The NWSL returned this past weekend and delivered plenty of action as the league’s hierarchy continues to come into focus. Two teams scored late stoppage-time goals, four are on at least five-game unbeaten streaks, and every squad is competing with a different lineup as players spread out across the globe for international duty.

July competition could lead to some shake-ups as new talent steps in. For now, teams have stayed fairly consistent despite the roster changes, and so have the power rankings (click here for our last edition). Only the top- and bottom-tier clubs have shuffled slightly.

Let’s get into it.

12. Racing Louisville FC (2-4-4) -1

In the last power rankings, Racing Louisville was one spot ahead of the last-place Orlando Pride. Then the two teams played each other Sunday to a 2-2 draw. Despite falling into an early 2-0 hole, the Pride clawed back and had the better run of play overall, earning them the nod over Louisville this week. Racing Louisville also continued to prove why they’re the best team in the league at converting direct free kicks. Savannah DeMelo scored her second free-kick goal on Sunday, over six weeks since her first successful attempt against the San Diego Wave. She is the only NWSL player to record two such goals this season.

11. Orlando Pride (2-5-3) +1

As they chipped away at the 2-0 deficit in the second half of Sunday’s game, the Pride found success with combination plays against Louisville. They had a 54 percent advantage in possession and were the better team at capitalizing on their chances in front of goal. Making six changes to the starting lineup since their last game, a 6-0 loss to the Portland Thorns, the Pride also welcomed back defender Carrie Lawrence for the first time since her injury on May 27.

10. NJ/NY Gotham FC (3-5-0) —

Gotham had the momentum early against the Chicago Red Stars on Saturday, creating multiple scoring chances, outshooting Chicago 14-10 and registering 20 crosses throughout the match. But they lost their focus 25 minutes in after the Red Stars scored two goals fewer than 10 minutes apart and suffered their second consecutive 3-0 defeat and third straight loss overall. Head coach Scott Parkinson took the blame on Saturday, saying he needs to better prepare his team to execute their tactical plans.

9. North Carolina Courage (2-5-1) —

The Courage, still at the bottom of the NWSL standings, have played fewer games than every team except Gotham and are having a hard time finding a rhythm. The good news for the Courage is that, with a goal differential of -2, they are playing teams close. Until a 2-0 loss to OL Reign on Friday, each of their losses have come by one goal. North Carolina didn’t necessarily play poorly on Friday, but they’ll have to start gelling better as a unit if they want to build on their 2022 Challenge Cup win with a playoff berth.

8. Washington Spirit (1-4-6) —

Despite controlling possession for most of the game Sunday, the Spirit had a hard time getting shots off against San Diego without their star attacking trio of Ashley Hatch, Trinity Rodman and Ashley Sanchez. As the Wave doubled up Washington in shots, 12-6, the Spirit were busy defensively, making 21 clearances and 14 tackles and winning 48 duels. They managed to reduce San Diego’s attack to mostly long balls and waited until the second half to build more of an attack. Since finishing the Challenge Cup as runners-up, the reigning NWSL champions continue to be in limbo — not playing poorly, but not making a convincing case for the playoffs, either.

Coach Ward praises the adaptability of the team on the road yesterday

Press Pass:
▪️ Coach Kris Ward
▪️ Sam Staab
▪️ Jordan Baggett pic.twitter.com/HNGLjXqHQh

— Washington Spirit (@WashSpirit) July 4, 2022

7. Kansas City Current (3-4-3) —

The Current continued their steady rise over the weekend. With a 2-1 win over Houston on Friday, they picked up their first regular-season road victory in franchise history and are now on a five-game unbeaten streak. In a physical match where the Dash drew five yellow cards, goalkeeper AD Franch made impressive saves while the rest of the squad played with a lot of heart, a combination that’s emblematic of Kansas City’s team identity this season.

6. Angel City FC (4-4-2) —

After losing star forward Christen Press to an ACL tear, Angel City received a boost in the attack last week with the acquisition of former U.S. women’s national team player Sydney Leroux from the Orlando Pride. Against Portland on Friday, Angel City was having a tougher time winning balls in the attacking third, but Leroux will help with that once she settles in with the club. The team also struggled to contain Portland’s crosses but individually, there were many successes, such as Lily Nabet doing well in possession in her first start of the season.

