Plenty of new faces are heading Down Under with the U.S. women’s national team for the World Cup. Just Women’s Sports is taking a look at a few of the newcomers and introducing them to fans new and old.

Ashley Sanchez

Age: 24 years old
Position: Midfielder
USWNT debut: Nov. 30, 2021 vs. Australia
Total caps: 25

How has she looked in her NWSL season?

Sanchez has had a strong start to the NWSL season with the Washington Spirit, who sit two points out of the top spot in the standings at the World Cup break. She’s developing into her role as a midfielder in her third season, and her growth can be credited in part to the Spirit bringing back Mark Parsons as their head coach. Yet while Parsons has directed his players to funnel the ball through Sanchez, from there the attacking midfielder has taken the role and made it her own.

Through 13 matches, Sanchez has four goals and one assist. In 19 matches last season, she had three goals and five assists; through 25 matches in 2021, she had five goals and no assists. She also been creating chances, with 31 shots, 13 of those on target. Her pass completion has been solid as well, with the midfielder completing 68.6% of her passes. Where Sanchez thrives, though, is in the air, having controlled 71 aerials.

What does she bring to the USWNT?

While Sanchez is still coming into her own, she brings a pressing ability to the midfield that the team could use. She also brings instant chemistry with best friend, Spirit teammate and USWNT forward Trinity Rodman, who could prove just as valuable in Australia and New Zealand. Spirit midfielder Andi Sullivan and goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury and also join the pair on the USWNT roster, which Sanchez has said will be helpful as she navigates her first World Cup.

“There’s not a lot of people that have that many players on their club team on this team,” she told Just Women’s Sports. “But it’s just been nice having people that can relate and you can go to that you’re close with. And it is a special experience being that it’s all of our first World Cups are kind of going through and navigating with each other.”

Sanchez possesses similarities in technical control to Rose Lavelle. While she’s not as smooth, she does hold the ability to move and shift quickly, giving her a skillset that varies from Lavelle just enough to make it difficult for opposing defenses to know what to look for between the two.

The way she pays attention to those around her, and moves accordingly, should be a boon for a USWNT offense as it looks to break down opposing defenses. And Sanchez’s ability to match her teammates helps her to know how to create those chances.

“I feel like, being in the midfield, we’re obviously always moving off each other. But I feel like sometimes in the game, when you might not have had too many attacking opportunities, just try something different,” she said. “Even if it doesn’t work out, you try something once and maybe the defense steps because they think you’re gonna do it again, or that might move them in certain ways. So even if it doesn’t work out initially, it might work out the next time, or it might open up something different.

“So I feel like we’re in a unique position where we can kind of do stuff like that. Obviously defense is probably not going to play the risky paths. It’s nice to be able to be in a position where you can win.”

What have USWNT coaches and teammates said about Sanchez?

Vlatko Andonovski, head coach: “She’s got special qualities on the ball. It’s not easy to synchronize her movements right away because she hasn’t played much with Alex (Morgan]) but when they do it, I think it worked very well. We are very happy where she’s at, positionally and happy where she’s at in the time of her stage of development.”

Kelley O’Hara, defender: “She’s a player than I think has a really bright future and has already done some really big things. As a player, you’ve gotta decide, like, who do I want to be, what do I want to become. And I think that’s something that she’s doing right now. … I think the way I describe her is really crafty, super technical, fun player to watch. … When everybody thinks of Ashley Sanchez, that’s what they think of.”

Baseball dreams became a reality last Thursday, as the Women's Professional Baseball League (WPBL) held its first-ever draft ahead of four-team league's 2026 inaugural season.

WPBL side San Francisco selected pitcher and outfielder Kelsie Whitmore first overall, with the 27-year-old officially becoming the first member of a US women's professional baseball league since the legendary World War II-era AAGPBL folded in 1954.

No stranger to making baseball history, Whitmore has primarily played on men's pro teams throughout her career, becoming the first women to start and to pitch in the MLB partner Atlantic League in 2022 before also breaking multiple glass ceilings in the Pioneer League in 2024.

"I truly didn't know if this moment would come, to be able to have a women's professional baseball league while I'm still in the prime of my career," said Whitmore.

WPBL teams select international stars for debut rosters

While the Savannah Bananas alum is the first member of San Francisco's roster, Los Angeles used its No. 2 pick to snag five-time World Cup winner Ayami Sato — a 35-year-old pitcher from Japan — while New York took former University of Washington softball infielder Kylee Lahners at No. 3 and Boston began its lineup by picking South Korean star catcher Hyeonah Kim at No. 4.

