The U.S. women’s national team has wrapped up its final international window before the 2023 World Cup roster is named. Between now and June, players are hard at work with their club teams both in the NWSL and abroad.

USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski has made it clear that game minutes matter for roster selection, and he has been actively watching NWSL games, most recently catching two matches in the Pacific Northwest this past weekend.

As player performances and returns from absence become clearer, it’s time for a second stab at projecting Andonovski’s 23-player squad that will make the trip to New Zealand to try to repeat as World Cup champions.

Goalkeepers (3)

On the roster: Alyssa Naeher, Casey Murphy, Adrianna Franch

First player out: Aubrey Kingsbury

The USWNT goalkeeping position seemed all but wrapped up going into April, but a few NWSL performances have thrown just a shred of doubt into the mix. Naeher and Franch have each had touchy moments for their clubs in recent weeks. Franch wasn’t selected to start for Kansas City in their 2-0 win over the Orlando Pride this weekend, with backup keeper Cassie Miller getting the nod in her place. Also over the weekend, Naeher’s Chicago Red Stars allowed five goals against OL Reign on just five shots on goal.

There’s enough evidence piling up to make U.S. fans slightly nervous, but probably not enough to sway Andonovski from his pre-determined trio of goalkeepers, all of whom have necessary experience at the international level. Casey Murphy, though, might have a clearer road to competing for serious minutes rather than serving primarily as Naeher’s backup if she begins to look like the clear frontrunner in form.

Defenders (7)

On the roster: Becky Sauerbrunn, Alana Cook, Naomi Girma, Tierna Davidson, Emily Fox, Crystal Dunn, Kelley O’Hara

First players out: Sofia Huerta, Emily Sonnett, Casey Krueger

Determining who makes the USWNT defense for this year’s World Cup is as much a numbers game as it is a reflection of individual quality. If the U.S. takes seven attackers, they can roster only seven defenders, meaning they can’t provide cover for every position on the backline. If Andonovski wants four center backs along for the ride, that limits his ability to have a relevant backup for every outside back and vice versa.

There are some things we know. Andonovski has indicated his current preferred starting defense is made up of Becky Sauerbrunn and Naomi Girma in the central defense, with Emily Fox and Crystal Dunn on the outside. That leaves others fighting for rotation spots. Tierna Davidson provides flexibility as a center-back/outside-back hybrid, and Alana Cook has gotten too many minutes in the team’s system to be dropped now. The question then lies on the outside, where the U.S. will surely need to rotate throughout the tournament.

The biggest question mark is whether Kelley O’Hara or Casey Krueger has displaced Sofia Huerta, a crossing extraordinaire in the attack but a player who could struggle defensively against top competition. O’Hara’s has steadily built her fitness back up to full 90-minute performances for Gotham in the early going of the NWSL season, and her experience could win out in crunch time. Emily Sonnett has been playing defensive midfield for OL Reign this season, indicating she might not currently have a foothold in the U.S. defense.

Midfielders (6)

On the roster: Julie Ertz, Andi Sullivan, Ashley Sanchez, Rose Lavelle, Lindsey Horan, Kristie Mewis

First players out: Taylor Kornieck, Sam Coffey

Fans have long desired two clear defensive midfield candidates to make sure the USWNT midfield is as balanced as possible at the World Cup, and it seems their prayers have been answered. The USWNT is now likely to take two No. 6s in New Zealand, but they are not the two anybody expected. Julie Ertz’s return has flipped the team’s midfield dynamic on its head, with the 31-year-old providing a solid counter-option to Andi Sullivan depending on the team’s opponent.

The good news of Ertz’s return does spell trouble for other midfielders who have been auditioning for various roles, including Taylor Kornieck, who may end up on the outside looking in. Ashley Sanchez doesn’t provide as much versatility, but she’s clearly Rose Lavelle’s attacking midfield backup when the veteran isn’t available. And Kristie Mewis’ major tournament experience might be enough to secure her spot as the final midfielder on the plane to New Zealand.

Forwards (7)

On the roster: Alex Morgan, Sophia Smith, Lynn Williams, Megan Rapinoe, Catarina Macario, Trinity Rodman, Alyssa Thompson

First players out: Ashley Hatch, Midge Purce

With Mallory Swanson now sidelined with a serious knee injury, the U.S. has once again had to scramble to make sure all elements of the attack are covered by players with international experience. The good news is that the winger position is one of the USWNT’s deepest, with quality forwards still likely to just miss out on a trip to the World Cup.

Andonovski called teen phenom Alyssa Thompson up in the wake of Swanson’s injury, appearing to place her higher on the depth chart than Gotham winger Midge Purce. Thompson is still a work in progress, but she plays off Sophia Smith well positionally and has a defensive motor the team could need in a close knockout game. Megan Rapinoe has shown her quality on set pieces hasn’t abated in the latter stages of her career, likely becoming a candidate to help play left wing by committee in Swanson’s absence. Lynn Williams, a player built for Andonovski’s system, has also only solidified her place with an excellent run of form in the NWSL.

The other unknowable factor in the final attacking decision for the U.S. is the status of Catarina Macario, whose timeline for a return to competitive play gets slimmer by the day. Macario has fewer than five matches left in her club season with Olympique Lyon and hasn’t yet indicated a return to full training.

Ashley Hatch, meanwhile, has continued to perform in NWSL, scoring three goals in four games. Despite that, the Spirit forward hasn’t seemed to make much progress in playing time with the U.S. At this moment, I’m still betting on Macario’s promise over Hatch’s known qualities, though the balance between the two players shifts further toward Hatch with every passing day.

Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

After U.S. women’s national team forward Catarina Macario injured her ACL in June 2022, the common consensus was that she would recover fully in time for the 2023 World Cup, and that if she could compete physically, she’d be on the plane to New Zealand. Macario is a unique talent U.S. head coach Vlatko Andonovski had begun to build the team’s young attacking core around, before suddenly having to adjust to her absence.

As the weeks before the tournament continue to tick away, however, Macario has yet to return to the field for either the USWNT or her club team, Olympique Lyon. With the World Cup far from a foregone conclusion, the question of whether she’ll be ready to play in July has only grown.

Since graduating from Stanford in 2021, Macario has played in Europe with a great amount of success. But now that she is delayed in her ACL recovery, and trying to make the biggest roster of her still-young career, the scales may have finally tipped in the NWSL’s favor.

The World Cup is worth adjusting for

Macario opted not to enter the NWSL draft in 2021, instead taking her talents to Lyon, one of the giants of European women’s football. The reasons for her decision at the time were all sound: European clubs don’t adhere to a salary cap, meaning they could offer far more in salary to a young player on the rise. It also gave her a chance to control her own destiny based on demand for her skill, something the NWSL’s parity rules threatened to take away from the college superstar.

Macario might have longer-term plans in Europe after a successful run with Olympique Lyon, winning both Division 1 Féminine and the UEFA Women’s Champions League in 2022. But the NWSL’s greatest pull in the build-up to the 2023 World Cup is that they are playing league games right now.

Lyon lost their recent Champions League match against Chelsea, limiting the number of games the team has left before moving into the summer offseason. With four games remaining, there isn’t much need for Lyon to rotate Macario in even if she does prove ready for game time before the first week of June. The forward is also currently out of contract with Lyon, which might affect their desire to make sure she is building momentum for the next season.

With her future in Lyon far from certain, a sign-and-loan deal might not be on the table. Alternatively, getting a contract signed quickly in the NWSL could be the difference in getting considerable club minutes.

