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USWNT injury list: Players they most need back for World Cup

Emily Sonnett and Julie Ertz are two players the USWNT hopes to bring back into the fold. (Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

We were reminded this week just how monumental the U.S. women’s national team’s list of injuries is, as head coach Vlatko Andonovski gave a rundown of over 10 players working their way back into the fold during his media availability Monday. Some players are well on their way back, while a few have more nebulous timelines that warrant more reflection ahead of the World Cup next summer.

While every injured player brings talent that almost any national team would welcome, there are a few players in key positions that the U.S. could use back on the pitch sooner rather than later.

Defense

Emily Sonnett

This is maybe a less obvious pick, but hear me out. When dealing with further attrition to the wide areas of the USWNT backline, Andonovski brought in Hailie Mace, who has played many different roles for her NWSL clubs. Mace was called up as an outside back, but she’s recently played wingback for her club and spent time as a No. 10 or defensive midfielder (not my favorite place for her.) In short, Mace was brought in to play the same role Emily Sonnett has filled for the team for ages: a catch-all defender who can train well and slot onto the field in a pinch. Sonnett had an excellent year at center-back for Washington in 2021, and she has experience as the team’s Swiss Army Knife. They might miss her more than you think.

Kelley O’Hara

The USWNT has featured very attacking-minded outside backs in recent months. Emily Fox and Sofia Huerta have done a fine job when the USWNT is in possession, with crisp crosses and good recovery speed in defensive transition. But against top opponents, one has to wonder if the backline is missing a certain amount of dexterity out wide. O’Hara has historically been strong in both areas, and her vision from wide positions can be helpful in advancing the ball. And do not count out Casey Krueger, who featured on the team’s 2021 Olympic roster as a defensive option at outside back and now works her way back from the birth of her son, Caleb.

Tierna Davidson

While much of the focus is on the outside-back positions, the USWNT’s center-back situation is less settled than one might think. Naomi Girma has excelled in her fast track to a spot with the first team, and Becky Sauerbrunn hasn’t missed a step in NWSL play. But Andonovski seems against playing the two together since they both sit on the left side. This has placed heavy responsibility on the shoulders of Alana Cook, who has looked equal parts steady and shaky in international play. Davidson is working her way back from the third serious injury of her young career, but she was a bright spot in a tough Tokyo Olympic campaign and should provide a healthy amount of competition to the central defense.

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Sam Mewis had surgery on her right knee last August. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Midfield

Sam Mewis

The players with the least concrete return timelines are those whose roles the USWNT consistently misses the most: Sam Mewis and Julie Ertz. Connectivity in the midfield has been an issue for the USWNT for over a year, to the point where Andonovski has adjusted his game plan at times to avoid it against other top nations. Mewis is not a holding midfielder, nor is she a drifting playmaker who pushes toward the opponent’s backline. But therein lies the point: The USWNT does not have a replacement for her — a possessor who allows the other midfielders to focus on their most natural positions — in their current midfield pool. If Mewis’ knee issue continues to linger, the U.S. might have to commit to a replacement (they have a good candidate, but she’s currently listed as a defender.)

Julie Ertz

No one knows if or when Julie Ertz might return to professional soccer, and Andonovski was reluctant to speculate this week on her timeline for a return. Her unknown status is what makes the current USWNT approach all the more confounding, as their 4-3-3 formation requires a defensive midfielder of Ertz’s physical profile to protect dangerous areas and break up the other team’s possession. Andi Sullivan and Sam Coffey are capable No. 6s, but Sullivan has looked hesitant when asked to pressure in front of her own penalty area. The USWNT would be giving something up to implement a “buddy system” in front of the backline, and Andonovski seems reluctant to try, but Ertz is the only player who can consistently make the current system work.

