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USWNT Drops 26-Player October Roster

USWNT players walk on the pitch during the 2024 Olympics
Manager Emma Hayes' October roster includes Olympians and USWNT rookies. (Brad Smith/ISI/Getty Images)

USWNT manager Emma Hayes announced the roster for three upcoming October friendlies against world No. 13 Iceland and No. 33 Argentina on Thursday, tapping both new and familiar faces for the No. 1 US squad. 

To provide more opportunities and to manage minutes and rest, Hayes increased the training camp to 26 players, though only 23 will dress for each friendly.

With this international window functioning as the team's Olympic gold medal victory tour, every 2024 Olympian automatically earned a roster call-up.

Of the 22 Paris Games players, 18 feature on the October roster. Missing stars Tierna Davidson, Trinity Rodman, and Croix Bethune are currently sidelined with injury, while Crystal Dunn is out with a personal commitment.

Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams dribbles during an NWSL match
Emily Sams has yet to log a USWNT appearance, but earned Olympic gold as a rostered alternate. (Dustin Markland/Getty Images)

Hayes eyes USWNT's future with fresh faces

Youth is the name of the USWNT's October roster game. Just five players are at least 30 years old, three are still teenagers, and 14 have less than 20 senior team appearances. Six have yet to log time in a senior national team match.

The tactical Hayes, whose gold-medal victory was only her 10th match at the USWNT's helm, is known for planning ahead. In line with that, her choice to leverage this trio of friendlies to give potential 2027 World Cup players international experience is unsurprising.

With a "futures camp" already on the books to run concurrently with January's senior team camp, Hayes aims to identify even more top players in the USWNT's pipeline.

Club play is paramount in USWNT camp invites

Hayes's recent NWSL tour is reflected in her October roster. After impressing in NWSL play this season, three players — defender Alyssa Malonson (Bay FC) and forwards Yazmeen Ryan (Gotham) and Emma Sears (Louisville) — earned their first call-ups.

"The new players coming into camp that weren't part of the Olympic roster are all players who have performed well throughout the NWSL season," Hayes commented on Thursday.

"The importance of what you're doing week in, week out, at the club level, it absolutely matters because you have to perform consistently, or you have to be in environments where you're challenging yourselves every day. That's the big message for me."

Consistently stellar NWSL performances are also why NC Courage midfielder Ashley Sanchez and her 2023 World Cup teammate Alyssa Thompson will return to camp after both failed to make the Olympic cut.

Thompson, in particular, has found her stride with Angel City in recent months. After a goal-scoring drought in the first half of the NWSL season, the 19-year-old forward has notched five goals and one assist over her last eight matches.

Ultimately, this roster — and likely, Hayes's future training camp selections — is a mining mission to find the cream of the incredibly deep US crop of talent.

"I say it privately more than I do publicly," explained the USWNT boss. "The US could quite easily put two teams out."

October's USWNT roster

  • Goalkeepers: Jane Campbell (Houston Dash), Casey Murphy (NC Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)
  • Defenders: Emily Fox (Arsenal), Eva Gaetino (Paris Saint-Germain), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave), Casey Krueger (Washington Spirit), Hailie Mace (KC Current), Alyssa Malonson (Bay FC), Jenna Nighswonger (Gotham FC), Emily Sams (Orland Pride), Emily Sonnett (Gotham FC)
  • Midfielders: Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns), Hal Hershfelt (Washington Spirit), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon), Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns), Ashley Sanchez (NC Courage)
  • Forwards: Yazmeen Ryan (Gotham FC), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns), Mallory Swanson (Chicago Red Stars), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City), Lynn Williams (Gotham FC)

How to watch the USWNT's October friendlies

The USWNT will play twice against Iceland, first in Austin, Texas, on October 24th at 7:30 PM ET, airing on TBS.

Their second match, featuring celebrations for retiring defender Kelley O'Hara and forward Mal Swanson's 100 caps, will take place in Nashville, Tennessee, on October 27th at 5:30 PM ET. Live coverage will air on TNT.

The USWNT will close this international window in Louisville, Kentucky, against Argentina on October 30th. After honoring midfielder Rose Lavelle for her 100th USWNT appearance, the match will kick off at 7 PM ET, also on TNT.

