The main message coming out of the U.S. national team’s 2022 debut is that the “new kids” are going to be alright.

Fielding the youngest starting lineup since 2018, the squad recorded a 0-0 draw against the Czech Republic in their first game of the SheBelieves Cup on Thursday.

There is still a ways to go in the process of building an effective 2023 FIFA World Cup roster, but coach Vlatko Andonovski said he’s happy with where the young team’s level is currently at.

The players showed flashes of chemistry on Thursday, especially between Catarina Macario and Rose Lavelle, and the quality of play will only get sharper as the team continues to train and play together. The NWSL starting in March will also be a game changer, as every player except Macario is only two weeks into preseason, with fitness levels nowhere near game ready.

Read on for the takeaways from game one of the SheBelieves Cup.

Calm in the center, chaotic on the flanks, and it works

The backline was an interesting but effective mix. Center backs Alana Cook and Tierna Davidson provided a steady, calm presence while the fullbacks were free to run wild. Somehow, at one point, right back and team captain Kelley O’Hara ended up in the left corner of the attacking third. 

O’Hara, starting left back Emily Fox and second-half sub Emily Sonnett demonstrated an impressive level of comfort in carrying the ball through opponents, sending crosses and starting plays in Czech’s half. 

In the center, Cook and Davidson held the composure, producing 90 and 85 percent passing completions, respectively. Andonovski says he expects them to play together a few more times, at least, going forward. 

Veteran Becky Sauerbrunn, who came on in the second half for her 200th cap on Thursday, will be subbed with Davidson throughout the tournament. Sauerbrunn has a limit of 95 minutes of playing time in the SheBelieves Cup.

Simply the best 🐐

We love ya @beckysauerbrunn ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Jj2WBLYnlW

— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) February 18, 2022

Trinity Rodman has steady first USWNT performance

The 2021 NWSL Rookie of the Year made her long-awaited USWNT debut, subbing on for Mallory Pugh in the 61st minute. Right away, she added energy to the pitch and threatened the backline after getting an early chance on goal.

Rodman is already known as one of the best playmakers in the NWSL. Against Czech Republic, she sent a familiar ball into the 18-yard box for her Washington Spirit teammate Kelley O’Hara, almost identical to the game-winning play that the two made in the league championship in November when O’Hara buried a header goal off a long lob from Rodman.

The 19-year-old has strong work ethic and natural talent, and as Becky Sauerbrunn says, “Anyone with eyeballs can see that.” But it’s clear Rodman will need at least a couple more matches with the national team to really settle into her groove and do the damage everyone in the NWSL knows she’s capable of.

“I was excited to see her,” Andonovski said of Rodman against Czech Republic. “I know the players around her were excited to see her there. I just think this is the first of many for her, so she definitely needs more minutes, more caps, more games and I have no doubt that she’s going to perform even better.”

go get 'em, kid @trinity_rodman 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/X3c7LzLXBl

— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) February 18, 2022

Honorable mentions for Sophia Smith, Kristie Mewis

While Catarina Macario and Woman of the Match Rose Lavelle had the most impact in the attacking third, Sophia Smith and Kristie Mewis also made a difference in energy and creating opportunities.  

The first 21st-century-born player to be named to a USWNT roster, Smith made her 11th cap on Thursday. She impressed with her hunger and ability to create goal-scoring opportunities for herself, even though she often hung back to complement O’Hara’s forward runs.  

Subbing on for Morgan Gautrat at the start of the second half, Mewis made creative plays almost at the level of the Lavelle-Macario duo. Her passes should become more effective once the other midfielders and forwards have had more games together and time to get on the same page.

Hopes for Sunday

In the USWNT’s next game on Sunday against New Zealand, it would be good to see Aubrey Bledsoe, Ashley Hatch and Sofia Huerta get some playing time, and to see the midfielders sharpen their positioning to be more dangerous and to create more opportunities for themselves and teammates. 

Bledsoe, the 2021 NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year, is the only player on the roster without an international cap. Casey Murphy played in goal on Thursday and, as she has in all three of her caps, impressed everyone. At this point, it’s clear she can handle the high-pressure environment of the world stage. Now it’s Bledsoe’s turn.

With the US having a tough time breaking down Czech Republic’s low block, it might be worth giving Hatch a turn in the nine or a forward position, considering she’s the reigning NWSL Golden Boot champion and third-fastest goal scorer in USWNT history after scoring in 24 seconds against Australia in November. 

Sofia Huerta fits seamlessly into the USWNT’s fullback style of pushing up the field and contributing crosses. 

Next up: the USWNT plays New Zealand at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday. The game will be televised on ABC.

The 2025 NCAA volleyball championship game is officially on lock, as No. 3-seed Texas A&M and No. 1-seed Kentucky survived Thursday's semifinals to punch their tickets to Sunday's season finale.

After snapping overall top-seed Nebraska's undefeated season in last weekend's Elite Eight round, The Aggies kept their history-making hot streak alive, blowing past No. 1 Pitt as the first team to sweep the Panthers all year.

Leading the charge for A&M were sophomore outside hitter Kyndal Stowers and senior opposite Logan Lednicky, who registered 16 and 14 kills, respectively, on the Final Four court in Kansas City.

