When Carli Lloyd stepped onto the pitch Tuesday night for the last time in a U.S. women’s national soccer team jersey, a starting lineup of young players took the field with her.

This was Lloyd’s farewell match, but she told the starters in the locker room before kickoff that the game was about them, and it was their opportunity to shape the future of the USWNT. The players took her message to heart, dismantling Korea Republic with clinical play in the final third for a 6-0 win.

“We all kind of separately and collectively said we want to carry on her legacy of just her work rate, her commitment going forward and that we need that,” said Andi Sullivan, the 25-year-old midfielder who was a part of the starting XI.

“That’s what has made this team so successful, is people like Carli and people before her who have helped shape her and pave her way and she’s done that for us, so we need to continue to do the same. It’s been very emotional, but we’re going to use that all as fuel and use it to help us be successful in the future.”

Carli & The Kids leading the way tonight!

Lineup notes ≫ https://t.co/abVLadtJSR pic.twitter.com/dEwBbyqSBe

— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) October 26, 2021

Lloyd has said she had “tunnel vision” in the past. She dedicated herself to her craft, often putting in more training hours than anyone else on the team. That laser focus is what made her so successful, winning two FIFA Player of the Year awards and scoring some of the most notable goals in USWNT history, but it’s also what caused her to drift from her teammates and coaches at times.

After the game Tuesday, Lloyd said that she wouldn’t have done anything differently during her career, but she’s also been more attentive this year to making sure the USWNT is well equipped for the future. That’s included passing down her wisdom to the younger players, helping them understand the culture of the team and the responsibility that comes with wearing the crest.

“I feel that I’ve really been alive and just been a bit more vulnerable these last several months after announcing my retirement,” she said. “I’ve just went about my career as somebody who just wants to get better every single day, and to hear the impact that I’ve had on so many players, so many younger players, is almost more rewarding than anything I’ve ever achieved.”

CARLI CARLI LLOYD 🎶 pic.twitter.com/32Aw99yxP7

— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) October 27, 2021

Lloyd wraps up her career with 316 caps and 134 international goals, the fourth most all-time in women’s and men’s U.S. national team history. She didn’t net any, however, in Tuesday’s win over Korea Republic. Perhaps it was an ending symbolic of Lloyd’s final charge with the USWNT, to leave the team better off than when she joined it in 2005.

Last week, Lloyd announced she would hand off the No. 10 jersey to Lindsey Horan after Tuesday’s game. It was fitting then that Horan scored the first goal of the game in Carli Lloyd fashion, in the ninth minute while wearing her No. 9 jersey for the final time.

Horan, who described Lloyd as her role model, was able to hear more about Lloyd’s experiences with the national team when the two shared a meal table at the Tokyo Olympics.

“Having conversations with her and hearing her stories and what she’s been through with this national team, things that no one else knows, is really, really cool,” Horan said. “I think those are the moments that last forever for us and are kind of the most important.”

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Sullivan has also shared many valuable encounters with Lloyd. She sits behind the 39-year-old on the team bus and sometimes picks her brain for wisdom. In the camp before she was cut from the Olympic roster, Sullivan asked Lloyd for advice on how to make a soccer career so successful.

“You have to not care what people think about you, in a positive way, where you have this undeniable belief and confidence in yourself,” Lloyd told her.

“I think that has really sat with me and helped me through my NWSL season that helped me to come back here, so I’m definitely going to carry that with me in my career,” Sullivan said on Tuesday.

Sullivan was one of six players on Tuesday’s roster aged 25 or younger. At the Tokyo Olympics, there was only one (Tierna Davidson).

“I think there’s been a little changing of the guard,” said Lloyd. “There’s obviously a different generation. Players are so technically gifted. We have some unbelievable talent that’s coming through the mix and tonight you got to see that, which I think is really exciting.”

Lloyd still has two regular season games left with her club, NJ/NY Gotham FC, and more in the playoffs should they advance. But on the international stage, she’s signing off.

