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What went wrong for the USWNT at the Tokyo Olympics

Carli Lloyd reacts after the USWNT’s loss to Canada in the semifinals on Monday. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Even before the United States women’s national team suffered its first loss to Canada since 2001 in Monday’s Olympic semifinal, the No. 1 team in the world did not look like itself. From their first group-stage game against Sweden, resulting in a 3-0 defeat, the players struggled to string simple passes together, defend cohesively and score in the run of play. Their performance was especially jarring since the USWNT hadn’t lost a match before that since 2019.

The USWNT still has a shot at a medal in the third-place match against Australia on Thursday, but that hasn’t stopped the questions of what exactly went wrong for the gold-medal favorites.

It’s hard to diagnose the crux of the problem just one day removed from the semifinal; the players themselves aren’t even sure what led to them underachieving in Tokyo. What we do know is that the U.S. looked nervous and tense, lacking their usual freedom and joy on the pitch.

So for now, let’s evaluate a combination of factors that might have sent the USWNT down the path toward the bronze-medal match.

They might have been burnt out

The U.S. coaching staff intentionally placed the players in hot and humid conditions before they left for Tokyo.

The Summer Series in Houston in June was meant to replicate the brutal Olympic tournament schedule, with the games played in oppressive heat and on quick turnarounds. During the Send-Off Series in July, the team went through heat training at the University of Connecticut. The sessions were intended to regulate the players’ body temperatures and ensure they were acclimated to playing with a high heart rate for an extended period of time in the intense Japanese summer.

The USWNT went through those preparations to give themselves an edge at the Olympics. But while heat training can be useful to know what it feels like to ask that much of your body, overworking yourself can also exacerbate the problem.

As Megan Rapinoe told me before the team left for Tokyo, “That [Summer Series] camp was really difficult, and obviously the roster was being [chosen], I think just stress was in the air. We were in Houston most of the time. It was hot, it was in the middle of our [club] season. So it just felt a little like, whoa, and we’re in this bubble.”

Rapinoe described better spirits during the Send-Off Series, but Becky Sauerbrunn alluded to a more business-like approach in Hartford that might have haunted the USWNT later.

“I don’t think it’s really a relief,” she said. “Now it’s, ‘OK, what’s the work that needs to be done in order for us to be successful at the Olympics?’ It’s more like, ‘OK, one step down, 5,000 more to go.'”

Most USWNT players were in the middle of their NWSL seasons when they took off for Tokyo, only adding to their exertion in the months leading up to the Games. It all amounted to the players not looking like they had enough in the tank to influence matches in the way they’ve been used to in the past.

They might have been over-coached

Much has been made of second-year head coach Vlatko Andonovski’s hyper-pragmatism during this Olympic campaign, and whether it came at the cost of the team’s identity. After setting a tone in previous friendlies as a formidable pressing team, Andonovski had his team sit in a low block in their final group-stage match against Australia, and the players clearly struggled with it.

In both knockout-stage games, Andonovski also made complete three-player line changes in the attack. Subbing out tired players for fresh legs makes sense, but the style of the substitutions seemed to ignore who was playing well in that moment, thus stifling momentum. A team that normally prides itself on fluidity often looked like it didn’t know the right spaces to run into or the right passes to make.

In the Jill Ellis era, the USWNT operated with something of an A-team/B-team structure, where proven starters were given the biggest responsibilities in the most important games. Andonovski took a different approach in Tokyo, rotating his center backs in and out of the gameday 18 every time they hit 180 minutes played, and never settling on a front three. He did, however, rely heavily on some players and left quite a few on the bench. On the defensive wings, for example, Kelley O’Hara and Crystal Dunn were tasked with covering both for their teammates in front of them and for the center backs who occasionally got lost in transition.

The problems only worsened when the USWNT went down a goal to Sweden and Canada and fell into “Route One Football,” with the center backs lofting long balls toward the attack or wingers sending crosses into the box to no one in particular. Despite the team’s calculated approach, the players lost their composure too easily when the games weren’t going their way.

As a result, the USWNT’s margin of error was so thin that two saved penalties against the Netherlands sent them to the semifinals and a conceded penalty in the 75th minute of the match against Canada had the opposite effect, ending their hopes of a gold medal.

The roster might have been ill-balanced and out of form

When Andonovski announced his 18-player roster (plus four alternates) for the Tokyo Olympics, the overall health and age of the players selected caused concern. Julie Ertz and Tobin Heath were both coming back from injuries, and the team went into the tournament with by far the oldest roster, betting on experience over fresher legs. That strategy worked against less developed competition in the run-up to the Olympics, but when it came to their biggest tests against the Netherlands, Canada and Sweden, the USWNT went with a slightly different roster and a more aggressive tactical approach.

