The Cascadia rivalry headlines the NWSL’s weekend matchups as teams fight to knock San Diego from the top of the table.

Portland Thorns vs. OL Reign

Friday at 10:30 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network

The Cascadia rivalry is heading to Portland, with the Thorns and OL Reign set for a Friday night showdown at Providence Park.

OL Reign enter the matchup on the heels of a 2-2 draw with Racing Louisville — and after a hectic start to the season, in which they played the Spirit in their regular-season opener and the Challenge Cup semifinals in the span of three days.

The Thorns, on the other hand, haven’t played a game in two weeks and will enter Friday well-rested.

Portland’s Sophia Smith has been on a tear this season, lighting up the attack for club and country. OL Reign will look to slow Smith down while executing their own chances in the box against a solid Thorns backline.

Sophia Smith is THAT GIRL. And will always be THAT GIRL. 😤#BAONPDX pic.twitter.com/AC4R7UgkkV

— Portland Thorns FC (@ThornsFC) March 31, 2022

Orlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current

Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET on Paramount+

Kansas City will travel to Orlando on Saturday in search of the club’s first win of the season.

After surging to the Challenge Cup semifinals, the Current has failed to score in their first two regular-season contests. Kansas City will need to get its offense going against the Pride, who are coming off a 1-0 win over Angel City.

At just over two minutes, @sydneyleroux's goal against Angel City was our third fastest in Club history 💪#PrideOfOrlando | #AdAstra pic.twitter.com/7uD8WGR1Ex

— Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) May 11, 2022

NJ/NY Gotham FC vs. North Carolina Courage

Saturday at 7 p.m. ET on Paramount+

Gotham FC needs a solid home performance against a tough North Carolina side after the club’s harrowing 4-0 loss to San Diego Wave. The New Jersey/ New York team has struggled to find consistency at the start of the season, with Gotham’s attack appearing disjointed.

The Challenge Cup champion Courage will test Gotham with their lethal attack and organized midfield.

First of many for our Kero 💙 pic.twitter.com/r5UsTGsmpH

— NC Courage (@TheNCCourage) May 7, 2022

Racing Louisville vs. Houston Dash

Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on Twitch

Racing Louisville and the Houston Dash already faced each other twice in the Challenge Cup, with the clubs each taking home a win.

The Dash notched their first shutout of 2022 in last Sunday’s matchup against Kansas City as Houston looks to shore up its defensive woes. The Dash will have their hands full against a lively Louisville side as they hope to improve upon their defensive performances.

JANE CAMPBELL ISN'T MESSING AROUND Y'ALL pic.twitter.com/7ixgir9wyf

— Houston Dash (@HoustonDash) May 8, 2022

San Diego Wave FC vs. Chicago Red Stars

Sunday at 5 p.m. ET on Paramount+

The San Diego Wave lead the NWSL standings heading into the weekend after notching a 1-0 shutout against Houston and a 4-0 blowout over Gotham FC to open the season. The expansion club’s backline looks solid as Alex Morgan goes on a tear up top, making the Wave hard to contain.

The Red Stars are unbeaten so far this season as well after winning their opener against Louisville, even with their lengthy injury list, which includes star Mallory Pugh.

San Diego and Chicago both feature solid backlines and impressive keepers, meaning Sunday could turn into a defensive battle.

⚽⚽ Need We Say More?! ⚽⚽

Cheers to @alexmorgan13 for taking home @budweiserusa Player of the Week honors 🍻 pic.twitter.com/qaNPqtwACr

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 11, 2022

Washington Spirit vs. Angel City FC

Sunday at 5 p.m. ET on Paramount+

The Washington Spirit will host Angel City on Sunday after a grueling Challenge Cup final loss to North Carolina.

The Spirit’s attack appears to be firing on all cylinders, with Ashley Hatch, Trinity Rodman and Ashley Sanchez gelling in the final third.

With some defensive issues still to be worked out, Angel City’s backline will be tested by Washington’s relentless press.

The assist. The finish. @trinity_rodman | @ash_hatch33 pic.twitter.com/0rRlJivYh5

— Washington Spirit (@WashSpirit) May 7, 2022

Cameron Brink already has her rookie of the year pick for the upcoming WNBA season, and it’s Indiana-bound star Caitlin Clark. 

In the latest edition of Kelley on the Street, host Kelley O'Hara caught up with Brink in New York hours before the Stanford phenom went No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks at the 2024 WNBA Draft. When O’Hara asked who would win the WNBA's rookie of the year, she answered without pause.

"Caitlin Clark," she said, while a fan commented that she thought Brink would take home the award. Brink later added that the extra foul granted to WNBA players will be "good for me."

