Dallas Center-Grimes (Iowa) wasn’t satisfied with a state championship appearance. After losing in the state final last year and the state semifinals three years ago, the Mustangs had what they called “unfinished business.”

This time, Dallas Center finished its season on top, capping off a perfect 22-0 campaign with a 2-0 win over familiar nemesis Waverly-Shell Rock in the Class 2A state championship on Saturday. After losing to Shell Rock in the last two postseasons, it was Dallas Center’s turn to triumph.

Avery Korsching scored the decisive goal, a fitting end for a senior who had 36 goals and 19 assists on the season. With Korsching leading the way, the Mustangs scored 105 goals, and the defense conceded just 10 goals for a plus-95 goal difference.

Thanks to those gaudy numbers, a 22-game winning streak and the sought-after state title, Dallas Center makes its first appearance in the latest JWS high school soccer rankings, vaulting up to No. 8.

Click here to see last week’s rankings.

(Note: These rankings do not include teams from Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Nebraska, Oklahoma and South Carolina as their seasons have concluded.)

Dallas Center-Grimes (@filliesoccer) is the Class 2A state soccer tournament champion with a 2-0 win over Waverly-Shell Rock. See the photos here --> https://t.co/8kBoTvVMqn @dcgactivities pic.twitter.com/Z2Mol5Rg5c

— Kelsey Kremer (@kelsey_kremer) June 4, 2022

1. South County (Va.), 20-0-1

Following a 4-3 quarterfinal win Tuesday, the Stallions are just two wins away from a second consecutive Class 6A championship and undefeated season.

2. Fort Zumwalt South (Mo.), 26-1

The Bulldogs outscored opponents 25-4 during a postseason run that culminated with a second consecutive Class 3A title.

3. Triad (Ill.), 25-1

Gina Catanzaro’s 26th goal of the season propelled the Knights to their second consecutive state championship, and fourth in the last 11 years. En route to the Class 2A title, the Knights also beat Waterloo, avenging their only loss of the season.

4. Metea Valley (Ill.), 22-2-1

It took regulation, overtime and then nine rounds of penalty kicks, but the Mustangs are state champions for the first time in program history. Metea Valley ended the season on a 14-game winning streak and outscored postseason opponents 15-2 to win the 3A title.

5. St. Dominic (Mo.), 23-3

Perennial contenders, the Crusaders struggled at times during the regular season, suffering two shutout losses and a 4-1 defeat less than a week before postseason play began. But behind seniors Grace Bindbeutel (23 goals, 11 assists), Jessica Larson (13 goals, 12 assists) and Macie Begley (14 goals, 9 assists), St. Dominic rebounded to win their third consecutive state title.

After an incredible battle through regulation and two overtimes, St. Dominic comes out on top after penalty kicks! They are your Class 4 champions! #ShowMeOnMSHSAATV pic.twitter.com/GZwZBnh0LJ

— MSHSAA-TV Championships (@MshsaaTV) June 5, 2022

6. Oregon (Wis.), 19-0-1

The Panthers have dominated this spring, outscoring opponents 134-6, and are two wins away from a sectional title.

7. Cardinal Gibbons (N.C.), 16-6-2

The Crusaders won just two of their first eight games. But they got better as the season progressed, ending the season on an 11-game winning streak and knocking off Ardrey Kell in penalty kicks to win the NCHSAA 4A title.

8. Dallas Center (Iowa), 22-0

The Mustangs have plenty of returning talent. Aside from senior Korsching, the team’s four other all-state selections should all be back next season: junior goalkeeper Maya Fritz, junior midfielder Elena Bartak and sophomore midfielders Kylie Knief and Hannah Renz.

9. Hudsonville (Mich.), 18-0-2

The Eagles have outscored opponents 8-1 in three postseason games and allowed just three goals since the start of May.

10. Northville (Mich.), 15-0-5

The Mustangs have ridden a stingy defense, just five goals allowed and 15 shutouts, to an undefeated record.

