Crystal Dunn may be heading to 2023 NWSL champions Gotham FC for the 2024 season, with there reportedly being “mutual interest” between the sides.

Dunn is one of the NWSL’s biggest free agents this offseason, having announced in November that she would not return to Portland. Now, according to The Equalizer, Gotham is in the mix to sign the World Cup and three-time NWSL champion. The New York/New Jersey team has eyed Dunn since last season, the report says.

The midfielder grew up in New York and played college soccer on the East Coast for the University of North Carolina. She also spent time with the Washington Spirit and North Carolina Courage before being traded to Portland in 2020.

The news of the mutual interest comes after CBS Sports reported that the Orlando Pride could offer Dunn more than $400,000. But, according to Steph Yang of The Athletic, the Pride confirmed they made a “significant offer” to Dunn, but that they are no longer in talks with the star.

The Spirit are also reportedly interested in signing Dunn, but the 2021 NWSL champions have yet to fill their head coaching vacancy.

Dunn is one of several high-profile stars on the free agency market this NWSL offseason.

The Utah Royals have their first player, acquiring Mikayla Cluff via trade from the Orlando Pride.

The 24-year-old midfielder is a native of Kaysville, Utah, and played for BYU in college, scoring 53 goals through 93 appearances and finishing as a finalist for the Hermann Trophy in 2021. She already is in her home state preparing for the 2024 NWSL season, which will mark the Royals’ return to the league as an expansion team.

“While I’ve enjoyed my time in Orlando over the last two seasons, I’m extremely excited to return to play in my hometown and bring back this club for the state and for the fans,” Cluff said in a news release.

In the trade, the Royals received Cluff, who is under contract through the 2025 season, as well as the No. 26 pick in the 2024 college draft. The Pride received expansion draft protection and $90,000 in allocation money.

Bay FC and the Utah Royals will have the opportunity to select up to 12 players through the 12-round expansion draft, but the Pride already have acquired protection from both expansion teams.

The original Royals franchise played in the NWSL from 2018 through 2020. At the end of the 2020 season, the team folded, and their players were transferred to the Kansas City Current. Real Salt Lake owners David Blitzer and Ryan Smith are reestablishing the franchise.

Cluff played for the Utah Royals FC Reserves in 2019, making 12 appearances and scoring eight goals in the amateur team’s inaugural WPSL season. In her time with the Pride, Cluff had four goals through 40 appearances.

“We’re so excited to welcome Mikayla back to Utah,” Royals head coach Amy Rodriguez said in a news release. “A player who has had so much success in the state at both the collegiate and high school level and has now shown to be an excellent NWSL player. She offers versatility in the midfield, which is so valuable in an expansion year.

“When evaluating players, we also put a big emphasis on their character and Mikayla is a great first step in building the culture we want in our locker room. We know how much she is loved in this state, and we can’t wait for our fans to cheer her on in Utah again.”

The 2023 NWSL Championship is just around the corner, with Gotham FC and OL Reign facing off for the title.

No matter which team wins, the league will see a first-time champion. Gotham had not won a playoff game until this season, while the Reign claimed their first postseason win since 2015.

Gotham squeaked into the playoffs with the sixth and final berth, but they upset the No. 3 North Carolina Courage and then the No. 2 Portland Thorns. The No. 5 Reign bested No. 4 Angel City FC in the quarterfinals, then upset the No. 1 San Diego Wave in the semifinals.

The NWSL Championship is set for 8 p.m. ET Saturday, Nov. 11, at San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium.

2023 NWSL playoffs: Seeding

Six teams will compete in the 2023 NWSL playoffs, with the top two seeds receiving byes to the semifinal round.

  1. San Diego Wave — 37 points, 11-4-7 W-D-L
  2. Portland Thorns — 35 points, 10-5-7
  3. North Carolina Courage — 33 points, 9-6-7
  4. OL Reign — 32 points, 9-5-8
  5. Angel City FC — 31 points, 8-7-7
  6. Gotham FC — 31 points, 8-7-7

Six teams did not make the cut for the postseason.

