Previewing USWNT's gold medal rematch. Plus, meet our new writers!
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Sue Bird says her former coach, Geno Auriemma, wasn't crying when Paige Bueckers left the podium last week, but there had to be some emotion when the 23-year-old sank a career-best 40 points to help the Huskies reach the Elite Eight. Maybe we'll see whose tears fall tonight when UConn faces USC at 9 p.m. ET.
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This is soccer-adjacent and just good sports — welcome to Full Time!
USWNT Returns
Who's ready for camp?
Two groups of U.S. internationals will be in California for face time with head coach Emma Hayes this week, including a group of under-23 players who will train alongside the first team. Twenty-four senior team players will be available for the Olympic final rematch games against Brazil on Saturday in Inglewood and April 8 in San Jose.
Here's how some of the top players did over the final weekend before the international window:
Crystal Dunn was in vintage form for Paris Saint-Germain, scoring a brace in the team's 6-0 league win over Saint-Etienne. Midfielder Korbin Albert also tallied an assist in the match.
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Lily Yohannes, 17, had a double of her own in Ajax's 4-0 win over Den Haag. The teen continued to show her keen ability to read passes and find where the space is. Elsewhere in France, midfielder and U.S. captain Lindsey Heaps was not on the roster for Lyon in their 4-0 win yesterday.
In NWSL, Alyssa Thompson scored an absolute banger for Angel City FC just in time to make the forward depth chart conversation more interesting.
The U.S. also has a new fan this week, as former captain Alex Morgan and her husband Servando Carrasco announced the birth of their son, Enzo, yesterday. I can't think of a better way to spend your first week of life than by watching a USWNT game.
Good or bad news first?
We'll start with the good. U.S. forward Trinity Rodman earned her first start of the year for the Washington Spirit on Friday. The 22-year-old, who has missed time intermittently throughout the last two years due to back issues, played more than an hour for her team. Though she didn't mark the score sheet, the Spirit won 2-0 over the visiting Bay FC.
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After the match, Rodman said that it felt good to be back. However, she doesn't think her back 'will ever be 100 percent,' saying it's more about managing the issues rather than a 'curable fix.' She added: 'I don't think my back will ever be the way it was my rookie year, which is unfortunate.'
The other bad news is that yet another U.S. defender will miss time due to injury. On Friday, Gotham FC center back Tierna Davidson was injured during the match against Houston Dash.
Davidson walked off the pitch with limited support from trainers but looked distraught as she headed to the locker room.
The U.S. announced Gisele Thompson will replace her on the U.S. roster. That means both Naomi Girma (who continues to recover from injury with Chelsea) and Davidson are unavailable for the back line.
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The 26-year-old Davidson has an injury history. She tore the ACL in her right knee while with the Chicago Red Stars and missed the remainder of the 2022 season. Before that, in 2018, she fractured her ankle while playing for Stanford.
Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amoros spoke to Davidson's strength after the game: 'Tierna is a warrior. She's our captain.'
Meg's Corner: Kansas City is the real deal
I generally find power rankings for any sport to be empty calories, designed to drum up engagement, but there's no denying we're seeing a clear top tier form in the NWSL as the 2025 season starts — with the same teams as last year. Sure, there are some promising signs early on for teams like the Dash and San Diego Wave as they work through rebuild processes, but so far it's been a top-three experience through the first three weeks thanks to the Washington Spirit, Orlando Pride and Kansas City Current.
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The Pride started the season with that eye-popping 6-0 win over Chicago, but the Current has consistently looked locked in. Last year's MVP Temwa Chawinga, now harnessing the power of teal hair, scored in her eighth straight game, tying her own record from last season. Bia is off the season-ending injury list and back on the pitch. Michelle Cooper and Debinha have both already added a couple of goals.
It's early still, but all the pieces are there for another deep run — and through three games, they've only allowed a single goal. Consistency in March doesn't guarantee anything in November, but right now, KC looks legit.
In the News
Welcome, Asli and Tamerra!
We are proud of our women's sports coverage at but we also have room to grow. That's why I'm so excited to introduce two new writers, Asli Pelit Basker and Tamerra Griffin (who you most definitely recognize).
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Both journalists have impressive backgrounds and unique perspectives that you can read about here, but we also like to ask the hard questions here at Full Time…
What is your go-to karaoke song?
Pelit Basker: I'm not a great singer, and out of fear of getting booed, I've always avoided singing in front of a crowd. Seriously, you do not want to hear me sing! But a year ago, my husband (who has an excellent singing voice and loves karaoke) and I picked 'Islands in the Stream' as our go-to karaoke song.
Griffin: I do not have a go-to karaoke song. And I do believe that's a revealing fact about me because I am very much a 'vibe check' person. How am I feeling when I get on that karaoke stage, and what song best reflects that feeling or that moment? That said, if you shoved a microphone into my face right now and asked me to pick a song, it would be 'No Scrubs' by TLC.
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Utah Royals up for sale?
Maybe. In the second iteration of the Utah Royals in NWSL, the team is facing another round of ownership change reports.
Majority owner David Blitzer is in advanced talks to sell controlling stakes in both MLS' Real Salt Lake and the Royals, multiple sources confirmed to . Though nothing is done, the sale would mean the Larry H. Miller family becomes the majority owner of both teams while Blitzer stays on as a minority owner.
Blitzer bought RSL in 2022 after former owner Dell Loy Hansen put the team up for sale following revelations of racist behavior reported by in 2020. The Royals were sold and relocated to Kansas City, but Blitzer and Jazz owner Ryan Smith maintained the expansion rights in Utah and brought a new team under the same name in 2024.
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C'est chic celebration
Ashley Hatch became the fifth-leading goal scorer in NWSL when she scored two against Bay FC on Friday, but it was what she did after the first goal that caught our attention.
This full-team celebration, including goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury, was epic — even if Hatch wasn't initially on board.
While Rodman and Croix Bethune were known for their celebrations in 2024, it was defender Esme Morgan who earned her teammates' approval to coordinate the celebration. Originally, it was supposed to be a full catwalk, but after negotiating with her team's leading goal scorer, they settled for the mock photo shoot. Everyone bought in.
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'(Hatch) didn't really have much choice in the matter,' said Morgan. 'I'm glad she was up for it when the time came along.'
Full Time First Looks
History makers: Did you know a man walked on the moon before a woman ran in a sports bra? That's just one of the eye-opening details Megan Feringa shared in her story about the history of the sports bra and its impact on athletes and women's rights.
That's not my name: The NWSL's 15th team officially unveiled its new name last week, dropping BOS Nation FC and going with Boston Legacy FC. The club surveyed the public and got feedback from team advisers and community listening sessions. They received over 500 suggestions during the name change process. The biggest takeaway: steer clear of colonial, Revolutionary War and nautical themes.
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Must-see moment: This goal from 19-year-old Nigerian forward Chiamaka Okwuchukwu came from her very first touch of the game, 1 minute and 48 seconds into her debut. It is the second-fastest goal scored by a player in her regular-season season debut.
Feedback loop: For those wondering what the consensus was on public marriage proposals from last week…
📫 Love Full Time? These stories can also be found on Yahoo's women's sports hub, in partnership with Also, check out our other newsletters.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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