The U.S. women’s national team is gearing up for its Oct. 7 friendly against England, with the Wembley Stadium fixture marking the latest chapter in a budding cross-pond rivalry.

Friday’s match will mark the 19th meeting between the USWNT and the Lionesses and the teams’ third matchup in England. Both of the previous games in England were held in 2011, with the teams splitting the results.

Twelve years later, the USWNT returns to England to take on a hot Lionesses squad, which is fresh off an inaugural Euros title under the leadership of new coach Sarina Wiegman.

“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 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.”

Rivalry rewind: Breaking down the USWNT’s five most recent meetings with England

1. SheBelieves Cup: March 5, 2020

USWNT 2, England 0

The United States and England most recently met at the 2020 SheBelieves Cup, with the USWNT walking away with a shutout. Christen Press, who is currently injured, and Carli Loyd, who has since retired, found the back of the net for the USWNT in the match, bringing the crowd at Orlando’s Exploria Stadium to its feet.

The 2020 victory marked Andonovski’s first win over England as leader of the USWNT.

2. World Cup Semifinal: July 2, 2019

USWNT 2, England 1

The most recent high-profile meeting between the USWNT and England came in this 2019 World Cup semifinal clash. The USWNT walked away with a hard-fought victory in Lyon, France, advancing to the tournament final.

Press opened up scoring for the USWNT, with since-retired England star Ellen White responding ten minutes later to equalize.

Alex Morgan ultimately played hero for the USWNT, notching the go-ahead goal and celebrating her epic finish with a memorable tea-sipping celebration.

Alex Morgan is the new Queen of England after that tea celebrationpic.twitter.com/xxYxohBHK2

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) July 2, 2019

3. SheBelieves Cup: March 2, 2019

USWNT 2, England 2

The USWNT and England played to a 2-2 draw at Nissan Stadium during the 2019 iteration of the SheBelieves Cup.

Megan Rapinoe and Tobin Heath put away two finishes for the USWNT, while longtime Lionesses captain Steph Houghton and Nikita Parris scored for England.

Rapinoe is the only player who scored during the 2019 meeting that will be present at the 2022 fixture at Wembley.

The USWNT fought back for a 2-2 draw with England, but still waits for that first #SheBelieves Cup win.

These goals thooooo. 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/yCwSf8GyeM

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) March 3, 2019

4. SheBelieves Cup: March 7, 2018

USWNT 1, England 0

An own goal from England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley was the deciding factor in the USWNT’s 2018 victory over the Lionesses.

The 2018 SheBelieves Cup was a frustrating tournament for England, with the team struggling on defense, notching three own goals throughout the competition.

5. SheBelieves Cup: March 4, 2017

USWNT 0, England 1

This shutout stands as England’s most recent win over the USWNT.

The Lionesses broke the 0-0 deadlock in thrilling fashion, with White following a brilliant Lucy Bronze strike that ricocheted off the crossbar. The electrifying go-ahead finish came in the 89th minute, leaving the USWNT little time to respond.

We meet again 😈

The @USWNT have been regular opponents for our @Lionesses in recent years, having faced off at the #SheBelieves Cup in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. pic.twitter.com/sbje8lDAzC

— England (@England) July 2, 2019

The USWNT will take on England at Wembley Stadium at 3 p.m. ET Friday, Oct. 7. The match will air on Fox in the U.S.

The NWSL promises a tense mid-table battle this weekend, as the No. 4 Portland Thorns take on the No. 5 San Diego Wave with both teams looking to keep late-season lags at bay.

After strong starts, the Thorns and Wave each have just one win in their last five games, with San Diego aiming to snap a two-game losing streak after falling to Gotham last weekend.

Even more, both clubs currently sit in a four-way tie for points on the NWSL table, giving Saturday's match extra weight in potentially shifting the standings this weekend.

"It's a really important moment for us as a team," said San Diego head coach Jonas Eidevall. "Because adversity will happen to people or teams at various points, and everything about now is how we respond."

Portland will also look to regain ground, perhaps drawing inspiration from the past after announcing Wednesday that the club plans to retire legendary forward Christine Sinclair's jersey in an October 4th ceremony.

Sinclair established herself as the Portland Thorns' all-time leading scorer, retiring last year with 79 goals across all NWSL competitions — the second-most ever scored by an NWSL player.

