The U.S. women’s national team announced its 24-player roster Thursday for its October friendlies against England and Spain.

Crystal Dunn is making her return to the team for the first time since September 2021. She had been absent while pregnant with her first child, her son Marcel, who was born in May.

Alyssa Thompson, who played at the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica this summer, gets her first senior team call-up at age 17, while veteran forward Alex Morgan is out with a knee injury.

The USWNT will face England on Oct. 7, followed by Spain on Oct. 11.

The match against England will be held at Wembley Stadium in London. The USWNT will be playing there for the first time since the gold medal match at the 2012 Olympic Games, which the U.S. won 2-1 over Japan.

With hype surrounding both sides, particularly in the wake of England’s Euros title run in July, the game sold out in less than 24 hours. That made it the fastest sellout ever in women’s soccer.

While England and the USWNT have played against one another 18 times, this will mark their first meeting at Wembley. The USWNT holds a 12-4-2 record against the Lionesses, including a memorable 2-1 win in the 2019 Women’s World Cup semifinal.

But that came before England brought on Sarina Wiegman as manager. Since she took charge in September 2021, England have gone unbeaten.

The match against Spain will bring its own drama, as Spanish players are embroiled in a dispute with their national federation.

The Spanish federation announced last week that 15 players had said they would resign rather than play under coach Jorge Vilda. The players, though, took issue with that characterization, saying they did not resign but rather asked not to be called up to the national team until their concerns for their health and well-being were addressed.

Several members of the USWNT, including Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan and Becky Sauerbrunn, have expressed their support for the Spanish players. Both Rapinoe and Sauerbrunn are on the roster.

All of this comes as the USWNT ramps up its quest to win a third consecutive World Cup, with the Australia-hosted tournament less than a year away.

“These are big tests for our team in front of crowds cheering against us and after long travel, but our players absolutely love games like these,” USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski said. “The group we are bringing to Europe includes players who have a lot of experience against top European teams and some that don’t, so these games are even more critical for our growth as our team. Our whole squad needs to get a clear picture of what these games are like as we continue to prepare for the World Cup.”

𝗚𝗘𝗧 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗣𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗦 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗬...

We're headed across the pond! 🛫#USWNT x @BioSteelSports

— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) September 29, 2022

USWNT October roster

Goalkeepers

• Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit)
• Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage)
• Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)

Defenders

• Alana Cook (OL Reign)
• Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns FC)
• Emily Fox (Racing Louisville FC)
• Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC)
• Sofia Huerta (OL Reign)
• Hailie Mace (Kansas City Current)
• Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns FC)

Midfielders

• Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC)
• Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville FC)
• Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyonnais)
• Taylor Kornieck (San Diego Wave FC)
• Rose Lavelle (OL Reign)
• Kristie Mewis (NJ/NY Gotham FC)
• Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit)
• Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit)

Forwards

• Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit)
• Mallory Pugh (Chicago Red Stars)
• Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign)
• Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit)
• Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC)
• Alyssa Thompson (Total Futbol Academy)

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.