Utah
NWSL Power Rankings: Banda’s Pride No. 1, winless Utah sink
It’s Monday, and another week of NWSL action is in the books, which means it’s time for ESPN’s Power Rankings.
Who’s climbing the table? Who’s in free fall? Our writers studied the action from across Matchday 4 to come up with this week’s order of all 14 teams in the league. Let’s dive in.
Previous ranking: 1
Next match: Saturday, April 19 vs. Washington Spirit, 5 p.m. ET
Orlando are still the team to beat after defeating Seattle Reign 1-0 on Saturday. Orlando’s quality across multiple lines shined in Barbra Banda’s 41st-minute goal: Marta found left-back Kerry Abello, who then carried the ball to midfielder Summer Yates on the left wing. Yates then unbalanced Seattle’s defense on the dribble before slotting in a crisp assist to Banda, waiting patiently in front of goal. Orlando were outshot 13 to 7 (and 5 to 4 on target), but goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse (freshly returned from international duty with England) made five essential saves to keep a clean sheet and secure Orlando’s continued run at the top of the NWSL.
Previous ranking: 2
Next match: Saturday, April 19 vs. Houston Dash, 7:30 p.m. ET
In what’s turned into a bit of a trend early this season, Kansas City scored their goals early (Debinha in the 16th minute, followed by Lo’eau LaBonta from the penalty spot), then stood firm defensively in the second half as they weathered San Diego’s attack. The Wave held 70% of possession and outshot Kansas City 7 to 0 in the second half, requiring Current keeper Lorena to make four saves (compared to Kailen Sheridan’s two) to walk away with a clean sheet.
Previous ranking: 3
Next match: Saturday, April 19 vs. Orlando Pride, 5 p.m. ET
In their first game back from international duty, Jonatan Giraldez opted to rest Trinity Rodman and Leicy Santos in the first 45 as things stayed fairly even in Louisville. They both emerged for the second half and it didn’t take long for Santos to score a beautiful goal from a free kick to make it 1-0. Just over 15 minutes later, English defender Esme Morgan dropped a dime on Ashley Hatch’s head that the in-form striker (who became NWSL’s fifth-highest goal-scorer all-time just before the international break) scored to seal a 2-0 victory and finish the weekend on top of the golden boot race. Next weekend may not be so easy; they head to Florida to play the first-place Orlando Pride next.
Previous ranking: 4
Next match: Friday, April 18 vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC, 10:30 p.m. ET
By beating Houston 3-1, Angel City ended the weekend as one of just three undefeated teams after four matchdays. Alyssa Thompson is in hot form: after setting up two goals in two games for the United States, Thompson returned to club duty by scoring her third goal of the year and collecting an assist. Angel City’s rookie class is also making their mark. Macey Hodge, 23, opened the scoring and Riley Tiernan, 22, made it 2-0 in the 29th minute, then went on to assist 20-year-old Thompson’s goal. In a game where all three goal scorers are under 23, it’s easy to get excited about Angel City’s fresh look this season. But they’ve got a challenging three weekends ahead: next up is Seattle at home. After that, they play first-place Orlando Pride and third-place Washington Spirit in back-to-back weekends on the road.
Previous ranking: 11
Next match: Friday, April 18 vs. Angel City, 10:30 p.m. ET
Gotham returned from the international break sitting toward the bottom of the table, with no wins and just one goal after three matchdays. But they came out firing against a floundering North Carolina Courage. Spanish forward Esther González netted a first-half brace, and rookie left-back Lilly Reale made it three before half-time in a resounding and sorely needed first win of the season.
Previous ranking: 5
Next match: Saturday, April 19 vs. Racing Louisville, 3 p.m. ET
San Diego picked up a second-straight loss after falling 2-0 to Kansas City at home in California. However, first-place Orlando Pride and second-place Kansas City in back-to-back to weekends are a tough two games to handle, especially so early in the season. And neither result immediately reflects how well San Diego did in both performances. San Diego has the building blocks to have a stronger season, and there’s some easier challenges on the horizon: Louisville next, followed by Chicago Stars.
