The U.S. women’s national team exited the Concacaf W Championship group stage with a clean sheet through three victories but plenty of questions.

USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski used the team’s three group-stage matches in the World Cup qualifying tournament to maximize rotation and player looks. With the knockout stages ahead, roster speculation is running rampant, with certain players making their case while others still have more to prove.

The USWNT will take the pitch again at 7 p.m. ET Thursday for a semifinal match against Costa Rica.

Goalkeeper

The starting goalkeeper role appears to be up for grabs, with the race down to veteran Alyssa Naeher and up-and-comer Casey Murphy.

Murphy got the starting nod against Mexico after Naeher played in the USWNT’s Jamaica matchup, adding to speculation about who holds the USWNT’s starting goalkeeper position. Andonovski has said he wants to give Murphy experience — she also started the opener against Haiti — as the coaching staff is well aware of what Naeher can do.

The race for starting goalie will likely come down to Naeher’s experience and proven success at big tournaments versus Murphy’s upside and potential.

Defense

Andonovski has yet to settle on a core defensive unit, but certain players have made their cases for places in the starting lineup.

Emily Fox looks to have locked up her place as the starting left back. Though the Racing Louisville defender missed the team’s last group-stage matchup against Mexico due to COVID-19 protocol, Fox’s starting spot doesn’t appear to be in jeopardy. Andonovski has spoken about Fox’s impressive one-on-one defensive capabilities and ability to spark the USWNT’s attack from the flanks.

On the other side of the pitch, Kelley O’Hara and Sofia Huerta are the final two players in contention for the right-back role. Following the group stage’s trio of games, O’Hara seems to have upped her stock with a goal and a series of solid performances. Huerta, however, has shown her ability to make plays from the flanks, launching quality services into the box.

The center-back duo of Alana Cook and Becky Sauerbrunn looked to be Andonovski’s starting pick ahead of the Concacaf W Championship, but a breakout performance from Naomi Girma may have complicated that choice. The San Diego Wave defender hasn’t put a foot wrong this tournament, shutting down opponents’ attack while distributing quality balls up the pitch.

A shining quality of Naomi Girma is her ability to set the attack with long-range accuracy or dribble out of pressure. This is the type of incisive pass the #USWNT needs more of. It's paying off already.pic.twitter.com/tcrdPC4CqQ

— Jeff Kassouf (@JeffKassouf) July 7, 2022

Midfield

The midfield is the area of the roster with the most questions. After Julie Ertz’s injury and maternity leave, the USWNT has struggled to fill the defensive midfield position. Andi Sullivan is the apparent heir to Ertz, but has yet to find her footing during Concacaf competition as she comes back after a season plagued by injury. Andonovski has toyed with playing Lindsey Horan and Kristie Mewis in the No. 6 position, but neither looks to be a natural fit, as both are attacking-minded players.

Sam Coffey, midfielder for the Portland Thorns, has been called into Concacaf after forward Ashley Hatch suffered a tournament-ending injury, perhaps acknowledging the lack of depth in the defensive midfield position.

Rose Lavelle and Ashley Sanchez have proved their ability to inject creativity into the USWNT’s attack, with the duo overloading and exposing opponents’ defenses when on the pitch together. Depending on the opponent, and their defensive lift, Sanchez may be able to sneak into the starting lineup in the future.

For now, however, Andonovski appears to be committed to a Sullivan, Lavelle and Horan midfield.

KRISTIE IN THE 89TH 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸pic.twitter.com/8RhSJz4pXJ

— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) July 12, 2022

Attack

The USWNT’s attack is the deepest point on the team’s roster, but the starting lineup is essentially locked in. Andonovski has made it clear Sophia Smith and Mallory Pugh are his two starting wingers, while Alex Morgan has earned her No. 9 spot with a stellar season for club and country.

Hatch got quality minutes before exiting Concacaf early with an injury but failed to make her case as the starting No. 9, especially when put next to an in-form Morgan.

Margaret Purce has also dazzled in Mexico, perhaps solidifying her place as the second-in-line on the right flank. Trinity Rodman, the NWSL Rookie of the Year, hasn’t seen too many minutes in Mexico, making Megan Rapinoe the apparent relief winger on the left side of the pitch.

Star LSU guard Flau'jae Johnson knows exactly what she'd get head coach Kim Mulkey for Christmas.

