The United States women’s national team finished their series of September friendlies against Nigeria this week, with one dominant performance and one much closer scoreline.

With all eyes on the World Cup next summer, the U.S. took some important steps forward while also showing their hand for the months ahead, including a crucial friendly against Euro champions England on Oct. 7. Here are our biggest questions coming out of the USWNT’s most recent results:

Is the player experimentation period over?

During the Concacaf W Championship, the USWNT roster struck a balance of veteran leadership and new faces due to both unforeseen absences and a desire to add youthful creativity to the squad. That group expertly navigated World Cup qualifying, winning the title over rivals Canada without conceding a single goal in the tournament.

While qualifying was by all quantifiable measures a success, roster tinkering is still expected as the team moves into its final year of World Cup preparation. At the top of the priority list for the U.S. are identifying defensive midfield strengths, making decisions at outside back and addressing goalkeeper depth. The question of the center forward position also remains eternal, as the team waits for generational talent Catarina Macario to return from an ACL injury.

With a number of NWSL players unexpectedly rising in form, and other U.S. nationals performing well outside of the domestic league, September seemed like a good opportunity for coach Vlatko Andonovski to tweak the group of players on the bubble. Instead of bringing new players into camp, however, he made very few changes between the July and September rosters.

Andonovski’s ideology seems to prioritize chemistry over sheer form, despite a renewed commitment by U.S. Soccer to operate otherwise. That chemistry was on scintillating display at times this past week, but the USWNT did ultimately leave players off of September’s roster who have been performing well, and brought in players with high ceilings who have been underperforming for their clubs.

Andonovski showed his preference for the World Cup qualifying group over former champions Abby Dahlkemper and AD Franch. He also called up midfielder Sam Coffey, the 24th person in for Concacaf, while leaving North Carolina Courage outside back Carson Pickett at home.

These small roster moves create a bigger picture that indicates the USWNT might be done evaluating new players, and is more committed to cohesion while waiting for other key contributors to return. With the World Cup still months away, and the team not necessarily dominating competition, that level of tunnel vision could be a mistake. One simply has to look at the way Macario’s injury upended the team’s attack right before a crucial part of the calendar, highlighting how a lack of versatility can undermine the depth of the player pool.

Is the formation set?

Andonovski has been married to the 4-3-3 formation ever since taking over the team in 2019 and hasn’t experimented much with other formations outside of emergencies. Sticking strictly to one system isn’t always conducive to national team play, since simply getting the best players on the field at once can be paramount. Especially if the U.S. isn’t bringing new players into camp, they could stand to develop the versatility of their style of play.

Against Nigeria, the starting XI mirrored that of the Concacaf W championship game, but the team appeared to employ slight formational changes.

With the current 4-3-3, the USWNT at times struggles to shore up its spine down the middle while creating room for all of its best attacking talent. While Lindsey Horan and Rose Lavelle can run box-to-box, the U.S. midfield frequently plays in what you might envision as an upside-down triangle, with one defensive midfielder holding court and two attacking midfielders pushing forward into the final third. All too often, however, that midfield gets bypassed in favor of the center backs distributing the ball either out wide or up to the forwards.

In the games against Nigeria, it appeared the team was experimenting with different ways to create overloads and get the midfield more involved. At times, Sophia Smith would drift behind Alex Morgan when the U.S. had possession, allowing Lavelle to shift to the right and creating an overload on that side. Together, they opened up channels that we didn’t see from the USWNT in Monterrey, and they resisted the impulse to slow down unnecessarily when their center backs were distributing the ball.

One touch is all it takes for @sophsssmith!

🎥 @FOXSoccer pic.twitter.com/vq6rzk92AM

— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) September 3, 2022

Smith performed well in the role, scoring a brace in game one, but Andonovski could also be saving that underlying striker option for Macario’s return. Macario and Morgan play the No. 9 position very differently, giving the U.S. a chance to present opponents with varied starting looks when both are healthy.

But with a player underneath her, Morgan actually has the room to employ her full skill set, including her off-the-ball work that has flown under the radar for years. It opened up scoring opportunities in both of the games against Nigeria, including Lavelle’s game-winner on Tuesday when Mallory Pugh was filling the underlying striker role.

Those slight changes don’t necessarily reflect the wholesale experimentation fans might be looking for, but they do at least present the next step in building roster cohesion from a sometimes tepid attack in July. The starting group looked in sync against Nigeria, and they’ll need that level of creativity to unlock England in October.

What does this week say about next year’s roster?

Despite the lack of overall roster rotation since Concacaf, the U.S. appears to have both a settled core and number of questions still to answer.

