The U.S. women’s national soccer team kicked off its Concacaf W Championship campaign with a 3-0 win over Haiti on Monday in Monterrey, Mexico.

World Cup and Olympic qualifying are on the line as the USWNT looks to reassert its dominance on the world stage. Just Women’s Sports has three takeaways from the opening victory:

Alex Morgan shines with brace

Alex Morgan has been on a tear for club and country, showing that her scoring hot streak isn’t exclusive to the NWSL in Monday’s USWNT win. The veteran forward got the start at the No. 9 position over Ashley Hatch and immediately made an impact on the game.

In the 16th minute, Morgan notched the team’s breakthrough goal in stylish fashion, flicking on a crafty touch at the near post to put the USWNT up 1-0. Then, in the 23^rd minute, Morgan doubled her side’s lead with a perfectly-executed header, getting on the end of a well-placed cross from Kelley O’Hara.

Her brace marks Morgan’s first multi-goal game since the USWNT’s 13-0 thrashing over Thailand in the 2019 World Cup.

Morgan was the bright spot of a USWNT attack that, at times, looked stagnant and out of sync.

This time, it’s a header from @alexmorgan13! ✌️

pic.twitter.com/HroYY3Qqg9

— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) July 4, 2022

No doubt about this one, @100Purcent 🇺🇸

pic.twitter.com/EM31Ax5HWp

— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) July 5, 2022

Defensive woes

The USWNT’s defense was tested by a Haiti side that was sharp on the counterattack. Holes were plentiful throughout the backline but particularly down the spine of the field, where plays appeared to break down between the center-back duo of Becky Sauerbrunn and Alana Cook and defensive midfielder Andi Sullivan.

The United States’ defensive unit has been in transition due to the absences of left outside back Crystal Dunn and defensive midfielder Julie Ertz, both out on maternity leave. Center back Abby Dahlkemper has also been sidelined due to injury.

Monday’s starting backline boasted a range of experience, with starting goalkeeper Casey Murphy holding just six national team caps, while Cook and starting left back Emily Fox have 11 and 15, respectively, compared to Sauerbrunn with 204 and O’Hara with 155.

“I don’t know if there was a miscommunication or anything between our center backs,” USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski told reporters following the match. “I would say it was the very good play of the attackers of the opposing team… world-class players, and you can’t give them a little space.”

VAR changes the game

VAR’s inaugural appearance in the Concacaf W Championship caused controversy, with three calls changing the face of Monday’s game.

The first-ever VAR decision surely was one for the history books, with the referee overturning a red card against Haiti’s Roselord Borgella. Going into a challenge with a high boot, Borgella raked Kelley O’Hara, leaving an apparent mark on her side. The initial red card call on the field was downgraded to a yellow upon review, causing uproar online.

The first ever VAR decision in CONCACAF Women's World Cup qualifying history overturns a red card for Roselord Borgella and Haiti. 👀 pic.twitter.com/6HnZGHAQ01

— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) July 4, 2022

The game official turned to VAR again in the 58th minute after Mallory Pugh was taken down inside the box, upholding the no-call on the field, seemingly because the USWNT forward was offside at the time of the foul.

VAR came into play for a final time when Megan Rapinoe was ruled offside in her assist to what would’ve been a Margaret Purce goal. Purce put the ball in the net for a good goal soon after to seal the 3-0 win.

The USWNT will continue its World Cup and Olympic qualifying quest Thursday when the squad takes on Jamaica at 7 p.m. ET on Paramount+.

Cameron Brink already has her rookie of the year pick for the upcoming WNBA season, and it’s Indiana-bound star Caitlin Clark. 

In the latest edition of Kelley on the Street, host Kelley O'Hara caught up with Brink in New York hours before the Stanford phenom went No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks at the 2024 WNBA Draft. When O’Hara asked who would win the WNBA's rookie of the year, she answered without pause.

"Caitlin Clark," she said, while a fan commented that she thought Brink would take home the award. Brink later added that the extra foul granted to WNBA players will be "good for me."

"I hope it’s me," Charisma Osborne, who was later drafted by the Phoenix Mercury, said when asked her ROY prediction. "But, I don’t know — we’ll see."

Watch more of Kelley on the Street:

Maria Sanchez issued a statement on Thursday, confirming recent reports that she has requested a trade from the Houston Dash. 

In it, she revealed that the club has been aware of the request "since late March."

