“Football’s a little cruel sometimes,” Megan Rapinoe said on Sunday, summing up OL Reign’s 2-0 defeat to the Kansas City Current, their second in as many NWSL semifinals. “I feel like I don’t even really know if we deserve more out of the game.”

The NWSL’s playoff format is something of a hybrid between the traditions of American sports and global football. In other leagues, finishing with the most points at the end of a season is enough for the title and the trophy, while other Cup competitions recreate a knockout tournament structure.

In the NWSL, the Shield is awarded to the team that showed enough consistency to finish at the top of the league table, and the championship trophy is given to the team left standing at the end of the postseason. Rare are the years when both the Shield and the trophy go to the same club: Outside of the North Carolina Courage’s domination in 2018 and 2019, Shield winners falling in the playoffs became so common that there have been jokes of a “Shield Curse.”

OL Reign has a history of excelling at one part of the league’s format and struggling with the other. In 2014 and 2015, the team formerly known as the Seattle Reign were the best in the league two years running, turning Memorial Stadium into a fortress. But they fell in both finals to FC Kansas City and have not returned to an NWSL Championship since.

In 2022, OL Reign’s path to the Shield looked a bit different than those early years when they were dominating the competition. The Reign were always in the playoff conversation, but they caught fire late in the season as the Portland Thorns and San Diego Wave stumbled, surging up the league table. They clinched the Shield during the final weekend of the NWSL regular season, and seemed to have gained enough momentum to make a deep playoff run.

So, what should we make of another semifinal exit? Is the “Shield Curse” real, or is there more to OL Reign’s playoff woes?

It’s not all negative

The environment surrounding the Reign’s semifinal this year vastly contrasted from last year’s matchup against the Washington Spirit. The Reign had the highest attendance for a standalone match ever at Lumen Field on Sunday, doubling their previous record with a crowd of 21,491 fans.

The Reign didn’t always have the benefit of robust community support during their runs to the Shield in 2014 and 2015, nor the access to the facilities that they have now. Earlier this week, the club announced it would be moving from a Tacoma-area high school facility to train full-time at Starfire Stadium in 2023. The continued professionalization in Seattle will be pivotal for one of the league’s original clubs, especially since they’ve proven year over year to be a desirable location for talent.

Head coach Laura Harvey has also done a good job of integrating new talent into a squad known for its veterans. After a number of loans ended following the 2021 season, Jordyn Huitema was a savvy pick-up at striker, and Quinn has been a revelation at defensive midfielder since Harvey’s return. The center-back duo of Alana Cook and Sam Hiatt have worked well with young goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce to form a stout backline. Harvey has also gotten career-best years out of Rose Lavelle and Sofia Huerta, and she rotated the squad with a deft hand to keep players healthy throughout the regular season.

Despite what feels at times like an effort in futility, the Reign are set up well for the future in more ways than one.

How to break the Shield Curse

With Harvey, Megan Rapinoe, Lauren Barnes and Jessica Fishlock carrying the 10-year history of the club into the 2022 playoffs, it’s fair for fans to have wanted more out of this window.

The new playoff format may have played a role in the Reign’s last two exits, with a bye and an international break extending the team’s time off and possibly contributing to rust. There’s also an element of chance involved.

In the 2021 semis, the Reign struggled with quality chances in the attacking third during a rain-soaked slog on a converted baseball field. In 2022, they similarly could not get the final ball to break the plane, with shots in each half partially crossing the goal-line but failing to find the back of the net. They also have come across two of the more playoff-ready teams in as many years (the Spirit famously won the 2021 title on the back of one of the longest unbeaten streaks in NWSL history).

AD Franch was the difference-maker in goal for the Current on Sunday, and Kansas City got the right bounces at the other end. Current forward Kristen Hamilton even had to laugh about her goal in the postgame press conference, describing a broken play influenced by her jogging over to the sideline to receive instruction.

WHAT A STRIKE by @khamilton17 to extend the lead!@thekccurrent | #TealRising pic.twitter.com/owNgvWOZAf

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) October 24, 2022

Football is a little cruel, indeed.

But as another year goes by without a championship trophy, one has to wonder if the Reign could use more tactical dexterity in the postseason. OL Reign’s Plan A works more often than not, as evidenced by the best record in the league over 22 games. But when Plans B, C or D are needed, Seattle hasn’t been able to punch through after falling behind.

