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NWSL Power Rankings: San Diego becomes KC’s closest challenger
It’s Tuesday, and another week of NWSL action is in the books, which means it’s time for ESPN’s Power Rankings.
Who’s climbing the table? Who’s in free fall? Our writers studied the action from across Matchday 16 to come up with this week’s order of all 14 teams in the league. Let’s dive in.
Previous ranking: 1
Next match: Saturday at Portland Thorns, 10 p.m. ET
When the Current’s matchup with Orlando finally kicked off after a three-hour delay due to extreme heat, the game sure felt like … both teams had been sitting around for hours, getting stiff and waiting to play. There were very few clear-cut chances in Saturday’s 0-0 draw, with shots between the penalty spot and the goalline a downright rarity. Still, you won’t find anyone ready to downgrade Kansas City from its spot as the NWSL’s top dog. Uncertainty about when — or if — the match would take place mixed with a strong opponent makes a home point a respectable result.
Previous ranking: 4
Next match: Sunday vs. Racing Louisville, 8 p.m. ET
Unbeaten in its past five games, San Diego bested Bay FC on the road by a 2-1 scoreline on Saturday. Kenza Dali was an especially bright presence going forward, showing off her dazzling one-v-one ability, passing range and scoring chops throughout the night. It was Dali’s strike from range that gave the Wave a two-goal cushion, one large enough to survive a penalty concession in the second half. Between their attacking joy and sharp transition defending that kept Racheal Kundananji quiet, it was a good outing for the visitors.
Previous ranking: 3
Next match: Thursday at Angel City, 10:30 p.m. ET
There’s no perfect way to prepare for a road clash with Kansas City, but a lengthy weather delay due to extreme heat is just about the worst-case scenario. Still, those were the cards dealt to the Pride on Saturday, and the visitors managed to play things out to a 0-0 draw. That star striker Barbra Banda was forced to exit the field less than 15 minutes into the match due to injury put a damper on an otherwise positive result.
Previous ranking: 2
Next match: Saturday at Bay FC, 4 p.m. ET
The Spirit’s 2-2 draw with Louisville on Friday was full of twists and turns. After Washington took the lead in the first half via a wonder strike from Sofia Cantore, it conceded two goals in the second half before a 100th-minute equalizer from Rosemonde Kouassi. Although they only earned a point, the Spirit were unfortunate with their concessions: a heavily deflected own goal and a penalty kick. That their allowed goals were fluky and that Trinity Rodman played more minutes — she featured for the entire second half — means there are reasons for optimism in the nation’s capital.
Previous ranking: 5
Next match: Saturday vs. Kansas City Current, 10 p.m. ET
Every now and then, Olivia Moultrie pulls out a jaw-dropping moment to remind us all of her astonishing potential. The 19-year-old showed off one of those moments in the Thorns’ 1-1 draw on the road against North Carolina on Saturday. Moultrie keyed Portland’s entire goal sequence, spraying a gorgeous diagonal from central midfield out to the left wing before crashing the box to score the goal herself. You’ll be hard-pressed to find many better individual moments from any player this season.
Previous ranking: 7
Next match: Sunday at San Diego Wave, 8 p.m. ET
Louisville’s 2-2 draw with the Spirit was about as far from conventional as they come. Despite taking the lead via a wicked deflection on a Taylor Flint shot and a Savannah DeMelo penalty, Racing couldn’t escape Audi Field with all three points. Deep in stoppage time, a costly turnover from Ary Borges in midfield allowed Rosemonde Kouassi to net an equalizer in the 100th minute. Louisville will regard Friday night as an opportunity lost, but a point on the road against the Spirit is nothing to sneeze at.
1:09
Washington Spirit grab late equalizer in stoppage time
Rosemonde Kouassi scores late in stoppage time to level Washington with Racing Louisville before the final whistle.
Previous ranking: 6
Next match: Sunday at Houston Dash, 7 p.m. ET
The Reign have the unfortunate distinction of being the latest NWSL team to concede a goalkeeper goal, with Alyssa Naeher‘s equalizer in the 99th minute turning three points into one for Seattle on Monday. That goal from the U.S. women’s national team legend was the finishing touch in a series of disappointing events: the hosts allowed three straight goals in the second half and watched as their 3-0 lead over Chicago turned into a 3-3 draw before the final whistle. Make that back-to-back games where Laura Harvey’s team has conceded at least three goals.
Previous ranking: 9
Next match: Friday at Chicago Stars, 8 p.m. ET
Searching for their first victory since parting ways with coach Sean Nahas, the Courage hosted Portland on Saturday and had to settle for a 1-1 draw. North Carolina kept most of the ball, but there were chances at both ends: the two teams combined for 31 shots, the joint-highest total of the weekend. Jaedyn Shaw provided a real boost off the bench for the Courage, finding chances for both herself and her teammates — it was Shaw’s shot that created the rebound opportunity for Tyler Lussi‘s equalizer. Still, wins are proving elusive for North Carolina.
