In a season home opener that looked to re-inspire a San Diego that had gone through a difficult last season the Wave looked to build on the momentum gained from the last weekend facing their SoCal rivals ACFC. Wave had experienced a season many are ready to forget with shakeups at every level of the organization including the coaching staff, a sudden retirement from their star player Alex Morgan, and the loss of two USWNT stars Jaedyn Shaw and Naomi Girma. The tumult left many questions open heading into the season about the prospects of this iteration of the team this NWSL season especially amidst all the changes.

With a tenuous draw between the USWNT and Japan heading into the SheBelieves Cup Final in San Diego on Wednesday, it was clear that Emma Hayes was relishing the opportunity to put her squad through a unique challenge. There would be no way forward except to win. As obvious as that might sound, the reality of the fixture was that although both teams were tied on points, Japan held the advantage on goal differential. This meant that if the game ended in a draw, Japan would win the SheBelieves Cup, ending the USWNT’s six-year reign as champions.

The proceedings in the decade long tradition of the SheBelieves cup final match day began with Australia facing Columbia in a fixture that faced the two sides tied in terms of total points, goals, and separated only by fair play points with Columbia responsible for 4 yellow cards in the tournament.

For Australia this continues to be a team that looks to find its transition with the average age of the squad at 28 years old. For Columbian coach Ángelo Marsiglia who has been navigating a squad with an average age of 23 it is a very different story as this SheBelieves cup has created a needed opportunity to build confidence in his young side through the experience of an international tournament.

For the USWNT the tradition of the SheBelieves Cup is one of winning, having won every single edition of the home grown tournament. However, for Emma Hayes the tournament represents a fresh opportunity to establish younger players into the rotation and create momentum and muscle memory for tournament football that can only come from focusing on the details and preparation in situations with real stakes. In front of 22,000 fans setting a record for the USWNT in Arizona, the table was set for stakes that would reverberate into Wednesday’s final against Japan.

The tension leading into Sunday’s NCAA Women’s National Championship was palpable as the city of Louisville collectively held their breath looking for their hometown team to win their first title. In a season that has defied all expectations and culminated in a berth in the final four, for Louisville the loss of Anna DeBeer didn’t diminish the overwhelming support for the Cardinals in the sellout and record crowds at Yum! Center with 21,860 in attendance. However, Penn State led by Katie Schumacher-Cawley entered into this final with determination coming out of the momentum of having defeated Nebraska and as a number 1 seed.

It was impossible to ignore the overwhelming sense of momentum that Nebraska had coming into the final four as you walked around downtown Louisville mid day the night of the NCAA National Championship semifinals. As co-Big Ten Champions with a 33-3 record coming into the weekend and confidence riding high for the potential to undo the heartbreak of last year’s loss to Texas, all eyes were on Nebraska as they looked to close out the fourth set leading 2-1. Penn State had different plans as they dug deep and rallied confidence from their 11 win streak this season and put together an incredible stand to force a fifth set. That grit has only been further elevated as coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley has had to battle cancer throughout the season testing every aspect of their resilience as a team. In a reverse sweep that will be remembered as one of the most memorable in NCAA tournament history Penn rallied to take the 5th set and make history in the tournament cementing an all women’s head coach final for the first time ever, facing favored Louisville in the final on Sunday.

On a beautiful fall evening in Nashville, the USWNT hosted Iceland for a friendly, and also honored Kelley O’Hara as she announced her retirement weeks ago from professional soccer. Kelley scored one of the most memorable goals in USWNT history in the semifinal against Germany, coming off the bench to clinch the USWNT’s entry into the 2015 World Cup final. Among her many achievements, O’Hara was part of the USWNT for three Olympics and four World Cup campaigns winning both multiple times. However, the night wasn’t solely for celebrating O’Hara’s achievements; Mallory Swanson was also honored for reaching 100 caps with the USWNT and for her unforgettable goal this past summer at the Olympics, which clinched the gold medal for Team USA.