"I hope it’s me," Charisma Osborne, who was later drafted by the Phoenix Mercury, said when asked her ROY prediction. "But, I don’t know — we’ll see."

Watch more of Kelley on the Street:

Maria Sanchez issued a statement on Thursday, confirming recent reports that she has requested a trade from the Houston Dash. 

In it, she revealed that the club has been aware of the request "since late March."

"This has all taken a toll and isn’t an easy thing to talk about, but I want to confirm that I’ve requested an immediate trade," she wrote. "My expectations and reasons have been clear. I trust that my current club’s management will honor my decision in a timely manner and proceed with accepting a trade."

"I’m eager to refocus and dive back into what I love most: playing football," she concluded.

Thank you, everyone, for the outpouring of kindness and support. pic.twitter.com/gcnN7dhCJU

— Maria Sanchez (@Maria17_7) April 19, 2024

Reports of Sanchez's trade request first surfaced on ESPN last week, and were later confirmed by multiple sources. 

In December of last year, Sanchez signed a three-year contract with the Dash valued at $1.5 million including bonuses and an option year. It was the largest contract in NWSL history at the time — a figure that would be eclipsed by multiple contracts in the following months. 

Sanchez spent the offseason as a restricted free agent, meaning that Houston could match any other team's offer to retain her rights. Should the Dash trade Sanchez, her current contract terms would remain intact, limiting potential buyers to teams able to afford to take on an inking of that size.

The Dash has yet to address the trade, instead reiterating to ESPN that Sanchez is "under contract, a choice she made in free agency at the end of 2023." 

Both the NWSL trade window and transfer window close tonight, April 19th, at 12 a.m. ET. The window will stay closed through the next 11 regular season games, reopening on August 1st, 2024.

The four-time league champion Seattle Storm unveiled their new practice facility on Thursday, with Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel dubbing Interbay's Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance the team’s "new home."

"It's just such a special space," Brummel told Fox 13 Seattle. "I think when the players get here, it's gonna be overwhelming."

The sprawling 50,000-square-foot, $64 million property is just the second designated practice facility to be designed and built expressly for a WNBA team, with the Storm further noting that 85% of all design and engineering team members involved in the project's construction were women and people of color. The finished product holds two professional indoor courts, two 3x3 outdoor courts, a state-of-the-art locker room, and players' lounge, plus designated areas for strength and conditioning, kitchen, dining, and nutrition, and recovery. 

"This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance," said Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder in an official team release. "It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports."

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For their part, the team can't wait to make the faciilty their own.

"It's amazing," Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Fox 13. "Not having to drive everywhere around, knowing you have access anytime of the day to get into the gym, to workout." 

Head coach Noelle Quinn said she predicts the team is "never going to leave this building."

"Which is a good thing for me," she continued. "You talk about having an edge in performance. We want our athletes to not only perform on the court, but get whatever they need."

All of the Storm's staff and operations will now live under one roof, and the team also has plans to launch a youth basketball program operating out of the building.

The Caitlin Clark effect is quickly making its mark on the big leagues, as WNBA host teams around the country rush to upgrade their Fever games to larger arenas in order to accommodate surging ticket sales.

With Clark mere weeks away from her Indiana Fever debut, both the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have officially relocated their scheduled home games with head coach Christie Sides' squad. On Thursday, the Mystics became the latest to adjust their plans, moving their June 7th matchup from Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southwest DC to the more centrally located — and much larger — Capital One Arena "due to unprecedented demand."

The Mystics home court's capacity taps out at 4,200, while Capital One Arena — home to the Wizards, Capitals, and Georgetown Hoya's Men's Basketball — can fit nearly five times that crowd at some 20,000 spectators.

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"The move to Capital One Arena will allow for additional fans in the stands as well as premium hospitality options, including Suites and the all-new all-inclusive courtside Hennessy Lofts," the team announced via Thursday's press release.

The Aces were one of the first teams to switch venues, aiming to take on the Indiana Fever in front of as many as 20,000 fans inside T-Mobile Arena on July 2nd. That’s a sizable a boost from their home venue, which holds just 12,000.

For those still planning to face the Fever in their home arenas, ticket prices have skyrocketed. Previously scheduled construction has already forced the LA Sparks to relocate their first five games — including their May 24th clash with the Fever — to Long Beach State's Walter Pyramid. The temporary venue is quite the downsize, holding just 4,000 in comparison to Crypto.com Arena's near-19,000. As of Friday, the get-in price for that game started around $400.

Despite fans launching a Change.org petition urging relocation, the Chicago Sky say they're unable to move their June 23rd Fever meeting from Wintrust Arena's 10,000-seat facility to the 23,500-seat United Center due to a concert. Tickets for that game start around $325 as of Friday.