The USWNT’s preferred starters in the first Nigeria match performed well on every line. That group controlled the match comfortably, and if the game was a simulation of a World Cup group stage match, they executed in a way you’d expect from the No. 1 team in the world.

The second half of that match — and much of the second game — showed just how much uncertainty there is about the rest of the squad. Getting Coffey acclimated to the defensive midfield at the international level appears to be a priority, with the 23-year-old playing a full 90 in her USWNT debut. Sofia Huerta was excellent in game one, but a missed-timed header in game two created space for Uchenna Kanu’s equalizer and laid bare her lingering defensive discomfort.

Midfielder Taylor Kornieck, called up for both World Cup qualifying and September friendlies, saw no playing time this week and does not seem to be high on the current depth chart. Megan Rapinoe is a preferred 60th-minute sub, and she showed why after earning the assist on Lavelle’s game-winner on Tuesday. Hailie Mace, brought in after an injury to Kelley O’Hara, got time at left back in both games, but Emily Fox has appeared to cement her starting spot at the position.

73 SECONDS.

That's all it took for @mPinoe to find @roselavelle to give us the lead! #USAvNGA x @Allstate pic.twitter.com/yDFzCOJ5Pg

— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) September 6, 2022

Ultimately, this week was about the starters more than it was about determining depth. Roster stability is important, but it would still be fair for USWNT fans to look at the team 10 months away from a major tournament and say, “Is this it?”

The answer is both yes and no. Crystal Dunn is very close to returning to play, and it couldn’t come at a better time for the USWNT. Dunn is not only a positive locker room force, but she also can play the No. 8, push forward in the attack, or even take over either outside back position. Her presence in camp this week served as a reminder that there are very talented players still working their way back to the team.

And if anything, this summer has shown that there’s room for them on the roster. It’s hard not to look at the current USWNT defense and wonder what it might look like with Tierna Davidson at the height of her powers, or what the midfield with Sam Mewis could become. Macario, Christen Press, Lynn Williams, Trinity Rodman and others will give the USWNT coaching staff much to consider when selecting the final attacking group.

What we also learned from the USWNT’s path to the 2019 World Cup roster is that it’s still too early to count anybody out. USWNT-capped players like Jaelin Howell, Dahlkemper, Franch, Julie Ertz and even Tobin Heath could all see their numbers called depending on the needs of the team.

England will present the U.S. with the sternest test it’s seen this year, and if that game doesn’t go the USWNT’s way, there are plenty of players waiting in the wings.

Claire Watkins is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering soccer and the NWSL. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

The first-ever Unrivaled Basketball playoffs delivered both on and off the court, with Rose BC’s championship victory over Vinyl BC drawing the largest TV audience the offseason league has seen in 3×3 play to date.

An average of 364,000 viewers tuned into Monday’s final, peaking at 385,000 fans and marking a 99% increase over Unrivaled’s record-breaking regular-season average audience of 221,000.

Including the league's postseason success, Unrivaled capped its inaugural season having aired the 10 most-watched women’s basketball broadcasts in the history of broadcast partner TNT Sports.

In total, Unrivaled reached an impressive 11.9 million viewers across its two-month regular-season and postseason run — including the league's first-ever in-season 1v1 tournament.

That head-to-head competition ultimately drew the league's top performing tilt, with the final between runner-up Mist forward Aaliyah Edwards and eventual 1v1 champion and Lunar Owls forward Napheesa Collier averaging 377,000 viewers with a 398,000-fan peak.

"We’ve built an incredible foundation," Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell told reporters once the season wrapped. "Based on what the viewership is, now it’s our job to [ask] 'how do we grow that a bit?' We’re very proud about where we stand in the women’s sports ecosystem of viewership."

Unrivaled bags more big wins in inaugural season

Outside of TV viewership, Unrivaled also scored high social media engagement numbers, which have been a key metric for the league since its outset.

This season saw the league generate more than 589 million owned and earned social media impressions, and the pool of Unrivaled athletes collectively grew their own personal accounts by nearly one million followers in less than three months.

Perhaps most importantly for the players, the league followed through on its promise to prioritize athlete compensation, shelling out over $8.65 million in player salaries and performance bonuses from both Monday's championship and last month's 1v1 tournament.

With the offseason league designed primarily as a TV product, both Unrivaled and TNT will carry 2025’s wins far into their six-year partnership’s future — all while the WNBA will look to capitalize on the league’s ratings successes as its own May 16th season-opener nears.

As the 2025 NCAA tournament tips off this week, few Women's March Madness teams have had a more remarkable run than No. 1 overall seed UCLA.

