Orlando Pride head coach Amanda Cromwell remembers the word midfielder Gunny Jónsdóttir used to describe the team’s unusually young roster the first week of preseason training camp.

Willing.

The oldest team in the league last year, weighted by minutes, will be one of the youngest in the NWSL in 2022 after an offseason of significant turnover. After trading away franchise linchpins like Ali Krieger, Ashlyn Harris and Alex Morgan, and acquiring a flurry of 2023 college draft picks, the Pride have just 15 players returning from last season. Of the 30-player squad, 13 are aged 24 or younger.

Cromwell describes Orlando as having an underdog mentality with a championship mindset.

“Everyone’s just willing right now,” she said. “Willing to get stuff done, willing to work hard … and getting a team to work for each other is there. Those are key components to some success down the road.”

The coach, who is also new to the league after leaving her head coaching position at UCLA, is content with the team being underestimated. Pride general manager Ian Fleming said they have had many discussions with veteran leaders like Marta, Sydney Leroux and Erin McLeod about building trust after the upheaval during the offseason.

“I think everyone’s just been so open and willing to grow together,” McLeod said. “It’s one thing to give a lot of information, and it’s another to receive it and I have to credit the players for doing both. … Most importantly, we see each other as equals on the field.”

Leroux, a five-year Pride veteran, said she’s never been a part of “something so drastic.”

“It’s exciting,” she said. “It’s something different and something new.”

The adjustments could be what the team needs to return to the playoffs, after finishing in the bottom three of the NWSL standings every year since 2017.

Underdog mentality with a championship mindset 😤@orlandohealth | #AdAstra pic.twitter.com/wRmCi2joti

— Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) February 16, 2022

Youth movement

Throughout the first month of preseason, the Pride’s younger players have exhibited confidence and an eagerness to learn. Cromwell noticed from day one of preseason, when the team started watching video, that the rookies weren’t afraid to speak up when the coaching staff asked for feedback and questions.

Defender Megan Montefusco (née Oyster) said the inexperienced players are asking the veterans a lot of “really good questions” on the field, as well.

“The players are very open to absorbing everything we’re offering,” Cromwell said.

Orlando signed five NWSL rookies this season, including 2022 draft selections Caitlin Cosme (No. 10), Julie Doyle (No. 11) and Jada Talley (No. 31), as well as 2021 draftees Kerry Abello and three-time MAC Hermann Trophy finalist Mikayla Cluff, both of whom elected to complete their eligibility in the NCAA in 2021. The Pride’s top draft pick this season, UCLA forward Mia Fishel, opted to play with Tigres in Liga MX Femenil after being selected No. 5 in December’s NWSL Draft.

After over a month of observing the new players in preseason, Cromwell singled out Cluff for her play. The BYU midfielder led the NCAA in points last season with 51, adding to her five-year total of 53 goals and 39 assists.

“We did have expectations for her coming in as one of the best players to come out of college last year,” said Cromwell.

The coach is eager to see how Cluff fits into the attack with Leroux and Marta, but also notes that the four-time All-American has a “bite” defensively.

“She’s very fit as well,” Cromwell said. “Those players that can work on both sides of the ball are fun to have on your squad because they affect in and out of possession.”

Fast forward ⏩ Welcome to Orlando, @kayla_colohan! 😈 ⚡

Details: https://t.co/M0zCM5BJeD

📸 #ISIPhotos pic.twitter.com/8TBOnOKKjx

— Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) January 26, 2022

Courtney Petersen, Parker Roberts and Carrie Lawrence, all 24 years old, have also stood out in preseason. Cromwell notes that Roberts has “been doing great things in the six.”

Abi Kim, who signed with the Pride from ACF Fiorentina prior to the start of last season, has made significant progress in the last month. The forward has never played outside back, but she’s shown so far in preseason that she can hold her own in that position.

Predicting there might be a point in the season where the young players “hit a wall,” Cromwell plans to give them stretches of days off, when they can get away and rejuvenate. She compares Orlando’s energy to that of the Washington Spirit’s young trio — Ashley Sanchez (age 22), 2021 NWSL Golden Boot winner Ashley Hatch (26) and Rookie of the Year Trinity Rodman (19), who helped lead the Spirit to their first NWSL championship in November.

“I think players that are young can come in and have an impact,” Cromwell said.