“I’m excited to see the future of this team,” Lloyd said. “I’m saying goodbye on the field, but I want to continue to help in any way possible. I’m going to be the biggest fan, the biggest cheerleader, and I want to see this team continue to succeed.”

👏👏 @CarliLloyd walks off the field for the last time in a @USWNT jersey 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/GTGo4FzVCb

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) October 27, 2021

The New York Sirens made PWHL history this weekend, as forward Abby Roque — who grew up in Michigan — scored the second-year league’s first-ever Michigan goal against the Ottawa Charge on Saturday.

With Ottawa leading 3-1 in the game's third period, Roque skated behind the Charge’s net, snapping the puck under the crossbar to register her sixth goal of the season.

A very rare trick shot, "The Michigan" entered the sport's lingo in the 1990s, after University of Michigan men's hockey winger Mike Legg successfully replicated minor-leaguer Bill Armstrong’s lacrosse-style "high wrap" goal during a 1996 NCAA Tournament game against Minnesota.

Requiring deft mechanics, the shooter lifts the puck with their stick, slotting it into the top near corner of the net behind an unsuspecting goalkeeper.

"There was a lot around the net and I just I knew I had time behind the net to pick it up, [so] I thought I may as well," said Roque after her performance. "It’s something that has become a joke and we say every day when I come to the rink: 'Michigan today.'"

"The opportunity presented itself, so I had to try."

Roque joins short list of "Michigan" goalscorers

Roque — Team USA's first-ever Indigenous hockey player — now inks her name onto a short list of athletes who have scored a Michigan goal.

The first successful major pro league attempt came in the NHL, when Carolina Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov converted the trick shot against the Calgary Flames in October 2019.

On the women's side, PWHL history-maker Roque is just the third athlete to claim Michigan goal success.

Slovakia's teen star Nela Lopušanová paved the way, flicking in the first-ever women's Michigan shot during the 2023 U18 IIHF World Championships at just 14 years old.

Leading the charge Stateside is Brown University forward Margot Norehad. As a freshman for the Bears, Norehad netted a Michigan during a February 2024 NCAA game against Quinnipiac.

While Roque's shot wasn't enough to secure a Sirens win on Saturday, she did manage to her individual 16-point season total with style.

USC star sophomore JuJu Watkins suffered a serious injury in the No. 1-seed Trojans’ second-round March Madness win over No. 9-seed Mississippi State on Monday, putting a dismal stamp on the final day of the 2024/25 NCAA tournament's first weekend.

After taking contact from two defenders midway through the first quarter, a visibly distraught Watkins crumbled to the court with a season-ending ACL tear in her right knee. The season's second-leading Division I scorer will soon undergo surgery before beginning rehabilitation.

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"I'd be lying if I told you I wasn’t rattled seeing JuJu lying on the floor and crying," said USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb afterwards. "This is a human game, so I obviously tried my best to be what I need to be for the team, but internally it’s a lot."

The arena mirrored Gottlieb's reaction, a testament to Watkins's impact on the USC community.

"You cannot tell me the energy of that crowd, and how sort of angry they were with the other team, and how much fire they showed for our team, is so much about what JuJu has given to this arena, to this program, to the city," added Gottlieb. "And you just want to give it all back."

A National Player of the Year frontrunner, Watkins’s injury will reverberate throughout USC’s tournament run, as the Trojans stare down a potential Elite Eight rematch with surging No. 2-seed UConn.

Trojans step up after Watkins injury

After seeing their teammate carried off the court, USC regrouped in a big way, converting their early 13-2 lead into a 96-59 blowout victory over the Bulldogs to clinch a spot in the Sweet 16.

In light of the Watkins injury, star transfer forward Kiki Iriafen took charge, putting up a season-high 36 points and nearly notching a double-double by adding nine rebounds to her stat sheet.

Also taking up Watkins' mantle were a pair of freshmen guards, Avery Howell and Kayleigh Heckel, who came off the bench to add 18 and 13 points, respectively.

The added emotional tenacity the Trojans displayed was not lost on Gottlieb, who thanked her team in a post-game locker room address.

"I will never forget this game for as long as I live," the USC coach told her players. "You guys did something really special today."

