Michelle Betos has signed a two-year deal with NJ/NY Gotham FC, bringing the Queens native back to her hometown. Betos was previously waived by Racing Louisville in December.

🎟 to the Goalkeeper union 🧤

Gotham FC adds goalkeeper Michelle Betos to the squad ahead of the 2022 season. pic.twitter.com/bs2Vquim74

— NJ/NY Gotham FC (@GothamFC) January 11, 2022

“I can’t believe we managed to get Michelle here with us in Gotham FC,” said Head Coach Scott Parkinson. “She’s a competitor, has the highest standards professionally and will help us all understand what it means to play for and represent this community.”

Betos spent just one season in Louisville, starting in 20 matches and recording a league-second 96 saves. She revealed after her release that her plan was to retire in Louisville, saying that the city “felt like home.”

“I’m thrilled to be joining this club,” said Betos. “I have always dreamed of playing at home and Gotham FC just inherited 40+ crazy Italian fans at Red Bull Arena every weekend.”

Prior to her time with Racing, Betos spent seven seasons bouncing around the NWSL. She played in the inaugural NWSL season with then-Seattle Reign before making her way to Portland. There, she earned the 2015 Goalkeeper of the Year award and help the Thorns to the 2016 NWSL Shield. In 2015, she also became the first goalkeeper to score in NWSL history when she notched an equalizer in the 95th minute against then-FC Kansas City.

Betos then spent time overseas before returning to the Reign in 2018.

“I have such an incredible amount of respect for everyone in the organization from the top down, and I know their locker room is truly a special one,” added Betos. “The potential of this team is so exciting, and I believe we will achieve great things this season and beyond.”

Gotham has been active this offseason, trading away goalkeepers Kailen Sheridan to San Diego and Didi Haračić to Angel City while acquiring the NWSL’s all-time saves leader Ashlyn Harris and defender Ali Krieger in a deal with the Orlando Pride. In a deal with San Diego, the club also acquired Kristie Mewis. More recently, they locked down reigning Defender of the Year Caprice Dydasco to a two-year contract.

NWSL preseason begins February 1. The 2022 season begins March 19 with group play for the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup.

The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) handed Barcelona star Mapi León a two-game suspension last week, finding the defender guilty of "unsporting conduct" during a Liga F match against Espanyol.

While lining up for a set piece in the 15th minute of the February Catalan derby, León appeared to say something to Espanyol center-back Daniela Caracas before seemingly touching her inappropriately.

The incident garnered condemnation from Caracas’s club, who said that León "violated the privacy of Caracas" and that the action was “unacceptable and should not go unnoticed." Espanyol's support of Caracas included the club offering their legal services to the Colombian international.

In response, the RFEF banned León for two matches, though the defender continues to deny the allegations, saying she simply touched Caracas's leg.

"I am very upset and disappointed," León stated immediately after the February 9th incident. "That is why I reserve the right to take legal action against anyone who intends to take advantage of this situation to damage me and continue defaming me on unfounded evidence."

In León's defense, Barcelona both appealed the RFEF’s ruling and unsuccessfully asked Spain's Sports Administrative Court to suspend her ban until the club's appeal.

Without an appeal hearing or a pause on the ban, León sat out her club’s 6-0 win over Atlético Madrid on Sunday. She is due to serve the second game of her suspension during Barcelona’s Wednesday matchup with Sevilla — clearing her for next weekend’s UWCL semifinal.

Chelsea FC kept their quadruple dreams alive this weekend, advancing to the 2025 FA Cup Final with Saturday’s 2-1 semifinal win over Liverpool in their quest to lift four major trophies in a single season.

With the 2025 League Cup already secured last month, the Blues will continue hunting a sixth straight WSL title when they dive back into league play next week.

The WSL leaders have yet to lose a league match this season. Chelsea currently holds a six-point lead over both London rival Arsenal and Manchester United at the top of the table, with just four matchdays separating the club from their second piece of 2024/25 hardware.

A first-ever UWCL title could clinch a Chelsea quadruple

If the Blues take home the 2025 FA Cup after their May 18th battle with Man U, they will need just one final championship to clinch the quadruple — the 2024/25 UEFA Women's Champions League trophy.

First, however, Chelsea must book a spot in the UWCL's championship match on May 24th. To do so, first-year manager Sonia Bompastor’s squad must outlast Champions League powerhouse Barcelona in the tournament's two-leg semifinals, which kick off next weekend.

Should they go on to lock down the 2025 FA Cup, WSL, and UWCL titles, the Blues will become just the third team to ever win a quartet, joining the 2006/07 Arsenal squad and last season's dominant Barcelona roster.

China PR pulled out of their June 3rd friendly against the USWNT, according to a Friday US Soccer release which announced that Jamaica will replace the 2022 Asian Cup winners at Energizer Park in St. Louis.

As of now, China will still face the USWNT on May 31st in St. Paul, marking the first of the US’s upcoming two-game international break.

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"After initially agreeing to play two matches during the upcoming FIFA window, the Chinese Football Association subsequently informed US Soccer that its Women’s National Team could play only the first match," USSF said in its statement.

The federation did not provide an explanation for China’s cancelation, quickly tapping Jamaica as stand-ins.

USWNT to contend with Concacaf foes Jamaica

Despite sharing a confederation, the US and Jamaica have only squared off six prior times, with June's match marking the teams' first meeting in three years.

The last clash between the pair occurred at the 2022 Concacaf W Championship, where the US walked away from the pitch with a 5-0 victory over the Reggae Girlz.

Led by Manchester City striker Khadija "Bunny" Shaw, Jamaica earned spots in the last two World Cups, advancing to the Round of 16 for the first time ever in the 2023 edition.

The pair's upcoming seventh meeting will also serve as a celebration of retired USWNT captain and local product Becky Sauerbrunn, with US Soccer calling the decorated defender "the greatest female player in St. Louis soccer history."

With the 2025 WNBA Draft tipping off on Monday night, experts across women’s basketball are busy predicting the results, as this year’s sure-thing overall No. 1 pick begets question marks down the line.

Barring a shocking surprise, the Dallas Wings will snap up UConn star Paige Bueckers first, ushering in a new era of Texas basketball.

The rest of the lottery is more of a mystery, with one lesser-known name projected to shake up the early picks.

Mock drafts from both ESPN and The Athletic have the Seattle Storm using their No. 2 spot to select 19-year-old French center Dominique Malonga, pivoting away from the NCAA-to-WNBA pipeline.

After the top two picks, opinions diverge, with factors like team-fit and overall talent influencing WNBA teams' strategies as they eye the guard-heavy field.

Among the top NCAA players expected to go early in Monday's first round are Notre Dame guard Sonia Citron, USC forward Kiki Iriafen, and LSU forward Aneesah Morrow.

Sportsbooks are also weighing in, with FanDuel currently favoring Citron at No. 3 (-140), Iriafen at No. 4 (+170), and Morrow at No. 5 (+105).

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How to watch the 2025 WNBA Draft

With commissioner Cathy Engelbert set to announce the No. 1 pick shortly after 7:30 PM ET, live coverage of Monday's 2025 WNBA Draft will begin at 7 PM ET on ESPN.