The NWSL’s playoff push is coming down to the wire, with the NWSL Shield and two postseason spots still on the line heading into the final weekend of competition.

The Portland Thorns, OL Reign, Kansas City Current and San Diego Wave all have clinched playoff berths, while the Houston Dash, North Carolina Courage, Chicago Red Stars and Angel City FC are in contention for the remaining two postseason slots.

The Thorns, OL Reign and Current, meanwhile, will be battling it out at the top of the standings for the NWSL Shield.

San Diego Wave FC vs. North Carolina Courage

10 p.m. ET Friday on Paramount+

The Courage hold their playoff fate in their own hands. A win against the Wave would be enough to send them to the postseason.

If the matchup between the Courage and the Wave ends in a draw, then North Carolina would need the Red Stars to lose or tie their game against Angel City FC in order to clinch a playoff berth.

For San Diego, which has already clinched a postseason spot, a No. 2 seed is on the line.

If the Wave win and OL Reign and Kansas City both lose or tie, then San Diego would secure a bye to the semifinals.

NJ/NY Gotham FC vs. Portland Thorns

6 p.m. ET Saturday on Paramount+

The Thorns enter Saturday’s matchup against Gotham FC in first place, one point clear of OL Reign.

A win, which appears likely over Gotham, a team riding a 12-game losing streak and 488-minute scoring drought, would clinch the NWSL Shield for Portland

Should the Thorns lose or tie, the club would have to wait on the results of the Current’s and OL Reign’s matches to know their fate.

Portland, however, is guaranteed at least a top-three finish, with its league-leading goal differential of plus-25.

Washington Spirit vs. Houston Dash

7 p.m. ET Saturday on Paramount+

The Dash can secure a playoff spot with a win or draw against the Washington Spirit. If the Dash lose, they could still squeak into the postseason if the Red Stars win but fail to make up their goal-differential discrepancy with Houston. Entering the weekend, Houston is plus-7, while Chicago is plus-4.

The Spirit, on the other hand, are out of playoff contention and may rest players set to join the U.S. women’s national team on its European swing next week.

Kansas City Current vs. Racing Louisville

7:30 p.m. ET Saturday on Twitch

Kansas City will look to pull off a worst-to-first jump, with the NWSL Shield in reach just one season after the club finished last in the league.

The Current have a difficult path, however, needing a win against 10th-place Racing Louisville as well as a Thorns loss and an OL Reign loss or draw.

At third in the NWSL standings, Kansas City will also be looking to maintain their ranking to lock up a home postseason opener. If the Current lose, the club could fall as far as fifth with a San Diego win or tie and a Houston win.

OL Reign vs. Orlando Pride

10 p.m. ET Saturday on Twitch

OL Reign has its sights set on the Shield but will need some help. The Seattle club would lock up the league title with a win coupled with a Thorns loss or draw.

Riding a five-game unbeaten streak, OL Reign’s chances against the Orlando Pride, who already have been eliminated from playoff contention, look promising.

No matter what happens through the final weekend of competition, OL Reign is guaranteed to finish in the top four.

Chicago Red Stars vs. Angel City FC

6 p.m. ET Sunday on Paramount+

Depending on how Friday and Saturday’s games go, both the Red Stars and Angel City may be eliminated from playoff contention ahead of their Sunday matchup.

ACFC will rely on a North Carolina loss to stay alive. If the Courage fall, Angel City can advance to the postseason with a win.

Should North Carolina lose or play to a draw with the Wave, the Red Stars can secure a playoff spot with a win. If Houston loses, the Red Stars also could advance with a win depending on goal differential.

Rose Lavelle is hoping to return to the field soon. 

The 28-year-old midfielder has been sidelined with a lower leg injury since the Gold Cup in early march. Since then, she has yet to play for new club Gotham FC in the NWSL. She also missed a potential USWNT appearance at the SheBelieves Cup in April, where senior team newcomer Jaedyn Shaw saw success assuming Lavelle's role in the attacking midfield. 

At the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee media showcase on Monday, Lavelle told reporters that she’s doing well and hopes to be back soon.

"I’m doing good — I’m hoping I’ll be back in the next couple weeks," Lavelle said. "It’s frustrating to start the year off with an injury, just because I feel like you come off preseason and you’re revving to go, so it’s so annoying."

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Lavelle is still looking to compete for one of just 18 Olympic roster spots. When healthy, she ranks as one of the national team’s most trusted assets, but considering this most recent injury, her health is an obvious concern. Faced with an onslaught of experienced competitors and young talent, incoming USWNT coach Emma Hayes will have some big decisions to make when selecting the Paris-bound squad — a reality Lavelle seems to be taking in stride as she works to regain full fitness.

"We have so many special players, we have so much depth, and so many different weapons to utilize on and off the bench," Lavelle said. "Unfortunately that means really good players are going to get left off, too. And I think for all of us, it’s just about being ready for whatever role is given to us, embracing that, and looking to put it into a collective picture so that we can go into the Olympics ready to go."