"I have to say it with a calm face and tell you how incredibly proud I am of the way you stepped up for one another...it was a tidal wave of a team."

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Top NCAA tournament seeds dominate Sweet 16 berths

Ultimately, losing Watkins is a devastating blow not just to USC, but to college basketball at large, radically reshaping the competitive landscape as March Madness gears up for next weekend's Sweet 16 round.

Monday's final buzzer officially set that field, locking in every team seeded No. 3 and above, plus one No. 4 seed and a trio of No. 5 seeds.

In a day void of upsets, seven of Monday's games averaged a wide 28-point margin of victory. The lone outlier was Maryland's bombshell victory, as the Terps booked their Sweet 16 spot in an instant classic game against No. 5-seed Alabama.

After the Terrapins rallied from a 17-point third-quarter deficit to push the game into overtime, Tide fifth-year guard Sarah Ashlee Barker forced double-overtime with a trio of free throws.

Though the Terps ultimately emerged with the 111-108 victory, Barker set records, notching a career-high 45 points — the most by any SEC athlete and the fourth-most by any Division I player in March Madness history.

"It didn't go our way but, at the end of the day, I'm gonna walk out and hold [my] head high," said Barker about the game that capped her NCAA career. "If you're a women's basketball fan, or anybody that loves basketball, I think that every single person could say that that was one of the best games they've ever watched."

With games between the NCAA's best stacking next weekend's Sweet 16 slate, this year's March Madness tournament is could see even more blockbuster clashes.

The world No. 1 USWNT has ordered up another shot, as forward Trinity Rodman — one-third of 2024’s Triple Espresso frontline alongside Mallory Swanson and Sophia Wilson (neé Smith) — returns to head coach Emma Hayes’s 24-player roster ahead of April’s Olympic rematch friendlies against silver medalists No. 8 Brazil.

After leading the USWNT’s attack throughout last summer’s gold-medal run, Rodman is the first of the trio to resume her place on Hayes’s lineup, and her return should bolster a US side looking to balance chemistry-building alongside continued rotation.

"I have to try and find the sweet spot in camp, to reintegrate her back in the team, but also to manage her, because she has a long season ahead," Hayes said of the Washington Spirit star.

Hayes continues to tap fresh USWNT faces

April’s international window will allow Hayes to continue to size up less experienced players on the USWNT roster bubble, furthering a lengthy and deliberate evaluation process that began at the start of 2025.

With USWNT veterans Naomi Girma, Rose Lavelle, and Lynn Biyendolo (neé Williams) still unavailable due to injury, Hayes made room for first-time official invitees Houston Dash defender Avery Patterson and Manchester United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce.

The US has seen Hayes’s process hit both highs and lows since returning from last winter's European friendly tour, with the team most recently taking second place at this year’s SheBelieves Cup.

That narrow SheBelieves loss to No. 5 Japan is still the only one on Hayes's USWNT resume. While always hunting wins, the US boss is playing the long game, focusing on creating what she hopes will be a 2027 World Cup-winning team.

"All of the players know they have to earn every roster spot, every starting spot and every minute they get as a finisher off the bench," Hayes said in a statement. "Working with players who are striving for consistency in elite performance, so they can keep getting call-ups and keep excelling at this level, is an exciting process and one that continues with [April's] two games."

The USWNT will take on Ireland and another opponent

🗓️ June 26 in Commerce City, CO vs Republic of Ireland
🗓️ June 29 in Cincinnati, OH vs Republic of Ireland
🗓️ July 2 with an opponent and venue to be announced pic.twitter.com/z4OoILObXz

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) March 24, 2025

USWNT adds June friendlies against Ireland

The April roster drop arrives alongside a couple of schedule additions, with the US set to host the world No. 26 Republic of Ireland for two friendlies this June.

The teams will first square off in Commerce City, Colorado, on June 26th, before closing out the series in Cincinnati, Ohio, on June 29th.

"Ireland is one of the most difficult European teams to play against, so I’m happy we could get these games," remarked Hayes. "We need to play teams that will push us and create an environment where our players have to solve problems and play under pressure."