Top Tennis Talent Lands in Saudi Arabia for 2024 WTA Finals

US tennis star Coco Gauff practices for the 2024 WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia
US tennis star Coco Gauff is ranked No. 3 in the world. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)

The year's final major tennis tournament begins on Saturday when the sport's highest-ranked athletes descend on Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to compete in the 2024 WTA Finals.

Featuring the eight best singles players and eight best doubles teams, Slam winners and Olympic medalists alike will compete for the Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova trophies before the winter break.

Also up for grabs is a piece of the record $15.25 million prize pool, larger than any Grand Slam purse and a nearly 70% increase over the 2023 pot. Should the champions go undefeated through the tournament, the singles winner will bank $5.155 million, while the top doubles duo will take home $1.125 million.

WTA tennis stars Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula play doubles together at Wimbledon 2024.
2024 French Open and Wimbledon doubles teammates Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula will open their WTA Finals singles campaigns against each other. (Francois Nel/Getty Images)

Eight days of elite tennis action

In both the WTA Finals singles and doubles categories, competitors are split into two groups of four.

Each singles player or doubles pair will play all others in their group for a total of three matches across the first six days. The top two in each group will then compete in the November 8th semifinals, with both finals set for November 9th.

In the singles contest, the Purple Group includes No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 4 Jasmine Paolini, No. 5 Elena Rybakina, and No. 7 Qinwen Zheng, while the Orange Group lists No. 2 Iga Świątek, No. 3 Coco Gauff, No. 6 Jessica Pegula, and No. 8 Barbora Krejčíková.

In both competitions, 25% of the top eight athletes represent the USA. Along with Gauff and Pegula on the singles court, the doubles tournament includes No. 5 US duo Caroline Dolehide and Desirae Krawczyk as well as Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Taylor Townsend in the Nos. 6 and 8 pairs, respectively.

World No. 1 tennis player Aryna Sabalenka and No. 2 Iga Świątek share a friendly moment during practice for the 2024 WTA Finals.
Off-court friends No. 1 Aryana Sabalenka and No. 2 Iga Świątek are fierce on-court competitors. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)

Will Sabalenka play Świątek at the WTA Finals?

A showdown between Sabalenka and 2023 WTA Finals champion Świątek could be the event's blockbuster match. The top-ranked players have yet to square off in a major tournament in 2024 — a year rife with highs and lows for both athletes.

Sabalenka started the WTA season by winning her second Australian Open, then later struggled through a shoulder injury that forced her to withdraw from Wimbledon. She capped the Grand Slam season in style, though, winning her first US Open in September.

As for five-time Grand Slam victor Świątek, 2024 brought the Polish phenom her fourth French Open title. A rockier second half to the season — including a third round and quarterfinal ousting from Wimbledon and the US Open, and a fall from the No. 1 ranking for the first time since November 2023 — motivated Świątek to seek a new coach.

How to watch the 2024 WTA Finals tennis tournament

The 2024 WTA Finals kicks off on Saturday, when US Open winner Sabalenka plays 2024 Olympic gold medalist Zheng at 11 AM ET.

Later, 2023 US Open champ Gauff will take on 2024 US Open runner-up Pegula at 8:45 AM ET on Sunday.

All 2024 WTA Finals matches will be broadcast live on the Tennis Channel.

Naomi Girma Scores Goals and the NWSL Playoff Race Heats Up on ‘The Late Sub’

USWNT center back Naomi Girma celebrates her second international goal
USWNT center back Naomi Girma scored her first two international goals on Wednesday.(Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)

In today’s episode of the Late Sub, host Claire Watkins wraps up the USWNT's October window with a look at the team’s 3-0 win over Argentina, from how rotation became the US’s strength to center back Naomi Girma's unparalleled ability to do it all.

Then, Watkins refocuses on the NWSL, where six of the league's 14 clubs will complete their 2024 seasons this weekend. First, however, the league will determine the eight playoff teams, pulling from a postseason race that could come down to Sunday's final regular-season match.

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.

Subscribe to The Late Sub to never miss an episode.

Final NWSL Regular-Season Weekend to Decide 2024 Playoffs Picture

Kansas City defender Hailie Mace and Chicago forward Mal Swanson battle for the ball in an NWSL game.
Kansas City will face Chicago on Sunday, with both teams looking to lock up NWSL playoff seeding. (Kylie Graham/USA TODAY Sports)

The NWSL's final weekend is all drama, complete with heated clashes that will determine the last two postseason berths and nearly all seeding for the 2024 NWSL playoffs.