Andonovski has made it very clear he expects Macario to get playing time in a competitive environment before he’ll consider her for a World Cup spot, a philosophy that Alex Morgan confirmed on this week’s episode of Snacks.

“Vlatko has said something which no coach has ever really come out and said, which is, your club really dictates, right now, if you’re going to make this [USWNT] team,” Morgan told co-hosts Lynn Williams and Sam Mewis. “He’s going to games every weekend, looking at players. I feel like that’s the first time that we’ve had a coach come out and just be like, ‘Yeah, your club play is important, and that’s what’s going to make or break a spot for you.’”

Andonovski has brought players back into camp after long absences so he can either monitor them or get them playing time, but those returns were under club conditions that Macario has yet to achieve. For Macario, giving up a few long-term goals to ensure a smooth transition into competitive games might be worth it if it guarantees a World Cup spot.

What an NWSL entry might look like

Macario’s current situation has been drawn up in contrast to that of USWNT midfielder Julie Ertz, who returned to USWNT camp in April after a multi-year absence. Unlike Macario, Ertz was physically able to play in both of the U.S.’s April friendlies against Ireland, but she hadn’t suited up in an NWSL game in almost two years.

By next week, Ertz will be back in the swing of club play, having signed a one-year deal with Angel City FC in anticipation of joining the USWNT midfield in New Zealand. Ertz has the opportunity to play in up to 12 club matches before internationals leave for camp.

Ertz’s approach could be one that Macario follows, though their avenues to entry might be slightly different. A number of teams would be more than willing to give Macario a one-year contract, but the 23-year-old would have to enter through discovery rather than as a free agent like Ertz. Whether Macario’s rights are already held by a team is unclear, but again the NWSL’s parity rules complicate the young star’s path toward playing time.

“I have been talking to Vlatko, obviously, about the whole situation,” Macario said on CBS Sports last week. “Specifically because my season in Lyon [ends soon] and I’m hoping obviously to play as soon as I can. But, like I said, sometimes with injuries, you just have to be patient, you need to have time and just hope everything heals well.”

One obvious solution would be for Macario to re-sign with Lyon and then immediately complete a short-term loan to OL Reign. OL Groupe, however, is currently looking to divest from their ownership of the Seattle NWSL club, likely dashing any further collaboration between the European side and their North American counterpart.

Another, more permanent option would be for Macario to figure out an entry into the NWSL as a contracted player and sign with a team closer to home. Macario grew up in the San Diego area, and might still be able to find a long-term destination depending on salary cap space and current personnel.

So much of Macario’s future will ultimately depend on when she is physically ready to return to the field. But making the World Cup roster has to be the entire story, not just a subplot. For NWSL fans, it might mean a long-awaited debut.

Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

A lot has happened since the Las Vegas Aces won the 2022 WNBA championship. Superstars Breanna Stewart and Candace Parker left their teams in free agency, and the 2023 WNBA draft introduced future stars like Aliyah Boston and Diamond Miller to the league.

The 2023 season is just a month away, but before we dive into the slate of games, let’s take a look at who came out of free agency and the draft best positioned to succeed. Here are the offseason power rankings for all 12 teams.

1. New York Liberty

2022 regular-season finish: 7th (16-20)

The Liberty didn’t need to do anything in the draft to win the offseason — and they couldn’t, really, with one third-round pick. Their work in free agency was enough to give New York the top spot in the offseason power rankings. They traded for 2021 WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones before signing two-time champion Breanna Stewart and WNBA assists leader Courtney Vandersloot. That’s two former MVPs and an elite facilitator. Plus, the Liberty managed to do all of that without giving up Sabrina Ionescu, Betnijah Laney or Marine Johannès.

2. Las Vegas Aces

2022 regular-season finish: 1st (26-10)

Like the Liberty, the Aces had already cemented themselves atop this list thanks to a major free-agency signing. Picking up Candace Parker puts the defending champions in position to win another title. They also signed standout defender Alysha Clark and added roster depth, which was their lone weakness last season. The one knock against the Aces this offseason is the investigation into their handling of Dearica Hamby, who was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks in January. Hamby, the two-time Sixth Player of the Year, accused the Aces in an Instagram post of mistreating her due to pregnancy. The organization later came under more scrutiny for allegations that they circumvented the salary cap.

3. Washington Mystics

2022 regular-season finish: 5th (22-14)

While the Liberty and the Aces had splashy offseasons, the Mystics made subtler moves. They return a core that includes Elena Delle Donne, Ariel Atkins, Natasha Cloud and last year’s No. 3 draft pick, Shakira Austin, who is only going to get better after a great rookie campaign. In this month’s draft, the Mystics selected Stephanie Soares with the fourth pick and then traded her to Dallas in favor of 2024 and 2025 draft picks. That move could pay off for the future, as the next two draft classes are loaded with talent. Later in the second round of the 2023 draft, Washington selected South Florida guard Elena Tsineke, who has a lot of upside and could end up being a steal.

4. Los Angeles Sparks

2022 regular-season finish: 11th (13-23)

While other teams dominated free agency headlines, the Sparks quietly had an excellent offseason. Los Angeles re-signed Nneka and Chiney Ogumike, traded for Hamby and veteran guard Jasmine Thomas, and lured Azurá Stevens away from Chicago in free agency. The Sparks continued their string of good moves by drafting a playmaking point guard in South Carolina’s Zia Cooke with the 10th pick. They also grabbed Monika Czinano in the third round. The Iowa center could end up being a solid contributor off the bench and a complement to the Sparks’ less traditional bigs.

5. Atlanta Dream

2022 regular-season finish: 10th (14-22)

The Dream started their offseason by signing an elite guard in Allisha Gray, giving them one of the best backcourt duos in the league alongside 2022 Rookie of the Year Rhyne Howard. Then they arguably had the best draft in the league, picking up two versatile players in Stanford guard Haley Jones and South Carolina forward Laeticia Amihere. The Dream are clearly building for the future, with a young core that can be dominant in a few seasons’ time. The one thing Atlanta is missing is a reliable big. Currently, they are relying on the development of players like Naz Hillmon to fill the hole in the post.

6. Indiana Fever

2022 regular-season finish: 12th (5-31)

Drafting Aliyah Boston is an automatic win, as the South Carolina star has the potential to be an all-time great for the Fever. Also in this year’s draft, Indiana added Grace Berger, Taylor Mikesell, LaDazhia Williams and Victaria Saxton. The 2022 draft included Destanni Henderson, Emily Engstler and NaLyssa Smith, three other players full of promise. After stocking up on college talent, the Fever have a young roster with potential for the future that could use veteran complements. The Fever already have one experienced guard in Kesley Mitchell, and in February they signed 2019 All-Star Erica Wheeler, who can contribute right away.

7. Dallas Wings

2022 regular-season finish: 6th (18-18)

The Wings made a flurry of moves in the offseason and during the draft — some good, some bad and some puzzling. Starting with the good, Dallas traded for Diamond DeShields and re-signed Teaira McCowan. Losing Marina Mabrey to Chicago could be considered bad, but it allowed Dallas to acquire DeShields. The bad and confusing stems from the way the Wings used their plethora of draft picks. After selecting NCAA leading scorer Maddy Siegrist at No. 3, the Wings questionably drafted two shooters in Lou Lopez-Sénéchal and Abby Meyers while also trading for Stephanie Soares, who is coming off an ACL injury. That pick itself wouldn’t be considered bad if it wasn’t for the uncertainty the Wings already have at the post position.