Previous ranking: 6
Next match: Friday, April 18 vs. Portland Thorns, 10 p.m. ET
Seattle also picked up a second-straight loss over the weekend. And like San Diego, it was against one of the best teams in the league: Orlando Pride. They held off the reigning champs and limited them to a 1-0 victory, with only Banda breaking through. Next up? They host their old friends from Portland.
Previous ranking: 12
Next match: Friday, April 18 vs. Seattle Reign, 10 p.m. ET
Portland still can’t figure out what kind of year they’re going to have (or who will score their goals this season). But they picked up their first win of 2025 in a 1-0 victory against the last-place Utah Royals. It’s not perfect, but it’s progress. Reilyn Turner, 22, scored her second goal of the year to seal it, marking just three goals in four match days for the Thorns, who averaged 2.2 goals a game when they won the Championship in 2022. They’ve got a Cascadia rivalry battle next weekend, and travel to Seattle with a lot of questions looming over the year.
Previous ranking: 7
Next match: Saturday, April 19 vs. KC Current, 7:30 p.m. ET
Houston picked up their second loss of the season in a 3-1 defeat to Angel City at home. They had their chances and certainly got the ball into the final third, but looked slightly deflated at times, and made sloppy mistakes that the visitors punished. Next up they hit the road to face second-place Kansas City at CPKC Stadium, where the hosts still have only lost one game in their history (and that loss came against 2024’s record-setting champions, Orlando Pride).
Previous ranking: 8
Next match: Saturday, April 19 vs. NC Courage, 7 p.m. ET
Bay was caught sleeping early against the Chicago Stars. Brazilian forward Ludmila, fresh from international duty, took no more than five minutes to score the first of two goals in a 2-1 loss to Chicago at home. If it wasn’t for Abby Dahlkemper’s goal-line heroics, it would have been three. With nearly 70% of possession but half the shots on target, Bay fans may wonder why their team didn’t produce more against Chicago. But the home team struggled to break open a compact Chicago once they’d fallen behind.
Previous ranking: 14
Next match: Friday, April 18 vs. Utah Royals, 9:30 p.m. ET
Brazilian forward Ludmila returned from the international break in fine form, putting two first-half goals (both assisted by Jameese Joseph) past a struggling North Carolina squad to help seal a 2-1 win in California. That’s the team’s first win of the year and brings their total goals tally up from one to three. Here’s hoping Ludmila keeps that form going, while coach Lorne Donaldson figures out more plans of attack.
Previous ranking: 10
Next match: Saturday, April 19 vs. San Diego Wave, 3 p.m. ET
Louisville lost 2-0 at home to the third-place Washington Spirit but produced more opportunities than the scoreline shows. They fired off more shots — though slightly fewer on target — than their visitors, forcing Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury to come up with a few big saves to keep a clean sheet. Despite their potential, they also finished the weekend with the fewest total goals scored (two) so far this season.
Previous ranking: 9
Next match: Saturday, April 19 vs. Bay FC, 7 p.m. ET
Things we didn’t expect: Sean Nahas’ Courage squad struggling this bad so early this season. North Carolina has all the tools to be a strong, playoff-bound team in 2025, but they still haven’t won a single game yet and only Utah sits below them in the standings. Spanish forward González put two first-half goals past them and rookie Reale added a third to make it 3-0 by the end of the first half in a 3-1 defeat in New Jersey.
Previous ranking: 13
Next match: Friday, April 18 vs. Chicago Stars, 9:30 p.m. ET
Utah held their own against Portland at home on Saturday, but fell 1-0 with a goal from Turner and finished the weekend in last place in the standings. Four weekends in, and they’ve yet to pick up a win, something only North Carolina has in common. Next weekend, they’ll host the Chicago at home in one of their easier upcoming tests despite the Stars’ fresh victory. If they don’t collect something from that meeting, the season could get quickly out of control.
The National Weather Service in Salt Lake City issued red flag warning Friday morning as emergency workers continued to battle one of the state’s largest wildfires in its history.
The red flag warning, issued when critical fire warnings are occurring or imminent, was to be in place through midnight Saturday.
