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NWSL Challenge Cup: Quarterfinals Preview

BRYAN BYERLY/ISI PHOTOS

After an electric opening round, all eight teams in Utah have been seeded.

The quarterfinals feature a rematch of the tournament’s opening game between Portland and North Carolina, a sequel to the six-goal affair between Houston and Utah, an intriguing battle between two teams on the rise in Washington and Sky Blue, and a meeting between two 2019 playoff teams with the Chicago Red Stars taking on OL Reign.

While no team has been at its best for all 360 minutes of the tournament so far, we have a good idea of what each team needs to do to advance to the semi-final round.


 

7/17: PORTLAND THORNS V NORTH CAROLINA COURAGE

Right now, Portland needs its young players to step up. In my Challenge Cup preview, I said that No. 1 draft pick Sophia Smith was the player to watch, despite a lingering injury. Turns out, that injury has inhibited Smith more than was predicted. Naturally, Portland has turned to its second overall draft pick, Morgan Weaver.

Weaver has been excellent getting into attacking spaces, but she still needs to improve on her finishing. The forward who scored fifteen goals during her senior year at Washington State has yet to fully emerge.

Portland knows what to expect from North Carolina, who have shown little desire to deviate from their tried and true game plan. The Courage are relentless. They don’t need any help beating you, but opponents so far have been doing as much, as North Carolina has scored many cheap goals off turnovers. The best thing for the Thorns is to do the little things right, starting with clean possession in their defensive third. Otherwise, North Carolina won’t even have to play up to its standard in order to win.

Simone Charley is the only player on any team to have scored on the Courage in this Cup. If nothing else, that should give Portland the spark of confidence it needs.

As of right now, the Courage’s best chance to win is to just keep doing this:

North Carolina is so good at just sucking the life out of teams. While Portland wants to believe they belong on the big stage, if the Courage are able to score an early goal as they did against Sky Blue, the Thorns may break.

Prediction: North Carolina 3, Portland 1


 

7/17 HOUSTON DASH V UTAH ROYALS FC

Houston’s defense, while improved, is not going to win games. Shea Groom, Kristie Mewis and Rachel Daly will need to regain their composure and connection from their first two games. In a split second, the Dash can score against the run of play, but the past two games have not displayed that explosive burst.

Still, Houston has shown some of the best passing in the Cup. Against a Royals back three of Rachel Corsie, Elizabeth Ball and a rotating third member, Houston has already shown it can wreak havoc, as it did in running out to a 3-1 lead in their first game. The most straightforward path to the semifinals for the Dash is to continue to place balls behind that back line.

Even if Houston’s defense can’t lead the team to victory, the back line will need to focus on organization especially given the breakdowns against Utah the last time out. To give the team a chance, Houston has to match the pace and predict the creativity of Amy Rodriguez.

When the Dash are at their best, they are pressing the other side. This asks a lot of the players physically, so hopefully these days of rest in between rounds will allow Houston to be at its best come Friday.

Although Utah’s first priority will be containing Rachel Daly, the second has to be maintaining composure in the closing and opening minutes of each half.

Daly scored in stoppage time of the first half in the team’s first meeting, turning what was a solid Utah performance in the first 45 minutes into a wash. That negative momentum carried over into the second half, and the Royals conceded a second goal to Daly less than two minutes after kickoff.

In their loss to OL Reign, Bethany Balcer scored a minute into second half stoppage time to steal a win and three points. Finally, against Chicago, Casey Short scored in the 85th minute.

In Houston’s past two games, we have seen Daly frustrated frequently when she is denied entry passes. With its overloaded midfield, Utah can prevent Kristie Mewis and Shea Groom from seeing the ball and force any pass to Daly to have to come over the top. If Utah successfully rebuffs the Houston link-up play, and does so for the full 90 minutes (including stoppage time), then the Royals may survive for a shot at the win.

Prediction: Houston Dash 2, Utah Royals 2, Houston advances on PKs


 

7/18: WASHINGTON SPIRIT V SKY BLUE FC

Washington’s last game against Houston was their blueprint for success. While the Spirit held possession against North Carolina, it was not meaningful; against the Dash, they were able to consistently generate incisive, productive runs. Almost half of the team’s 40 shots, 19, have been on target, which is the best rate in the Cup.

Washington does not have a central target to win aerial battles on crosses. Ashley Hatch’s speed and Ashley Sanchez’s ball handling are better suited for a counterattack or methodical build up. Since the decision has been made to emphasize possession, the Spirit must double down on their build up play.

