In just a few short games, Minnesota Aurora FC has made a name for itself on the field.

The USL W League team earned a 3-2 road win against St. Louis on Sunday, its second consecutive win and third of the season. The Aurora could be 3-0 to start the season save for a draw in their home opener against Green Bay.

Even before they started winning on the pitch, though, the Minneapolis-area team already was making a name for itself off the field.

For co-founder Matt Privratsky, the journey has been a bit unexpected. Initially, the club set an investment goal of $500,000, built upon community ownership with a minimum contribution of $100 per individual. But the club doubled that, raising roughly $1 million from 3,080 community owners whose average contribution is more than $300.

The USL W League is playing its inaugural season in 2022, with 44 teams across 20 states. It bills itself as a pre-professional league that provides development opportunities for women’s players.

The local community has rallied around Aurora in their first season. Supporters include the Como Zoo in St. Paul, which named a baby zebra after the team.

There’s also the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings, who are lending use of their practice field TCO Stadium in Eagan, Minn., which serves as the USL club’s home turf. At the club’s home opener, another local team in the Minnesota Lynx showed support.

Glad to be a part of your historic moment, @MNAuroraFC 🤝 pic.twitter.com/VlESQFPBa4

— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) May 27, 2022

The Aurora are seeing that support more broadly as well. The club generated $640,000 in combined ticket, merchandise and sponsorship revenue before the team ever took the field at TCO Stadium, and sold out its allotment of 3,000 season tickets.

The Aurora don’t take that support for granted, and they’re trying to show that in their product. Because the team generated more revenue than it projected, the front office made upgrades to the budget and hired more staff than originally deemed necessary.

They also have made it easy for fans to follow the team. One of their partnerships is a deal with local TV station WCCO, which ensures all matches are streamed live for free on the station’s digital platform, CBS News Minnesota.

In the home opener on May 26, fans made their presence known. TCO Stadium saw a sold-out crowd of over 5,200.

The weekly average for NWSL games so far this season is 8,105 – a number bolstered by Angel City FC’s average of 18,709 fans per game. The median attendance for the NWSL sits around 5,000 per game.

Last night was surreal.

Thank you Minnesota for coming out to cheer on this team. We cannot wait for more to come. See you all June 10th 💫 #LightTheNorth pic.twitter.com/OJm4AR7AXw

— Minnesota Aurora FC (@MNAuroraFC) May 27, 2022

The club has signed some big-name players, including Sarah Fuller, who made a name for herself as a goalkeeper at Vanderbilt and North Texas — and as the first woman to score in a Power 5 football game while at Vanderbilt.

With a dozen Minnesotans on the roster, there’s a hometown feel to the team as well. And as the NWSL considers cities for future expansion in 2024, Minnesota continues to make a case for itself as a prime destination. The Aurora could help the state’s case, as a few NWSL teams have branched into the USL W League as a way to develop talent.

“That (a NWSL club in Minnesota) would be amazing,” Minnesota Gophers head coach Erin Chastain said. “I think this would be a great market for an NWSL team. Aurora has really done a good job of putting the leg work in so that we can show the country, ‘Hey, we can do women’s soccer here at a high level.’”

The Aurora play their next home game at 8 p.m. ET Friday against Chicago City SC.

The signature Nike logo for Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark has arrived, with the sportswear giant revealing the WNBA star's branding on Monday ahead of a planned collection drop in October.

According to Nike's press release, the logo's interwoven letter Cs "reflect Caitlin's magnetic connection with fans around the globe."

Meanwhile, a smaller, central C represents how Clark developed her game "from the inside out."

"To me, this is more than just a logo, it's a dream come true," Clark said in a statement. "People always talk about leaving your mark on the game — and this is another way I can do that."

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After signing a record $28 million deal with the sportswear company in 2024, Clark joins other WNBA superstars like Las Vegas Aces forward A'ja Wilson and New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu in getting the Nike signature treatment.

Following an initial logo collection that includes T-shirts, hoodies, shorts, and pants, Clark will drop a signature Nike collection with both apparel and her debut signature shoe sometime next year.

