Sophia Smith returned to NWSL play over the weekend. And while she didn’t score a goal to extend her lead in the NWSL Golden Boot race, nobody within striking distance of her 11-goal tally did either.

There’s just one game remaining in the regular season, meaning that Kerolin would need to score a brace in order to secure the Golden Boot. Both Ashley Hatch and Debinha would need a hat trick, as Smith’s five assists still put her ahead in the tiebreak.

The Portland Thorns star entered her team’s 1-0 win over Gotham FC on Saturday in the 83rd minute, marking her first NWSL appearance in 41 days after suffering a mild MCL sprain on Aug. 28. And she’s returned in a good place, with Portland atop the NWSL rankings and her atop the Golden Boot race.

Sophia Smith enters the chat. 🙌

The Golden Boot race leader gets a standing ovation on her return after being out for 41 days with an injury. 🔥

Tune in NOW to @paramountplus for all the action. 📲 pic.twitter.com/zLpeJSHLGk

— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) October 7, 2023

Add a point: Debinha

Debinha was one of six players to get in on the scoring onslaught for Kansas City in their 6-3 win over Chicago on Saturday. Debinha’s goal was the team’s fourth of the match and came just after halftime. It was also the ninth of the season for the Brazilian star, pulling her into a tie for third with Hatch.

No other Golden Boot leaders scored over the weekend, making the race for the award a bit clearer as the NWSL heads into the final games of the regular season.

After VAR review, @Debinha7 puts @thekccurrent up two again 💪 pic.twitter.com/ZHBwAYG5lA

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) October 8, 2023

One for the future: Alyssa Thompson

While 18-year-old Jaedyn Shaw leads all teenagers this season in scoring, another 18-year-old provided an immediate and much-needed boost for Angel City in their 2-1 comeback win on Sunday night. Thompson’s goal in the 68th minute, coming not long after after she entered the game as a substitute, pulled Angel City level and set them up to keep their playoff hopes alive.

It also added to a record-breaking season for teenagers in the league, with players 18 and younger scoring 13 total goals in 2023, more than the goals scored by that age group in 10 years combined. Shaw leads them all with five, but Thompson now has four — which also makes her Angel City’s scoring leader this season.

NWSL leaderboard

• 11 goals
  • Sophia Smith, Portland Thorns
• 10 goals
  • Kerolin, North Carolina Courage
• 9 goals
  • Ashley Hatch, Washington Spirit
  • Debinha, Kansas City Current
• 7 goals
  • Lynn Williams, Gotham FC
  • Morgan Weaver, Portland Thorns
• 6 goals
  • Messiah Bright, Orlando Pride
  • Bethany Balcer, OL Reign
  • Adriana, Orlando Pride
  • Alex Morgan, San Diego Wave
• 5 goals
  • Savannah DeMelo, Racing Louisville
  • Crystal Dunn, Portland Thorns
  • Cece Kizer, Kansas City Current
  • Tyler Lussi, North Carolina Courage
  • Ashley Sanchez, Washington Spirit
  • Jordyn Huitema, OL Reign
  • Jaedyn Shaw, San Diego Wave

USA Basketball lifted the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup trophy on Sunday, taking down defending champions Brazil 92-84 to top the tournament's podium for the fifth time.

Pitting a roster of NCAA talent against Brazil pros like Chicago Sky center Kamilla Cardoso, Team USA battled back from a seven-point third-quarter deficit, then dominated the fourth quarter to send Brazil home with silver medals.

"What a performance by our team," said USA head coach Kara Lawson following the title win. "We knew it was going to be just a tough, physical game."

With 27 points in Sunday's championship game, guard Mikayla Blakes (Vanderbilt) set a USA AmeriCup scoring record en route to earning tournament MVP honors.

"This is my first time playing with USA Basketball, and to be able to cap it off with a win, a gold medal, and to play alongside such great players and great coaches, I couldn't ask for anything better," said Blakes.

After adding 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals in her 21 minutes off the bench on Sunday, guard Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame) joined Blakes in representing the USA on the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup All-Star roster.

Booking a spot on the tournament's All-Star second team was US guard Olivia Miles (TCU), whose 50 assists throughout the competition shattered the modern era's previous single-event record of 46.

Along with their gold medals, Sunday's win also gives the US automatic entry into the 2026 FIBA World Cup in Germany, where they'll look to snag a 12th overall and fifth consecutive world championship.

