Me this week

I’m gonna do a deep dive on this one tomorrow but a big win today for the idea that proper use of the U.S. outside backs in the middle third can settle the midfield far beyond a baseline 4-3-3

Gisele Thompson said it’s 2026 and shit is getting serious

This is the first time the U.S. has started Heaps, Lavelle, and Coffey together since they lost to Portugal last fall

Newwww Late Sub talkin two NWSL clubs playing hyper collective soccer: Gotham, where it’s not working, and Houston, where it is: m.youtube.com/watch?v=-CAa...

Been a real emotional rollercoaster of a week so let me tell you finding out Lincoln Station is reopening this weekend brought a single tear to my eye..

Important update before Cathy calls Cheryl looking for time stamped balloon receipts

Have mixed feelings about multi club football ownership, specifically US ownership in multiple countries, but can confirm the trend of English men’s clubs selling their women’s sides rather than investing, bums me out

A1 of the Chicago Tribune today

Is there any other news someone would like @juliapoe.bsky.social to write up in the newspaper she’s not busy

I will say, having been a fan for years, I like it when the Sky have nice fun players and I do not like it when they don’t.

Well let’s get the WNBA offseason cooking then

Is Lauren Betts the first NCAA Most Outstanding Player to have also gotten a makeover on RuPaul’s Drag Race

I got to write a long feature on UCLA this season, on Close’s master plan, incremental gains, investment in personnel. They were pretty open this opportunity wasn’t coming back again soon. Very cool to see it lead to the program’s first national championship. justwomenssports.com/reads/ucla-w...

I will admit, I thought UCLA might actually be *too* loose going into this one. But their experienced leadership’s ability to balance it all is so impressive

Women’s Final Four has Red Panda men’s had chainsmokers one clear winner imo

Jaquez is an ethical hooper

Kansas City with the “put enough attacking talent out there and you’ll score more than the other team” win. Gotham now with 2 goals in 5 games.

Sonnett busy arguing with the ref and a Reale mishit led to KC pulling ahead, fun game!

Gotham defense in shambles

KC defense in shambles man

That looks significant for Duran

Just watched Orlando vs LA what a nice evenly matched game with three absolutely hilarious goals

You hate to be this frank, but Texas did everything right but couldn’t make up the Madison Booker-sized hole in their offense. Don’t know what happened, but that’s the whole business

Booker had a corner three outlet pass right there

I think, with genuinely a world and beyond of respect, Chicago making the GK change was the right thing to do

Idk what the handshake of it all was but getting mad abt sportsmanship of some kind after the team that beat you just took a very gracious shot clock violation is hilarious

well that’s quite the interview from Geno

Azzi Fudd can’t be passing these looks up man

South Carolina is defending like they aren’t too worried about UConn’s outside shooting and the bet is working early on

Lmao what is this expansion draft broadcast

ICYMI: Went long on this week’s Late Sub on the USWNT’s April friendly roster, digging into positional sub groups where I think we’re now talking about one or two upcoming player cuts each before World Cup qualifying youtu.be/rdQ28s4hwpE

All American midfield for Lyon as they try to come back against Wolfsburg - this one is a really interesting one

All the UWCL quarters have been competitive and drama and fun and then there’s Real Madrid

Too late to swing the tie but a truly bizarre non call, McCabe should sit the first leg of the semis

That’s the angriest I think I’ve ever see her

I know Chelsea is wandering through the wilderness rn but really impressive so far from Arsenal over two legs. Perfect game plan to make today really hard to stage a comeback.

Good insight from Hayes on the OB race: She sees G. Thompson and Patterson as just behind Fox and Reale on the depth chart, but also anticipates this to be one of the closer positional battles going forward.

wow USSF putting Emily Sonnett on blast in the notes: Sonnett (32) is the oldest player on the roster while Yohannes is the youngest. Yohannes was eight years old and still living in the United States (two years before her family’s move to the Netherlands) when Sonnett earned her first cap in 2015.

USWNT April roster: Mcglynn still injured, so Campbell is in. Davidson, Wilson, Cooper return from injury. Young NWSL talent is sticking

The Milwaukee Messi wow

As a queer person covering the Bulls, the team’s response to Jaden Ivey's homophobic comments came as a relief. But the guard’s beliefs — and willingness to vocalize them — were not a surprise. If Artūras Karnišovas can’t vet his trades, why should he continue running the Bulls front office?

Joyce Edwards is going to be SUCH a good WNBA player

This will surely rightfully get lost in the shuffle over much more serious concerns but during one of his livestreams this week Jaden Ivey did take a second to shout out Britney Griner and the undefeated 2011/2012 Baylor Bears. So some confused ideology there.

Feels like Gotham is playing hyper pragmatic openers and closers soccer right now, but it just leaves such a short window to actually push for a goal late

The hoops have been good this year

Hot take I think Duke is a trickier lineup matchup for UCLA because they have effective length that LSU does not

Not UConn’s best but I guess that’s kind of the point. Artificially close game, just never once saw a viable way for Notre Dame to actually pull ahead. UConn won’t be able to play (ostensibly) South Carolina like that though.

UConn has had Notre Dame in a blender for most of the third quarter but they also can’t hit their shots

The season’s long, but as someone who has thought the NWSL’s regular season parity has been a little overstated the last couple years, feeling good about it in 2026