Last week’s Athletes Unlimited’s softball action saw Cat Osterman move to the top of the leaderboard with 830 points. While she needed a few weeks to get to the top of the rankings this year after leading from start to finish last year, she has once again taken a hold of the league.

Osterman’s squad has lost just once so far this season, with the pitcher showcasing just how softball savvy she is in her draft selections. It’s made for plenty of WIN points and has bolstered her overall points total. Even while Osterman was just eighth amongst points earners last weekend, with 490 points already in the bag, she was able to claim the No. 1 spot.

But others are waiting in the wings. And a big weekend from anyone in the top five could see a shakeup at the top of the leaderboard:

2. Haylie McCleney, Outfield, 796 pts

Second place Haylie McCleney is leading the charge for the rest of the leaderboard as they look to catch up to Osterman. She earned 376 points last weekend, 36 points more than Osterman’s 340, to jump 13 spots and close the gap between herself and first place. If she continues to rack up the MVP points and can improve her STAT points, she could challenge Osterman for first.

3. Savannah Jaquish, C, 790 pts

Jaquish has been deadly in the batter’s box against opposing teams. So far this season, she has a .800 batting average, including going a perfect 3-for-3 for Team Osterman in week one. She continued that accuracy in week two as she captained a team of her own, adding two home runs to bring her season total to three. She has six RBIs so far this season but managed just 292 points last week. Jaquish is just six points back of McCleney and could also challenge Osterman for the top spot if she continues to find her swing.

4. Tori Vidales, Infield, 782 pts

In week two, Vidales was not as strong as in week one, garnering just 314 points as opposed to 468 in the opening weekend. But she did move up four spots on the leaderboard and into captaincy, having hit in every game she played. However, the infielder will be absent in week three, causing her to take a big hit to her chances of taking over the top spot from Osterman.

5. Aleshia Ocasio, RHP, 744 pts

Ocasio dropped out of the top four this week despite having the sixth-most points overall in week two, thanks in large part to a monster weekend from McCleney. Still, Ocasio has an opportunity to rebound this week as she retained her captaincy due to Vidales being absent for week three. A few great pitching performances could see Ocasio jump right back into the mix for the top spot.

For a full schedule and leaderboard, click here.

Editor’s note: Athletes Unlimited is a sponsor of Just Women’s Sports.

The 2025 Women's World Cup journey of the U-17 USWNT came to an end on Tuesday, when the US fell to the Netherlands in the tournament's Round of 16 after a 1-1 draw led to a tense penalty shootout.

FC Twente forward Liv Pennock gave the Dutch a one-goal lead in the third minute before a bullet from Chicago Stars attacker Micayla Johnson pulled the USWNT level in the game's second half, but the US couldn't finish the job, losing 7-6 in penalties.

The USWNT has never won a U-17 Women's World Cup, finishing as runners-up in the tournament's inaugural 2008 competition before taking third in the 2024 edition.

With three pros on the roster — Johnson, Gotham FC striker Mak Whitham, and Utah Royals forward KK Ream — as well as one player, defender Sydney Schmidt, on an amateur contract with USL Super League side Sporting JAX, the U-17 USWNT did manage to put together their most impressive group-stage performance yet, taking all nine points from their three opening matches for the first time in team history.

Even more, the team did so in dominant fashion, taking down Ecuador 3-0 and China 5-2 before blasting Norway 5-0 to advance to the knockouts.

The young USWNT will have another shot at a world championship next year, when the now-annual U-17 World Cup returns for its second straight edition in Morocco.

Malawi made women's soccer history on Tuesday, qualifying for the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) for the first time in program history — and giving sister duo Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga the chance to shine on the global stage in 2026.

The Scorchers advanced through the second qualifying round with a 2-0 second-leg win over Angola on Tuesday, with defensive midfielder Faith Chinzimu's late brace securing the aggregate advantage to win the round.

Malawi now joins Cape Verde as the two debutantes to clinch spots in the expanded 16-team 2026 tournament.

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Even more, the Scorchers' breakthrough will give two of soccer's biggest club stars their biggest platform yet, as sisters Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga gear up for the first major international tournament of their decorated careers.

While 29-year-old OL Lyonnes forward Tabitha participated in this week's WAFCON qualifying round, 27-year-old Kansas City Current striker Temwa sat out after the 2024 NWSL MVP suffered an adductor strain in her club's 1-0 upset loss to the Houston Dash on October 18th.

"It means more opportunities and great exposure to both older and upcoming players. It is a continental platform to bring football dreams alive," Tabitha told BBC Sport Africa this week.

The 2026 WAFCON tournament will see the Chawinga sisters and Malawi contend with powerhouses like host nation Morocco and reigning 10-time champion Nigeria when the continental competition kicks off on March 17th.

The Kansas City Current and San Diego Wave are leveling up, with the NWSL teams set to represent the US in the first-ever North American edition of the seven-a-side tournament World Sevens Football (W7F).

Kicking off December 5th in Fort Lauderdale, the NWSL clubs will join Northern Super League side AFC Toronto, Brazilian powerhouse Clube de Regatas do Flamengo, and Colombian contender Deportivo Cali — as well as Liga MX titans Club América and Tigres UANL — on the W7F tournament pitch.

W7F will announce the eighth and final team to join the competition at a later date.

Armed with a $5 million prize pool, December's W7F competition follows a successful May 2025 debut of the soccer venture in Portugal.

"Our team thrives on intensity, creativity, and competition, which fit perfectly with the 7v7 style of play," said Kansas City assistant coach Milan Ivanovic. "This tournament is an incredible opportunity for our players to test themselves against some of the world's best in a dynamic, fast-paced environment."

"We're proud to represent Kansas City and the NWSL on the international stage and to continue pushing the women's game forward," added Ivanovic.

How to watch December's W7F tournament

There will be four competition sessions in the upcoming W7F event, with two days of group play before the semifinals, third-place, and championship matches take place on December 7th.

All W7F matches will stream live on DAZN.

Angel City co-founder Alexis Ohanian stirred the pot this week, divulging the circumstances behind the NWSL club's 2024 sale on Front Office Sports podcast "Portfolio Players" on Tuesday — and calling the original ownership model of the 2022 expansion team "a terrible idea."

Ohanian said he regretted relinquishing control to three of his co-founders — actor Natalie Portman, venture capitalist Kara Nortman, and current club CEO Julie Uhrman — claiming they invested "no money" themselves.

"I was [the] founding control owner in the eyes of the league, so it's my ass on the line," Ohanian continued, adding that last year's $250 million sale of Angel City directly stemmed from the celebrity-driven investment group's unsustainable startup-like ownership structure. "That works great in tech. In sports, it's a terrible idea."

Following a clash between Ohanian and his fellow ACFC owners on the team's operational and financial future, Disney CEO Bob Iger and USC dean Willow Bay stepped in to purchase the team, aligning board control with stakeholder interest.

"I think the best outcome here is, you got Bob and Willow, they have board control, and it's good," he said. "It's a rebuild."

Angel City did not immediately respond to Ohanian's interview, with Portman and Uhrman remaining on the club's board of directors while Nortman is a non-voting investor.