The 2023 SheBelieves Cup kicks off on Thursday. The friendly tournament is a key tune-up for the U.S. women’s national team before the World Cup begins in July.

What is the team’s schedule?

• USA vs. Canada: Thursday, Feb. 16 @ 7 p.m. on HBO Max
• USA vs. Japan: Sunday, Feb. 19 @ 3:30 p.m. on TNT and HBO Max
• USA vs. Brazil: Wednesday, Feb. 22 @ 7 p.m. on TNT and HBO Max

Four of the world's top nations battle for hardware at the 2023 #SheBelievesCup, presented by @Visa 🏆

USA 🇺🇸
Canada 🇨🇦
Japan 🇯🇵
Brazil 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/3AlGhAnRTZ

— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) February 9, 2023

What are the top storylines?

1. The Canadian women’s national team attempted to go on strike this weekend over budget cuts, equal pay grievances and lack of support from Canada Soccer. But Canada Soccer deemed the strike unlawful and threatened legal action, forcing the players to participate in SheBelieves Cup, which begins with Canada’s matchup against the USWNT. Given the history of support between the two teams (Alex Morgan and Becky Sauerbrunn voiced their support for Canada on Saturday), expect there to be some form of protest before or during the game.

2. With this being one of the primary tune-up tournaments before the U.S. heads to the World Cup, it’s likely that the players coach Vlatko Andonovski takes to the SheBelieves Cup will be close to the final roster, barring players returning from injury. Some players will look to cement their place on the roster, such as 20-year-old forward Trinity Rodman, while the schedule of three games over seven days will help prepare the team for the workload at the World Cup.

3. While the USWNT remains the top team in the world, their run of three straight losses against England, Spain and Germany in October showed that they’re not infallible. This year’s SheBelieves Cup field features three teams in the top 15 of the world rankings. Canada returns top talent from its 2021 Olympic-winning team, such as forward Janine Beckie, midfielder Julia Grosso and goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan. Brazil brings several NWSL stars, headlined by Debinha, one of the best players in the NWSL, and Marta, one of the best to ever play the game in Marta. Japan historically gives the USWNT tough games. As a result, this is one of the best tests the USWNT could face ahead of their trip down under in July.

Who are players to watch?

Mallory Swanson has started off the year with a bang, scoring twice in the team’s opener against New Zealand and again in the second friendly of their international trip in January. It was the type of performance the team needed in the first game, as they struggled to score against a depleted New Zealand team.

Lynn Williams has had a successful return to the pitch, scoring a goal against New Zealand mere minutes after subbing into her first game since last February. The 29-year-old forward had spent almost all of the past year recovering from a hamstring injury.

“[Williams’] road to recovery has been pretty incredible to watch, and just to see her come in and make an impact and score a goal goes to show what a great player she is,” Swanson told The Athletic.

As Williams settles back into the USWNT, look for her to continue to contribute. With 15 goals and 11 assists through 49 career international appearances, Williams can find a groove no matter where she is on the pitch.

Elsewhere on the field, Taylor Kornieck will continue to adapt to the six position in the midfield, an experiment by Andonovski that has received mixed reactions. Given Kornieck’s 6-foot-1 height and abilities, Wave head coach Casey Stoney has said that playing her as an isolated six would mean “taking away her strengths,” but she’s interested to see how it plays out.

“I’m sure Vlatko will give her that information and give her the best chance to be successful,” Stoney said. “I’m interested to see how she gets on in there. She’s so coachable, and she wants to do well, so I’m sure she’ll go in there and be successful.”

Cameron Brink already has her rookie of the year pick for the upcoming WNBA season, and it’s Indiana-bound star Caitlin Clark. 

In the latest edition of Kelley on the Street, host Kelley O'Hara caught up with Brink in New York hours before the Stanford phenom went No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks at the 2024 WNBA Draft. When O’Hara asked who would win the WNBA's rookie of the year, she answered without pause.

"Caitlin Clark," she said, while a fan commented that she thought Brink would take home the award. Brink later added that the extra foul granted to WNBA players will be "good for me."

"I hope it’s me," Charisma Osborne, who was later drafted by the Phoenix Mercury, said when asked her ROY prediction. "But, I don’t know — we’ll see."

Watch more of Kelley on the Street:

Maria Sanchez issued a statement on Thursday, confirming recent reports that she has requested a trade from the Houston Dash. 

