The international break is officially over, and the FA Women’s Super League has returned. The league’s players showed out in their first weekend back together, and while there were numerous highlights to choose from, these were the best of the best:

 

5. ALEX MORGAN IS #MOMGOALS

???? The moment we've all been waiting for!

???????? A first #BarclaysFAWSL goal for @alexmorgan13 from the penalty spot to give @SpursWomen a third!

???? Things you just love to see! pic.twitter.com/m2NoSXeCoo

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) December 6, 2020

Alex Morgan slotted home her first FAWSL goal, and to say we’re excited is an understatement. Tottenham was awarded the penalty after Morgan’s teammate Ria Percival was pushed in the box by a Brighton player while challenging a header. The USWNT star then stepped up to the plate and tucked a low-driven shot into the left bottom corner safely away from the goalkeeper. Morgan’s late goal boosted Tottenham to a 3-1 dub against Brighton, securing the club’s first win of the season.

 

4. ANN-KATRIN BERGER ISSUES A REJECT

The Hammers nearly draw straight back level! ⚒

What a save by @berger_ann to deny @RachelDaly3 ????#BarclaysFAWSL pic.twitter.com/13WBf6YF6r

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) December 6, 2020

Who needs a defense when Ann-Katrin Berger is in goal? Early in the second half, West Ham’s Rachel Daly picks off an errant pass by a Chelsea defender before driving to goal from the halfway line. What looks like a gimmie is stone-walled by Berger, who perfectly reads Daly’s shot, expanding her arms to knock it safely away to a Chelsea danger. It would turn out to be a critical save, as Chelsea barely escaped with a 3-2 win.

 

3. DON’T SLEEP ON SAM KERR

???? @PernilleMHarder ⤏ @FranKirby ⤏ @SamKerr1 ⤏ ⚽️!

Same again in the #UWCL tomorrow, Blues? ???? pic.twitter.com/JZEMJ7e47f

— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) December 8, 2020

Just when you think it’s been a while since you’ve heard from Sam Kerr, she casually drops a hat trick on a poor league foe. This goal starts with Chelsea’s Ji So-Yun intercepting the ball from a West Ham defender and hitting a pass to her teammate Pernille Harder. On a diagonal, Harder propels toward the goal and shuffles off a ball to Fran Kirby, who is making a run up the flank. Kirby then hits a one-time pass across the face of the goal, where Sam Kerr calmly slides it into the corner of the back post. It was one of three on the day for Kerr, who now has the third-most goals scored in the FAWSL this season.

 

2. TAKE A BOW, JILL ROORD

The beautiful game, played The Arsenal Way.

Take a bow, @JillRoordNL ???? pic.twitter.com/tHwrhG1SGn

— Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) December 6, 2020

Warning: This video exhibits a high volume of tiki-taka. A defensive clearance by Birmingham City rolls out to Leonie Maier of Arsenal, who plays a quick pass into Jill Roord. Rood then his a one-touch back to Maier, who slips the ball to Kim Little, who then lays it off to Roord. With minimal space at the top of the box, Roord lobs a shot over the Birmingham goalkeeper, nailing it to the back corner of the net. Roord tallied Arsenal’s second goal of the match, which ended in a 3-0 shutout against Birmingham. She now has the second most goals in the league this year, above Sam Kerr and behind Vivianne Midemia.

 

1. KERYS HARROP ASKS, WHAT ANGLES?

???? Super free kick from @KerysHarrop!

Watch LIVE on the FA Player.

???? https://t.co/k1AnHJxo3X #BarclaysFAWSL pic.twitter.com/Usc6zeQTOM

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) December 6, 2020

Lesson learned: Do not foul Tottenham anywhere near the box. With a weapon like Kerys Harrop, you’re going to pay. Early in the first half of their match against Brighton, Alex Morgan is fouled just outside of the box. Tottenham’s Harrop lines up for the free-kick and strikes a stunning bender that puts Brighton’s goalkeeper on her heels, tipping the inevitable goal into the back of the net. Harrop’s curveball of a shot lifted Tottenham to a 3-1 victory over Brighton, helping the club pocket its first win of the season.

No. 5 New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart isn't letting Sunday's left knee knock take her off the 2025 WNBA Playoffs court, with the forward planning to compete in Game 2 against the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday night.

An emotional Stewart finished Game 1 on the bench, going down with a knee injury in overtime of the Liberty's 76-69 upset win over the Mercury on Sunday.

"What I felt in that moment scared me more than anything," Stewart told reporters on Wednesday morning.

A Monday MRI revealed a sprained MCL, and though the two-time WNBA MVP did not practice on Tuesday, she participated in the team's Wednesday shootaround and said her pain had diminished to a three out of 10.

"[As long as] I don't wake up from my nap and feel like s—t," said Stewart, "I'm willing to take that [chance of re-injury] because I want to be out with my team, and they told me that structurally everything looks OK."

