U.S. women’s national team defender Emily Sonnett will miss the rest of the NWSL season for Gotham FC following knee surgery.

Gotham announced Friday that Sonnett, 32, underwent surgery to repair a ruptured patellar tendon in her left knee. She sustained the injury in the first half of last Friday’s 2-2 draw against the host Portland Thorns.

“Emily has the full support of everyone at the club, and we will be with her every step of the way throughout her recovery,” president of soccer operations Yael Averbuch West said. “She is incredibly resilient, and we know she will return stronger.”

The team did not provide a projected recovery timeline for Sonnett, whose participation in the 2027 Women’s World Cup could be in jeopardy. That tournament begins next June in Brazil.

Sonnett has helped Gotham secure three trophies since joining the squad in 2024, winning the NWSL Championship and Concacaf W Champions Cup in 2025 and the NWSL Challenge Cup in 2026.

The No. 1 pick in the 2016 NWSL Draft, Sonnett is in her 10th season in the league. She has recorded six goals and four assists in 180 career matches (174 starts) with Portland (2016-19), the Washington Spirit (2021-22), Seattle Reign (2023) and Gotham.

Internationally, she has made 118 appearances for the USWNT and helped to win the 2019 Women’s World Cup and 2024 Olympic gold medal.

–Field Level Media

At 10-18, the Chicago Sky are long shots to make a WNBA playoff run. But the addition of DiJonai Carrington to the active roster promises to at least make them more competitive.

Carrington returned Thursday night after missing the first 27 games after surgery to repair a foot she injured in last year’s playoffs with Minnesota. Her nine points and tough defense helped Chicago rally past Connecticut 94-88.

Carrington and the Sky seek another win Saturday afternoon when they host the Las Vegas Aces in the teams’ third and final clash of the year.

Coach Tyler Marsh had Carrington on restricted minutes, saving 10 of them for the fourth quarter. That’s when Chicago outscored Connecticut 33-22 to erase a five-point deficit. Carrington contributed a key blocked shot and a dagger 3-pointer down the stretch.

“Once you’re out there,” Carrington said, “I got a little groove and I stopped thinking and just started playing instinctively and I think that’s the best way to play.”

The Sky also got 18 of Kamilla Cardoso’s 26 points in the fourth quarter. Cardoso is averaging a career-high 14.5 points and canning 59.0% of her field-goal attempts.

Meanwhile, Las Vegas (20-8) comes into town off an entertaining 104-99 win Thursday night against visiting New York. A’ja Wilson stuffed the stat sheet with 33 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, while Jackie Young added 29 points and nine helpers.

Coach Becky Hammon lauded her team’s competitive spirit.

“Resilience is part of any championship team,” she said. “We talk about trying to be consistent in what we do, especially defensively. There are moments in the game that get hard. You always have to have that toughness and the bounce-back factor.”

Wilson is averaging 26.4 points and 9.7 rebounds, putting her in position to win a third straight Most Valuable Player award and her fifth in seven years.

The Aces are shooting for a season sweep of Chicago after posting 107-99 and 98-90 wins in a home-and-home series on June 28 and July 3, respectively.

–Field Level Media

The Colorado Rapids announced the signing of French midfielder Youssef Maziz on Friday.

Maziz, 28, is signed through 2027-28 with an option for 2028-29 and will occupy an international roster slot.

He spent the past three seasons with Belgian first-division side OH Leuven, logging 15 goals and 16 assists in 114 appearances across all competitions.

“Youssef is a player who brings creativity and football intelligence that we believe will have a real impact on our attack,” Rapids president Padraig Smith said. “He has the vision and technical quality to unlock opposition defenses, create chances for those around him, and elevate the players alongside him.”

OFFICIAL: The club has signed French midfielder Youssef Maziz to a contract through the 2027-28 MLS season, with a club option for 2028-29.

Bienvenue au Colorado, Youssef ???

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— Colorado Rapids (@ColoradoRapids) July 31, 2026

Maziz previously played for FC Metz, tallying nine goals and seven assists in 50 appearances from 2017-23 and helping the club earn promotion to Ligue 1 in 2022-23.

“Youssef is the exact type of character we have been looking to bring to the club. He has fantastic experience playing in high level games and will be a great addition to our young midfield group,” Rapids coach Matt Wells said. “He is a very creative player; always looking to make and score goals but, crucially, he combines this with high intensity pressing out of possession.”

–Field Level Media