Christen Press is in a league of her own.

The veteran forward has had a standout Summer Series, but for those following the USWNT, that comes as no surprise. Press has been a quiet force for the national team since her first cap in 2013, scoring three goals in her first two outings with the squad, becoming the only U.S. woman to do so.

On the mark 💥

With that goal, @ChristenPress pushes her 🇺🇸 career total to 61, breaking a tie with Shannon MacMillan to take sole possession of 9th on the #USWNT all-time scoring charts 📈 pic.twitter.com/0UjYhvZsHH

— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) June 17, 2021

In her 146 appearances with the USWNT, Press boasts a staggering 60 goals and 41 assists, stats which are even more impressive when you consider for how many of those games Press came off the bench.

Under former head coaches Pia Sundhage and Jill Ellis, Press was seen as a super-substitute and a game-changer, but not necessarily a starter. Despite being consistently shut out of the starting 11 for big tournaments, Press continued to make her mark.

In the 2019 World Cup, Press replaced an injured Megan Rapinoe in the USA’s starting lineup against England. She wasted no time in the World Cup semifinal, scoring a necessary goal in the 10^th minute to secure the lead and eventually win the match.

The career-defining moment only added to the belief that Press had been sorely underrated at the international level.

Christen Press finds the back of the net against England and #USWNT is up 1-0.pic.twitter.com/tEG49eTrrI

— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) July 2, 2019

Press’ role on the national team has undergone a renaissance under current coach Vlatko Andonovski. With new leadership at the helm, Press has gotten more starts and more opportunities to energize the national team’s attack.

USWNT fans first got a taste of what an Andonovski-era Christen Press would look like in the 2020 CONCACAF tournament. The veteran forward scored an astounding five goals to capture the tournament’s Golden Ball Award. (And almost every one of her strikes was a work of art.)

A goal under 5 minutes. #CP20 not about to break the streak.

Also, that was N I C E 🤩 pic.twitter.com/ZTiSWM9ixp

— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) February 4, 2020

With the world on notice, Press has been on a tear for club and country over the last year, emerging as one of the most compelling attackers in soccer. She is peaking at the right time, hitting her stride in the USWNT’s June Summer Series ahead of the Olympics.

The veteran forward was the only player to start all three matches, upholding the team’s offense. After scoring against Nigeria and then assisting Lynn Williams, Press has now been directly involved in 34 goals in her last 35 games for the U.S., contributing 14 goals and 21 assists.

With such astronomical numbers, Press’ dominance is now finally undeniable.

Heading into the Tokyo Olympics, there’s no debate needed: Christen Press is the USWNT’s best and most important player on the pitch. After years in a supporting role, she is finally getting her moment in the spotlight — and making fans wish she’d been there all along.

The 2025 NCAA volleyball championship game is officially on lock, as No. 3-seed Texas A&M and No. 1-seed Kentucky survived Thursday's semifinals to punch their tickets to Sunday's season finale.

After snapping overall top-seed Nebraska's undefeated season in last weekend's Elite Eight round, The Aggies kept their history-making hot streak alive, blowing past No. 1 Pitt as the first team to sweep the Panthers all year.

Leading the charge for A&M were sophomore outside hitter Kyndal Stowers and senior opposite Logan Lednicky, who registered 16 and 14 kills, respectively, on the Final Four court in Kansas City.

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As for the last No. 1 seed standing, Kentucky survived No. 3 Wisconsin in a five-set thriller on Thursday, following the example of senior outside hitter Eva Hudson, whose 29 kills trailed only the semifinals-leading 32 posted by Badger senior outside hitter — and fellow AVCA Player of the Year finalist — Mimi Colyer.

With Kentucky hoping to add to their 2020 Division I title — the only NCAA volleyball championship in SEC history — the conference already owns the 2025 trophy, as Thursday set up the sport's first-ever all-SEC national final.

Though the 2025 SEC champion Wildcats seemingly have the edge over the conference's runners-up — Kentucky took down Texas A&M 3-1 in October — A&M's current momentum is undeniable, with the Aggies riding into Sunday's clash having ousted two No. 1 seeds and one No. 2 seed en route to a program-first national final.

"We are considered the underdog in a lot of these moments just [because] we haven't been here before. But we know we have all the right pieces," said Lednicky. "So why not us?"

