Three points (!!!) is that all separates teams 1-7 in the NWSL table. That’s insane. We are a third of the way through the season, and nine teams are still in the playoff picture. 

Every point matters, and every game is up for grabs. Given the table hasn’t sorted itself out yet, odds are it won’t during the Olympics break, as clubs will be without their star international players. 

At this point in the season, I’m mostly just happy I haven’t been betting on games. Because I would have lost all of my money by now. 

But that doesn’t mean I still can’t rank ‘em. And as Tokyo nears, here’s how I see the NWSL table today. 

10. Kansas City —

KC headed to a struggling OL Reign looking for their first win and immediately gifted Bethany Balcer a goal in the first two minutes. It was pretty much over from there, and while I’m holding out hope for KC, they don’t seem to be making moves on or off the pitch. 

9. OL Reign —

The Reign finally got back in the win column after taking down the league’s worst side in Kansas City, even as they lost starting GK Sarah Bouhaddi to a since-rescinded red card. They play the Red Stars this weekend, which should prove a formidable task.

8. Racing Louisville (-1)

Louisville was sooooo close to shedding their youth/new team stigma, as they led Orlando in stoppage time. Then Sydney Leroux happened.

OH MY WORD 😱😱😱#ORLvLOU | https://t.co/iecT7II54a | #NWSL21 pic.twitter.com/k3kmURO3dP

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 10, 2021

That goal will certainly go down in NWSL lore, but Louisville has to be fuming to have so many players get that moment wrong. 

7. Houston Dash (-3)

To be honest, it’s a bit unlucky to lose a game on two own goals, but that’s the way it went for Houston on Sunday. It’s definitely harsh to drop them three spots on the Power Rankings for that, but these NWSL rankings are just that tight.

6. Chicago Red Stars (+2)

One of the more bizarre stat lines I’ve seen in an NWSL is winning 2-1 and registering no actual shots on net. The game wasn’t pretty to watch, but the Red Stars put the ball into dangerous areas, crashed the net, and saw a few bounces go their way in their second straight win.

5. Gotham FC —

Gotham probably didn’t deserve to win in Portland, but thanks to the heroics of DiDi Haracic and Estelle Johnson, they managed a 0-0 draw. If DiDi doesn’t end up as a No. 1 keeper next season (with two expansion sides in the fold), I will personally pitch a fit.

4. North Carolina Courage (-3)

I thought the Courage looked prime to hold it down in the Olympics window. I’m now unconvinced. The midfield just can’t seem to get it done without Debinha or Sam Mewis. They play the Dash on Saturday and will quickly want to move on from that loss to the Spirit.

3. Portland Thorns — 

They dominated the game in front of a full capacity crowd but only came away with a draw, which, per social media, isn’t leaving a good taste in players’ mouths. They have a chance to make amends when they host Orlando on Sunday, who they lost to earlier this season.

2. Orlando Pride —

They played their worst game of the season… and still managed the miraculous with a Sydney Leroux stoppage-time winner (off an Ashlyn Harris Hail Mary). Amy Turner may prove to be their biggest signing of the season, because when she entered at half, the game changed completely. 

1. Washington Spirit (+5)

This is certainly not a convincing No. 1 ranking, but I’m giving it to them. They looked like the best team this weekend and fully rebounded from their loss to Chicago with a convincing 2-0 win over North Carolina. They have a chance to prove me right by beating Gotham this Sunday. In a season as chaotic as this one, I’m going with the eye test. And last weekend, my eyes told me the Spirit are the best team in the NWSL right now.

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.