While many fans enjoy the ebbs and flow of the NWSL regular season, legends are created in the postseason. Such was the game played in Portland on Sunday afternoon, a 2-1 stoppage-time win for the Thorns, during which multiple generations of stars came together to showcase what makes NWSL playoff soccer so special.

The stage was set through difficult circumstances, stemming from the release of the Sally Yates report on systemic abuse in the NWSL, and the tenacity of the players to push forward and find the joy again in running freely on a soccer pitch. Leading up to the match, the San Diego Wave and Portland Thorns carried both the weight of the past and hope for the future in a story that is constantly changing.

As more consistent media coverage and exposure pushes women’s soccer into new territory as a burgeoning business, the sport in many ways continues to be an oral tradition. The NWSL website still doesn’t list stats prior to 2016, and old broadcasts on now-defunct streaming services are nebulously archived.

Like any oral tradition, as stories are told and retold, context can shift in unexpected ways. Some moments are turned into legend, others that get in the way of a narrative diminished.

While Sunday’s match in Portland wasn’t Alex Morgan’s first trip back to Providence Park after The Athletic report that radically re-contextualized her time with the Thorns, it carried many of the same emotions after the release of the Yates report a few weeks earlier. Even without that context, the prospect of a first-year expansion club going toe-to-toe with one of the NWSL’s founding clubs provided its own significance.

The Providence Park that Morgan walked into also looked a bit different than in the past. Sponsorship messages on the video boards told a very specific story, one of supporting Portland’s players as the club’s leadership remains in flux. The Thorns also made the move in the days before the match to donate profits to local charities, offsetting concerns from the fanbase about supporting embattled owner Merritt Paulson, and supporters returned to the stands in kind (with more than a few “For Sale” signs in tow).

What followed was a great exhale and a new sense of freedom to the atmosphere, one that Portland hadn’t recaptured since before the 2020 NWSL season shut down due to the pandemic. Feeding off that energy, some of the biggest stars in the league rose to the occasion. Interestingly, Thorns head coach Rhian Wilkinson left longtime captain Christine Sinclair on the bench to start, possibly indicating a changing of the guard in Portland and across the league.

In a start that almost felt scripted, Morgan struck first, with a perfectly placed assist to the head of Taylor Kornieck in just the eighth minute to put San Diego ahead. Settling in after the early goal from the underdog, the over 22,000 fans in attendance knew they were in for a high-paced, end-to-end affair.

That @alexmorgan13 🤝 @taylorkornieck connection!

San Diego takes an early lead in Portland!@sandiegowavefc | #WaveFC pic.twitter.com/jEV3Kgdx54

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) October 23, 2022

If Morgan was the headliner going into the game, the matchup between Thorns striker Sophia Smith and Wave defender Naomi Girma was the heavyweight battle that dictated the flow and provided a glimpse into the future. After Thorns midfielder Raquel Rodriguez equalized on a half-volley rocket that sent the crowd into euphoria, fans got to watch two of the next great stars of the sport try to one-up each other.

The result was a fascinating stalemate. For every moment Smith successfully dragged other defenders out of position with her dribbling, Girma was there to cover for her teammates. In 1v1 situations, Girma controlled her own center of gravity and soft first touch to cut off Smith’s angles and direct the ball in the opposite direction.

Despite Girma’s efforts, the Wave began to fade in the second half, a symptom of the extra-time quarterfinal they survived last week against Chicago. Portland took the opportunity to make a definitive substitute in the 62nd minute, bringing on Crystal Dunn for Rodriguez.

Dunn has gradually been making her way back onto the field since the birth of her son Marcel in May. And while the five months in between her giving birth and scoring the game-winning goal is legend itself, the midfielder has also exercised patience over the last month to get where she needed to be in the right moment.

CRYSTAL DUNN AND THE CROWD GOES WILD!!@Cdunn19 | @ThornsFC pic.twitter.com/COECaQuags

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) October 23, 2022

Dunn had been subbed into a number of games prior to Sunday, but not with as much time to operate as she had against the Wave. She provided a new spark to Portland’s press, working to force the Wave into mistakes in the back. The Thorns’ pressure became all-encompassing, even as the seconds started ticking toward extra time.

As Sinclair’s limited minutes suggest — the star striker didn’t sub in until the seventh minute of stoppage time — Dunn is going to be incredibly important to making Portland’s midfield tick in the future. But even in the present, as she continues to work her back to full fitness, she had the quality and star power to will the Thorns to their fourth championship appearance.

As the Thorns step away from Providence Park for the last time in 2022, there are still a number of questions about exactly what kind of club they’ll return to in 2023, and results on the field shouldn’t overshadow the off-field work that needs to be done. But for the players, the story of this season is still being told, and in emphatic fashion.

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

Cameron Brink already has her rookie of the year pick for the upcoming WNBA season, and it’s Indiana-bound star Caitlin Clark. 

