U.S. women’s national team coach Vlatko Andonovski released his 24-player roster Thursday for the squad’s October friendlies against England and Spain.

While the biggest snub was forward Midge Purce, who has appeared in 11 games for the USWNT this year, several other players could have legitimate grips about their absence from the roster.

Mia Fishel

Fishel once again was left off the latest USWNT roster, despite Alex Morgan’s knee injury opening a spot on the forward lineup.

U.S. youth national team star Alyssa Thompson joined mainstays Sophia Smith, Mallory Pugh, Megan Rapinoe, Ashley Hatch and Trinity Rodman on Andonovski’s forward list, with Fishel nowhere to be found.

While Thompson has shown tremendous upside at 17 years old, Fishel is enjoying success at the professional level, leading Mexico’s Liga MX Golden Boot race. Logging 14 goals and four assists for Tigres Femenil so far in the 2022-2023 season, Fishel has emerged as a world-class finisher at the age of 21.

“So Mia is on our depth chart and is I wouldn’t be wouldn’t be able to say where she’s at,” Andonovski told reporters following the roster drop. “We’re monitoring her form and her performances I had a conversation with only a very good conversation. She understands where she’s at.”

Fishel was selected fifth overall in the 2022 NWSL draft by the Orlando Pride but opted to sign with Tigres Femenil instead.

OH MY WORD MIA FISHEL 🔥🔥🔥 @miafishel10 🐠pic.twitter.com/RzOqO75O4f

— THE 🐐 SERENA WILLIAMS STAN ACCOUNT (@DiasporaUtdPod) September 12, 2022

AD Franch

Franch is no stranger to the USWNT. She joined the squad as a backup goalkeeper at the 2019 World Cup and then again at the Tokyo Olympics. But she has not received consistent call-ups since the bronze-medal run at the Summer Games in 2021.

Andonovski has put a strong emphasis on club form throughout his tenure with the USWNT, and he has shown a strong bias toward the NWSL, which makes Franch’s absence on the October roster particularly baffling.

The Kansas City Current keeper has registered five clean sheets, averaging 3.4 saves per 90 minutes, to help her club to a 10-6-5 record.

Andonovski, however, has opted for consistency over experimentation in the back, selecting Alyssa Naeher, Casey Murphy and Aubrey Kingsbury despite the deep and growing goalkeeper pool.

“I feel like we’ve talked more about the goalkeeper sometimes than some of the other positions but it is important and we were excited about it because ultimately that’s what we want,” Andonovski said, acknowledging the well of goalkeeping talent. “We do want good competition. We want the last in each position to push each other as much as possible and get better with it.”

AD. CLEAN SHEET. FRANCH 🧤@HyVee | #CurrentRising pic.twitter.com/YgP92awVRp

— KC Current (@thekccurrent) September 26, 2022

Carson Pickett

Carson Pickett is another player who consistently has proven herself in the NWSL yet has failed to break through on the USWNT.

The North Carolina Courage defender leads the NWSL in assists with six through 19 matches, logging a staggering 47 chances created during the 2022 campaign.

In June, the 29-year-old earned her first USWNT cap under Andonovski, playing 90 minutes in a 2-0 win against Colombia.

Pickett fits well in the USWNT’s fullback system, boasting strong defensive abilities while triggering the team’s attack from the flanks.

“Carson did very well in training for us in last week and with the management of minutes for Emily Fox that we had, we felt like Carson would be a good replacement, and I’m happy that she was able to perform well for 90 minutes,” Andonovski told ESPN of Pickett’s debut.

While it’s difficult to argue against the inclusion of Crystal Dunn or Hailie Mace on the October roster, Pickett has proven herself worthy of a follow-up to her national team debut.

Debinha gets her goal!

She rounds the keeper and calmly finishes for 10th of the season. 💫 pic.twitter.com/EthW8Jm3mj

— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) September 24, 2022

Washington Spirit star Trinity Rodman is gearing up to debut her Adidas Player Edition cleats this weekend, marking her return to the field by rocking the all-new F50 SPARKFUSION PE — a boot built by and for women athletes.

"Growing up as a kid in California, I could never have imagined a day where there would be a cleat literally inspired by me," the 2024 Olympic gold medalist said in a press release. "I can't wait to wear them."

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According to Adidas's Thursday release, designers worked to specifically engineer the boots to "excel with the speed and agility demands of the modern women's game."

To do so, the sportswear company researched the unique anatomy of the female foot to address the discomfort reported by women athletes when competing in unisex cleats.

Consequently, the F50 SPARKFUSION PE boasts key design adjustments to improve fit, arch support, stability, and comfort for women athletes. The boots also contain features to boost players' agility across multiple pitch surfaces.

In addition to the performance improvements, Rodman's Player Edition boots come in the 23-year-old USWNT star's favorite colors.

Grounded by a pearlescent white base alongside vibrant light blue details and bold pink stripes — an homage to Rodman's signature pink hair — the attacker's cleats aim to create "a dynamic look that captures Trinity's energy and personality."