Attacking mindset

On the field, the Pride plan to play a possession-minded and creative style of attack. The glue will be Marta, the Brazilian superstar forward whose energy Cromwell and Fleming describe as infectious. Recently named team captain, Marta embodies a childlike love for the game and the identity Cromwell wants for the team.

“I’ve always prided myself on teams that are confident on the ball, fun to watch, and play with freedom,” Cromwell said. “Any team that has Marta, quite honestly, should look to build through her and build through the midfield.”

Lately, the Pride have been working on being patient in the attack. They have many players who can be dangerous on the counter-attack, and Cromwell encourages them to take advantage when the transition lanes are open, but also build through the midfield as much as they can.

Orlando’s key to recruiting has been identifying players who want to play a dictating, possession-style game and have good composure, fitness, vision and the ability to contribute to strong team defense. Cromwell emphasizes versatility, appreciating defenders who can dribble out of the back and make assists and forwards who can contribute on the backline if needed.

Toward the end of each practice, the Pride coaches drill different defensive systems, including defending from the front and getting numbers behind the ball. Following a run through their set plays, the players bring donuts and coffee for each other in recovery sessions. Their shared desire to win a championship has made the new team close through the first month and a half of preseason.

“We’re so bought into that,” said Montefusco, who joined the Pride in January in a trade with the Houston Dash. “It’s exciting because you can feel it out on the pitch. We’re all fighting for each other.”

Said Cromwell: “To me, the best teams in the world are the ones that fight for each other and have each other’s back.”

Winning mentality

To a championship-driven team like Orlando, the Challenge Cup beginning next week isn’t just a preseason tournament.

“I’m always competitive, so I always want to win something, some sort of championship,” Cromwell said. “I don’t care what it is — ping pong, tech ball, whatever it might be — so we’re going to have that as a goal.”

The Challenge Cup will live up to its name immediately for the Pride, putting the young team to the test against the reigning NWSL champion Spirit in their first game on March 19. Cromwell plans to use the tournament as an opportunity to answer remaining questions she has about players and to make necessary adjustments in preparation for the regular season.

And, after three straight losing seasons, the club is eager to flip the script.

“I want to win,” said Montefusco. “That’s just in me and I think this whole team really wants to win.”

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

The 2025 Wimbledon Championships wrapped its second round on Thursday, with the grass court Grand Slam seeing just 15 of the tournament's 32 seeded players advance to the Friday and Saturday's third round.

A full half of the WTA's Top 10 players did not survive the week, with 2024 Wimbledon finalist and world No. 5 Jasmine Paolini joining four first-round star exits by falling to unseeded Kamilla Rakhimova in a three-set, second-round battle on Wednesday.

At the same time, unseeded fan favorites like Japan's No. 53 Naomi Osaka and England's own No. 40 Emma Raducanu secured third-round spots at the London Slam, joining top surviving contenders like No. 4 Iga Świątek and defending Wimbledon champion No. 16 Barbora Krejčíková.

Notably, a full five US players managed to move ahead, tied for the largest national contingent still standing at the tournament.

Led by 2025 Australian Open champion No. 8 Madison Keys, the US group also includes No. 10 Emma Navarro and No. 12 Amanda Anisimova, as well as unseeded players No. 54 Danielle Collins and No. 55 Hailey Baptiste.

With matches against Świątek and No. 7 Mirra Andreeva, respectively, Collins and Baptiste have a tough third round ahead — though Navarro's battle against the 2024 champ Krejčíková arguably headlines Saturday's slate.

How to watch Wimbledon this weekend

While world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is still holding strong in the dwindling field, this year's Wimbledon play is proving that the London Slam is anyone's to take, as the grass court humbles even the sport's top stars.

Expect the twists and turns to continue as tennis's best battle for spots in Sunday's Round of 16.

Round-of-32 Wimbledon play kicks off at 6 AM ET on Friday, with live continuous coverage of the tournament airing on ESPN.

The 2025 European Championship is officially underway, as Euro action kicked off with a group-stage upset on Wednesday.

Though the 2025 UEFA tournament's opener was a sweltering affair amid a European heat wave, world No. 26 Finland prevailed, earning a 1-0 upset win over No. 14 Iceland in Group A.

Finnish winger Katariina Kosola played hero, curling in the winning goal in the match's 70th minute — just 12 minutes after Iceland midfielder Hildur Antonsdóttir picked up the competition's first red card.

