The last time Alex Morgan took the field against Canada, her two teammates on the front line were much different, and much older.

In that Olympic semifinal last August, Morgan exited early as the U.S. women’s national team’s offense failed to produce. It ended in a one-goal loss, the first time the United States had lost to Canada in over 20 years.

Back then, Tobin Heath (33 at the time) and Lynn Williams (28) joined the 33-year-old Morgan on the attack. This time, in the USWNT’s Concacaf title-clinching 1-0 win over Canada on Monday night, she was the oldest forward by nine years, with 24-year-old Mallory Pugh and 21-year-old Sophia Smith playing beside her, and Trinity Rodman (20) and Midge Purce (26) eventually subbing in with a few minutes to play.

This time, Morgan did not exit early, though the team struggled to produce in the first half.

This time, she was the hero, and her young teammates got to see exactly what it takes to win at the international level.

“She’s a winner,” USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski said. “She knows how to win big games. She knows how to perform in big games. She’s won World Cups, she’s won Olympics, she’s won big tournaments. That doesn’t come overnight. So for her to be on the field to showcase that, and to have Mal and Soph next to her, that is a big win for us. That’s a big win for this team and for this country.

“Those two are going to have to take it over, and what better way to learn than from one of the best?”

The opening 45 minutes were full of “what ifs” and Herculean saves from Canadian goalie Kailen Sheridan. Perhaps the best chance of the match came with a few minutes left in the first half, when a perfect cross from Sofia Huerta found Smith in front of the net. The pass was so perfectly placed, curving around the Canadian defenders, that Smith seemed surprised when it reached her. Her touch was too strong, and Sheridan ended up meeting her at the goal line. There was a bit of a commotion as Smith fell forward over Sheridan. Her body went over the goal line, but Sheridan and the ball stayed outside, preserving the scoreless tie.

Pugh has played in 77 matches for the USWNT, recording 24 goals and 26 assists in that span, while Smith has played in 20 with eight goals and three assists.

Still, the two don’t have nearly as much experience as players like Morgan at the international level. Since the Olympics last year, USWNT fans have questioned Andonovski’s roster decisions, especially when it comes to opting for veterans over younger talent. But Morgan has the experience, and just over two years removed from giving birth to daughter Charlie, she still looks to be in her prime.

“She doesn’t want to stop growing, she doesn’t want to stop developing,” Andonovski said. “She wants to expand her game in any way possible, and she has been doing that day in and day out.”

With 118 goals in 196 matches for the United States, the forward is forever etched into soccer lore. And when Rose Lavelle was fouled in the box with 14 minutes left in regular time, she had a chance to add another line to her legendary list of accomplishments.

“I could tell (she was locked in),” Andonovski said. “That’s why she played almost 90 minutes. If I didn’t feel like she was performing, she was probably going to come out early. I thought she was tremendous.”

Morgan had always been tabbed to take the penalty kick, Vlatko said, if the opportunity arose when she was on the field.

They stuck with the decision, despite the presence of Sheridan — Morgan’s teammate in San Diego — in the net. The Canadian goalie is familiar with Morgan’s tendencies, but when the ball sailed into the right corner of the net, Sheridan went left.

GOAL NO. 1️⃣1️⃣8️⃣ FOR @ALEXMORGAN13 #USWNT
pic.twitter.com/PqqveKgftz

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) July 19, 2022

“Before the final, I did speak to Alex about how she feels about taking the penalty, because obviously she was going against her club teammate,” Andonovski said. “But she wanted to take it, and her answer was with confidence, which gave me confidence as well.”

As the ball hit nylon, the cheers erupted from the stands, and Morgan celebrated with her youthful counterparts.

The veteran saved the day after her squad missed several quality chances throughout the contest. But after the match, Andonovski didn’t dwell on the ones that didn’t go in, instead choosing to focus on the opportunities they did generate. At times, the front line looked faster and more skilled than Canada, which ran out virtually the same lineup the United States saw during the Olympics.

The way players like Smith and Pugh performed impressed Andonovski, who praised their improvement from the Concacaf opener to the final victory.

“I am very happy with the gradual improvements that we had,” he said. “It is very obvious that our team is significantly younger than the previous time we played Canada. We changed our lineup, five players in that starting lineup. Those players are going to be here for at least three, maybe four World Cups, so get used to it.”

Morgan is closer to the end of her USWNT career at this point, but she’s leaving the squad with plenty to remember her by.

Eden Laase is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.

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.