"This has all taken a toll and isn’t an easy thing to talk about, but I want to confirm that I’ve requested an immediate trade," she wrote. "My expectations and reasons have been clear. I trust that my current club’s management will honor my decision in a timely manner and proceed with accepting a trade."

"I’m eager to refocus and dive back into what I love most: playing football," she concluded.

Thank you, everyone, for the outpouring of kindness and support. pic.twitter.com/gcnN7dhCJU

— Maria Sanchez (@Maria17_7) April 19, 2024

Reports of Sanchez's trade request first surfaced on ESPN last week, and were later confirmed by multiple sources. 

In December of last year, Sanchez signed a three-year contract with the Dash valued at $1.5 million including bonuses and an option year. It was the largest contract in NWSL history at the time — a figure that would be eclipsed by multiple contracts in the following months. 

Sanchez spent the offseason as a restricted free agent, meaning that Houston could match any other team's offer to retain her rights. Should the Dash trade Sanchez, her current contract terms would remain intact, limiting potential buyers to teams able to afford to take on an inking of that size.

The Dash has yet to address the trade, instead reiterating to ESPN that Sanchez is "under contract, a choice she made in free agency at the end of 2023." 

Both the NWSL trade window and transfer window close tonight, April 19th, at 12 a.m. ET. The window will stay closed through the next 11 regular season games, reopening on August 1st, 2024.

The four-time league champion Seattle Storm unveiled their new practice facility on Thursday, with Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel dubbing Interbay's Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance the team’s "new home."

"It's just such a special space," Brummel told Fox 13 Seattle. "I think when the players get here, it's gonna be overwhelming."

The sprawling 50,000-square-foot, $64 million property is just the second designated practice facility to be designed and built expressly for a WNBA team, with the Storm further noting that 85% of all design and engineering team members involved in the project's construction were women and people of color. The finished product holds two professional indoor courts, two 3x3 outdoor courts, a state-of-the-art locker room, and players' lounge, plus designated areas for strength and conditioning, kitchen, dining, and nutrition, and recovery. 

"This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance," said Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder in an official team release. "It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports."

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For their part, the team can't wait to make the faciilty their own.

"It's amazing," Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Fox 13. "Not having to drive everywhere around, knowing you have access anytime of the day to get into the gym, to workout." 

Head coach Noelle Quinn said she predicts the team is "never going to leave this building."

"Which is a good thing for me," she continued. "You talk about having an edge in performance. We want our athletes to not only perform on the court, but get whatever they need."

All of the Storm's staff and operations will now live under one roof, and the team also has plans to launch a youth basketball program operating out of the building.

The Caitlin Clark effect is quickly making its mark on the big leagues, as WNBA host teams around the country rush to upgrade their Fever games to larger arenas in order to accommodate surging ticket sales.

With Clark mere weeks away from her Indiana Fever debut, both the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have officially relocated their scheduled home games with head coach Christie Sides' squad. On Thursday, the Mystics became the latest to adjust their plans, moving their June 7th matchup from Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southwest DC to the more centrally located — and much larger — Capital One Arena "due to unprecedented demand."

The Mystics home court's capacity taps out at 4,200, while Capital One Arena — home to the Wizards, Capitals, and Georgetown Hoya's Men's Basketball — can fit nearly five times that crowd at some 20,000 spectators.

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"The move to Capital One Arena will allow for additional fans in the stands as well as premium hospitality options, including Suites and the all-new all-inclusive courtside Hennessy Lofts," the team announced via Thursday's press release.

The Aces were one of the first teams to switch venues, aiming to take on the Indiana Fever in front of as many as 20,000 fans inside T-Mobile Arena on July 2nd. That’s a sizable a boost from their home venue, which holds just 12,000.

For those still planning to face the Fever in their home arenas, ticket prices have skyrocketed. Previously scheduled construction has already forced the LA Sparks to relocate their first five games — including their May 24th clash with the Fever — to Long Beach State's Walter Pyramid. The temporary venue is quite the downsize, holding just 4,000 in comparison to Crypto.com Arena's near-19,000. As of Friday, the get-in price for that game started around $400.

Despite fans launching a Change.org petition urging relocation, the Chicago Sky say they're unable to move their June 23rd Fever meeting from Wintrust Arena's 10,000-seat facility to the 23,500-seat United Center due to a concert. Tickets for that game start around $325 as of Friday.