The win against Canada didn’t just cap off an undefeated summer—it clarified the direction this team is heading. Hayes has built a system rooted in clarity, trust, and adaptability. Players come in and look ready. Moments happen because they’re prepared, not improvised. And as a new generation emerges in real time, one thing is becoming clear: Emma Hayes isn’t just preparing the USWNT for Brazil. She’s building a new standard that may be the bar we need to expect for the US Soccer program as a whole.

Women have been conditioned to consume sport within the contexts and frameworks used for men’s leagues whether it’s the coverage and analysis, gambling, or talk shows that drive 24/7 coverage on network programming. Our fandom has been contained to men’s teams because we’ve taken all of the air out of the narratives of women’s teams. But it doesn’t have to stay that way.

On a sweltering afternoon in Pasadena, Paris Saint-Germain opened their FIFA Club World Cup campaign with a dominant 4–0 victory over Atletico Madrid in front of a crowd of 80,619 at the Rose Bowl. It was the kind of attendance that would make most event organizers breathe a sigh of relief, especially for a mid-June match scheduled at midday. But for all the excitement that should have surrounded the reigning Champions League winners playing on American soil, the experience left more questions than answers.

“There’s multiple shots at the end of the game, either going into the third, into the fourth, where they’re just coming in, just f—— swinging, and they just don’t call anything. And I don’t understand how that’s six free throws, playing 40 minutes, touching the paint.”

Becky Sauerbrunn stood on the sidelines with a quiet grace, honored for a career that spans over 200 caps, a World Cup title, Olympic gold, and a legacy as one of the most respected defenders in USWNT history. But as one chapter was celebrated, another was being written—this time by names that are quickly becoming must-know.

From the start, the U.S. looked eager to test China’s mid-block, and the gaps were there. In the 12th minute, Michelle Cooper nearly connected with Alyssa Thompson on a brilliant through ball, but China’s backline barely cleared it in time. Thompson was everywhere as has been the case all year—making hard runs, stretching the field, and forcing China to scramble.

From the outset, the Sparks demonstrated how their new lineup, featuring Plum seamlessly transitioning between shooting guard and point guard from possession to possession, can create challenging pick-and-roll scenarios for even the most seasoned defenses. Early combinations involving Azura Stevens, benefiting from clean looks generated through dribble handoff actions between Plum, Dearica Hamby, and Rickea Jackson, proved that the Sparks can orchestrate meaningful runs, especially in the open floor during transition play.

Fresh off a two-game road-winning streak, the Wave returned home to face their California rivals from the Bay Area. Under new head coach Jonas Eidevall, San Diego has looked formidable all season, and they wasted no time setting the tone. From the opening whistle, the Wave came out with the kind of high-intensity press that has defined their play since the start of the year.

For ACFC the positives not only heading into the season with new ownership powered by Bob Iger and Willow Bay’s record breaking investment making the club the most valuable women’s franchise in the world, but also the promise of a side that welcomed the return of Christen Press from injury and has continued to see an ascendence from talents like Alyssa Thompson and sister Gisele, have fostered a sense of inertia that has been backed by an undefeated streak heading into the Gotham matchup. However, without the services of Alyssa Thompson the offense would face a challenging Gotham defense anchored by USWNT veteran Emily Sonnet.

Alyssa Thompson’s ascendancy on the USWNT can be summarized by a single indomitable trait: hustle. Her relentless and utterly world-class speed is at full throttle with every U.S. possession. For Brazil, that reality hit sooner than expected—a first-minute burst of brilliance saw Thompson running the entire Brazilian backline into the box. She was stopped just short, but not before creating chaos, allowing Macario to clean up the broken play and score the first goal of the match in San Jose.

It didn’t take long for the Trinity effect to take hold of the USWNT in their faceoff with Brazil at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in what would be the first rematch of the two sides since the final of the Paris Olympic Games. Trinity Rodman scored an emphatic goal within the first five minutes of the game bringing SoFi into a frenzy off of a brilliant through ball from the ascending Alyssa Thompson who has continued to impress this year for the USWNT.

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.