“This is the FIRST Particularly Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warning issued in NWS Salt Lake City history. This is an exceptionally rare event,” the federal agency said in its warning.
A map of the area under the warning covered much of central and southwest Utah, with an area of the southwest, central and southern mountains also outlined as “particularly dangerous red flag.”
The particularly dangerous area includes the Cottonwood Fire, near the town of Beaver, which started Monday and had grown to covering almost nearly 71,000 acres by Thursday, 15 News reported. The fire forced evacuations.
The NWS warned that gusty winds and dry conditions would lead to rapid fire growth.
Utah also was dealing with the Iron Fire, which started June 19, and nearly destroyed the town of Eureka. The fire was about 27% contained Friday morning.
The fire danger led Utah Gov. Spencer Cox to issue executive order restricting fireworks statewide during the July 4 holiday, which marks the nation’s 250th birthday this year. The ban is in effect through July 5.
“Nothing about this decision was easy,” Cox said in a statement issued by his office Thursday.
“This is unlike anything we’ve seen in recent memory. We’re seeing fires spread farther and faster under conditions that defy historical expectations” Jamie Barnes, Utah state forester and director of the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, added in the statement.
Cox allowed cities and local communities to set aside areas where fireworks could be safely used. The city of Provo announced it would enforce a citywide prohibition on fireworks and would not designate a safe area for fireworks.
“This year is different,” Provo Mayor Marsha Judkins said in a statement. “The wildfire danger facing our community is real, and protecting lives, homes, and our natural spaces must come first.”
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Earlier this month, 2News Investigates brought you a former inmate’s federal lawsuit alleging Utah Department of Corrections leaders failed to address reports of alleged sexual assault by correctional officers. Now, 2News Investigates examines another key claim in that lawsuit.
MORE: Federal lawsuit alleges Utah prison leaders covered up guards’ sexual assaults on inmates
The lawsuit alleges a mass cross-gender strip-search operation – women being viewed by men was intended to further silence female inmates.
Federal law generally prohibits cross-gender strip searches of female inmates except during emergencies or when conducted by medical personnel. UDC says that during body-search procedures, male correctional officers are not allowed in the immediate area and inmate privacy is maintained. Former inmates say that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Three former inmates agreed to speak with 2News Investigates but asked that their identities not be revealed.
“It was very traumatic.”
According to the lawsuit, on May 13, 2025, UDC carried out a large-scale operation known as a “reset” in women’s housing units at the Utah State Correctional Facility (USCF) in Salt Lake City.
Wendy: “They call it a reset. What do you call it?”
“A violation.”
“It’s like a rape.”
The lawsuit alleges UDC Deputy Warden Derick Zorn and Warden Sharon D’Amico directed the operation, along with more than a dozen members of the Critical Incident Response Team, or CIRT.
According to the plaintiffs, officers stormed dormitories, shouted profanities, and issued conflicting commands.
The women say and the lawsuit states they were ordered to pack their belongings into totes and change into state-issued uniforms in front of male CIRT officers. They were then marched to the Emerald Building for processing.
“It felt almost like we were at a concentration camp.”
The lawsuit alleges the women were required to undergo body scans and then strip completely naked. Plaintiffs claim they were ordered to lift their breasts, spread their buttocks, and cough while visible to male staff.
Women who were menstruating allegedly were instructed to remove menstrual products in full view of others.
“Just use one hand to remove it. Hold it up in front of you.”
“I felt really small and worthless.”
The lawsuit alleges some women were forced to hold soiled menstrual pads while performing physical maneuvers.
“I just did what I was told. I just wanted to get it over with.”
The plaintiffs also claim they were required to sit on toilets or squat to provide urine samples while completely naked and visible to male officers.
“It was humiliating. It was degrading.”
The lawsuit further alleges cell doors were left open, exposing naked women to other inmates and male staff.
An overhead observation booth with reflective glass overlooked the strip-search area. Plaintiffs say they observed movement inside and believed they were being watched from above.
The lawsuit alleges the female inmates were being watched from above during a mass strip search on May 13, 2025
“I could see in the overhead, the two-way mirror. There were multiple men walking around up there who had direct vision inside those cells.”
