On Sunday, the NWSL will hold its first-ever Decision Day, where the final six matches of the regular season will be played simultaneously. With eight teams vying for four remaining playoff spots, the timing for the move couldn’t be better.

It might be tricky to follow six games at once, but here are a few reasons why this weekend’s NWSL match day might be one of the most exciting in league history.

Superstars at the top

In the last few weeks, the biggest game-changers have been some of the biggest stars in the league, where hype and quality are coinciding. The USWNT’s Trinity Rodman grabbed all three points for the Spirit in a crucial 2-1 win in September, while Alex Morgan broke out of her scoring drought to give San Diego a top-of-the-table win over Portland. Megan Rapinoe continues to register assists in the waning days of her professional career, and Alyssa Thompson kept Angel City’s playoff hopes alive this past weekend with a key equalizer off the bench.

But Decision Day will likely come down to the other side of the pitch, as teams with quality defenses lock down opponents desperate to score. This should favor Naomi Girma and the Wave backline, which has been excellent again this season. The Thorns are bolstered by the return of Becky Sauerbrunn and arguably the best defensive midfielder in the league in Sam Coffey. Two-time World Cup champion Ali Krieger is thriving for Gotham before she heads off into retirement, while Sarah Gorden holds down Angel City’s backline.

Unsung heroes are at the heart of every league, but in a World Cup year, it’s no surprise that the league’s stars are stepping up when it counts. With playoff glory on the line, expect no different on Sunday.

Historic levels of parity

The NWSL’s parity has been praised as one of its greatest strengths, and its case for the most competitive league in the world has never been stronger. Eight teams still have a shot at the four remaining playoff spots, with every match looking like a must-win. Going into the final weekend, 10 teams are still in competitive positioning; whereas in 2022, the season ended with a three-team race for the sixth and final playoff spot (ultimately earned by Chicago).

Other indicators of next-level parity as compared to 2022 are the point totals at the bottom of the NWSL table. Gotham FC finished last season with just 13 points in 24 games and were barely beaten out by Washington, who finished with 19 points. This season, the Kansas City Current and Chicago Red Stars are the only two teams already eliminated from playoff contention, but both teams will far exceed last year’s basement dwellers in two fewer games. No. 12 Chicago suffered major blowouts for a rough minus-19 goal differential, but also earned seven wins to sit on 24 points in 21 games. Kansas City similarly struggled, but will go into the final weekend on 25 points.

You can also see the parity reflected in individual totals, as represented by the NWSL Golden Boot race. Reigning MVP Sophia Smith has produced a ridiculous goal per 90 rate, registering 11 goals (10 non-penalty) and five assists in just 16 appearances. Despite missing a number of matches due to international duty and injury, Smith can only lose the scoring title if Kerolin scores a brace or Debinha or Ashley Hatch notch a hat trick.

Parity is a blessing and a curse, and will likely deliver on Decision Day. No team has an easy match ahead of them, even the two teams playing against sides that have already been eliminated. One dropped result could mean a squad above the playoff line gets leapfrogged in real time.

New NWSL standings just dropped 💯 pic.twitter.com/wZszXu9ar2

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) October 9, 2023

Save the date

It’s then naturally fitting that each of these games will be played at the same time, as difficult as it might be for fans to catch all of the action. In 2022, Portland’s final draw with Gotham FC gave OL Reign an opening to snatch the Shield. But Portland’s draw came earlier in the weekend, so the Reign knew exactly what they needed to do before their match even began.

A Decision Day format reserves all suspense for the same 90 minutes, adding to the drama of a close race to the finish. The Thorns are again in pole position for the Shield, but should they drop points against Angel City, they won’t know the outcome of challenger San Diego’s game until theirs is finished. This energy will carry into the live playoff table, as teams push for results to give themselves a shot at the postseason.

Most teams know they need a win to have a chance at advancing — with matchups like Washington vs. North Carolina and Orlando vs. Houston, some results will be obvious even without knowledge of other games. For viewers wanting more contextualized information, CBS Sports will be broadcasting the league’s first-ever whiparound show on Sunday, giving fans the programming depth they’ve long been craving.

The frantic race to the finish will drive momentum toward the championship game. Now all that’s left is for the action to live up to the moment.

Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

USWNT stalwart Alex Morgan will miss at least one week of NWSL action after suffering a left ankle knock in her last club appearance, Wave manager Casey Stoney said on Thursday.

Morgan was helped off the field after rolling her ankle in the later stages of the Wave’s 1-0 loss to the Orlando Pride last weekend, despite the San Diego side being out of available substitutes.

“She's got an ankle injury and she's out for this weekend, and then it'll be week by week from there,” Stoney said, confirming that Morgan’s been ruled out for Saturday’s showdown with NWSL newcomer Bay FC.

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Depending on its severity, Morgan’s ankle issue might have larger ramifications than missing a few weeks of NSWL play. Morgan was added to the team's Gold Cup roster after an ACL injury sidelined young striker Mia Fishel, and she's since made a number of USWNT starts in the team's Gold Cup and SheBelieves wins. A long-term injury could potentially derail the center forward’s Olympic plans.

