The U.S. women’s national team scored a 4-0 win Wednesday against New Zealand thanks in large part to several key second-half substitutes, who helped open up the team’s offense.

After a shaky start, a dominant performance in the final 45 minutes secured the team its first victory to open a World Cup year since 1999.

Trinity Rodman proved one of the biggest substitutions of the match. After she came on for Midge Purce to start the second half, she provided assists on the USWNT’s first goal, from Mallory Swanson, and the final goal, from Lynn Williams.

The assists were the first and second of her national team career. Rodman, at 20 years and 243 days old, is the youngest player to have multiple assists in a single game for the USWNT since Swanson did so at 18 years old in 2017.

Ashley Sanchez also made an assist on a Swanson goal after entering in the 61st minute for Rose Lavelle. The 23-year-old midfielder’s long pass shot through defenders and found Swanson for the team’s third goal of the night.

Ashley Sanchez times a perfect pass for Mal Swanson to score her second of the night!#USWNT #NZLvUSApic.twitter.com/Ywq2b1kPbV

— Women’s Sports Exchange (@wsportsxchange) January 18, 2023

Andi Sullivan came on in place of Taylor Kornieck at halftime, which enabled the team’s midfield to open up a bit and break down the New Zealand defenders. With Sullivan, the team could run its attack up the middle of the field, which also enabled her fellow midfielder Lindsey Horan to take a more central approach.

In a related story, Lindsey Horan was more central in the second half... pic.twitter.com/SSwDtdl8Aa

— Paul Carr (@PaulCarr) January 18, 2023

Lynn Williams, too, shined off the bench. In her return from injury, the 29-year-old forward entered in the 67th minute and soon after scored a header off a perfectly placed cross from Rodman.

USWNT players acknowledged the importance of the second-half adjustments after the win.

“We had to find the ball a little more in between their seams and get a little bit more in the middle for them to collapse and then find our wingers,” Rose Lavelle said after the game. “Tough first half for us, obviously some things to clean up, but a really good response.”

USWNT and Gotham defender Jenna Nighswonger is apparently UK-bound,​ with The Athletic reporting Monday that WSL side Arsenal will receive the 24-year-old in exchange for a $100,000 transfer fee.

The 2023 NWSL Rookie of the Year is technically under contract with Gotham through 2025, but the terms of the deal have reportedly been agreed upon by both teams.

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A decorated pro debut

After going fourth overall in the 2023 NWSL Draft, the Florida State alum and 2021 NCAA champion helped Gotham earn their first-ever league title in 2023 before adding an Olympic gold medal to her resume with the USWNT last summer.

Despite her successes, a Gotham roster reshuffling saw Nighswonger's club minutes limited after she returned from Paris. The NJ/NY franchise tapped veteran defender Mandy Freeman for more playing time in the latter half of the 2024 NWSL season, plus boosted its backline by signing England international and five-time WSL champion Jess Carter to a multi-year contract last July.

Besides possibly offering Nighswonger an increase in competition minutes, a move to Arsenal would see the outside back link up with fellow USWNT star Emily Fox.

The two US defenders, as well as Australian left back Steph Catley and Ireland captain Katie McCabe, would diversify the defensive options for newly minted Arsenal head coach Renée Sleger as the fourth-place Gunners look to regain their grip on the league table.

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Nighswonger joins growing trend of WSL-bound stars

If confirmed, Nighswonger will be the third NWSL player to defect to the WSL in the last 10 days, joining two-time NWSL Defender of the Year Naomi Girma and 2023 NWSL MVP Kerolin.

While the Brazilian forward and recent NC Courage standout joins Manchester City as a free agent, WSL leaders Chelsea FC had to shell out a record $1.1 million transfer fee to the San Diego to secure Girma's early exit from her Wave contract.

The SEC is running the NCAA table, kicking off week 13 of the college basketball season with eight of the 25 programs listed in Monday's AP Poll repping the powerhouse conference.

Boosting the SEC's profile in this week's rankings is No. 23 Vanderbilt, whose narrow 66-64 upset win over then-No. 19 Alabama on Sunday helped launch the Commodores into the AP standings for the first time since the 2013/14 season.

Further up the poll, a trio of wins last week — including victories over No. 18 Tennessee and then-No. 8 Maryland — fueled Texas's return to the Top 5, with the Longhorns claiming the No. 5 spot after LSU's Friday loss to No. 2 South Carolina dropped the previously undefeated Tigers to No. 7.

Ultimately, the SEC is steadily eclipsing early season favorite the Big Ten — an unexpected turn of events that has the traditionally Midwest conference clinging onto the coattails of West Coast newcomers No. 1 UCLA and No. 4 USC.