The lawsuit alleges Captain Jared Beers and Lieutenant Matthew Coombs were inside the booth and that Deputy Warden Derick Zorn observed women in various states of undress.
“I made eye contact with Officer Arroyo, and I also saw Deputy Zorn.”
“I knew if I could see the male officers, they could see me.”
One former inmate described the experience as state-sanctioned sexual violence.
“When that happens, and you’ve gone through the same kind of thing as a child, it’s very traumatic.”
The lawsuit alleges Warden D’Amico knew male officers were viewing naked female inmates and “ratified, condoned, and failed to stop it.”
An allegation in the lawsuit filed on May 15, 2026
“You’re pretty much a hostage.”
UDC Executive Director Jared Garcia declined repeated requests for an on-camera interview. A letter sent said:
“During the body search process in female living areas, male correctional officers are not allowed in the immediate area, and privacy is maintained. In general, resets are conducted routinely, according to UDC policy and under strict protocols designed to ensure safety while also preserving the privacy and dignity of incarcerated individuals.”
“The manner matters.”
Walter Mason represents the plaintiffs.
He told 2News Investigates, “The law protects inmates from being exposed to members of the opposite sex viewing their naked bodies unless there’s an emergency. Unless there’s what the law calls an exigent circumstance, the prison can take necessary actions to protect safety. There was no emergency. There was no exigency.”
UDC says the reset involved approximately 150 trained staff members and was conducted according to department policy.
UDC’s letter goes on to say:
“Every effort was made to treat belongings with care and document confiscated items appropriately. UDC stands by our methods and policies, which are intended to maintain the highest standards of integrity, safety, and efficiency during the reset process.”
Written response from the Utah Department of Corrections regarding 2News investigations
I asked UDC whether any exigent circumstances existed on May 13, 2025, during the reset operation.
The response:
“No exigent circumstances occurred on May 13, 2025.”
I also requested information about what items were confiscated. UDC said it could not provide a specific list.
Response to questions posed by 2News Investigates to UDC regarding mass strip search and if exigent circumstances existed that day
The lawsuit seeks a jury trial and accuses the defendants, all supervisors, of participating in a “coordinated effort to humiliate, mock, and psychologically degrade the plaintiffs … operating with a brazen and intentional disregard for clearly established law, fueled by an institutional custom of impunity.”
_____
Utah
Utah Royals FC Announce the Addition of Assistant Coach Jessie van den Broek to 2026 Coaching Staff | Utah Royals
HERRIMAN, Utah – (Thursday, June 25, 2026) – URFC announced today the addition of assistant coach Jessie van den Broek to the 2026 technical staff.
The Dutchwoman brings experience from several levels of soccer across Europe. Her coaching journey has steadily progressed through commitment to player development, making her a strong addition to the Royals as the club continues to build for the future.
After gaining coaching experience at various levels, van den Broek made the jump to professional soccer in Germany’s Bundesliga, joining as an assistant coach and second in command to head coach Robert de Pauw and helping to support the club in its sixth place finish during the 2023-24 season. After a year and a half in Germany, she followed de Pauw to England, joining the coaching staff of Aston Villa Women, continuing to expand her experience in one of Europe’s top leagues.
In 2025, van den Broek returned to her native country of the Netherlands to join the coaching staff of HERA United, the country’s first stand-alone women’s soccer club. Her work with HERA United further strengthened her coaching abilities and her dedication to the women’s game. Following the conclusion of the club’s season in May 2026, she has now accepted her first position overseas, joining the Utah Royals, bringing the international experience and diverse coaching background with her.
Away from the pitch, van den Broek attended Radbound University in the Netherlands, earning a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration. She also earned an A Licence through the Union of European Football Associations in 2025. Her combination of education and coaching credentials, along with her experience in Germany, England and the Netherlands gives Utah Royals FC a coach with high-level experience and a proven commitment to the game of women’s soccer.
The Royals return to NWSL play on July 5 to take on the Chicago Stars at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium with kickoff set for 3:00 p.m. MT. The match is available to watch on CBS Sports Network and KMYU.
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