Following a decisive 1-0 victory over Brazil on Sunday in the final of the inaugural Concacaf W Gold Cup, interim USWNT coach Twila Kilgore delivered a bold message: the team is “just getting started.” The win at San Diego's Snapdragon Stadium, witnessed by a record-breaking crowd of 31,528 for a Concacaf women's game, symbolized a rebound from the USWNT's earlier-than-expected exit from the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Under Kilgore's interim leadership, the squad clinched the title with a crucial goal from captain Lindsey Horan, marking a promising turnaround after the departure of former coach Vlatko Andonovski.

“This is a group that's moving forward together, that still wants more time together. It's time to go back to club [seasons] for them and do those things, but we genuinely enjoy being together and feel like we're just getting started,” Kilgore said, per Cesar Hernandez of ESPN.

The victory also serves as a testament to the team's ability to thrive under pressure, qualities that Kilgore highlighted as integral to the USWNT's identity.

“This is a team and a program that will always have attention and expectations on it, and we say that pressure is a privilege,” Kilgore said.

Brazil's coach Arthur Elias acknowledged the competitive nature of the final, praising his team's performance and opportunities created against a well-prepared U.S. side. Despite Brazil's efforts, the strategic timing of Horan's goal just before the half-time whistle proved pivotal, allowing the US to adjust and maintain their lead through the second half.

“We were pinned in for quite a bit of the first half, and it took us some time to work our way out of that,” Twila Kilgore said. “Then the timing of our goal was really critical, just before half, [it] means we come back with a slightly different strategy in the second half.”

The tournament also spotlighted the emerging talents within the USWNT, with 19-year-old Jaedyn Shaw receiving the Golden Ball award and Alyssa Naeher securing the Golden Glove award.

The U.S. has now won every Concacaf competition they've entered, with a total of 15 regional titles.

In the coming months, the team is set to compete in a pair of SheBelieves Cup games in April.

Following the conclusion of the Women's Super League season, Emma Hayes, the manager of Chelsea's women's team, is slated to become the U.S. team's full-time coach.