Previous ranking: 8
Next match: Saturday vs. Utah Royals, 7:30 p.m. ET
Sunday’s 2-1 loss to Houston was a full-on nightmare for Gotham. Despite Rose Lavelle getting up to her usual tight-space tricks and Esther González finding the opener via a finish in the eighth minute, a brutal own goal on a misplaced back pass from Emily Sonnett and a 93rd minute allowance turned a should-be victory into a surefire defeat. Inconsistency has become a worrying trend for Gotham, who have dropped points in seven of their past 10 regular season matches.
Previous ranking: 10
Next match: Thursday vs. Orlando Pride, 10:30 p.m. ET
With both teams on long winless streaks, Friday’s meeting between Angel City and Utah had the potential to be a get-right game. Instead, those streaks continued thanks to a 0-0 draw. Alyssa Thompson and Christen Press posed the occasional threat on the counterattack and long throws into the box showed flashes of potential. On the whole, though, the visitors created precious few chances and totaled 0.4 xG, according to FBref. Angel City’s struggles continue.
1:08
Utah Royals vs. Angel City FC – Game Highlights
Watch the Game Highlights from Utah Royals vs. Angel City FC, 08/16/2025
Previous ranking: 12
Next match: Sunday vs. Seattle Reign, 7 p.m. ET
The Dash needed just two shots to take down Gotham by a 2-1 scoreline on Sunday — and only one of those shots found the back of Ann-Katrin Berger‘s net. Thanks to a goal from substitute Michelle Alozie that was preceded by an own goal from Emily Sonnett, the Dash pulled out one of the NWSL’s all-time most efficient wins. Of course, barely troubling the opposition isn’t a recipe for sustained success, but the points? They all count the same.
Previous ranking: 11
Next match: Saturday vs. Washington Spirit, 4 p.m. ET
Try as they might, Bay FC had very little going for them in the attack in a 2-1 home loss to San Diego on Saturday. They managed just nine shots, one of which was Caroline Conti‘s penalty in the 75th minute, and struggled to cap off their sporadic counterattacks with actual shots towards Kailen Sheridan‘s goal. There is good news, though: while they’ve gone five games without a win, Bay FC still find themselves just three points out of the final playoff spot.
Previous ranking: 13
Next match: Friday vs. North Carolina Courage, 8 p.m. ET
Alyssa. Naeher. Goal.
The Stars capped off the long weekend’s NWSL action in style by scoring a goalkeeper goal. Trailing by one deep into second half stoppage time, the shot-stopper bagged an equalizer to rescue a point for Chicago in the 99th minute. Even more impressive, the visiting Stars clawed out of a three-goal hole in the second half, scoring all three of their goals after the 70th minute. There’s plenty to criticize about Chicago, but being dull wasn’t on the list on Monday.
Previous ranking: 14
Next match: Saturday at Gotham FC, 7:30 p.m. ET
Utah simply can’t find a way to put three points on the board. Well, that’s not entirely true: the Royals have put up three combined points in their past 11 games, but Friday’s clash with Angel City was another winless effort in a 0-0 draw at home. While Utah out-shot their opponents 14 to 10 and created the odd high-quality chance in transition or from a set piece, it didn’t do enough with its 56% possession on the evening. At this point, is anyone surprised?
An explosive half-century by in-form opener Sanju Samson, backed by a disciplined all-round bowling display, helped India secure a narrow seven-run victory over England in the second semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
The victory propelled India into the final, where they will be locking horns with New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Set to chase a daunting 254-run target, England could accumulate 246/7 in their 20 overs despite Jacob Bethell’s gutsy century.
England got off to a dismal start to the pursuit as they lost opener Phil Salt (five) and captain Harry Brook (seven) inside five overs with just 38 runs on the board.
Following the early dismissals, Bethell walked out to bat at No.4 and shared a 26-run partnership for the third wicket with Jos Buttler, who made a 17-ball 25 before falling victim to Varun Chakravarthy on the penultimate delivery of the batting powerplay.
England then suffered another setback to their run chase in the eighth over when Axar Patel cleaned up Tom Banton (17) after being hit for two consecutive sixes, and consequently slipped to 95/4.
Bethell then eventually received formidable support at the other end in the form of all-rounder Will Jacks, and the duo displayed grit to keep England in the hunt as they put together 77 runs off just 39 deliveries amid their fifth-wicket partnership, which culminated with the latter’s dismissal in the 14th over.
Jacks made a notable contribution for England in the run chase with a 20-ball 35, comprising four fours and two sixes.
Bethell then shared a 50-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Sam Curran, who fell victim to Hardik Pandya in the penultimate over after scoring a 14-ball 18.
England’s batting mainstay Bethell eventually got run out on the first delivery of the final over and walked back after top-scoring with a valiant 105 off 48 deliveries, featuring eight fours and seven sixes.
Pandya was the standout bowler for India, taking two wickets for 38 runs in his four overs, while Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah chipped in with one apiece.
England captain Harry Brook’s decision to field first backfired as the home side piled up 253/7 in their 20 overs.
India, however, had a contrasting start to their innings as their left-handed opener Abhishek Sharma (nine) was dismissed by Will Jacks in the second over with just 20 runs on the board.