8. Phoenix Mercury

2022 regular-season finish: 8th (15-21)

The best thing to happen to the Mercury this offseason wasn’t a free-agency signing or a draft pick. It was the safe return of Brittney Griner from Russia, where she was wrongfully imprisoned on drug charges. The fact that Griner wants to play in 2023 is a bonus for the Mercury. They also re-signed Diana Taurasi and Sophie Cunningham in free agency, and added Moriah Jefferson and Michaela Onyenwere, both of whom will be important while Skylar Diggins-Smith is on maternity leave.

9. Minnesota Lynx

2022 regular-season finish: 9th (14-22)

The Lynx were quiet in free agency, which was a concerning start to the offseason. But a successful draft has them in a good position to build for the future. With the No. 2 pick, Minnesota selected Maryland guard Diamond Miller, a player who is pro-ready and can contribute for years to come. They also added Maia Hirsch, a 6-foot-5 French prospect with guard skills and massive upside, UConn’s Dorka Juhász and South Carolina’s Brea Beal.

10. Seattle Storm

2022 regular-season finish: 4th (22-14)

The Storm had a rough offseason, losing Sue Bird to retirement and Stewart to free agency. That left Jewell Loyd as the piece around which to build their roster. Other than retaining agent Ezi Magbegor and acquiring Kia Nurse, things were quiet in Seattle. The Storm found success at the draft, picking up Jordan Horston with the ninth pick and South Florida’s Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeau, another intriguing prospect, in the second round.

11. Connecticut Sun

2022 regular-season finish: 3rd (25-11)

The Sun’s offseason also started poorly as they lost head coach Curt Miller and star player Jonquel Jones. But they did re-sign Brionna Jones, who was a priority in free agency, and they return a talented core of Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner and Natisha Hiedeman. The Sun also drafted LSU guard and national champion Alexis Morris, who fell to the second round of the draft but could end up being a major steal in the 2023 class.

12. Chicago Sky

2022 regular-season finish: 2nd (26-10)

Whether or not coach James Wade wants to admit it, the Sky are rebuilding. They lost Candace Parker, Courtney Vandersloot, Azurá Stevens, Allie Quigley and Emma Meesseman after last season. Chicago did re-sign Rebekah Gardner and acquired Marina Mabrey and Isabelle Harrison, but they certainly lost more than they added. The Sky also had a quiet draft outside of selecting Virginia Tech guard Kayana Traylor, who has the skills to make an immediate impact despite falling to the late second round.

Eden Laase is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.

It’s a cliché in gymnastics that the best in the sport make it look easy. But you understand why it’s a cliché when you watch Trinity Thomas in action.

Her double layout — two backwards flips in the air with her body held straight — is so light that she appears to be flying. She is perfectly poised on the balance beam in competition, landing difficult tumbling and delicate dance moves with the same surefootedness. On bars, her handstands are the straightest; on vault, she appears to have the reflexes of a cat as she flies up and over the table.

It is no surprise that last January, Thomas completed a Gym Slam — perfect 10s, the highest score in college gymnastics, on each of the four apparatuses. She was only the 12th college gymnast ever to nail a Gym Slam, and only the third from the University of Florida, where she competed this winter season as a “super senior.”

As No. 3 Florida prepares to compete in the NCAA championships, beginning with the semifinals on Thursday, Thomas is just a few days away from completing her fifth and final year in college gymnastics. It’s also possibly her final competitive season of a sport that’s been a part of her identity since she was 7. Thomas is nursing a lower leg injury she suffered at NCAA regionals, and there’s been no official announcement on her status for the championships. But if Thomas can compete at all, she will. The NCAA championship, after all, is the reason the 22-year-old came back to Florida.

Thomas won the NCAA all-around title — that is, the highest score for all four apparatuses combined — at the end of the 2022 season, on top of the NCAA vault and floor titles. She was the only gymnast in the country to win All-America First Team honors on all four apparatuses. She was named SEC Freshman of the Year in 2019, has been a Scholastic All-American during all four of her undergraduate seasons at Florida so far and made the SEC Honor Roll in 2023. Thomas was the SEC Gymnast of the Year during her sophomore season in 2020 and received that honor again in 2022 and 2023, becoming the first Florida gymnast to win it twice and one of only two gymnasts throughout the SEC to win it three times. She was the SEC all-around champion at this year’s conference championship. And she was a finalist for the Honda Award (which she won in 2022) again in 2023.

But the reason Thomas has gained name recognition beyond the gymnastics world this year is the perfect 10 record. Thomas has earned 27 10s in her college career thus far: 12 on floor, six on beam, five on bars and four on vault. Only she and Hope Spivey, a 1988 Olympian who competed for Georgia in the early 1990s, have that many. She is one 10 away from tying Kentucky’s Jenny Hansen and UCLA’s Jamie Dantzcher, who each notched 28 10s for the all-time NCAA record, and she is two perfect routines from claiming that record for herself.

PERFECT 1️⃣0️⃣ FOR TRINITY THOMAS 😤 @GatorsGym @espnW

📺: ABC | #ThatsaW pic.twitter.com/hLzEkJaOFk

— ESPN (@espn) January 16, 2022

So, it was all the more shocking at the regional semifinal in Pittsburgh, where Florida was favored to win and advance to the regional final, to see Thomas stop her floor routine after her first (of three) tumbling passes and mouth to the ESPN camera, “My calf.” She was helped off the floor by a trainer and did not return to competition that night or in the regional final two days later. Florida did advance, but Thomas’ status remains day-to-day for nationals.

It’s also a cliché in gymnastics that the women who do the sport sacrifice everything to make it look that easy, including school, socialization and learning other sports or hobbies. You’ve probably heard an Olympic commentator talk about how a gymnast missed her high school prom in pursuit of medals.

That’s where Thomas will surprise you. Thomas is a graduate student at Florida, where she also received her undergraduate degree in 2022. For her first two seasons at Florida, she maintained her eligibility for the U.S. national gymnastics team, at one point driving from a nighttime college meet straight to a national team camp. In high school, she attended a public school and played varsity sports while training in elite gymnastics for more than 30 hours a week. She went to prom, too, in a Florida-blue gown.

Thomas says that her mom, Tania, told her repeatedly that she should keep her options open as a kid. Not because she didn’t excel at gymnastics (because she always did), but because Tania prioritized fun and exploration over being laser-focused on one sport.

Tania played sports as a child, but they were intertwined with her family and her friendships. Family picnics ended in games; high school track meets ended with friend gatherings outside the stadium. “We always had fun at our sports,” she said.

Tania had never done gymnastics herself, but when Trinity was small, Tania said “she put a hole in my wall.” A neighbor told her to sign Trinity up for gymnastics. She started out in cheerleading and tumbling but was quickly invited to join the gymnastics team at her first gym, Skyline. Tania blanched when she heard about the costs — “$350 just for a warmup,” she recalls, plus another $300 for a competition leotard, and then the fees for the gym and for assessments. “I was like, what did I sign up for?”

When Trinity was little, she would fret about attending birthday parties to which she was invited because she didn’t want to miss gymnastics. “I just wanted to make sure she knew she could miss it,” Tania said.

“I thought that was something that was super important,” Trinity said. “Because sometimes I would make it so serious that it wasn’t fun anymore.”

