With the end of the NWSL regular season on Oct. 2 come the playoffs and the race for top individual awards, including 2022 MVP.

Seven players have made our list of MVP nominees, ranging from star goal scorers to key playmakers to staunch defenders. The players represent five teams in the league, with the San Diego Wave and OL Reign featured twice.

These are the cases for NWSL MVP frontrunners, including our pick at the end.

Alex Morgan, F, San Diego Wave FC

Alex Morgan just keeps finding the back of the net. With 15 goals on the season, she leads the Golden Boot race by three goals, with Thorns forward Sophia Smith coming in next at 12. Morgan took less than half the season to score the same number of goals as last year’s Golden Boot winner, Ashley Hatch, who finished with 11. Her efforts have helped San Diego stay near the top of the league standings and make a serious case for the Shield in the club’s first season.

.@alexmorgan13 is in the form of her life.pic.twitter.com/npiuymDlMp

— San Diego Wave FC (@sandiegowavefc) September 10, 2022

Rose Lavelle, M, OL Reign

A world-class superstar, Rose Lavelle has been in peak form in her sixth year in the NWSL. She’s hitting shots on target from distance with a new level of power, contributing to a career-high five goals for OL Reign so far this season. Inside the box, she poses a threat on one-timers and in the air with the ability to score on diving headers. In addition to her iconic dribbles through the midfield, Lavelle boasts a passing success rate of 81 percent and a long-ball success rate of 74 percent.

OL Reign take five minutes to get themselves back on level terms through Rose Lavelle #NWSL (🎥 @NWSL)pic.twitter.com/JwiH1QzX4S

— AllForXI (@AllForXI) September 17, 2022

Sophie Schmidt, M, Houston Dash

Perhaps the most underrated player on this list, Sophie Schmidt brings a consistency to the Dash’s defensive midfield that has put them in position to make their first playoff appearance in franchise history. Starting every game and totaling 1,393 minutes so far, Schmidt has been both a defensive and offensive powerhouse, setting up the attack with nine key passes and winning the ball in the midfield. In addition to 35 interceptions, she’s won 60 percent of her tackles, 57 percent of her duels and 58 percent of her aerial duels. She’s also contributed three goals and an assist while completing 74 percent of her passes.

SOPHIE SCHMIDT MY GOODNESS. 🚀

Doesn't get much better than that. 💪 pic.twitter.com/aiJ5TnVwxm

— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) July 31, 2022

Sophia Smith, F, Portland Thorns FC

Sophia Smith is is the main reason the No. 1 Portland Thorns lead the league with 43 goals and became the first team to punch their ticket to the playoffs with a win over Racing Louisville on Wednesday night. Second in the Golden Boot race with 12 goals, Smith also leads the NWSL with 64 shots and 41 shots on goal. She’s a defender’s worst nightmare with her expert ability to navigate backlines and create dangerous chances in front of net.

Another set piece, another goal for the @ThornsFC! 🌹 Sophia Smith hits the volley! #CHIvPOR | 2-2 | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/fz3iyazrN2

— The Equalizer (@EqualizerSoccer) May 29, 2022

Sofia Huerta, D, OL Reign

OL Reign have been one of the NWSL’s best defensive teams all season and are currently tied with the Wave for the fewest goals against at 19. Huerta has contributed heavily to that success at wingback, playing every minute of every game with 10 blocks, 20 interceptions and a 65.6 percent tackle success rate. She’s also been integral to the Reign’s attack with a goal, four assists and 36 successful crosses, ranking second in the league in big chances created.

Sofia Huerta just did this pic.twitter.com/QVkOo9LlEB

— Our Game Magazine (@OurGameMagazine) March 19, 2022

Naomi Girma, D, San Diego Wave FC

JWS’ midseason MVP pick, Naomi Girma has adjusted seamlessly to the professional game. The May Rookie of the Month has played every minute of her 17 games for the Wave, making 81 clearances, 12 blocks and 25 interceptions while winning 68 percent of duels. Her efforts have helped San Diego concede just 19 goals this season. In possession, the 2022 No. 1 draft pick averages an impressive 83 percent passing success rate.

Naomi Girma put her body on the line to make a great block ❌ pic.twitter.com/nJXU1VRl97

— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) June 5, 2022

MVP Pick: Mallory Pugh, F, Chicago Red Stars

Mallory Pugh does it all. Ten goals in one season? Check. Leading the league in assists? Check (she has six). Taking the ball 90 yards up the field for a goal and nutmegging two players in the process? That happened last week against the Kansas City Current, the NWSL’s first-place team at that point. The Red Stars forward has the ability to change the course of a game every time she steps onto the field, winning 80 percent of her tackles and passing with 77.3 percent accuracy. Last year, Pugh was nominated for NWSL MVP, but this year she’s playing the best soccer of her career.

90 YARDS, 2 NUTMEGS, 1 GOAL 🤯
Take a bow, @MalPugh 👏

JWS x @Delta

Official Airline of the National Women’s Soccer League pic.twitter.com/vJ33CLw1Ys

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) September 15, 2022

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

The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame is ushering in a blockbuster new class, announcing a list of its 2026 inductees this week with honorees spanning four players, two coaches, an ESPN contributor, and a posthumous veteran standout.