Stanford has found its replacement for legendary head women's basketball coach Tara VanDerveer in associate head coach Kate Paye.

The Cardinal confirmed the hiring on Tuesday via a press release. Paye was largely expected to replace the longtime head coach, as the college mentioned they were still negotiating Paye's contract when they announced VanDerveer's retirement.

In Tuesday's statement, Paye reported that she was "humbled" to have been tapped to lead the women’s program.

"Stanford University has been a central part of my life for as long as I can remember and I am humbled to have the opportunity to lead its women’s basketball program," Paye said. "I’d first like to thank Tara, who has played such a pivotal role in my career for her friendship and guidance. It’s not what she’s done, but how she’s done it, that has had such a profound impact upon me."

A Woodside, California native, Paye played under VanDerveer from 1992 to 1995, taking home a national title her freshman year. After graduation, Paye briefly joined San Diego State as an assistant coach before making her professional debut with the ABL's Seattle Reign in 1996. After finishing her playing career with the WNBA's Seattle Storm, she joined the team’s coaching staff in 2007 and has been with the organization ever since, picking up another national title win — this time as associate head coach — in 2021. Paye's brother John played quarterback for Stanford from 1983 to 1986, while also serving as a point guard on the basketball team.

In her own response, VanDerveer said that she was "grateful" that Stanford picked Paye to follow in her stead. Last week, the decorated coach stated that this year would be her last after 38 seasons at the helm and three national titles under her belt.

"She has long been ready for this opportunity and is the perfect leader for Stanford at this time of immense change in college athletics," VanDerveer noted. "Kate was the choice for this job and I am confident she will achieve great success as head coach."

The 2024 WNBA Draft has officially concluded, leaving the newly minted rookie class facing a tough road ahead.

Only 144 roster slots are available throughout the league’s 12 teams, the reason why the players are sometimes referred to as the “144.” And Monday’s draft picks are set to join a large group of established players competing for those same roster spots, from seasoned veterans to young athletes determined to prove their value on the court.

Last year, just 15 of the league’s 36 draftees made it onto their drafting team's opening-day squad.

In reality, there are oftentimes fewer than 144 spots available, as not every team maxes out their roster. Per the league's CBA, each team roster must maintain a minimum standard of 11 players, but those lists can include players out with injuries or on other forms of leave. Players can also be assigned to short-term hardship contracts, something waived players must be prepared for at any point during the season.

Earlier this week, Laeticia Amihere — a 2022 national champion with South Carolina who currently plays for the Atlanta Dream — took to TikTok to provide some insight into the WNBA training camp process. 

"You can either get drafted on Draft Night, or you can get signed by a team," she said. "Once that happens, you go to training camp literally like two weeks later... Basically everybody's got to try out. There's 12 roster spots, and there's like 18 people at the at the trial."

@laeticiaamihere Replying to @dantavius.washington #wnba #draft ♬ original sound - Laeticia Amihere

Amihere also had an important point to make: Getting cut does not signify a player’s abilities. 

"If you get cut after training camp, that does not mean you're not good," she said. "That does not mean that player sucks, don't stop supporting that player. Literally, there's so many reasons somebody can get cut."

"If you guys look at the best players in the league, most of them have bounced around teams," she added. "And I promise you it is not a bad thing, it's just how the league is."

Things, however gradually, are changing. With Golden State's WNBA team scheduled to launch in time for the 2025 season, league expansion is just around the corner. On Monday, Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced that the league is aiming to grow to 16 teams by 2028. But by then, it might be too little too late for the generation of talent emerging from an increasingly competitive NCAA system.

Monday night’s WNBA draft added to the nationwide uptick in record-breaking women's sports viewership, pulling in 2.45 million viewers throughout the nearly two-hour broadcast and peaking at 3.09 million, according to an ESPN release. 

That number shatters the previous draft viewership record — 601,000 in 2004 — which was fueled primarily by then-No. 1 pick Diana Taurasi entering the league after UConn's historic three-peat March Madness performance.  

The 2023 WNBA draft drew 572,000 viewers, the most for any televised WNBA event since 2.74 million tuned in to NBC for a Memorial Day matchup between the New York Liberty and Houston Comets back in 2000.

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While many came to watch Caitlin Clark get drafted No. 1 overall, it’s important to note that viewership didn’t take a massive dip after the superstar shooter left the stage. The numbers show that a bulk of the audience stuck around to watch the remainder of the show, making 2024's event not just the most-viewed WNBA draft in history, but also the most-viewed WNBA program to ever air on ESPN platforms.

Draft Day's popularity is yet another sign indicating an expected rise in WNBA regular season viewership. Clark and Iowa's NCAA tournament showdown with the Chicago Sky-bound Kamilla Cardoso's South Carolina side drew a record 18.7 million to ABC's Sunday afternoon broadcast. Banking on this trend, 36 of Indiana's upcoming 40 games are set to be shown on national television. In-person ticket sales are also soaring, leading the defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces to re-home their matchup with the Fever to a venue that can accommodate some 6,000 more fans.