When Trinity was about 10 years old, she began saying she wanted to quit gymnastics. She told her mother it wasn’t fun. Around the same time, Trinity switched gyms to Artistic Sports Academy in Harrisburg, Pa., where she competed at level 10, the highest level in what was then the Junior Olympic (JO) system and is now known as the USA Gymnastics Developmental Program. The change was a fresh start for Trinity, and she began to enjoy the sport anew.

Unlike many elite gymnasts, Trinity expanded her focus beyond her gym in high school. She dove (and won a state championship title) and ran track at Tania’s urging. “She was one of the first to really pull that off,” Tania said of Trinity’s unusual decision to combine elite gymnastics training with high school sports. Thomas made one final gym change as a young teenager, to Prestige Gymnastics in Lancaster, Pa., where she first qualified for the junior elite level and where she remained for her senior elite career.

In her first year at Florida in 2019, Thomas decided to keep doing elite while also competing in the NCAA. At one point, this meant competing in a college meet, then driving overnight to an elite camp.

Asked whether Trinity has always been a multitasker, Tania thinks for a bit, then says, “Trinity’s a pleaser.” Her daughter can’t say no to things but gets overwhelmed easily, Tania says, and has to work to find a balance between all the things she commits to.

Florida’s head gymnastics coach, Jenny Rowland, said that the instinct to please is not uncommon in their sport, where gymnasts are often reliant on adults to help them learn skills and progress at a young age.

In her first few years at Florida, Rowland would describe Trinity as a “quiet leader” for her squad, but in the last year Trinity’s leadership skills have evolved as her confidence in herself has grown, and she is now more of a vocal leader.

“I didn’t really know that quietness was her lack of self-confidence, for as talented and amazing as she is,” Rowland said.

Rowland said that watching Trinity “take ownership” of her career was very satisfying as a coach. “I just love seeing my student-athletes grow up,” Rowland said.

Trinity Thomas with ANOTHER perfect 10 on the floor 🤩 #ThatsaW | @GatorsGym pic.twitter.com/b5Y11wRkKu

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 14, 2023

Halley Taylor, who also competed for a fifth season at Florida this year alongside Thomas, has known Thomas since their freshman year. “I think we were both kind of shy,” Taylor said of their first encounters. She now describes Thomas as “goofy” and “silly” and praises her strong leadership skills.

Taylor recalled that Rowland offered her team two different styles of leadership: leading by example or leading by action.

“Trinity does both,” Taylor said. “She’s not the kind of person to tell people what to do, but everyone on the team trusts her.”

Gymnastics was the easy part of Thomas’ decision to take a fifth year.

“My first love is gymnastics, so that part was easy,” she said. “It was just figuring out the real-life things for my last year.” Thomas began classes towards her master’s in health education and behavior over the summer, enrolling in three courses. She says the workload is similar to that of her undergrad, but perhaps with more writing. This fall, she applied to nursing schools. She hopes to begin an accelerated nursing program over the summer in hopes of becoming a nurse practitioner.

Known for her beautiful form, Thomas acknowledges that a focus on the execution of skills versus the skills themselves is the major shift for a college gymnast coming from the elite world, where risky, difficult skills are highly valued in a completely different scoring system. Under the NCAA scoring system, where deductions come out of a perfect 10, it is more important to do easier skills with better form and technique. Once they reach college, most gymnasts know all the skills they will use in competition, and their focus shifts to perfecting those skills instead of learning new tricks.

“You’re looking at every detail, you’re trying to get a perfect 10,” Thomas said. Details, she said, “are something that I personally really focus on.”

That big, beautiful double layout on the floor remains her all-time favorite skill. She likes two transitional skills on the uneven bars, where she floats from the low bar to the high bar: the Maloney, where she catches the bar backwards, and the Van Leeuwen, where she does a half twist before catching. On beam, she loves a front aerial.

Vault remains her least favorite apparatus, but the one she has worked on most to perfect a skill that aids her team. She performs a Yurchenko one-and-a-half vault in competition, where she does a roundoff back handspring onto the vault table, then a laid-out flip with one and a half twists off it. There’s a blind landing involved. But it has a start value of a perfect 10, which is important for teams because not every gymnast can achieve that difficulty.

“That feeling you get when you stick the one and a half is just so cool,” Thomas said.

TRINITY THOMAS 23RD PERFECT 1️⃣0️⃣ @GatorsGym pic.twitter.com/H1j6tteJFd

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) January 27, 2023

Thomas is not currently competing elite, but she has hinted that Florida’s high-flying former elites in this year’s sophomore class — Olympic alternate Leanne Wong, 2017 World champion Morgan Hurd and World medalist Riley McCusker — had inspired her to keep her options open. “I think just being able to show it’s an option, even if it’s not a popular one, was super important,” she said of her decision to do both when she started at Florida.

The rules have changed since Thomas started college, and elites now can miss camps if they are competing in NCAA. Previously, Thomas had to attend camp in order to keep her spot — and her funding — on the national team. “Some people were like, why would you want to do that?” Thomas said of her insistence on keeping one foot in elite after beginning at Florida. “I got positive stuff back, and negative things.”

Two-thirds of the 2020 United States Olympic team — Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, Grace McCallum and Jade Carey — went to college after the Olympics while keeping their elite options open. That indicated a direct contrast to the previous two Olympic cycles that saw just one gymnast from 2012 and one from 2016 move on to college, both of whom retired from elite gymnastics. “I haven’t made any set-in-stone decisions,” Thomas said of a potential return to elite.

Another rule that has changed during Thomas’ time at Florida is the ability of student-athletes to make money off their name, image, and likeness, also known as NIL. Thomas, not surprisingly given her status as the NCAA’s top female gymnast, was a draw for businesses looking to make connections, though she called the NIL process “a learning curve.” Thomas signed with an agency and began making deals. She is represented by Raymond Representation in Miami, which counts several popular NCAA gymnasts on its roster. “With their help,” Thomas said, NIL has been “way easier to navigate.”

She has signed deals with Honey Stinger, NoCap Sports and, with four of her Gators teammates, College Hunks Moving Company — one of three deals she has inked through the Gator Collective, which helps Florida athletes with their partnerships. This year, Thomas signed a deal with Quatro Apparel to design a leotard line, and others with Amazon, European Wax Center and Tropical Smoothie Cafe, according to On3.com.

“I’ve gotten to work with some really cool companies and make some really cool connections,” Thomas said. “It’s just been cool to learn about a different kind of world, almost an entrepreneurship world.”

Thomas believes that NIL is helping raise the profile of college gymnastics, both for individual athletes and for the sport as a whole. She hopes that young girls watching her compete and appear in ads or as a spokesperson will see her as a role model.

Thomas received the Honda Award, given to the top female athlete in every NCAA sport, in 2022. Then she was a top-three finalist for the Honda Cup, the award for the top female athlete across the NCAA. The cup went to South Carolina basketball star Aliyah Boston, but Thomas had already fulfilled a goal she set as soon as she set foot in Gainesville.

When Thomas arrived on Florida’s campus for the first time to meet with Rowland, the coach asked Thomas her goals for her college gymnastics career. Thomas responded, like most Florida gymnasts she assumes, that she wanted to win an NCAA championship. Then, she added that she wanted to win the Honda Award.

“I want to be up on that wall,” she remembers saying to Rowland, referring to a photo shrine to Florida’s other four Honda Award winners before Thomas: Ann Woods, two-time winners Bridget Sloan and Kytra Hunter, and Alex McMurtry.

