With the NWSL season off to a sizzling (if not hectic start), we wanted to give a nod to ten of the league’s most underrated players — those who don’t always get the headlines, but who still deserve the credit.

In no particular order… 

Jennifer Cudjoe, NJ/NY Gotham FC

Cudjoe proved herself a standout defensive player for Sky Blue FC (now NJ/NY Gotham FC) during the 2020 Challenge Cup, appearing in six matches, four in which she was a starter, and logging 368 minutes of playing time. 

Throughout the Challenge Cup, she maintained an 80% success rate in tackles and a 66.7% success rate in aerial duels. When paired with her impressive passing accuracy, speed, and ability on the ball, the 27-year-old will look to continue to be a menacing presence on the Gotham FC backline.

Tziarra King, OL Reign

After concluding her college campaign with NC State, Tziarra King was selected eighth overall by the Utah Royals (who have since relocated to Kansas City) in the 2020 NWSL Draft. During the Challenge Cup, she made her professional debut against the Houston Dash, scoring a mere 20 minutes after entering the game as a substitute. Her performance in that Challenge Cup earned her a starting spot in each match of the subsequent Fall Series, during which she scored her second professional goal.

In January of 2021, she was traded to the OL Reign — and if her short-lived career with the Royals was any indication of what kind of player she will be for the Reign, the league should be on notice.

Shea Groom, Houston Dash

Also emerging as a force during the 2020 Challenge Cup was Dash midfielder Shea Groom. Appearing in seven matches throughout the tournament, Groom notched three goals and an assist, leading the Dash to their first-ever title.

During the Fall Series, Groom added her name to the scoresheet in three of four matches played and notched two assists in the sole match she did not score in. Furthermore, the young star has signed a three-year contract extension with the Dash, keeping her in Houston for the foreseeable future. If Groom continues on her current trajectory, it is almost certain she will become one of the Dash’s most valuable players, even if she has yet to receive her full due.

Denise O’Sullivan, North Carolina Courage

A quiet but valuable presence in the Courage attacking third, Denise O’Sullivan is as reliable as they come. In 2,158 minutes of playing time during the 2019 regular season, O’Sullivan maintained an 84.3% passing success rate, completing 1,039 of 1,233 attempted passes and averaging 51.4 passes per 90 minutes. In 2020, the Irish international spent time on loan in the FA Women’s Super League, playing a total of 761 minutes in 11 matches for Brighton & Hove Albion.

Of O’Sullivan’s ability in the midfield, Courage head coach Paul Riley called her “the engine room, the architect, the inspiration and the leader of a very good midfield unit” — frankly, we couldn’t agree more. 

Kealia Watt, Chicago Red Stars

After being traded from the Houston Dash to the Chicago Red Stars last year, Kealia Watt debuted with her new team during the 2020 Challenge Cup, but really found her footing with the Red Stars during the Fall Series, creating thirteen scoring chances, netting two goals, and assisting on two more.

Her Fall Series performance caught the attention of Vlatko Andonovski, earning the forward a call up to an 11-day USWNT training camp that took place in October. As the 2021 season approaches, Watt will look to continue to assert her value in the Red Stars’ lineup.

Simone Charley, Portland Thorns

A member of the outstanding Portland Thorns offense, Simone Charley has flown under the radar since her start in the NWSL. The forward notched a goal apiece in the Challenge Cup and Fall Series, combining for 574 minutes of play during the shortened 2020 NWSL season.

Her value has not gone unnoticed by Thorns head coach Mark Parsons, however, who stated that Charley provides a “unique dimension in the final third” as well as “attacking qualities that provide a constant threat to the opposition.”

Ashley Hatch, Washington Spirit

Ashley Hatch is arguably one of the Spirit’s most talented offensive players, as she scored one goal and assisted on another during the shortened 2020 season, and previously led the Spirit in scoring during the 2018 and 2019 seasons, earning the Golden Boot award in 2018, her first season with the team.

The BYU alum boasted an impressive 100% success rate in tackles during the 2020 Fall Series and a 75% passing success rate, earning a nod from the USWNT as she was subsequently called into October’s training camp.

Addisyn Merrick, Racing Louisville FC

Addisyn Merrick is a noteworthy player who rarely gets the credit she deserves. The 28th-overall pick in the 2020 NWSL Draft, Merrick was the first to be selected in Racing Louisville’s expansion draft, plucking the up-and-coming star from the North Carolina Courage and landing her in Kentucky.

Though she only appeared in eight matches for the Courage, she posted a 62.5% tackle success rate during last year’s Challenge Cup and a 69.2% tackle success rate in the Fall Series. Her selection in the expansion draft dealt a significant blow to the Courage’s backline, and her presence on defense will be crucial for Louisville’s success in their inaugural season.