Maybe the stars simply haven’t aligned, but if the Reign’s original core players are going to go off into the sunset on a high note, the club will have to figure out how to go all-in at the season’s end.

Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

In this week's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins discusses the importance of the current international window for the USWNT and digs into the players who did and did not make head coach Emma Hayes's latest 24-athlete roster.

Watkins begins with those not invited to this week's senior team camp, with Hayes using the concurrent U23 camp as a "minor league" for athletes who "need a little bit more development or need to be in a different training situation or have different leadership structures."

Watkins specifically digs into the placement of midfielder Korbin Albert and forwards Jaedyn Shaw and Mia Fishel with the U23 squad, as well as the overall omission of goalkeeper Jane Campbell.

Honing in on Albert, Watkins calls her U23 spot a demotion, saying "It's wild to me that someone who started the [2024] Olympic gold-medal match for the USWNT is now playing for the U23s when the senior team is in session."

"I think we're stuck in this question of, 'is she good enough or is she not?'" explains Watkins, noting that "Albert isn't giving [Hayes] those all-around performances that validate that roster spot when there are other players that could be given a look."

In contrast, Watkins backs Hayes's decisions to place the versatile Shaw and Fishel — who's still regaining form from a 2024 ACL tear — with the youth team.

Calling her "the player truly out in the cold here," Watkins worries that 30-year-old Campbell might be facing an "always the bridesmaid, never the bride of the US goalkeeper cycle," with Hayes opting for a largely untested trio of Mandy McGlynn, Phallon Tullis-Joyce, and Claudia Dickey as she continues seeking retired star Alyssa Naeher's replacement.

Top NWSL play fuels USWNT roster call-ups

The uncapped Dickey, says Watkins, is one of the players reaping the benefits of Hayes's developmental roster movements.

"She is statistically one of the highest performing goalkeepers in the NWSL this season," notes Watkins about the Seattle Reign starter. "The numbers do not lie. She is one of the best pure shot-stoppers in the league this year, if not the best."

Also snagging a shot at the senior team thanks to stellar NWSL play are Orlando Pride standout and "Swiss Army knife defender" Kerry Abello, Portland Thorns midfielder Olivia Moultrie, and Kansas City Current captain Lo'eau LaBonta.

LaBonta, who headlined this USWNT roster by earning her first-ever call-up at age 32, is a versatile midfielder with, according to Watkins, a "really, really strong" mentality as well as a "wonderful locker room presence."

Citing Hayes's previous comments about the age of certain players causing her to seek younger athletes, Watkins wonders if LaBonta's call-up isn't simply a long-overdue reward for years of top professional play, and instead, perhaps, a sign that Hayes is "learning that you need a little bit of both [youth and experience]."

"I think [LaBonta's] going to make herself hard to drop," states Watkins. "With 2027 only two years away, I'm not betting against LaBonta. She's going into this camp looking for more call-ups. This is not just a 'job well done' situation for her."

Finally, Watkins mentions that many younger players, like Kansas City's Michelle Cooper and Claire Hutton, and Utah's Ally Sentnor, are back in the mix "because they're playing too well for the U23s. They've been put into senior team camp and they've swam — they have not sunk."

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Summer friendlies serve as senior team try-outs

The stakes are high for the 24 athletes in this USWNT camp, with small windows to impress Hayes while facing two tough opponents in the upcoming days: May 31st's clash with China PR and a June 3rd date with Jamaica's Reggae Girlz.

"Who's going to be able to elevate their game even if they don't have a ton of experience?," asks Watkins. "It's up to the senior call-ups to make those players that are in the U23s harder to call back in. And those players in the U23s are going to probably have to show new sides of themselves to get back into the fold."

"This is the Emma Hayes system. And I cannot wait to say who says, 'Nope. This is not just a pat on the back. You're not dropping me.'"

About 'The Late Sub' with Claire Watkins

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes on the USWNT, NWSL, and all things women's soccer. Special guest appearances featuring the biggest names in women’s sports make TLS a must-listen for every soccer fan.

Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women's Sports newsletter for more.

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The world No. 1 USWNT is back in action on Saturday, taking on No. 17 China PR in the first of two early summer friendlies as head coach Emma Hayes continues evaluating talent across the 24-player roster.

"We have two different types of opponents ahead of us, so we'll have to be creative in breaking down those teams in different ways," Hayes told reporters earlier this month.

