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NWSL 2022 semifinals: What to know about the matchups

2022 NWSL MVP Sophia Smith leads the reigning champion Portland Thorns into the new season. (Soobum Im/Getty Images)

The NWSL is onto the semifinals on Sunday after two thrilling quarterfinal matchups.

The San Diego Wave and Kansas City Current advanced after each scoring the winning goal in the 10th minute of added time against the Chicago Red Stars and Houston Dash, respectively.

In the semis, the Wave will face the Portland Thorns and the Current will take on OL Reign. The Thorns and Reign each received a bye to the semis after finishing as the top two teams in regular season.

The action on Sunday begins with the Thorns and Wave at Providence Park in Portland at 5 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network), followed by the Current and Reign at Lumen Field in Seattle at 7:30 p.m. ET (CBSSN). International viewers can watch on Twitch. The winners move on to the NWSL Championship on Oct. 29.

Here’s an overview of each semifinal team and matchup.

Portland Thorns vs. San Diego Wave FC

Portland (10-3-9)

  • For the fifth time in six years, the Thorns finished the regular season as a top-two team in the NWSL, and since the league’s inception in 2013, they’ve won two NWSL titles and two Shields.
  • They lead the league in goals with 49, 15 ahead of the next-closest playoff team (San Diego with 34).
  • The Thorns are second in accurate passes per match (340), behind the North Carolina Courage.

San Diego (10-6-6)

  • The Wave played their first postseason game in franchise history on Sunday against the Chicago Red Stars, winning 2-1.
  • San Diego is second in the NWSL in accurate long balls per match with 26.2.
  • They’ve also conceded the second-fewest goals per match, at an average of one, and they are tied with the Thorns and Reign for the most clean sheets.

The Thorns and Wave are in for a physical game, as both were among the top three teams in the standings for most of the year. Portland forward Sophia Smith and San Diego forward Alex Morgan were in close contention for the Golden Boot, with Morgan finishing just one goal ahead of Smith (15 to 14) at the end of the regular season.

Head-to-head, San Diego defeated Portland 2-0 on Aug. 27 after the teams tied 2-2 in their first meeting on June 8. On Sunday, Portland has the advantage of fresher legs and a home crowd at Providence Park, a stadium known to break attendance records.

Prediction: Thorns. The Wave have a backline made of brick, but if anyone can find a way to break through it, it’ll be Portland.

OL Reign vs. Kansas City Current

Reign (11-4-7)

  • OL Reign won their third NWSL Shield this year and are making their fourth consecutive appearance in the playoffs.
  • They allowed a league-low 19 goals against during the regular season.
  • They lead the league in accurate long balls per match, accurate crosses per match and possession won in the final third.

Kansas City (10-6-6)

  • The Current played their first playoff game as a franchise on Sunday, defeating the Houston Dash 2-1 and becoming the first team to win in their playoff debut since the Reign in 2014.
  • They are first in the league in penalties awarded.
  • The team is undefeated in games in which midfielder Lo’eau Labonta scores.

While the Reign hung around playoff contention for most of the season and the Current went through ebbs and flows, both teams are peaking at the right time. Kansas City went on a 13-game undefeated streak to earn the fifth seed in the playoffs, and the Reign orchestrated dangerously creative attacks to steal the top seed from the Thorns.

Players to watch in this matchup start with the goalkeepers: Kansas City’s AD Franch and OL Reign’s Phallon Tullis-Joyce. Each nominated for Goalkeeper of the Year, they are capable of making highlight-reel saves at any point. 

The teams are even when it comes to their prior meetings this season. The Reign won 1-0 at the end of May, and the Current got revenge in July with a 1-0 victory of their own. Like Portland, the Reign have the advantage on Sunday, playing at home and on extra rest.

Prediction: Reign. They’ve waited 10 years for an NWSL championship. Finals, here they come.