11. Kellam (Va.), 17-1

After a quarterfinal win over previously-ranked Battlefield, the Knights now face No. 1 South County in the state semifinals.

12. Yorktown (Va.), 19-1-1

South Carolina commit Shay Montgomery was involved in all four of the Patriots’ tallies with two goals and two assists during a 4-0 quarterfinal win.

13. Ankeny Centennial (Iowa), 19-3

The Jaguars avenged their three regular-season losses in the state tournament to win the 3A state championship.

14. Ardrey Kell (N.C.), 25-2-1

The Knights once again fell just short of a first-ever state championship, losing in the state final for the fourth time in program history.

15. Providence Day (N.C.), 18-4

The Chargers tested themselves against top-tier competition during the regular season, and that experience paid off in the postseason with a NCISAA 4A championship. With the win, in a penalty shootout, Providence Day avenged a regular-season defeat to Charlotte Latin.

Phillip Suitts is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports. He has worked at a variety of outlets, including The Palm Beach Post and Southeast Missourian, and done a little bit of everything from reporting to editing to running social media accounts. He was born in Atlanta but currently lives in wintry Philadelphia. Follow Phillip on Twitter @PhillipSuitts.

The United States and Mexico have withdrawn their joint bid to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup, per a Monday afternoon release from U.S. Soccer and the Mexican Football Federation.

According to the statement, they will instead focus on developing a "more equitable" bid for the 2031 tournament, with the ultimate goal of "eliminating investment disparities" between the men’s and women’s tournaments.

The federations went on to cite the upcoming 2026 Men’s World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico as an opportunity to build support for local infrastructure, improve audience engagement, and scale up media and partnership deals in preparation to "host a record-breaking tournament in 2031."

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"Hosting a World Cup tournament is a huge undertaking — and having additional time to prepare allows us to maximize its impact across the globe," said U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone. "Shifting our bid will enable us to host a record-breaking Women’s World Cup in 2031 that will help to grow and raise the level of the women’s game both here at home as well as across the globe."

The decision leaves just Brazil and a joint bid from Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands in the running for the 2027 host spot. Brazil — the rumored frontrunner — has never hosted a Women’s World Cup, while Germany hosted the 2011 tournament as a solo venture. 

Furthermore, this postponement doesn’t mean the U.S. is a shoo-in for 2031, as it's been previously reported that 2022 UEFA Women's EURO host England is considering their own Women's World Cup bid. FIFA is scheduled to confirm the winning bid after the FIFA Congress votes on May 17th.

Former Stanford leading-scorer Kiki Iriafen is set to join star rising sophomore JuJu Watkins at USC next year, reported ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Saturday. 

The 6-foot-3 forward is coming off a breakout season with the Cardinal, where the then-junior led Stanford to the Sweet 16 with an average of 19.4 points, 11 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. Walking away with the Pac-12’s Most Improved Player award and a spot on the All-Pac-12 team, Iriafen entered the portal at the close of last season and was subsequently ranked second on ESPN’s 2024-2025 transfer ranking list.

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At USC, Iriafen will play out her senior year alongside the Women's Basketball Coaches Association’s 2024 National Freshman of the Year JuJu Watkins, forming what could be an explosive partnership for the Trojans as they look to build momentum going into next season. The Southern California side advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1994 this year, ultimately falling to UConn in a heated 80-73 battle.

Iriafen wasn’t the only one making choices this past week. LSU guard Hailey Van Lith officially announced her own transfer to TCU on Friday, while Princeton standout Kaitlyn Chen committed to UConn for her final year of college eligibility. Other big names still weighing their options are Oregon State's Talia Von Oelhoffen and Raegan Beers, as well as UNC's Deja Kelly.

With conference realignment on the horizon and team fit a contending factor, the NCAA women's basketball transfer portal has been busier than ever. And while transfers can bolster many types of college programs, this particular offseason has seen talent-rich programs growing even richer.

