The NWSL playoffs are here, and with them comes a whole new season. The slate has been wiped clean, and the championship is there for the taking.

While some clubs — namely the top two seeds, OL Reign and the Portland Thorns — surged into the postseason, other clubs have reason to worry. Take the San Diego Wave, who are closely monitoring Golden Boot winner Alex Morgan’s knee injury ahead of their first-round match.

Morgan is just one of many players to watch as the road to the title begins, and Just Women’s Sports highlights one from each team, listed in order of playoff seeding.

1. OL Reign: Phallon Tullis-Joyce

The goalkeeper enters the playoffs having recorded a clean sheet in each of her team’s past three matches, including against the Houston Dash on Sept. 24.

Her first year as the starting goalkeeper for OL Reign has been nothing short of outstanding, with Tullis-Joyce playing all 1,980 minutes of the season as one of just two goalkeepers to play every minute for their team.

She has recorded nine clean sheets through 22 games and made 65 saves, allowing a league-low 19 goals all season long (Wave keeper Kailen Sheridan allowed just 17 goals but played in just 18 games). Tullis-Joyce also ranks first in save percentage (81 percent) and goals against average for every 90 minutes (0.86).

2. Portland Thorns FC: Sophia Smith

It’s hard to pick just one player to watch at Portland. But Smith stands out amongst the rest, having notched four braces this season (including one in the regular-season finale against Gotham FC) to bring her goal total to 14 on the season. Not only is that the most of Smith’s career in a single season, it also set the Portland franchise record.

With her 14 goals, Smith now has 21 in her career through just two seasons and is fourth all-time on the Thorns’ list behind Christine Sinclair (55 goals), Allie Long (30) and Lindsey Horan (25).

3. San Diego Wave FC: Alex Morgan

Morgan might be the most important player to take the field for the Wave in the playoffs — if she makes it there. She described her knee injury Friday as “day-to-day,” and her availability remains up in the air heading into the Wave’s postseason opener Sunday against the Red Stars.

“I’m trying my best to be available for Sunday but it really is day-to-day at this moment,” Morgan said Friday. “As much as I’m hopeful, I can’t really set expectations because my body really needs to tell myself and this club whether I’ll be ready to go.”

The Wave will be without defender Abby Dahlkemper, and midfielder Taylor Kornieck is also “questionable” for Sunday, according to coach Casey Stoney, so Morgan’s status holds even greater importance for San Diego. Not only did she score 15 goals this season, she also has veteran experience that the first-year expansion team will need heading into their first-ever playoffs.

San Diego has defied expectations all season long, as has Morgan. If her knee can hold up, look for Morgan to factor heavily into these playoffs.

4. Houston Dash: Ebony Salmon

Since arriving in Houston from Louisville, Salmon has made her mark. She scored a hat trick in just her third game with the club and went on to record nine goals on the season through 12 games. That number left her just two shy of Kealia Ohai Watt’s team record of 11.

Houston will be without longtime captain and veteran Rachel Daly, who departed for Aston Villa following the Euros this summer. But the Dash have been able to find ways to win, and they’ll look to get their first playoff win Sunday in their first playoff appearance.

5. Kansas City Current: Lo’eau LaBonta

LaBonta’s career-best season put an exclamation point on Kansas City’s second season, which included a 13-game unbeaten streak. LaBonta tied with Cece Kizer for a team-leading seven goals, which showcases just how balanced this Current team is. The midfielder also added four assists, the most of any player on the team.

Head coach Matt Potter calls her the team’s “engine,” and with her they might have a shot at securing the NWSL title.

6. Chicago Red Stars: Tatumn Milazzo

While Mallory Pugh is certainly another player to watch, Milazzo has been an instrumental part of the team’s backline. Not only does she lead the league in interceptions (50), she also is tied for fourth with teammate Vanessa DiBernardo for the most tackles won (41).

World No. 18 Colombia secured their spot in the 2025 Copa América final on Monday night, when Las Cafeteras bested No. 32 Argentina in a penalty shootout to take the first of the continental tournament's two semifinals.

Despite dominating in both possession and attacking opportunities, Colombia failed to break through in regulation time, ending the Copa semifinal in a 0-0 stalemate.

However, the 2022 runners-up showed confidence from the spot, securing the victory with a narrow 5-4 penalty differential after six shootout rounds.

"We are finalists and we qualified for the Olympics in Los Angeles, that was our objective," said Colombia goalkeeper Katherine Tapia after the win. "We are prepared for the Final."

With Colombia hunting a first-ever Copa title in their fourth trip to the tournament's finale, they will either face underdog No. 63 Uruguay or reigning champions No. 4 Brazil in Saturday's 2025 title match.

Should Brazil soccer legend Marta and the rest of her team continue their run to a fifth straight — and ninth overall — Conmebol trophy, Colombia would find themselves facing As Canarinhas for a competition record-tying fourth time in the Copa América final.