  • Orlando Pride — 31 points, 10-1-11
  • Washington Spirit — 30 points, 7-9-6
  • Racing Louisville — 27 points, 6-9-7
  • Houston Dash — 26 points, 6-8-8
  • Kansas City Current — 26 points, 8-2-12
  • Chicago Red Stars — 24 points, 7-3-12

2023 NWSL playoffs: Schedule

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

NWSL Championship

  • (4) OL Reign vs. (6) Gotham FC
    • 8 p.m. ET Saturday, Nov. 11 — CBS

The NWSL playoff race is coming down to the wire, with eight teams vying for the final four spots in simultaneous matches on the final day of the regular season.

Just four points separate the third- and 10th-place teams in the standings. While the Chicago Red Stars and Kansas City Current already have been eliminated, the Houston Dash, Racing Louisville, Angel City FC, Orlando Pride, OL Reign, Washington Spirit, Gotham FC and North Carolina Courage are all still fighting for postseason berths.

While the Portland Thorns and San Diego Wave are locked into the top two seeds, those teams are fighting for the NWSL Shield, adding to the drama.

Check out the playoff scenarios here.

NWSL Decision Day: Schedule for Oct. 14

  • North Carolina Courage 1, Washington Spirit 0
  • NJ/NY Gotham FC 2, Kansas City Current 2
  • Orlando Pride 1, Houston Dash 0
  • OL Reign 3, Chicago Red Stars 0
  • Angel City FC 5, Portland Thorns 1
  • San Diego Wave FC 2, Racing Louisville 0

All games will be aired on Paramount+ at 5 p.m. ET Sunday. CBS Sports Network is also set to air a live whiparound show tracking the progress from each match and evolving playoff scenarios.

Just Women’s Sports will be updating this story with live results from each game.

With one matchweek remaining in the NWSL regular season, just two teams have clinched playoff berths, and just two teams have been eliminated from contention.

A mere six points separate first and sixth place in the standings, and five points separate sixth and 12th place. That sets up a frantic finish to the playoff race, with the Portland Thorns and San Diego Wave already into the postseason and eight other teams vying to join them.

Prepare for a chaotic decision day at 5 p.m. ET Sunday, with four playoff spots on the line. Just Women’s Sports breaks down the postseason picture, with help from Alison Gale’s playoff explorer. CBS Sports Network will feature whiparound coverage of all six matches.

NWSL playoff-clinching scenarios: Oct. 15

Portland Thorns FC (35 points, +14 goal differential)

  • Already clinched:
    • Top 2-seed
    • First-round bye
  • Clinches Shield with:
    • A win
    • SD loss
    • A draw + SD draw
    • A loss by seven goals or less + SD draw

San Diego Wave FC (34 points, +7)

  • Already clinched:
    • Top 2-seed
    • First-round bye
  • Clinches Shield with:
    • A win + POR draw/loss
    • A draw + POR loss by eight goals or more

North Carolina Courage (30 points, +6)

  • Clinches a playoff spot with:
    • A win
    • A draw
    • A draw + NJY draw/loss OR RGN draw/loss OR ORL draw/loss OR LA draw/loss
    • A draw + favorable goal differential (over LA/ORL)
    • A loss + no more than three of NJY, RGN, ORL, LA reach 31+ points + favorable goal differential (over LOU)

NJ/NY Gotham FC (30 points, +1)

  • Clinches a playoff spot with:
    • A win
    • A draw + RGN draw/loss OR ORL draw/loss OR LA draw/loss
    • A draw + favorable goal differential (over LA/ORL if both win)
    • A loss + no more than three of NCC, WAS, RGN, ORL, LA reach 31+ points + favorable goal differential (over LOU)

Washington Spirit (30 points, -2)

  • Clinches a playoff spot with:
    • A win
    • A draw + NJY loss OR RGN draw/loss OR ORL draw/loss OR LA draw/loss
    • A draw + favorable goal differential (over LA/ORL if both win)
    • A loss + no more than 3 of NJY, RGN, ORL, LA reach 31+ points + favorable goal differential (over LOU)