Big swings in the Big Ten

The Big Ten's ranked programs dwindled to five after Michigan and Minnesota joined the Big 12's Baylor in exiting Monday's poll, helping pave the way for the SEC to claim more AP spots this week.

Fully entrenched in Monday's rankings drama, the Big Ten ultimately owned the highs and lows of this week's poll.

While Wolverine-ouster Michigan State earned the week's largest leap in a five-spot rise to No. 16, Maryland suffered the deepest fall. The Terps tumbled six spots to No. 14 after logging three ranked losses last week — to the still-undefeated UCLA, Texas, and new-No. 8, Ohio State.

Monday action solidifies the SEC basketball spotlight

SEC basketball wasted no time in proving its competitive mettle after taking over the AP poll, as a tough matchup between unwavering No. 2 South Carolina and No. 18 Tennessee took Monday's court.

Despite a first-quarter blitz and an impressive last-ditch 24-8 comeback run from the Vols, the Gamecocks managed to beat Tennessee 70-63.

Behind a game-leading 18 points from freshman Joyce Edwards, South Carolina held Tennessee's top-ranked offense to season-lows in points, field goal percentage (30.7%), and three-pointers made (3-for-26).

"Joyce plays the right way," South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said about Edwards' big outing. "Joyce makes good basketball decisions. That’s why you see her flourish."

AP College Basketball Top 25: Week 13

1. UCLA (20-0, Big Ten)
2. South Carolina (20-1, SEC)
3. Notre Dame (17-2, ACC)
4. USC (18-1, Big Ten)
5. Texas (20-2, SEC)
6. UConn (19-2, Big East)
7. LSU (21-1, SEC)
8. Ohio State (19-1, Big Ten)
9. TCU (20-2, Big 12)
10. Duke (17-4, ACC)
11. Kansas State (19-2, Big 12)
12. Kentucky (17-2, SEC)
13. Oklahoma (16-4, SEC)
14. Maryland (16-4, Big Ten)
15. North Carolina (18-4, ACC)
16. Michigan State (17-3, Big Ten)
17. NC State (16-4, ACC)
18. Tennessee (15-5, SEC)
19. California (18-3, ACC)
20. Georgia Tech (17-4, ACC)
21. West Virginia (16-4, Big 12)
22. Alabama (17-4, SEC)
23. Vanderbilt (17-4, SEC)
24. Oklahoma State (17-3, Big 12)
25. Florida State (16-4, ACC)

After a whirlwind 2024, USWNT and Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman has been catching the attention of club teams around the world.

Now entering her contract's final year, the 2021 Rookie of the Year's name has come up amid the recent wave of NWSL departures. Subsequently, speculation about the Olympic gold medalist's future is making headlines both at home and abroad. 

But Rodman herself isn't letting the noise get to her. Instead, she's been laser-focused on getting back to the pitch at 100% fitness after lingering back injuries impacted the latter half of the 22-year-old's season.

"The off-season was a great reset for me, mentally and physically," Rodman told Just Women’s Sports at NWSL Media Day in January. "I got to do a lot of physical therapy, which was nice. I got to be with family, and right now I'm just focused on not jumping right back into it."

Recovering from a taxing 2024 NWSL season

Rodman is known as a player whose motion on and off the ball can confuse defenders, running with a fearlessness that makes her even more dangerous on the attack.

But she's also had trouble balancing her style of play with ongoing pain in her torso. For years, the pain seemed to pass after hard contact, but it escalated last September when she had to exit a match by wheelchair.

Rodman returned to the Spirit ahead of the 2024 NWSL playoffs. But later, she mentioned that her back issues were still in play after the Spirit fell to the Orlando Pride in the 2024 NWSL Championship game. She went on to say that the injury had been haunting her since the US won gold at the Paris Olympics.

"That's not an excuse, but I wasn't the Trin that I wanted to be today," she said at the time.

But for a player that gets joy out of every moment on the pitch, taking a step back to get herself healthy has been a learning process.

Alongside "Triple Espresso" teammates Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson, Rodman has chosen to take time off from the last couple USWNT camps. And she credits her coaching staff for keeping her on the road to recovery.

"[I'm] just kind of progressing slowly," she told JWS. "Even if I feel good, I don't want to set it back again and be in a bad position."

Speedy Rodman learns to slow things down

Despite her off-field efforts, balancing rest with the needs of her team hasn't been easy.

"It's still very difficult, especially once you get later on in the season," she said. "There's not those moments where you can say, 'Oh, I need to sit out this game,' because every game is important."

"I definitely don't have it down yet, trying to figure out that balance. But I'm learning, and I'm trying to get better at communicating with the medical team and with my coaches."

For a Washington Spirit team that finished second in both the 2024 NWSL table and postseason, getting players healthy could take the team to new heights. The Spirit lost numerous starters throughout the 2024 season, including Rookie and Defender of the Year Croix Bethune, captain Andi Sullivan, and starting forward Ouleye Sarr.