Ertz recovered rather quickly, which proved critical after Lindsey Horan’s performance in the No. 6 spot against Sweden left much to be desired. Heath also looked fit enough to hold onto her spot.

What the team couldn’t have planned for, however, were the other underachieving players on every positional line. Abby Dahlkemper struggled in multiple games to account for where she was in space. Sam Mewis and Rose Lavelle each had spells where they simply could not retain possession in the midfield. And the forwards, outside of Lynn Williams and Christen Press, had a hard time finding each other in front of goal. Andonovski deserves criticism for sticking with an aging roster, especially with the extra year between the World Cup and the Olympics, but it’s unclear whether even he could have anticipated the sudden dip in form across the lineup.

Another unanswered question is why Andonovski didn’t extend much playing time to role players on the roster — considered by many to be the deepest in the world — when the starters were struggling. Emily Sonnett started just one game, the team’s easiest in the group stage against New Zealand, despite the USWNT’s troubles at the right and center back positions. Catarina Macario and Kristie Mewis were given very little time in the midfield, and Casey Krueger was only brought in to relieve Crystal Dunn at outside back once.

It’s not unreasonable to stick with your veterans when the going gets tough, but it’s also fair to question how defined the roles on the outer rim of the roster actually were.

The team’s mentality might have gotten lost

From the first whistle of the Sweden match, the USWNT looked uncharacteristically listless and overwhelmed. Against New Zealand, they occasionally looked frantic. Against the Netherlands, they could only put their opponent on their heels in select parts of the first half. Against Canada, they looked mentally and physically exhausted.

This element of the team’s struggles in Tokyo is the most difficult to diagnose from the outside. Any of the factors listed above could have contributed to the mental shift, or they could be completely unrelated.

These Olympic Games have been cruel to the favorites in almost every sport — gymnastics, tennis, swimming, etc. The players and coaches have had to deal with the crushing pressure of expectations combined with strict quarantining protocols and no in-person support from family, friends and fans. The past year took a toll on everyone in different ways, and it’s possible athletes didn’t realize how much they were struggling until the tournament actually began.

Internal pressures can also get in the way of focus. For the USWNT, those might have included the desire to send so many iconic players into retirement on a high note, divisions within the team about issues of social justice and the running lawsuit with the U.S. Soccer Federation. We’ve seen time and time again how the intense desire to succeed can actually get in the way of doing just that. After all, the USWNT players — despite their fearsome reputation — are human.

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Rose Lavelle was consistently challenged in the midfield during the Olympics. (Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Winning the Olympics in soccer might be really hard

This factor might come with the most controversy of all.

A number of quality teams participated in this Olympic tournament, each with a distinct personality and tactical plan. The Netherlands scored at will, Japan passed rings around opponents and Sweden disrupted teams in the midfield to send waves of pressure toward goal. Australia never quit, Brazil was ready for both scoreless grinds and shootouts and Canada relied on its fundamentals.

The idea that the rest of the world is catching up to the U.S. isn’t new, and it’s still hard to tell if this tournament was more evidence of that argument. What is clear is the USWNT played far below its own standard in Tokyo and still came close to squeaking into the gold-medal match.

Knockout-round soccer is exciting for a reason — the ball will take weird bounces, officials will make controversial calls, players will step up in miraculous ways, injuries will arise. It’s fair for fans of the USWNT to take a hard look at all the ways the team underachieved in Tokyo, but it also doesn’t do the other teams justice to assume the USWNT’s success is entirely in its own control.

As disappointed as U.S. fans might be by the team’s performance, the fact the USWNT can’t coast into the gold-medal game is a good sign for the sport. And if the U.S. does win bronze despite its struggles, that’s a feat worth celebrating.

If anything, the Olympics have served as a wake-up call for the USWNT, which could set them on the right path to the 2023 World Cup. Those in charge will evaluate the issues that need fixing and discard what doesn’t serve them, while the team will try to come home with some hardware. Then, the task of getting better starts all over again.

South Carolina Coach Dawn Staley Signs Blockbuster Contract Extension

South Carolina basketball coach Dawn Staley celebrates a win.
Dawn Staley is now the highest-paid coach in women's college basketball. (Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

South Carolina boss Dawn Staley became the highest-paid coach in women's college basketball history on Friday, when the three-time national champion inked a contract extension worth over $25 million to remain with the Gamecocks.

At an annual salary of $4 million — plus a $500,000 signing bonus and a yearly $250,000 escalator — the deal locks in Staley through the 2029/30 season.

