The USWNT’s final Group G match will be a decisive one.

The United States needs at least a draw in their Tuesday game against Australia to comfortably advance out of the group stage in Tokyo. Though the U.S. is favored heading into the matchup, Australia still has the capacity to upset the USWNT on the international stage.

Here are three reasons why Australia could give the USWNT trouble:

1. Two words: Sam Kerr

Sam Kerr has long been Australia’s not-so-secret weapon. The Matildas striker is arguably one of the best goal-scorers in the world and is coming off a golden-boot season at the club level with Chelsea. Though Australia has garnered criticism for relying too heavily on Kerr, the team’s Kerr-centered game plan often pays off: the Matildas captain has already notched three goals in Australia’s two group stage matches.

The way Sam Kerr scores goals could also prove problematic for a shaky USWNT backline. Kerr is one of the best in the world at exposing gaps in defenses, something the U.S. has been struggling with in the team’s first two games. How the USWNT chooses to handle Kerr could ultimately determine the squad’s Olympic fate moving forward.

2. NWSL Familiarity

Australia and the United States have a history. Not only have the teams met 30 times, but many of the Australian and American athletes have also played together at the club level.

Sam Kerr played in the NWSL from 2013-2019 before being traded to Chelsea. She’s still the league’s all-time leading goalscorer.

In her final season with the league, Kerr played for the Chicago Red Stars, sharing the pitch with the likes of Julie Ertz, Casey Krueger and Tierna Davidson. Now the former teammates will go head-to-head for their respective national teams, and their shared history could prove beneficial for Kerr.

Haley Raso also has NWSL experience, playing with the Portland Thorns from 2016-2019 before being traded to the WSL’s Everton in 2020. Raso’s intimate knowledge of former teammate Lindsey Horan’s playing tendencies could aid the Matildas in Tuesday’s matchup, especially after Horan played a crucial role in the USWNT’s win over New Zealand.

Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord, Emily van Egmond and Ellie Carpenter are also among the Matildas contributors who have spent significant time in the NWSL.

The bottom line is that this Australian squad won’t be intimidated by the challenge of going toe-to-toe with the world’s most dominant team.

3. Tony Gustavsson knows the USWNT

Australia’s head coach Tony Gustavsson knows the USWNT better than most, having been a longtime member of the US coaching staff, first in 2014 under Pia Sundhage.

In 2015, Gustavsson moved to the assistant coach role under Jill Ellis, leading the U.S. to back-to-back World Cup wins in 2015 and 2019.

Gustavsson was named head coach of the Matildas in 2020 after five years with the USWNT.

The former USWNT assistant coach’s intimate knowledge of the U.S. system is an advantage few hold. Gustavsson is well-positioned to pick apart the U.S., having coached most of the players to a World Cup only two years ago.

While the USWNT will remain the favorites heading into Tuesday’s match, it’s impossible to count out an Australian squad which is so familiar with the US, has possibly the best player on the pitch in Kerr, and is led by a coach with the inside knowledge to tailor his tactics to the US.

Tune in: The USWNT and Australia will face off on Tuesday at 4 a.m. ET on the USA Network.

The NWSL is expanding its footprint across ESPN, with the broadcaster signing on to carry 16 additional regular-season games in both the 2026 and 2027 seasons, upping the platform's total to 33 matches per year.

ESPN will also introduce a season-long "Match of the Week" centerpiece series, as well as live coverage of NWSL Decision Day, when eight concurrent matches will close out the season on the same day. 

"The NWSL showcases some of the best athletes in the world," ESPN EVP of programming and acquisitions Rosalyn Durant said in a press release. "We are proud to increase our commitment on ABC and ESPN, and to further elevate women's sports and the athlete stories."

This media rights extension builds on the league's ongoing blockbuster four-year, $240 million TV deal with ESPN, adding inventory for the final two seasons of the November 2023 agreement.

The deal expansion comes in light of the league's significant growth this season, with the NWSL seeing gains across both attendance and viewership, including a 72% year-over-year ratings rise on ESPN.

"This supplemental agreement underscores the growing demand for women's soccer and ensures our players and clubs receive the visibility they deserve on some of the most prominent sports platforms," said NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman in a statement.

The 2025 WNBA season is over for Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, but the 23-year-old star is still making headlines, with Reebok set to drop her signature Angel Reese 1 sneakers on Thursday.

The Angel Reese 1 is a cornerstone of Reebok's re-entry into the basketball market, with the sportswear giant engineering the signature shoe for on-court performance by including features like responsive cushioning and added upper support.

Inspired by the brand's classic Mobius line, the shoes will hit the shelves in three colorways — an iridescent white "Diamond Dust," a bold pink "Mebounds," and a black and white "Receipts Ready" — with Reese's personal logo incorporated into the design.

Reese first signed with Reebok as an NIL athlete at LSU in 2023, a little over six months after winning the NCAA championship with the Tigers.

This week's rollout follows the July sneak peek of the signature sneakers worn by Reese on the cover of NBA 2K26's WNBA Edition.

"This isn't just a shoe, it's my style, my story, and my stamp on the game," Reese said in Reebok's press release. "I wanted to design a basketball shoe that elevates performance, innovation, style, and creative expression, all at once."

"Reebok and I built something that's true to who I am, and I hope it pushes others to stand in their power too."

How to buy the Angel Reese 1 Reebok sneakers

All three colorways of the Angel Reese 1 sneakers will be available for a retail price of $120 beginning at 10 AM ET on Thursday at Reebok.com as well as in select stores.

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.