NWSL teams are closing in on one month left to solidify a playoff spot. The fight to the finish has already intensified the level of competition, with last-minute goals, snapped unbeaten streaks and unexpected results playing out over the last two weeks.

In the third and final power rankings of August, the top six teams haven’t changed since the beginning of the month. But they’ve shuffled, a lot. Kansas City is making the biggest jump, rising from sixth to second over the course of the month. Meanwhile, the Portland Thorns fall to their lowest ranking of the year.

For the previous installment of JWS’ NWSL power rankings, click here.

12. NJ/NY Gotham FC (4-12-0) –

Five straight losses in August didn’t do Gotham any favors. Neither did the officials in their most recent game, as they failed to award Gotham a clear goal in the 12th minute and were later penalized for it by the Professional Referee Organization. Gotham would have taken a 1-0 early lead over Angel City FC if the goal had counted. Instead, they lost momentum and lost 3-1 on Sunday, a week after falling 2-1 to the Orlando Pride.

Ifeoma Onumonu sends a ball over the line for a Gotham goal BUT the referee calls a corner instead. 😱🤔 pic.twitter.com/U2i0CWaC5B

— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) August 28, 2022

11. Racing Louisville FC (2-7-8) -2

Racing Louisville played just one game since our last power rankings, a 4-0 loss to the Chicago Red Stars on Saturday. Giving up three scores in the first 23 minutes, Louisville conceded the most goals they have all season in their worst loss of the year. They haven’t won a game in three months.

10. Washington Spirit (1-6-10) –

In the last two weeks, the Washington Spirit played just one game, a 2-2 draw with the Houston Dash that brought their number of ties this season to 10. The Spirit didn’t dominate possession or shots on goal like they have in other draws, playing for the first time after the firing of head coach Kris Ward, whose relationships with players had reportedly been deteriorating. Washington capitalized on its strengths for a short, two-minute burst in the second half, when the attacking trio took charge. Ashley Hatch scored first off a Trinity Rodman cross, and again after a free kick from Ashley Sanchez.

9. North Carolina Courage (4-7-4) +2

The Courage were busy but productive in the last two weeks, earning six points across three games to jump from last to ninth place in the NWSL standings. On Aug. 24, they shattered the Thorns’ 11-game unbeaten streak in a 3-1 win. Four days earlier, they shut out the Chicago Red Stars 4-0. In their most recent match, the Kansas City Current took the 3-2 win, but the Courage controlled 51 percent of the possession and delivered 24 crosses.

Kero on a roll 😤@kerolinnicolii | #CourageUnitesUs pic.twitter.com/FlkAAJFjmV

— NC Courage (@TheNCCourage) August 29, 2022

8. Orlando Pride (5-6-6) –

Before a 2-1 loss to OL Reign on Friday, the Pride hadn’t lost since the beginning of July. The week prior, they recorded an 84.7 percent passing accuracy and had eight shots on goal in a 2-1 win over Gotham FC. Neither performance was particularly strong, but based on their recent consistency, the playoffs aren’t out of the question for Orlando.

7. Angel City FC (7-5-4) –

Sitting in seventh place in the NWSL standings, Angel City remains in the running for the playoffs. A draw and a win in the last two weeks definitely helped their case. Beyond the results, Angel City would benefit from better passing — their accuracy was below 70 percent in both of those games — and more possession. Against Gotham, they had the ball just 38 percent of the time.

6. Chicago Red Stars (7-5-5) -1

The Red Stars have been a little all over the place lately. A week after losing to the Courage 4-0, they defeated Racing Louisville by the same scoreline on Saturday. The Red Stars had a hard time finding the net against the Courage, with only three of their 19 shots coming on goal. Against Louisville, they improved their possession to 54 percent with an 82 percent passing accuracy.

5. OL Reign (7-4-6) +1

In their only match since our last power rankings, OL Reign gained three points with a 2-1 win that snapped the Pride’s seven-game unbeaten streak. The Reign recorded a passing accuracy of 82 percent and outshot their opponents 15-8.