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

Naomi Osaka Debuts Jellyfish-Inspired Nike Outfit at 2026 Australian Open

Naomi Osaka of Japan walks out ahead of the Women's Singles First Round match against Antonia Ruzic of Croatia on day three of the 2026 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 20, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia.
Naomi Osaka opened her 2026 Australian Open campaign in a custom, jellyfish-inspired Nike outfit. (Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka has once again merged high fashion with elite athletics, debuting a custom "jellyfish-inspired" kit during the opening rounds of the 2026 Australian Open.

The outfit, a collaboration between Nike and London-based designer Robert Wun, immediately went viral following the world No. 17's first-round victory over Croatia's Antonia Ružić.

The avant-garde walk-on look featured a turquoise and green tie-dye palette, characterized by organic, wavy ruffles designed to mimic the movement of jellyfish tentacles. The multi-piece configuration included a zip-up jacket with cascading tendrils, a pleated miniskirt layered over wide-leg trousers, and a dramatic wide-brimmed hat complete with a sheer white veil and matching parasol.

Osaka later revealed her two-year-old daughter Shai inspired the concept. While reading a marine life storybook together, Osaka noticed her daughter's interest in a jellyfish illustration. That led her to translate the visual into her 2026 tournament aesthetic.

"It felt symbolic of energy, transformation, and excitement," Osaka told reporters. She went on to describe the design as representing "the birth of something new" in both her career and journey as a mother.

The outfit also featured two delicate white butterflies — one fixed to her hat and another to her parasol. These served as a reference to the 2021 Australian Open, when a butterfly famously landed on Osaka’s face during her title-winning run.

On the court, Osaka has backed the bold style with strong performances. She secured a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 win over Antonia Ružić in her opening match on January 20th, followed by a hard-fought 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 victory against Sorana Cirstea on January 22nd.

How to watch Naomi Osaka at the 2026 Australian Open

Osaka is scheduled to face Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis in the Australian Open's third round. The pair will meet early Saturday morning at 4:40 AM ET.

All 2026 Australian Open matches air live across ESPN platforms.

Unrivaled Basketball Star Paige Bueckers Pledges $50K to Minnesota Nonprofit

Unrivaled Basketball star Paige Bueckers at the relaunch of Hopkins West Middle School’s Food Market in Minnesota, a partnership with ICA Food Shelf, that she has supported since 2023.
Unrivaled Basketball star Paige Bueckers Paige Bueckers has supported community organizations in Hopkins, Minnesota since 2023. (Hopkins Education Foundation)

Minnesota native and Unrivaled Basketball standout Paige Bueckers is returning to her roots to support local families.

After winning the first-ever Unrivaled free throw contest this week, the Breeze BC guard has pledged to match up to $50,000 in donations to the #HopkinsStrong Relief Fund. The initiative was established to ensure food security for students within the Hopkins Public Schools District — Bueckers's alma mater.

The #HopkinsStrong Relief Fund is a collaboration between the Hopkins Education Foundation (HEF) and the ICA Food Shelf. It addresses the urgent needs of families in the western Minneapolis suburbs facing economic uncertainty.

By leveraging her platform, the Unrivaled Basketball star is helping the foundation move toward its $250,000 fundraising goal. It aims to supply emergency food bags and assistance with essential costs like rent and utilities.

"Community is how opportunity begins. When Hopkins families are supported with food and care, our young people can thrive," Bueckers said in a statement. "That’s why my foundation is committed to supporting the youth and families of Hopkins."

The contribution continues a long-standing tradition of community support from the former Hopkins High School standout.

Since 2023, Bueckers has partnered with the ICA Food Shelf to support local initiatives like the Hopkins West Middle School Food Market in Minnesota.

Minnesota native Bueckers lends a hand during uncertain times

The athlete's contribution is even more significant now, as Minneapolis deals with widespread unrest following a series of high-profile ICE raids.

"At this very moment, we have students and families who are afraid to leave their homes," says Hopkins Public Schools Superintendent Rhoda Mhiripiri-Reed, addressing the recent ICE raids in Minneapolis and the surrounding area.

"We are grateful to the Hopkins Education Foundation not only for supporting innovation in our classrooms but also for supporting Hopkins families during radically uncertain times."

