The six NWSL matchups this week brought blowouts, bangers and upsets. Just Women’s Sports highlights the best of the action.

The Portland Thorns claimed the top spot in the standings following a tight 2-1 victory over the Washington Spirit, while Kansas City established itself as a playoff contender.

The Top Three NWSL Plays of the Week:

Megan Rapinoe’s Brace

Megan Rapinoe’s busy Sunday included a brace and an assist to lift OL Reign to a 4-1 thumping over Gotham FC.

The veteran striker made her mark on the match early, launching a throw-in into the path of a streaking Rose Lavelle, who one-timed the ball for the go-ahead goal.

.@mPinoe gets the assist off the throw in as @roselavelle puts @OLReign up early 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/Q7kHmkAph7

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) August 14, 2022

Then, in the 42nd minute, Rapinoe did what she does best, burying a penalty kick from the spot to double OL Reign’s lead.

The last time Rapinoe missed a penalty during an NWSL match came four years ago in 2018. She holds a perfect record from the spot during the run of play in international competition. That gives Rapinoe a career penalty kick record of 17 for 18, excluding shootouts, according to ShePlaysNWSL,

.@mPinoe BURIES it to double the lead pic.twitter.com/po41kFUEN6

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) August 14, 2022

The 37-year-old’s dominance continued into the second half, as she one-timed a rocket past the Gotham FC goalkeeper for her third goal in two games.

Never count out Rapinoe, who looks to be in top form once again.

1 touch for @mPinoe for her 3rd goal in her last 2 games pic.twitter.com/x69K3OUPZe

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) August 14, 2022

Claire Lavogez’s game-winning Banger

The North Carolina Courage and Kansas City Current exchanged barbs in a thrilling offensive exchange Saturday.

The scoresheet was tied at 3-3 heading into the game’s final 10 minutes, with Kristen Hamilton, Lo’eau LaBonta and Cece Kizer getting on the board for Kansas City and Diana Ordóñez, Debinha and Kaleigh Kurtz scoring for the Courage.

Kansas City’s Claire Lavogez, who entered the match at the half, notched the decider in the 79th minute in thrilling fashion. The French midfielder dribbled up the spine of the pitch before ripping a top-shelf banger from outside the box to clinch the game for the Current, who are unbeaten in their last 10 matches.

GAME WINNING STUNNER BY @ClaireLavogez‼️ pic.twitter.com/7DDjVkic5y

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) August 14, 2022

Morgan Weaver’s stoppage-time heroics

The Washington Sprit’s Wednesday night matchup against the Portland Thorns was defined by chaos.

First, the Spirit got on the board in the 76th minute after a strange miscue from Thorns goalkeeper Bella Bixby. Portland responded minutes later with a frenzied close-range finish of their own.

Morgan Weaver, who entered the match in the 74th minute, took control of the game, scoring a stoppage-time winner in the 92nd minute. Dribbling through a series of Washington defenders, Weaver cut in from the flank before squaring up for a left-footed far-post laser.

The game-winner secured Portland’s place atop the NWSL standings, three points clear of the Houston Dash, San Diego Wave and Kansas City Current.

Stoppage time winner 🫡 @morganvweaver pic.twitter.com/iOEvU4trjP

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) August 11, 2022

The 2024 Solheim Cup tees off on Friday, with US golf stars looking to topple three-time defending champs Europe in the team tournament's 19th iteration.

Alternating between European and US host courses each edition, teams compete in three days of match play, collecting one point for every win and a half-point for every tie. The US needs a total of 14.5 points to take this year's Cup outright, while Europe needs just 14 to retain it. 

Team USA spans 12 of the sport's top-ranked and most decorated athletes, including Nelly Korda, Allisen Corpuz, Lauren Coughlin, Megan Khang, Ally Ewing, Lilia Vu, Rose Zhang, and the soon-to-retire Lexi Thompson.

US golfers on a mission to reclaim Solheim Cup dominance

Team Europe​ has held the Cup since 2019, but the margins have been razor thin. The 2023 event actually ended in a 14-14 tie, but as reigning champions, Europe retained the title in what the team considers their eighth victory over the US.

While the US holds the advantage over Europe in overall Solheim Cup wins, they haven't raised the trophy in seven years. And unlike other competitions with continuously swelling prize purses, only international bragging rights are on the line here.

