After a month-long hiatus due to the men’s World Cup taking place in North America, the NWSL returns to action this weekend amid a grueling heat wave. The Reign are on the road since Lumen Field has one more World Cup game to host on Monday, making a visit to North Carolina to face the Courage.

With temperatures in the region expected to be near 100°F, the league proactively pushed back kickoff of this match by an hour, with the game now scheduled to begin at 4:30 PM PT. That also necessitated a change in broadcast plans; the game can now be found on NWSL+.

Ahead of the break, the Reign last played at Washington, where they fell 2-1 to the Spirit. The Courage are riding at three-match winning streak, most recently defeating Angel City on the road by a 2-1 score at the end of May.

Keys to the game

Strike early and make the Courage chase the game
Be smart about pressing with the heat
Start the second half of the season strong

Notes

Expect hydration breaks and potentially additional delays to kickoff if temperatures or humidity are higher than forecast.
While some teams have started announcing mid-season roster moves, the summer transfer window does not open for another 10 days. Players coming from other leagues, such as new Courage signing Erica Meg Parkinson, are not yet eligible to play.
2025 NWSL Midfielder of the Year Manaka Matsukubo was transferred earlier this week from the Courage to Chelsea.
Claudia Dickey is out with an ankle injury she picked up during USWNT camp in Brazil last month. Jess Fishlock is nearing a return from a lower leg injury and traveled with the team, but head coach Laura Harvey said today’s game was just a bit too soon for her.