"We want to be there for all of our students during this challenging time," added HEF executive director Emily Wallace-Jackson. "It’s our mission to enhance education for Hopkins students, and that starts with making sure that our children are fed so they have energy to learn."

As of late January, the fund has already presented an initial $50,000 to the ICA Food Shelf. With the matching period open, organizers are calling on the local community to contribute.

NWSL Drops Knit Jersey Line with DC Brand Dead Dirt

Models pose wearing knitwear jerseys from the new NWSL x Dead Dirt collection.
The NWSL and Dead Dirt dropped knit jerseys for all 16 league clubs on Thursday. (NWSL)

The NWSL is adding fan fashion to matchday this season, teaming up with Washington, DC-based design label Dead Dirt to launch an exclusive preseason collection of jerseys this week.

Dead Dirt dropped the colorful knit merch for all 16 NWSL franchises, with initial jersey inventories for multiple clubs — including incoming 2026 expansion teams Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC — selling out within hours of the Thursday night release.

Showcasing a collared, V-necked, rugby shirt aesthetic, each kit includes nods to the club's color and crest throughout the design.

Named the Spirit's first-ever creative director in March 2024, Dead Dirt founder Domo Wells dropped multiple collections with the Washington club over the last two seasons — from 2024's "New Growth" collection to 2025's "Cherry Blossom" and "Fast Track" capsules — before the NWSL tapped Wells to expand her design footprint league-wide.

"You have to truly understand the team's culture and region. That's why my first full season with the Washington Spirit mattered," Wells told The Cut last month. "That's when the conversation shifted from one team to the entire league."

Additionally, this week's launch is the first of many future NWSL collaborations, with Wells detailing a "layered" plan for cohesive league-wide drops "with the option for teams to go deeper if they want more."

As for what NWSL fans can expect from upcoming Dead Dirt collections, Wells sees her role as "reframing merch as storytelling."

"My goal [is] always to design pieces that live outside the stadium," she explained. "If it doesn't live in [a fan's] closet after game day, it's not worth the spend."

How to buy NWSL x Dead Dirt knit jerseys

The entire NWSL x Dead Dirt jersey collection is available online now at the NWSL Shop and the Dead Dirt store.

US Ski & Snowboard Taps Veterans, Rising Stars for 2026 Olympic Roster

US ski star Mikaela Shiffrin reacts to her giant slalom run at a 2026 FIS World Cup stop.
Ski star Mikaela Shiffrin will represent Team USA at her fourth Olympic Games next month. (Marco BERTORELLO / AFP via Getty Images)

Team USA will see 97 skiers and snowboarders representing the red, white, and blue in Milan next month, with US Ski & Snowboard tapping a wealth of veteran experience for the 2026 Winter Olympic roster on Thursday.

All-time winningest FIS World Cup skier Mikaela Shiffrin will compete in her fourth Winter Games, with the 30-year-old two-time Olympic gold medalist hunting hardware in her preferred slalom event after failing to medal in Beijing in 2022.

At the same time, 41-year-old skier Lindsey Vonn is also mounting a dramatic comeback, participating in her fifth Olympics after winning multiple downhill medals on this season's World Cup circuit.

Also returning to the Olympic stage will be 25-year-old halfpipe star Chloe Kim, who is officially clear to return to competition after a recent shoulder dislocation put her Milan plans to become the first snowboarder to win three straight Olympic gold medals in jeopardy.

Alongside the deep veteran talent on the roster, US Ski & Snowboard is sending 48 athletes to make their Olympic debuts next month, including 15-year-old halfpipe freestyle skiier Abby Winterberger and 20-year-old two-sport talent Sammy Smith.

Smith, a Stanford sophomore and starting defender for the 2025 College Cup runner-up Cardinal soccer team, will compete in cross-country skiing for Team USA in Milan.

Considering 15 of the 25 US Olympic medals at the 2022 Beijing Games came from ski and snowboarding, US snowboard program director Rick Bower noted that, "In many ways, making this team is even harder than [competing in] the Olympics themselves."