The NWSL is no stranger to rivalries. And the one between the Portland Thorns and OL Reign rules them all.

Sure, the bad blood between the Southern California expansion clubs has all the makings of a classic. But Angel City FC and the San Diego Wave don’t have the history of the Thorns and the Reign, two franchises that date back to the start of the league.

One of the drivers of the Cascadia rivalry is Portland captain Christine Sinclair, who punctuated the Thorns’ championship celebration last November with a hearty: “F–k Seattle!”

“I would definitely say my hatred for Seattle started with Christine Sinclair,” Emily Menges told Goal in June. “She, more than anybody, did a good job of just kind of spreading that to the players who would come to the team and everybody who has come since. That’s kind of how I first realized that I should be hating Seattle.”

The Thorns have won three NWSL titles, while the Reign have yet to get over the hump, which adds another layer to the animosity between the clubs. Even as OL Reign veteran Megan Rapinoe enters her final regular-season match against the Portland Thorns at 10:30 p.m. ET Saturday, Portland players know the best way to honor her legacy.

“I think the greatest compliment that I, and we, could give her as the Thorns is to kick her ass when she comes to Providence Park,” Thorns defender Meghan Klingenberg said.

Make no mistake, the feeling is mutual. OL Reign head coach Laura Harvey told Goal – without prompting – that they “hate Portland.” At the end of last season, while celebrating the 2022 Shield with fans, Harvey went to her team’s supporters’ section, grabbed the mic and chanted to the tune of “When the Saints Go Marching In”: “We won the shield, we won the league, we won the league at Lumen Field, we won the league and smashed f—ing Portland!”

Meanwhile, Rapinoe is constantly needling the Portland crowd.

“Obviously the Thorns fans need no introduction — they’re incredible,” Rapinoe said after beating Portland in May 2021. “They have one big problem, though. They love me, so it’s really difficult for them to cheer against me. So when I scored, I had to go right over and talk my s—.”

The rivalry even predates the NWSL, tracing its beginnings to the established Cascadia rivalry between the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer. So from the very first season, the teams treated each meeting as a grudge match.

“In the first year, it was fun. You kind of could feel it,” said Jess Fishlock, who has spent every NWSL season with OL Reign. “The games are just electric. They are so intense. It’s just a different level of game, you know?”

Since 2013, the two teams have played 37 times across the last 11 years. OL Reign holds the edge in the head-to-head battle, with 15 wins compared to 13 for Portland. Nine of the matches were draws.

Each team has a win against the other this year, with Portland winning 2-0 on June 3, then falling 1-0 on June 28. The most recent meeting, though, ended in a 0-0 draw on Aug. 6. The latter two games were part of the 2023 Challenge Cup.

The most recent regular-season rivalry game took place in Seattle. The 2-0 victory for the Thorns marked their first road win in the series since 2017.

“Every time we play them it’s a battle,” Menges said after that game. “The messaging before the game from (head coach) Mike (Norris) was, ‘Yep, come for the battle, but don’t make it a street fight, make it a boxing match.’ … I think we rose to that occasion and I think that’s what we did.”

Even without injured Thorns star Sophia Smith, who scored a goal in that game, tension and expectations will be high. Expect Rapinoe’s final regular-season match in the Cascadia rivalry to come with fireworks.

Two-time WNBA MVP and seven-time All-Star Elena Delle Donne is officially retiring from pro basketball, with the 2016 Olympic gold medalist calling the decision "one of the hardest parts of my career" in a Friday announcement.

After the Chicago Sky chose Delle Donne as the overall No. 2 pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft, she quickly established herself as a force on the court, winning her first MVP title with the Sky in 2015 before a trade sent her to the Washington Mystics in 2017.

Delle Donne thrived with Washington, earning her second MVP honor while leading the Mystics to their first-ever WNBA championship in 2019 — and recording the only 50-40-90 season (shooting over 50% from the field, over 40% from beyond the arc, and over 90% from the foul line) in league history along the way.