With an average of just 30.7 caps per player, this international window is an opportunity for NWSL favorites to prove their national team value — though the USWNT will be without one up-and-comer: Due to a minor hip injury, Angel City defender Gisele Thompson departed camp on Thursday, with Hayes opting not to replace the 19-year-old in the lineup.

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Fresh faces to take on a familiar foe

The US has faced China PR a total of 60 times — more than any country other than No. 7 Canada. China also boasts the second-most US defeats with nine, though they haven't upended the USWNT since 2015.

In total, the USWNT boasts a 38-9-13 all-time record against their longtime rival, including arguably the team's most famous victory: the history-making penalty-kick win in the 1999 World Cup final at the Rose Bowl.

That said, the teams haven't squared off since December 2023 — some six months before Hayes took the helm.

"We have new faces, we have experience, we have veterans, we have young players. I think we're a really amazing blend of all of the above," said midfielder Sam Coffey this week. "I think more than anything, the common denominator in everyone here is just a hunger to get better."

How to watch the USWNT vs. China PR friendly match

The USWNT kicks off against China PR at 5:30 PM ET on Saturday in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Live coverage of the match will air on TBS.

Friday's WNBA action promises to bring the heat, delivering a major homecoming for new LA star Kelsey Plum as well as strategic veteran moves and rookies looking to right the ship while newly revamped teams continue to gel.

In the wake of significant offseason movement, the 2025 WNBA season is all about striking a balance between developing young talent and leveraging seasoned stars as former franchise players take on very familiar opponents.

Veteran-heavy teams will shoot to manage workloads this weekend, as powerhouse squads juggle shifting lineups while those that trailed last year fight to rise up the WNBA standings.

Highlighting the Friday night slate are a trio of games, all airing on ION:

• No. 1 New York Liberty (5-0) vs. No. 7 Washington Mystics (3-3), 7:30 PM ET: The reigning champion Liberty managed to eke out an 82-77 win over 2025 expansion side Golden State without injured stars Jonquel Jones and Nyara Sabally on Thursday — but can they hold off a Mystics team punching above their weight behind standout rookie duo Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen?

• No. 10 Los Angeles Sparks (2-4) vs. No. 6 Las Vegas Aces (2-2), 10 PM ET: Sparks guard Kelsey Plum will face her former teammates for the first time on Friday, taking on a Las Vegas side searching for redemption after Seattle spoiled Aces guard Jewell Loyd's own homecoming in last weekend's WNBA action.

• No. 2 Minnesota Lynx (5-0) vs. No. 3 Phoenix Mercury (4-1), 10 PM ET: Two of the league's top performers will hit the court in Arizona, as perennial MVP candidates Napheesa Collier and Alyssa Thomas go head-to-head for the first time in 2025.

A few teams have already faced adversity this year, but even more have settled into the grind as the longest-ever WNBA season rolls into June.

WNBA legend Candace Parker is gearing up for a busy summer, as two of her former franchises — the Chicago Sky and LA Sparks — recently announced plans to retire her No. 3 jersey this year.

The Chicago Sky announced on Wednesday that they will raise Parker's jersey in the Wintrust Arena rafters in an August 25th ceremony, honoring the Chicagoland product who helped them win their first-ever WNBA championship in 2021.

"I never imagined one day my jersey would hang in the rafters of my hometown team," said Parker in a statement. "Coming home to Chicago and helping bring the city its first WNBA championship here — it was personal. I'm beyond grateful to the city, the fans, and everyone who's been part of my journey. Chicago raised me, and this will always be home."

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Also in on the action is Los Angeles, where Parker spent a 13-year stint that including earning her first league title in 2016. The Sparks previously stated in late March that they would retire Parker's jersey in a June 29th celebration — during LA's game against the Sky.

The Chicago ceremony also coincides with a game against another of Parker's squads: The Sky will face the Las Vegas Aces — the final team Parker led to a WNBA championship in 2023.

Parker is the first Chicago player to have her jersey number retired, as well as the Sparks' third behind Lisa Leslie and Penny Toler.

"Candace is the best all-around player that has ever played in the WNBA," said Sparks co-owner and NBA legend Magic Johnson.

With an impact that still radiates throughout the WNBA, fans and former teammates alike are jumping at the chance to pay their respects to Parker this summer.