The latest episode of the NWSL’s SoCal rivalry kicks off this Saturday, June 17, when the San Diego Wave host Angel City FC at Snapdragon Stadium. San Diego, unbeaten in five straight matches, currently leads the NWSL standings. Meanwhile, Angel City is looking for a statement win after hitting a midseason rough patch, going winless in their last five regular season matches.

Ahead of the game, here is a brief overview of the history of the rivalry and what’s at stake.

Angel City vs. San Diego: How they got here

Angel City FC made waves when it was first announced as an NWSL expansion franchise in July 2020.

From the start, the club sought to shake up traditional ownership structures, launching with a majority female ownership group and a long list of celebrity investors. That group is led by actress Natalie Portman, entrepreneur Julie Uhrman and venture capitalists Kara Nortman and Alexis Ohanian. Other founding team members include tennis legend Serena Williams, WNBA star Candace Parker, actresses Jennifer Garner and Jessica Chastain, and former U.S. women’s national team players Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy and Abby Wambach.

San Diego Wave FC first came into the mix in June 2021, when the NWSL announced the southern California city as the location for an expansion team owned by Ron Burkle. It didn’t take long for the team to make a few high-profile additions, appointing two-time World Cup champion coach Jill Ellis as club president, hiring Casey Stoney as head coach and acquiring USWNT stars Abby Dahlkemper and Alex Morgan.

In 2022, the Wave had the most successful inaugural season for an expansion team in NWSL history. They were not only the first expansion team to make the playoffs in their first year after finishing third in the regular-season standings, but also the first to host and win a playoff game. In addition, San Diego nearly swept the end-of-season individual awards: Stoney was named Coach of the Year, Kailen earned Sheridan Goalkeeper of the Year and Naomi Girma took home Defender of the Year and Rookie of the Year. Morgan also finished first in the Golden Boot race with 15 goals.

Head-to-head results

Since San Diego and Angel City began play in the NWSL in 2022, the two sides have met five times total, including three times during the regular season. Here is their head-to-head history:

• March 19, 2022 (Challenge Cup): 1-1 draw
• April 2, 2022 (Challenge Cup): San Diego won 4-2
• July 9, 2022: Angel City won 2-1
• September 17, 2022: San Diego won 1-0
• April 23, 2023: San Diego won 2-0

San Diego and Angel City have drawn huge crowds for their rivalry games. San Diego broke the NWSL attendance record in the team’s debut game at Snapdragon Stadium in September 2022 when 32,000 fans packed the stands to watch the Wave win 1-0. Sellout crowds of 22,000 fans also attended both of the Angel City-hosted games at BMO Stadium.

What they’ve said about the rivalry

After the teams’ first meeting of the year, a 2-0 win for San Diego in April, players and coaches spoke about the budding rivalry and its importance in the women’s soccer landscape. Julie Ertz made her debut with Angel City in that game after signing with the club on April 17. On Saturday, the USWNT midfielder will be more game-ready after having played in six matches across all competitions.

Wave head coach Casey Stoney: “I think the rivalry is fantastic. I love it. It’s amazing to have this derby, the fact we don’t have to go on a plane and it’s a local derby, I think the fans really get behind it. I think it’s exciting for the players. It adds a little bit of an edge.”

Wave defender Naomi Girma: “I think it’s always good to win a rivalry (game). It’s only our second year in the league, us and L.A. (Angel City), but I think this has already become one of the biggest rivalries in the league, so it’s a really good feeling to come to this stadium, great atmosphere, great fans and to come away with the win.”

Angel City midfielder Savannah McCaskill: “It’s exciting that we have another SoCal team because we can create this derby effect. Rivalry games are fun, it’s something that you step up to the plate for.

2023 Women’s World Cup Preview

The 2023 Women’s World Cup is just around the corner and this will be one of the last chances for U.S. players to make a case for selection before USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski names his roster later this month.

From San Diego, American players in contention include defender Naomi Girma, midfielder Taylor Kornieck, forward Alex Morgan, and forward/midfielder Jaedyn Shaw, while Angel City’s top hopefuls include midfielder Julie Ertz and forward Alyssa Thompson.

Meanwhile, San Diego goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan has already been named to Canada’s World Cup roster.

How to watch Angel City vs. San Diego Wave

If you won’t be watching in-person at Snapdragon Stadium on Saturday, you can catch the game on CBS (1 p.m. PT / 4 p.m. ET).

The contested bronze medal from the 2024 Paris Olympics women's gymnastics floor exercise is heading back to court for fresh examination. The same controversy produced an iconic photograph of Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles honoring gold medalist Rebeca Andrade.

Switzerland's supreme court announced Thursday that judges have returned the gymnastics case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to review new evidence in what they termed highly exceptional circumstances. The ruling offers Jordan Chiles renewed hope of reclaiming the bronze medal initially awarded to her in Paris.

The issue centers on whether Team USA submitted a scoring appeal within the required one-minute deadline. Afterwards, Biles and Chiles created a celebrated Olympic moment at the gymnastics medal ceremony when both kneeled to honor Brazil's Andrade as she stepped onto the podium's top position.

Days after, Romania successfully appealed to CAS. The bronze medal was subsequently reassigned to Ana Maria Barbosu and presented to her in Bucharest, with the decision hinging on the US team's challenge.