A significant bump from her previous $3.2 million annual payday, the new contract sees Staley leapfrog over UConn legend Geno Auriemma and LSU's Kim Mulkey to top the league in compensation.

Calling her "a once-in-a-generation coach," athletic director Jeremiah Donati noted that Staley "has elevated the sport of women's basketball on the national level and here on campus, and I am excited that she will be representing our University for many years to come."

Locking in a South Carolina legend

Since taking the helm in 2008, Staley has led South Carolina to 630 wins, 16 SEC titles, and 12 straight NCAA tournament appearances including five Final Fours and three national championships.

After taking South Carolina to an 128-4 record since her previous contract extension in 2021, this new agreement all but squashes any rumors about the coach's departure.

Despite a clause releasing Staley from an early departure penalties should she exit for a WNBA or NBA job, the legendary college leader has no intentions to leave Columbia.

"I will never leave here to go take another college job," Staley told reporters after the No. 2 Gamecocks' Sunday win over then-No. 13 Oklahoma. "[And] I don't have a passion for the next level. I don't. I would've been gone."

As the Hall of Famer continues setting the on-court NCAA standard in her 17th season with South Carolina, Staley's record-breaking contract both reflects the sport's overall rising stock and pushes for even more investment in the game.

Pledging to prove the impact of supporting both her and the game itself, Staley committed "to continuing to be an example of how an investment in women’s basketball is one that will pay off for everyone."

Coco Gauff Suffers Quarterfinal Upset, Exits 2025 Australian Open

Coco Gauff reaches for the ball during her 2025 Australian Open quarterfinal.
No. 3 Coco Gauff fell 7-5, 6-4 to No. 11 Paula Badosa in Tuesday's quarterfinal. (Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

World No. 3 Coco Gauff exited the 2025 Australian Open on Monday night, falling 7-5, 6-4 to Spain's No. 11 Paula Badosa in the Grand Slam's quarterfinal round.

Gauff's recent improvements seemed to fade in her first loss of the year, which saw the 2025 United Cup champ record 41 unforced errors, including 28 missed forehands and six double-faults.

As a result, Badosa advances to her first-ever Grand Slam semifinal, a marked comeback after a 2023 injury nearly ended her career.

"I would never think that, a year after, I would be here," Badosa said post-match. "I've been through a lot."

Aryna Sabalenka sets up a forehand during her 2025 Australian Open quarterfinal.
Sabalenka's 25-set Australian Open win streak was snapped on Tuesday. (Jason Heidrich/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Sabalenka looms after quarterfinal victory

Badosa moves on to face back-to-back defending champion Aryna Sabalenka on Thursday, as the world No. 1 sets her sights on becoming the first three-peat Australian Open women's champ this century.

Sabalenka advanced past No. 27 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in an early Tuesday morning quarterfinal to reach her 10th major semifinal in her last 11 Grand Slams.

The 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 victory didn't come easily, though, as Pavlyuchenkova managed to snap the 26-year-old's 25-set Australian Open winning streak which dates back to her 2023 final win.

"I’m really glad that at some point I was able to put myself back together," said Sabalenka about the tough match. "I was able to keep fighting, keep trying, and I was able to turn around this match. It was a really difficult one."

Madison Keys celebrates a point at the 2025 Australian Open.
No. 19 Madison Keys has emphatically ousted two Top-10 contenders at the 2025 Australian Open. (Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

US players to close out Australian Open quarterfinals

The Melbourne Slam's remaining two quarterfinals each place a US tennis star in the spotlight on Tuesday.

Fresh off ousting No. 10 Danielle Collins and No. 6 Elena Rybakina in the third and fourth rounds, No. 19 Madison Keys will square off against No. 28 Elina Svitolina for a shot at the semis. This will be Keys's first match against the Ukrainian since taking a two-set victory over Svitolina in Adelaide in January 2022.

The nightcap pits three-set specialist No. 8 Emma Navarro against perennial contender No. 2 Iga Świątek, marking the second-ever meeting — and first since 2018 — between the 23-year-olds.

The Polish phenom has yet to drop a set all tournament, and has seemed near-unbeatable after losing just four games across her last three matches. That said, Navarro has proved she just won't quit, leading the WTA in three-set contests over the last year — and gritting out a 24-9 record in the same span. Consequently, the longer Tuesday's match runs, the more it will likely favor the US star.

How to watch the 2025 Australian Open this week

No. 19 Madison Keys will clash with No. 28 Elina Svitolina starting at 7:30 PM ET on Tuesday, with No. 8 Emma Navarro's bout against No. 2 Iga Świątek beginning at 9 PM ET.

Both Tuesday quarterfinals will be broadcast live across ESPN’s platforms.

