Jessica Berman was named NWSL commissioner on Wednesday following a nearly five-month search for the league’s next leader. She joins the NWSL from the National Lacrosse League, where she served as deputy commissioner and executive vice president of business affairs.

“I’m honored to be the next commissioner of the NWSL and grateful to the owners for their confidence in me,” Berman said. “Working on behalf of, and in partnership with, our players is my number one priority. Having been involved in professional sports for many years, I know how critically important a genuine partnership with players is for us all to be successful and continue to grow.”

Prior to joining the NLL, Berman spent 13 years at the NHL, first as vice president and deputy general counsel and later as vice president of community development, culture and growth as well as executive director of the NHL Foundation.

Berman will begin her four-year term as commissioner on April 20. Marla Messing will stay on as interim CEO until May 31. Messing took over the role in October 2021 after then-commissioner Lisa Baird resigned following a widespread reckoning over abuses of power. The league’s Board of Directors also ousted general counsel Lisa Levine.

In the wake of a report in The Athletic detailing accusations of sexual coercion against former Courage coach Paul Riley, players around the league criticized the NWSL’s response. Amid the fallout, the NWSL Players Association demanded that the players have a role in hiring the league’s next commissioner.

Members of the Players’ Commissioner Search Committee included Crystal Dunn, Kaylie Collins, Jane Campbell, Bri Visalli, Nicole Barnhart, Emily Menges and Tori Huster, as well as NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke. The search committee also included the Board of Governors and firm James & Co.

“We’re thrilled to have Jessica serve as the next commissioner of the NWSL as we embark on our 10th season of play,” said Sophie Sauvage, a member of the Board of Governors for OL Reign. “This process was incredibly collaborative throughout and we want to thank the players for their involvement. Jessica’s extensive professional background, her commitment to elevating diverse voices in the sports industry, and her vision for the future of our league, made her the right fit for this incredibly important position.”

Berman’s hire comes one month after the NWSLPA ratified the league’s first CBA. The agreement, which includes a 160 percent increase in the league’s minimum salary, group licensing rights and other player benefits and guarantees, runs for five years.

“The successful conclusion of the league’s first-ever CBA with our players is the perfect foundation from which to build that partnership,” Berman said. “And I am grateful for Marla Messing’s leadership in getting that done.”

Berman told “CBS Mornings” on Wednesday that her priority will be to forge a strong working relationship with the players.

“My background is that I’m a labor lawyer, so I’m a firm believer in the partnership that exists with our union,” she said. “I like to say it’s a marriage where you can’t get a divorce, where we have to work together. That will be my priority moving forward.”

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.