All Scores

USWNT roster: NWSL champion Jenna Nighswonger receives first call-up

Gotham’s Jenna Nighswonger challenges OL Reign’s Rose Lavelle in the 2023 NWSL Championship match. (Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

An NWSL Rookie of the Year campaign has led to the first U.S. women’s national team call-up for Jenna Nighswonger.

On Monday, the Gotham FC rookie was named to the December training camp roster ahead of a pair of December friendlies against China. The 22-year-old is no stranger to the U.S. system, having previously played for her country at the U-19, U-20 and U-23 levels.

In an interesting twist, Nighswonger has been called into camp as a midfielder, which is what she played in college at Florida State. For Gotham, though, she transitioned from her typical role as an attacking midfielder or forward to fullback.

Still, Nighswonger played the role in a way that highlighted her attacking abilities. She accounted for seven goal contributions in 2023, tied for the most among rookies, and she scored three goals. She also led Gotham in tackles with 35, which accounted for a 71.7% success rate, and had a 70.8% completion rate on her passes.

“I think I just like to play my position more attacking,” she said in November. “I think I do see myself more as an attacking mid player but I am now a left back. I think just taking what I used to do in the attack and use my vision just to play a new position.

“We talk a lot about how it’s just a role on the field and we try to do a lot of different rotations and things so I don’t really feel like I’m just a left back, which I like. Sometimes I can play the 10, the 11. I think that’s definitely been helpful.”

She’s been open about the position switch, as well as how USWNT veterans like Ali Krieger helped her make the transition. While she was admittedly “quite nervous” to join a team with big names such as Krieger, Lynn Williams and Kelley O’Hara, she took the opportunity to learn from her teammates.

“I think the hardest part in that area is just understanding, defensively, the tactics and everything, so I think to the point I made about Ali Krieger and Michelle Betos, they’ve been so helpful in giving me confidence in that area,” she told CBS in early November. “But I think that’s something that can definitely continue to grow.”

The decision to include Nighswonger on the roster, interim head coach Twila Kilgore said Monday, was in part due to her versatility.

“She has a strong history as a midfielder, both as a 10, eight, and six really,” Kilgore said. “She played the six for me when she was with me with the U-23s. And she’s done a good job as a left back this year.

“I think part of her strength is that versatility. And when we look forward to an Olympic roster, knowing that there’s fewer spots, versatility is actually going to be something that will be taken into account and heavily weighed. So we will address those things with her directly in camp and get her on a plan where she understands what to expect for these next couple of games.”

Amanda Anisimova Ousts Noami Osaka from US Open Semifinal to End Comeback Run

US tennis star Amanda Anisimova greets Japan's Naomi Osaka at the net after winning the pair's 2025 US Open semifinal.
US tennis star Amanda Anisimova reached her second straight Grand Slam final with a three-set semifinal victory over Naomi Osaka at the 2025 US Open. (KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images)

The Naomi Osaka comeback tour at the 2025 US Open has ended, as the two-time New York Grand Slam champion and world No. 24 star ceded her Thursday semifinal to No. 9 Amanda Anisimova, who battled back to claim the 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 6-3 victory.

"Naomi is playing amazing tennis," the 23-year-old said of Osaka's US Open run. "She's back where she belongs. I told her I'm so proud of her after having a baby and playing at this level — it's insane."

With her Thursday win, Anisimova is now the only player to ever defeat Osaka in a Grand Slam quarterfinal, semifinal, or final — ending the Japanese fan-favorite's 13-0 run in the later rounds of tennis's major tournaments.

Anisimova's US Open success is even more impressive considering the result of her first-ever Grand Slam final — a brutal 6-0, 6-0 loss at Wimbledon in July.

In a massive turnaround, Anisimova handed No. 2 Iga Świątek, the 2025 Wimbledon champion, a redemptive straight-set loss in Wednesday's US Open quarterfinals en route to reaching this weekend's championship match.

Anisimova's victory means that a US player has now competed in every women's Grand Slam final dating back to the 2024 US Open, extending the country's championship-match streak to five straight Slams.

With even more history on the line, the US rising star now has a second shot at joining No. 6 Madison Keys and No. 3 Coco Gauff in hoisting a 2025 Grand Slam trophy for the US — a feat not accomplished by any single country since Serena Williams won the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon in 2015.

How to watch the 2025 US Open championship match

Just like Keys and Gauff, Anisimova will have to defeat Aryna Sabalenka to claim her own 2025 Grand Slam trophy — with the hard-hitting US finalist holding a 6-3 all-time record against the world No. 1 player, most recently downing the 2024 US Open champion in this year's Wimbledon semifinals.

