In today’s episode, Claire ponders another Sun postseason exit, and the risks and rewards of blowing things up in the pursuit of playoff glory.
She then previews the finals between the Lynx and the Liberty, with one key element she believes will earn one of the teams a title. She closes with some of the NWSL news of the midweek, which feels destined to shape the postseason and beyond.
The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.
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In this week's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins gives a postmortem on this era of the Las Vegas Aces, before claiming the Liberty as WNBA championship frontrunners and prepping for Tuesday's Game 5 semifinal between the Lynx and the Sun.
Then, she chats about Orlando’s incredible run to the 2024 NWSL Shield, the individual NWSL records primed to fall, and aimlessness further down the league table.
The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.
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With three regular-season matches left, the still-undefeated Orlando Pride clinched the 2024 NWSL Shield with Sunday's rainy 2-0 win over the second-place Washington Spirit.
Marta converted the 57th-minute game-winning penalty kick, securing her team's first-ever piece of hardware with her eighth goal of the season.
"I stayed here because I want to make history with this team," the Brazilian soccer icon, who's been with the Pride for eight years, said afterwards. "And then we did tonight, and then we go for more."
Though the Pride's dominance this season is unmatched, Washington was notably without several key players. Between injuries and yellow card suspensions, the Spirit faced Orlando without Trinity Rodman, Casey Krueger, Hal Hershfelt, Leicy Santos, or Ouleye Sarr.
Chawinga ties Kerr's NWSL scoring record
It took less than two minutes for Kansas City's Temwa Chawinga to find the back of the net in Saturday's 2-0 win over Louisville, tying former Chicago Red Star Sam Kerr's single-season NWSL scoring record with her 18th goal.
With three matchdays to go, the Malawian striker is all but guaranteed to upend Kerr's 2019 record.
"I think that Temwa's ability to get behind the line and then drive towards the goal, and being aggressive going towards the goal, is something that differentiates her," KC head coach Vlatko Andonovski said after the match. "Temwa's just a pure goalscorer. We're happy that she's done it for us this season and hopefully she continues to do it."
Other noteworthy NWSL results
In other NWSL news, fifth-place North Carolina punched their postseason ticket with Saturday's 2-1 win over San Diego. The day before, last-place Houston become the first club eliminated from the 2024 playoff picture.
Gotham’s 5-1 Saturday blowout of Bay has the defending NWSL champs achingly close to leaping second-place Washington on the table. The two clubs are tied for points, with the Spirit's shrinking goal differential giving them the tenuous edge.
On the other hand, Saturday's 2-1 loss to 12th-place Utah extended Portland's NWSL winless streak to seven matches. The Thorns are remarkably still in seventh-place, but sit tied for points with eighth-place Bay FC. With lower-table teams hungry to rise above the postseason cutoff line, every match left could see Portland fall from contention.
USWNT and NWSL superstar Alex Morgan played her final professional match on Sunday, narrowly missing a left-footed penalty for San Diego before being subbed out within the game's first 15 minutes.
"I came off the field and I thought to myself, 'That's the best example I could give of betting on yourself,'" Morgan said in a postgame press conference. "I think that's just how I've tried to live my life and my career as a soccer player."
Alex Morgan leaves historic mark on women's sports
Sharing news that she was pregnant with her second child, the 35-year-old forward announced her imminent retirement late last week.
"You pushed me to be my best self every day — you pushed me to be the best soccer player, to be the best mom, to be the best person I could be," Morgan told Snapdragon Stadium's 26,500 fans after the game.
Before the game concluded, the soccer icon made one final bit of history. The match marked the first women’s sports event to be simultaneously broadcast across multiple US outlets, with CBS Sports, ESPN2, Prime, Paramount+, and others getting in on the action.
However, North Carolina damped the celebratory sendoff vibes by soundly defeating the 12th-place Wave 4-1, extending San Diego's regular-season winless streak to five.
The Courage now sit fifth in the standings after overtaking Portland, solidifying their place above the postseason cutoff line.
NWSL standings hold steady in weekend play
In Kansas City's 1-0 win over Utah on Saturday, Temwa Chawinga added a 15th goal to her Golden Boot campaign. The Current snapped a three-game losing streak in the process.
Also on Saturday, Washington beat Portland in front of a raucous Audi Field crowd. In the match, the Spirit's Ballon d’Or nominee, Trinity Rodman, registered both a goal and an assist.
On Sunday, Marta scored a stunner against Chicago to keep Orlando's undefeated season alive. The Pride became the first NWSL club to clinch a 2024 postseason berth in the process.
Speaking of the postseason, Bay FC have launched themselves into seventh place and playoff contention after two straight wins, including Saturday's 1-0 victory over Louisville.
In another episode of The Late Sub, Claire breaks down how the Olympics are the vibey-est tournament around, how individuals stepping up despite tactical balance doesn't always make sense, and how this USWNT generation should be remembered plus a quick look to the future.
She also salutes Brazil, who reminded the world what they can do at their very best by sending international football legend Marta off with an Olympic silver medal.
The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.
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The USWNT is one match away from their ultimate goal after making their way through a grueling Olympic tournament to advance to Saturday's gold medal game against Brazil.
This will be the third Olympic gold medal match meeting for the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup finalists, with the US defeating Brazil at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Games to top the podium.
Retiring Marta fuels Brazil's podium push
While the USWNT — fresh off a disappointing 2023 World Cup run — are undoubtedly motivated in their push for gold, Brazil might have an even greater galvanizing force. Legendary Brazil footballer Marta announced in April that the 2024 Games would be her last international tournament with Brazil — a team that's never before won a World Cup or Olympic title.
