U.S. women’s national team star midfielder Sam Mewis will not be with her teammates as she continues to recover from a lingering knee injury. But the 2019 World Cup champion is confident about the squad’s chances as they head to New Zealand and Australia for the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

On the latest episode of Snacks, Mewis broke down each of the USWNT’s group stage opponents and other teams they could face in the knockout rounds. The U.S. will have to get through Vietnam, the Netherlands and Portugal in Group E in order to earn a place in the Round of 16.

“I think that the World Cup is just such an elevated spectacle, like this is really just the highest level you can be playing it. And if you can do well here, you can do well anywhere,” she said. “Can the U.S. win three? Yes. Will Europe get in there and have one of those teams who’ve been at the top get over the hump? Or is there another breakthrough team outside the U.S. and Europe?

“I’m obviously rooting for the U.S. If I had to make a prediction, of course it would be them. [That] doesn’t mean that it’s going to be easy. I don’t think winning a World Cup should be easy, but I 100 percent think that they can do it. I’m rooting for them. I’ll be cheering for them in the middle of the night.”

So, what about the USWNT’s opponents? Mewis analyzes the contenders in her own words.

USWNT group stage

Vietnam

This is their first World Cup. They did just win the Southeast Asian Games, where they triumphed over Myanmar, their longtime rivals. And they do have a leading goal scorer, a key to their squad, 32-year-old Huỳnh Như. I think for the U.S., as any commentator would say it’s a great opportunity to come out on your front foot, set a tone for the tournament.

I would love to see a lot of goals. I would love to see just like the World Cup last time — the U.S. playing with a ton of confidence, putting some goals in the back of the net, celebrating. I’m really excited for them to come out and set the tone for the tournament and earn some confidence as they go on to play some teams that will really test them. I’m really excited for Vietnam to have the chance to play at the World Cup. And this is going to be an awesome showcase for both teams to see what happens to start us off.

Netherlands

We’ve played them a lot recently. We played them obviously in the 2019 final, which was a crazy game we won 2-0. We scored on a PK by [Megan Rapinoe], and then Rose [Lavelle] scored that legendary, epic goal that I think everybody can picture. And then we also drew the Netherlands at the Olympics, but we weren’t on PKs so that game was a little bit closer.

It seems like this game is going to be the biggest test, but the Netherlands do have one of their best players, Vivianne Miedema, out with an injury. She’s been on that list of players we keep seeing who unfortunately are injured and will be missing this World Cup. But they have some other big-time players like Lineth Beerensteyn who plays for Juventus; she’s scored in four of her last five international matches. And then Lieke Martens, whose name has been at the top of the lists of great players for years. She’s at PSG, and she’ll definitely be instrumental for them as well.

I’m really excited to watch this game … this is one that everybody’s gonna be tuning into. I think when you play a team that is a great matchup for you, it sets you up to have your best game because you know that you have to. So I feel like we’ll actually see great soccer from both teams here. And the U.S. performance in this game will be super telling of how they’re doing in the tournament. I’m really confident that they’re gonna pull it out and come out at the top of the group.

Portugal

This is also Portugal’s first trip to the World Cup. A name people might recognize, Jéssica Silva, who played for Kansas City for a year, she’s their key striker. I think having two teams in your group who are at their first World Cup is a positive thing. But I wouldn’t count anybody out. I think this could be a tricky group.

I think the U.S. knows exactly what to do. They’ve been here before. Coming out on the top of the group is obviously a goal going into it. But you just take it one game at a time, you keep everybody healthy, you try to get some goals on the scoresheet. Super confident in the U.S. But I think this will be a really fun group to watch the other contenders.

The teams worth a 3 a.m. wake-up call

This is not an exhaustive list, but these are some teams that I think will give everybody a little helpful guide as you’re picking out games to watch and which games to set your alarm for.

Australia

This team starts and ends with Sam Kerr. Sam Kerr, just my favorite. I love her so much. She’s someone who can score on anyone in the world. She’s dominated every domestic league she’s ever played in. She is also super experienced.

She’s played in a bunch of World Cups, a bunch of Olympics. She’s played in the Champions League, she’s played for Chelsea. She’s played in the NWSL. She went to her first World Cup at age 17. So she’s a part of this group of Australians who have a ton of veteran experience, even though they’re still in the middle of their careers.

Another thing to note about Australia is their coach, Tony Gustavsson, who worked with the U.S. team during the last two World Cups. I think Tony is like a tactical wizard. And so much of these tactical, technical things that I’ve learned about soccer actually came from doing film with Tony. So much respect for him, so much respect for Australia, always a really hard team to play against.

Canada

The reigning Olympic champions, they are another team to watch. They’re still led by Christine Sinclair … Their group has Australia, Nigeria and the Republic of Ireland. You would think Australia and Canada are favorites coming out of this group, but this is kind of a crazy group. So we might get some results that people don’t expect. And these are definitely games that people are going to want to watch.

