When the U.S. women’s national team lost back-to-back matches against England (2-1) and Spain (2-0) in October, there was discussion about whether it was time to panic. The 2023 FIFA World Cup was only nine months away, and the amount of time the team had left to prepare was dwindling.

But with another camp and exhibition series in 2022 to smooth out the wrinkles, there was the option to ignore the warning signs. If the USWNT struggled against Germany, the No. 3-ranked team in the world, then the alarm bells might be warranted.

In the first of a two-game friendly series that will close out their 2022 campaign on Thursday, the U.S. faced Germany and lost 2-1.

Panic mode: activated.

The USWNT hasn’t lost three straight matches since 1993. The World Cup is now just eight months away.

“I was not happy with the result,” head coach Vlatko Andonovski said afterward. “Anytime you don’t win a game, you can’t be happy no matter what happens.”

The USWNT has lost three straight games for the first time since 1993. pic.twitter.com/U4qWJh810t

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) November 11, 2022

There’s no doubt the U.S. players have the talent required to excel in the tournament. But the team’s chemistry, tactics and finishing have lacked against the top European teams this fall. Recent results have shown that the rest of the world is catching up to the USWNT, who has won four World Cups and four Olympic gold medals. Meanwhile, the U.S. appears stagnant.

Andonovski has been loyal to a 4-3-3 system that doesn’t adapt when the game situation calls for it. At times, it seems the U.S. could benefit from some variation of a 4-4-2, giving the midfielders more support. On top of that, Andonovski’s preferred starting lineup has remained almost the same since the Concacaf W Championship, even when players are clearly showing fatigue and others are ready to step up.

Against Germany, starting wingers Sophia Smith and Mallory Pugh created a number of scoring changes but struggled to execute the final passes and shots. Even though veteran Megan Rapinoe subbed into the attack in the second half and combined with fellow veteran Alex Morgan to score the USWNT’s lone goal, Andonovski remains set on his young starting forward line.

🔥@alexmorgan13 ➡️@mPinoe@USWNT equalizes at 1-1! 🇺🇸🙌 pic.twitter.com/sO31FD6zwU

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 11, 2022

“I don’t want to say I’m concerned, because I’m not,” Andonovski said. “In fact, the front line consists of the three best goal scorers that are eligible to play for this country … from the NWSL. They proved they can score goals in different ways, and sometimes it just happens. I’m not concerned, but I for sure want them to score more goals.”

The U.S. defense also appeared disorganized and mismatched against Germany’s skilled forwards, lacking the intensity and communication to withstand consistent counterattacks.

The coach has repeatedly told the media that when veterans return from injury and maternity leave — notably Julie Ertz, Casey Krueger, Tierna Davidson and Catarina Macario — the USWNT’s issues on the field will mend organically. Andonovski said before Macario’s ACL injury that the team’s strategies were built around her at the center forward position. The six position also is still played in the style of Ertz, a ball-winning defensive midfielder, even though Andi Sullivan has been the primary starter there for the last year and her strengths lie in distribution.

For the team’s next camp in January, multiple veterans, including Davidson and Krueger, are expected to return. At this point, even if a bounce-back win against Germany on Sunday assuages the most urgent concerns, the USWNT is counting on its reinforcements.

Jessa Braun is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering the NWSL and USWNT. Follow her on Twitter @jessabraun.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka has once again merged high fashion with elite athletics, debuting a custom "jellyfish-inspired" kit during the opening rounds of the 2026 Australian Open.

The outfit, a collaboration between Nike and London-based designer Robert Wun, immediately went viral following the world No. 17's first-round victory over Croatia's Antonia Ružić.

The avant-garde walk-on look featured a turquoise and green tie-dye palette, characterized by organic, wavy ruffles designed to mimic the movement of jellyfish tentacles. The multi-piece configuration included a zip-up jacket with cascading tendrils, a pleated miniskirt layered over wide-leg trousers, and a dramatic wide-brimmed hat complete with a sheer white veil and matching parasol.

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Osaka later revealed her two-year-old daughter Shai inspired the concept. While reading a marine life storybook together, Osaka noticed her daughter's interest in a jellyfish illustration. That led her to translate the visual into her 2026 tournament aesthetic.

"It felt symbolic of energy, transformation, and excitement," Osaka told reporters. She went on to describe the design as representing "the birth of something new" in both her career and journey as a mother.

The outfit also featured two delicate white butterflies — one fixed to her hat and another to her parasol. These served as a reference to the 2021 Australian Open, when a butterfly famously landed on Osaka’s face during her title-winning run.

On the court, Osaka has backed the bold style with strong performances. She secured a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 win over Antonia Ružić in her opening match on January 20th, followed by a hard-fought 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 victory against Sorana Cirstea on January 22nd.

How to watch Naomi Osaka at the 2026 Australian Open

Osaka is scheduled to face Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis in the Australian Open's third round. The pair will meet early Saturday morning at 4:40 AM ET.

All 2026 Australian Open matches air live across ESPN platforms.

Minnesota native and Unrivaled Basketball standout Paige Bueckers is returning to her roots to support local families.