Health in the midfield is crucial, as there is no doubt a middle three of Rose Lavelle, Andi Sullivan and Jordan DiBiasi is Richie Burke’s preferred option. But Sullivan is out for the rest of the cup with a meniscus tear, and both Lavelle (ankle) and DiBiasi (hip) were held out of last Sundays’ game. The health and stamina of the latter two will be something to keep an eye on as the tournament advances.

In the second half against Houston, Washington sat back in their defensive block in a 5-4-1 formation, and the Dash grew into the game. While it may have made sense to experiment while up a goal, the Spirit appeared tentative. Against a Sky Blue side without many bonafide stars, Washington should look to dictate play as the aggressor.

Coming into the tournament, it would not have been a shock to hear that Sky Blue finished seventh in the preliminary round. After four games, however, it is clear that there is a lot to like about this team. Not only are they actually tied with three other teams on four points, but they have consistently put together some impressive runs of soccer.

So much of what Washington does right now runs through their midfield. To that end, a key to Sky Blue’s success will be to control the center of the pitch. Jennifer Cudjoe has been a revelation in the midfield, and the leadership of McCall Zerboni cannot be overstated. No matter who the Spirit have available, Sky Blue must look to assert itself.

Coach Freya Coombe has put together some well-conceived tactical plans in this Cup. The game tape from Spirit vs. Dash will be useful to show what Washington is capable of when not under pressure. On the other side, the game tape from the Spirit’s loss to the Courage will extol the benefits of setting a high line of confrontation.

Prediction: Washington Spirit 2, Sky Blue 1


 

7/18: OL REIGN V CHICAGO RED STARS

Only one team has scored on OL Reign so far in this Cup, so it’s not exactly breaking news that the path to victory runs through their defense. Nevertheless, over the course of the Cup, there has been significant improvement. Since an opening draw against Sky Blue in which the side looked more or less lost, OL Reign has increasingly shifted from sitting back and relying on a “bend but don’t break” strategy to playing more aggressively and attacking backlines.

Although the team has just one goal, its 45 shots is fourth in the league. Conventional wisdom says that eventually some will begin to find the back of the net. (On the flip side, only 12 of those shots have come on target, and they’ll be facing Alyssa Naeher between the posts. Goals against Chicago could be hard to come by.)

So far, the Reign have played a physical style with the fourth most interceptions, third most tackles won, and the most fouls committed. What’s missing is the ability to finish on offense. Against a Julie Ertz-led defense, crosses like the one Balcer scored against Utah will be knocked away. However, if the Reign can use Chicago’s defensive aggression against them to catch them in an advanced position with room in behind, there might be opportunities to get one-on-one with Naeher.

The good news for the Red Stars is that despite scoring just twice through the first four games, that’s still twice as many goals as OL Reign. Tinkering with his lineup throughout the preliminary round, coach Rory Dames has shifted the emphasis from winning games to learning. Time will tell if this was the right approach. Against Utah, Chiacgo had to kick it into a different gear in order to score a late goal and avoid a quarterfinals matchup against North Carolina.

Now, the Red Stars will have to bring that sense of urgency from the opening whistle, as it’s win or go home.

Everyone, from the players to the coaches to the fans to the media, is tired of addressing what Chicago is missing this year compared to last, when a Sam Kerr-led offense led the Red Stars to the cusp of a title. But until Chicago can resume scoring goals at will, the story won’t go away. Against OL Reign, the Red Stars will have a chance to show they have yet to play their best.

Prediction: Chicago Red Stars 1, OL Reign 0

UEFA Draw Sets Champions League Quarterfinals

The UEFA Champions League trophy sits on display before the 2024/25 quarterfinals draw.
Eight teams' paths to May's Champions League final in Lisbon were determined in Friday's draw. (Kristian Skeie - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

The 2024/25 Champions League quarterfinals are officially set, with UEFA drawing the remaining eight teams into the field early Friday morning.

The annual season-long competition pits Europe's top leagues against each other. This season, 72 clubs across 50 different leagues qualified for the contest. From the UK to Ukraine, all teams have been vying for the continent's top-dog status amidst a cutthroat atmosphere and a growing sense of parity in the sport.

Two qualifying rounds narrowed the initial teams down to the 16 contending in the tournament's official group stage. Each played six group-stage matches from October through December to determine the eight clubs that advanced to Friday's final draw.

A screen shows the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League quarterfinal pairings at Friday's draw.
Four previous champions made the 2024/25 Champions League quarterfinals. (Kristian Skeie - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

The road to Champions League glory in Lisbon

All remaining clubs are now eyeing the May 24th final in Lisbon, Portugal, and Friday's draw mapped each team's path to that championship match. The 2024/25 quarterfinals will feature four former champions and four seeking a first-ever trophy, with both familiar fights and rarely tested toss-ups on deck.

Both the March quarterfinals and April semifinals employ a two-leg format, offering teams who suffer narrow first losses a shot at second-match redemption.