"Blue crabs," she told Just Women's Sports in November, days before DICK'S Sporting Goods declared her Greatest Wrapper in the Game, a promotion touting the college senior's own wrapping paper line and online video series. "Me and her, we like to eat blue crab."

Ranked No. 5 in the AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll, LSU is never far from the Final Four conversation. But Johnson — who's increasingly brought a personal touch to her leadership role on the Tigers — has ambitions that extend far beyond finishing out her collegiate career on top.

Already an NCAA champion with eyes on next year's WNBA draft, the 22-year-old dynamic guard  has cemented her legacy as a multi-talent. She's a decorated musician and rapper, an interdisciplinary studies major with a minor in sports administration, and a menace on the court with a motor that never quits. 

"I gotta be me first," she said — and that's the secret to her success.

As LSU's leading scorer, Flau'jae Johnson is off to the races

Johnson knows that the Tigers' nonconference schedule rarely features marquee matchups. 

"We don't play nobody in our nonconference schedule," she said. "From December on out, that's when it gets really [exciting]." 

Mulkey often schedules a slow start for the team, gradually building towards peak form once LSU enters SEC play in January.

That hasn't stopped the Tigers from showing the country what they're capable of this season. They've scored more than 100 points through all eight matchups so far, setting a new NCAA record for consecutive 100+ point games. 

Johnson's progress has featured heavily in every blowout win. She leads the team in points, assists, and three-point percentage per game. But she sees her greatest growth in the intangibles.

Flau'jae Johnson steps up as LSU coach Kim Mulkey's right hand

A self-described loner, Johnson strived to connect with new teammates throughout her four years in Baton Rouge. It's an especially important task as part of an LSU team that thrives through the transfer portal. 

The Tigers won the NCAA championship in 2023 — Johnson's freshman year — led by transfer forward Angel Reese, who was then joined the following year by high-profile transfers Hailey Van Lith and Aneesah Morrow. This season, former South Carolina Gamecock MiLaysia Fulwiley has entered the mix, with Johnson quickly creating chemistry. 

"Ballers just want to ball, like hoopers just want to hoop," she said. "You find different ways to bond and gel with teammates." 

When the accomplished hip hop artist's not in the groove working on music, she's trying to extend a hand to the team's freshest faces. "It's been a new job for me as a leader on the team," she said. "It's been easy though, because we just want to hoop."

Year-in, year-out, the Tigers' success relies on picking up instructions and learning schemes quickly, with Johnson — a player very comfortable with Mulkey's system — stepping up to take on the role of team liaison. 

"You've just got to read everybody, their emotions, how they're feeling, and you've just got to be there for everybody," she explained. "But that's not hard for me, because I'm an older sister."

Holiday trips and Secret Santas: Flau'jae Johnson's familial drive

Family is everything to Johnson. Being a college basketball star can make the holiday season tough, as the season runs straight through time she'd love to spend back home in Georgia. And with conference play on the horizon, she knows she has to stay focused on the court now more than ever.

"I kind of put that out of my mind, that I won't be with my family until I go pro, because it used to be hard on me seeing my little brothers go trick-or-treating and stuff without me," she reflected, noting how excited she was to use her own DICK'S wrapping paper to shower her family with gifts this year. 

Her favorite college holiday memory also involves her family, when her entire family traveled to the team's Thanksgiving tournament in the Bahamas. 

"My momma snuck food on the plane — literally the whole Thanksgiving, she cooked it and froze it and put it under the plane," she said, beaming. "And we had a smash Thanksgiving meal in freaking the Bahamas."

This year, Johnson's already looking forward to her team's annual Secret Santa exchange, while also planning to spend her limited time off this winter on a surprise family cabin trip to Colorado The world of NIL has opened up a whole new realm of possibilities for Johnson to spread her growing wealth, and she's taken to those opportunities with easy charm.

Setting sights on No. 1, from Baton Rouge to the WNBA

Far from settling for a decorated college run and lucrative personal brand, Johnson is also locked in on making a smooth transition to the WNBA. The calendar year for rising pros is a physical gauntlet, with the draft taking place just weeks after what LSU hopes will be a deep NCAA tournament campaign.

"I'm so ready to go pro," she said. "I really want to establish myself, to show I could be the number one pick in the draft. I feel like my talent level is there, but I've got to execute." 

"The W is fascinating," she added. "It's forever growing, and it's powerful women doing these things. So I'm just excited to be in that group."