Germany

They were runners-up at the Euros in 2022. They lost in extra time to England in that crazy game that Chloe Kelly scored the game-winning goal right at the end. They don’t have as many players with household names that we probably all know. But I feel like this team has experience, they all have great club experience. Alexandra Popp is the captain and the leader. She’ll be the most-capped player on the field for Germany. And Lena Oberdorf is a rising star. She’s 21, she was named the Young Player of the Tournament at the 2022 Euros. So definitely don’t sleep on Germany.

I think they’re a very clinical team. They’re disciplined, super athletic. Definitely a great history there, too. So, they will know what they’re doing.

Spain

Spain is another team that would have been a favorite. They’ve been dealing with this roster turmoil situation. They’ve had 15 players step away from the team and protest over conditions and coaching. Some of those players have come back, but a lot of them have not. Super disappointing because Spain was considered a young and rising team and could have had an awesome performance at this World Cup. They still could — we had a super close game with them in the Round of 16 in 2019. And they’ll still be competitive.

I think with teams like this, who either have a ton of injuries or have had a lot of roster changes, it’s hard to expect what we would have expected. But I feel also sometimes that lends itself to a new freedom or a new creativity or something that the world didn’t expect. So, I definitely wouldn’t count them out.

France

France is another team that’s been dealing with player protests, but they did change coaches. … Their new coach is Hervé Renard — he led the Saudi Arabian men’s team to the biggest upset of the Men’s World Cup last year over Argentina. Everybody probably remembers that game. That was wild. This team won’t have a ton of time together before the tournament, but they have talent, they have experience. I’d say they have a good coach. So France, another great side that historically is at the top of the list of top teams.

England

We’ve talked so much about England, they’re also a little bit injury-plagued. They’ll be missing Fran Kirby, Beth Mead and Leah Williamson, unfortunately. They just won the Euros. They have all this momentum coming into the tournament. They have players playing all over the world in different leagues, really improving a young squad that just feels like it has such an energy about it.

I think they’ve been a little bit of a favorite along with the U.S. A really good team, really great manager, really exciting to watch. Some of my favorite players on that team are Keira Walsh and Georgia Stanway, who I played with at Man City. Lauren Hemp is so good, [and] Chloe Kelly. These girls are so fun to watch, so I’ll be trying to watch all of England’s games.

Sweden

Always a threat. They beat us at the last Olympics. They fell just short in the gold-medal game after really being the top team all tournament. They’re No. 3 in the world right now. A small country, but they must have a great program. They’re always really good. They have top, top players, and I expect them to do well this summer. They’ll have five players with at least 100 caps and 10 players who have all scored 10 or more international goals.

Brazil

People are going to recognize a ton of names from the NWSL. Leading scorer currently is Kerolin; obviously, Debinha; everybody loves Marta; Brunhina has been scoring for Gotham. So, Brazil is another team to look out for. They’ve had up-and-down performances in world tournaments over the years. But if they really get together and perform the way that they can, they’re for sure a team to look out for.

New Zealand

I just want to say don’t sleep on New Zealand. We’re so excited that they’re hosting. Their group definitely has a pathway to advance. Our girl Ali Riley is ready to lead them to greatness. So we’re super excited for New Zealand, one of the host teams at this tournament.

Adding to their already historic season, 2024/25 WSL champions and 2025 League Cup winners Chelsea FC handed Manchester United a 3-0 defeat in Sunday's 2025 FA Cup final, completing the club's second-ever domestic treble.

Though the Blues first claimed an elusive treble in the 2020/21 season, this year's roster did so without dropping a single match in any of the three domestic competitions.

"I could not have expected this," said first-year Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor about her debut success leading the Blues. "It is almost ideal in terms of domestic dominance."

To clinch that dominance, Chelsea upended the defending FA Cup champs Manchester United at London's iconic Wembley Stadium behind a brace from French fullback Sandy Baltimore and a header from USWNT attacker Catarina Macario.

Baltimore gave Chelsea the lead by slipping a late first-half penalty past 2024/25 WSL Golden Glove winner and USWNT goalkeeper prospect Phallon Tullis-Joyce, and the Blues never relented, with second-half sub Macario doubling their scoreline in the 84th minute before Baltimore tacked on a final goal in stoppage time.

"It's a very emotional day," an emotional Macario told the broadcast after finishing her first season following a long ACL recovery. "It's a trophy we always wanted to win."

"All the credit to my players," said Bompastor. "We showed our mentality and our values in this game so we ended the season in an almost perfect scenario – we won, we were playing at Wembley, the stadium was nearly sold out, and we had a strong performance and result against a strong opponent."

"It is an almost ideal way to finish the season."

FA Cup crowds prove sustained demand for women's soccer

Chelsea FC's undefeated treble-winning season wasn't the only notable victory on Sunday, as the FA Cup final drew a crowd of over 74,000 fans for the third straight year.

Sunday's 74,412 attendance mark was just shy of both last year's crowd of 76,082 and the 77,390 fans who watched Chelsea defeat the Red Devils in 2023 — all well beyond the tournament final's previous record of 49,094 attendees achieved in 2022.