5. Houston Dash (4-3-3) -1

The Dash are losing their grip on the dominant results they had at the beginning of the season. A lot of it comes down to their finishing. They created dangerous chances in Friday’s 2-1 loss to Kansas City, but they weren’t able to capitalize (their only goal came from a Current own goal off a Houston cross in the 10th minute of stoppage time). Due to the international window, the Dash are without some of their top attackers right now, like Rachel Daly, Nichelle Prince and Maria Sánchez. They likely need at least another week to adjust.

4. OL Reign (4-2-4) +1

With a 2-0 win over the Courage on Friday, the Reign remained unbeaten at Lumen Field across all competitions. They have eight players away on international duty — the most of any NWSL team — but after a slow start Friday, they managed to find their footing toward the end of the first half. They opened the second half with two shots and a goal within the first seven minutes, setting the tone for the rest of the game. With players like Jess Fishlock, Ally Watt, Bethany Balcer and Phallon Tullis-Joyce sticking around during the international window, the Reign and their impressive amount of depth will be just fine throughout July.

B-E-A-Utiful ball movement leading to a @bethanybalcer goal 🤩@OLReign | #BoldTogether pic.twitter.com/Nm90rzQMdT

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 2, 2022

3. Portland Thorns FC (4-1-5) -2

The Thorns needed a win to stay neck-and-neck with Chicago and San Diego at the top of the NWSL standings. Instead, they drew 1-1 with Angel City FC in a game that nearly resulted in a loss. The Thorns’ dramatic stoppage-time equalizer in the 96th minute saved the game and their unbeaten streak, extending it to six. Considering Portland had six players away on international duty, while Angel City was missing only three, they played a fairly even game. They started on the wrong foot after giving up a penalty kick goal in the second minute, but they regrouped to steal a point.

2. San Diego Wave FC (6-2-3) —

With a 2-1 win over the Spirit in front of a sold-out crowd on Sunday, San Diego extended its unbeaten streak at home to five games. The absence of seven international players gave others a chance to step up and show off the team’s depth. Belle Briede picked up her first NWSL regular-season goal, while Makenzy Doniak — who is normally a substitute but started on Sunday — scored for the second consecutive game. Critically, defender Abby Dahlkemper also returned to the starting lineup after recovering from broken ribs and helped steady the backline as the team adjusts to the changes from the international window.

1. Chicago Red Stars (5-1-4) +2

The Red Stars took their time getting adjusted against Gotham FC. After taking control of the game with two goals by the 25th minute, they connected on 82 percent of their passes and maintained 55 percent of the possession. The defense put on a solid showing despite being outshot 14-10, winning 45 percent of their tackles, making 12 clearances and registering four blocks. With the 3-0 win, Chicago extended its own unbeaten streak to eight games — the longest active streak of any team in the league.

Jessa Braun is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering the NWSL and USWNT. Follow her on Twitter @jessabraun.

With recent transfers Talia von Oelhoffen and Kiki Iriafen joining first-team All-American JuJu Watkins and the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class at USC next season, the Trojans look to transition from an up-and-coming squad to a legitimate title contender. 

Former Oregon State graduate student von Oelhoffen is the latest collegiate talent to commit to the program, announcing her transfer Monday via ESPN. She follows ex-Stanford leading-scorer Iriafen in the jump to the pair’s one-time Pac-12 rival.

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The 5-foot-11 Washington native was a two-time All-Pac-12 guard during her time at Oregon State. But after the recent dissolution of the Pac-12, the Corvallis side found themselves without a permanent home conference going forward. Many big name players opted to take their skill elsewhere as a result, with von Oelhoffen’s fellow ex-Beaver Raegan Beers announcing her own departure to Oklahoma on Monday.

According to DraftKings, USC is now tied with UConn for the second-best betting odds to win the 2025 NCAA women’s tournament. Dawn Staley’s tested South Carolina side, poised for a repeat performance, holds down the number one spot.

Last year, LSU loaded up in the transfer portal after beating Iowa to win the 2023 national championship. The Tigers were clear favorites coming into the 2023-24 season, but were bounced in the Elite Eight by Caitlin Clark’s Hawkeyes. Shortly thereafter, star transfer Hailey Van Lith opted to transfer a second time, this time signing with TCU. 

Yet while history proves that an excess of star power doesn’t always translate to on-court chemistry, on paper, USC sure looks ready to hold their own — in 2025 and beyond.

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."