"She put us over the top," former Mystics head coach Mike Thibault told reporters on Friday. "We were trying to build to where we could have a team that somebody like her would want to play with and we could win the championship that she was seeking and that we were seeking."

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Injuries and illness fueled Delle Donne's decision

At the same time, however, Delle Donne struggled with injuries, later undergoing back surgery after competing in that 2019 title run with three herniated disks. Those injuries, plus a chronic Lyme disease diagnosis, eventually led Delle Donne to sit out the 2024 season — despite earning a core tag from the Mystics.

Taking last season off gave Delle Donne the space to come to terms with retirement, with the 35-year-old stating "my body seemed to make this decision before my mind accepted it."

Despite exiting the competitive court, however, Delle Donne will remain close to the game, with the Mystics announcing that the star will serve as a special advisor to the WNBA team's ownership group, Monumental Sports.

"This game has been my life, and I am grateful for the memories and how much it’s given me," Delle Donne said on social media. "It feels good to close this chapter knowing I gave it my all and I can’t wait for what’s next!"

Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang is going all in to grow US women’s soccer, announcing an additional investment of $25 million into US Soccer last Friday.

The move follows Kang's November 2024 initial gift of $30 million over the course of five years, earmarked for talent identification and increased youth competition opportunities for future USWNT players, as well as professional development for female players, coaches, and referees.

Friday's investment follows a slightly different, yet parallel path in that it aims to "accelerate advancements in the women’s game through science, innovation, and elevated best practices" by integrating Kang’s Kynisca Innovation Hub into US Soccer’s Soccer Forward Foundation.

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Kynisca, US Soccer collab aims to scale research and standards

Under the umbrella of Kang’s global multi-team organization Kynisca Sports International, the Innovation Hub is a science-based platform that aims to improve research and development for women’s sports athletes.

Similarly, the Soccer Forward Foundation aims to grow the game by expanding access, all while implementing the sport's latest research and guidelines.

Friday's partnership between the two organizations has two main goals: improving the sport's health outcomes via research and solution-oriented initiatives, and creating and implementing best-practice standards to grow the global game.

According to USSF President Cindy Parlow Cone, the new collaboration will "[help] ensure [the US will] remain at the forefront of progress as the sport continues to grow around the world" by "[driving] real change through research-backed standards that support players at every level."

Kang, who also owns top French side Lyon and second-tier UK club London City, noted that the collaboration "represents a major step forward in advancing research and setting new standards for women’s sports."

"By working together, we are ensuring that players at all levels benefit from innovative insights and best practices," Kang said in a statement. "Women’s soccer is experiencing historic growth, but there’s still work to be done to break down systemic barriers and secure the investment needed for female athletes."

The No. 2-seed UConn Huskies are atop college basketball once again, winning a record-extending 12th NCAA championship in a 82-59 blowout victory over No. 1-seed South Carolina on Sunday.

The title ends a nine-year drought for the dynasty program — the longest stretch without hoisting the trophy since the Huskies' first-ever national championship in 1995.

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Trio of Huskies fuel UConn's championship grab

After dominating overall No. 1-seed UCLA 85-51 on Final Four Friday, UConn earned a season finale face-off against the defending champion Gamecocks, who punched their spot in Sunday's championship showdown by taking down No. 1-seed Texas 74-57 — South Carolina's third win over their SEC rival this season.

The big day, however, belonged to the Huskies, as UConn’s "Big Three" of star senior Paige Bueckers, standout guard Azzi Fudd, and freshman phenom Sarah Strong posted a combined 65 points to outscore South Carolina.

Fudd and Strong led the game's stat sheet by scoring 24 points each, helping Fudd snag the tournament's Most Outstanding Player honor — and earning Strong a new NCAA record.

After finishing March Madness with 114 total points across UConn's six-game run, the newly crowned 2024/25 Freshman of the Year broke the NCAA tournament's freshman scoring record, as Strong surpassed 2011 WNBA MVP Tamika Catchings, who posted 111 points in Tennessee's 1998 championship run.