The Honda Award meant a lot to Tania Thomas as well. “This is an award women get for their accomplishments,” she said. “It had more meaning to me.” She recounted listening to women at the ceremony tell stories of what it was like to compete before the passage of Title IX in 1972, and how it helped her understand what a big deal it was for Trinity to receive the award.

Now, an NCAA championship is still on the table for her final year as a Gator. Florida placed second at nationals in 2022 and is eager to get over the hump this season. Thomas may be hobbling into the final weekend of the season with a leg injury, but if her career at Florida is any indication, no obstacle will stop her from trying.

Thomas’ 2021 season, her junior year, was looking to be one for the record books. On Feb. 16 of that year, she set a Florida record for the all-around with a 39.90, one-tenth shy of a perfect score and the highest all-around score in the NCAA that year and the fifth-highest in NCAA history. At the same meet, she won at least a share of all five event titles, the first time a Florida gymnast had done so since 2018, before Thomas joined the squad. Thomas won 20 event titles, leading her team. She was the No. 1-ranked all-around gymnast in the country, and most thought she would win the NCAA title that year. As a team, Florida appeared to be in the running for the team title.

And then disaster struck. While warming up for a meet at Alabama on March 5, Thomas dismounted the uneven bars and sprained both ankles. She competed, in pain, at the regional qualifier in Athens, Ga., managing a perfect 10 on bars — the only event in which she competed there — and watching her team advance to nationals. At the same meet, Taylor hurt her calf muscle and Sydney Johnson-Scharpf tore her Achilles tendon. Florida showed up to nationals in tatters.

“That’s probably one of the hardest parts of being a head coach,” Rowland said. “The highs are extremely high, the lows are so low. It’s always really hard to see any injury, especially an injury that just happens at the wrong time.”

Thomas competed in all four events at the national semifinals in 2021 (which also determine individual titles) on sore ankles, eking out a 39.25 all-around score that put her in 11th place in the all-around standings. Florida made it to the four-on-the-floor final but finished fourth and appeared to be hanging on by a thread.

Thomas announced her retirement from elite gymnastics about a month after the 2021 NCAA national championships. She had hoped to compete at Olympic trials and vie for a spot on the U.S. team bound for Tokyo, but her ankles were not healing in time.

“That was definitely a bummer and something I took pretty hard,” Thomas said. “But then I knew that I could come back and I wanted to get my ankles in the best possible shape that I could have them in. I rested my ankles for months.” She remained in physical therapy for her ankles throughout the 2022 NCAA season.

“What was a little bit different about this season for me was pacing myself,” Thomas said. A collaboration between Thomas, her mother, her coaches, her doctor, and her trainer kept her accountable. She focused on rest and recovery and healing her ankles. Her endgame: the postseason.

“I knew it was my senior year,” she said. “I wanted a national championship. That was a huge thing for me.”

Thomas signed on for her fifth year in part to help Florida finally get that national championship during her tenure. Not for her — she feels she has accomplished much of what she hoped to as an individual in the sport. This one’s for her team.

“That’s the one thing I have left to do,” she said. “Every team I’ve been on has worked so hard, and it feels like we’re just climbing this mountain. So I hope that this is the year. I know that we’re capable of it. I know that we’ll work for it.”

Lela Moore is a freelance journalist covering gymnastics. She writes a weekly gymnastics column for The IX Newsletter. Follow her on Twitter @RunLelaRun.

On Saturday, the unthinkable happened. Months away from the 2023 World Cup, the U.S. women’s national team lost a locked-in starter when Mallory Swanson went down with a torn patella tendon in her left knee late in the first half of the team’s friendly against the Republic of Ireland.

There’s never a good time for a long-term injury, but the twist of fate that befell Swanson’s planted leg is devastating not only for a young U.S. team looking to battle for its third straight World Cup trophy, but also for a player who had worked her way back into the starting lineup through determination and skill. The timeline for Swanson’s return hasn’t been officially confirmed, but the severity of the injury makes it all but certain she will miss this summer’s World Cup.

Because of the short timeline, there’s very little room to dwell on what might have been. The U.S. has one friendly left on Tuesday night before naming the 23-player roster for the 2023 World Cup, and now they have to evaluate a starting role that head coach Vlatko Andonovski hadn’t anticipated opening up.

Replacing the irreplaceable

In many ways, Swanson is irreplaceable. The 24-year-old has World Cup experience to draw on and was in the form of her life before Saturday’s injury. Swanson had scored a towering seven goals for the USWNT in 2023 alone, and her confidence on the ball in front of goal had never been higher as she grew into a well-rounded playmaker.

She’d also been taking steps into a leadership role while playing for the Chicago Red Stars, her NWSL club. Last November, she spurred the USWNT’s comeback against Germany that saved the team from a historic losing streak. Her off-the-ball defensive work rate is one of the highest on the national team, and she provides relief for the outside back who plays behind her by shutting down lanes on the left flank.

Another underrated element of Swanson’s absence is the loss of her dead-ball ability, which she had been quietly honing with the Red Stars. Swanson’s corner kick delivery was consistent, and she was becoming more clinical from the penalty spot. With Megan Rapinoe no longer a likely starter, Swanson’s skill on set pieces was an asset the U.S. increasingly relied upon.

Finally, Swanson was an incredibly durable player before the contact injury that will now sideline her for some time. The U.S. finds ways to rotate players, but Andonovski’s preferred wingers — Swanson and Sophia Smith — were expected to carry a heavy minutes load throughout the World Cup. Even when rotating in younger talent like Trinity Rodman or Alyssa Thompson, or a veteran like Rapinoe, the U.S. is going to have to account for subbing patterns that would have been unnecessary with Swanson available.

U.S. winger depth can absolutely step up

If there is any silver lining for the USWNT with such little time to adjust, it’s that winger is one of the team’s deepest positions. When Swanson originally had to leave Saturday’s match, she was replaced by Rodman, who has repeatedly proven herself in a USWNT jersey.

The 18-year-old Thompson replaced Swanson on the U.S. roster for the second game against Ireland, and Andonovski told reporters she’ll get time in Tuesday’s game. Thompson has all the tools to be one of the next great American wingers, as shown by the goals she’s already scored at the professional level with Angel City. But her opportunity on the biggest stage might be coming sooner than expected, and it’s up to the coaching staff to make sure she isn’t placed under too much pressure before she is ready.

Finally, the largest presence looming over the position is that of Rapinoe, who was fit enough to join the team for the SheBelieves Cup before being left off the April roster with a lingering calf injury. Rapinoe’s fitness has ebbed and flowed throughout the last year, but when healthy, she has provided a calm veteran presence and a spark off the bench for the U.S. in important games. Andonovski’s original vision for Rapinoe was as a mentor working in tandem with Swanson as a starter, a luxury the team no longer has.

Rodman is well on her way to having the right balance of off-the-ball tenacity and on-the-ball skill to step up in Swanson’s absence, but the reality for Andonovski is it might take a combination of three possible replacements to adequately make up for his lost star. Rapinoe is the dead-ball expert, Rodman is the connective playmaker, and Thompson is the speedy striker with an ability to run at defenses.

Striking the proper balance and making the right roster decisions could be the difference between the U.S. weathering the storm for the World Cup and failing to adapt after a run of terrible injury luck.

Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

Like any draft, the 2023 WNBA Draft on Monday night had both sure things and surprises.

South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston going first overall to the Indiana Fever came as a surprise to no one, while Maryland’s Abby Meyers creeping into the first round caught most people off guard. Some WNBA teams had excellent draft nights, while others left question marks and more to be desired.

