’s perfect start on the 2020/2021 season. Goals from midfielder Izzy Christiansen and forward Valérie Gauvin would give Everton a 2-1 advantage with only 19 minutes left to play, but an equalizer from Brighton’s Aileen Whelan in the 78th minute rendered the score 2-2 as the final whistle blew. Despite the draw, Everton remains unbeaten through five matches and will look to continue that streak in Sunday’s competition.

Straight out of the top drawer! ????@IzzyChr17 ???? #UTTpic.twitter.com/8WfPxrZo5s

— Everton Women (@EvertonWomen) October 18, 2020

The last meeting between the two squads took place in the group stage of the Continental Cup at the beginning of October, where Man. City defeated Everton 3-1. At the conclusion of the first half, Everton held a 1-0 lead behind a goal from Danielle Turner, but a stellar second-half performance from Man. City would soon turn the tide of the match. Just 7 minutes into the second half, Rose Lavelle, who joined Man. City following the trade of her NWSL rights from the Washington Spirit to the OL Reign in August, notched the equalizer for Man. City – marking a notable debut for her new team. Later, Chloe Kelly and Jess Park followed suit, adding a goal apiece to secure the victory for Man. City, 3-1.

⚽️ @roselavelle's first City goal
???? @klbardsley back in action
3️⃣ points in our #ContiCup group

Watch the best bits from our win over the Toffees...

???? #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klD5re pic.twitter.com/Drfy5JOdEK

— Manchester City (@ManCity) October 8, 2020

Don’t miss the action this weekend as Man. City and Everton battle it out for the FA Women’s Cup title!

WHAT’S NEXT IN THE FA WSL:

 

November 7th 

Manchester City vs. Bristol City @ 10:00 a.m. EST

November 8th 

Chelsea vs. Everton @ 7:00 a.m. EST

Manchester United vs. Arsenal @ 7:00 a.m. EST

Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Aston Villa @ 9:00 a.m. EST

Birmingham City vs. West Ham United @ 9:00 a.m. EST

Tottenham vs. Reading FC @ 9:00 a.m. EST

Cameron Brink already has her rookie of the year pick for the upcoming WNBA season, and it’s Indiana-bound star Caitlin Clark. 

In the latest edition of Kelley on the Street, host Kelley O'Hara caught up with Brink in New York hours before the Stanford phenom went No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks at the 2024 WNBA Draft. When O’Hara asked who would win the WNBA's rookie of the year, she answered without pause.

"Caitlin Clark," she said, while a fan commented that she thought Brink would take home the award. Brink later added that the extra foul granted to WNBA players will be "good for me."

"I hope it’s me," Charisma Osborne, who was later drafted by the Phoenix Mercury, said when asked her ROY prediction. "But, I don’t know — we’ll see."

Watch more of Kelley on the Street:

Maria Sanchez issued a statement on Thursday, confirming recent reports that she has requested a trade from the Houston Dash. 

In it, she revealed that the club has been aware of the request "since late March."

"This has all taken a toll and isn’t an easy thing to talk about, but I want to confirm that I’ve requested an immediate trade," she wrote. "My expectations and reasons have been clear. I trust that my current club’s management will honor my decision in a timely manner and proceed with accepting a trade."

"I’m eager to refocus and dive back into what I love most: playing football," she concluded.

Thank you, everyone, for the outpouring of kindness and support. pic.twitter.com/gcnN7dhCJU

— Maria Sanchez (@Maria17_7) April 19, 2024

Reports of Sanchez's trade request first surfaced on ESPN last week, and were later confirmed by multiple sources. 

In December of last year, Sanchez signed a three-year contract with the Dash valued at $1.5 million including bonuses and an option year. It was the largest contract in NWSL history at the time — a figure that would be eclipsed by multiple contracts in the following months. 

Sanchez spent the offseason as a restricted free agent, meaning that Houston could match any other team's offer to retain her rights. Should the Dash trade Sanchez, her current contract terms would remain intact, limiting potential buyers to teams able to afford to take on an inking of that size.

The Dash has yet to address the trade, instead reiterating to ESPN that Sanchez is "under contract, a choice she made in free agency at the end of 2023." 

Both the NWSL trade window and transfer window close tonight, April 19th, at 12 a.m. ET. The window will stay closed through the next 11 regular season games, reopening on August 1st, 2024.

The four-time league champion Seattle Storm unveiled their new practice facility on Thursday, with Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel dubbing Interbay's Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance the team’s "new home."

"It's just such a special space," Brummel told Fox 13 Seattle. "I think when the players get here, it's gonna be overwhelming."

The sprawling 50,000-square-foot, $64 million property is just the second designated practice facility to be designed and built expressly for a WNBA team, with the Storm further noting that 85% of all design and engineering team members involved in the project's construction were women and people of color. The finished product holds two professional indoor courts, two 3x3 outdoor courts, a state-of-the-art locker room, and players' lounge, plus designated areas for strength and conditioning, kitchen, dining, and nutrition, and recovery. 

"This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance," said Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder in an official team release. "It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports."

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For their part, the team can't wait to make the faciilty their own.

"It's amazing," Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Fox 13. "Not having to drive everywhere around, knowing you have access anytime of the day to get into the gym, to workout." 

Head coach Noelle Quinn said she predicts the team is "never going to leave this building."

"Which is a good thing for me," she continued. "You talk about having an edge in performance. We want our athletes to not only perform on the court, but get whatever they need."

All of the Storm's staff and operations will now live under one roof, and the team also has plans to launch a youth basketball program operating out of the building.

The Caitlin Clark effect is quickly making its mark on the big leagues, as WNBA host teams around the country rush to upgrade their Fever games to larger arenas in order to accommodate surging ticket sales.

With Clark mere weeks away from her Indiana Fever debut, both the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have officially relocated their scheduled home games with head coach Christie Sides' squad. On Thursday, the Mystics became the latest to adjust their plans, moving their June 7th matchup from Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southwest DC to the more centrally located — and much larger — Capital One Arena "due to unprecedented demand."

The Mystics home court's capacity taps out at 4,200, while Capital One Arena — home to the Wizards, Capitals, and Georgetown Hoya's Men's Basketball — can fit nearly five times that crowd at some 20,000 spectators.

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"The move to Capital One Arena will allow for additional fans in the stands as well as premium hospitality options, including Suites and the all-new all-inclusive courtside Hennessy Lofts," the team announced via Thursday's press release.

The Aces were one of the first teams to switch venues, aiming to take on the Indiana Fever in front of as many as 20,000 fans inside T-Mobile Arena on July 2nd. That’s a sizable a boost from their home venue, which holds just 12,000.

For those still planning to face the Fever in their home arenas, ticket prices have skyrocketed. Previously scheduled construction has already forced the LA Sparks to relocate their first five games — including their May 24th clash with the Fever — to Long Beach State's Walter Pyramid. The temporary venue is quite the downsize, holding just 4,000 in comparison to Crypto.com Arena's near-19,000. As of Friday, the get-in price for that game started around $400.

Despite fans launching a Change.org petition urging relocation, the Chicago Sky say they're unable to move their June 23rd Fever meeting from Wintrust Arena's 10,000-seat facility to the 23,500-seat United Center due to a concert. Tickets for that game start around $325 as of Friday.