Lace up your cleats. Stretch out your hamstrings. High school spring soccer has begun in 16 states across the United States (some states play in the fall and the winter), from the Mid-Atlantic to the West Coast and in between.

JWS Next is going to provide in-depth coverage all season long, just like we have for basketball. You can expect comprehensive national rankings, Player of the Week awards and in-depth reporting that brings you beyond the pitch and into the minds of some of the best players in the nation.

We also won’t shy away from covering the more unsavory aspects of the sport. In fact, we’ve already started. Earlier this week, we reported on the messy fallout stemming from a racist incident at a winter soccer championship in Northern California.

One thing to remember: The spring sports’ schedule is a little funky, and in states like Georgia and Alabama, spring soccer started in January and February. So while we’ll being paying attention to those teams, we won’t be considering them for our rankings.

The NWSL is a league on the rise, and we want to help introduce fans to some of the future faces of the league. Who’ll be the next Megan Rapinoe? Alex Morgan? Rose Lavelle? JWS Next is here to help you find out.

Three teams to watch

South County – Lortan, Va. (2-0)

Coming off the best season in program history, in which the Stallions scored 60 goals, went undefeated and won the Class 6 state championship, South County appears primed for even more success in 2020. Led by forward Jadyn Curry, a Dartmouth signee, South County has already rolled to a 2-0 record.

Broomfield – Broomfield, Colo. (2-0)

The defending 5A state champions have kicked off their season in style, outscoring their two opponents by a combined score of 11-0. And they’ve done it with a diversity of weapons: Senior Maddie Brady was the hero in the first game, scoring two goals with an assist. Brady was held scoreless in the second game, but the Eagles received scoring from five players – including two goals from freshman Victoria Choren.

St. Dominic – O’Fallon, Mo. (5-0)

The Crusaders’ winning streak is now up to 36 games, dating back to May 14, 2019. Senior forward Grace Bindbeutel, an Oklahoma State signee, leads the way for the two-time defending state champions.

I am extremely blessed and excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my athletic and academic careers at Oklahoma State University! I am so thankful for all of the family, friends, coaches, and teammates that have helped me get to where I am today! #GoPokes @CowgirlFC pic.twitter.com/4CGMcEpiWV

— Gracie B (@gracebindbeutel) November 8, 2020

Three players to watch

F Daniela Mejia – Harvest Prep (Yuma, Az.), Freshman

Mejia has been a revelation as a first-year player in Arizona. Three games into her high school career, the forward has scored six goals and recorded an assist for 13 total points. And she’s already proven to be a winner: The Eagle are undefeated.

D Sydney Cheesman – Centaurus (Lafayette, Colo.), Senior

The UNC commit anchors the defense for a Warriors team that’s won its first three games to start the season. The 5–foot-5 Cheesman was also named to the U-20 U.S. Women’s Youth National Team training camp roster.

M Sarah Foley – Belleville West (Belleville, Ill.), Senior

The Maroons are off to a difficult 2-2-1 start, but Foley has been nothing short of brilliant: The 5-foot-7 senior has scored three goals and recorded four assists. Foley will continue her career next season at Illinois.

Josh Needelman is the High School Sports Editor at Just Women’s Sports. Follow him on Twitter @JoshNeedelman.

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.