We grade the first round of the draft based on the good, the bad and the in between.

No. 1: Indiana Fever

Aliyah Boston, F, South Carolina

Since the moment the 2022 draft wrapped and the 2023 draft came into focus, Boston has been the consensus choice for the No. 1 pick. Indiana didn’t have to think too much about this one, drafting the 2022 National Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, a likely cornerstone for the team for years to come.

Grade: A+

No. 2: Minnesota Lynx

Diamond Miller, G, Maryland

Making another obvious pick, the Lynx got it right with Miller. The Maryland star is WNBA-ready, with an athletic 6-foot-3 frame and the skills to go along with it. Minnesota is in a rebuilding phase after recording a losing season in 2022 and missing the playoffs for the first time in 11 years, and Miller is the perfect foundation. She is versatile, so they have options when it comes to building a roster. Ten years from now, Miller might be considered one of the best players in this draft.

Grade: A+

No. 3: Dallas Wings

Maddy Siegrist, F, Villanova

I don’t love everything the Wings did in this draft, but picking Siegrist at No. 3 was the right move. She’s a dynamic scorer who can complement the pieces Dallas already has. The Wings need point production, and the NCAA’s leading scorer certainly brings that in spades. Siegrist had the ball in her hands a lot at Villanova, a role that will change on a Wings team led by Arike Ogunbowale, but she shouldn’t have an issue adjusting.

Grade: A

No. 4: Washington Mystics

Stephanie Soares, F/C, Iowa State
(Traded to Dallas for 2024 second-round pick and 2025 first-round pick)

Soares is a player with loads of potential. She’s 6-6 and can shoot from outside, which is an attractive quality in a league that is moving away from traditional bigs. But she’s also had two ACL injuries, so the pick is a gamble. For a team that has the luxury of developing Soares, this is an excellent pick. Dallas is not that team. At this point, the Wings have too many players with promising potential but no sure future, especially on the inside with Kalani Brown, Charli Collier and Awak Kuier.

Meanwhile, the Mystics made a great choice here, because the 2024 and 2025 draft classes are going to be stacked with NCAA talent.

Wings grade: C-

Mystics grade: A

No. 5: Dallas Wings

Lou Lopez Sénéchal, G/F, UConn

Lopez Sénéchal wasn’t at No. 5 on anyone’s draft board, but I understand the pick for the Wings. Already armed with shot creators like Ogunbowale and Diamond DeShields, the Wings need shooters. They especially need 3-point shooters, and the UConn product is one of the best long-range weapons in the draft, averaging 44 percent from deep this past season.

Grade: B

No. 6: Atlanta Dream

Haley Jones, G, Stanford

A lot has been made of Jones’ lack of a 3-point shot. And while I understand the criticism, she’s still a pro-ready player who impacts the game positively in every other way and has a high basketball IQ. Getting her at No. 6 is still a steal for Atlanta, and don’t be surprised as she develops her 3-point in the next couple seasons, as she alluded to Monday night.

“I’m just excited to get to the next level and show what I’ve been working on. I think at Stanford it wasn’t really my role to 3-point shoot. It was to playmake, rebound and run, facilitate, run the offense, play out of the high post,” Jones said. “I’m excited to get to the A, bring it there, and just kind of prove people wrong in a way.”

Grade: A

No. 7: Indiana Fever

Grace Berger, G, Indiana

The Indiana product managed to stay underrated for most of her college career, but Berger has WNBA-level skills. Her midrange game is particularly strong, and she is strong enough to hold her own with other guards in the league. The Fever are a young team, but they have great pieces to build around coming off last year’s and this year’s drafts, and Berger only adds to that foundation.

Grade: B

No. 8: Atlanta Dream

Laeticia Amihere, F, South Carolina

Amihere never started for the Gamecocks, but that is more a testament to their depth than a knock on her skills. At 6-4, she gives the Dream much-needed height and athleticism. We never saw her full potential at South Carolina, but the ceiling is high for the forward. Atlanta is able to take a risk on a player like Amihere because they are confident in their other top selections — 2022 No. 1 pick and WNBA Rookie of the Year Rhyne Howard and 2023 No. 6 pick Haley Jones.

Grade: A

No. 9: Seattle Storm

Jordan Horston, G, Tennessee

The Storm organization is in the midst of a transition period after Sue Bird retired and Brenna Stewart left in free agency. Jewell Loyd is now the centerpiece of the team, and Horston is a complementary guard with top-five draft potential who could wind up being a steal. She has size at 6-2 and does a little bit of everything, from passing to rebounding. Together, Loyd and Horston make a backcourt Seattle can build around.

Grade: A

No. 10: Los Angeles Sparks

Zia Cooke, G, South Carolina

The Sparks have managed a solid offseason under new head coach Curt Miller, re-signing Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike, signing Azurá Stevens and trading for Dearica Hamby. They also signed veteran guard Jasmine Thomas, but they needed another. Cooke can score at all three levels and, despite being 5-9, knows how to use her body and find angles to get the ball to the rim. She’s a perfect fit for the Sparks.

Grade: A

No. 11: Dallas Wings

Abby Meyers, G, Maryland

Dallas already selected a shooter in Lopez Sénéchal and went for a player with great potential in Soares. With the 11th pick, they selected a player who falls into both categories. I think Meyers could be a good WNBA player, but drafting her in the first round seems like a reach for the Wings.

Grade: D

No. 12: Minnesota Lynx

Maia Hirsch, C, France

The French prospect is 6-5 with guard skills. In the limited game highlights available, it’s clear Hirsch can play both ends of the floor, making her an attractive prospect. Plus, she’s only 19 years old and her ceiling is high. She might not pan out in the WNBA, but it’s a risk worth taking.

Grade: B

Eden Laase is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.

March Madness is creeping up on us, and every team is fighting to earn its spot in the field. The Selection Show takes place at 8 p.m. ET Sunday. In the meantime, contenders are battling it out in conference tournaments for automatic bids and resume-building wins.

Here’s what I think the 2023 NCAA Tournament bracket should look like if the season ended today.

No. 1 seeds

South Carolina, Indiana, Stanford, Virginia Tech

Undefeated SEC champion and reigning national title winner South Carolina is the de facto overall No. 1 seed.

Next comes Indiana, which — despite losing to Iowa and being on the wrong end of a 24-point comeback by Ohio State — has been consistent all season in a Big Ten conference that challenges teams at every turn. The Hoosiers have done enough to keep a 1-seed. While an argument can be made for Iowa, which took home the Big Ten tournament title, overall body of work gives the edge to Indiana. The Hawkeyes have been on a tear lately, but they have more questionable losses on the season than Indiana (Kansas State, in particular).

Stanford will be the third No. 1 seed despite a few slip-ups this season. The Cardinal’s loss to UCLA in the Pac-12 tournament hurts, but not enough to bump them off the top line. Stanford has a No. 4 NET ranking and solid wins in and out of conference.

Competition for the final No. 1 seed is fierce. Iowa, Utah, Maryland and UConn were all in contention, but Virginia Tech played itself into the top of the bracket thanks to an ACC tournament title and an impressive record against top-ranked opponents.

No. 2 seeds

UConn, Iowa, Utah, Maryland

Iowa just misses out on a 1-seed, but their Big Ten tournament win makes the Hawkeyes the best of the No. 2s. Meanwhile, Maryland’s overall resume is solid enough to keep a 2-seed despite the Terrapins getting blown out by Iowa in the same tournament. Maryland has some of the best non-conference wins out of this bunch, topping both UConn and Notre Dame (when the Irish were at full strength). That and regular-season success in one of the country’s top conferences helps Maryland’s case.