Two WNBA championship contenders found their way back into the win column on Monday, when the No. 2 Phoenix Mercury and No. 4 Atlanta Dream each notched emphatic victories following disappointing weekend results.

Phoenix tasted revenge by blasting No. 11 Dallas 102-72, with guard Sami Whitcomb's game-leading 36 points and 2025 All-Star forward Alyssa Thomas's triple-double (15 points, 15 assists, 10 rebounds) sending the Wings' rookie core packing.

After last Thursday's surprise upset, Dallas's injury-shortened lineup couldn't keep pace in a rematch with the deeper, more experienced Mercury.

The No. 6 Golden State Valkyries also showed their limits on Monday, dropping their sixth road game of the season in a 90-81 loss to the Dream.

Energized by a 24-point performance from 2025 All-Star starter Allisha Gray, Atlanta capitalized on the Valks' fourth-quarter collapse, outscoring the 2025 expansion side 15-2 to book the win.

"I'm telling the refs, 'This is a hard game for us,'" Golden State head coach Natalie Nakase said afterwards. "I get it — home cooking. But to me, I thought for sure that [Valkyries players] were going up just as aggressive as their players, and we just did not get the whistle."

With All-Star Weekend fast approaching, regular-season Cinderella stories are beginning to break away from the true powerhouses, as teams keep chasing Minnesota at the top of the WNBA standings.

How to watch the Phoenix Mercury this week

While Atlanta will be resting until Friday, Phoenix is back in action on Wednesday, when the Mercury will host the league-leading Lynx at 3:30 PM ET.

Live coverage of the game will air on WNBA League Pass.

Eight-time UEFA Champions League winners OL Lyonnes will have even more US flair next season, with the French football titan announcing the signings of USWNT stars Lily Yohannes and Korbin Albert over the last week.

Joining the newly rebranded Lyon side from Dutch club Ajax on a reported €450,000 ($527,000) transfer fee, Yohannes's new contract runs through 2028.

Albert also signed a three-year deal on Friday, solidifying her transfer from Première Ligue rivals PSG — the club that the 21-year-old has played for since her early exit from Notre Dame in 2023.

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Yohannes and Albert will join USWNT captain Lindsey Heaps in the OL Lyonnes midfield, with US billionaire and multi-team owner Michele Kang (Washington Spirit, London City Lionesses) overseeing the operation.

Backed by her global women's sports organization Kynisca, Kang reportedly beat WSL giants Chelsea FC to the punch in signing 18-year-old Yohannes on Monday.

OL Lyonnes has been stocking up after failing to make it past the 2024/25 Champions League semifinals, adding PSG striker Marie-Antoinette Katoto, Chelsea FC fullback Ashley Lawrence, Barcelona defender Ingrid Engen, and Vfl Wolfsburg attacker Jule Brand to a roster now led by former Washington Spirit head coach Jonatan Giráldez.

While international tournaments play out across the world this summer, the club carousel continues to spin as heavyweight teams vie for the sport's top talent.

The NWSL is already making a splash at this year's Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), with three of the league's top scorers stealing the spotlight following the 2025 tournament's July 5th kick-off.

Zambia forwards Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride) and Racheal Kundananji (Bay FC) both found the back of the net in their national team's group-stage debut against host country Morocco, helping the Copper Queens earn an opening point in the 2-2 Saturday draw.

Banda struck first, notching the tournament's first goal with one of her signature long-range strikes in the first minute of the match, before Kundananji answered Morocco's 12th-minute penalty equalizer with a Banda-assisted 27th minute goal of her own.

Notably, the NWSL is powering Zambia's entire front line, as Banda's Pride teammates, Grace Chanda and Prisca Chilufya, joined the scorers in leading the Copper Queens' Saturday attack.

Then on Sunday, Kundananji's Bay FC teammate Asisat Oshoala wrote her name on the 2025 WAFCON scoresheet, registering Nigeria's first tournament goal by heading the ball past Tunisia goalkeeper Salima Jobrani in the fourth minute of the match.

With Houston Dash defender Michelle Alozie helping hold down their back line, the Super Falcons opened their WAFCON account with a 3-0 win.

How to watch NWSL stars at 2025 WAFCON

WAFCON action revs back up when the second matches of group play kick off on Wednesday, as the 12 2025 tournament teams all chase defending champions South Africa.

Zambia will hunt their first tournament victory against Senegal at 12 PM ET on Wednesday, before Nigeria looks to maintain their winning ways against Botswana at 3 PM ET on Thursday.

All 2025 WAFCON matches will air live on beIN Sports.