In it, she revealed that the club has been aware of the request "since late March."

"This has all taken a toll and isn’t an easy thing to talk about, but I want to confirm that I’ve requested an immediate trade," she wrote. "My expectations and reasons have been clear. I trust that my current club’s management will honor my decision in a timely manner and proceed with accepting a trade."

"I’m eager to refocus and dive back into what I love most: playing football," she concluded.

Thank you, everyone, for the outpouring of kindness and support. pic.twitter.com/gcnN7dhCJU

— Maria Sanchez (@Maria17_7) April 19, 2024

Reports of Sanchez's trade request first surfaced on ESPN last week, and were later confirmed by multiple sources. 

In December of last year, Sanchez signed a three-year contract with the Dash valued at $1.5 million including bonuses and an option year. It was the largest contract in NWSL history at the time — a figure that would be eclipsed by multiple contracts in the following months. 

Sanchez spent the offseason as a restricted free agent, meaning that Houston could match any other team's offer to retain her rights. Should the Dash trade Sanchez, her current contract terms would remain intact, limiting potential buyers to teams able to afford to take on an inking of that size.

The Dash has yet to address the trade, instead reiterating to ESPN that Sanchez is "under contract, a choice she made in free agency at the end of 2023." 

Both the NWSL trade window and transfer window close tonight, April 19th, at 12 a.m. ET. The window will stay closed through the next 11 regular season games, reopening on August 1st, 2024.

The four-time league champion Seattle Storm unveiled their new practice facility on Thursday, with Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel dubbing Interbay's Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance the team’s "new home."

"It's just such a special space," Brummel told Fox 13 Seattle. "I think when the players get here, it's gonna be overwhelming."

The sprawling 50,000-square-foot, $64 million property is just the second designated practice facility to be designed and built expressly for a WNBA team, with the Storm further noting that 85% of all design and engineering team members involved in the project's construction were women and people of color. The finished product holds two professional indoor courts, two 3x3 outdoor courts, a state-of-the-art locker room, and players' lounge, plus designated areas for strength and conditioning, kitchen, dining, and nutrition, and recovery. 

"This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance," said Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder in an official team release. "It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports."

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For their part, the team can't wait to make the faciilty their own.

"It's amazing," Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Fox 13. "Not having to drive everywhere around, knowing you have access anytime of the day to get into the gym, to workout." 

Head coach Noelle Quinn said she predicts the team is "never going to leave this building."

"Which is a good thing for me," she continued. "You talk about having an edge in performance. We want our athletes to not only perform on the court, but get whatever they need."

All of the Storm's staff and operations will now live under one roof, and the team also has plans to launch a youth basketball program operating out of the building.

The Caitlin Clark effect is quickly making its mark on the big leagues, as WNBA host teams around the country rush to upgrade their Fever games to larger arenas in order to accommodate surging ticket sales.

With Clark mere weeks away from her Indiana Fever debut, both the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have officially relocated their scheduled home games with head coach Christie Sides' squad. On Thursday, the Mystics became the latest to adjust their plans, moving their June 7th matchup from Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southwest DC to the more centrally located — and much larger — Capital One Arena "due to unprecedented demand."

The Mystics home court's capacity taps out at 4,200, while Capital One Arena — home to the Wizards, Capitals, and Georgetown Hoya's Men's Basketball — can fit nearly five times that crowd at some 20,000 spectators.

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"The move to Capital One Arena will allow for additional fans in the stands as well as premium hospitality options, including Suites and the all-new all-inclusive courtside Hennessy Lofts," the team announced via Thursday's press release.

The Aces were one of the first teams to switch venues, aiming to take on the Indiana Fever in front of as many as 20,000 fans inside T-Mobile Arena on July 2nd. That’s a sizable a boost from their home venue, which holds just 12,000.

For those still planning to face the Fever in their home arenas, ticket prices have skyrocketed. Previously scheduled construction has already forced the LA Sparks to relocate their first five games — including their May 24th clash with the Fever — to Long Beach State's Walter Pyramid. The temporary venue is quite the downsize, holding just 4,000 in comparison to Crypto.com Arena's near-19,000. As of Friday, the get-in price for that game started around $400.

Despite fans launching a Change.org petition urging relocation, the Chicago Sky say they're unable to move their June 23rd Fever meeting from Wintrust Arena's 10,000-seat facility to the 23,500-seat United Center due to a concert. Tickets for that game start around $325 as of Friday.