The Washington Spirit are building out their 2025 roster with an international slant, signing Mexico and CF Monterrey captain Rebeca Bernal to a three-year deal on Tuesday.

Across her eight seasons with the top-flight Liga MX Femenil squad, Bernal has helped CF Monterrey to four titles and scored an impressive 65 goals as a defender.

"Rebeca is an exceptional talent in both the defending and attacking phases of the game," said Spirit GM and president of soccer operations Mark Krikorian in a team statement. "We expect her dynamic style of play to provide an immediate impact as we kick off this season with high expectations."

Spirit stacks roster with international stars

With Tuesday's signing, Bernal joins eight other players now occupying the Spirit’s allotted international slots. Fellow global newcomers to Washington's roster include Japan midfielder Narumi Miura, Nigeria midfielder Deborah Abiodun, Brazil forward Tamara Bolt, and Uganda defender Shadia Nankya.

Last season, the 2024 NWSL Championship runners-up saw success by relying on a mix of USWNT stars like Trinity Rodman and Croix Bethune and key global talent like Colombia midfielder Leicy Santos, and forwards Rosemonde Kouassi and Ouleye Sarr, who hail from the Côte d'Ivoire and France, respectively.

Washington also looked abroad to fill their head coaching vacancy, with Spanish leader Jonatan Giráldez joining the Spirit midseason. Giráldez finished his decorated run with FC Barcelona by completing an elusive Quadruple — winning the UEFA Women's Champions League, Copa de la Reina, Supercopa, and Liga F in his final 2023/24 season.

Washington's global strategy begins at the top

Setting the tone for the increasingly international club is Spirit owner Michele Kang, who has similarly expanded her soccer portfolio beyond US borders by purchasing controlling interests in France's Olympique Lyonnais and second-tier UK team London City in recent years.

Kang has further banked on growing the global game by launching Kynisca Sports last July, creating the first international multi-team women's football organization of its kind.

All in all, with the elimination of the NWSL draft as well as soccer's rising parity around the world, domestic teams are pulling from a wider player pool. Following last season’s finish, the Washington Spirit appear to be betting on a modern, global philosophy to push them atop the NWSL in 2025.

Montréal Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin has won the 2024/25 PWHL Billie Jean King MVP award, the league announced at its end-of-season ceremony on Wednesday.

Poulin beat out Toronto Sceptres defender Renata Fast and former Boston Fleet forward Hilary Knight for the honor, becoming the PWHL's first-ever two-time MVP finalist in the process.

The prolific forward never saw three straight games without a point this season, leading the league in scoring with 19 goals on the season — a tally that comprised an impressive 25.7% of Montréal's 2024/25 goals.

The awards cap a banner year for the Canadian national, who also picked up 2025 IIHF Player of the Year as well as MVP honors at April's IIHF Women's World Championship.

Wednesday's win also keeps the PWHL MVP award in Canada, with Poulin joining inaugural winner and Toronto Sceptres forward Natalie Spooner as the league's first two top individual honorees.

Along with her MVP trophy, the 34-year-old also snagged this season's Forward of the Year honor, while Fast scored the PWHL Defender of the Year title.

Montréal ultimately claimed the most hardware of the night, with manager Kori Cheverie taking home the season's Coach of the Year title while Poulin's Victoire teammate Ann-Renée Desbiens earned the Goaltender of the Year award.

As for the 2024/25 season's best debutant, last year's No. 1 draftee Sarah Fillier snagged the Rookie of the Year title following a stellar first pro season with the New York Sirens.

Incoming NWSL expansion side Boston Legacy FC announced the hiring of the club's first-ever head coach on Wednesday, tapping Benfica manager Filipa Patão ahead of the team's inaugural 2026 season.

"I'm very excited about going to Boston. I can't wait to get to the city, meet all the people and start working," said Patão, who will join the front office in July to help build the Legacy's roster.