The Swiss Federal Tribunal now wants CAS to examine recordings from the August 5th event that demonstrate the appeal meeting the deadline. The court indicated this evidence could likely sway the ruling in favor of Chiles.

Chiles' lawyer Maurice M. Suh expressed satisfaction with the decision, stating the video evidence conclusively supports his client's claim to the gymnastics bronze medal. He confirmed Chiles will vigorously defend her position during the review process, which could take at least one year to complete.

The 24-year-old UCLA gymnast has moved forward despite facing online criticism, some racially motivated, following the initial controversy. Chiles returned to the mat for UCLA while embracing opportunities with Dancing with the Stars, Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue, and NWSL side Angel City.

Alexandra Eala saw her dream of capturing a first WTA title on home soil end Thursday, as the Filipino tennis star fell to Camila Osorio 6-4, 6-4 in the inaugural Philippine Women's Open quarterfinals.

The matchup pitted the former US Open junior champions against each other in their first professional meeting. However, Alexandra Eala proved unable to overcome the Colombian, as the world No. 49 struggled to find her rhythm against the No. 84.

The opening set saw three double-faults from each competitor, as both had difficulty finding consistency in their serves. Osorio later broke through in the seventh game of the first set, then held serve to build a 5-3 advantage. Alexandra Eala could not recover, dropping the opening frame 6-4.

The second set remained competitive through the first eight games, with the score deadlocked at 4-4 after multiple service breaks by both players. However, Osorio elevated her performance at the crucial moment, breaking Alexandra Eala's serve in the ninth game before closing out the match in the 10th.

Statistical analysis revealed tight margins between the players. Both converted second-serve points at an identical 50% rate. The difference emerged on first serves, where Osorio's 59% conversion rate surpassed Alexandra Eala's 51% efficiency, proving decisive in the straight-sets victory.

"I think it was an overall good week," Eala said postmatch.

"Of course, I'm disappointed about today. I definitely think I've had better days, but it's just how it is. I have to accept it, and there’s always next week."

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What's next for Alexandra Eala

Alexandra Eala now shifts her focus to the WTA 500 Abu Dhabi Open, set to kick off January 31st. The tournament presents yet another opportunity for the rising Filipina talent to pursue her breakthrough WTA title.

How to watch the Philippine Women's Open semifinals

Meanwhile, fifth-seeded Osorio advances to Friday's semifinal against Solana Sierra as she continues her quest for the Philippine Women's Open championship.

All matches stream live on WTA Unlocked's 125Live.

The hit Apple TV show Ted Lasso is switching sides, with the streamer announcing details about the upcoming Season 4 release — including the series' new focus on women's football — on Wednesday.

"In season four, Ted returns to Richmond, taking on his biggest challenge yet: coaching a second division women's football team," reads Apple TV's Wednesday statement. "Throughout the course of the season, Ted and the team learn to leap before they look, taking chances they never thought they would."

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Currently in production, Ted Lasso stars Jason Sudeikis, who previously picked up a pair of Emmys for his role as the titular character, with the longtime women's sports fan also serving as executive producer of the series.

Fan favorites Juno Temple, Brendan Hunt, and Jeremy Swift also return to reprise their roles alongside the Emmy-winning Hannah Waddingham and two-time Emmy winner Brett Goldstein, who also executive produces and writes for the show.

Debuting in August 2020, the smash-hit shattered records, earning the most Emmy nominations for a comedy show in its first season. It later took home the award for Outstanding Comedy Series in both 2021 and 2022.

Season 4 of Ted Lasso will premiere this summer.

When is Ted Lasso Season 4 streaming on Apple TV?

Fans can catch up on Ted Lasso before the summer's Season 4 release by streaming the first three seasons on Apple TV+.

The 15th WNBA team is starting to spark, with incoming expansion side Portland Fire dropping their inaugural 2026 jersey designs this week.

"Our 2026 jerseys are an embodiment this new era of the team: bold, innovative, and resilient," said Fire senior VP of marketing and communications Kimberly Veale in the team's Wednesday press release. "Every element was shaped with Portland in mind, honoring our legacy, while capturing the spirit and energy of this incredible city we represent."

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The two-jersey lineup includes the white WNBA Nike Heroine Edition with "Fire" written on the front "signifying the city's passion for the team," as well as a red WNBA Nike Explorer Edition "celebrating the Fire's legacy" in the league's return to Portland.

Both jerseys also feature a left shoulder patch for sponsor Chime, after the financial services company officially signed on to be the team's banking and credit partner on Tuesday.

Additionally, the franchise unveiled new secondary "PDX" logos on Wednesday, designed to reference local geographic icons like the Willamette River and Mt. Hood.

Notably, the team is still without a roster, as ongoing CBA negotiations have thrown the WNBA calendar in flux.

Barring a work stoppage, the first-ever Portland Fire game will tip off against the visiting Chicago Sky on Saturday, May 9th.

How to buy a Portland Fire WNBA jersey

While the white "Heroine Edition" is not yet available for purchase, fans can now buy an "Explorer" jersey, as well as apparel from the new PDX logo capsule collection, at the Portland Fire's online Team Shop.