Of course, Rodman is just as ready to see her teammates back on the pitch as she is herself.

"I'm very excited that people are coming back from injury — Andi's journey, Ouleye's jersey, Croix's journey, being able to hopefully see them back sooner than later," she said. "So far, even just this first week, the energy has been great. We're very together already, and going off last season, I think we set a really good foundation."

Despite injuries, consistency is key

A year without a major tournament involving the USWNT gives Rodman and her teammates time to gel. It also provides Rodman time to get ahead of the pain that has been following her for much of her career.

Last week, she told gathered media that USWNT manager Emma Hayes is planning to hire a specialist to help her continue to strengthen her back, describing it as "a hard location of injury."

With a stronger physical foundation, Rodman is eager to put injury woes behind her and focus on her game. But the 2024 NWSL MVP finalist is also realistic. She acknowledges that she might not be grinding out full 90-minute performances during the early season, if that's deemed detrimental to her long-term health. 

These days, Rodman is committed to developing consistency as a player. She places as much emphasis on being a playmaker as putting the ball in the back of the net. And if the immediate future limits her to leading from the sideline, she's all in.

"I don't need to be the person that's scoring three goals every game, but just making an impact in any way that I can, even if that's in games where I'm getting pulled out earlier," she said. "I'm excited to see how I grow in that way of celebrating other people, and being able to play at my highest level when I'm in the game."

Perhaps partially spurred by then-No. 17 Arkansas's upset win over reigning champion LSU last Friday, Tiger gymnast Livvy Dunne took to X on Sunday, expressing concerns about the state of NCAA gymnastics.

Citing "empty seats" at NCAA meets, the sport's NIL leader argued for more perfect scores to increase viewership. "People understand what a perfect 10 is and want people who do things that look great to be rewarded," she wrote. "Too many deductions… feels negative and loses the entertainment factor that draws the crowd in."

Dunne's comments were heavily critiqued by the gymnastics community. Afterwards, former three-time NCAA champion Morgan Belvedere chiming in to say "10s are earned, not given… The integrity of the sport should not be diminished for the sake of entertainment by giving out fake perfect scores."

The backlash of gymnastics perfection

Dunne is correct in noting that this season's judging has produced significantly less perfect 10s than in the past. In contrast, recent years saw record numbers of 10s awarded for sometimes controversially imperfect routines.

Prior to 2022, seasons typically finished with between 30 and 40 perfectly scored performances. That figure nearly doubled to 71 in 2022, followed by 84 and 87 awarded in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

Along with concerns about 10s becoming commonplace, experts, fans, coaches, and athletes have long raised flags about inconsistent scoring across the NCAA. For example, a full two-thirds of the perfect 10s awarded from 2023 to 2024 went to just 16 out of 63 Division I programs, all them representing the SEC or the former Pac-12.

Unlike many college sports in which rankings are determined by expert polls, NCAA gymnastics relies solely on scores. Point totals from meets directly determine rankings, conference titles, and subsequent postseason positioning. Therefore, establishing a scoring standard applicable across the entirety of competitions has long been at the forefront of discussion.

New SCORE board decreases perfect 10s

In the wake of these inconsistencies, a new gymnastics judging evaluation system was implemented this year.

Dubbed the SCORE board (Standardize Consistency in Officiating of Routine Evaluation), the system reviews judges' assessments. More accurate scoring can earn judges promotions and better assignments, like postseason meets. Scores further from the set standard could result in demotions.

The new evaluation system did result in markedly lower scores this season, ending a near-four year run of regular-season NCAA gymnastics weeks with at least one perfect 10. Though as judges have settled in to the new SCORE board era, point totals have risen.

However, first four weeks of 2025 competition have seen just two perfect 10s. No. 9 Missouri's Helen Hu earned one on beam, while No. 6 UCLA's Jordan Chiles was given a 10 on bars.

Scoring aside, NCAA gymnastics remains on the rise

While frustrations over college gymnastics scoring are nothing new, Dunne's claim that the issue is affecting the sport's outside popularity doesn't appear to hold true.

In fact, the sport is on the rise. With NIL helping to keep Olympians and other elite gymnasts on the college mat, the NCAA has been able to maintain slate of young international stars.

Between record-setting championship viewership and increasing national coverage, college gymnastics has recently stepped further into the spotlight. Even without perfect 10s, audience demand has fueled moves to larger venues as meets break attendance records — including at LSU's recent loss to the Razorbacks.

Where to watch NCAA gymnastics this week

This Saturday, Fox will air college gymnastics for the first time ever, broadcasting a Big Ten clash between No. 6 UCLA and conference leaders No. 5 Michigan State. Coverage starts at 5:30 PM ET.