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Catarina Macario said recently that her knee is feeling "good" after tearing her ACL in June. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Attack

Catarina Macario

Almost too obvious to mention, but the USWNT attack has stayed in Macario mode even after the 23-year-old tore her ACL right before the Concacaf W Championship. During the team’s subsequent friendlies, Sophia Smith has taken on a proto-Macario role, starting centrally and at times drifting into the USWNT midfield to help progress the ball. Those experiments didn’t always set the team up for a scintillating attack, especially when they were missing Mallory Pugh in October. But the vision remains of Macario returning as a false No. 9 and Smith pushing further wide with a new wealth of experience. Much of the USWNT’s attack is riding on Macario returning to score goals and allow the rest of the forward lines to be their best selves.

Christen Press

I simply do not believe that the backup position to Pugh’s starting role at left wing is as secure as Andonovski has projected it to be. Megan Rapinoe is a crucial leader in the locker room and lethal in dead-ball situations. But if the USWNT can take 26 players to the 2023 World Cup, they need someone who can be effective for a full 90 minutes in the off-chance Pugh is not available for every match. Press has the experience and class on the ball to connect with the midfield and provide defensive cover for whichever outside back is playing behind her. She can also be clinical from distance, an attribute that can break a close game open when other attacking options fail.

Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

Atlanta Dream Face Seattle Storm in 1st Regular-Season WNBA Canada Game

Atlanta Dream center Brittney Griner defends as Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams drives to the basket during a 2025 WNBA game.
The Atlanta Dream and Seattle Storm head to Vancouver for the first-ever in-season WNBA Canada Game on Saturday. (Scott Eklund/NBAE via Getty Images)

The WNBA is taking a weekend road trip, as the No. 2 Atlanta Dream and No. 8 Seattle Storm head across the border to Vancouver, British Columbia, for the league's first-ever in-season Canada Game on Friday night.

The game features a rematch of Atlanta's 85-75 win over the Storm on Wednesday, with the win propelling the Dream up the WNBA standings — and threatening to drop Seattle out of postseason contention entirely.

"Time is running out, and the team knows it," Seattle head coach Noelle Quinn said earlier this week. "I didn't want to put so much pressure on them, but they know the situation, and they understand the urgency."

While Friday marks the first regular-season WNBA matchup played outside the US, the league has previously staged two preseason games in Canada, tipping off in Toronto in 2023 and Edmonton in 2024 — both in front of sold-out crowds.

Toronto's 2023 exhibition appeared to serve as a trial run for expansion, with the league awarding the Canadian city its first franchise — the 2026-incoming Toronto Tempo — earlier this year.

While plans for a formal move to Vancouver hasn't yet surfaced, the WNBA's explosive popularity and rapid growth outlook provide plenty of room for new markets to enter the conversation.

How to watch the 2025 WNBA Canada Game

The No. 8 Seattle Storm and No. 2 Atlanta Dream will square off inside Vancouver's Rogers Arena at 10 PM ET on Friday night.

Live coverage of the WNBA Canada Game clash will air on ION.

Washington Mystics Shift 2025 Season Strategy as WNBA Playoffs Near

The Washington Mystics huddle and celebrate a 2025 WNBA win.
The Washington Mystics have won just three of their last 10 games following a series of strategic trades. (Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

Coming off a series of strategic transactions, the No. 10 Washington Mystics will forge ahead on Friday night, taking on the short-staffed No. 6 Indiana Fever with a chance to play spoiler as they reshape their 2025 expectations from below the postseason cutoff line.

"There's just so many different success stories with this group," Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson said following Washington's 88-83 loss to the No. 7 Golden State Valkyries on Wednesday.

The Mystics have lost five of their last six games, and will take the court on Friday without injured new addition Jacy Sheldon and starting center Shakira Austin.

While Washington exceeded this year's early-season projections — skyrocketing above the playoff line behind leading scorer Brittney Sykes and the dynamic rookie duo of Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron — the now-fading Mystics chose to shift gears at the trade deadline, sending Sykes to the No. 8 Seattle Storm and shipping second-year forward Aaliyah Edwards off to the No. 13 Connecticut Sun.

