Just Women’s Sports is proud to announce the Just Women’s Sports Varsity Squad, a one-of-a-kind program that gives student-athletes the opportunity to work in tandem with the team at JWS.

As part of the program, 13 student-athletes will learn about the media profession while working to elevate and grow women’s sports coverage alongside JWS. These athletes will also have the chance to build their brands with an assist from industry insiders as they use their voices and platforms to promote JWS’ mission.

Get to know the 13 student-athletes representing the inaugural JWS Varsity Squad.

Katie Meyer, Soccer, Stanford University

A redshirt junior goalkeeper at Stanford, Meyer was part of the 2019 NCAA championship team. Majoring in international relations, Meyer has been working with the JWS team as a marketing and production intern.

Sophie Jones, Soccer, Duke University

The 2018-19 Gatorade Girls Soccer Player of the Year, Jones made her way to Duke and was named to the ACC All-Freshman team in 2019. Jones is excited to be a part of the JWS team, where she will look to grow her knowledge in writing and interviewing.

Lexie Hull, Basketball, Stanford

A senior at Stanford, Hull played a key role during Stanford’s national championship run last season. With a major in management science and engineering, Hull is in the process of starting a camp business and will be working with JWS to learn more about the industry.

Hensley Hancuff, Soccer, Clemson

A senior goalkeeper at Clemson, Hancuff trained with the NWSL’s Orlando Pride during her senior year of high school. Look for Hancuff, a big fan of JWS, to be doing some social media takeovers.

Jocelyn Alo, Softball, Oklahoma

Alo has been a dominant force in college softball since arriving at Oklahoma, most recently being named the 2021 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. A redshirt senior, Alo will work with JWS to grow her social media presence.

Jayda Coleman, Softball, Oklahoma

Coleman had a breakout freshman season with the Sooners, finishing in the top three for National Freshman of the Year. The 2019-20 Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year, Coleman will also look to grow her social media presence with the help of JWS.

Erin Matson, Field Hockey, UNC

A senior at North Carolina, Matson has been dominating since her freshman season, when she led UNC in goals and assists. With a major in advertising and public relations, Matson is stoked to be a part of the JWS team and will have her hands in everything she possibly can.

Rachel Jones, Soccer, UNC

A senior at UNC, Jones was named to the 2021 College Sports Information Directors of America All-District Team two years in a row. After graduating early in May, she now attends the UNC School of Law while still tearing up the pitch.

Zoe Hasenauer, Soccer, Oregon

A senior at Oregon, Hassenauer is ecstatic to join the JWS Varsity Squad. With an interest in writing and social media, Hasenauer will focus on diversifying her knowledge of women’s sports media while working with JWS.

Kalyany Steele, Gymnastics, UCLA

A star on the bars, Steele is a junior at UCLA with a career-high score of 9.925 in the bars event. An English major with a Creative Writing concentration, she’s excited to improve her writing with JWS.

Abigail Forbes, Tennis, UCLA

A junior at UCLA, Forbes was most recently named the Pac-12 Singles Player of the Year and Pac-12 Doubles Team of the Year with Jada Hart. One of her relatives is Karina LeBlanc, the former professional soccer player who was recently named general manager of the Portland Thorns. Forbes, who has an interest in business, will work with JWS on money-making opportunities.

Logan Eggleston, Volleyball, Texas

A junior at Texas, Eggleston was named Big 12 Conference Player of the Year in 2020. With an interest in sports media, Eggleston is eyeing a career in broadcasting and will work with JWS on a multitude of projects.

Erica Sullivan, Swimming, Texas

Sullivan is no stranger to JWS, having already made an appearance on the Just Women’s Sports Podcast. A freshman at Texas, Sullivan won an Olympic silver medal in the 1500m freestyle at the Tokyo Olympics this past summer. With a passion for film, Sullivan is interested in exploring the bigger picture for women in sports.

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.

This week, legendary Brazilian superstar Marta announced that she’ll retire from the national team at the end of 2024.

In an interview with CNN Esportes published Thursday, the iconic footballer confirmed that she would be hanging up her boots regardless of whether or not she ends up making Brazil's 18-player roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

“If I go to the Olympics, I will enjoy every moment, because regardless of whether I go to the Olympics or not, this is my last year with the national team,” she said. “There is no longer Marta in the national team as an athlete from 2025 onwards.”