Notably, 24-year-old center fielder Mo'Ne Davis also earned a Top-10 overall selection, with LA tapping the former 2014 Little League World Series pitching star for its debut roster.

Now at 30 players each, the four debut WPBL teams will next whittle their lineups down to 15 players before the inaugural 2026 season.

With five countries — Japan, South Korea, Canada, the Dominican Republic, and the US — represented in the first nine picks in Thursday's WPBL Draft, the sport's global best will be heading to Illinois to kick off baseball's newest era in August.

"[The WPBL is] not just for me, but for a lot of young girls. They now have a platform to look up to," noted Whitmore. "Maybe my daughter one day will be able to play in the league."

The New York Liberty reportedly landed a boss, with multiple sources linking longtime Golden State Warriors assistant coach Chris DeMarco to the 2024 WNBA champions' head coaching vacancy late last week.

After first joining the Warriors as an intern in 2012, the 40-year-old worked through the Golden State ranks to serve in both an assistant and player development capacity for the NBA side.

Exiting as as front-of-bench assistant, DeMarco aided the team to an impressive four NBA championships (2015, 2017, 2018, 2022) during his tenure.

DeMarco also has experience on the international sideline, leading the Bahama men's national team from June 2019 until August 2025.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

Recent WNBA hiring trends have favored NBA vets, with Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Alex Sarama recently named head coach of 2026 expansion side Portland while Seattle tapped former Memphis Grizzlies assistant Sonia Raman as the Storm's new sideline leader.

According to ESPN, additional top candidates for the New York Liberty opening vacated by now-Toronto Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello included Toronto Raptors assistant Jama Mahlalela, ex-Brooklyn Nets and current Charlotte Hornets assistant Will Weaver, and former assistant to the NBA's Washington Wizards and Dallas Mavericks Kristi Toliver, the current associate head coach for the Phoenix Mercury.

As all but two Liberty players enter free agency, New York is aiming to keep stars like Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and Sabrina Ionescu on its roster — with the hiring of DeMarco potentially playing game-changer in some of those contract negotiations.

ESPN reported that Bay Area product Ionescu apparently reached out to Golden State Warriors icon Steph Curry to ask about DeMarco as part of the hiring process.

Dallas has once again jumped to the front of the line, as the Wings locked down the No. 1 overall pick at the 2026 WNBA Draft, scoring the top draft selection for the second straight year at Sunday's lottery.

The Wings selected UConn star guard Paige Bueckers with last year's No. 1 pick, with the NCAA champion going on to win 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year.

"We've got an exciting young group, and we really bond together," said Dallas Wings forward and 2023's overall No. 3 draftee Maddy Siegrist. "I'm excited to bring someone else in."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

In the rest of Sunday night's 2026 lottery results, the league's rich got richer, with 2025 WNBA playoff contenders the Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm claiming the No. 2 and No. 3 picks, respectively, after both teams gained draft assets via trades.

The Washington Mystics will boost their already impressive young roster with the fourth draft pick in April, while the Chicago Sky snagged the fifth and final lottery spot on Sunday.

With 2026 WNBA season expanding to 15 teams, the league's two incoming expansion sides — the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire — will select in the Nos. 6 and 7 spots.

As for the 2026 class, top NCAA prospects including UConn guard Azzi Fudd, UCLA center Lauren Betts, and TCU guard Olivia Miles — as well as international star Awa Fam from Spain — are likely to earn early selections in April's WNBA Draft.

The first Top 10 classic of the 2025/26 NCAA basketball season delivered on Friday, as No. 1 UConn survived No. 6 Michigan 72-69 — just barely keeping their unbeaten streak alive.

Guards on both sides stood out, with Husky senior Azzi Fudd scoring a game-high 31 points while Wolverine sophomore Syla Swords put UConn on notice with 29 points of her own.

"Those are two of the best shooters in the country playing tonight against each other," Huskies boss Geno Auriemma said postgame. "They both put on quite a show."

UConn started strong in the first half, but a dominant third quarter from the Wolverines saw the Huskies' 17-point lead dwindle before Fudd got hot from behind the arc.

"I was proud how we stuck together, and we figured it out in the end," Fudd said afterwards.

While defending national champ UConn remains on top of the early 2025/26 NCAA field, the star is rising for Michigan and their 5-1 record, as the Wolverines jumped eight spots in last week's AP Poll — with another leap possible when the rankings update on Monday afternoon.

Elsewhere, the weekend's lineup featured a few other successful upset bids, with No. 24 Notre Dame taking down No. 11 USC 61-59 behind a gritty 22-point performance from Irish star guard Hannah Hidalgo on Friday and unranked mid-major Rhode Island stunning No. 16 NC State with a 68-63 Wolfpack loss on Sunday.