Rodman will sport her Adidas Player Edition boots for the first time on Sunday, when her Washington Spirit host the Portland Thorns at 12:30 PM ET on ABC.

How to buy the Trinity Rodman F50 SPARKFUSION PE cleats

The Trinity Rodman Adidas F50 SPARKFUSION PE cleats are currently available for purchase online at adidas.com.

World No. 4 Brazil and No. 18 Colombia will take center stage on Saturday, when star-studded lineups full of NWSL talent will duke it out in the 2025 Copa América Femenina Final.

The Conmebol titans advanced to the continental tournament's grand finale via two distinctly different semifinals, as Colombia narrowly pushed past No. 32 Argentina in a penalty shootout on Monday before defending champions Brazil thrashed No. 63 Uruguay 5-1 on Tuesday.

Entering Saturday's match as the favorites, Brazil is led by reigning NWSL champion Marta, with the legendary attacker joined by fellow Orlando Pride midfielder Angelina as well as Gotham FC forward Gabi Portilho, Racing Louisville midfielder Ary Borges, and Kansas City Current goalkeeper Lorena.

Chasing a fifth straight and ninth overall Copa América title, there has never been a final in the tournament's 10 iterations to not feature Brazil.

On the other hand, Colombia is seeking their first-ever Conmebol crown behind a quartet of NWSL standouts: Washington Spirit midfielder Leicy Santos, Racing Louisville defender Ángela Barón, San Diego Wave defender Daniela Arias, and Utah Royals defender Ana María Guzmán.

Saturday's final will be the second straight and fourth overall to pit Colombia against Brazil, and comes just eight days after the pair faced off to a 0-0 draw in their final group-stage match — though notably, Brazil played the bulk of that game with 10 players after keeper Lorena earned a red card in the 24th minute.

How to watch the Copa América final

The 2025 Copa América Final kicks off at 5 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage airing on FS1.

With the US Open rapidly approaching — the WTA season's final Grand Slam — the tennis world's hardcourt titans are tuning up at the 2025 Canadian Open.

This year's tournament is in full swing up in Montréal, allowing players to hone their skills before next week's Cincinnati Open sets the tone for the annual New York City Slam.

Though stars like world No. 5 Mirra Andreeva, No. 9 Jasmine Paolini, and No. 11 Emma Navarro stumbled out of contention in the tournament's first two rounds, many heavy-hitters are still in play, including all three 2025 Grand Slam winners: Australian Open champion No. 8 Madison Keys, French Open victor No. 2 Coco Gauff, and newly crowned Wimbledon champ No. 3 Iga Świątek.

Joining Gauff in punching her ticket to Saturday's Round of 16 is fellow US player No. 32 McCartney Kessler, while Keys and several others in the US contingent — No. 4 Jessica Pegula, No. 7 Amanda Anisimova, and No. 116 Caty McNally — will battle to advance from the Round of 32 on Friday.

Other fan favorites are also still in the mix, including Japan's No. 49 Naomi Osaka and the UK's No. 33 Emma Raducanu, while 18-year-old phenom No. 85 Victoria Mboko is impressing as Canada's last-standing contender in play.

Notably sitting out this week is world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, with the 2024 US Open champ prioritizing her mental and physical rest ahead of her title defense.

How to watch the 2025 Canadian Open

The 2025 Canadian Open's Round of 32 continues throughout Friday before the Round of 16 takes the Montréal court on Saturday.

Continuous live coverage of the tournament will are on the Tennis Channel.

Two of the toughest WNBA stars will square off this weekend, as Minnesota Lynx forward and 2024 Defensive Player of the Year Napheesa Collier will battle it out against Las Vegas Aces center and reigning MVP A'ja Wilson in a Saturday showdown.

As the league's top two scorers, the 23.8 points per game put up by Collier will meet the 22.1-point average posted by Wilson for the second time this season, with Saturday's rematch coming just over a week after the Lynx toppled the Aces.

"Our defense is so good…. We just make it hard, and when every shot is hard, eventually it wears a team down, and that's our goal every night," Collier said after Minnesota routed Las Vegas 109-78 last Friday.

With less than two games separating third from sixth place on the league table, the WNBA standings have never been tighter, sending the stakes of this weekend's games through the roof:

• No. 3 Phoenix Mercury vs. No. 5 Atlanta Dream, Friday at 7:30 PM ET (ION): A mere half-game behind the Mercury, the Dream can leapfrog two teams to claim third with a win on Friday, as Phoenix aims to galvanize behind their own MVP candidate Alyssa Thomas.

• No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 7 Las Vegas Aces, Saturday at 3 PM ET (ABC): Facing this season's undisputed top dogs on a two-game winning streak, the Aces will look to blank the Lynx at home in Las Vegas.

• No. 6 Indiana Fever vs. No. 4 Seattle Storm, Sunday at 3 PM ET (ABC): The Fever have remained hot despite the absence of an injured Caitlin Clark, and a Sunday result against the Storm could push Indiana into the league's upper echelon.