Patão has helmed Benfica since 2020, amassing a 156-28-15 W-L-D record across all competitions, including leading the team to the 2023/24 Champions League quarterfinals — the best finish of any Portuguese club in UWCL history.

"Boston is a club where we want to develop both technical identity and have a clear style of play, but also we want a coach who thinks about more than just winning games," said incoming Boston GM Domè Guasch in a team statement. "Filipa is a coach I believe can help us build a great culture where players understand they will come here to grow and learn."

Patão adds to the Legacy's increasingly European front office, following the likes of Guasch, who joined from FC Barcelona.

"The American league is extremely competitive and that's one of the reasons I accepted this project," Patão said. "I like competition, difficulty, and getting the players to strive for more and better."

Her penchant for developing players as well as her will to win are two reasons that Legacy controlling owner Jennifer Epstein says made Patão a perfect fit for Boston.

"Filipa demonstrates all of the qualities that personify this club and the way we want to play: with passion, grit, and style," said Epstein.

"We can’t wait to watch her build Boston's next championship team."

The world No. 1 USWNT takes the pitch against No. 25 Ireland on Thursday night, kicking off a three-friendly stretch that spans two games against the Girls in Green in Colorado and Ohio before a Washington, DC, clash against regional rivals No. 8 Canada.

"We're largely inexperienced and still learning with everything that we're looking to do, but this team, they are fast learners," US head coach Emma Hayes told media earlier this week.

After Hayes decided to give nearly all her Europe-based players a break during this international window, the USWNT enters this stretch of friendlies without a number of first-choice starters, giving young bubble players perhaps their last chance to impress.

Next week's bout with Canada will be the USWNT's last match opportunity until October's international window — the second-to-last break of 2025.

"We're at the stage where we are determining the criteria for 2027 and what that looks like," said Hayes. "From October onwards, I would say that extended pool will be the group that we will build towards 2027 with."

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Notably, Thursday's lineup could feature a boost from previously injured 2024 Olympians Rose Lavelle and Croix Bethune, with the veteran Lavelle also stepping into a newly elevated leadership role on the team.

"I had a lot of really great older players to look up to to help usher me into the position where I now can be that for the younger players, so it's definitely something that I lean into," Lavelle said on Wednesday.

How to watch the USWNT vs. Ireland on Thursday

The No. 1 USWNT will kick off their first friendly against No. 25 Ireland at 9 PM ET on Thursday, with live coverage airing on TBS.

The Indiana Fever waived their splashiest offseason signing, two-time WNBA champion DeWanna Bonner, at her request on Wednesday.

The the 37-year-old missed the last five games due to personal reasons, with recent reports alluding to the six-time All-Star's desire to sever her Fever contract.

"Despite our shared goals and excitement heading into the season, I felt the fit did not work out and I appreciate the organization's willingness to grant my request to move on, particularly at this point in my career," Bonner said in a statement.

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After bringing on key additions like Bonner, Natasha Howard, and Sophie Cunningham, the Fever were projected to take a serious leap forward under new Indiana head coach Stephanie White this season.

Unfortunately, Indiana has encountered multiple snags, with franchise player Caitlin Clark sidelined for weeks with a quad strain while White missed several games for personal reasons.

The Fever currently sit eighth in the WNBA standings with a 7-7 record, as Clark battles through a slump that saw her average just 26.5% from the field in her last three games.

She'll ride the bench again on Thursday night, as the superstar guard manages a groin injury.

To fill the gaps, Indiana signed Aari McDonald to a rest-of-season contract this week, rewarding the point guard for her strong performances in Clark's absence.

As for Bonner, she has 48 hours to clear the waiver wire, as some reports link her to a veteran minimum contract with the Phoenix Mercury for the remainder of the 2025 WNBA season.

How to watch the Indiana Fever in Thursday's WNBA lineup

The Indiana Fever will try to turn things around against the LA Sparks at 7 PM ET on Thursday night.

Live coverage of the game will air on Prime.