The U.S. women’s national team got off to a rough start Sunday, as the squad struggled against Japan’s high press.

In the end, though, Mallory Swanson once again played hero, scoring the game’s only goal right before the half.

“Obviously we knew it’s gonna be different. We knew that we’re gonna see different challenges and there were moments in the game that we got exposed and we were forced inside,” coach Vlatko Andonovski said. “But we made some changes and adjust[ed] our system a little bit. The players had to adjust on the fly and I think that was a very good learning opportunity, a very good moment for us because we were able to solve problems.”

This game’s starting lineup looked different than it did in Thursday’s 2-0 win against Canada. The USWNT coaching staff wanted to see new players but wanted to manage players’ minutes, Andonvovski said.

“Our players are still in preseason mode. They’re not ready for three 90 minute games and that’s why players like Alex or Mal are not finishing the games, otherwise I’m sure with the quality of players that they are, they’ll be playing all the way through,” he said.

“In game three, first thing we’re gonna do, we’re gonna see what the players are that need to be managed from a minute standpoint, hopefully nobody from the medical reason. And then we’re gonna start making decisions in terms of who’s gonna start and how much they’re gonna play.”

Last season's WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark returned to the public eye this week, as the 23-year-old rejoined a new-look Indiana Fever roster for training camp following a purposefully restful offseason stretch.

After going straight from the 2023/24 NCAA championship game into her rookie WNBA season, the 2024 No. 1 draft pick turned down numerous opportunities over the winter break, from the NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest to Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball.

"I'm so used to playing basketball," Clark told reporters inside the Fever's Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Monday. "For basically a year of my life, that's all I did. So the rest was certainly great, and I thought it was going to feel long, it really didn't."

Free from basketball's daily grind, Clark used the down time to focus on strength and conditioning.

"Just getting my body where it needed to be, and really working on things that I needed to work on was super important," Clark said, responding to a recent viral photo of her defined arm muscles.

"It's going to help me offensively, it's going to help me defensively, it's going to help me not get as tired throughout games," she continued. "Even through these two practices, I can certainly feel it."

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Deepened Fever roster hunts first WNBA title in 13 years

Clark enters her sophomore season with a refreshed Fever roster surrounding her — and a marked expectation to build on last year's first-round playoff run.

Now helmed by ex-Connecticut Sun head coach Stephanie White, Indiana's incoming roster highlights include veterans DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, Sydney Colson, and Sophie Cunningham alongside a returning core of Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell.

That new-look lineup, led by Clark, could be a winning formula for the Fever to bring a title back to Indy for the first time since 2012 — a goal that White feels is well within reach.

"As far as teams that I've coached in the W, it's the deepest, most talented roster that I've really been a part of," said White.

The PWHL officially announced Seattle as the league's newest expansion franchise early Wednesday morning, bringing the total number of teams taking the 2025/26 season's ice to eight.

The move comes exactly one week after the second-year league tapped Vancouver as its seventh market, capitalizing on the natural rivalry between the cross-border Pacific Northwest neighbors.

While Seattle's bid was led by Climate Pledge Arena's Oak View Group alongside the NHL's Seattle Kraken, both new teams will fall under the league's single-entity structure, with the Walter Group continuing to operate as the PWHL's sole owner.

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Rising hockey fervor set up Seattle for PWHL bid success

The West Coast ice hockey hubs join the league's original six teams, as demand for women’s hockey continues to escalate throughout North America following the PWHL's 2024 launch.

Minnesota, Toronto, Ottawa, Boston, New York, and Montreal have all seen fanbases grow over the PWHL's first two seasons, in which the league tested interest in additional markets via very successful Takeover Tours across North America.

As for the factors that tipped the scales in the Seattle's favor, the PWHL cites both the city's enthusiastic Takeover Tour turnout — 12,608 fans showed up for this year's January 5th matchup — as well as its long history as a hub for pro women's sports.

"We are looking forward to returning the love, energy, and excitement the Seattle sports community shared with us during the PWHL Takeover Tour," said PWHL EVP of business operations Amy Scheer in the league's announcement.

"It's a joy to have PWHL Seattle join the WNBA's Storm and the NWSL's Reign, who are skyscrapers in the city's towering sports landscape."

With two new teams officially on board, the league next plans to release details regarding both an expansion draft and the roles Seattle and Vancouver will play in June 24th's PWHL Draft in the coming weeks.

Some of the biggest NCAA stars are heading to Arizona to participate in this weekend's 3X Nationals, a three-day tournament to determine USA Basketball's 2025 3×3 champion.

Sixteen four-player women's squads will take the court when the competition tips off on Friday, with top college programs like South Carolina, TCU, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma State, Florida, Richmond, and South Dakota State fielding 3×3 teams alongside pro clubs and other organizations.

"With the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 on the horizon, we are looking forward to welcoming 3×3 players, both veterans and those new to the game, to Mesa to compete in this exciting event that features a unique style of basketball," said USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley.

Played in the FIBA half-court style, the tournament also serves as an evaluation tool for USA Basketball's 3×3 rosters, including the group tapped to represent the US at June's 3×3 World Cup in Mongolia.

While pro players are eligible for roster spots, college talents have often dominated international 3×3 teams, including TCU alum and new Chicago Sky rookie Hailey Van Lith, who earned bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

This weekend's 3X Nationals could see NCAA standouts like Vanderbilt's All-American freshman Mikayla Blakes as well as South Carolina's Joyce Edwards, Tessa Johnson, and Chloe Kitts make cases for future USA Basketball roster spots.

How to watch the USA Basketball 3X Nationals

The 3X Nationals tip off at 6 PM ET on Friday, with the first two days consisting of pool play.

The top two teams in each of the four groups will advance to Sunday's championship bracket, where the quarterfinal round will begin at 1:20 PM ET and the tournament final is expected to take the court at 5:20 PM ET.

All games will stream live on YouTube.

In a bid to return to the Olympic women's beach volleyball podium after failing to medal in Paris last year, Team USA hired three-time Olympic medalist April Ross as the Beach National Teams’ new head of coaching on Monday.

Ross will be responsible for supporting the professional development of all USA beach volleyball national team coaches, with the goal of enhancing training, competition preparedness, and performance prep.

The 42-year-old, who retired from professional play last November, aims to help return the US to the sport's elite echelons following an uncharacteristic 2024 Olympic performance where both USA pairs fell in the tournament's first two knockout rounds.

That Paris podium was the first without a US team since the 2000 Sydney Games.

Despite the uphill climb she faces, Ross is particularly equipped to lead the US contingent, having battled her way to a career-capping gold medal alongside teammate Alix Klineman at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Prior to earning gold, Ross first made the Olympic podium with teammate Jennifer Kessy at the 2012 London Games, snagging silver behind the USA's three-time gold medalists Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh-Jennings — the latter of whom Ross paired up with to take bronze at the 2016 Rio Games.

"April brings a unique combination of elite-level experience, deep technical knowledge, and a passion for mentoring," said USA Volleyball's director of beach national teams Sean Scott. "She's competed at the highest levels and understands what it takes to succeed."

"She is a true champion," echoed USA Volleyball CEO and president John Speraw. "We are confident that her expertise will continue to elevate US beach volleyball on the global stage, especially as we look ahead to LA 2028."