The U.S. women’s national soccer team rallied after a lackluster first half to take down Colombia 3-0 Saturday in the first of two friendlies between the sides.

Colorado native Sophia Smith led the way, scoring the first two goals of the game in front of her home crowd at DSG Park in Commerce City.

With Colombia set up in a low block and a sweeper, the USWNT struggled to break down their opponent’s backline. Despite holding 71 percent of possession, the USWNT only put three of their 12 shots on goal in the opening 45 minutes, failing to execute in the final third.

The team was awarded a penalty kick in the final seconds of the first half and a breakthrough goal before the break seemed imminent, but Colombia keeper Catalina Perez denied Lindsey Horan from the spot to keep the match deadlocked.

The second 45 minutes were a different story for the USWNT, with Sophia Smith notching the go-ahead goal in the 54th minute, finishing off a perfectly placed ball from Rose Lavelle.

THE BUBBLE BRAID!@sophsssmith megs us into the lead! pic.twitter.com/BmV6YRj4xe

— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) June 26, 2022

Smith doubled the USWNT’s lead in the 60th minute, again getting on the end of a long ball out of the midfield from Lavelle.

.@sophsssmith's second of the evening, and FIFTH of 2022! pic.twitter.com/WclxMx2T2w

— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) June 26, 2022

Taylor Kornieck put the icing on the cake for the United States, nodding in a set-piece from Megan Rapinoe in stoppage time for her first USWNT goal in her national team debut.

Double check our math, but @taylorkornieck has scored in 100% of the #USWNT matches she's appeared in pic.twitter.com/wb22ii7rKc

— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) June 26, 2022

Three takeaways from Saturday’s win

Sophia Smith shines in her home state

Colorado native Smith put on a show, notching a brace in front of the Commerce City crowd. The attacker played a full 90 minutes and made magic with Lavelle throughout the match, with the duo linking up in both of Smith’s goals.

Smith is tied for the USWNT’s scoring lead with five goals on the year. Heading into the June camp, coach Vlatko Andonovski said it would be “extremely difficult” for a player to take Smith or Mallory Pugh’s starting spot, with Smith’s Saturday night performance further solidifying her place on the front line.

Ashley Sanchez shifts the tempo

Ashley Sanchez and Alex Morgan were subbed on at the half, relieving Horan and Ashley Hatch. The duo immediately made an impact, jump-starting an out-of-sync USWNT offense while upping the game’s tempo.

Sanchez unlocked space, drawing defenders with her skills on the dribble, showing off her creative flair and courage one-on-one. Not only is Sanchez exciting to watch, but she is also effective, especially in breaking down a low block and pulling defenses apart with her dynamic movement on and off the ball.

ASHLEY SANCHEZ.
THE MAGICIAN.

pic.twitter.com/Uv5OCk2Rmo

— Washington Spirit (@WashSpirit) June 26, 2022

The star midfielder nearly put Morgan on the board, dishing out a well-executed ball to the forward in the box before she was fouled, drawing a penalty. Lavelle, however, missed from the spot, with Perez once again denying the USWNT.

Sanchez and Morgan marked a handful of second-half substitutions from Andonovski, including Sofia Huerta for Kelley O’Hara, Kristie Mewis for Andi Sullivan, Kornieck for Lavelle and Rapinoe for Pugh.

Taylor Kornieck scores in USWNT debut

Kornieck had a night to remember, with the University of Colorado alum scoring in her first appearance with the USWNT. The San Diego Wave midfielder subbed on in the 73rd minute before heading in a set piece from Rapinoe, putting the score at 3-0 in the final minutes of stoppage time. With her late-game goal, Kornieck became the 22nd player in USWNT history to score in her first appearance.

UConn might be the lowest seed left standing, but their championship pedigree looms largest of all, as the Huskies gear up to face No. 1 seed UCLA tonight in their quest to end a nine-year NCAA title drought.

“Before you even get here, you kind of know the pressures that exist by committing to UConn,” star guard Paige Bueckers said ahead of the Huskies’ 24th Final Four appearance. “It’s a decision you have to make even before you step on campus.”

Facing the Final Four with a healthy UConn roster

Reaching four of the last five tournament semifinals despite battling years of injury and availability concerns, UConn’s senior class is hell-bent on proving themselves once and for all on college basketball’s biggest stage.

This year’s run has benefitted greatly from backcourt duo Bueckers and Azzi Fudd, reunited in the postseason for the first time in over two years.

Freshman All-American Sarah Strong and key transfer Kaitlyn Chen round out the team's backbone.

"Sarah impacts the game in so many ways, that you just have so much confidence in her, so much belief in her," UConn head coach Geno Auriemma said of Strong. "I don't know. Can't explain it."

Paige Bueckers powers the Huskies offense

Already UConn’s third all-time leading scorer, Bueckers has been on a scoring tear en route to the Final Four, dropping 30 points in her last three outings as she gears up to enter the 2025 WNBA Draft.

“When I say unique, I think she’s closer to one or two or three of most unique players I’ve ever coached,” Auriemma said. “And I’m really going to miss her.”

This Huskies squad has navigated both long-term adversity and recent hurdles with skill and confidence. But will they be the team that gets UConn back on the trophy-winning track?

March Madness isn’t the only game in town this weekend, as Saturday’s College All-Star Game provides WNBA hopefuls one last showcase before April 14th’s draft.