Utah played itself out of a 1-seed by losing to Washington State in the Pac-12 tournament, but the Utes have done enough during the regular season to stop themselves from dropping even further. Other than that Washington State loss, the Utes lost only to ranked teams while beating stellar conference opponents, including Stanford, Colorado and UCLA.

UConn gets the final 2-seed thanks to strength of schedule. LSU’s loss to Tennessee in the SEC tournament allows the Huskies to keep their spot.

No. 3 seeds

Duke, Notre Dame, LSU, Texas

Two ACC teams find themselves on the 3-seed list, a testament to the conference’s strength. Duke would have been a No. 2 prior to their loss to Virginia Tech on Feb. 16 and close call against Virginia in their next game. They didn’t help their case in the conference tournament, either.

Notre Dame has been struggling without Dara Mabrey and Olivia Miles, and their lopsided loss to Louisville in the ACC tournament is proof of that. Still, overall body of work has to be considered when it comes to seeding. The Irish have great wins over teams such as UConn and Virginia Tech, plus a high NET ranking (8). They may struggle in March Madness without two of their starters, but that has nothing to do with seeding.

Texas is the surprise team on this list, but the Longhorns have crept back into favor in the past month. After a rocky start to the season, during which the Longhorns lost four of their first seven games and fell out of the AP poll, they’ve turned things around. They picked up a statement win over Oklahoma on Jan. 25 and are currently 11th in the NET rankings.

If the Tigers had a better resume heading into the conference tournament, they might have been able to hang onto a higher seed. But with no standout wins on their non-conference slate, LSU has to fall back on their two-loss record, which should give UConn an edge in the fight for a 2-seed. LSU’s consistency despite its weak schedule barely allows them to hang onto a 3-seed.

No. 4 seeds

Ohio State, UCLA, Oklahoma, Villanova

Ohio State is the surprise of this group. The Buckeyes started the season looking unbeatable, with an 18-0 record to match, but then as injuries to Madison Greene (out for the season), Jacy Sheldon and Rebeka Mikulasikova plagued the squad, they dropped seven of their last 13 games. But the Buckeyes have some fight left, and they proved it with a monumental win over Indiana in the Big Ten tournament. A 4-seed may seem a bit high, but no one in the 5 and 6 groups has done anything to show they are more worthy than the Buckeyes, who just executed a 24-point comeback over a team projected to be a No. 1 seed.

UCLA was sitting behind both Arizona and Colorado in seeding before it topped Stanford in the Pac-12 tournament, while the Buffs and the Wildcats went down early. The Bruins had a difficult January, dropping games to Arizona, Utah and Colorado, but then bounced back with four wins in a row. Add in the win over the conference’s top team, and UCLA has the resume for a 4-seed.

No. 5 seeds

Michigan, Arizona, Colorado, Louisville

The chaos of the Pac-12 tournament affected Arizona and Colorado in a big way. One win by each team and they might be hosting the first round. Instead, these squads find themselves on the 5-line. The Buffs in particular miss out, as they have been nearly unstoppable at home this season.

Michigan also didn’t help itself in the Big Ten tournament, nor in the games leading up to it. A loss to Ohio State looks better now that the Buckeyes beat Indiana, but Michigan’s resume is no better than any of the 4-seeds and no worse than the 6s.

Louisville’s appearance in the ACC championship game moves the Cardinals from a 6- to a 5-seed.

No. 6 seeds

Florida State, North Carolina, Iowa State, Tennessee

The six-seeds are all teams that have gone through struggles and surprises this season. Florida State worked itself into the conversation when they beat North Carolina back in December, and since then, wins over NC State and Duke have only helped their case.

Tennessee struggled mightily out of the gate but settled into a good place as the season progressed. North Carolina has wins worthy of a higher seeding, but their inconsistency — the Tar Heels are 21-10 — keeps them from moving up.

Iowa State has stayed under the radar since Stephanie Soares tore her ACL and took the Cyclones out of national title conversations. Still, they’ve had a solid season, and as the Big 12 tournament begins, they can make a case to move up. For now, a 6-seed is a good spot for this team, which gets a boost by being 12th in the NET.

No. 7 seeds

Gonzaga, NC State, Creighton, Washington State

Of the 7-seeds, Gonzaga is the strongest. The likely WCC champions are 28-3, with quality wins over Tennessee and Louisville. They’ve also taken care of business in conference with just one loss.

NC State earns this position thanks to wins over Iowa and Notre Dame despite struggling overall in the ACC (8-8). The big upsets and a No. 18 ranking in the NET help the Wolfpack’s case.

Washington State is the surprise of this group. Before the Pac-12 tournament, the Cougars were among the last eight or so teams to earn a bid. Now, they not only have secured an automatic bid, they have played themselves up from a 10- or 11-seed and onto the 7-line. Topping Utah, Colorado and UCLA is no easy feat, but the Cougars pulled it off.

Creighton finished third in the Big East behind UConn and Villanova, with a victory over the latter helping the Blue Jays’ resume. They went on to lose a close game to the Wildcats in their conference tournament, but that doesn’t negatively impact the team overall.

No. 8 seeds

Illinois, Baylor, USC, South Florida

Illinois, Baylor and USC are all in the same boat. They’ve had amazing wins as well as head-scratching losses. But each team has enough quality victories to fall into the 8-seed category.

South Florida should lock up a No. 8 seed by winning the AAC but could fall if an upset occurs.

No. 9 seeds

Kansas, Miami, Marquette, Ole Miss

I know teams don’t earn their seeds based on games they almost won, but Ole Miss’ near upset of South Carolina in the regular season is indicative of how good the Rebels can be. They’ve held their own in the SEC with a 9-5 record and have wins over other potential tournament teams in Georgia and Arkansas.

Kansas and Marquette both spent time in the AP Top 25 this season but find themselves unranked at the moment. Miami is in the top half of a stacked ACC, having beaten North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Florida State, which makes them one of the stronger 9-seeds.

No. 10 seeds

Columbia, Purdue, Middle Tennessee, Alabama

Middle Tennessee is well-respected by AP voters, having been ranked in the Top 25 for the last few weeks. While the Blue Raiders play in Conference USA, which doesn’t earn them any points, they did beat Louisville in December and have been consistent since then.

Another notable 10-seed is Columbia, a potential sleeper in the NCAA Tournament. Led by sharpshooter Abbey Hsu and her 18.2 points per game, the Lions are 24-1 and atop the Ivy League standings.

No. 11 seeds

Florida Gulf Coast, St. John’s, Nebraska, Syracuse, Princeton

St. John’s played itself into the tournament by upsetting UConn late in the regular season, and Syracuse, Princeton and Nebraska are all on the bubble.

No. 12 seeds

UNLV, Oklahoma State, St. Louis, South Dakota State, Mississippi State

UNLV is another team that I would hate to match up with in the first round. The Runnin’ Rebels don’t get much love nationally while playing in the Mountain West, but that’s where the eye test comes in. UNLV has Power 5 talent, and if you watch them even once, it’s easy to see why they are a scary opponent.

St. Louis secured an automatic bid with a cinematic win over UMass in its conference final.

No. 13 seeds

Illinois State, Toledo, Green Bay, Long Beach State

Illinois State is fighting with Belmont for an automatic bid in the Missouri Valley, while Toledo is battling it out with Ball State in the Mid-American.