Johnson has recently been focusing on her fitness, anticipating increased physicality at the pro level — while also aiming for balance. "They're not going to be swinging me around like I'm a little rag doll," she laughed. "[But] I feel like my mind is the most important part. I want to grow, I want to get better."

Of course, other than committing to winning at all levels, Johnson doesn't know exactly what her future holds. For now, she'll continue to make music, sharpen her game, and stay true to herself. As a player with so many gifts to give, the rest will come naturally.

Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) stocked up by adding 43 former NCAA and Olympic stars to its ranks on Monday night, with Talons utility player Maya Brady — niece of retired NFL legend Tom Brady — leading the charge as the No. 1 overall pick by the incoming Oklahoma City Spark in the league's expansion draft.

Starting the inaugural 2025 AUSL campaign on injured reserve, the former UCLA standout went on to feature in six games for the championship-winning Talons, registering one double, one home run, and five RBIs on the season.

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The now-six -team league absorbed the previously independent Spark as part of an initial expansion plan, acquiring the Oklahoma City-based squad with the intention of finding permanent homes for all AUSL teams in the near future.

Also joining the AUSL next year is new franchise Cascade, which snagged Volts pitcher and former University of Oklahoma ace Sam Landry as the No. 2 overall pick on Monday.

Though the four original teams protected five players each, the Spark and Cascade raided their rosters in the expansion draft, claiming stars like infielders Sydney Romero (Talons) and Jessi Warren (Volts) as well as pitchers Alana Vawter (Blaze) and Payton Gottshall (Volts) for their debut lineups.

Immediately following the expansion draft, all six teams took part in an allocation draft, selecting athletes from either the 2025 AUSL Reserve Pool or those previously competing outside the league.

Former Oklahoma and Oklahoma State pitcher Kelly Maxwell earned the top pick in the allocation draft, with the new Cascade player joined by other recent NCAA softball legends like former Sooners Kinzie Hansen, Jayda Coleman, and Jocelyn Alo, Florida State's Kat Sandercock and Sydney Sherrill, Washington's Sis Bates, and Clemson's Valerie Cagle.

US Soccer officially launched the Kang Women's Institute on Tuesday, creating a new platform dedicated to "advancing health, performance, and development for women and girls across the sport" funded by $55 million from multi-team owner Michele Kang.

"For far too long, women and girls have trained under systems and standards built for men, and the Kang Women's Institute is an essential first step in changing that," US Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone said in a federation statement. "By grounding our work in real research and evidence, we can finally give female players the support, care, and understanding they deserve.

"This is the beginning of a much larger effort, and Michele has helped us take a huge leap forward in reshaping the future of the women's game for generations to come."

After adding a $25 million investment last April to her original $30 million pledge to US Soccer in 2024, Kang is going all in on addressing the stark lack of sports medicine and exercise science research into women athletes — and female physiology at-large.

"This Institute will put female athletes at the center of US Soccer's scientific research and build the evidence, systems, and standards that will allow women and girls to reach their full potential," promised Kang.

The Institute also outlined its early initiatives in Tuesday's press release, with injury prevention and workload management, developmental best practices, and physical and mental player well-being headlining the projects.

"This is not just about closing a research gap," said Kang. "It's about creating a future where every player has the knowledge, care, and opportunity to thrive."

The PWHL is rapidly looking to ramp up expansion, with EVP of business operations Amy Scheer saying this week that the third-year pro hockey league could welcome "two to four" new teams as soon as next year.

"If I was a betting woman, I'd say it'd be four teams. And then I think we'll hold at 12 for a bit," she told CNBC Sport, noting the league's immediate success with 2025/26 expansion sides the Vancouver Goldeneyes and the Seattle Torrent — the latter of which shattered the US women's hockey attendance record in their Friday home opener.

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Accordingly, the PWHL will continue testing possible new markets using the league's historically packed Takeover Tour, with this season's 11-city route expanding to feature seven new host venues.

"What does the support of women's sports look like there?" Scheer said, outlining the league's criteria for assessing potential markets. "If there's an NHL team, what does that look like? Or from the building, is there government support there? How does it impact travel? So there's a lot of factors."

As for the league's notably speedy expansion pace, Scheer told Front Office Sports that the PWHL has "proven that time is overrated."

"The more our numbers grow, the more value we have as a league, the more value we have against our partnerships we sell, the more merchandise we sell," Scheer explained. "Those two things — growth and profitability — are not separate."