The USWNT's record remains perfect after two matches of Olympic group play, taking down Germany 4-1 on Sunday in a performance that put the rest of the field on notice.

Sophia Smith scored a brace while Mallory Swanson and substitute Lynn Williams added individual tallies to give the US their biggest win over Germany since 2010.

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USWNT set to advance to Olympic knockouts

The win guarantees the USWNT a place in the quarterfinals with one group stage match still to play, a feat only mirrored by reigning world champions Spain after a wild second day of Olympic women's soccer action.

A win or a draw against Australia on Wednesday would see the US finish atop Group B, though the team's +6 goal differential could also land them in first even if they lose. Along with their goal differential, the USWNT leads the field in scoring with seven goals in their first two matches.

Rising above European soccer expectations

The US entered Sunday as a slight underdog, facing a higher-rated team in the FIFA rankings for the first time since 2015. However, the US found the back of the net first on a well-worked attacking sequence that featured a goal by Smith, an assist by Trinity Rodman, and a savvy dummy move by Swanson.

Germany then equalized on a nicely orchestrated strike from outside the box by Giulia Gwinn, but the US piled on the goals to end the half. Swanson scored on a ball deflected by German keeper Ann-Katrin Berger, and Smith benefitted from a heavy deflection just before halftime to make it 3-1.

The US managed to keep the momentum flowing through the second half, an effort punctuated by Williams's second career Olympic goal in the 89th minute.

Elsewhere in the Olympic soccer tournament

Colombia leads on goal differential in Group A after defeating New Zealand 2-0, while embattled defending gold medalists Canada kept their Olympic dreams alive with a dramatic 2-1 victory over host country France.

Japan bolstered their hopes of advancing from Group C with a comeback 2-1 win over Brazil, while Spain took hold of their destiny with a 1-0 win over Nigeria.

Australia notched a four-goal comeback to win a wild match against Zambia 6-5, one that saw Zambia striker Barbra Banda become the all-time leader in Olympic women's soccer hat tricks with her third.

Who does the USWNT play next?

Next up, the US squares off against Australia on Wednesday, July 31st at 1 PM ET, with live coverage across NBC networks.

The New York Liberty reportedly landed a boss, with multiple sources linking longtime Golden State Warriors assistant coach Chris DeMarco to the 2024 WNBA champions' head coaching vacancy late last week.

After first joining the Warriors as an intern in 2012, the 40-year-old worked through the Golden State ranks to serve in both an assistant and player development capacity for the NBA side.

Exiting as as front-of-bench assistant, DeMarco aided the team to an impressive four NBA championships (2015, 2017, 2018, 2022) during his tenure.

DeMarco also has experience on the international sideline, leading the Bahama men's national team from June 2019 until August 2025.

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Recent WNBA hiring trends have favored NBA vets, with Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Alex Sarama recently named head coach of 2026 expansion side Portland while Seattle tapped former Memphis Grizzlies assistant Sonia Raman as the Storm's new sideline leader.

According to ESPN, additional top candidates for the New York Liberty opening vacated by now-Toronto Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello included Toronto Raptors assistant Jama Mahlalela, ex-Brooklyn Nets and current Charlotte Hornets assistant Will Weaver, and former assistant to the NBA's Washington Wizards and Dallas Mavericks Kristi Toliver, the current associate head coach for the Phoenix Mercury.

As all but two Liberty players enter free agency, New York is aiming to keep stars like Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and Sabrina Ionescu on its roster — with the hiring of DeMarco potentially playing game-changer in some of those contract negotiations.

ESPN reported that Bay Area product Ionescu apparently reached out to Golden State Warriors icon Steph Curry to ask about DeMarco as part of the hiring process.

Dallas has once again jumped to the front of the line, as the Wings locked down the No. 1 overall pick at the 2026 WNBA Draft, scoring the top draft selection for the second straight year at Sunday's lottery.

The Wings selected UConn star guard Paige Bueckers with last year's No. 1 pick, with the NCAA champion going on to win 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year.

"We've got an exciting young group, and we really bond together," said Dallas Wings forward and 2023's overall No. 3 draftee Maddy Siegrist. "I'm excited to bring someone else in."

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In the rest of Sunday night's 2026 lottery results, the league's rich got richer, with 2025 WNBA playoff contenders the Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm claiming the No. 2 and No. 3 picks, respectively, after both teams gained draft assets via trades.

The Washington Mystics will boost their already impressive young roster with the fourth draft pick in April, while the Chicago Sky snagged the fifth and final lottery spot on Sunday.

With 2026 WNBA season expanding to 15 teams, the league's two incoming expansion sides — the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire — will select in the Nos. 6 and 7 spots.

As for the 2026 class, top NCAA prospects including UConn guard Azzi Fudd, UCLA center Lauren Betts, and TCU guard Olivia Miles — as well as international star Awa Fam from Spain — are likely to earn early selections in April's WNBA Draft.

The first Top 10 classic of the 2025/26 NCAA basketball season delivered on Friday, as No. 1 UConn survived No. 6 Michigan 72-69 — just barely keeping their unbeaten streak alive.

Guards on both sides stood out, with Husky senior Azzi Fudd scoring a game-high 31 points while Wolverine sophomore Syla Swords put UConn on notice with 29 points of her own.

"Those are two of the best shooters in the country playing tonight against each other," Huskies boss Geno Auriemma said postgame. "They both put on quite a show."

UConn started strong in the first half, but a dominant third quarter from the Wolverines saw the Huskies' 17-point lead dwindle before Fudd got hot from behind the arc.

"I was proud how we stuck together, and we figured it out in the end," Fudd said afterwards.

While defending national champ UConn remains on top of the early 2025/26 NCAA field, the star is rising for Michigan and their 5-1 record, as the Wolverines jumped eight spots in last week's AP Poll — with another leap possible when the rankings update on Monday afternoon.

Elsewhere, the weekend's lineup featured a few other successful upset bids, with No. 24 Notre Dame taking down No. 11 USC 61-59 behind a gritty 22-point performance from Irish star guard Hannah Hidalgo on Friday and unranked mid-major Rhode Island stunning No. 16 NC State with a 68-63 Wolfpack loss on Sunday.

With two games left on their 2025 docket, the USWNT is already setting sights on 2026, announcing two friendlies as part of the team's January training camp.

The world No. 2 US will first kick off against No. 41 Paraguay on Saturday, January 24th, before taking on a still-unknown opponent on Tuesday, January 27th.

"I was pleased with the progress we made as a team in 2025, but we still have a ways to go to get to where we want to be heading into the Concacaf W Championship in the fall," said USWNT manager Emma Hayes.

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The US will honor two-time World Cup winner Christen Press in a pre-game ceremony before the January 24th showdown, celebrating the longtime USWNT star's recent pro soccer retirement.

Press's hometown of Los Angeles will play host, as the team takes over MLS side LA Galaxy's Dignity Health Sports Park, with the first 2,000 fans taking home a commemorative CP23 bobblehead.

"January camp is a vitally important part of our yearly schedule, especially with 2026 being a year that will host World Cup qualifying," Hayes continued. "We don't get many training days together during any given year, so there is a high value in getting a whole week of training as well as two matches."

How to buy tickets to the January 2026 USWNT friendlies

Though a myriad of presale opportunities are currently available, tickets to both January 2026 friendlies will go on sale to the general public on Tuesday.

Tickets will drop at 1 PM ET online.