While Shield-winners Orlando are secure at the top, the Pride will be desperate for a Saturday win over Seattle as they try and replace their two straight losses with some postseason momentum.

At the same time, Washington, Gotham, and Kansas City will all be jockeying for the No. 2 seed this weekend. While the Spirit and Current must contend with playoff-bound North Carolina and Chicago, respectively, Gotham's Friday matchup against a surging Utah looks surprisingly competitive.

Angel City defender Jasmyne Spencer kicks the ball during an NWSL game against Portland.
Could Angel City block Portland’s shot at the NWSL playoffs? (Jessica Alcheh/Imagn Images)

Three NWSL teams battle over two playoff tickets

Seeding race aside, the final matchday's main event is an NWSL version of musical chairs in which three clubs — Portland, Bay FC, and Racing Louisville — will duke it out for the league's final two playoff spots.

The seventh-place Thorns and eighth-place Bay FC currently sit three points ahead of ninth-place Louisville, allowing both to clinch berths with either a win or a draw. If Portland and Bay walk with at least one point each, the postseason lineup will be settled before Sunday.

Should one or both teams lose, it'll all come down to Sunday's regular-season finale, where a win over San Diego plus a tie-breaking goal differential could send Louisville through to the quarterfinals.

Bay's Savannah King and Houston's Diana Ordóñez battle for the ball during an NWSL match.
One of Houston's five regular-season NWSL wins came against Bay FC in March. (Lyndsay Radnedge/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

The high-stakes elimination games

With the most on the line, Portland will shoot to extend their season — and goalscoring legend Christine Sinclair's career — against an already-eliminated Angel City side with nothing to lose on Friday. Perhaps most concerning is the fact that the up-and-down Thorns have lost three of their last four matches, while ACFC has only dropped one in the same stretch.

Bay FC arguably received a season finale gift in a Saturday visit to the Houston Dash, who finish the year at the bottom of the NWSL table. That said, one of the Dash's five wins this season came in a 3-2 Bay defeat at the end of March. Plus, with the worst goal differential of the three teams still in postseason contention, Bay will want to clinch with a Saturday result rather than gamble on potential tiebreakers.

As mentioned, a Portland or Bay loss sets up Sunday's final tilt as the weekend's biggest match, where Louisville will need to do better than their scoreless April draw with San Diego to usurp one of the West Coast squads's playoff spots.

How to watch this weekend's NWSL playoff elimination matches

Portland and ACFC will kick off the NWSL's make-or-break action on Friday at 10 PM ET on Prime before Houston hosts Bay on Saturday at 9:30 PM ET, airing on ION.

Should chaos rule the weekend, Louisville's match against San Diego will cap both the 2024 NWSL regular season and the playoff picture on Sunday at 5:30 PM ET, with live coverage on ESPN.

Kelley O’Hara Praises USWNT Boss Hayes’s Calming Influence on ‘Fast Friends’

USWNT coach Emma Hayes behind the 'Fast Friends' logo
Coach Emma Hayes's game plan keeps the USWNT confident in tough match situations. (Just Women's Sports)

Welcome back to Fast Friends with Kelley O'Hara and Lisa Leslie!

On today's special Halloween episode, our hosts show up to set dressed as the fastest of friends: race care drivers.

O'Hara and Leslie then dive into the USWNT's October friendlies, discussing the young talent on display as well as the way the team holds consistent focus even when falling behind on the score sheet.

"I think [that's] a testament to Emma's influence already on this team," O'Hara says, praising head coach Emma Hayes's ability to keep her players from getting rattled. "I get the sense that she has already [said], 'Shit's gonna happen. We stick to the game plan, we stick to what we're good at, and the goals will come.'"

"Soccer's about riding the wave, its ebbs and flows," O'Hara adds. "Sometimes you gotta weather the storm, but if you are confident and all on the same game plan, you're gonna be able to execute."

Then, the duo pivot to discuss all things WNBA. Leslie looks into the reasons why the WNBPA is opting out of their CBA from both the players' and league's perspective, before digging into a recent flood of head coach exits that have left seven of the league's 12 current teams without a leader.

Coming off the success of JWS's Olympic commentary show The Gold Standard, Fast Friends features two legendary athletes serving up insider insights and unique takes on the biggest stories in women's sports every week.

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