Friday's draw determined that WSL contenders Arsenal will kick off the tournament's quarterfinals against Real Madrid on March 18th, with Germany's Bayern Munich taking on France's 2024 UWCL runners-up Olympique Lyonnais shortly afterwards.

The following day, Bayern's Frauen-Bundesliga foes Wolfsburg will face Spain's 2024 UWCL champs FC Barcelona. Closing out the initial tilts is a WSL standoff between Manchester City and the UK league's undefeated titans Chelsea FC.

Lyon's Michele Kang, president of the winningest Champions League team in history, speaks to the media after Friday's UEFA draw.
Backed by club president Michele Kang, Lyon will seek its record ninth UWCL title this year. (Kristian Skeie - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

Increased global parity to test UWCL dynasties

With eight of the tournament's 23 titles under their belts, Lyon is the winningest team in UWCL history. Meanwhile, current back-to-back champions Barcelona claimed three of the last four trophies.

Despite the recent two-team domination, capturing this season's title will be a challenge. Hoping to spoil Lyon's and Barcelona's dynastic runs is four first-time title-hunters, plus two-time winners Wolfsburg and early champion Arsenal — who won the trophy in 2007, when the tournament was called the UEFA Women's Cup.

All in all, the European crown has never been tougher to claim, with leagues across the continent increasingly stocking up on standout — and potentially game-changing — players from beyond their borders.

Portland Announces Joint NWSL x WNBA Training Center

A rendering of the outside of the proposed NWSL x WNBA performance complex in Portland.
The Portland facility will be the first shared WNBA-NWSL performance complex under the same ownership. (RAJ Sports/Populous)

Portland is going all in on women's sports, with RAJ Sports — the ownership group behind both the NWSL's Thorns and Portland's incoming WNBA team — announcing the development of a new $150 million sports performance complex on Thursday.

The 12-acre dual-sport performance center will be the first-ever facility housing both a pro women's soccer squad and a pro women's basketball team.

Innovation and amenities lead Portland design

At 63,000 square feet, the incoming NWSL x WNBA training facility will feature two basketball courts, two soccer pitches, a 17,000-square-foot practice gym, a state-of-the-art strength training facility, and a laundry list of additional top-of-the-line amenities.

According to the Thorns' announcement, the center aims to "[elevate] the standard of athletic development by integrating cutting-edge training, advanced recovery, and holistic wellness with lifestyle elements specific to the needs of female athletes in a collaborative multi-team setting."

The wellness additions include recovery lounges and pools, hyperbaric therapy, red-light therapy, and a yoga and pilates room, plus access to a full-time chef and nutritionist via the center's kitchen and dining hall.

"This kind of high-performance training facility allows us to elevate every part of our game, becoming better and more well-rounded athletes," said Thorns forward Sophia Wilson (née Smith).

"Having a space designed specifically for female athletes gives us yet another leg up on the competition and will be vital to our future successes."

A rendering of the basketball court in the proposed Portland performance complex.
The WNBA and NWSL performance complex adds Portland to a growing list of women's sports facilities. (RAJ Sports/Populous)

Portland joins other WNBA and NWSL teams building own facilities

Portland is just the latest in a wave of women's teams across top-tier US leagues breaking ground on dedicated performance facilities.

Earlier this week, WNBA newcomer Golden State unveiled their own custom-built Valkyries Performance Center. Last month, NWSL side Angel City cut the ribbon on their dedicated training facility.

RAJ Sports’ effort to continue the investment trend comes barely a year after their January 2024 purchase of the Thorns. That move was finalized a little over eight months before the WNBA accepted their expansion bid, making the Bhathal family — who also have a stake in the NBA's Sacramento Kings — the first-ever ownership group to oversee pro women's teams in two different sports.

Las Vegas Aces Revamp Roster with Offseason Moves

Las Vegas Aces standouts Sydney Colson and Tiffany Hayes race downcourt during a 2024 game.
Both Sydney Colson and Tiffany Hayes are departing Las Vegas this season. (David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images)

WNBA roster shakeups kept rolling this week, with a deluge of moves radically reshaping the 2022 and 2023 league champion Las Vegas Aces.

After three seasons in Las Vegas, backup guard and popular locker room presence Sydney Colson signed a one-year deal with Indiana on Thursday. The Fever, who've been aggressive about inking athletes they believe will bring a title back to Indianapolis, targeted Colson for her veteran experience.

"[Colson] brings a championship pedigree to the Fever, adding depth to our point guard position, said Fever COO and GM Amber Cox in the team's announcement. "We have the utmost confidence in her ability to step into any situation and deliver on both ends of the floor."

