With every week that passes in the NWSL, players on the U.S. women’s national team bubble get a chance to prove their case further for inclusion on the team’s 2023 World Cup roster. USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski has long emphasized the importance of club performance, and players have been responding in the early stages of the 2023 season.

Andonovski himself took in two NWSL matches this past weekend, one in Seattle and one in Portland. The official World Cup roster is expected to be announced in June, and every week is crucial to Andonovski’s final decision-making process.

The games the USWNT head coach saw this weekend featured excellent performances for some and raised question marks for others.

Questions in the back

Not every player penciled onto the current USWNT roster had a weekend to remember as league action resumed. All three of Andonovski’s preferred goalkeepers either suffered losses or did not play in the NWSL’s fourth match day, and a few U.S. defenders also had rough outings.

Chicago Red Stars goalkeeper and longtime USWNT starter Alyssa Naeher conceded five tallies on just five shots on goal in a loss to OL Reign on Saturday. While one strike — a deflected free kick by Megan Rapinoe — was likely outside of the 35-year-old’s grasp, the other four were in the range of being savable. In all, the Reign got on the scoreboard five times on just 1.06 xG, a stat that measures expected goals.

🐟🔒‼️@JessFishlock | @OLReign pic.twitter.com/BzN4IEpLwe

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) April 22, 2023

Chicago’s rough day on defense also included USWNT defenders Tierna Davidson and Casey Krueger, who had a hard time settling in within the Red Stars’ high-risk, three-back system. On the other end, Emily Sonnett again played in the Reign’s defensive midfield and struggled to contain Chicago rookie Ally Schlegel on the sequence that led to the Red Stars’ second goal.

Casey Murphy’s North Carolina Courage also suffered a loss, though in a much closer 1-0 scoreline. Gotham FC emerged from a near two-hour rain delay with renewed purpose, and Lynn Williams scored the game-winner in the 80th minute off an endline run and cross by Yazmeen Ryan. Murphy’s goals conceded so far this season have aligned closely with her xG faced, indicating a return to consistency after an up and down 2022. Adrianna Franch did not play in Kansas City’s 2-0 win over the Orlando Pride.

In better news, Andonovski’s preferred defensive starters looked as steady as ever. Naomi Girma had another excellent match for San Diego in a 2-0 win over Angel City, and Becky Sauerbrunn guided the Portland Thorns to another shutout victory.

Raining goals

In several cases, a defender’s bad day made for an attacker’s dream outing, as USWNT hopefuls once again made waves in front of goal. Williams’ strike was her fourth goal across all competitions this season, matching the total output of any other Gotham forward in 2022. The forward’s signing has immediately boosted the club that finished in last place in 2022 and has further solidified Williams’ value on both the domestic and international stage.

LYNN WILLIAMS SCORES HER 60TH NWSL GOAL 💥 pic.twitter.com/ZqfLuZ9ILJ

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) April 23, 2023

Reigning NWSL MVP Sophia Smith also continued her run of strong form, this time connecting on two assists in Portland’s win over Racing Louisville. Smith now has four goals and four assists in as many regular season matches, becoming the first player to reach both marks in just four games. Smith found Christine Sinclair early in the game to put the Thorns ahead, and then doubled her assist tally with a slick pass to Morgan Weaver to put the game out of reach.

OL Reign’s Megan Rapinoe showcased her value this weekend, putting in her longest performance of 2023 with 45 minutes against the Red Stars. As Rapinoe has progressed from an injury into game shape, her accuracy in dead-ball situations and overall influence over a match have grown. The USWNT veteran won a number of key set-piece opportunities against the Chicago backline in the second half, converting one of those chances outside the box into a deflected goal that put the Reign up 4-2.

Megan Rapinoe's goal celly today was a vibe 😂 pic.twitter.com/DLjelvDaAY

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) April 23, 2023

Important minutes building

For some players, simply spending extensive minutes on the pitch is part of the process. Rapinoe played 15 minutes more on Saturday than in her last game, putting together a full half for the Reign. It was a positive sign for the winger, as she slowly works her way back from a lingering calf injury that had kept her off the field early in 2023.