As for graduating superstar Bueckers, her 17 points made her the Huskies' all-time NCAA tournament scoring leader, while Sunday's title cements her legacy, capping her college career by adding her name to the litany of UConn greats in the Storrs rafters.

"It's been a story of resilience, of gratitude, of overcoming adversity and just responding to life's challenges," said Bueckers after her last game as a Husky.

"This is one of the most emotional Final Fours and emotional national championships I've been a part of since that very first one," echoed head coach Geno Auriemma.

All in all, UConn overcame years of close calls, injury woes, and buzzer-beating heartbreak to restore their March Madness dynasty. With Fudd returning next season alongside Strong, the Huskies' future looks brighter than ever.

Final Four teams eye 2026 return

On the other side of the championship coin, the Gamecocks never quite hit their stride on Sunday, falling one game short of a back-to-back title after snagging a spot in their third championship game in four years.

"We lost to a very, very good basketball team," South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said after the defeat. "They beat our ass, but they didn't make us like it. There's a difference."

Though Sunday’s loss stings, South Carolina's youthful core means the Gamecocks — like the young squads from Final Four teams UCLA and Texas — will be back, packing both March Madness experience and a hefty dose of vengeance next year.

"I hope they're crying," Staley said of her returning players. "I hope they're boo-hoo-ing because from crying they have emotion about losing, makes you work hard in the offseason."

It's a sentiment echoed by the 2024/25 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, UCLA star Lauren Betts.

"We have the same team coming next year," Betts said of the Bruins' underclass core after Friday's Final Four loss. "I hope this fuels us, and I hope that we come out angry after this."

After faltering in their own Final Four matchup on Friday, Texas head coach Vic Schaefer offered a similar silver lining.

"It won't be easier tonight or tomorrow, but it will be easier knowing them three are around," Schaefer said of Longhorn underclassmen Madison Booker, Bree Hall, and Jordan Lee. "They are competitors. And again, they’re kids that invest in their craft."

The Final Four squads unable to seal the deal this season will rue an opportunity lost, but with another year of development, expect the same names to dominate the news cycle next March.

It didn’t take long for USWNT star Trinity Rodman to re-introduce herself on Saturday, finding the back of the net just five minutes into her first national team appearance since last August’s Olympic gold medal-winning match.

Rodman’s point came off a quality assist from Alyssa Thompson, with the attacking pair eventually leading the USWNT to a 2-0 win over 2024 Olympic silver medalists Brazil in the first of the pair's two April friendlies.

US captain Lindsey Heaps doubled the scoreline in the second half, striking home a bullet of a penalty kick after 17-year-old midfielder Lily Yohannes drew a foul in the box.

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Hayes' development strategy proves impact of young talent

As familiar names netted goals, USWNT head coach Emma Hayes still managed to continue testing less experienced players, evaluating fresh faces against Brazil's high-flying offense.

Making an impact in her US debut was goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who earned a clean sheet with six saves to put herself firmly in the running to replace now-retired starting keeper Alyssa Naeher.

Hayes' developmental aim is, in part, to bolster the USWNT pipeline should future injuries limit the team's veteran stars — a tactic that Rodman's own recent struggles prove is an increasingly smart move.

Though Rodman’s impact is undeniable, the veteran is still rehabilitating a lingering back issue that the 22-year-old has admitted she doesn’t think "will ever be 100%."

That said, Rodman knows she brings more to the table than just her on-pitch prowess.

"I wanted to be a provider of energy and to be able to charge everyone’s batteries. I think I did that pretty well today," Rodman told TNT on Saturday.

Ultimately, as the USWNT’s slow build continues, Rodman showed exactly the team can hope to achieve once the roster is more whole down the line.

How to watch the USWNT vs. Brazil friendly on Tuesday

The USWNT's second friendly against Brazil will take place in San Jose at 10:30 PM ET on Tuesday. Live coverage will air on TBS.