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In Thorns-Wave heavyweight battle, NWSL legends are born

Crystal Dunn and the Portland Thorns won the NWSL title in 2022. (Craig Mitchelldyer/USA TODAY Sports)

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.

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.

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.

US Tennis Stars Advance as Wimbledon Field Narrows

Italy's Jasmine Paolini celebrates her first-round win over Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships
World No. 4 Jasmine Paolini fell in the second round of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships on Wednesday. (Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images)

The 2025 Wimbledon Championships wrapped its second round on Thursday, with the grass court Grand Slam seeing just 15 of the tournament's 32 seeded players advance to the Friday and Saturday's third round.

A full half of the WTA's Top 10 players did not survive the week, with 2024 Wimbledon finalist and world No. 5 Jasmine Paolini joining four first-round star exits by falling to unseeded Kamilla Rakhimova in a three-set, second-round battle on Wednesday.

At the same time, unseeded fan favorites like Japan's No. 53 Naomi Osaka and England's own No. 40 Emma Raducanu secured third-round spots at the London Slam, joining top surviving contenders like No. 4 Iga Świątek and defending Wimbledon champion No. 16 Barbora Krejčíková.

Notably, a full five US players managed to move ahead, tied for the largest national contingent still standing at the tournament.

Led by 2025 Australian Open champion No. 8 Madison Keys, the US group also includes No. 10 Emma Navarro and No. 12 Amanda Anisimova, as well as unseeded players No. 54 Danielle Collins and No. 55 Hailey Baptiste.

With matches against Świątek and No. 7 Mirra Andreeva, respectively, Collins and Baptiste have a tough third round ahead — though Navarro's battle against the 2024 champ Krejčíková arguably headlines Saturday's slate.

US tennis star Emma Navarro eyes a return during a 2025 Wimbledon match.
US star Emma Navarro will face 2024 champ Barbora Krejčíková in Wimbledon's Round of 32. (Rob Newell/CameraSport via Getty Images)

How to watch Wimbledon this weekend

While world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is still holding strong in the dwindling field, this year's Wimbledon play is proving that the London Slam is anyone's to take, as the grass court humbles even the sport's top stars.

Expect the twists and turns to continue as tennis's best battle for spots in Sunday's Round of 16.

Round-of-32 Wimbledon play kicks off at 6 AM ET on Friday, with live continuous coverage of the tournament airing on ESPN.

Finland Opens Women’s Euro 2025 with Upset Upset Win Over Iceland

Finland's Katariina Kosola and Emma Koivisto celebrate a goal during their opening 2025 Euro match.
Finland earned a surprise 1-0 win over Iceland in their 2025 Euro opener on Wednesday. (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

The 2025 European Championship is officially underway, as Euro action kicked off with a group-stage upset on Wednesday.

Though the 2025 UEFA tournament's opener was a sweltering affair amid a European heat wave, world No. 26 Finland prevailed, earning a 1-0 upset win over No. 14 Iceland in Group A.

Finnish winger Katariina Kosola played hero, curling in the winning goal in the match's 70th minute — just 12 minutes after Iceland midfielder Hildur Antonsdóttir picked up the competition's first red card.

"The result is important for our confidence," Kosola said after Finland's first major tournament win since the 2009 Euro. "It was the kind of goal I have been practicing a lot."

"It's terrible to lose and we feel frustrated," said Iceland head coach Thorsteinn Halldórsson. "It is an even group and we knew Finland were good, but our first half wasn't good enough."

Elsewhere, No. 16 Norway closed out Wednesday's slate on top of Group A, taking three points by defeating host No. 23 Switzerland in day's second match.

Led by captain and 2018 Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg — who pulled the match even with a second-half strike — Norway battled to a 2-1 comeback win, despite the Swiss side outshooting and out-possessing the Norwegians.

Spain jersey hang in lockers ahead of the team's 2025 Euro opening match against Portugal.
Reigning World Cup champions Spain will open their 2025 Euro account against Portugal. (Aitor Alcalde - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

How to watch this week's 2025 Euro action

Group B steals the 2025 Euro spotlight on Thursday.

While No. 13 Italy snagged a 1-0 opening win over No. 20 Belgium to kick off the day, 2023 World Cup champions and tournament favorite No. 2 Spain will face No. 22 Portugal at 3 PM ET.