Another player quietly working her way back to full fitness is Gotham outside back Kelley O’Hara, who played a full 90 minutes this past weekend for the first time in 2023 (albeit with an extensive rain delay). O’Hara hadn’t played a full match since August 2022 while recovering from a hip injury that ended her season early and kept her away from the U.S. until April 2023. O’Hara didn’t play many minutes with the USWNT in her return from injury in April, but her extensive experience combined with stalwart club performances could be just enough to get her on the final roster.

Perhaps the most significant return this weekend was that of Angel City midfielder Julie Ertz, who completed her most extensive performance in almost two years on Sunday. Ertz played in the midfield for 71 minutes, a big jump from the 45 minutes she gave the U.S. on April 11. Ertz looked equally sharp and rusty in her first NWSL match since May 2021, but her fitness shouldn’t be called into question after a durable performance in an end-to-end contest.

Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

With the 2025 NCAA gymnastics season in full swing, top collegiate athletes are already eyeing mid-April's national championship in Fort Worth, Texas.

Unlike elite gymnastics, where difficulty can outweigh execution, the college level values precision over big tricks, so Division I athletes all aim for perfect 10s in their competition performances.

Despite this difference, many of the world's most decorated elite gymnasts also compete in the NCAA. Two-time Olympian Jade Carey is back for her senior season with No. 14 Oregon State while her US teammate in both Tokyo and Paris, Jordan Chiles, is entering her junior year at No. 11 UCLA.

The Bruin, who took the 2024 NCAA season off to prepare for last summer's Olympics, will attempt to reclaim the national titles on uneven bars and floor exercise that she earned in 2023.

Top teams poised for the podium

After earning their first national title last spring, No. 2 LSU is hitting the 2025 mat armed with a stacked roster, headlined by 2024 all-around champion Haleigh Bryant and social media star Livvy Dunne.

Add in last year's freshman phenom Konnor McClain, whose prowess on the balance beam ultimately clinched LSU the NCAA trophy, and 2024 Olympic alternate Kaliya Lincoln, who opened her NCAA career with a 9.825 vault two weeks ago, and the Tigers are more than capable of a back-to-back run.

LSU isn't the only SEC team predicted to make a deep run this season, as the conference is once again flush with perennial contenders.

Elite US stars Kayla DiCello and early Freshman of the Year frontrunner Skye Blakely will join two-time US Olympic alternate Leanne Wong in trying to return No. 7 Florida to the NCAA championship meet. At the same time, new SEC team No. 1 Oklahoma, winner of seven of the last 10 NCAA trophies, could see senior Jordan Bowers de-throne Bryant for the 2025 all-around title.

Also causing early national championship chatter are 2024 finalists No. 5 Cal, who return two of the country's best all-arounders in senior Mya Lauzon and junior eMjae Frazier, and Big Ten champs No. 6 Michigan State, whose veteran-heavy lineup boasts stars Skyla Schulte and Sage Kellerman.

How to watch NCAA gymnastics this weekend

Some of the country's top NCAA gymnasts will take the mat when No. 7 Florida visits No. 2 LSU at 7:30 PM ET on Friday. Live coverage will air on ESPN2.

The NCAA unanimously approved implementing a women's March Madness revenue-sharing plan on Wednesday, aligning the women's side with the compensation program the men’s edition has enjoyed since 1991.

"This is a historic day for women's sports, women's basketball, and the NCAA," said NCAA president Charlie Baker in the college sports governing body's statement. "Today's vote means our members have the opportunity to do even more on campus to promote and support female athletes. I can't wait to see all the incredible things they do."

Sparked by 2021's landmark NCAA gender equity review, the decision ultimately actualized after years of pressure from administrators and coaches.

"The long-awaited, hard fought for, and well-earned day is here," said UNC coach and Women's Basketball Coaches Association president Courtney Banghart. "I am so grateful for the effort of so many to bring this reality to our sport."

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Deep March Madness runs earn more revenue

Beginning this year, each team competing in the Division I tournament will now receive performance-based units of revenue, with deeper runs earning more units.

With plans to grow the prize pool to $25 million by 2028, this year's inaugural $15 million purse represents 26% of the competition's $65 million media rights valuation — putting it proportionally on par with the percentage allocated to the men's fund.