The early setback, however, did not bother India as their top-order duo of Ishan Kishan and Samson raised 97 runs for the second wicket off 44 deliveries until Adil Rashid dismissed the former, who remained a notable contributor for the co-hosts with an 18-ball 39.
Samson was then involved in a 43-run partnership for the third wicket with all-rounder Shivam Dube until eventually falling victim to Jacks in the 14th over. He remained the top-scorer for India with a blazing 89 off 42 deliveries, studded with seven sixes and eight fours.
India suffered another major setback to their batting expedition an over later when Adil got their captain Suryakumar Yadav stumped, who could score 11 off six deliveries.
With the scoreboard reading 190/4 in 15.4 overs, Dube was joined by fellow all-rounder Hardik Pandya in the middle, and the duo put together 32 runs for the fifth wicket before the former was run out due to a mix-up, coupled with a direct hit by England captain Brook.
Dube remained a significant run-getter for India in the high-stakes T20 World Cup 2026 fixture, scoring 43 off 25 deliveries with the help of four sixes and a four.
Following his departure, Pandya and Tilak Varma ensured an equally dominant finish with the bat for India with blistering cameos, contributing 27 and 21, respectively. The duo also shared a 24-run partnership.
For England, Jacks and Adil bagged two wickets each, while Archer could pick up one.
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Kyler Murray’s tenure with the Arizona Cardinals is coming to an end.
The team reportedly informed the former No. 1 overall pick this week that he will be released at the start of the new league year, making him a free agent eligible to sign with any team, including, potentially, one in Major League Baseball.
Prior to declaring for the 2019 NFL Draft, Murray was a two-sport athlete playing both football and baseball for the Oklahoma Sooners. The Heisman Trophy winner threw for over 4,000 yards and 42 touchdowns during the 2018 season, but the then-Oakland Athletics still selected him with the 9th overall pick in the 2018 draft.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray throws a pass during the first half of an NFL game against the Tennessee Titans in Glendale, Ariz., on Oct. 5, 2025. (Rick Scuteri/AP)
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He signed a contract with a $4.66 million signing bonus, but Murray would forgo his senior year at Oklahoma and declare for the NFL Draft. After seven years in the NFL, Murray’s MLB career still remains a possibility.
“Kyler is an elite NFL quarterback and I’m sure there are plenty of opportunities for him to continue his football career,” A’s general manager David Forst told MLB.com on Wednesday.
“That said, he and his baseball representatives know that we’re always open to him exploring a return to baseball with the A’s if that time ever comes.”
Kyler Murray, the Oakland Athletics’ No. 1 draft pick and outfielder from the University of Oklahoma, looks on during batting practice before the game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on June 15, 2018. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Murray, 28, will likely have several options during the offseason. He is currently owed $36.8 million.
His career with the Cardinals has been marred by injuries and other controversies, including the study clause that was initially included in his five-year, $230.5 million deal signed in 2022. The clause was later removed. He appeared in just five games last season after suffering a foot injury, which later landed him on injured reserve.
The Cardinals finished 3-14 behind backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett and later fired head coach Jonathan Gannon.
Kyler Murray, the Oakland Athletics’ number one draft pick and outfielder from the University of Oklahoma, takes batting practice before the game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Oakland Alameda Coliseum on June 15, 2018. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
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“To everyone that supported me and showed kindness to my family and I during my time in AZ, from the bottom of my heart, thank you,” Murray posted in a farewell message to fans on social media. “I wanted nothing more than to be the one to end the 77-year drought for this organization, I am sorry I failed us. I wish this community and my brothers nothing but the best.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday sought a public apology over the broadcast of what it described as an “agenda-driven fake news” targeting the character of national cricketers.
In a brief statement, the cricket board termed targeting the national cricketers’ character “unacceptable” and stressed that the reporter responsible for the aforementioned news must publicly apologise without delay.
The PCB further warned of taking “all necessary steps” if the journalist in question fails to comply with the demand.
“Agenda-driven fake news targeting the character of our players is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” the PCB’s statement read.
“The reporter must publicly apologise without delay; failing which, the PCB will take all necessary steps to ensure such malicious conduct is dealt with firmly and nipped in the bud,” it added.
The controversy erupted earlier today when a local news outlet claimed that the Pakistan cricketer was involved in inappropriate behaviour and that hotel staff had filed a formal complaint with the team management.
The report further alleged that the player was involved in inappropriate behaviour, prompting immediate action by the management to assess the matter.
Following a review of the details provided by the hotel and a preliminary investigation, the team management concluded that the Pakistan player had violated the code of conduct and imposed a fine on him.
The claims made in the report, however, were swiftly dismissed by the PCB and Mirza, who announced to take legal action against a local news outlet.
“A absurd News is circulating on media and I strongly condemn this sort of Cheap Journalism. Any Media House can’t air any unverified news,” said Mirza in a Facebook post.
“[Pakistan Cricket Board] has already denied this Baseless & Fake News and I’m going to take Legal Action […]”.
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