"At Nike, we've always drawn inspiration not only from the world's greatest athletes but also from those who elevate the spirit of sport itself," said Ann Miller, Nike's Global Sports Marketing EVP. "Caitlin exemplifies both."

How to buy the Nike x Caitlin Clark logo collection

A navy blue and yellow Clark logo T-shirt will hit North American shelves on September 1st, with the rest of the line following on October 1st.

All items will be available to purchase online.

The LPGA Tour is taking over New England, as the second iteration of the FM Championship tees off from Norton, Massachusetts, on Thursday.

The four-day tournament will feature 35 of the world's Top 40-ranked players, all shooting for a piece of the $4.1 million total purse — the 2025 LPGA Tour's largest non-major payday.

Big names in search of a bounce-back performance headline the field, led by former No. 1 Nelly Korda, with the now-No. 2 US star still in pursuit of her first win of the 2025 season.

"Some of my stats are maybe better than even last year — it's just crazy," Korda said last week, commenting on her recent struggles. "That's just golf. By this time last year, I had six wins under my belt and [now] my stats are better, and I have zero wins."

Newly minted No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul will also make an appearance, as will 2024 FM Championship winner No. 10 Haeran Ryu.

Rookie phenom Lottie Woad is also in the mix, with the No. 18 English golfer determined to reclaim her winnings ways and shake off a missed cut at last week's 2025 CPKC Women's Open.

How to watch LPGA stars at the FM Championship

The 2025 FM Championship tees off at 7 AM ET on Thursday, and coverage of the four-day competition will air daily at 3 PM ET on the Golf Channel.

The UNC Tar Heels are having a rough start to the 2025 NCAA soccer season, logging two upset losses in the first two weeks of competition to plummet from their No. 1 spot in the preseason rankings.

North Carolina stumbled right out of the gate, becoming the first reigning national champs to drop their season opener in 23 years with their 2-0 fall to Tennessee, before the Tar Heels added a second 2-0 loss to Georgia last Thursday.

As a result, a precipitous poll drop have the once top-ranked Tar Heels now sitting at No. 22 in the nation, with Stanford rising behind four straight wins to take the UNC-vacated No. 1 spot.

Meanwhile, North Carolina's SEC conquerers earned big boosts: Georgia made their season rankings debut at No. 13 this week, and a four-match opening winning streak saw Tennessee skyrocket to No. 2.

Tennessee's early-season success also includes a second massive win, as the preseason-unranked Vols defeated 2022 champion and then-No. 4 UCLA 1-0 last Wednesday to prove that their shocking opening upset was far from a fluke.

Redshirt junior forward Shae O'Rourke is leading Tennessee's charge, netting five goals across their four games — including scoring all three against the two recent NCAA champs.

As for UNC, the Tar Heels have time to right the ship under newly permanent head coach Damon Nahas, with the team looking to log some wins over lopsided opponents before their next ranked matchup against fellow ACC foe No. 24 Virginia Tech on September 11th.

Global seven-a-side soccer venture World Sevens Football (W7F) is on its way Stateside, announcing Tuesday that the second-ever W7F tournament will kick off in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, later this year.

After a successful debut in Portugal last May, the eight-team competition will put another $5 million purse on the line when it takes over Beyond Bancard Field, the home of the USL Super League's Fort Lauderdale United FC from December 5th through the 7th.

While European clubs — including eventual champions Bayern Munich — dominated the inaugural W7F field, the tournament is now looking to platform teams based in North and South America for its US edition.

Like the first iteration, W7F will again team up with media partner DAZN for live match coverage from Florida.

W7F boasts a Player Advisory Council that includes the USWNT's two-time World Cup champions Tobin Heath and Kelley O'Hara, plus a trio of former international stars — England defender Anita Asante, longtime Sweden captain and midfielder Caroline Seger, and France defender Laura Georges — all of whom are also shareholders in the upstart.

"We saw undeniable proof of concept [in Portugal]. Now, we're building on that momentum," W7F head of football Adrian Jacob said in Tuesday's press release. "This isn't just a tournament — it's a movement, this time in America, where women's soccer has unprecedented momentum."