Joining Colson in leaving Las Vegas is forward Alysha Clark. A key factor in the Aces' 2023 title run — which ultimately earned her the WNBA's Sixth Woman of the Year award — Clark is returning to the Seattle Storm, where she played from 2012 to 2020.

The Aces are also losing their 2024 Sixth Woman of the Year, Tiffany Hayes. Despite the Aces protecting her in December's expansion draft, the free agent guard will take her talents to incoming franchise Golden State. There, she'll link up with former Las Vegas assistant coach-turned-Valkyries boss Natalie Nakase.

"Having coached Tiffany last season in Las Vegas, I know firsthand the impact she brings both on and off the court," Nakase noted. "Her versatility, intensity, and ability to score will be invaluable as we build our team's identity."

Atlanta's Cheyenne Parker-Tyus guards Las Vegas's A'ja Wilson during a 2024 WNBA game.
Cheyenne Parker-Tyus will join A'ja Wilson in the Aces' front court this season. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Las Vegas Aces take aim at refreshed dynasty

After falling short of a three-peat championship last season — despite three-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson's outstanding 2024 performance — a significant Aces roster reshuffling was all but guaranteed ahead of the 2025 season.

Las Vegas kicked things off by shipping All-Star guard Kelsey Plum off to the LA Sparks last month. The blockbuster three-team trade sent Seattle's two-time champ Jewell Loyd to the Aces in return.

To shore up their front-court, Las Vegas inked 6-foot-4 power forward Cheyenne Parker-Tyus on Thursday. The 2023 All-Star averaged 15 points and 6.7 rebounds for Atlanta that season, and was on her way to matching that production last year when an ankle injury curbed her 2024 run.

Ultimately, Las Vegas's roller coaster offseason reflects both the WNBA's shifting landscape and the Aces' quest to revive their former dynasty, hoping a fresh start can fuel them all the way to another league title in 2025.

Tennessee Upsets NCAA Rival UConn in Vols’ First Top 10 Win

Tennessee basketball players Jewel Spear and Zee Spearman celebrate their 80-76 upset win over UConn.
Tennessee scored their first win over UConn since 2007. (Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)

No. 19 Tennessee notched the first major win of their Kim Caldwell era on Thursday night, stifling No. 5 UConn 80-76 to capture their first Top 10 basketball victory of the season — and first win over the Huskies since 2007.

Bolstered by a 13-0 run in the third quarter, Tennessee out-rebounded UConn 46-34 to hold the Huskies at bay.

On defense, the Vols managed to limit UConn star and projected 2025 WNBA Draft No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers to just 5-of-16 from the field and 2-of-6 from beyond the arc.

"We had poise down the stretch. I think we played with confidence. I think we played to win, as opposed to afraid to lose," commented first-year Tennessee head coach Caldwell after the game.

Tennessee flips the historic rivalry script against UConn

Once one of the most heated historic rivalries in NCAA basketball, Tennessee and UConn met 22 times from 1995 to 2007. The Huskies took 13 victories over that stretch.

Since the teams rebooted their non-conference series in 2020, UConn has taken the win in all four meetings — until Tennessee halted the Huskies on Thursday.

A big upset win from the Vols has felt increasingly inevitable this season, as Tennessee has come wildly close to claiming multiple top-tier upsets. They fell to No. 4 Texas by just four points, No. 6 LSU by two points, and logged one-point losses against both No. 15 Oklahoma and No. 24 Vanderbilt.

Last week, the Vols lost to No. 2 South Carolina 70-63. Subsequently, Tennessee became just the second team to limit the reigning NCAA champs to a single-digit win this season.

Despite Tennessee’s recent rise, Thursday's result was a blow to UConn. The Huskies are now 21-3 in 2024/25 play, with all three losses coming against Top 10 teams. UConn likely has just one regular-season Top 10 matchup left by way of a February 16th clash with South Carolina.

"The bottom line is we have some players on our team that are supposed to be our best players and they've got to play better. That's all there is to it," said UConn head coach Geno Auriemma in response.

South Carolina's Bree Hall defends Texas guard Madison Booker during a 2024 NCAA basketball game.
Texas and South Carolina will meet in a Top-4 matchup on Sunday. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

How to watch top-ranked NCAA basketball this weekend

As tough as the SEC has been, there's little rest for the weary, with No. 19 Tennessee gearing up for a rematch with No. 6 LSU at 4 PM ET on Sunday. Live coverage will air on ESPN.

In Top 10 weekend action, No. 8 Ohio State will cap their West Coast trip against No. 7 USC at 9 PM ET on Saturday, live on Fox Sports.

Then on Sunday, No. 4 Texas will host No. 2 South Carolina at 2 PM ET, with ESPN broadcasting live.

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