The Bruins only lost two regular-season games this year, a streak that led to a Big Ten conference tournament title, and, eventually, top-ranked entry into this weekend’s tournament start. By securing the first No. 1 overall seed in program history, this group of UCLA players has already proven themselves the most successful in school history — with additional hardware firmly on the horizon.

But junior Kiki Rice has preferred to keep things in perspective, as she told Just Women’s Sports in the quiet days between the regular season’s end and the postseason's launch.

“The reality is we lost two games the entire year, and that's a pretty good record: 27-2,” she said matter-of-factly. “I think most people would be pretty happy with that.”

UCLA did, however, launch their Big Ten tournament campaign with unfinished business, having fallen twice to crosstown rival USC to cede the regular-season conference title. While they got their revenge in the Big Ten tournament title game, UCLA head coach Cori Close wasn’t shy about wanting to meet the Trojans one more time — at the NCAA Final Four in Tampa.

A Final Four battle would give UCLA the ability to draw even with JuJu Watkins and the Trojans this season, claiming the biggest bragging rights of all. But Rice knows that once-in-a-lifetime opportunities start with everyday consistency.

“It’s about resetting, and how we can move on, get better, and learn,” she said. “How we individually can be better for our teammates and be better for our coach.”

All eyes on women's basketball — and UCLA

As the profile of women’s basketball rises at an exponential rate year after year, many college programs have benefited from the broader spotlight. But winning remains one of the best promotional tools available, and UCLA doubled down on that prospect, signing star transfer Lauren Betts last season in a move that culminated in back-to-back Sweet Sixteen appearances. 

This year, though, the Bruins want more. And as the team’s star power continues to emerge, anything seems possible.

Rice has been one of those stars. Literally — she starred in ESPN’s 2024 docuseries Full Court Press, giving fans a chance to see behind the curtain into what makes the 21-year-old tick. And while Betts pulls defensive focus on the court, Rice can make the offense sing. She leads the team in assists and steals per game, carrying a heavy load when games get tough.

As a young player making a name for herself, Rice enjoys the off-court attention. But she’s not immune to the pressure that accompanies greater scrutiny.

“It’s been a lot,” she reflects. “But it's also been something that me, and I think the rest of my teammates, we wanted. It's part of being in women's sports at this time, where it's really growing so much.”

She described the national attention as a welcome change. With attendance, TV viewership, brand deals, and other KPIs on the rise, the Bruins know it’s time to seize the moment. 

“This is what we deserve,” Rice said resolutely. “Let's take advantage of it, and be thankful for it.”

Rice embraces the spotlight on and off the court

But if success on the court fuels exposure off the court, Rice understands the importance of balancing the bigger picture with remaining focused on the task at hand. And that mindset especially rings true in the era of blockbuster NIL deals.

“I want to take advantage of all these opportunities,” she said. “But they take time, and that's time away from school, that's time away from personal relaxation and reset time. That's time away from being in the gym.”

Rice has garnered attention from countless brands over the course of her college career. That includes signing with Jordan Brand as their first-ever NIL contract in 2022. Since that milestone, she’s gone on to work with major players in the women’s sports ad space like Buick, Dove, Neutrogena, and Beats by Dre, among others.

“I've definitely gotten more used to it,” she continued. “But I wouldn't say it's always easy”

March Madness AT&T ad highlights UCLA stars

Today’s student-athletes are expected to keep up with their studies and stay fit on the court, while also participating in the larger sports cultural conversation via brand partnerships and media appearances. That’s why fans will see Rice’s face throughout the tournament — and not just sweating it out in UCLA blue and gold.

When the game cuts to commercial, you might spot Rice starring in a new AT&T TV ad alongside Betts, promoting the sport both Bruins love to play. She even got a chance to flex a few comedy muscles onscreen, saying that her experience in front of the camera was nothing but positive.

“To be part of such a high quality production and film that commercial, I had a great time doing it,” she said, adding that Betts has been a friend she can lean on when the balancing act that is modern-day college sports gets too stressful. 

“I feel like she kind of understands, and is going through something very similar,” Rice says of her teammate and AT&T co-star. 

Getting UCLA tournament ready from the inside-out

She also credits her family as a major source of support, even if they're many miles away on the East Coast, where Rice became one of the country's top high school prospects. And over the years, she’s taken personal responsibility in creating her own stability. She learned from experience the cadence required to not let fatigue set in at the end of a grueling basketball season.

Rice especially prioritizes taking care of her body, as March’s schedule sees games in quick succession. But she also grounds herself in the moment, viewing March Madness as not just a point of pressure, but one of opportunity.

“We've been talking about the NCAA tournament and Big Ten tournament all season long,” said Rice. “It's just like we talk about in practice: We have a new new season ahead of us, two new seasons coming up.”

