Before a 9-0 win over Uzbekistan on Tuesday night, Rose Lavelle was handed the captain’s armband for the first time in her U.S. women’s national team career.

It was the last thing she was expecting.

“I don’t think I ever saw myself in that position, but it’s a huge honor,” the midfielder said after the game. “It’s something I think I’ll remember forever.”

Reaching 71 caps and a team-high 35 USWNT appearances under head coach Vlatko Andonovski, Lavelle has evolved into a leader for the young team, which features 14 players with 15 caps or fewer.

“Very happy with her, and I was very proud to tell her that she is going to be captain of this team for this game,” Andonovski said. “It is very nice to see how much she has grown and how she’s growing into this role.”

The armband adds to what’s been a standout April for Lavelle, just halfway into the month.

On Tuesday, Lavelle scored a near hat trick as she helped the U.S. extend its home unbeaten streak to 67 games. A mere 25 seconds into the match, she dribbled down the right flank, beat her opponent and sent a cross into the box that Uzbekistan’s defense accidentally deflected into the net.

Lavelle went on to bury back-to-back goals in the 25th and 26th minutes for her 19th and 20th career scores with the USWNT. She first capitalized on her own rebound after a blocked shot, chipping it over the goalkeeper and a defender.

Goal No. 1 for @roselavelle on the evening 🌹 pic.twitter.com/xoJnM4Df3C

— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) April 12, 2022

Lavelle followed that up with one of her classic solo runs through Uzbekistan’s entire half to the top of their box. Using nifty moves to get around defenders, she fired a powerful shot that bounced off the post to the back of the net.

Goal No. 2 for @roselavelle on the evening 🌹🌹 pic.twitter.com/MaJp9vfLDf

— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) April 12, 2022

In the USWNT’s 9-1 win over Uzbekistan on Saturday, Lavelle set up Mallory Pugh and Catarina Macario for goals. Andonovski has been vocal about building the team around that front three as they near World Cup Qualifiers this summer.

Before the international break on April 2, Lavelle scored the lone goal in a rival victory over the Portland Thorns to help OL Reign secure first place in the West Division standings of the NWSL Challenge Cup.

Lavelle has been thriving off the field, too. In camp on Monday, the USWNT enjoyed a surprise post-training visit from the local service dogs at Subaru Park. Lavelle, arguably the most passionate “dog person” on the team with an Instagram account for her English Bulldog, Wilma Jean, was especially taken by the interaction.

You guys know @roselavelle too well 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/i5ucJYEuuN

— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) April 9, 2022

So far, April 2022 has belonged to Rose Lavelle. And with the USWNT captain’s armband now on her radar, there’s even more room for her star to grow.

Jessa Braun is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering the NWSL and USWNT. Follow her on Twitter @jessabraun.

The NWSL is expanding its footprint across ESPN, with the broadcaster signing on to carry 16 additional regular-season games in both the 2026 and 2027 seasons, upping the platform's total to 33 matches per year.

ESPN will also introduce a season-long "Match of the Week" centerpiece series, as well as live coverage of NWSL Decision Day, when eight concurrent matches will close out the season on the same day. 

"The NWSL showcases some of the best athletes in the world," ESPN EVP of programming and acquisitions Rosalyn Durant said in a press release. "We are proud to increase our commitment on ABC and ESPN, and to further elevate women's sports and the athlete stories."

This media rights extension builds on the league's ongoing blockbuster four-year, $240 million TV deal with ESPN, adding inventory for the final two seasons of the November 2023 agreement.

The deal expansion comes in light of the league's significant growth this season, with the NWSL seeing gains across both attendance and viewership, including a 72% year-over-year ratings rise on ESPN.

"This supplemental agreement underscores the growing demand for women's soccer and ensures our players and clubs receive the visibility they deserve on some of the most prominent sports platforms," said NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman in a statement.

The 2025 WNBA season is over for Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, but the 23-year-old star is still making headlines, with Reebok set to drop her signature Angel Reese 1 sneakers on Thursday.