Ohio State Falls as NCAA Basketball’s Unbeaten List Shrinks

Penn State's Jayda Oden and Moriah Murray race across the court in celebration.
Penn State ended Ohio State's unbeaten streak on Sunday. (Penn State Athletics)

This weekend's NCAA basketball action saw unranked Penn State earn their first ranked win in almost four years against Big Ten foe Ohio State on Sunday, ending the then-No. 9 OSU's unbeaten run.

Though Ohio State forward Cotie McMahon and guard Chance Gray led the back-and-forth battle with 19 and 18 points, respectively, it wasn’t enough to hold off the Nittany Lions, who snapped a seven-game losing streak with the 62-59 victory.

"We had no fight. We had no grit," McMahon told reporters after the game. Subsequently, Ohio State skidded to No. 12 in yesterday's AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll update.

The Buckeye loss also narrows the DI undefeated team list down to two. Only No. 1 UCLA and No. 5 LSU remain unbeaten this season.

Texas's Madison Booker drives past Maryland's Shyanne Sellers during an NCAA basketball game.
Star guard Madison Booker led No. 7 Texas past No. 8 Maryland in Monday's NCAA basketball lineup. (Chris Jones/Imagn Images)

Big Ten teams tackle Top 25 clashes

Monday's inaugural Coretta Scott King Classic featured two Big Ten/Big 12 matchups, opening with top-ranked UCLA welcoming No. 25 Baylor back to the AP Poll with a 72-57 defeat.

The Bruins took off to 17-2 lead in the first quarter. The Bears then failed to get past star UCLA center Lauren Betts, who put up a game-high 24 points, nine rebounds, and a program-record nine blocks.

The weekend's top-ranked match closed out the Classic, with No. 7 Texas star Madison Booker posting 28 points to lead the Longhorns to a dominant 89-51 win over No. 8 Maryland.

While the Terrapins’ 26 turnovers and silence from beyond the arc didn’t help the Big Ten team's case, injuries to top scorers accounted for at least some of Maryland's downfall. The Terps lost junior Bri McDaniel to a season-ending ACL tear last week, before senior Shyanne Sellers exited Monday's second quarter with a knee injury of her own.

How to watch top-ranked NCAA basketball games this week

In a battle for redemption after tough weekend losses, Big Ten foes No. 8 Maryland and No. 12 Ohio State will face off at 6 PM ET on Thursday, with live coverage on BTN.

Though the week's marquee matchup belongs to two teams atop the SEC. Undefeated LSU will take on defending NCAA champions No. 2 South Carolina at 8 PM ET on Thursday, live on ESPN.

AP Top 25 NCAA Women's College Basketball Poll: Week 12

1. UCLA
2. South Carolina
3. Notre Dame
4. USC
5. LSU
6. UConn
7. Texas
8. Maryland
9. TCU
10. Kansas State
11. Kentucky
12. Ohio State
13. North Carolina
14. Duke
15. Oklahoma
16. West Virginia
17. Tennessee
18. Georgia Tech
19. Alabama
20. NC State
21. Michigan State
22. California
23. Minnesota
24. Michigan
25. Baylor

EA FC 2025 Team of the Year Star Sophia Smith Is in the Game

Sophia Smith isn't much of a gamer. 

"It just does not come naturally to me," the Portland Thorns and USWNT forward tells Just Women's Sports with a laugh. "I think with more practice, I could get good."

Whatever skills Smith may lack on the virtual pitch are made up in full by her talent on the actual one. And that talent has ironically earned her an outsized on-screen role in the popular soccer video game EA Sports FC.

Earlier this week, the 24-year-old earned her second-straight spot on EA Sport's Team of the Year. The honor that places her alongside international heavyweights like Barcelona's Aitana Bonmati, Chelsea's Lauren James, and Lyon's Wendie Renard.

While gaming might not have been front of mind when Smith won Olympic gold in Paris last summer, she has noticed how FC 25 has become an essential way for soccer fans to get to know their favorite players. The franchise only started fully integrating NWSL teams in 2023, but Smith's rise to in-game prominence was swift. 

Her avatar is regularly featured in national TV commercials, scoring in both a Thorns and a USWNT jersey alongside men's soccer stars like Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham. It might be just a video game, but FC 25 feels increasingly like one of the few platforms that views both sides of the sport as having equal potential.

The phenomenon is not lost on Smith. She says that from time to time fans will recognize her not from the Olympics or an NWSL championship appearance, but from the video game. "When people have the ability to play with women in a game that they've played all their life, it opens a whole new door for us," she says.