OL Reign (29 points, +2)

  • Clinches a playoff spot with:
    • A win
    • A draw + no more than 3 of NCC, NJY, WAS, ORL, LA, reach 31+ pts + favorable goal differential
    • A loss + ORL draw/loss + LA draw/loss + LOU draw/loss + favorable goal differential

Orlando Pride (28 points, -2)

  • Clinches a playoff spot with:
    • A win + favorable goal differential
    • A win + NJY loss OR RGN draw/loss OR LA draw/loss
    • A draw + RGN loss + LA draw/loss + LOU draw/loss + favorable goal differential

Angel City FC (28 points, -3)

  • Clinches a playoff spot with:
    • A win + favorable goal differential
    • A win + WAS win/loss + ORL loss/draw OR RGN draw/loss OR NJY loss

Racing Louisville FC (27 points, +3)

  • Clinches a playoff spot with:
    • A win + no more than three of NCC, NJY, WAS, RGN, ORL, LA reach 31+ points + favorable goal differential

Houston Dash (26 points, -1)

  • Clinches a playoff spot with:
    • A win + RGN loss + LOU draw/loss + LA draw/loss + favorable goal differential

NWSL schedule: Oct. 15

  • All games kick off at 5 p.m. ET Sunday
    • Angel City FC vs. Portland Thorns
    • Chicago Red Stars vs. OL Reign
    • Gotham FC vs. Kansas City Current
    • Orlando Pride vs. Houston Dash
    • San Diego Wave vs. Racing Louisville FC
    • Washington Spirit vs. North Carolina Courage

Messiah Bright is in the conversation for the NWSL Golden Boot in her first professional season, showing off the scoring touch that made her a top college player.

The race for the scoring title tightened over the weekend, with North Carolina’s Kerolin (10) pulling within one goal of Portland’s Sophia Smith (11). While the top stars are pulling away from the pack, Bright leads all rookies with six goals, so she could have a different award — Rookie of the Year — on lock.

After scoring 50 goals across five seasons at TCU, Bright saw her stock drop on draft day. Projected as a first-round pick by many prognosticators, she dropped to No. 21 overall, which has turned out to be quite the steal for the Orlando Pride.

The 23-year-old forward has started in 14 of her 20 regular-season appearances for Orlando, and she has been scoring goals from all over the place. One of her goals came off her left foot, three off her right and two from headers.

She has 12 total shots on target this season, meaning that her conversion rate on shots on target sits at 50% and ranks sixth in the league. Bright’s efficiency in goalscoring has put her in the top 10 in the league in goals (T-7th), goals per 90 (5th), xG (6th), xG/90 (4th), non-penalty goals (4th), non-penalty goals/90 (3rd) and goals per shot on target (6th).

Bright is good on aerials, too, having won 37, which puts her ninth in the league. And has had 27 successful take-ons, which also ranks ninth in the league.

All together, that’s not a bad rookie season for Bright, especially on a team in Orlando that has struggled offensively. But the Pride are trending upward, having won three of their last five. With two matches to go, they sit within striking distance of the NWSL playoffs — and if they do make it, Bright will have been a huge part of that turnaround.

And the Pride will be able to grow with their young star, as she signed a three-year deal with the club ahead of the 2023 season.

“I am beyond excited to be able to stay in purple and call Orlando home for the next few years,” Bright said at the time. “It’s always been a dream of mine to play professional soccer, and I finally get to do that with such an amazing team.”

Angel City FC’s 11-game unbeaten streak came to an end Monday, leaving behind a team that has grown immensely over the course of the season.

The streak began when interim head coach Becki Tweed took over for Freya Coombe, who was fired by Angel City midway through the season. The streak started on June 17, with a 2-1 rivalry win against the San Diego Wave, and ended on Oct. 2, with a 1-0 loss to the Orlando Pride.

Even after their first loss in months, Angel City players sung Tweed’s praises for helping them to find their identity as a team.