Fueled by the football fervor following England's 2022 Euro victory — the country's first international trophy, men's or women's, since the 1966 men's World Cup — the 2023 FA Cup final still stands as the largest crowd at a domestic women's soccer match across all nations.

With Sunday's match joining the over-74,000 attendance club, it's clear the post-Euros enthusiasm wasn't a blip, but a boost to the continued growth and sustained success of the women's game.

While most WNBA stars hit the court running this weekend, a few saw their 2025 campaigns already shortened as teams released season-opening injury reports.

Phoenix forward Kahleah Copper will miss four to six weeks of play, the Mercury reported on Saturday, after the 2024 Olympic gold medalist underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on her left knee last week.

Another knee injury has LA's Rae Burrell sidelined for the next six to eight weeks, after the fourth-year guard took a knock to the right leg just 41 seconds into the Sparks' 2025 debut win over Golden State.

On Friday, the Mystics released updates on both second-year forward Aaliyah Edwards and rookie guard Georgia Amoore. While another assessment of the Unrivaled 1v1 runner-up's back injury will occur in two more weeks, Washington confirmed that the Australian standout will miss the entire 2025 WNBA season after undergoing a successful surgery to repair her right ACL.

Seattle's Katie Lou Samuelson is also out for the full 2025 campaign, with the 27-year-old Storm forward recovering from last week's successful surgery after tearing her right ACL in practice on May 1st.

Kitley makes long-awaited WNBA debut as Brink eyes return

In more uplifting news, LA's Cameron Brink is on track to return to the Sparks sometime next month, one year after her standout rookie season came to a halt in a left ACL tear.

Already celebrating, however, is 2024 second-round draftee Elizabeth Kitley, who battled back from injury to make her WNBA debut and score her first league points in Las Vegas's Saturday loss to New York.

The Aces took a draft chance on Kitley, despite the center suffering an ACL tear in her final NCAA postseason. In response, the former Virginia Tech star successfully translated her year-long delayed shot at a pro career by surviving Las Vegas's brutal 2025 roster cuts.

Notably, Kitley's close friend and collegiate on-court counterpart with the Hokies is the aforementioned Amoore, who will aim for a rookie-season redo of her own next year.

The No. 1 Kansas City Current strengthened their grip on the 2025 NWSL Shield race on Friday, taking down now-No. 3 Orlando 1-0 on the road to earn a four-point lead atop of the NWSL table.

Reigning league MVP Temwa Chawinga scored the top-table game's lone goal. With five goals in nine matches, Chawinga now sits in a four-way tie for second place in the 2025 Golden Boot race.

"If you don't come with heart, you have no chance," Current head coach Vlatko Andonovski said after the match. "And today I think we showed heart."

Kansas City now stands 7-2-0 on the season, putting the NWSL Shield firmly within their grasp.

Kansas City's rise aside, the weekend's biggest drama hovered near the playoff line.

Gotham FC fell to No. 2 San Diego 1-0 on Friday, sending the Bats skidding to No. 8 on a three-game winless streak while boxing No. 9 North Carolina out of playoff contention — despite the rising Courage securing their third win in four games with Saturday's 2-0 victory over last-place Chicago.

"Obviously, we were hot for a little bit, and teams have slumps all the time, so now it's just finding a way," Gotham midfielder Jaelin Howell said of the team's recent struggles.

While some rebuilds soar, last year's postseason contenders are still finding their way as the league moves into the second third of the 2025 season.

Indiana's 35-point blowout win over Chicago wasn't Saturday's only newsmaker, as a controversial foul on Sky forward Angel Reese by Fever guard Caitlin Clark sparked intense off-court conversations and a WNBA investigation into subsequent fan misconduct.

Clark's third-quarter foul against Reese incited a brief dust-up between the second-year stars, with Clark's offense upgraded to a Flagrant 1 while Reese and Fever center Aliyah Boston picked up a pair of offsetting technicals for their reactions.

"Basketball play. Refs got it right. Move on," Reese said after the game, while Clark told reporters, "It was just a good play on the basketball. I'm not sure what the ref saw to upgrade it, and that's up to their discretion."

Immediately following the flagrant ruling, however, Indiana fans allegedly directed racially charged remarks toward Reese, prompting the league to open an investigation on Sunday.

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Officials acknowledged allegations of racist abuse inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse, saying the WNBA "strongly condemns racism, hate, and discrimination in all forms," and that they're "looking into the matter."

"We stand firm in our commitment to providing a safe environment for all WNBA players," said Pacers Sports & Entertainment CEO Mel Raines, who oversees the Fever, in a statement.

"We will do everything in our power to protect Chicago Sky players, and we encourage the league to continue taking meaningful steps to create a safe environment for all WNBA players," echoed Sky CEO and president Adam Fox.

Unfortunately, this isn't the first time Fever-related fan misconduct has taken center stage, as last season's storylines start to spill over into the 2025 WNBA campaign.

In anticipation of the issue, the league launched "No Space for Hate" on Thursday, describing the campaign as "a multi-dimensional platform designed to combat hate and promote respect across all WNBA spaces — from online discourse to in-arena behavior."