By OkayGoal 
In this week’s women’s soccer news, there’s an update on Emily Sonnett; Malawi is playing well at the Africa Cup of Nations; Lauren Barnes joins the Seattle Reign coaching staff; and more!
High of the Week
Malawi has played really well at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. They’ve gotten two wins in their two matches there with a 3-2 win over Nigeria and a 3-1 win over Egypt. The win over Nigeria came as a huge surprise, as Nigeria has won the tournament many times in history, but it was Malawi who looked like the better team that day. It’s Malawi’s first time in the tournament, and they are taking advantage of the opportunity. The tournament serves as 2027 Women’s World Cup qualifiers, and Malawi has put themselves in a good position to make the largest tournament in women’s soccer.
In the match against Nigeria, Temwa Chawinga scored two goals for Malawi, and her sister, Tabitha, added one as well. The Kansas City Current star’s goal against Nigeria was the first goal scored for Malawi at the tournament. Temwa also got a goal in their win over Egypt. Malawi plays again on Wednesday, August 5 against Zambia.
Low of the Week
Unfortunately, we did get an update on Emily Sonnett’s injury from last weekend. The defender went down with a knee injury and had to be stretchered off the field when Gotham faced off against the Portland Thorns. She suffered a ruptured patellar tendon and has already undergone surgery to fix the tendon, but she will miss the rest of the season. The patellar tendon is what connects the knee bone to the shin, so when it ruptures, it’s a serious injury. The initial fear was that it looked like it could have been an ACL injury, but that wasn’t the case. It’s a similar injury that we saw with Mallory Swanson back in 2023.
It’s tough timing for Sonnett to suffer this pretty serious injury with just under a year to go until the 2027 Women’s World Cup. She’s going to be on a tough timeline if everything goes smoothly to try and get back in time. Depending on the severity of the tear, it could take anywhere from 6-12 months to heal fully, which puts it on a similar timeline as an ACL injury. The hope is that Sonnett’s recovery will go smoothly and she’ll have a chance to make it back. We’re wishing her a speedy and smooth recovery.
The defender’s injury is a huge blow for Gotham, as she has been playing really well this season. She’s taken on a leadership role, and as they go into the final stretch of the season, they’ll greatly miss her experience and presence on the field.
News of the Week
The Seattle Reign announced this week a return of a Reign legend, but not as a player this time, as an interim assistant coach. Lauren Barnes will be on the coaching staff for the remainder of the 2026 season. As a player, she holds the record for most minutes played in the NWSL and most regular season appearances with 252. She was also the club captain for most of her tenure with them. Barnes has been around this team since the beginning, so it makes sense that they would bring her back in some capacity. Adding someone as experienced as her will help the club in the final stretch of the season as they push for the playoffs.
Player of the Week
Evelyn Ijeh had an incredible game for the North Carolina Courage in their lopsided 5-0 win over the Orlando Pride. She scored her first career hat trick in the match, with two of her three goals coming in the first half. In the season, Ijeh has scored seven goals for the Courage in her first season with the club. The Courage looked great in this match, and they were able to get the huge win behind Ijeh.
Game of the Week
Bay FC hosted the Seattle Reign in a must-win match for both teams, really. The game went back and forth, and it was an entertaining match for viewers. Seattle got the scoring started in the fifth minute with a goal from Mia Fishel, and then just five minutes later they added a second goal thanks to Maddie Dahlien. It didn’t take Bay long to find their first goal, though, with it coming in the 13th minute from Hannah Bebar. The two clubs went into the halftime break with the Reign leading 2-1, but Bay kept fighting, and they found an equalizer from Keira Barry in the 75th minute. In the 85th minute, though the Reign found their game winner from none other than club legend Jess Fishlock.
Both clubs have struggled at times this season, and they’re looking to make a run in the final stretch to make the playoffs, but the Reign got the upper hand this time. Right now the Reign are just under the playoff line in ninth place with 23 points, but the standings are tight when it comes to 6-8th place.
Return of the Week
This week, Bay FC activated Abby Dahlkemper to their active roster, and in their match against the Reign, she made her return to the field as a substitute. Dahlkemper had been on maternity leave since September 2025 when she announced that she was pregnant with her first child. In February, Dahlkemper welcomed a son named Eli with her husband. She joins a list of mothers who have returned to the field this season; most recently, Andi Sullivan and Vanessa DiBernardo also made their return to the field. It was great to see Dahlkemper make her return, and she’ll play a key part in Bay’s defense going into the final half of the season.
Assist of the Week
Casey Murphy tallied her first career assist with a beautiful long ball over the top of everyone and into the running stride of Sammy Smith, who slid it into the net. It’s not every day we get to see a goalkeeper assist, so it was a special moment for Murphy.
Win of the Week
The Utah Royals got a statement win over the Portland Thorns with a 5-1 scoreline. Sophia Wilson got the Thorns on the board early in just the first minute, and it looked like Utah was going to be in for a long day at the office, but they were able to turn it around and take the momentum just before halftime. Cece Delzer scored the equalizer in the 37th minute, then she helped Utah take the lead and secure her brace with a goal in the 47th minute. From there, Utah didn’t look back, and they added three more goals from three different goalscorers. Brecken Mozingo, Kiana Palacios, and Kate Del Fava all tallied a goal in their lopsided win. Utah currently sits in fourth place as they continue their great form this season.
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