Rocky Rodriguez, Portland Thorns

A staple player in Portland’s midfield, Rocky Rodriguez proved her undervalued ability during the 2020 Challenge Cup. In only six games played during the tournament, Rodriguez made ten interceptions, seven clearances, and seven key passes to lift the Thorns to the semifinals of the tournament.

Likewise sensational on the global stage, the Costa Rican international has recorded 73 caps and scored 42 goals for her country. Arguably, she is largely responsible for the lethality of the Thorns’ offense, especially when paired with players like Lindsey Horan and Christine Sinclair.

Kristen Edmonds, Kansas City NWSL

Called the “ultimate utility player” in an article posted by the Kansas City Star, Kristen Edmonds was traded from the Orlando Pride to Kansas City in January. In 866 minutes played for her former team, Edmonds posted a 60.3% success rate in duels, 19 clearances, and 9 interceptions.

A versatile asset, Edmonds appeared on defense, in the midfield, and on offense for the Pride and will likely continue a similar pattern with her new team. Kansas City coach Huw Williams has already asserted that the team will be filling the defender in at a lot of spots and that the depth and quality of play that Edmonds provided were exactly what the team was looking for. Headlines from earlier in the tournament may have focused on her scuffle with Portland’s Morgan Weaver, but don’t get distracted — Edmonds is an elite and versatile player.  

Longtime USWNT fixture Carli Lloyd took to Instagram Wednesday morning to announce that she’s pregnant with her first child. 

"Baby Hollins coming in October 2024!" she wrote. The caption framed a collaged image of baby clothes, an ultrasound photo, and syringes indicating what she described as a "rollercoaster" fertility journey.

View this post on Instagram

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

In a Women’s Health story published in tandem with Lloyd’s post, the Fox Sports analyst and correspondent opened up about her struggles with infertility and the lengthy IVF treatments she kept hidden from the public eye.

"Soccer taught me how to work hard, persevere, be resilient, and never give up. I would do whatever it took to prepare, and usually when I prepared, I got results," Lloyd told Women’s Health’s Amanda Lucci. "But I found out that I didn’t know much about this world. I was very naive to think that we wouldn’t have any issues getting pregnant. And so it began."

Lloyd went on to discuss her road to pregnancy in great detail, sharing the highs and lows of the process and expressing gratitude for the care and support her family and medical team provided along the way. She rounded out the piece with a nod toward others navigating the same challenges, encouraging people to share their own pregnancy journeys, painful as they may be.

"My story is currently a happy one, but I know there are other women who are facing challenges in their pregnancy journey. I see you and I understand your pain," she said. "My hope is that more and more women will speak up about this topic, because their stories helped me. I also wish for more resources, funding, and education around fertility treatments. There is much to be done, and I hope I can play a role in helping."

The 41-year-old New Jersey native retired from professional soccer in 2021, closing out her decorated career with 316 international appearances, the second-most in USWNT history, in addition to 134 international goals. A legend on the field, Lloyd walked away from the game with two World Cups, two Olympic gold medals, and two FIFA Player of the Year awards.

On Tuesday, FIFPRO announced the launch of Project ACL, a three-year research initiative designed to address a steep uptick in ACL injuries across women's professional football.

Project ACL is a joint venture between FIFPRO, England’s Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA), Nike, and Leeds Beckett University. While the central case study will focus on England’s top-flight Women's Super League, the findings will be distributed around the world.

ACL tears are between two- and six-times more likely to occur in women footballers than men, according to The Guardian. And with both domestic and international programming on the rise for the women’s game, we’ve seen some of the sport's biggest names moved to the season-ending injury list with ACL-related knocks.

View this post on Instagram

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

Soccer superstars like Vivianne Miedema, Beth Mead, Catarina Macario, Marta, and England captain Leah Williamson have all struggled with their ACLs in recent years, though all have since returned to the field. In January, Chelsea and Australia forward Sam Kerr was herself sidelined with the injury, kicking off a year of similar cases across women’s professional leagues. And just yesterday, the Spirit announced defender Anna Heilferty would miss the rest of the NWSL season with a torn ACL. The news comes less than two weeks after Bay FC captain Alex Loera went down with the same injury. 

Project ACL will closely study players in the WSL, monitoring travel, training, and recovery practices to look for trends that could be used to prevent the injury in the future. Availability of sports science and medical resources within individual clubs will be taken into account throughout the process.

ACL injuries in women's football have long outpaced the same injury in the men's game, but resources for specialized prevention and treatment still lag behind. Investment in achieving a deeper, more specialized understanding of the problem should hopefully alleviate the issue both on and off the field.

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.

View this post on Instagram

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

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."

View this post on Instagram

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

"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.