Friday's Group C slate will pit No. 12 Denmark against No. 6 Sweden at 12 PM ET, before No. 3 Germany contends with No. 27 Poland at 3 PM ET.

Closing out the first group-stage matches will be arguably the toughest draw of the 2025 Euro pool.

Saturday's Group D slate features major tournament debutants No. 30 Wales against the No. 11 Netherlands at 12 PM ET, with No. 10 France taking on defending champions No. 5 England to cap the day at 3 PM ET.

Live coverage of 2025 Euro matches will air across Fox Sports platforms.

USWNT Caps Summer Friendlies with 3-0 Canada Shutout

Yazmeen Ryan, Michelle Cooper, Claire Hutton, Mandy McGlynn, and Izzy Rodriguez and the rest of the USWNT huddle after their July 2025 friendly win over Canada.
The USWNT finished the summer international window with 11 goals, conceding none, across three matches. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)

The world No. 1 USWNT ruled the pitch on Wednesday night, shutting out North American rivals No. 8 Canada 3-0 to finish the international window on a high note.

Catching the Canada backline sleeping, US midfielder Sam Coffey opened the scoring at the 17-minute mark before 19-year-old Claire Hutton claimed her first-ever USWNT goal by heading in a Rose Lavelle corner kick in the game's 36th minute.

Houston Dash forward Yazmeen Ryan then padded the US tally in the waning minutes of the match, finding the back of the net just eight minutes after subbing onto the field.

Despite fielding a young roster, the US overpowered a veteran-heavy Canada side in almost every category, topping their Northern neighbors in shots, shots on target, possession, and — most notably — set pieces.

Canada ultimately couldn't match the game's mental pace or physical battle, as the USWNT scored all three goals off dead ball situations — a free kick, a corner kick, and a throw-in.

"It's not about the opponent," US head coach Emma Hayes said after the match. "It's about what we do, and I felt that was extremely dominant."

With Wednesday's contributions, the USWNT finishes the summer window with 11 goals scored across the three friendlies — and zero goals conceded.

The US now enters an extended break before reconvening for another as-yet-unannounced friendly series in October — but players will be expected to perform in the meantime.

"I said to the players in the end in the huddle, if you want to compete to win the biggest things, it's not what you do here that matters," said Hayes. "It's what you do when you go back to your club."

Seattle Storm Looks to Climb the WNBA Standings in Weekend Gauntlet

Seattle Storm star Nneka Ogwumike high-fives teammates as she's introduced before a 2025 WNBA game.
The No. 5 Seattle Storm will face No. 4 Atlanta and No. 3 New York this weekend. (Soobum Im/NBAE via Getty Images)

The 2025 WNBA regular season returns on Thursday night, with teams at the top of the league standings looking to prove their mettle against close competition across the long holiday weekend.

The No. 5 Seattle Storm have arguably the toughest weekend assignments, taking on the No. 4 Atlanta Dream on Friday before tackling the No. 3 New York Liberty on Sunday.

Four middle-of-the-pack teams will look to close in on a double-digit season win tally while the league's frontrunners strive to maintain their advantage in this weekend's slate:

  • No. 7 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 8 Indiana Fever, Thursday at 7 PM ET (Prime): Though still without star Caitlin Clark, the Fever hope to harness their 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup victory momentum against an Aces side tied with Indiana with an 8-8 season record.
  • No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 4 Atlanta Dream, Thursday at 7:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): Seattle will look to make strides against a strong Atlanta side while putting last Sunday's stinging 84-57 loss to up-and-comer Golden State in their rearview.
  • No. 6 Golden State Valkyries vs. No. 1 Minnesota Lynx, Saturday at 8 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The rising Valkyries must face a Lynx side hunting redemption, as the league-leaders look to bounce back from their stifling Tuesday Commissioner's Cup upset loss.
  • No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 3 New York Liberty, Sunday at 1 PM ET (CBS): With injured Liberty center Jonquel Jones still sidelined, the Seattle Storm will have a chance to steal a weekend game against the reigning champs, as New York struggles to re-find their footing.

With the 2025 WNBA All-Star break looming, early top performers must keep standards high if they want to hold the line when the season crosses the midway point.

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