Two-time WNBA MVP Candace Parker (LA Sparks, Chicago Sky, Las Vegas Aces) headlines the player lineup, with the three-time WNBA champion joined by 2019 WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne (Chicago Sky, Washington Mystics) and French standout Isabelle Fijalkowski (Cleveland Rockers), as well as three-time WNBA champ with the Houston Comets Amaya Valdemoro.

Minnesota Lynx manager and four-time WNBA Coach of the Year Cheryl Reeve also received a nod alongside nine-time national championship-winning Kirkwood Community College head coach Kim Muhl and former Clemson great Barbara Kennedy-Dixon, while ESPN analyst Doris Burke snagged an honor for her decades-long coverage.

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Calling the Class of 2026 "eight distinguished legends of this exceptional sport," Hall of Fame president Dana Hart said in Friday’s release that "They exemplify the highest standards in women's basketball and have made substantial contributions to the sport, along with shaping the game's historical trajectory."

The formal induction ceremony of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will take place at Knoxville's Tennessee Theatre on June 27th.

The season two roster for Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball is officially complete, with the offseason league announcing its final three players on Thursday — and revealing that some big names from the venture's inaugural campaign will not feature on the 2026 court.

New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese will not return for Unrivaled's second season, though league EVP and GM Clare Duwelius told The Athletic this week that they had "lots of conversations" with the players.

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DiJonai Carrington will miss the 2026 campaign as well, as a mid-foot sprain suffered during September's WNBA Playoffs forced the Minnesota Lynx guard to withdraw from next year's competition.

With Carrington leaving the eight-team league's final open roster spots at three, Unrivaled rounded out their 2026 numbers with Chicago Sky guard Rebecca Allen, Indiana Fever guard Aari McDonald, and Seattle Storm center and 2025 WNBA Draft overall No. 2 pick Dominique Malonga.

Malonga joins the 3×3 upstart after abruptly terminating her overseas contract with Turkish club Fenerbahçe following a post-WNBA season wrist surgery.

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Unrivaled also dropped the list of their 2026 head coaches this week, with returning managers Nola Henry and Teresa Weatherspoon joined by fresh faces including ex-Storm boss Noelle Quinn.

How to watch Unrivaled in 2026

Unrivaled will tip off its expanded 2026 season on January 5th, with live coverage airing on TNT.

NWSL Decision Day is just around the corner, as the final 2025 regular-season weekend puts the last playoff slot — and perhaps a bit of Racing Louisville history — on the line.

With seven of the eight spots in the 2025 NWSL Playoffs secured, No. 8 Louisville can punch a franchise-first postseason ticket with a win over No. 13 Bay FC on Sunday.

"I think it's an incredible position that we're in," Racing manager Bev Yanez said last week. "It's a privilege to be in this position, and I think the reality is we still control our destiny, and that needs to be the focus for us."

If Racing's match ends in a loss or a draw, however, the No. 9 North Carolina Courage can sneak in with a win — leaving Louisville out of contention.

Louisville's playoff hopes could very well rest on the blazing form of USWNT rising star Emma Sears, after the 24-year-old forward registered a hat trick against New Zealand in a full 90-minute performance on Wednesday.

"She's got an instinct inside the box and a desire to score goals that you can't teach," USWNT manager Emma Hayes said of Sears.

Racing Louisville has finished the regular season in ninth place every year since the 2021 expansion team's exception, with Sunday offering the chance to change their fate.

How to watch Racing Louisville vs. Bay FC on NWSL Decision Day

No. 8 Racing Louisville will host No. 9 Bay FC in the 2025 NWSL season's playoff-clinching finale at 5 PM ET on Sunday, with live coverage airing on NWSL+.

Most NWSL teams have something to play for this weekend, as Sunday's Decision Day finale will determine crucial seeding going into the 2025 Playoffs.

Bucking the trend are the No. 1 Kansas City Current and No. 2 Washington Spirit, who have already locked in home-field advantage — leaving every other team above the cutoff line battling for seeding this weekend.

The No. 3 Orlando Pride and No. 4 Seattle Reign will face each other with the third seed on the line, while the No. 5 San Diego Wave, No. 6 Portland Thorns, and No. 7 Gotham FC could all contend for a home playoff match depending on the day's full results.

Gotham will take on the No. 9 North Carolina in their 2025 regular-season closer, as the Courage push to leap above the playoff line while the Bats aim to avoid a difficult path forward.

Whichever team clinches the No. 8 seed — likely either Gotham, Racing Louisville, or North Carolina — will travel to Kansas City to take on the record-breaking Shield-winners in next week's quarterfinal.

Boosting the Courage on NWSL Decision Day will be a sell-out crowd — North Carolina's second sell-out match of the 2025 season.

How to watch NWSL Decision Day 2025

No. 1 Kansas City and No. 5 San Diego will kick off the 2025 NWSL season's Decision Day at 3 PM ET on Sunday, airing live on ESPN.

The six remaining matches on the weekend's slate will start simultaneously at 5 PM ET, with live coverage on either ESPN or NWSL+.