San Diego Wave star Taylor Kornieck made a surprise appearance on USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski’s 23-player roster for July’s 2022 Concacaf W Championship, marking her first national team call-up.

The July competition will decide four automatic berths to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, as well as one berth to the 2024 Paris Olympics.

While Kornieck is new to the USWNT, she is a familiar name to NWSL fans. The 23-year-old was selected third overall in the 2020 NWSL Draft by the Orlando Pride before finding her way to the San Diego Wave this year for the club’s inaugural season. Standing at just over six feet tall, Kornieck’s height sets her apart as a substantial aerial threat in front of the goal.

The midfielder is more than her height, though, with Wave coach Casey Stoney praising Korneick as “coachable” and “worthy” of a USWNT call-up.

“People think she is just in there for her height, look at her feet, look at how she uses her feet, how she uses the ball and dictated the game,” Stoney said after Kornieck’s brace on June 8 against the Portland Thorns.

𝙀𝙌𝙐𝘼𝙇𝙄𝙕𝙀𝙍 by TAYLOR KORNIECK! 🔥🔥@taylorkornieck scores her first-ever NWSL brace to make it 2-2!@sandiegowavefc | #SDvPOR pic.twitter.com/KAUjKAUgAQ

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) June 9, 2022

Kornieck’s inclusion in the USWNT midfield comes at a time when the traditionally deep position has been thinned out by injury. Sam Mewis is still rehabbing her knee, while Julie Ertz is out due to pregnancy.

Catarina Macario’s recent ACL tear is also a factor in the USWNT’s changing midfield, with the star striker’s absence potentially shifting the squad’s game plan.

In top form for San Diego, Alex Morgan is the prospective No. 9 for USWNT in place of Macario. Kornieck and Morgan have played together for the entirety of Kornieck’s professional career, with the duo’s chemistry evident in the final third.

Kornieck is also a jack of all trades in the center of the pitch, playing an important defensive role for the Wave, which is of particular value for the USWNT right now.

Midfielders Rose Lavelle and Ashley Sanchez have similar creative attacking abilities, as does Kristie Mewis. With the defensive midfield position in a state of flux without Ertz and given Andi Sullivan’s recent injuries, having a box-to-box midfielder able to command the center of the pitch on hand will be critical.

The first of two June friendlies against Colombia is scheduled for Saturday, June 25, at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. ET.

US Soccer submitted its World Cup bid book to FIFA last week, naming 14 US stadiums among the 2031 tournament's 20+ proposed North American host venues.

The four-country joint bid for the 2031 World Cup spanned cities across host nations USA, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica, with the quartet collectively identifying 50 potential stadiums while also designating their proposed core of 20 venues.

In the US, stadiums in Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Los Angeles, Kansas City, and Seattle made the proposed shortlist, as well as Arlington, Texas, and East Rutherford, New Jersey, among others.

Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Torreón made Mexico's primary proposal, while Costa Rica and Jamaica put forward San Jose and Kingston, respectively.

The bid includes both soccer and football venues, with secondary venues also listed as possible options in eight of the first-choice US cities.

Additionally, the bid book pegged Atlanta as the World Cup draw host and Dallas as the tournament's international broadcast center, though FIFA will likely not make final decisions on 2031 venues until after the 2027 competition in Brazil.

"By proposing more than the required 20 sites, the joint bidders demonstrate a commitment to securing the best possible hosting conditions and ensuring the tournament represents the full diversity of our region on a global scale," FIFA stated.

The WNBA and WNBPA agreed to a second CBA extension late Sunday night, officially pushing the contract's deadline to January 9th, 2026, to allow for 40 more days of negotiations.

Like the original CBA extension from October 31st to December 1st, either the WNBA or WNBPA now has the option to terminate the agreement with 48 hours of notice.

"We expect substantive movement from the league within this window," the players union told Front Office Sports, while the WNBA issued a statement saying both parties are "continuing to work toward a new agreement."

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While total annual compensation offers have reportedly crossed the million-dollar mark for players earning the league's maximum, the WNBA's salary model — particularly in regards to revenue sharing — remains a core issue.

According to sources, the WNBA's proposal offers players a revenue-sharing option only after reaching certain minimums, while the WNBPA continues to advocate for a bigger cut of the exponentially growing league.

The players union is also reportedly advocating for a salary cap that increases with the league's income, rather than at an arbitrarily fixed growth rate.

With important offseason processes like the planned two-team expansion draft to stock incoming 2026 WNBA franchises the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo now delayed until a new CBA is in place, the pressure is approaching new highs on both sides of the negotiating table.

No. 4 Texas blew past two top-ranked opponents last week, setting the tone for the 2025/26 NCAA basketball season with back-to-back wins over No. 3 UCLA and No. 2 South Carolina to earn the Players Era Championship trophy on Thanksgiving Day.

Fifth-year senior Rori Harmon was named tournament MVP, putting up a game-leading 26 points and breaking the Longhorns' career assists record in Wednesday's 76-65 defeat of UCLA before hitting the game-winner to lift Texas over the Gamecocks 66-64 in Thursday's title game.

"I just read the vibe and flow of the game," Harmon said afterward. "[Texas head coach Vic Schaefer] called the play at the end of the game, and I've been in this moment before, so it felt good coming out of my hands."

Texas's win added fuel to the burgeoning SEC rivalry, with the teams squaring off five times in the last year — and South Carolina riding a narrow 3-2 advantage.

"I'm not upset at all," Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley said postgame. "This is going to help us because there are a lot of things to unpack in it."

"If you can give [Texas] a run for their money in that way, I mean, you're on to something," she continued. "I like our resiliency. We've just got to clean up some things at the end of the game."

How to watch Texas, South Carolina this week

Both Texas and South Carolina have another ranked matchup on this week's NCAA docket, with the No. 4 Longhorns taking on the No. 12 UNC Tar Heels while the No. 2 Gamecocks face the No. 23 Louisville Cardinals.

Both games tip off at 7 PM ET on Thursday, with Texas vs. UNC airing live on ESPN2 while South Carolina vs. Louisville airs on ESPN.

After a year of testing and experimentation, the USWNT will look to close out 2025 on a high note on Monday night, when the world No. 2 squad faces No. 12 Italy in the second of the pair's winter friendlies.

"I've been very clear on the process to develop players and what we have to go through, so I'm not zoomed in on three losses," US manager Emma Hayes said of the team's 2025 shortcomings. "If I was, I wouldn't make changes."

"We work in an environment we're really proud of," she continued. "It's a very inclusive environment, diverse environment, and all these things contribute to the culture that hopefully leads to long-term success."

In line with her ongoing rotational philosophy, Hayes indicated that fans in Fort Lauderdale on Monday could see a departure from the combination of players that defeated Italy 3-0 in Orlando on Friday — as well as new tactics from the 2025 Euro semifinalists.

"My whole argument is that no matter who plays, the level of performance should still be high," Hayes said.

The US saw 16 players debut this year — the most since 1985 — with 51% of the team's combined 39 goals and 26 assists in 2025 involving a player under 25 years old.

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How to watch the USWNT vs. Italy on Monday

The 2025 finale for the No. 2 USWNT will see the national team kick off against No. 12 Italy at 7 PM ET on Monday, with live coverage airing on TNT and HBO Max.