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT??? 😱@mPinoe with a stoppage time stunner for @OLReign!#ORLvRGN | #BoldTogether pic.twitter.com/cVp1s0CJnd

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 27, 2022

4. Portland Thorns FC (7-3-7) -3

The Thorns failed to keep their 11-game unbeaten streak alive as they fell 3-1 to the Courage last Wednesday and were outperformed in almost every area, including passing accuracy, shots, crosses, blocks and tackles. Against San Diego on Saturday, the Thorns pressed in the second half and forced the Wave to defend, but it wasn’t enough in the 2-0 loss. As a result, Portland came out of the last two weeks with zero points.

3. Houston Dash (8-5-5) -1

A loss and a draw have Houston moving down a spot in this week’s power rankings. Despite scoring just seven minutes into their match against San Diego last week and creating chances in a scrappy performance, the Dash couldn’t hold onto their lead in the 3-1 loss. A week later against the Washington Spirit, the Dash narrowly managed a 2-2 draw, scoring their second goal in stoppage time.

2. Kansas City Current (8-4-5) +1

The Current refused to let the Courage snap their 12-game unbeaten streak, now tied for the second-longest in the league. They outshot North Carolina 12-8 with nine shots on goal in the 3-2 win. In their game before that, Kansas City took control, managing 53 percent of the possession and doubling up Angel City with 16 total shots in a 1-1 draw.

1. San Diego Wave FC (9-5-4) +3

The Wave closed out their last game at Torero Stadium on Aug. 20 in front of a sold-out crowd with a 3-1 over the Dash. They proceeded to defeat the Thorns 2-0 and showcase their improved possession and defending. The two victories served as redemption from two losses at the beginning of the month and launched the team back into first place, where they’ve been for most of the season.

Jessa Braun is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering the NWSL and USWNT. Follow her on Twitter @jessabraun.

U.S. Soccer announced Tuesday that the USWNT will play their last home game on July 16th in the lead-up to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

The 2024 Send-Off Match against Costa Rica will take place at Washington, DC’s Audi Field — home to both the Washington Spirit and DC United — at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 16th. The friendly rounds out a four-game Olympic run-up campaign under incoming head coach Emma Hayes’ side, with the last two set to feature the finalized 2024 U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer Team roster.

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Hayes will appear on the USWNT sideline for the first time this June, helming the team as they embark on a two-game series against Korea Republic hosted by Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado on June 1st followed by Allianz Stadium in St. Paul, Minnesota on June 4th. 

The team is then scheduled to meet a talented Mexico squad on July 13th at Gotham FC’s Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, where the Olympic-bound lineup will attempt to rewrite February’s shocking 2-0 loss to El Tri Femenil in the group stages of this year’s Concacaf W Gold Cup. And while clear roster favorites have emerged from both of this year’s Gold Cup and SheBelives Cup rosters, a spate of recent and recurring injuries means making it to the Olympics is still largely anyone’s game.

Broadcast and streaming channels for the USWNT's final July 16th friendly at Audi Field include TNT, truTV, Universo, Max, and Peacock.

The USA Basketball Women's National Team is still considering Caitlin Clark for a spot on the Paris Olympics squad, says selection committee chair Jennifer Rizzotti. 

On Monday, Rizzotti told the AP that the committee will be evaluating the college phenom’s Olympic prospects by keeping a close eye on her first few weeks of WNBA play with Indiana.

The move is somewhat unconventional. While Clark was invited to participate in the 14-player national team training camp held earlier this month — the last camp before Team USA’s roster drops — she was unable to attend due to it coinciding with Iowa’s trip to the NCAA Women’s Final Four.

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Judging by the immense talent spread throughout the league in what might be their most hyped season to date, competition for a piece of the Olympic pie could be fiercer than ever before.

"You always want to introduce new players into the pool whether it's for now or the future," said Rizzotti. "We stick to our principles of talent, obviously, positional fit, loyalty and experience. It's got to be a combination of an entire body of work. It's still not going to be fair to some people."