What's more, Marta's teammates carried the burden of reaching the gold medal game: The 38-year-old will return on Saturday after a two-game red card suspension dating back to the team's final group stage game against Spain.
Attacking key to USWNT Olympic gold medal success
The US most recently defeated Brazil 1-0 at the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup final behind Lindsey Horan's 46th-minute goal in stoppage time. That said, Brazil arguably has more immediate momentum after rattling off two major upsets in the Olympic knockout rounds, first against France and then Spain.
To win, the US will have to stifle Brazil's potent attack in what will likely be an open end-to-end battle, while simultaneously converting their chances in front of goal.
Germany denies World Cup champs in bronze medal match
Germany beat Spain 1-0 in this morning's bronze medal contest, leaving the reigning World Cup champions and early tournament favorites without a medal for their efforts in Paris.
Giulia Gwinn put Germany ahead in the second half, sinking a penalty after being fouled in Spain's 18-yard box. Later, Gotham FC goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger once again played the hero for Germany, saving an Alexia Putellas penalty kick in second-half stoppage time to secure the clean sheet.
How to watch USWNT vs. Brazil in the Olympic gold-medal match
The USWNT kicks off the gold medal match against Brazil on Saturday at 11 AM ET, with live coverage across NBC networks.
It once again required extra time to break the deadlock, but the USWNT defeated Germany on Tuesday thanks to a Sophia Smith strike in the 95th minute.
The 1-0 win ensured them a spot in their first Olympic gold medal match since 2012.
With little rotation to the starting XI, the US and Germany played to a 0-0 stalemate in regulation despite positive early opportunities for the USWNT to pull ahead. After more than 90 minutes of frustration, linkup play generated by Naomi Girma, progressed by Sam Coffey, and then sent through the back line by Mallory Swanson finally reached the target.
Alyssa Naeher provided one final — and exceptional — kick-save to see the result out, as the USWNT survived a much narrower rematch of their 4-1 group stage win.
USWNT win ends five-year title game drought
Saturday's gold medal match will be the USWNT's first title game since the 2019 World Cup, and the 2024 Olympic tournament has other parallels to past successes as well. The US hasn't trailed in France thus far, and they've only seen one other Olympic Games (2004) through without falling behind. They've also won three World Cups without trailing.
Plus, they've now defeated Germany five times in major tournament knockout rounds, most recently in the 2015 World Cup.
Marta-less Brazil upsets World Cup champs Spain
Now guaranteed to improve on their Tokyo Olympics bronze medal finish, the USWNT will turn to another familiar opponent: Brazil.
Brazil produced the upset of the tournament in Tuesday's second semifinal, dominating Spain to win 4-2 in regulation. An own goal had the reigning World Champions reeling early, followed by goals from Gabi Portilho, Adriana, and Kerolin.
Salma Paralluelo scored a late brace to get Spain back into the contest, but Brazil held tight in a successful effort to give footballing legend Marta a shot at her first gold medal in her last international tournament.
Ultimately, one year after Europe ruled the 2023 World Cup, the 2024 Olympic Final will instead see this year's Concacaf W Gold Cup finalists face off again. And with both the US and Brazil overachieving throughout this tournament, the gold is truly anyone's to grab.
In another YouTube exclusive of The Late Sub, Claire talks through an epic Olympic soccer semifinal round that saw both the USWNT and Brazil rewriting narratives about the state of international women’s soccer. She discusses set pieces, Naomi Girma’s exceptional talent, and getting through difficult moments. She then wraps things up with a quick preview of Saturday’s gold medal game.
The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.
Subscribe to The Late Sub to never miss an episode.
This week, JWS podcast host Claire Watkins takes the mic to break down a beautiful new rivalry between the Orlando Pride and the Kansas City Current, while taking stock of where every NWSL team has landed going into the league's regular season Olympic break.
Afterwards, she gives the WNBA the same treatment, looking at small shifts that could impact the standings after the Olympic players return from Paris. She sizes up individual performances in the context of the two WNBA All-Star teams while exploring just how prepared both NWSL and WNBA athletes are for the upcoming Olympics and beyond.
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Only one unbeaten NWSL team remains this season, after the Orlando Pride handed Kansas City their first loss of 2024 in Saturday's top-table clash.
Barbra Banda opened the scoring for the Pride while Brazil legend Marta slotted home a penalty to clinch the 2-1 win. The Current's Temwa Chawinga scored her 12th goal of the season in the loss, keeping pace with Banda atop the Golden Boot leaderboard.
Orlando managed to pull out the win despite playing more than half the match down a player after defender Carrie Lawrence was shown a second yellow card in the 42nd minute.
The loss was Kansas City's first at future NWSL Championship host CPKC Stadium, their new purpose-built home, and broke their league-record 17-game unbeaten streak. Should they avoid a loss in their first regular season match after the NWSL's Olympic break, still-unbeaten Orlando is now poised to surpass that record.
With the Pride now sitting alone atop the league standings, other clubs strived for separation above the eight-team playoff line ahead of the international break.
After the weekend's games, six of the NWSL's top eight teams enter the Olympic period on a win: Washington, Gotham, Portland, North Carolina, and Chicago. Eighth-place Bay FC still holds the final playoff spot despite falling 3-0 to the Spirit on Saturday.
None of the teams currently sitting under the playoff line have registered a win in their last three regular season matches.
The NWSL will pause briefly before returning for the inaugural NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup on July 19th. The regular season will pick back up again on August 23rd after the Paris Olympics conclude.