The Angel Reese 1 is a cornerstone of Reebok's re-entry into the basketball market, with the sportswear giant engineering the signature shoe for on-court performance by including features like responsive cushioning and added upper support.

Inspired by the brand's classic Mobius line, the shoes will hit the shelves in three colorways — an iridescent white "Diamond Dust," a bold pink "Mebounds," and a black and white "Receipts Ready" — with Reese's personal logo incorporated into the design.

Reese first signed with Reebok as an NIL athlete at LSU in 2023, a little over six months after winning the NCAA championship with the Tigers.

This week's rollout follows the July sneak peek of the signature sneakers worn by Reese on the cover of NBA 2K26's WNBA Edition.

"This isn't just a shoe, it's my style, my story, and my stamp on the game," Reese said in Reebok's press release. "I wanted to design a basketball shoe that elevates performance, innovation, style, and creative expression, all at once."

"Reebok and I built something that's true to who I am, and I hope it pushes others to stand in their power too."

How to buy the Angel Reese 1 Reebok sneakers

All three colorways of the Angel Reese 1 sneakers will be available for a retail price of $120 beginning at 10 AM ET on Thursday at Reebok.com as well as in select stores.

No. 5 New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart isn't letting Sunday's left knee knock take her off the 2025 WNBA Playoffs court, with the forward planning to compete in Game 2 against the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday night.

An emotional Stewart finished Game 1 on the bench, going down with a knee injury in overtime of the Liberty's 76-69 upset win over the Mercury on Sunday.

"What I felt in that moment scared me more than anything," Stewart told reporters on Wednesday morning.

A Monday MRI revealed a sprained MCL, and though the two-time WNBA MVP did not practice on Tuesday, she participated in the team's Wednesday shootaround and said her pain had diminished to a three out of 10.

"[As long as] I don't wake up from my nap and feel like s—t," said Stewart, "I'm willing to take that [chance of re-injury] because I want to be out with my team, and they told me that structurally everything looks OK."

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Even when the game-day status for Stewart was still unknown, New York Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello promised that the defending champions would give their star "as much time as we can."

"We know what's at stake," Brondello told reporters on Tuesday. "We don't want to go back to Phoenix [for Game 3], but they're going to come in hungry."

Stewart echoed that sentiment on Wednesday morning, saying "We want to finish it here. Not having to go back to Phoenix is our main priority."

How to watch the Phoenix Mercury vs. New York Liberty in Game 2

No. 5 New York will look to oust No. 4 Phoenix from the 2025 WNBA Playoffs with a first-round sweep on Wednesday night, when the Liberty host the Mercury for Game 2 at 8 PM ET.

The matchup will air live on ESPN.

Star sprinter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is reaching new heights, setting a new US record for the 400-meter race in the event's Tuesday semifinals at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

The four-time Olympic gold medalist finished the flat event in 48.29 seconds, shaving more than 0.40 seconds off the previous US record of 48.70 seconds set by track legend Sanya Richards-Ross in 2006.

Both her personal best and the fastest time in the world for that event this year, McLaughlin-Levrone's performance also makes her the seventh-fastest woman of all time in the 400-meter dash — elevating expectations that she could challenge the long-standing world record of 47.60 seconds, set by then-East German sprinter Marita Koch in 1985.

Known for her dominance in the 400-meter hurdles, the 26-year-old made the decision to focus on the flat 400-meter event ahead of this year's competition. 

"I definitely wasn't expecting that time," she said afterwards. "It just shows the fitness is there. I'm excited for the finals and grateful to have taken down a record by an amazing woman."

How to watch McLaughlin-Levrone in the 400-meter final

McLaughlin-Levrone will take aim at the 2025 World Athletics Championships' 400-meter podium — and, perhaps, another record time — during the event's final on Thursday.

The US star will race against 2024 Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino and silver medalist Salwa Eid Naser when the final begins at 9:24 AM ET.

Live coverage will air on USA Network.