“She’s made it super competitive, has uplifted us but also motivated us,” defender Paige Nielsen said. “Sets the right tone at training and it’s carried us to success.”

Midfielder Dani Weatherholt agreed, adding: “We’re developing an identity that I think is allowing us to play free and allowing us to be competitive in the league. I think before it was very unsure, and we got by with our grit and our fight in our heart, [now] you’re seeing more tactical awareness and more of an identity.”

Of course, players know it will take time to build a foundation on which the club can build. But Nielsen already is seeing “so much growth,” and she believes the mix of young players and veterans is promising for the future.

Their identity, she says, is “coming together.” And while it might be difficult to lose after going unbeaten for 11 straight, Tweed knows it’s a good learning moment for her team in the midst of the NWSL playoff race.

“It’s never easy to lose a game, especially at this point in the season where the table is so close,” she said. “What’s important for us is that we learn from it, we move on. I don’t think it’s a game where we’ve been outplayed. I don’t think it’s a game where we can walk away from it saying that we were beaten by the other team – we beat ourselves.

“Togetherness is now important. We move on from it and move into the next game. This league is wild, who knows what happens in the next two games, but we’re just going to do what we can do to be in control of what you can control.”

Two weeks remain in the NWSL regular season. Angel City sits in ninth place with 25 points, just three points out of the sixth and final playoff spot.

Just three games remain in the NWSL regular season, and the players are continuing to make their case in their campaigns for the end-of-year awards.

Since Just Women’s Sports’ last check-in, no one player has pushed to the front of the pack, setting the stage for a frantic final push. Here are the players to watch in the final weeks of the season.

MVP: Sophia Smith, Portland Thorns

Shortlist: Adriana, Kerolin, Morgan Weaver, Ashley Hatch

While it remains unclear whether or not Smith will make her return from an MCL sprain during the regular season, she is back training with Portland. And her work early on in the season still puts her ahead of everyone else in the MVP race. Not only does she lead the league in goals scored with 11, she’s also second in the league in assists with five. Her goals per 90 sits at 0.88, far ahead of the next best in the league (Kerolin, 0.57). Teams don’t have an answer for the reigning MVP, and Portland has missed her in her absence.

Elsewhere, Smith’s teammate Morgan Weaver has been putting together her own case for MVP in the final weeks of the season. She’s got three goals in three games and is putting up better numbers than anyone else in the league right now.

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Tara McKeown is in the thick of the competition for the Defender of the Year award. (Dennis Schneidler/USA TODAY Sports)

Defender of the Year: Tara McKeown, Washington Spirit

Shortlist: Tatumn Milazzo, Sarah Gorden, Natalia Kuikka, Sam Staab

Fresh off a contract extension, Tara McKeown has had a standout season alongside Sam Staab. The 24-year-old defender ranks first in the league in clearances and sixth in interceptions. But while she’s been a steady presence for the Spirit, Washington hasn’t won in six games, which puts her in a tough spot.

Meanwhile, Tatumn Milazzo has once again been a bright spot for a Chicago Red Stars back line that has struggled but has started to find its groove toward the end of the season. And Sarah Gorden has had a great bounce-back season from an ACL tear for Angel City, who remain in playoff contention.

Goalkeeper of the year: Katie Lund, Racing Louisville

Shortlist: Casey Murphy, Kailen Sheridan, Jane Campbell

Katie Lund leads the league in many goalkeeping categories, and she has been one of the big reasons for Racing Louisville’s turnaround this season. She’s allowed among the fewest goals in the league per 90 (1.00) – with Jane Campbell of the Houston Dash the only goalkeeper to allow fewer goals (0.79).

While Louisville is still searching for its identity, Lund has managed to keep them in the conversation for the playoffs.

Coach of the Year: Becki Tweed, Angel City

Shortlist: Sean Nahas, Juan Carlos Amorós, Mike Norris

Becki Tweed might be the interim head coach for Angel City, but she’s led the team on an astounding turnaround after the team parted ways with Freya Coombe in June. Since then, the team has put together an 11-game unbeaten streak. Not much has changed; Tweed has just made things a little bit clearer and in turn has made Angel City a possible postseason contender.

