on the ball

What United needed to do was get some control of the game, and get on the ball.

After Jones lost her handle on the ball with an open lane toward the basket, Close clapped in encouragement.

Among the lowlights were Watkins losing her handle on the ball while dribbling in the paint and traveling violations by Iriafen and Clarice Akunwafo.

David Martínez set up the goal, driving hard up the right side of the penalty area, then sending a low, right-footed cross into the center of the box where a sliding Delgado got just enough of his right boot on the ball to redirect it past Colorado keeper Zack Steffen.

“And Bron and AR, because we’re gonna stagger everybody, they’re gonna have their times to be on the ball. But all three of those guys are very intelligent basketball players and we can create mismatches. We can get teams in the blender.”