Distributions will begin in 2026 and, like the men’s program, they will be paid directly to conferences, whose member schools will collectively decide how to best invest the unrestricted funds.

For the 2025 edition, a unit will reportedly be worth $113,636. According to ESPN's calculations, a Final Four team could amass approximately $1.26 million for its conference over the next three years.

With conferences and schools set for an influx of funds should their teams flourish at the national tournament, the revenue plan becomes a significant incentive for institutions to further invest in women's basketball.

Ultimately, the NCAA's move not only addresses the sport's equity disparity, it could also bolster the annual tournament's level of competition.

Unrivaled basketball hits the court for the first time on Friday and, according to ESPN, the debut league's style of play will look a little different from the 3×3 Olympic game's rules.

Unlike the half-court version currently played in major international 3x3 basketball competitions, Unrivaled's full-court edition uses slightly smaller court dimensions from a traditional 5×5 setup.

Similarly, the inaugural league's format follows a four-quarter setup, but opts for seven-minute periods rather than the WNBA's 10-minute quarters. The shot clock will also be a speedier 18 seconds versus the professional 5×5 game's 24 seconds.

Unrivaled victories, however, rest solely in fourth-quarter play. This "winning score" quarter denotes that the win goes to the first team to score 11 more points than the highest final third-quarter score. For example, if a game's third quarter ends with a 45-43 scoreline, the first team to post the target score of 56 points in the final period walks away with the victory.

This system essentially eliminates the possibility of overtime. League organizers also hope it deters the late-game fouls used strategically and prolifically in 5×5 contests.

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Unrivaled 3×3 format revamps fouls

Speaking of fouls, Unrivaled is also condensing the free throw system to keep the game moving. Each player has six fouls to give, but each shooting foul will earn a single free throw at the line.

Those awarded free throws, however, will contain different point opportunities depending on the foul incurred. Fouled two-point shots grant a single free throw worth two points, while a free throw awarded from a three-point attempt will be worth three. All and-ones are worth one point.

With six players rostered on each of Unrivaled's six teams, the league also tweaked the traditional rule of fouling out to ensure games can be completed should they become especially chippy. If an athlete fouls out with only three available players left on their team, that player can continue competing. She will instead incur a technical foul — resulting in one opponent free throw — for each additional foul.

The new league's rules all point to Unrivaled's efforts to put an engaging, fast product on the court.

"This game is rooted in how you would play basketball as a kid on a black top," Unrivaled president of basketball operations Luke Cooper told ESPN's Kendra Andrews on Tuesday. "There's flow, there's pace. When you are watching, it feels like you are watching basketball... it's not a gimmick."

The WNBA free agency carousel started spinning this week, with teams evaluating rosters and coring athletes to either retain talent or trade players for a return.

Thus far, cored players include Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum, New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart, Dallas Wings forward Satou Sabally, and Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams.

Squads employ single-use coring on WNBA stars

Each of the WNBA's teams can core one unrestricted free agent on their roster, ensuring them exclusive rights to that cored athlete. Cored players receive an offer for a one-year, supermax salary contract, along with the option to negotiate different terms.

Cored athletes are unable to directly sign with another franchise, but they can be part of a trade offer by their coring team.

New York cored Stewart after she expressed interest in remaining with her 2024 WNBA Championship-winning squad. Sabally, on the other hand, will likely be part of a sign-and-trade deal after telling media late last week that she is looking to leave Dallas in 2025.

Plum's situation with the Aces is less clear-cut: The two-time WNBA champion could re-sign with her team, though Las Vegas could be exploring opportunities to cash in should she want to compete elsewhere.

Other offers spark WNBA free agent negotiations

In addition to coring, WNBA teams have also begun sending qualifying offers to certain restricted free agents, allowing them to initiate negotiations with those players.

Most notably, despite making Monday offers to three players — guard Dana Evans, forward Michaela Onyenwere, and forward Nikolina Milić — Chicago has yet to extend a qualifying offer to the Sky's 2024 points-leader Chennedy Carter.

Ultimately, while negotiations kick off next week, WNBA contracts cannot be finalized until free agency revs up in February, meaning more shuffling is on deck as teams gear up for the longest and most competitive roster-building season in recent memory.