Neither team has ever won four consecutive titles, and the US will aim to keep Europe from claiming that historic victory on home soil in Gainesville, Virginia, this weekend.

Star US golfer Nelly Korda sees Solheim Cup as "unfinished business"

All eyes are now on Team USA's Korda, who's coming off a banner 2024 after winning six different LPGA Tour events, including her second major.

"Whenever you get to wear the red, white, and blue and stars and stripes, there's a different meaning to it," the world No. 1 golfer told the BBC earlier this week. "You're playing not just for yourself, but for your captains, for your teammates, and your country, and there's just nothing like it. We have got some unfinished business."

How to watch the 2024 Solheim Cup women's golf tournament

The Solheim Cup starts Friday, September 13th, at 7:05 AM, with live coverage across NBC, the Golf Channel, and Peacock.

In this week's episode of The Late Sub, Claire takes a moment to talk about the final few days of Alex Morgan’s professional career, how the soccer world has changed since Morgan’s debut, and how the star herself spoke about what’s next.

Then, she discusses what Angel Reese’s season-ending injury means for the WNBA playoff race, salutes the US Open, reflects on the 2024 Paralympic Games, and more.

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.

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The USYNT cruised to the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup knockout round in historic fashion on Saturday, routing Paraguay 7-0 in Bogotá, Colombia, thanks to stellar showings from young NCAA and NWSL standouts.

Armed with the most pros to ever feature on a US U-20 World Cup roster with eight NWSL rookies, the USYNT pulled off the largest U-20 WWC win in team history.

The US hasn't won a U-20 WWC in 12 years​, with 2024 marking the first time they've made it out of the tournament's group stage since 2016.

Young NWSL and NCAA players level up the U-20 game

Though long viewed as inferior to Europe and its club-based academy system, US players opting to turn pro at younger ages are making the USYNT increasingly competitive — a trend that's also pushing college programs to new heights.

In Saturday's win, Angel City defender Gisele Thompson​ and Utah Royals rookie Ally Sentnor both found the back of the net, while the youngest goal-scorer in Seattle Reign history, winger Emeri Adames, tied Heather O'Reilly's 2002 national record for most assists in a single U-20 World Cup game with three in the first half. 

Representing the NCAA, Princeton junior Pietra Tordin made her U-20 World Cup scoring debut count with a hat trick — the first US player to do so since Savannah DeMelo in 2018.

USYNT to face Mexico in U-20 knockout clash

Unlike previous editions, this year's expanded U-20 World Cup​ includes a Round of 16 for the first time. 

The USYNT will face regional rival Mexico tomorrow, a team they lost to in the 2023 Concacaf Championship​ final before settling two July friendlies with a draw and a win.

How to watch the US vs. Mexico at the U-20 World Cup

Catch the US women's youth national team take on Mexico in U-20 World Cup action at 9 PM ET on Wednesday, with live coverage on FS2.

Already one of the most popular women’s spectator sports in the US, the 2024 NCAA volleyball season is off to the races this month as the shifting lines of modern college sports plays out in real time​.

Thanks to major conference realignments, regional rivalries turned national storylines will drive the narrative all the way to December's NCAA tournament.

The Big Ten's big changes

At the forefront of these shifts is longtime volleyball powerhouse the Big Ten, which welcomed USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington from the Pac-12 this summer to bring the conference total to 18 teams​.

Added travel, raucous home crowds, and even fiercer competition will play into the conference's season storyline as Midwest heavyweights Wisconsin and Nebraska meet West Coast specialists in a quest to bring the Big Ten its first NCAA title since 2021.

"We knew the venues, everything was comfortable," Oregon head coach Matt Ulmer, speaking with JWS at last month's Big Ten Media Day​ in Chicago, said of his team’s former Pac-12 home. "I think we're going to [see] a lot of uncomfortableness this year, just with new change."

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Surprises and upsets already define the 2024 season

Mirroring that uncertainty, several 2023 heavy-hitters​ have already produced surprising results this season. Two-time defending champion Texas fell to Minnesota in early non-conference play and again to unranked Miami last weekend, while Wisconsin went 0-3 before picking up a pair of weekend wins.

Then last week, 2023 runners-up Nebraska suffered a historic upset loss to unranked SMU, though they also bounced back with weekend victories.

With Power 10 rankings already a rollercoaster, expect even more impressive performances, greater parity, and larger crowds as college volleyball rides its meteoric rise through 2024.