How to watch the Portland Thorns vs. San Diego Wave

The No. 4 Portland Thorns will host the No. 5 San Diego Wave at 10 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage of the NWSL match airing on ION.

No. 2 Las Vegas narrowly avoided a 2025 first-round postseason series upset on Thursday night, defeating the No. 7 Seattle Storm 74-73 in a deciding Game 3 to advance to the Aces' seventh-straight WNBA semifinals.

Aces star A'ja Wilson put her team on her back with another dominant performance, posting 38 points — including 25 in the second half — to outscore the rest of the Las Vegas lineup entirely.

"I am so proud of my team, we were resilient, that's what we need to be in these playoffs and I love each and every last one of them," Wilson said postgame.

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Las Vegas got off to a slow start this year, but a late-season surge fueled by a renewed focus on depth saw the 2023 WNBA champs take the No. 2 playoff seed — and book yet another trip to the WNBA semifinals.

"I remember Chelsea [Gray] saying in a timeout, 'There's no time for my-bads anymore,'" said Wilson. "We have to play perfect basketball."

How to watch the Las Vegas Aces in the 2025 WNBA semifinals

Up next for No. 2 Las Vegas is a No. 6 Indiana side punching above their weight.

That said, the Fever did score a 2-1 record against the Aces in the 2025 regular season — and Las Vegas's lone win over Indiana came back in June.

"They haven't seen the real Aces yet," Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon said of the Fever. "They caught us when we were a bit in turmoil."

The Aces will take aim at Indiana in Sunday's 3 PM ET semifinals opener, airing live on ABC.

The No. 6 Indiana Fever claimed the first series upset in the 2025 WNBA Playoffs on Thursday, ousting the No. 3 Atlanta Dream with an 87-85 Game 3 win to book the franchise's first trip to the semifinals since 2015.

Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell stole the show once again, scoring a game-high 24 points while Indiana finished off the come-from-behind victory on a 7-0 run.

"I can't put it in words," said Fever forward Natasha Howard postgame. "I'm just speechless right now, just how we fought through this whole game."

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The win showcased Indiana's latent scrappiness, with the Fever forced to get crafty this year after multiple season-ending injuries coincided with midseason roster shakeups.

"This group is just really special," said Indiana head coach Stephanie White. "It's the resilience, the flexibility, the welcoming, inclusive nature of this team, their selflessness to pull for the 'we' over the 'me,' the ability to let each teammate be who they are and shine at their best and to lift them up."

"I give Indiana a lot of credit," Atlanta boss Karl Smesko added. "They fought all the way to the last seconds and, unfortunately, they were able to make the final play."

How to watch the Indiana Fever in the 2025 WNBA semifinals

Also punching their ticket on Thursday were the Fever's 2025 WNBA semifinals opponents, the Las Vegas Aces.

No. 6 Indiana will tip off their best-of-five semifinals series against No. 2 Las Vegas at 3 PM ET on Sunday, airing live on ABC.

US sprinter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone blew past the competition this week, becoming the first women's track athlete to run a sub-48 second 400-meter dash in almost 40 years on Thursday, when she won the event final at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

The four-time Olympic gold medalist clocked a blistering time of 47.78 seconds, breaking her own US record en route to becoming the new world champion.

Notably, Dominican sprinter Marileidy Paulino — the 400-meter gold medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics — crossed Thursday's finish line right on McLaughlin-Levrone's heels, joining the US winner in breaking the near-impossible 48-second barrier with a time of 47.98 seconds.

"You don't run something like that without amazing women pushing you to it," said McLaughlin-Levrone afterwards, crediting the impact of the other contenders on her own historic pace.

McLaughlin-Levrone's new time is now the second fastest in the sport's history, trailing only the 1985 world record of 47.60 seconds set by East Germany's Marita Koch.

Thursday's win also marked the 26-year-old's first-ever major international 400-meter flat title after historically dominating the 400-meter hurdles, making McLaughlin-Levrone the only athlete to hold world titles in both races.

"I felt that somebody was going to have to run 47-something to win this," Bobby Kersee, the sprinter's longtime coach, told The AP. "She trained for it. She took on the challenge, took on the risk. She's just an amazing athlete that I can have no complaints about."