Anisimova will battle Sabalenka in for the 2025 US Open crown on Saturday, with live coverage of the championship match beginning at 4 PM ET on ESPN.

Connecticut Submits Bid for the Sun as WNBA Team’s Sale Saga Continues

Connecticut Sun fans and team mascot Blaze cheer during a 2025 WNBA game.
The Connecticut Sun have played inside Uncasville's Mohegan Sun Arena since moving to the state in 2003. (Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The sale saga of the Connecticut Sun added a new chapter this week, as the state of Connecticut submitted a bid proposal on Thursday that would see the WNBA team remain in-state.

Owned by the Mohegan Tribe since 2003, the state is just the latest entrant into an ongoing bidding war for the franchise, with Boston Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca, ex-Milwaukee Bucks owner Marc Lasry, and the WNBA itself all making offers ranging from $250 to $325 million in recent weeks.

Unlike previous relocation bids, the state's proposed sale plan sees the Connecticut Sun splitting home games between their current Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville and Hartford's larger PeoplesBank Arena, while also promising a new practice facility in the state capital.

Despite winding down 2025 in 12th place, the Sun have amassed a loyal local following, selling out their 10,000-capacity arena four times this year in a state buoyed by NCAA basketball powerhouse and current national champion UConn located less than an hour away.

"The best place for the Connecticut Sun is Connecticut because we have this very fierce fan base for women's basketball," Connecticut Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz told ESPN. "We love the [UConn] Huskies. We love watching the Sun… and we've seen that the Connecticut Sun players have been great community leaders and role models."

Chicago Sky Plans Team Meeting After Critical Angel Reese Interview

Angel Reese is consoled by her Chicago Sky teammates after being fouled during a 2025 WNBA game.
Chicago Sky star Angel Reese criticized her team's roster construction in the 'Chicago Tribune' this week. (Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)

The Chicago Sky reportedly held a team meeting to address the explosive Chicago Tribune interview of Angel Reese this week, after the star forward put the already-eliminated WNBA team on blast.

"We are aware of [Reese's comments]," Sky head coach Tyler Marsh said on Wednesday. "We're addressing it in-house as currently speaking. That's where we'll stay right now."

"Angel has shown a commitment to wanting to be here," he continued. "We as an organization continue to show a commitment that we want people that want to be here."

Reese focused much of her critique on the team's leadership and roster construction, expressing disappointment as the Chicago Sky closes in on back-to-back losing seasons.

"We can't rely on Courtney to come back at the age that she's at," the 23-year-old Reese said of veteran Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot, following the 36-year-old's season-ending ACL tear in early June. "I know she'll be a great asset for us, but we can't rely on that."

"We need someone probably a little younger with some experience, somebody who's been playing the game and is willing to compete for a championship and has done it before," Reese added.

Notably, Vandersloot helped the Chicago Sky snag the 2021 WNBA title before taking the New York Liberty to a franchise-first championship last season.

Gotham Faces Angel City in High-Stakes NWSL Weekend Clash

Angel City rookie forward Riley Tiernan dribbles the ball away from Gotham defenders Emily Sonnett and Jess Carter during a 2025 NWSL match.
Only one point separates Sunday opponents No. 8 Gotham and No. 9 Angel City in the NWSL standings. (Jessica Alcheh/Imagn Images)

A high-stakes coastal clash tops this weekend's NWSL bill, with results directly impacting the increasingly tight league standings as No. 8 Gotham tries to hold off a No. 9 Angel City side sitting just one point outside of postseason positioning.

The pair last met in April, when Gotham shutout ACFC 4-0 at LA's BMO Stadium behind a brace from the NWSL's current Golden Boot leader Esther González.

"That's the key — everyone knows their role, their responsibilities, and they're willing to sacrifice for the team defensively while also bringing their quality in attack," Gotham manager Juan Carlos Amorós said earlier this week.

As they try to rise above the crowded mid-table traffic, both teams have seen positive results in recent weeks — along with challenging levels of upheaval.

Angel City recently lost defender Alanna Kennedy, midfielder Katie Zelem, and star forward Alyssa Thompson to midseason overseas transfers, while Gotham's had little room to breathe after defeating Concacaf W Champions Cup opponent Alianza 2-0 in El Salvador on Tuesday.

"You need to be loyal to your style, cement it, and make sure the players know it," said Amorós. "That's critical when you're playing three games in seven days and traveling almost around the world."

How to watch Gotham vs. Angel City this NWSL weekend

No. 8 Gotham will host No. 9 Angel City this Sunday, kicking off live at 5 PM ET on ESPN.

Start your morning off right with Just Women’s Sports’ free, 5x-a-week newsletter.