If Angel City qualifies for the playoffs, naming Tweed as coach of the year is a no-brainer. But Sean Nahas has led Gotham on a tear in his first year as head coach, turning them into one of the best teams in the league. Part of the success is due to the addition of Lynn Williams. But he’s also managed to bring World Cup champion Esther González to the NWSL, which has further boosted the club as it makes a push for the playoffs. If the winner of this award isn’t Tweed, Nahas should take it home.

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Orlando Pride forward Messiah Bright and Gotham FC midfielder Jenna Nighswonger are among the players battling it out for Rookie of the Year. (Cory Knowlton/USA TODAY Sports)

Rookie of the Year: Messiah Bright, Orlando Pride

Shortlist: Alyssa Thompson, Paige Metayer, Jenna Nighswonger

This year’s Rookie of the Year race is less clear-cut, but Messiah Bright has continued to stand out amongst the rookie class. Her six goals lead all rookies, and she’s worked well with Adriana and Marta down in Orlando.

Alyssa Thompson also has been a bright spot for Angel City, putting her in contention for this award. She came out hot in her first NWSL season and has been consistently getting better as the season has progressed.

Brazilian star Marta isn’t ruling out playing in next year’s Olympics.

The forward announced ahead of the 2023 World Cup that it would be her last for Brazil. The all-time leading World Cup goal scorer, Marta competed in her sixth World Cup this summer.

The tournament ended in disappointment for Marta and Brazil, as they were eliminated in the group stage after a scoreless draw with Jamaica.

“We know we had a team to go a little bit more far in the competition,” she told reporters Wednesday. “Of course, a few things were missing — that’s why we didn’t make it. But soccer, it’s been everything for me. So [to] go back home and then start training after one week really helped me to look forward.”

Marta currently plays for the Orlando Pride of the NWSL. The Pride will resume regular-season play on Sunday against the Chicago Red Stars.

The 37-year-old also reiterated on Wednesday that this World Cup was her last.

“But I didn’t say I’m not going to play the next Olympics,” she said. “I don’t have the answer yet. But I’m working on, to feel day by day if I still have the power that I can share with the team, with Brazil, and then fight for a gold medal.”

Brazil women’s soccer’s best finish at the Olympics has been the silver medal in 2004 and 2008. Brazil has also never won a World Cup, having finished as runners-up in 2007.

The NWSL’s Gotham FC and WNBA’s New York Liberty have postponed their scheduled games for Wednesday night due to poor air quality conditions in the New York metropolitan area stemming from Canadian wildfires.

The National Weather Service has issued an air quality alert until 12 a.m. on Friday, June 9 as smoke from wildfires blazing in eastern Canada drifts into the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. At the time of Gotham’s postponement on Wednesday, the Air Quality Index in Harrison, N.J. — the site of Red Bull Arena, Gotham’s home stadium — was over 200 and considered “very unhealthy.”

Gotham’s NWSL Challenge Cup match against the Orlando Pride has been rescheduled for Aug. 9 at 7:30 p.m. ET, the club announced.

“The safety of our players, officials and fans is our top priority,” Gotham FC said in a statement. “Following consultation with the NWSL Medical and Operations staff, it was determined that the match could not be safely conducted based on the projected air quality index.”

The Liberty followed suit Wednesday afternoon, postponing their regular season game against the Minnesota Lynx until a later date.

New York City officials have issued an Air Quality Health Advisory for all five boroughs until Thursday morning. Smoke reportedly entered Barclays Center, the Liberty’s home arena, on Wednesday and contributed to the decision to postpone.

“This decision has been made to protect the health and safety of our fans, teams and community,” the Liberty said in a statement.

According to Howard Megdal of The Next, the WNBA is looking at rescheduling the game around the Commissioner’s Cup or as part of a back-to-back when the Lynx visit the Washington Mystics on Aug. 29.