A third summer matchup is also on the horizon for July 2nd, though both the opponent and venue are yet to be determined.

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The USWNT's April roster

• Goalkeepers: Jane Campbell (Houston Dash), Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals), Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United)
• Defenders: Alana Cook (Kansas City Current), Tierna Davidson (Gotham FC), Crystal Dunn (Paris Saint-Germain), Emily Fox (Arsenal FC), Tara McKeown (Washington Spirit), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride), Emily Sonnett (Gotham FC)
• Midfielders: Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC), Lindsey Heaps (Olympique Lyon), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current), Jaedyn Shaw (North Carolina Courage), Lily Yohannes (Ajax)
• Forwards: Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current), Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit), Catarina Macario (Chelsea FC), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Yazmeen Ryan (Houston Dash), Ally Sentnor (Utah Royals), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC)

How to watch the April friendlies between the USWNT and Brazil

Kicking off the series in LA, the USWNT will first host Brazil at 5 PM ET on April 5th, with live coverage on TNT.

The second match in San Jose is set for 10:30 PM ET on April 8th, and will air on TBS.

After early exits from the 2025 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, US standouts continued to struggle this week, failing to advance past the Round of 16 at the Miami Open.

After ending the dream of a single Sunshine Double winner by outlasting Indian Wells champion No. 6 Mirra Andreeva in Sunday's three-set Round of 32 battle, US contender No. 17 Amanda Anisimova fell to the UK's unseeded Emma Raducanu in straight sets on Monday.

The Round of 16 action also saw world No. 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka knock out US stalwart No. 14-seed Danielle Collins in two sets — a fate similarly suffered by No. 3-ranked Coco Gauff, who fell to Poland's unseeded Magda Linette by the exact same 6-4, 6-4 scoreline.

"It wasn’t great today," Gauff told reporters after the match. "It hasn’t been the last few weeks — I’m trying to figure that out. Definitely not happy about it."

The 21-year-old star is in the midst of a particularly frustrating 2025 run, having yet to advance past the quarterfinals of any competition since winning the 2024 WTA Finals.

"It's just a series of not having great results and feeling confident on the court," she said of her current struggles.

The lone US player still on Miami's court is world No. 4 Jessica Pegula, who easily ousted Ukraine's No. 23-seed Marta Kostyuk 6-2, 6-3 on Monday.

Unseeded players shine at 2025 Miami Open

Though five of the WTA's Top 9 players — from Sabalenka to her next opponent, China's No. 9 Qinwen Zheng — advanced to this week's Miami Open quarterfinals, a trio of unseeded athletes are also making deep runs in Florida.

The aforementioned Raducanu is displaying the same tenacity that helped her win the 2021 US Open at just 18 years old, dispatching a trio of US players in No. 8-seed Emma Navarro, unseeded McCartney Kessler, and Anisimova to claim a Wednesday quarterfinal date with US star Pegula.

Also causing chaos in Miami is unseeded 19-year-old Filipino pro Alexandra Eala, who rolled over 2025 Australian Open champion and world No. 5 Madison Keys on Sunday, ultimately earning a shot at No. 2 Iga Świątek on Wednesday.

But first, Gauff's unseeded conquerer Linette will kick off the tournament's quarterfinals by facing No. 6-seed Jasmine Paolini.

The Italian star already ushered Japan icon Naomi Osaka out of the competition in Monday's three-set Round of 16 battle, and will take aim at Linette's similarly impressive unseeded run on Tuesday.

How to watch the 2025 Miami Open quarterfinals

The 2025 Miami Open quarterfinals will kick off on Tuesday, when Magda Linette will face No. 6 Jasmine Paolini at 3:20 PM ET, before No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka takes on No. 9 Qinwen Zheng at 7 PM ET.

The remaining two quarterfinals will take Wednesday's court, with the timing for Emma Raducanu vs. No. 4 Jessica Pegula and Alexandra Eala vs. No. 2 Iga Świątek yet to be determined.

All 2025 Miami Open matches will be covered live on the Tennis Channel.