"The result is important for our confidence," Kosola said after Finland's first major tournament win since the 2009 Euro. "It was the kind of goal I have been practicing a lot."

"It's terrible to lose and we feel frustrated," said Iceland head coach Thorsteinn Halldórsson. "It is an even group and we knew Finland were good, but our first half wasn't good enough."

Elsewhere, No. 16 Norway closed out Wednesday's slate on top of Group A, taking three points by defeating host No. 23 Switzerland in day's second match.

Led by captain and 2018 Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg — who pulled the match even with a second-half strike — Norway battled to a 2-1 comeback win, despite the Swiss side outshooting and out-possessing the Norwegians.

How to watch this week's 2025 Euro action

Group B steals the 2025 Euro spotlight on Thursday.

While No. 13 Italy snagged a 1-0 opening win over No. 20 Belgium to kick off the day, 2023 World Cup champions and tournament favorite No. 2 Spain will face No. 22 Portugal at 3 PM ET.

Friday's Group C slate will pit No. 12 Denmark against No. 6 Sweden at 12 PM ET, before No. 3 Germany contends with No. 27 Poland at 3 PM ET.

Closing out the first group-stage matches will be arguably the toughest draw of the 2025 Euro pool.

Saturday's Group D slate features major tournament debutants No. 30 Wales against the No. 11 Netherlands at 12 PM ET, with No. 10 France taking on defending champions No. 5 England to cap the day at 3 PM ET.

Live coverage of 2025 Euro matches will air across Fox Sports platforms.

The world No. 1 USWNT ruled the pitch on Wednesday night, shutting out North American rivals No. 8 Canada 3-0 to finish the international window on a high note.

Catching the Canada backline sleeping, US midfielder Sam Coffey opened the scoring at the 17-minute mark before 19-year-old Claire Hutton claimed her first-ever USWNT goal by heading in a Rose Lavelle corner kick in the game's 36th minute.

Houston Dash forward Yazmeen Ryan then padded the US tally in the waning minutes of the match, finding the back of the net just eight minutes after subbing onto the field.

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Despite fielding a young roster, the US overpowered a veteran-heavy Canada side in almost every category, topping their Northern neighbors in shots, shots on target, possession, and — most notably — set pieces.

Canada ultimately couldn't match the game's mental pace or physical battle, as the USWNT scored all three goals off dead ball situations — a free kick, a corner kick, and a throw-in.

"It's not about the opponent," US head coach Emma Hayes said after the match. "It's about what we do, and I felt that was extremely dominant."

With Wednesday's contributions, the USWNT finishes the summer window with 11 goals scored across the three friendlies — and zero goals conceded.

The US now enters an extended break before reconvening for another as-yet-unannounced friendly series in October — but players will be expected to perform in the meantime.

"I said to the players in the end in the huddle, if you want to compete to win the biggest things, it's not what you do here that matters," said Hayes. "It's what you do when you go back to your club."

The 2025 WNBA regular season returns on Thursday night, with teams at the top of the league standings looking to prove their mettle against close competition across the long holiday weekend.

The No. 5 Seattle Storm have arguably the toughest weekend assignments, taking on the No. 4 Atlanta Dream on Friday before tackling the No. 3 New York Liberty on Sunday.

Four middle-of-the-pack teams will look to close in on a double-digit season win tally while the league's frontrunners strive to maintain their advantage in this weekend's slate:

• No. 7 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 8 Indiana Fever, Thursday at 7 PM ET (Prime): Though still without star Caitlin Clark, the Fever hope to harness their 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup victory momentum against an Aces side tied with Indiana with an 8-8 season record.

• No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 4 Atlanta Dream, Thursday at 7:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): Seattle will look to make strides against a strong Atlanta side while putting last Sunday's stinging 84-57 loss to up-and-comer Golden State in their rearview.

• No. 6 Golden State Valkyries vs. No. 1 Minnesota Lynx, Saturday at 8 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The rising Valkyries must face a Lynx side hunting redemption, as the league-leaders look to bounce back from their stifling Tuesday Commissioner's Cup upset loss.

• No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 3 New York Liberty, Sunday at 1 PM ET (CBS): With injured Liberty center Jonquel Jones still sidelined, the Seattle Storm will have a chance to steal a weekend game against the reigning champs, as New York struggles to re-find their footing.

With the 2025 WNBA All-Star break looming, early top performers must keep standards high if they want to hold the line when the season crosses the midway point.