Voted on by members of the media and former coaches, this year’s roster features four All-Americans — Izzy Higginbottom (Arkansas), Shyanne Sellers (Maryland), Makayla Timpson (Florida State), and Harmoni Turner (Harvard) — alongside 16 All-Conference honorees.

All-Star Game showcases WNBA-bound talent

Saturday's matchup returned to Final Four Weekend in 2024 after an 18-year hiatus. The game gives seniors no longer playing in the NCAA tournament a chance to show off their skills in front of pro scouts and a sold-out crowd.

WNBA legends Nancy Lieberman and Cheryl Miller will coach two 10-player teams on Saturday. Longtime college coach Terri Mitchell serving as Game Ambassador.

An additional nine prospects are joining in for today’s All-Star Combine. Invitees include tournament standouts Michigan’s Jordan Hobbs and NC State’s Madison Hayes.

As college basketball grows more competitive, the game plays an important role in keeping the NCAA-to-WNBA pipeline moving.

How to watch the Women's College All-Star Game at the NCAA Final Four

The College All-Star Game tips off on Saturday at 3 PM ET, live on ESPN2.

UCLA, UConn, Texas, and South Carolina have touched down in Tampa, each team laser-focused on tonight’s NCAA Final Four with a trip to Sunday’s national championship game on the line.

SEC titans Texas and South Carolina will square off for the fourth time this season, with the Longhorns looking to upset the reigning champs in their first Final Four appearance since 2003.

UCLA and UConn will later link up for the first time since 2023, with the Bruins fighting for a ticket to their first-ever championship game against a tournament-tested — but title-less — Huskies class.

Top-ranked teams square off in tonight's Final Four

Three of tonight’s teams entered the tournament as No. 1 seeds — Texas, South Carolina, and UCLA — while all four ranked among the AP’s Top 10 throughout the regular season.

“Not only is every team different in terms of their talent base and strengths and weaknesses, but their makeup internally is different,” UCLA head coach Cori Close said on Thursday.

“Whoever gets through this semifinal and final will have done it against the best of the best,” said Texas head coach Vic Schaefer. “We all understand it. It’s hard to do.”

"It’s going to come down to heart, effort, and controlling the things that we can control, which is attitude and effort,” echoed South Carolina senior Te-Hina PaoPao.

After a year of unparalleled parity at the top, there can still only be one winner — and whoever cuts the nets down on Sunday will surely be worthy.

How to watch the Women's Final Four and NCAA Championship this weekend

The Final Four tips off tonight at 7 PM ET on ESPN, with Sunday’s NCAA championship game starting at 3 PM ET on ABC.

Welcome to another episode of Sports Are Fun! presented by TurboTax.

Every week on Sports Are Fun!, co-hosts soccer legend Kelley O'Hara, sports journalist Greydy Diaz, retired NWSL great Merritt Mathias, and JWS intern BJ serve up their hottest takes on the biggest women's sports headlines.

This week, Just Women’s Sports brought Sports Are Fun! to Tampa for a live recording ahead of the NCCA Final Four.

Taped in front of a live audience, O’Hara and the crew were joined by some extra special guests. Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie, WNBA stars Aaliyah Edwards and Kelsey Mitchell, and UCLA standout Gabriela Jaquez all showed up to talk through the biggest weekend in college basketball.

'Sports Are Fun!' guests give their takes on the NCAA Final Four

Lisa Leslie on why UConn star Paige Bueckers doesn’t need a championship to secure her legacy

• “There's a whole career beyond college… She’s about to be the No. 1 draft pick in the WNBA. Now, if she gets there and she doesn't have a stellar career in the W, then maybe we don't talk about her anymore. But I don't really see that happening.”

Aaliyah Edwards on what UConn needs to do to stop UCLA in the Final Four

• “The first thing is, we just need to set the tone, play our game, focus on us. Because we've been doing great things. Second thing would be to limit the touches inside… And the third thing, which is like a UConn motto, is just play hard, play smart, and have fun.”
• “Obviously respect to UCLA, but I think we got it in the bag.”

Kelsey Mitchell on NIL pressure and Olivia Miles entering the NCAA transfer portal

• “I grew to respect people like Caitlin [Clark] because she handled it so gracefully… With Olivia, I'm sure whatever she decides to do, I'm going to say it was for her and what she needed for her career. But I hope consciously that they make decisions based on what they need for themselves.”
• “Not all money is good money. Hopefully whatever she decides to do is for her and she goes where she’s loved and where she’s celebrated, not tolerated.”

Gabriela Jaquez on how UCLA is preparing for their Final Four matchup against UConn

• “We're feeling great. We're feeling very confident, excited. I think coming here in the Final Four, it's such an extravagant experience, and I'm so thankful for it and these opportunities. But yeah, we all are here to play basketball and win games, and we're excited and we're really confident.”

About 'Sports Are Fun!' with Kelley O'Hara

'Sports Are Fun!' is a show that’ll remind you why you fell in love with women's sports in the first place.

Join World Cup champ, Olympic gold medalist, and aspiring barista Kelley O'Hara as she sits down with sports journalist Greydy Diaz and a revolving cast of co-hosts and friends. Together, they're talking the biggest, funnest, and most need-to-know stories in the world of women’s sports.

From on-court drama to off-field shenanigans, to candid (and silly) chats with the most important personalities in the space, this show screams "Sports Are Fun!"

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