"It's so great for women in sports, because it shows that we also deserve to be in a game," she continues. "We also deserve to have that platform, to have our names out there at the same level as the men."

USWNT and EA FC 2025 Team of the Year star Sophia Smith celebrates after scoring at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Smith scored the lone goal against Germany that put the USWNT in the Paris Olympics gold medal match. (Brad Smith/ISI/Getty Images).

EA FC levels the playing field

While the EA FC 25 Team of the Year is voted on by fans, the breadth of leagues in this year's lineup also calms some of the debates currently raging within the women's side. It's no secret that NWSL players sometimes have trouble gaining traction in top European awards. This is a tension that Smith herself has faced before her US national team breakout.

"I do think the NWSL isn't recognized enough," says Smith. "People have a lot of opinions on it, maybe people who don't even watch any games. That can be frustrating because it's a very challenging league to play in — every game is competitive."

To prove her point, she references the time it's taken for her USWNT teammate and fellow Stanford alum Naomi Girma to gain recognition on the international stage. If there were any player she could add to EA FC's Team of the Year, she adds, it'd be the San Diego Wave center-back — "and not just because she's my best friend." The growing global market for NWSL-based players like Girma and Smith likely won't silence critics promoting European-style football over American. But Smith sees differences across leagues as an asset for a player, not a problem.

"Either league could be good for any player for a number of reasons," she explains. "You can learn something in Europe that you can't learn here, and vice-versa. That's why players go back and forth."

"I believe that every league that exists can be challenging in its own way, and we're all just trying to figure it out," she continues. "FC having women in the game — women from the NWSL and European leagues — just puts us all as equals as we should be. It allows you to determine someone's game based off someone's game, not if they play in Europe or the NWSL."

Smith shares Team of the Year honors with fellow NWSL standout, Gotham goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger. (EA Sports).

Focusing on USWNT growth in 2025

Smith's game speaks for itself. Coming off a disappointing 2023 World Cup, the forward scored three goals and registered two assists during the USWNT's Olympic run, leading the team to their first major tournament trophy since 2019. Her club contributions were similarly impressive. She scored 12 regular-season goals alongside six assists despite Portland's failure to make it past the 2024 quarterfinals.

But the year took a toll, and Smith says that prioritizing rest has been essential to preparing herself for everything 2025 has to offer.

"I feel like this offseason was very much needed for me," she says. "While it was a great year, it was a long year — we just gave everything 110%, 24/7, so when we got to the offseason, it kind of just smacked us in the face."

Smith says she's physically bouncing back after a lingering ankle injury limited her playing time in the later half of 2024. "Most offseasons I'll take a few weeks and I'll start training," she says. "This offseason I took a little longer. I knew that in order to start this next year off right, I needed to give my body what it needed while I could."

With no major US tournaments set for 2025, Smith is looking forward to seeing the national team continue to gel and evolve. She's a big believer in USWNT manager Emma Hayes's "If it's not broken, break it" ethos. It makes her excited to push herself and her team to take things to the next level. 

Smith is eager to return Portland to their traditional place atop the NWSL table after a disappointing 2024 campaign (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)

Bringing the EA FC Team of the Year energy back to Portland

Smith also has work to do in the NWSL. She's rejoining a Portland club that saw multiple legends of the game step away after 2024's uncharacteristic sixth-place finish. As a leader, she wants to see the Thorns back at the top of the table. And she hopes to carry on the legacy of retired stars like Christine Sinclair, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Meghan Klingenberg.

"Since I arrived in Portland, every year there's been change. I'm just used to it at this point," she says. "The best thing we can do as players is stick together, really just show up for each other every day. And work towards the same goal, which is to win."

"It's easier said than done," she admits. "I'm used to being one of the younger players on the team. I still am, but I have more experience. I feel like I can be a leader in a different way."

With 2024's triumphs behind her, Smith views the new year as an opportunity to improve without the intense pressure of a major tournament. As always, the goal comes down to one simple thing: growth.

"I'm not the loudest person," she says. "But I can lead by example and show up every day, trying to be the best version of myself and helping those around me get better, too."

Rendering of Sophia Smith's EA FC 2024 card.
Sophia Smith is one of the top-rated women's soccer players on EA FC. (EA Sports)

Making connections on and off the screen

One thing Smith can guarantee is that she'll continue to connect with fans. That goes whether it's signing autographs after a match or finding the back of the net in EA FC 25. 

"It wasn't that long ago that I was that little kid, watching people I grew up looking up to," she remembers. "If they took a minute out of their day to say hi or to sign something, that stuff means a lot." 

"So I try to be that person for people. If I can do that through FC, if I can do that in real life, I always take the opportunity."

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