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Even when the game-day status for Stewart was still unknown, New York Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello promised that the defending champions would give their star "as much time as we can."

"We know what's at stake," Brondello told reporters on Tuesday. "We don't want to go back to Phoenix [for Game 3], but they're going to come in hungry."

Stewart echoed that sentiment on Wednesday morning, saying "We want to finish it here. Not having to go back to Phoenix is our main priority."

How to watch the Phoenix Mercury vs. New York Liberty in Game 2

No. 5 New York will look to oust No. 4 Phoenix from the 2025 WNBA Playoffs with a first-round sweep on Wednesday night, when the Liberty host the Mercury for Game 2 at 8 PM ET.

The matchup will air live on ESPN.

Star sprinter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is reaching new heights, setting a new US record for the 400-meter race in the event's Tuesday semifinals at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

The four-time Olympic gold medalist finished the flat event in 48.29 seconds, shaving more than 0.40 seconds off the previous US record of 48.70 seconds set by track legend Sanya Richards-Ross in 2006.

Both her personal best and the fastest time in the world for that event this year, McLaughlin-Levrone's performance also makes her the seventh-fastest woman of all time in the 400-meter dash — elevating expectations that she could challenge the long-standing world record of 47.60 seconds, set by then-East German sprinter Marita Koch in 1985.

Known for her dominance in the 400-meter hurdles, the 26-year-old made the decision to focus on the flat 400-meter event ahead of this year's competition. 

"I definitely wasn't expecting that time," she said afterwards. "It just shows the fitness is there. I'm excited for the finals and grateful to have taken down a record by an amazing woman."

How to watch McLaughlin-Levrone in the 400-meter final

McLaughlin-Levrone will take aim at the 2025 World Athletics Championships' 400-meter podium — and, perhaps, another record time — during the event's final on Thursday.

The US star will race against 2024 Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino and silver medalist Salwa Eid Naser when the final begins at 9:24 AM ET.

Live coverage will air on USA Network.

The injury-ridden No. 6 Indiana Fever put on a show in their first home postseason game since 2016 on Tuesday night, handing the No. 3 Atlanta Dream a 77-60 defeat to force a deciding Game 3 in the first round of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs.

"This group has continued to show their heart and their character, night in and night out," said Fever head coach Stephanie White post-game.

Indiana guard Kelsey Mitchell led the charge once again, scoring a game-high 19 points to extend the Fever's playoff campaign.

The win marked Indiana's first postseason victory in nine years, as the Fever hopes to exceed expectations and make a deep playoff run despite carrying a lengthy injury report.

"Our backs were definitely against the wall in this, and we know that we've just been through so much this season," Fever center Aliyah Boston told reporters after Tuesday's victory. "Coming out with this win and then giving ourselves another chance in Game 3 — emotions are high."

How to watch the Indiana Fever vs. Atlanta Dream in Game 3

The No. 6 Indiana Fever will travel back to Atlanta to battle the No. 3 Dream in the 2025 WNBA Playoffs' first-round winner-take-all Game 3 on Thursday.

The teams will tip off at 7:30 PM ET, with live coverage on ESPN2.

The No. 7 Seattle Storm came out on top on Tuesday, claiming an 86-83 Game 2 win in the first round of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs to snap the No. 2 Las Vegas Aces' 17-game winning streak — extending the best-of-three series to a winner-take-all finale.

Fueled by a combined 50 points from Skylar Diggins and Nneka Ogwumike, Seattle rallied back from a 14-point second-half deficit to keep their playoffs run alive — capping Tuesday's comeback by outscoring Las Vegas 16-4 in the last four minutes of the matchup.

"We are not unfamiliar with tight games," Ogwumike said afterwards. "We are not unfamiliar with playing from behind."

"Nobody's found the answer to this [Las Vegas] equation for, what, 16, 17 games," noted Diggins. "For us, it was coming out and showing that we weren't scared to play against them.... I thought in the first game that we played hesitant and I was proud of the way that we responded tonight."

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Diggins also acknowledged the impact of Seattle's raucous fans on the game's outcome, saying "Obviously, we had a great home crowd on our back to feed off of."

Thanks to the league's new home-away-home first-round playoff structure, the shared home-court advantage is making series sweeps less likely.

Seattle will face a tougher task on Thursday, when the Storm attempts to defeat the Aces again — this time in front of a Las Vegas home crowd.

"We know this team is tough to beat one time and we have to beat them again," said Diggins. "But we bought ourselves another 40 minutes tonight."

How to watch the Seattle Storm vs. the Las Vegas Aces in Game 3

No. 7 Seattle and No. 2 Las Vegas will square off in a winner-take-all Game 3 to determine which team advances to the 2025 WNBA semifinals on Thursday.

The clash tips off at 9:30 PM ET, with live coverage on ESPN2.