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How to watch the 2025 NCAA volleyball championship

No. 3 Texas A&M will battle No. 1 Kentucky for the 2025 NCAA volleyball championship at 3:30 PM ET on Sunday, airing live on ABC.

Retired WNBA icon Sylvia Fowles is returning to the court, with ESPN reporting on Wednesday that the former Minnesota Lynx star center will join the staff of the Portland Fire, becoming an assistant coach for the 2026 expansion team.

After reportedly fielding multiple offers of WNBA coaching opportunities, the 40-year-old will back up recently announced Portland Fire head coach Alex Sarama during the team's debut season, with the opportunity to help mold a fresh league roster and create culture from day one serving as a deciding factor in Fowles choosing the expansion franchise.

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The 2025 Naismith Hall of Fame inductee's resume underlines her ability to make an impact from the sideline, as the beloved WNBA alum packs both championship experience and a defensive mindset to aid a team still forming its identity.

In a 14-year playing career split between the Chicago Sky and Minnesota, the 2017 WNBA MVP won two league titles, earning Finals MVP honors alongside each of those Lynx championships.

A four-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, Fowles exited her pro career as the league's all-time rebounds leader with 4,007 boards — a stat that held until current Connecticut Sun center Tina Charles passed the Hall of Famer in September 2024.

The eight-time All-Star also shined on the international stage, as Fowles snagged four Olympic gold medals during her time with Team USA.

With the 18-team UWCL league phase now done and dusted, the 12 clubs still standing discovered their paths to the Final in the 2025/26 Champions League knockouts draw on Thursday.

While the top four clubs — No. 1 Barcelona, No. 2 OL Lyonnes, No. 3 Chelsea FC, and No. 4 Bayern Munich — punched their way into March's quarterfinals behind elite league-phase performances, the remaining eight teams must battle in February's playoffs in order to advance.

Thursday's draw has reigning champs No. 5 Arsenal facing Belgian side No. 12 Oud-Heverlee Leuven in the playoffs, but the Gunners then face a difficult road in the UWCL knockouts, staring down a potential quarterfinal clash with WSL rivals Chelsea as eight-time UWCL winners OL Lyonnes looms on the same side of the semifinal bracket.

Elsewhere, No. 7 Real Madrid have an opportunity to make UWCL history should they win their playoff tie against No. 10 Paris FC, setting up the tournament's first-ever El Clásico with a possible quarterfinal match against perennial winners Barcelona.

How to watch the 2025/26 Champions League Playoffs

The first-leg of the 2025/26 UWCL playoffs kick off with No. 12 Oud-Heverlee Leuven hosting No. 5 Arsenal at 12:45 PM ET on February 11th, with No. 7 Real Madrid visiting No. 10 Paris FC at 3 PM ET.

The following day, No. 8 Juventus will take on hosts No. 9 Wolfsburg at 12:45 PM ET before No. 11
Atlético de Madrid faces the visiting No. 6 Manchester United at 3 PM ET.

All 2025/26 Champions League matches will stream live on Paramount+.

The NWSL Players Association is not on board with the league's latest proposal, rejecting the NWSL's new "High Impact Player" rule allowing teams to exceed the salary cap by up to $1 million to retain star athletes.

According to the current CBA, the union — rather than the league — has the final sign-off on all changes regarding compensation.

"The league is trying to control and interfere by trying to dictate which players [benefit from] this pot of funds," NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke told ESPN. "How you measure a player's value, both in terms of sporting merit and business criteria, is nuanced. It is more complicated than a handful of bullet points."

The NWSLPA has instead suggested that the league simply raise the 2026 salary cap by $1 million, giving clubs the same spending discretion without the star player mechanism.

Citing concerns about the rule's potential long-term implications on the market, roster structures, and locker-room culture, Burke noted that "We just don't feel that it delivers anything of value that simply increasing the team salary cap wouldn't, without having negative consequences."

"Our position is that teams — GMs, soccer ops, business folks at the team level — are uniquely positioned to make judgment calls about how to structure their rosters, how to negotiate deals," Burke continued. "It is within the purview of the teams to make those judgement calls, and in a system of free agency like we all agreed to, that's how it works. It's a free market."

"We are actively reviewing feedback from the NWSLPA as part of the consultation process outlined in the CBA," an NWSL spokesperson said in response.

"The league remains committed to being the home of the world's best talent, and this path gives our clubs the opportunity to pursue that goal while raising overall player investment."