Legendary WNBA superstar Candace Parker announced her retirement from professional basketball on Sunday, effective immediately.

"I promised I'd never cheat the game & that I'd leave it in a better place than I came into it," she wrote in an Instagram post. "The competitor in me always wants 1 more, but it's time. My HEART & body knew, but I needed to give my mind time to accept it."

The Las Vegas Aces forward was in the midst of rehabbing a right ankle injury and a left foot fracture after missing part of the 2023 season.

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One of women's basketball's most prominent trailblazers, Parker popularized the play of a "big guard." A back-to-back NCAA National Championship winner with Tennessee, she was drafted No. 1 overall by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2008. She was named both WNBA MVP and Rookie of the Year in her debut season with the league. 

Parker exits the pros a three-time WNBA champion, a two-time league MVP, seven-time WNBA All-Star, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and two-time NCAA champion, in addition to many more individual accolades. Throughout her 16-year career, she averaged 16 points, 8.5 rebounds, and four assists per game. She remains the only player in WNBA history to earn three WNBA titles with three different teams: LA in 2016, Chicago in 2021, and Las Vegas in 2023. 

In her announcement, the 38-year-old implied the physical toll of league play was a driving factor in her ultimate decision to walk away from the game, despite recently signing a one-year deal with Las Vegas.

"This offseason hasn’t been fun on a foot that isn’t cooperating," she wrote. "It’s no fun playing in pain (10 surgeries in my career) it’s no fun knowing what you could do, if only…it’s no fun hearing 'she isn’t the same' when I know why, it’s no fun accepting the fact you need surgery AGAIN.

"I’m grateful that for 16 years I PLAYED A GAME for a living & DESPITE all the injuries, I hooped," she continued. "I’m grateful for family, friends, teammates, coaches, doctors, trainers & fans who made this journey so special."

Fans weren’t the only ones shocked by Parker’s surprise retirement. In a reaction captured on video, Liberty forward Breanna Stewart responded to the news with a jaw-dropped, eyebrow-raised "What? Wow." 

Yet while the Naperville, Illinois native’s time on the court might be over, Parker says she isn't leaving the world of basketball anytime soon.

"This is the beginning," she wrote. "I’m attacking business, private equity, ownership (I will own both a NBA & WNBA team), broadcasting, production, boardrooms, beach volleyball, dominoes (sorry babe it’s going to get more real) with the same intensity & focus I did basketball."

USWNT stalwart Alex Morgan will miss at least one week of NWSL action after suffering a left ankle knock in her last club appearance, Wave manager Casey Stoney said on Thursday.

Morgan was helped off the field after rolling her ankle in the later stages of the Wave’s 1-0 loss to the Orlando Pride last weekend, despite the San Diego side being out of available substitutes.

“She's got an ankle injury and she's out for this weekend, and then it'll be week by week from there,” Stoney said, confirming that Morgan’s been ruled out for Saturday’s showdown with NWSL newcomer Bay FC.

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Depending on its severity, Morgan’s ankle issue might have larger ramifications than missing a few weeks of NSWL play. Morgan was added to the team's Gold Cup roster after an ACL injury sidelined young striker Mia Fishel, and she's since made a number of USWNT starts in the team's Gold Cup and SheBelieves wins. A long-term injury could potentially derail the center forward’s Olympic plans.

With her return timeline uncertain, it's possible the injury could also impact Morgan's ability to participate in new head coach Emma Hayes' first U.S. friendlies in June and July.

Morgan's injury concerns aren't uncommon in the U.S. player pool, but add a sense of urgency as Hayes eyes the NWSL for top-performing players in the upcoming weeks. Gotham's Tierna Davidson and Rose Lavelle have also been dealing with injuries: Lavelle has yet to appear for Gotham, while Davidson exited last weekend's match early with a hamstring injury.

Gotham has yet to issue an update concerning Davidson's status.