In the latest edition of Kelley on the Street, host Kelley O'Hara caught up with Brink in New York hours before the Stanford phenom went No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks at the 2024 WNBA Draft. When O’Hara asked who would win the WNBA's rookie of the year, she answered without pause.

"Caitlin Clark," she said, while a fan commented that she thought Brink would take home the award. Brink later added that the extra foul granted to WNBA players will be "good for me."

"I hope it’s me," Charisma Osborne, who was later drafted by the Phoenix Mercury, said when asked her ROY prediction. "But, I don’t know — we’ll see."

Watch more of Kelley on the Street:

Maria Sanchez issued a statement on Thursday, confirming recent reports that she has requested a trade from the Houston Dash. 

In it, she revealed that the club has been aware of the request "since late March."

"This has all taken a toll and isn’t an easy thing to talk about, but I want to confirm that I’ve requested an immediate trade," she wrote. "My expectations and reasons have been clear. I trust that my current club’s management will honor my decision in a timely manner and proceed with accepting a trade."

"I’m eager to refocus and dive back into what I love most: playing football," she concluded.

Thank you, everyone, for the outpouring of kindness and support. pic.twitter.com/gcnN7dhCJU

— Maria Sanchez (@Maria17_7) April 19, 2024

Reports of Sanchez's trade request first surfaced on ESPN last week, and were later confirmed by multiple sources. 

In December of last year, Sanchez signed a three-year contract with the Dash valued at $1.5 million including bonuses and an option year. It was the largest contract in NWSL history at the time — a figure that would be eclipsed by multiple contracts in the following months. 

Sanchez spent the offseason as a restricted free agent, meaning that Houston could match any other team's offer to retain her rights. Should the Dash trade Sanchez, her current contract terms would remain intact, limiting potential buyers to teams able to afford to take on an inking of that size.

The Dash has yet to address the trade, instead reiterating to ESPN that Sanchez is "under contract, a choice she made in free agency at the end of 2023." 

Both the NWSL trade window and transfer window close tonight, April 19th, at 12 a.m. ET. The window will stay closed through the next 11 regular season games, reopening on August 1st, 2024.

The four-time league champion Seattle Storm unveiled their new practice facility on Thursday, with Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel dubbing Interbay's Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance the team’s "new home."

"It's just such a special space," Brummel told Fox 13 Seattle. "I think when the players get here, it's gonna be overwhelming."

The sprawling 50,000-square-foot, $64 million property is just the second designated practice facility to be designed and built expressly for a WNBA team, with the Storm further noting that 85% of all design and engineering team members involved in the project's construction were women and people of color. The finished product holds two professional indoor courts, two 3x3 outdoor courts, a state-of-the-art locker room, and players' lounge, plus designated areas for strength and conditioning, kitchen, dining, and nutrition, and recovery. 

"This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance," said Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder in an official team release. "It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports."

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For their part, the team can't wait to make the faciilty their own.

"It's amazing," Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Fox 13. "Not having to drive everywhere around, knowing you have access anytime of the day to get into the gym, to workout." 

Head coach Noelle Quinn said she predicts the team is "never going to leave this building."

"Which is a good thing for me," she continued. "You talk about having an edge in performance. We want our athletes to not only perform on the court, but get whatever they need."

All of the Storm's staff and operations will now live under one roof, and the team also has plans to launch a youth basketball program operating out of the building.

The Caitlin Clark effect is quickly making its mark on the big leagues, as WNBA host teams around the country rush to upgrade their Fever games to larger arenas in order to accommodate surging ticket sales.

With Clark mere weeks away from her Indiana Fever debut, both the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have officially relocated their scheduled home games with head coach Christie Sides' squad. On Thursday, the Mystics became the latest to adjust their plans, moving their June 7th matchup from Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southwest DC to the more centrally located — and much larger — Capital One Arena "due to unprecedented demand."

The Mystics home court's capacity taps out at 4,200, while Capital One Arena — home to the Wizards, Capitals, and Georgetown Hoya's Men's Basketball — can fit nearly five times that crowd at some 20,000 spectators.

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"The move to Capital One Arena will allow for additional fans in the stands as well as premium hospitality options, including Suites and the all-new all-inclusive courtside Hennessy Lofts," the team announced via Thursday's press release.

The Aces were one of the first teams to switch venues, aiming to take on the Indiana Fever in front of as many as 20,000 fans inside T-Mobile Arena on July 2nd. That’s a sizable a boost from their home venue, which holds just 12,000.

For those still planning to face the Fever in their home arenas, ticket prices have skyrocketed. Previously scheduled construction has already forced the LA Sparks to relocate their first five games — including their May 24th clash with the Fever — to Long Beach State's Walter Pyramid. The temporary venue is quite the downsize, holding just 4,000 in comparison to Crypto.com Arena's near-19,000. As of Friday, the get-in price for that game started around $400.

Despite fans launching a Change.org petition urging relocation, the Chicago Sky say they're unable to move their June 23rd Fever meeting from Wintrust Arena's 10,000-seat facility to the 23,500-seat United Center due to a concert. Tickets for that game start around $325 as of Friday.