There’s a new No. 1 NWSL team in town.

The North Carolina Courage have won four straight and don’t look to be slowing down. Olympic-bound athletes will be gone by next weekend, testing teams’ depth at a crucial point in the season. Any NWSL team can win on any given weekend, and never is that more true than during an Olympics break. Expect some players to step up while other teams take a step back. 

Heading into the most chaotic part of the season, here’s how I see the NWSL today.

10. Kansas City (–)

A Mariana Larroqutte GOLAZO saw KC Woso pull off a late draw with Gotham FC. Even though they’re the bottom of the table and the JWS Power Rankings, that first win is starting to feel imminent.

THE LARRO EQUALIZER#NJNYvKC | #WePlayForKC pic.twitter.com/NUjq5fAMjJ

— KC NWSL (@KCWoSo) July 3, 2021

9. OL Reign (-1)

The Reign aren’t in a good place. Head coach Farid Benstiti stepped down, and the team then promptly lost to the Houston Dash. Hopefully a fresh face at the top will reignite that spark on what is still a wildly-talented roster.

8. Chicago Red Stars (+1)

The Red Stars got their biggest win of the season Friday, beating the Washington Spirit 1-0. This feels like the moment that gets them back on track. I’m also impressed with goalkeeper Cassie Miller — definitely one to keep an eye on.

7. Racing Louisville (–)

Louisville lost to the Thorns, but the team looks positioned to continue their impressive start during the Olympic window. They won’t lose any players and have been effective and strategic in adding pieces like Ebony Salmon.

6. Washington Spirit (-3)

The Spirit deservedly lost to Chicago and their lives don’t get any easier as they take on North Carolina next. Kelley O’Hara’s presence and tenacity was certainly missed as the Spirit struggled to really find meaningful chances.

5. Gotham FC (–)

Gotham will be frustrated to give up the late draw to KC. It’s a tie that feels like a loss as they struggled to put the game away. They play the Thorns this weekend, who have had their number all season.

4. Houston Dash (+2)

The Dash are on a roll! They’ve now won two straight and face the Red Stars this weekend. Jasmyne Spencer got the ultimate redemption with a goal against her former team just weeks after being traded. Also can we talk about that ball from Shea Groom? Fire.

Jazzing it up against her former team 👀#HOUvRGN | https://t.co/0LtSAUK1Jw | #NWSL21 pic.twitter.com/pJjSfUVN8T

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 3, 2021

3. Portland Thorns (+1)

The Thorns are the ultimate roller coaster team this regular season. This week, they were solid. Next week? Who knows. One takeaway: We’re seeing more and more that if Simone Charley is on, they win.

2. Orlando Pride (-1)

On the heels of their second straight loss, the Pride have fallen out of the top spot. The Courage would have buried them even more than the 2-0 scoreline suggests if not for a spectacular game from Ashlyn Harris. They have to hope Ali Kreiger’s injury isn’t serious as this weekend’s game against Louisville feels like a “must win” for the Pride to get back on track.

1. NC Courage (+1)

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the Courage are once again the best team in the league. 

Even as players started to depart for the Olympics, North Carolina looked calm, collected and dominant as they went into Orlando and made it look like their home field. Havana Solaun played a really nice game in their win over the Pride in the midfield, and she looks poised to run the show without Mewis and Debhina for a couple weeks.

This year's All-Star action extends beyond the court, as more than 40 players — including All-Stars, executive committee members, and WNBPA representatives — met with the WNBA in Indianapolis on Thursday for the second CBA negotiations of 2025.

"I'm encouraged. I'm just so inspired by the amount of players that showed up, the engagement that was there," WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike said after Thursday's session, which drew the largest turnout in union history.

"It was something that was very informative for me. First time being able to see and hear the wording from both sides," Chicago Sky star Angel Reese added. "I was really eager to know and understand what was going on."

With revenues booming, both players and the league are struggling to settle issues surrounding payouts, revenue sharing, and the salary caps ahead of the current CBA's October 31st expiration date.

"This business is booming — media rights, ratings, revenue, team valuations, expansion fees, attendance, and ticket sales — are all up in historic fashion," the WNBPA wrote in a statement following Thursday's meeting. "But short-changing the working women who make this business possible stalls growth. The only thing more unsustainable than the current system is pretending it can go on forever."

While CBA negotiations continue, the union indicated that players are open to a work stoppage should they fail to reach a new deal by the end of this WNBA season.

