Hope Solo DWTS: Solo Earns the Right to Stick Around for 1 More Week

Had she been judged by her dancing abilities alone, odds are Hope Solo would not have made the cut in the second week of this season's Dancing with the Stars.

Lucky for her, popularity counts for a lot when it comes to DWTS, and Solo is nothing if not popular.

She is, after all, the star goalkeeper for the U.S. women's national soccer team, and she's got killer looks. Despite her lousy rendition of the Jive, these things were good enough to make the show's audience (and quasi-electorate) give Solo the benefit of the doubt.

Nevertheless, you just got the sense that Solo was not going to be so lucky the next time around. If she didn't reward the audience's faith in her by dancing well in Week 3, immediate elimination could be forthcoming.

Those concerns were quickly brushed aside on Monday night.

Solo tackled the Cha-Cha-Cha with noticeably increased focus. She also upped her overall sexiness, which was further amplified by an outfit that left relatively little to the imagination.

By the time Solo was finished, it was clear that she had made an impression, as the audience gave her raucous applause. The judges were also fans, and they awarded Solo with eights across the board. The 24 total points she earned made it her best dance yet.

Ah, yes—that's more like it. For a second there, it looked like Solo just wasn't going to be able to get it, but she did.

This should sit well with the quasi-electorate. Before, all they saw when they looked at Solo was an ultra-hot, ultra-talented athlete. Now, they see an ultra-hot, ultra-talented athlete who can dance. There are only so many of those on this humble little planet of ours, and their existence must be cherished.

Did Solo show enough on Monday night to make people think that she can actually win this thing? Probably not.

She was good, but she wasn't that good. Besides, the dancing isn't the only thing that is going to get more difficult as the show goes on. The popularity contest among the contestants is only going to get more intense.

But, all that is down the road. For now, Solo has definitely earned the right to fight another day.

Or dance another day, I guess.