With the NWSL season coming to an end every match continues to be of utmost importance as the final seeds are being determined for the 2024 NWSL playoffs. For the Red Stars it was a tall order as they faced the defending champions in Gotham F.C. in a match that was lopsided throughout. Even so, Mallory Swanson continued to show why she is such a threat in the counter attack, breaking away in the final third for chances that could have taken the wind out of the Gotham sails.

The Connecticut Sun dismantled the Los Angeles Sparks in an 86-66 rout showcasing their firepower and firm grip on a top spot in the WNBA standings. Connecticut (26-10) took control early with a 15-point run led by Marina Mabrey’s red-hot shooting, posting a season-high 26 points and nailing six 3-pointers. Despite a brief third-quarter push from the Sparks, the Sun’s balanced attack extinguished any hopes of a comeback with an 11-2 run that put the game out of reach well before the final buzzer.

After 13 minutes that felt as if an hour had passed while also feeling fleeting at the same time, Alex Morgan stopped in the middle of the field, took off her soccer boots, took off her shin guards, and for the first time in years truly allowed a well of emotions loose in her final moments as a professional soccer player. The lead up was a swirl of emotions including a tribute video, special opening ceremony, a missed penalty, a goal, and finally an eruption of chants emanating from over 25,000 fans at a packed Snapdragon stadium on one of the hottest days of the year in San Diego.

On paper if you didn’t see the score, you’d be forgiven for believing that ACFC is making a serious turnaround in their season and were dominating Reign FC at home for the entire match. Then you look at the score, 2-3, and you realize that this team while doing all the right things and growing and evolving as they progress through the season continue to struggle to make their entry into the playoff contention.

In a social media post that sent shockwaves around the world of women’s sport, Alex Morgan officially announced her retirement from professional women’s soccer as of her final match with San Diego Wave F.C. taking place on September 8th against the North Carolina Courage. Alex Morgan, cited her pregnancy as one of the many factors in her decision, but also mentioning having made peace with the decision as early as the beginning of the 2024 season.

In a match that seemed to be a repeat of the continued woes for the San Diego Wave there were positive moments of unity that point to upside as they try to work their way into a heavily contended playoff position. With both goals coming from Kristen McNabb, one on an own goal and the other coming from a corner kick scrum off of a Maria Sanchez delivery that put the Wave even with time left for either team to decide the game.

Fluid offense, timely threes, big defensive stops, and an off shooting night for Sabrina Ionescu. An ideal recipe for an upset in a homestand that has seen a series of disappointing losses for the Sparks looking to find rhythm as they try to build a foundation for next season.

In Landon Donovan’s first official outing as head coach of San Diego Wave FC during the NWSL season it was a mix of lineups and lapses that characterized an impressive ACFC win over a Wave team that continues to struggle to find its identity.

In straight sets against team USA coming off a successful tournament for the program, Italy reminded the world why they are the number one seed. Defeating USA, Turkey, and overall dropping only a single set in the entire tournament Italy’s run at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games has been remarkably dominant. Team USA never was able to make a sure footing in the match as Italy’s defensive system rendered the hitting of Annie Drews, Jordan Thompson, and others inert with digs and blocks that were some of the most spectacular of the tournament.

In the first three set gold medal beach volleyball at the Olympics it was clear why the number one seeded Brazil would be up to the task to snap a podium drought for beach volleyball for the first time since the 1996 Olympic games. In a match that lived up to the promise, Canada’s Brandie Wilkerson and Melissa Humana-Paredes made an incredible second set comeback after a grueling first set setting the stage for a deciding third.

The road to the semifinals for Brandie and Melissa has been one filled with emotional swings as they had to battle their way through loss in the qualifying stage finding themselves on the brink of elimination in the lucky loser bracket. Few some them as favorites at that point in the tournament, and against all odds they have shown their resilience and poise defeating Kristin Nuss and Taryn Kloth in the round of 16, and now a favored Spanish side that stood in their way to a potential podium spot.

In a match that can only be summarized as a game of margins it was all team Switzerland as after an incredible first set turnaround they pushed back a team USA run at the 15 point mark making their own push to win the set.