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Welcome back to your weekly column from Sports Illustrated that breaks down the women's soccer weekend through a U.S. women's national team lens.
The next international window is drawing ever closer, and European soccer has returned. Women's football is underway in Germany and Spain, with the English Women's Super League, home to USWNT stars such as Sam Coffey, Alyssa Thompson and Phallon Tullis-Joyce, kicking off on Sept. 4.
With the NWSL heading into its final stretch of the season, this ranks among the most competitive periods in the global club soccer calendar. The race to earn a spot on Emma Hayes's roster for the October friendlies is set to be intense.
Let's examine who saw their stock rise and fall over the past weekend.
Stock Up
Trinity Byars
San Diego Wave forward has now scored braces in back-to-back weeks, contributing to her team's 3–2 comeback victory over Racing Louisville this past weekend. The 23-year-old has reached 10 goals this season — her first full NWSL campaign after suffering an ACL tear before graduating from the University of Texas in 2024.
Byars has been knocking on the door over the past couple of months, and last week in Stock Up, Stock Down, we highlighted her ability in one-on-one breakaway situations. She added another dimension to her game with a smooth, laser-precise strike from outside the box against Louisville — the first long-range goal of her NWSL career.
A booming strike from Trinity Byars 💥 pic.twitter.com/c60qpQomLi
While the NWSL boasts plenty of talented American forwards, genuine center forwards capable of featuring for the USWNT appear to be in shorter supply. Byars looks like a natural rotation option to step in when presumed starter Sophia Wilson comes off the field. It feels like only a matter of time before she receives the call-up. Is she ready? There's only one way to find out.
Ashley Sanchez
The Ashley Sanchez show rolls on. The 27-year-old scored twice for the North Carolina Courage in their 2–0 midweek victory over Angel City, then added an assist in the Courage's 3–2 loss to the KC Current at the weekend.
Sanchez now has 15 goals and four assists in 2026. Her goal tally ties the record for the most ever scored by an American player in a single NWSL season, matching Alex Morgan (2022) and Crystal Dunn (2015). She also established a new club record for most goals in a single season for the Courage.
A key reason Sanchez has been so difficult to contain this season is her deployment on the left wing, from where she can drift centrally and shoot with her right foot inside the box. This positional flexibility could offer an intriguing pathway into the USWNT setup. She isn't a conventional winger, but with an overlapping fullback behind her, there's real value in having an inverted winger like Sanchez in the mix.
CANNOT BE STOPPED! 🫨
Golden Boot leader Ashley Sanchez ties the Courage record with her 14th goal of the season! pic.twitter.com/GQ9nvTw8ZN
Naomi Girma
With European soccer making its return, now is a fitting moment to spotlight Chelsea center back Naomi Girma. The 26-year-old USWNT vice-captain got on the scoresheet in Chelsea's 5–2 first-leg victory over Real Sociedad in the UEFA Women's Champions League qualifiers, and also wore the captain's armband for the Blues.
Chelsea were caught off guard early when Sociedad took a surprise 1–0 lead. But Girma showed sharp instincts to tuck home a corner kick at the near post in the 29th minute, drawing the sides level at 1–1 and sparking a crucial comeback win.
Girma has dealt with injury setbacks since joining Chelsea in January 2025, featuring in fewer than half of the club's WSL matches since her arrival. Now she is building toward a full season in which she'll be looking to cement a prominent role for the USWNT in a World Cup year. This was an encouraging start to the campaign for Girma.
Our first goal of the 26/27 season! 🥇🥳
Naomi Girma tapped in Katie McCabe's corner to equalise in the Champions League. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/Pv56dk32H1
Stock Down
Rose Lavelle
Concrete details remain scarce regarding the head injury Rose Lavelle sustained two weekends ago in Gotham's 0–0 draw with Angel City. She sat out this past weekend's 1–1 draw with the Portland Thorns while in the concussion protocol.
Gotham interim manager Shaun Harris said following the Thorns draw: "I haven't had any updates [on Rose]. She wasn't available for this game. I'll catch up with them [the medical team] and see where we're at for the next game." Hopefully the USWNT talisman makes a swift return.
Karlie Lema
Karlie Lema may not yet feel like a fixture in the USWNT conversation. The 23-year-old has moved in and out of the youth national team setup and has been part of the U-23 group over the past year. Even so, she remains a prospect — and was just two goals behind Byars as recently as five weeks ago.
Lema squandered a significant opportunity in the first half of Bay's 1–0 defeat to the Washington Spirit. While she showed excellent timing and awareness to read the pass and get in front of Spirit center back Esme Morgan, she couldn't make clean contact from close range and the ball clipped up onto the crossbar.
That proved to be Lema's only real chance of the match, and she was substituted after 60 minutes as Bay sought a different attacking spark in pursuit of an equalizer. A talented player with plenty of potential, but one who is currently being overtaken by others in the pecking order.
Jane Campbell, Avery Patterson
Communication is arguably the most delicate aspect of soccer. The consequences of a breakdown were on full display in Seattle Reign's 1–0 win over the Houston Dash. Goalkeeper Jane Campbell came off her line in an attempt to deal with Maddie Mercado's cross, but in doing so inadvertently blocked her teammate Avery Patterson from making a crucial touch that could have prevented Maddie Dahlien from converting the winning goal.
Maddie to Maddie 🤝
Maddie Mercado's ball in finds Maddie Dahlien who squeezes it home at the back post! pic.twitter.com/eJYV6hXgMn
Ultimately, Campbell's movement caused Patterson to mistime her challenge, and that was the difference. A 1–0 win for Seattle on the finest of margins. Both Dash players must share some responsibility for the error, and it will be a difficult one to shake. What will sting Patterson further is her inability to make an impact in Houston's attack. The Dash managed just four shots in the defeat; Patterson created no chances and registered only one touch inside the Seattle box.