Marta will retire as a giant of the women's game, having appeared in five Olympics and multiple World Cups. When discussing her retirement, she stressed confidence in the rising generation of Brazilian players, noting that she was, “very calm about this, because I see with great optimism this development that we are having in relation to young athletes." 

The statement echoes back to a plea she made during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup after Brazil lost to France 2-1 in the Round of 16. “It's wanting more. It's training more. It's taking care of yourself more. It's being ready to play 90 plus 30 minutes. This is what I ask of the girls,” she said then, addressing the young players following in her footsteps. 

In 2023, she signaled a farewell to World Cup competition with the same sentiment, telling media, “We ask the new generation to continue where we left off.”

If selected for the 2024 Olympic team, Marta has a shot at extending her own consecutive-scoring record with the ability to score in an unbelievable sixth-straight Olympic Games. She currently stands as Brazil’s top goalscorer, racking up 116 career goals in 175 matches, as well as the leading goalscorer in any World Cup, women’s or men’s, with 17 to her name. 

Marta will continue to play for the NWSL’s Orlando Pride through at least the end of 2024. The longtime forward and club captain has already contributed to multiple goals this season.

U.S. Soccer announced Tuesday that the USWNT will play their last home game on July 16th in the lead-up to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

The 2024 Send-Off Match against Costa Rica will take place at Washington, DC’s Audi Field — home to both the Washington Spirit and DC United — at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 16th. The friendly rounds out a four-game Olympic run-up campaign under incoming head coach Emma Hayes’ side, with the last two set to feature the finalized 2024 U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer Team roster.

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Hayes will appear on the USWNT sideline for the first time this June, helming the team as they embark on a two-game series against Korea Republic hosted by Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado on June 1st followed by Allianz Stadium in St. Paul, Minnesota on June 4th. 

The team is then scheduled to meet a talented Mexico squad on July 13th at Gotham FC’s Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, where the Olympic-bound lineup will attempt to rewrite February’s shocking 2-0 loss to El Tri Femenil in the group stages of this year’s Concacaf W Gold Cup. And while clear roster favorites have emerged from both of this year’s Gold Cup and SheBelives Cup rosters, a spate of recent and recurring injuries means making it to the Olympics is still largely anyone’s game.

Broadcast and streaming channels for the USWNT's final July 16th friendly at Audi Field include TNT, truTV, Universo, Max, and Peacock.

The USA Basketball Women's National Team is still considering Caitlin Clark for a spot on the Paris Olympics squad, says selection committee chair Jennifer Rizzotti. 

On Monday, Rizzotti told the AP that the committee will be evaluating the college phenom’s Olympic prospects by keeping a close eye on her first few weeks of WNBA play with Indiana.

The move is somewhat unconventional. While Clark was invited to participate in the 14-player national team training camp held earlier this month — the last camp before Team USA’s roster drops — she was unable to attend due to it coinciding with Iowa’s trip to the NCAA Women’s Final Four.

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Judging by the immense talent spread throughout the league in what might be their most hyped season to date, competition for a piece of the Olympic pie could be fiercer than ever before.

"You always want to introduce new players into the pool whether it's for now or the future," said Rizzotti. "We stick to our principles of talent, obviously, positional fit, loyalty and experience. It's got to be a combination of an entire body of work. It's still not going to be fair to some people."

Of course, Clark isn’t the first rookie the committee has made exceptions for. Coming off an exceptional college season that saw her averaging 19.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4 assists per game for UConn, Breanna Stewart was tapped to represent the U.S. at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil less than two weeks after being drafted No. 1 overall by the Seattle Storm. Eight years prior, fellow No. 1 pick Candace Parker punched her ticket to the 2008 Games in Beijing just two weeks after making her first appearance for the L.A. Sparks.

In the lead-up to Paris’ Opening Ceremony on July 26th, USA Basketball Women’s National Team is scheduled to play a pair of exhibition games. They'll first go up against the WNBA's finest at the July 20th WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix before facing Germany in London on July 23rd.

While an official roster announcement date hasn’t yet been issued, players won’t find out if they’ve made this year’s Olympic cut until at least June 1st.