The US Women’s TST team has done it again! After grinding hard for six straight days, the American ladies have successfully defended last year’s The Soccer Tournament (TST) title in the 7v7 global event, rising above 15 other teams. Beyond clinching their second consecutive championship, they also walked away with a whopping $1 million prize. It’s still unclear how the players will use their share of the reward. However, head coach Kendall Lorraine Fletcher’s story of using her last year’s winnings is emotional!

She revealed it following the team’s 3-0 victory over Bumpy Pitch Women FC in the Target Score Time on Monday night. Everyone, including the players, coaches, staff members, and their close ones, was on the pitch. And they celebrated the million-dollar second consecutive win of the US Women’s. That seemed no better moment for Kendall Fletcher to share the heartwarming story.

“You know I don’t share this. But what I did with the money last year was spend on getting IVF. So we wouldn’t have been able to do it without it last year. So this is really special in all different ways. Next year, I’ll be holding this little guy. So thank you all,” emotionally narrated the former North Carolina Courage star as others surrounding her in a circle kept shouting and celebrating the moment.

Notably, it was back in February this year when Kendall teased the success of her IVF treatment by sharing a picture of a sonogram among her Instagram followers. Additionally, she wrote a caption that read, “Watch out world…little baby White is on the way! Looking to make his debut in June!”

That means—yes, you guessed it—Fletcher is likely to welcome her baby in the coming weeks. It’s incredibly brave and inspiring that the former USWNT defender took charge of the US Women’s TST team while visibly pregnant. Even more impressive, she managed iconic players like Carli Lloyd, Ali Krieger, and Heather O’Reilly, along with rising NCAA talents.

Back to the big reveal—it was a truly heartwarming moment from Fletcher. After a stellar playing career, she now adds another meaningful chapter to her post-retirement journey—one she’ll surely share with her baby someday. Besides playing for top American teams, Fletcher also had successful stints in Australia and Sweden.

Despite limited international exposure—just one cap with the USWNT after starting with the U19 and U21 teams—Fletcher has made a seamless transition into coaching. She began as an undergrad assistant with the North Carolina Tar Heels before joining UC Irvine as an assistant coach.

Now, she’s back in the spotlight, celebrating glory alongside legends of the game while cherishing this personal milestone. It’s certainly a special moment—but it raises a big question: how did Kendall Fletcher lead the US Women’s TST to their second straight title?

A quick recap of US Women’s journey as the 2nd TST champions

Sixteen teams were divided into four groups of four, with only the top two from each advancing to the knockout stage. The USWNT landed in Group A alongside Austin Rise FC, Process FC, and Angel City 7s. Fortunately, they dominated the group, winning all three matches while scoring nine goals and conceding just three.

In the quarterfinals, the US Women’s team cruised past Group B’s Streetball Canada FC with a 5-2 win. They then followed it up with a comfortable 2-0 semifinal victory over Reunion City Dallas. That set the stage for the final, where they faced Bumpy Pitch Women FC.

NCAA champion Evelyn Shores delivered the decisive million-dollar goal in a 3-0 triumph. With the score at 2-0 and both teams reduced to 4-on-4, Heather O’Reilly passed up a scoring chance to set up the 20-year-old UNC midfielder. She calmly slotted the ball past the keeper.

The goal triggered wild celebrations. The entire US Women’s squad and staff rushed the field. And rightly so—they had just secured $1 million and successfully defended their title.