Of course, Clark isn’t the first rookie the committee has made exceptions for. Coming off an exceptional college season that saw her averaging 19.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4 assists per game for UConn, Breanna Stewart was tapped to represent the U.S. at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil less than two weeks after being drafted No. 1 overall by the Seattle Storm. Eight years prior, fellow No. 1 pick Candace Parker punched her ticket to the 2008 Games in Beijing just two weeks after making her first appearance for the L.A. Sparks.

In the lead-up to Paris’ Opening Ceremony on July 26th, USA Basketball Women’s National Team is scheduled to play a pair of exhibition games. They'll first go up against the WNBA's finest at the July 20th WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix before facing Germany in London on July 23rd.

While an official roster announcement date hasn’t yet been issued, players won’t find out if they’ve made this year’s Olympic cut until at least June 1st.

For the first time in history, three different WNBA teams have completely sold out of season ticket plans well before the league's May 14th kick-off.

Call it the Caitlin Clark effect, attribute it to this year’s tenacious rookie class, or look to the skyrocketing visibility of veteran players across the board. But no matter the cause, facts are facts: Tickets to the 2024 WNBA season are selling like never before. 

On Monday, the Dallas Wings became the third team to sell out of season ticket memberships in the league’s 27-year history. The announcement from Arlington came shortly after the Atlanta Dream issued their own season ticket sell-out statement, also on Monday, and almost seven weeks after the back-to-back WNBA Champion Las Vegas Aces made headlines by becoming the first-ever WNBA team to sell out their season ticket allotment.   

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According to the Wings, season ticket memberships will fill nearly 40% of the 6,251 seats inside their home arena, College Park Center. The club also said that their overall ticket revenue has ballooned to the tune of 220% this year, spanning not just season tickets but also a 1,200% increase in single ticket sales. There’s currently a waitlist to become a Dallas season ticket holder, a status that comes with extra incentives like playoff presale access and discounts on additional single-game tickets. 

In Atlanta, season tickets aren't the only thing flying off the shelves. The Dream also announced that they broke their own record for single-game ticket sales during a recent limited presale campaign. Sunday was reportedly their most lucrative day, with five different games totally selling out Gateway Center Arena. Individual tickets for all upcoming matchups will hit the market this Thursday at 8 a.m., while a waitlist for season ticket memberships will open up next Tuesday at 10 a.m.

"Excitement around women's sports, particularly basketball, is at an all-time high and nowhere is that felt more than here in Atlanta," Dream president and COO Morgan Shaw Parker said in the team’s statement. "We’ve continued a record-setting growth trajectory over the past three years under new ownership — both on and off the court — and 2024 is shaping up to be our best season yet."

As of Tuesday, season ticket sales revenue for Caitlin Clark’s hotly anticipated Indiana Fever debut haven’t yet been announced by the club. But if these numbers are any indication — not to mention the explosive demand for Fever away games felt by teams around the country — it won’t be long before we see some scale-tipping figures coming out of Indianapolis.

25-year-old American pro golfer Nelly Korda secured her spot in LPGA history on Sunday, notching her fifth-straight title at this weekend's Chevron Championship in The Woodlands, Texas.

Ranked No. 1 in the world by Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, Korda joins Nancy Lopez (1978) and Annika Sörenstam (2005) as just the third LPGA player to rack up five consecutive tour wins. She is also the third No. 1-ranked player to capture The Chevron Championship victory since the rankings debuted in 2006, accompanied by Lorena Ochoa and Lydia Ko.

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The Florida native shot three-under 69 in Sunday's final, besting Sweden's Maja Stark despite Stark's valiant come-from-behind attempt in the 18th. Korda finished with a four-day total of 13-under 275, celebrating her two-stroke win by cannonballing into Poppie's Pond, much to the crowd's delight. She left The Club at Carlton Woods with $1.2 million from an overall purse of $7.9 million.

It wasn't long ago that the two-time major champion's current winning streak seemed unimaginable. After maintaining her No. 1 position for 29 weeks, Korda underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from her left arm in 2022. She returned to the course not long after, but failed to win a single tournament in 2023 before seeing a surge in form during the first four months of 2024. As of today, she hasn't lost a tournament since January.

Korda will attempt a record sixth-straight win at next week's JM Eagle LA Championship at Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles, where she'll vie for a cut of the $3.75 million purse.