Team Clark has youth on their side this weekend, with Mystics rookie Sonia Citron gearing up to hit Saturday's 2025 WNBA All-Star court alongside Washington teammate and fellow 2025 draft pick Kiki Iriafen.

"I was not expecting this at all," Citron told WNBA legend Lisa Leslie on Between the Lines last week, referencing her surprise All-Star call-up. "I'm still in shock. I don't really think it's hit me yet."

"We're young, we've got a bunch of shooters, a little bit of everything" she said of Team Clark's lineup.

Saturday's game isn't Citron's only assignment this weekend, with the All-Star debutant also set to compete in Friday's 3-Point Contest.

The Mystics are on the rise this year, exceeding season expectations behind first-year firepower to send three players in Citron, Iriafen, and Washington's scoring leader Brittney Sykes to the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game.

Citron is currently averaging five rebounds and 14 points per game — trailing only Sykes's 17 points per game on Washington's stat sheet. Her rookie campaign has her shooting 45% from the field and 36.5% from beyond the arc.

Fellow first-year Iriafen is also impressing, leading the Mystics with 8.5 rebounds per game as well as sinking nearly 12 points per game while shooting 46% from the field.

"[The rookies] have really played a key piece in our success this season with us being so young, but also them being so adaptable," second-year forward Aaliyah Edwards told Leslie in an earlier episode. "And they're runners for Rookie of the Year, so why not only have one when you can have two? I'm just loving it."

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How to attend a live taping of "Between the Lines"

Just Women's Sports is taking over Indianapolis with multi-faceted activations for the 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend — including a live recording of Between the Lines with Lisa Leslie.

Featuring interviews with Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx), Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream), Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana Fever), and Lexie Hull (Indiana Fever), the exclusive podcast taping will occur at 110 S Pennsylvania Street at 3 PM ET on Saturday.

Even with Indiana Fever sharpshooter Caitlin Clark sidelined, Friday's 3-Point Contest and Skills Challenge will heat up the Indianapolis competition before Saturday's 2025 WNBA All-Star Game tips off.

Single-round record holder Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty) and reigning champion Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream) headline the 3-Point Contest, with Kelsey Plum (LA Sparks), Sonia Citron (Washington Mystics), and Clark-replacement Lexie Hull (Indiana Fever) rounding out the bill beyond the arc.

Gray will also be on hand to defend her 2024 Skills Challenge title, with Natasha Cloud (New York Liberty), Skylar Diggins (Seattle Storm), Erica Wheeler (Seattle Storm), and Courtney Williams (Minnesota Lynx) looking to upend the Dream guard.

Players are shooting for more than just bragging rights in the Friday competitions, with Aflac boosting prize money for the second year in a row.

The insurance giant will award $60,000 to the 3-point Contest winner and $55,000 to the Skills Challenge champ, topping off the league's $2,575-per-player All-Star bonus check.

With big money on the line, both Gray and Ionescu are battling to become just the second WNBA player to win multiple 3-Point Contests, following in the footsteps of retired Sky guard and four-time event champion Allie Quigley.

How to watch the All-Star 3-Point Contest and Skills Challenge

The 2025 WNBA All-Star Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest will take the Indianapolis court at 8 PM ET on Friday, with both competitions airing live on ESPN.

Team Collier is looking locked and loaded for Saturday's 2025 WNBA All-Star Game, with captain Napheesa Collier heading up a roster stocked with talent from the league-leading Minnesota lineup.

The Lynx star will start the game alongside 2023 MVP Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty), Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream), Nneka Ogwumike (Seattle Storm), and rookie phenom Paige Bueckers (Dallas Wings).

Team Collier's bench showcases a balanced group of Courtney Williams (Minnesota Lynx), Skylar Diggins (Seattle Storm), Angel Reese (Chicago Sky), Alyssa Thomas (Phoenix Mercury), and Kelsey Plum (LA Sparks).

Kayla McBride (Minnesota Lynx) will also join the squad, replacing the injured Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream), boosting the team's Minnesota contingent to three players.

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Adding to the Lynx representatives is Minnesota manager Cheryl Reeve, who will serve as the squad's head coach following a first-of-its-kind draft-day swap between the Collier and fellow All-Star captain Caitlin Clark.

"I'm just glad people are understanding Phee's greatness," Reeve said about Collier before the 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend. "There's nothing else you can say at this point."

With a steady front and backcourt presence, Team Collier has experience on their side as they take on a youth-heavy Team Clark on Saturday.

How to watch Team Collier at the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game

Team Collier and Team Clark will square off in the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis at 8:30 PM ET on Saturday.

Live coverage of the game will air on ABC.