On the other hand, a Uruguay semifinal victory over Brazil would set up the first-ever Copa América finale to not feature the continental powerhouse.

How to watch Brazil vs. Uruguay in the Copa América semifinal

Defending champ Brazil will take on Uruguay in the second Copa América semifinal at 8 PM ET on Tuesday, as each team aims for a spot against Colombia in Saturday's 5 PM ET tournament final.

Tuesday's semifinal will air live on FS1.

The Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) crowned its inaugural champion on Sunday, with the No. 1-seed Talons lifting the first-ever AUSL trophy after sweeping the No. 2-seed Bandits in the weekend's 2025 Championship Series.

Battling inclement weather all weekend, the Talons finished out Saturday's rain-delayed Game 1 to a 3-1 win early Sunday morning, before avoiding a winner-take-all Game 3 by claiming the AUSL title in a narrow 1-0 second victory on Sunday afternoon.

AUSL Pitcher of the Year Georgina Corrick and former Alabama ace Montana Fouts held the powerful Bandits offense at bay throughout the two wins, while infielder Sydney Romero — a former two-time NCAA champion at Oklahoma — secured the Talons' title with a Game 2 sixth-inning home run.

"I wouldn't have wanted to do this anywhere else, with anybody else," Fouts said after the championship win. "I feel like we really are family. That's what makes this so special. Obviously, winning is awesome, but I just feel like whenever you step on the field with people like this, you've already won." 

In addition to the Talons' 2025 championship trophy, AUSL at-large garnered plenty of success throughout its debut season, selling out 14 of the first 29 games while averaging 117,000 viewers per game on ESPN2 — a 65% increase over the 2024 Athletes Unlimited format.

That boost saw the broadcaster upgrade the final series from ESPN2 to ESPN.

"It's really been, in some ways, eye-opening," AUSL commissioner Kim Ng told Sports Business Journal earlier this month. "I don't think that any of us thought that we would get this type of reception. But everyone here is so incredibly excited."

The No. 11 Dallas Wings put on a show on Monday, handing the No. 2 New York Liberty their second straight loss behind a combined 40 points from star guards Paige Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale.

Rocketing to a season-best 63-36 first-half lead, Dallas held off the reigning WNBA champions' fourth-quarter surge to secure the 92-82 upset win — the Wings' eighth victory of the year.

Ogunbowale tallied 14 assists in the win, becoming to first WNBA player to ever record 20+ points and 14+ assists in a single game while committing less than two turnovers.

While the WNBA standings remained relatively stable, Dallas's upswing brought further frustration for the Liberty, as they continue to struggle to keep all five starters healthy at the same time.

While previously injured center Jonquel Jones is back in the mix, New York missed 2023 MVP Breanna Stewart on Monday, with the star forward sidelined after suffering a blow to the leg during Saturday play.

"Just understanding the urgency we need to play with, understanding nobody feels bad for us down some people, we have to come out with a little more purpose," guard Sabrina Ionescu told reporters after Monday's loss.

How to watch the Dallas Wings and New York Liberty this week

New York's next trek is significantly steeper, as the Liberty take on the league-leading Minnesota Lynx at 8 PM ET on Wednesday. A rematch of the 2024 WNBA Finals, the clash will air live on ESPN.

Dallas will be in action at the exact same time, when the Wings will hunt a ninth season win against the No. 4 Atlanta Dream, airing live on ESPN3.

Second-year LA Sparks forward Cameron Brink is gearing up to make her long-awaited return on Tuesday night, stepping back on the WNBA court after missing more than a year of action due to a June 2024 ACL tear.

Brink's return couldn't come at a better time for LA, as the Sparks continue to take serious aim at a postseason run after rattling off five wins in a row.

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The 2024 No. 2 overall draftee will likely be on a minutes restriction as she works her way back into full-game fitness, with the Sparks easing her in during their Tuesday matchup against Las Vegas.

"It means the world," Brink told the Long Beach Press Telegram about her WNBA return earlier this week. "I'm just very excited, very humbled by this experience. It's no easy thing to come back from."

Brink's comeback will close out a trio of WNBA games on Tuesday:

• No. 9 Golden State Valkyries vs. No. 4 Atlanta Dream, 7:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): After a hot start, the Valkyries slid into a free-fall, leaving Golden State hoping to improve on their 2-6 July record against a gelling Dream side.

• No. 12 Chicago Sky vs. No. 8 Washington Mystics, 7:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The young Mystics are currently clinging onto the final playoff spot, with a chance to push ahead against the injury-ridden Sky.

• No. 7 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 10 Los Angeles Sparks, 10 PM ET (NBA TV): The Sparks are the shiniest team in the WNBA right now, but they'll have their work cut out against an Aces team desperate to bust out of the mid-table doldrums.