Snoop Dogg is going to Paris

The GIST: The No. 5 USWNT begin their Olympic revenge tour tomorrow, taking on No. 64 Zambia at 3 p.m. ET. Before our full women’s soccer tourney primer hits your inbox tomorrow, here’s a deep dive on the red, white, and blue — no drones required.

Don’t expect total dominance from the evolving USWNT: The Americans have underwhelmed in their most recent major international tourneys, winning bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and exiting in the Round of 16 at the 2023 Women’s World Cup. But the USWNT’s lackluster performances are only part of the reason for their results.

• As head coach Emma Hayes reiterated yesterday, due to increased talent and parity in the women’s game, it’s no longer a shoo-in for anyone to get anywhere.

• And as evidenced in their latest international friendly — a 0–0 draw against No. 44 Costa Rica on July 16th — the youngest USWNT since 2008 is still jelling.

USWNT’s top impact players: This squad is bursting with fresh talent, particularly at forward, with NWSL TikTok stars Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson, and Trinity Rodman starting to find their rhythm — getting shots on target will be a major goal for the trio throughout these Games.

• But the key to the USWNT’s success? A cohesive midfield. If captain Lindsay Horan and creative playmaker Rose Lavelle can find their chemistry, watch out world.

Group stage gameplan: This USWNT can beat all three teams in Group B: Zambia, No. 4 Germany, and No. 12 Australia. However, Hayes stressed that they’re taking the tourney one game at a time, first focused on stopping Zambia, who boast two of the best strikers in the world — Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji.

• If there’s anyone to watch tomorrow, it’s centerback Naomi Girma, the two-time NWSL Defender of the Year who will be tasked with dismantling the Copper Queens. Bring it on.

Hitting the road for a big tournament (or just for summer vacay)? SpringHill Suites by Marriott has the extra space you need to keep the whole team under one roof — especially clutch when you’re traveling with your tiny MVPs.

• Every SpringHill Suites stay guarantees a suite-style space, with some rooms that can sleep up to six.

As the Official Hotel Partner of U.S. Soccer, SpringHill Suites by Marriott knows how to work with a team, which is why they’re ready to host your squad this summer, whether you’re heading to a U.S. Soccer match or your kid’s youth soccer tournament. Let’s kick it.

⚾ MLB: NY Mets vs. NY Yankees — Tonight at 7 p.m. ET — ESPN

• Stand clear of the closing doors — Pete Alonso and the Kings of Queens will hop on the D or 4 trains to take on Aaron Judge and the Bronx Bombers in the Subway Series season finale.

⚽ MLS All-Star Game: Tonight at 8 p.m. ET — MLS Season Pass on Apple TV

• There’s about to be a sky field full of stars when 29 of MLS’ brightest represent the league against the best of Mexico’s Liga MX in Columbus. Get your game on, go play.

⛳ LPGA: CPKC Women’s Open — Tomorrow to Sunday — The Golf Channel

• Calgary’s Earl Grey Golf Club will play host to the 50th edition of the Canadian Women’s Open, featuring Olympic-bound Brooke Henderson (Canada), Lilia Vu (USA), and Rose Zhang (USA). Tee-rific.

Can’t get enough Simone Biles hype ahead of the summer’s main event? Then you have to make time for Simone Biles Rising, Netflix’s newest docuseries celebrating Biles’ work inside and outside of the gym to return to the pinnacle of the sport.

• Prepare for the next two weeks of inspirational stories by watching it now, only on Netflix. Just GOAT things.

Two words: Allyson. Felix. We were honored to chat with the track & field legend and women’s sports icon to discuss her idols growing up, her perspective on Paris, what’s next for women’s sports, and much more. Here are a couple of highlights from our conversation with the GOAT:

🏃 On her mindset and mantra before races: “Steve Prefontaine always said ‘to do anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.’ … It’s a gift to be able to run, to move your body, and especially to do it for a living.”

📈 On the growth in women’s sports: “We’ve seen social media really change things…just the access to watching women’s sports, the ability to watch clips and see more of the personality of the athletes has been really incredible.”

❤️ On being a mom: “Now that I have a son, I’m excited to show him that you can have a female role model, you can have a male role model…teaching them about character and integrity in sports and how it gives you this incredible foundation for whatever you want to do in life.” So special.

Listen to the full episode with Felix today and subscribe to catch our next athlete interview.