With her return timeline uncertain, it's possible the injury could also impact Morgan's ability to participate in new head coach Emma Hayes' first U.S. friendlies in June and July.

Morgan's injury concerns aren't uncommon in the U.S. player pool, but add a sense of urgency as Hayes eyes the NWSL for top-performing players in the upcoming weeks. Gotham's Tierna Davidson and Rose Lavelle have also been dealing with injuries: Lavelle has yet to appear for Gotham, while Davidson exited last weekend's match early with a hamstring injury.

Gotham has yet to issue an update concerning Davidson's status.

This week, legendary Brazilian superstar Marta announced that she’ll retire from the national team at the end of 2024.

In an interview with CNN Esportes published Thursday, the iconic footballer confirmed that she would be hanging up her boots regardless of whether or not she ends up making Brazil's 18-player roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

“If I go to the Olympics, I will enjoy every moment, because regardless of whether I go to the Olympics or not, this is my last year with the national team,” she said. “There is no longer Marta in the national team as an athlete from 2025 onwards.”

Marta will retire as a giant of the women's game, having appeared in five Olympics and multiple World Cups. When discussing her retirement, she stressed confidence in the rising generation of Brazilian players, noting that she was, “very calm about this, because I see with great optimism this development that we are having in relation to young athletes." 

The statement echoes back to a plea she made during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup after Brazil lost to France 2-1 in the Round of 16. “It's wanting more. It's training more. It's taking care of yourself more. It's being ready to play 90 plus 30 minutes. This is what I ask of the girls,” she said then, addressing the young players following in her footsteps. 

In 2023, she signaled a farewell to World Cup competition with the same sentiment, telling media, “We ask the new generation to continue where we left off.”

If selected for the 2024 Olympic team, Marta has a shot at extending her own consecutive-scoring record with the ability to score in an unbelievable sixth-straight Olympic Games. She currently stands as Brazil’s top goalscorer, racking up 116 career goals in 175 matches, as well as the leading goalscorer in any World Cup, women’s or men’s, with 17 to her name. 

Marta will continue to play for the NWSL’s Orlando Pride through at least the end of 2024. The longtime forward and club captain has already contributed to multiple goals this season.

U.S. Soccer announced Tuesday that the USWNT will play their last home game on July 16th in the lead-up to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

The 2024 Send-Off Match against Costa Rica will take place at Washington, DC’s Audi Field — home to both the Washington Spirit and DC United — at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 16th. The friendly rounds out a four-game Olympic run-up campaign under incoming head coach Emma Hayes’ side, with the last two set to feature the finalized 2024 U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer Team roster.

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Hayes will appear on the USWNT sideline for the first time this June, helming the team as they embark on a two-game series against Korea Republic hosted by Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado on June 1st followed by Allianz Stadium in St. Paul, Minnesota on June 4th. 

The team is then scheduled to meet a talented Mexico squad on July 13th at Gotham FC’s Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, where the Olympic-bound lineup will attempt to rewrite February’s shocking 2-0 loss to El Tri Femenil in the group stages of this year’s Concacaf W Gold Cup. And while clear roster favorites have emerged from both of this year’s Gold Cup and SheBelives Cup rosters, a spate of recent and recurring injuries means making it to the Olympics is still largely anyone’s game.

Broadcast and streaming channels for the USWNT's final July 16th friendly at Audi Field include TNT, truTV, Universo, Max, and Peacock.

The USA Basketball Women's National Team is still considering Caitlin Clark for a spot on the Paris Olympics squad, says selection committee chair Jennifer Rizzotti. 

On Monday, Rizzotti told the AP that the committee will be evaluating the college phenom’s Olympic prospects by keeping a close eye on her first few weeks of WNBA play with Indiana.

The move is somewhat unconventional. While Clark was invited to participate in the 14-player national team training camp held earlier this month — the last camp before Team USA’s roster drops — she was unable to attend due to it coinciding with Iowa’s trip to the NCAA Women’s Final Four.

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Judging by the immense talent spread throughout the league in what might be their most hyped season to date, competition for a piece of the Olympic pie could be fiercer than ever before.

"You always want to introduce new players into the pool whether it's for now or the future," said Rizzotti. "We stick to our principles of talent, obviously, positional fit, loyalty and experience. It's got to be a combination of an entire body of work. It's still not going to be fair to some people."

Of course, Clark isn’t the first rookie the committee has made exceptions for. Coming off an exceptional college season that saw her averaging 19.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4 assists per game for UConn, Breanna Stewart was tapped to represent the U.S. at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil less than two weeks after being drafted No. 1 overall by the Seattle Storm. Eight years prior, fellow No. 1 pick Candace Parker punched her ticket to the 2008 Games in Beijing just two weeks after making her first appearance for the L.A. Sparks.

In the lead-up to Paris’ Opening Ceremony on July 26th, USA Basketball Women’s National Team is scheduled to play a pair of exhibition games. They'll first go up against the WNBA's finest at the July 20th WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix before facing Germany in London on July 23rd.

While an official roster announcement date hasn’t yet been issued, players won’t find out if they’ve made this year’s Olympic cut until at least June 1st.