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As for the last No. 1 seed standing, Kentucky survived No. 3 Wisconsin in a five-set thriller on Thursday, following the example of senior outside hitter Eva Hudson, whose 29 kills trailed only the semifinals-leading 32 posted by Badger senior outside hitter — and fellow AVCA Player of the Year finalist — Mimi Colyer.

With Kentucky hoping to add to their 2020 Division I title — the only NCAA volleyball championship in SEC history — the conference already owns the 2025 trophy, as Thursday set up the sport's first-ever all-SEC national final.

Though the 2025 SEC champion Wildcats seemingly have the edge over the conference's runners-up — Kentucky took down Texas A&M 3-1 in October — A&M's current momentum is undeniable, with the Aggies riding into Sunday's clash having ousted two No. 1 seeds and one No. 2 seed en route to a program-first national final.

"We are considered the underdog in a lot of these moments just [because] we haven't been here before. But we know we have all the right pieces," said Lednicky. "So why not us?"

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How to watch the 2025 NCAA volleyball championship

No. 3 Texas A&M will battle No. 1 Kentucky for the 2025 NCAA volleyball championship at 3:30 PM ET on Sunday, airing live on ABC.

Retired WNBA icon Sylvia Fowles is returning to the court, with ESPN reporting on Wednesday that the former Minnesota Lynx star center will join the staff of the Portland Fire, becoming an assistant coach for the 2026 expansion team.

After reportedly fielding multiple offers of WNBA coaching opportunities, the 40-year-old will back up recently announced Portland Fire head coach Alex Sarama during the team's debut season, with the opportunity to help mold a fresh league roster and create culture from day one serving as a deciding factor in Fowles choosing the expansion franchise.

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The 2025 Naismith Hall of Fame inductee's resume underlines her ability to make an impact from the sideline, as the beloved WNBA alum packs both championship experience and a defensive mindset to aid a team still forming its identity.

In a 14-year playing career split between the Chicago Sky and Minnesota, the 2017 WNBA MVP won two league titles, earning Finals MVP honors alongside each of those Lynx championships.

A four-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, Fowles exited her pro career as the league's all-time rebounds leader with 4,007 boards — a stat that held until current Connecticut Sun center Tina Charles passed the Hall of Famer in September 2024.

The eight-time All-Star also shined on the international stage, as Fowles snagged four Olympic gold medals during her time with Team USA.

With the 18-team UWCL league phase now done and dusted, the 12 clubs still standing discovered their paths to the Final in the 2025/26 Champions League knockouts draw on Thursday.

While the top four clubs — No. 1 Barcelona, No. 2 OL Lyonnes, No. 3 Chelsea FC, and No. 4 Bayern Munich — punched their way into March's quarterfinals behind elite league-phase performances, the remaining eight teams must battle in February's playoffs in order to advance.

Thursday's draw has reigning champs No. 5 Arsenal facing Belgian side No. 12 Oud-Heverlee Leuven in the playoffs, but the Gunners then face a difficult road in the UWCL knockouts, staring down a potential quarterfinal clash with WSL rivals Chelsea as eight-time UWCL winners OL Lyonnes looms on the same side of the semifinal bracket.

Elsewhere, No. 7 Real Madrid have an opportunity to make UWCL history should they win their playoff tie against No. 10 Paris FC, setting up the tournament's first-ever El Clásico with a possible quarterfinal match against perennial winners Barcelona.

How to watch the 2025/26 Champions League Playoffs

The first-leg of the 2025/26 UWCL playoffs kick off with No. 12 Oud-Heverlee Leuven hosting No. 5 Arsenal at 12:45 PM ET on February 11th, with No. 7 Real Madrid visiting No. 10 Paris FC at 3 PM ET.

The following day, No. 8 Juventus will take on hosts No. 9 Wolfsburg at 12:45 PM ET before No. 11
Atlético de Madrid faces the visiting No. 6 Manchester United at 3 PM ET.

All 2025/26 Champions League matches will stream live on Paramount+.

The NWSL Players Association is not on board with the league's latest proposal, rejecting the NWSL's new "High Impact Player" rule allowing teams to exceed the salary cap by up to $1 million to retain star athletes.

According to the current CBA, the union — rather than the league — has the final sign-off on all changes regarding compensation.

"The league is trying to control and interfere by trying to dictate which players [benefit from] this pot of funds," NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke told ESPN. "How you measure a player's value, both in terms of sporting merit and business criteria, is nuanced. It is more complicated than a handful of bullet points."

The NWSLPA has instead suggested that the league simply raise the 2026 salary cap by $1 million, giving clubs the same spending discretion without the star player mechanism.

Citing concerns about the rule's potential long-term implications on the market, roster structures, and locker-room culture, Burke noted that "We just don't feel that it delivers anything of value that simply increasing the team salary cap wouldn't, without having negative consequences."

"Our position is that teams — GMs, soccer ops, business folks at the team level — are uniquely positioned to make judgment calls about how to structure their rosters, how to negotiate deals," Burke continued. "It is within the purview of the teams to make those judgement calls, and in a system of free agency like we all agreed to, that's how it works. It's a free market."

"We are actively reviewing feedback from the NWSLPA as part of the consultation process outlined in the CBA," an NWSL spokesperson said in response.

"The league remains committed to being the home of the world's best talent, and this path gives our clubs the opportunity to pursue that goal while raising overall player investment."