But for all Rice’s individual and collective achievements so far, when the Bruins tip off against Southern University on Saturday, the pursuit of greatness begins anew. From falling just short of a regular-season title to edging out USC in the Big Ten tournament, Rice is eager to put a winning stamp on an already historic UCLA season.

“At the end of the day, we're just trying to win,” she said. “We don’t have that long, so we’ve got to take advantage of it.”

US women’s rugby stole the spotlight this week, as incoming domestic league Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) prepares for its first-ever season while USA Rugby gears up for a newly announced series of home friendlies.

In the lead-up to the kickoff of the 2025 Rugby World Cup in England this August, the world No. 9-ranked Eagles will be playing a pair of tune-up friendlies, taking on No. 11 Japan in Los Angeles on April 26th before facing No. 2 Canada in Kansas City on May 2nd.

The national team will then play a final send-off match against No. 16 Fiji in Washington, DC, on July 19th before heading to London for the 10th edition of the international tournament.

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Momentum continues with new women's rugby league

The Eagles' pre-World Cup tour aims to continue the sport's momentum that the team initially sparked during last summer's Olympic bronze medal-winning run in Paris.

That standout performance prompted increased demand for more consistent women’s rugby programming in the States, with longtime proponents of the sport welcoming fresh fans into the fold with hopes of continuing to grow the game in the US.

Some of the increased demand will be met by WER, as the new league formalized its sanctioning agreement with USA Rugby earlier this week in anticipation of their March 22nd kick-off.

With six teams representing the Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Denver, New York, and the Twin Cities, WER will play a three-month regular season before contesting the league's first playoffs.

"We are confident that the start of WER will be a key moment in the growth of the sport," said WER president Jessica Hammond-Graf in a statement. "We can’t wait for fans to experience the excitement and intensity of high-level, professional women’s rugby in the US."

How to buy tickets to US women's rugby games

Tickets to the Eagles’ World Cup send-off tour go on sale March 28th, while fans hoping to catch WER’s debut season can purchase seats online now.

With the March Madness No. 1 seeds evenly split between the Big Ten and SEC, April’s Final Four becoming a conference tournament championship rematch doubleheader is very much on the table.

The quadrants led by SEC tournament finalists South Carolina and Texas share one side of the bracket, meaning the Gamecocks and Longhorns could meet before the 2024/25 NCAA championship game in an all-conference semifinal.

Similarly, crosstown rivals UCLA and USC top the other two quadrants, putting the LA teams on course for all-Big Ten semifinal.

Both conference pairs have already faced off three times this season, with South Carolina holding a 2-1 2024/25 record over Texas and USC riding into the Big Dance with the same record over UCLA.

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Other top teams hunt rematches with NCAA No. 1 seeds

Before the No. 1 seeds lock in on any all-conference semis, however, they must advance past other elite contenders — some of whom have recent beef with the quadrant queens.

No. 3 seed Notre Dame — the only team to fail to snag a No. 1 March Madness spot after reaching the AP Poll's top ranking this season — awaits a possible 2024/25 rematch with Texas in the Elite Eight round, with the Irish eyeing a second season victory over the Longhorns after toppling Texas 80-70 in December.

As for No. 1-seed USC, the Trojans sit on a collision course with No. 2 UConn, setting up what could be a second-straight Elite Eight battle between the pair. The Huskies won last year's encounter 80-73 behind 28 points from superstar Paige Bueckers, before falling to eventual tournament runners-up Iowa in the 2023/24 Final Four.

That said, USC already defeated UConn once this season, with sophomore phenom JuJu Watkins putting up 25 points in the the Trojans' narrow 72-70 December win.

For these potential non-conference games, the rematches are somewhat by design, as top programs try to stack their schedules with the NCAA's best teams each season, both to challenge their rosters and to build their NCAA tournament resumes.

"If you play a good enough schedule, you're always going to run into somebody you've already seen," explained legendary UConn head coach Geno Auriemma earlier this week.

While bracket busters could impede an all No. 1-seed Final Four, no team seeded lower than No. 3 has ever won an NCAA championship, meaning at least a few of these top-tier rematches are likely in the coming weeks.

How to watch the Women's March Madness tournament first round

No. 6-seed Michigan and First Four winner No. 11-seed Iowa State open the tournament, tipping off March Madness at 11:30 AM ET on Friday, with live coverage on ESPN2.

The first top seed to take the court in Friday's 16-game slate is South Carolina, who will face No. 16-seed Tennessee Tech at 4 PM ET before UCLA closes out the night against First Four winner No. 16-seed Southern at 10 PM ET.

Both No. 1-seed games will air live on ESPN.