After winning the first-ever Unrivaled free throw contest this week, the Breeze BC guard has pledged to match up to $50,000 in donations to the #HopkinsStrong Relief Fund. The initiative was established to ensure food security for students within the Hopkins Public Schools District — Bueckers's alma mater.

The #HopkinsStrong Relief Fund is a collaboration between the Hopkins Education Foundation (HEF) and the ICA Food Shelf. It addresses the urgent needs of families in the western Minneapolis suburbs facing economic uncertainty.

By leveraging her platform, the Unrivaled Basketball star is helping the foundation move toward its $250,000 fundraising goal. It aims to supply emergency food bags and assistance with essential costs like rent and utilities.

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"Community is how opportunity begins. When Hopkins families are supported with food and care, our young people can thrive," Bueckers said in a statement. "That’s why my foundation is committed to supporting the youth and families of Hopkins."

The contribution continues a long-standing tradition of community support from the former Hopkins High School standout.

Since 2023, Bueckers has partnered with the ICA Food Shelf to support local initiatives like the Hopkins West Middle School Food Market in Minnesota.

Minnesota native Bueckers lends a hand during uncertain times

The athlete's contribution is even more significant now, as Minneapolis deals with widespread unrest following a series of high-profile ICE raids.

"At this very moment, we have students and families who are afraid to leave their homes," says Hopkins Public Schools Superintendent Rhoda Mhiripiri-Reed, addressing the recent ICE raids in Minneapolis and the surrounding area.

"We are grateful to the Hopkins Education Foundation not only for supporting innovation in our classrooms but also for supporting Hopkins families during radically uncertain times."

"We want to be there for all of our students during this challenging time," added HEF executive director Emily Wallace-Jackson. "It’s our mission to enhance education for Hopkins students, and that starts with making sure that our children are fed so they have energy to learn."

As of late January, the fund has already presented an initial $50,000 to the ICA Food Shelf. With the matching period open, organizers are calling on the local community to contribute.

The NWSL is adding fan fashion to matchday this season, teaming up with Washington, DC-based design label Dead Dirt to launch an exclusive preseason collection of jerseys this week.

Dead Dirt dropped the colorful knit merch for all 16 NWSL franchises, with initial jersey inventories for multiple clubs — including incoming 2026 expansion teams Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC — selling out within hours of the Thursday night release.

Showcasing a collared, V-necked, rugby shirt aesthetic, each kit includes nods to the club's color and crest throughout the design.

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Named the Spirit's first-ever creative director in March 2024, Dead Dirt founder Domo Wells dropped multiple collections with the Washington club over the last two seasons — from 2024's "New Growth" collection to 2025's "Cherry Blossom" and "Fast Track" capsules — before the NWSL tapped Wells to expand her design footprint league-wide.

"You have to truly understand the team's culture and region. That's why my first full season with the Washington Spirit mattered," Wells told The Cut last month. "That's when the conversation shifted from one team to the entire league."

Additionally, this week's launch is the first of many future NWSL collaborations, with Wells detailing a "layered" plan for cohesive league-wide drops "with the option for teams to go deeper if they want more."

As for what NWSL fans can expect from upcoming Dead Dirt collections, Wells sees her role as "reframing merch as storytelling."

"My goal [is] always to design pieces that live outside the stadium," she explained. "If it doesn't live in [a fan's] closet after game day, it's not worth the spend."

How to buy NWSL x Dead Dirt knit jerseys

The entire NWSL x Dead Dirt jersey collection is available online now at the NWSL Shop and the Dead Dirt store.

Team USA will see 97 skiers and snowboarders representing the red, white, and blue in Milan next month, with US Ski & Snowboard tapping a wealth of veteran experience for the 2026 Winter Olympic roster on Thursday.

All-time winningest FIS World Cup skier Mikaela Shiffrin will compete in her fourth Winter Games, with the 30-year-old two-time Olympic gold medalist hunting hardware in her preferred slalom event after failing to medal in Beijing in 2022.

At the same time, 41-year-old skier Lindsey Vonn is also mounting a dramatic comeback, participating in her fifth Olympics after winning multiple downhill medals on this season's World Cup circuit.

Also returning to the Olympic stage will be 25-year-old halfpipe star Chloe Kim, who is officially clear to return to competition after a recent shoulder dislocation put her Milan plans to become the first snowboarder to win three straight Olympic gold medals in jeopardy.

Alongside the deep veteran talent on the roster, US Ski & Snowboard is sending 48 athletes to make their Olympic debuts next month, including 15-year-old halfpipe freestyle skiier Abby Winterberger and 20-year-old two-sport talent Sammy Smith.

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Smith, a Stanford sophomore and starting defender for the 2025 College Cup runner-up Cardinal soccer team, will compete in cross-country skiing for Team USA in Milan.

Considering 15 of the 25 US Olympic medals at the 2022 Beijing Games came from ski and snowboarding, US snowboard program director Rick Bower noted that, "In many ways, making this team is even harder than [competing in] the Olympics themselves."