With their natural 2026 draft pick secured, Washington has a shot at adding a top first-round prospect should they play out the rest of the regular season at the bottom of the WNBA standings — in other words, by strategically tanking the final weeks of 2025 play.

On the other hand, the injury-laden Indiana enters Friday's action eyeing a win after falling to the No. 11 Dallas Wings by just one point on Tuesday.

How to watch the Washington Mystics vs. Indiana Fever on Friday

The No. 10 Mystics will take on the No. 6 Fever in Indianapolis at 7:30 PM ET on Friday, with live coverage airing on ION.

No. 1 Kansas City Current Battles No. 2 Orlando Pride in a Clash of the NWSL Titans

Orlando Pride forward Ally Watt slide tackles Kansas City Current forward Nichelle Prince during a 2025 NWSL match.
The No. 1 Kansas City Current will enter Saturday's match against No. 2 Orlando with a 12-point lead over the Pride. (Dustin Markland/NWSL via Getty Images)

A top-table battle headlines the NWSL this weekend, as the No. 1 Kansas City Current hosts the No. 2 Orlando Pride for a possible postseason rehearsal on Saturday.

Led by Golden Boot frontrunner Temwa Chawinga, the Current enter the weekend with a full 12-point lead over the rest of the league, as reigning NWSL Shield and Championship winners Orlando push to make a statement.

"We are resilient. That is part of our identity. We never give up and we are always playing to win, and we always believe in ourselves," Pride defender Kylie Nadaner said following last Saturday's 1-1 draw with Racing Louisville.

More than just a clash between the top two teams in the NWSL standings, history shows very little love lost between these perennial heavy-hitters.

Last season, Orlando snapped KC's NWSL-record 17-game unbeaten streak on the Current's home turf, then took Kansas City down again in the pair's 2024 semifinal playoff match.

"We will remember the way they acted after the cameras were off," Current forward Michelle Cooper posted to social media after their July 2024 loss.

Kansas City has already issued some regular-season revenge on their way up the table this year, defeating the Pride 1-0 back in May.

How to watch Kansas City vs. Orlando this NWSL weekend

The No. 1 Current will kick off against the No. 2 Pride at 4 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage airing on CBS.

NBA 2K26 Adds WNBA Players to MyTEAM Mode

Avatars of WNBA star Angel Reese and former NBA icon Shaq play together in the NBA2K video game.
Video game NBA2K incorporated WNBA players into MyTEAM mode for the first time this week. (NBA 2K26)

NBA 2K is going all in on the WNBA, with the popular video game expanding its MyTEAM mode this week to allow athletes from both leagues to star on the same team when the 2K26 edition drops next month.

"MyTEAM is where competition meets a basketball fan's wildest imagination," explained Visual Concepts VP of NBA development Erick Boenisch. "By integrating the WNBA into one of our most popular modes, we're not only giving players the opportunity to customize their all-time dream rosters but shining a spotlight on some of the game's most iconic hoopers. We're looking forward to giving our players a new and deeper way to engage with the WNBA."

"Players can now mix and match current superstars and legends from both leagues, and compete with more dream lineup combinations than ever before," NBA 2K said in Thursday's release.

"Pair Paige Bueckers with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, throw a lob from Sheryl Swoopes to Shaquille O'Neal, or run a pick-and-roll with Angel Reese and Carmelo Anthony," the franchise continued.

NBA 2K has ramped up its WNBA integration significantly since the league's debut in the 2K20 edition, expanding from Play Now and Season modes to the upcoming 2K26 version's virtual press conferences, pre-draft interviews, social media refreshes, and Top-10 player ratings.

How to buy the WNBA Edition of NBA 2K26

With Chicago Sky sophomore Angel Reese playing cover star, the WNBA Edition of NBA 2K26 will be sold exclusively in physical form at GameStop, dropping along with the other versions of the popular video game on September 5th.

Fans can purchase the WNBA version through the gaming retailer's presale now.

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