No. 14 seeds

James Madison, Iona, Boston, Drexel

The Boston Terriers are firmly in first place in the Patriot League and are the favorite to win the conference tournament. They went 17-1 in conference play this season.

No. 15 seeds

Albany, Fairleigh Dickinson, Montana State, Gardner-Webb

In the 15-seed group, Montana State stands out as a team with multiple wins over high-level opponents. The Bobcats defeated BYU and South Dakota State early in the season.

No. 16 seeds

Chattanooga / Norfolk State, Jackson State / SE Louisiana, Southern Utah, Tennessee State

All eyes will be on Jackson State this postseason after the Tigers nearly topped LSU in the first round of the 2022 tournament.

Eden Laase is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.

The USWNT won their fourth straight SheBelieves Cup this week, taking steps forward against three stellar opponents while continuing to test depth and increase sharpness as they build toward the 2023 World Cup in July.

The U.S. didn’t make it through any of their matches with perfect performances, but they showed a tenacity that they missed at times in 2022, especially during a three-game losing streak in October. Their bend-not-break defense allowed for magical moments on the other end of the pitch.

While there’s still work to be done after the SheBelieves Cup, the reigning World Champions got key performances out of a few players who are ready to shine on the biggest stage.

Mallory Swanson, forward

Swanson was named SheBelieves Cup MVP after the USWNT’s 2-1 win over Brazil, and for good reason. She became the tournament’s all-time leading scorer in 2023, as well as the first player ever to score at least one goal in all three games in the event’s history.

Known to USWNT fans as Mallory Pugh for years, Swanson is the kind of player that has always had the ability to create her own chances in front of goal. She has a sprint speed that doesn’t slow with the ball at her feet, and with every year, the 24-year-old shows a greater ability to drag defenders out of position and maneuver into good shooting positions.

Her on-ball work has always been an asset to her game, but the switch that has flipped in recent months is her ability to remain calm and clinically finish the chances she creates. Swanson was the first player to admit that she let some golden scoring chances go to waste in 2022, but she’s firing at an incredible rate so far in 2023.

Her goal against Japan provides an example of a player who’s ready to take advantage of a singular chance against a tricky opponent. In the run of play, she picked the ball out of the air, beat her defender on the dribble and calmly slotted the ball to the far post, past the keeper and into the back of the net. Swanson has hit another gear, and it’s happening at exactly the right time for the USWNT.

VOLUME UP 🔊@MalPugh's 6th goal of 2023, as called by @AndresCantorGOL on @NBCUniverso / @peacock 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/InJtMGBTVq

— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) February 20, 2023

Alex Morgan, forward

It’s easy to laugh at it now, but there were legitimate questions when Morgan returned to the U.S. last summer about bridging the gap between the long-time veteran and new talent on the wing. Morgan was put in a tough position, rejoining the team relatively late into the year and getting used to the movements of Mallory Swanson and Sophia Smith with a very short runway before World Cup qualifying without Catarina Macario.

Morgan scored the lone goal in the Concacaf W final against Canada last summer and has only looked more comfortable since then. Her off-ball positioning proved essential during the SheBelieves Cup, adjusting her attacking vision while playing alongside the somewhat inexperienced Ashley Sanchez at attacking midfielder. Morgan’s hold-up play has always been excellent, but with speedy players on both sides of her, the 33-year-old has leaned into her ability to occupy central defenders and spring the U.S. wingers into space.

Morgan facilitated her teammates in the team’s first two SBC matches, but against Brazil she also brought the individual magic necessary to open the scoring. Morgan isn’t being asked to beat defenders with pace anymore, but that didn’t keep her off the scoresheet. Her first-half strike was classic Alex Morgan: She curled the ball from the top of the box with her left foot and set up the U.S. to win their fourth consecutive tournament title.

😱 HOLY COW, @ALEXMORGAN13 pic.twitter.com/t9KkfIAegn

— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) February 23, 2023

Lynn Williams, forward

For most of 2022, Williams slowly worked her way back to the USWNT after months of rehabbing a severe hamstring injury that required surgery. Her return against New Zealand in January was promising, but the SheBelieves Cup cemented why a lack of minutes last year probably won’t keep the Gotham forward off the plane to the World Cup.

Williams is a defensive mastermind from the forward position who can also create chances herself, as seen in her extended minutes against Japan and Brazil. Williams had to occupy Japan wingback Hina Sugita in order to provide defensive cover for Sofia Huerta to move the ball forward in the USWNT’s second game, which ultimately created the space that allowed Huerta to send the ball forward for the U.S.’s lone goal.

Against Brazil, Williams came off the bench to force a key turnover that led to Swanson’s game-winning goal. The 29-year-old creates offense out of defense, and does it better than almost anyone else on the roster.

Kristie Mewis, midfielder

Mewis’ role with the U.S. became clearer this week after she started as a holding midfielder in the team’s second game against Japan. Mewis has the ability to play a number of different midfield roles off the bench, but her rare starting role gave insight into why she’s also likely to make the trip to New Zealand in July.

Mewis plays a more connecting role for Gotham FC, pushing forward as the team attacks and creating dangerous chances on goal. Against Japan, she was similarly clinical in a more defensive role, working with Lindsey Horan to handle Japan’s tricky defensive pressing scheme and progress the ball.

The 31-year-old’s assignment with the U.S. likely means she’s never going to get the glory for a performance, but her versatility and calm head in an unfamiliar role showcase why she’s been a mainstay in camp for years and appears to be a lock for the World Cup.

Lindsey Horan, midfielder

Carrying heavy minutes this week, Horan didn’t always stand out for the U.S. in positive ways, struggling with turnovers in poor areas of the pitch against Japan and looking like she had lost her legs against Brazil. The sight of a fatigued player trying to do a little too much isn’t foreign to U.S. fans, who have seen Sam Mewis and Julie Ertz both pulled from the player pool in recent years after arguably being overused by their club and national teams.

Keeping Horan at her best this summer will be an ongoing project for head coach Vlatko Andonovski, who appears to consider her intrinsic to his tactical plans for the midfield. Shifting slightly from a 4-3-3 to a 4-2-3-1, the U.S. is at their best when their defensive midfielder isn’t left on an island, as seen in the USWNT’s smothering performance against Canada.

But the U.S. also wants to execute a strategic defensive press that requires a certain amount of mobility, and Horan hasn’t looked fully comfortable in recent months. Horan isn’t injured (though she has been dealing with a lingering knee injury) and she plays regularly for Olympique Lyon, but with a grueling schedule ahead of her, extra care behind the scenes might be necessary to make sure she’s ready to go in July.

Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

With only a few games left before the U.S. women’s national team takes off for the 2023 World Cup in New Zealand, the final roster is slowly taking shape.

The USWNT has been dealing with the absence of a number of key contributors due to injury, making it difficult to foresee exactly which players might be pushed to the roster bubble in the next few months. But the team’s approach to the SheBelieves Cup this past week has offered some insight into head coach Vlatko Andonovski’s thinking.

If the U.S. were getting on the plane to New Zealand today, who would Andonovski select to the 23-player roster, tasked with defending the team’s 2019 World Cup win? Here is the first edition of our mock World Cup roster.

Goalkeepers

Locks: Alyssa Naeher, Casey Murphy, Adrianna Franch

First players out: Aubrey Kingsbury, Jane Campbell, Bella Bixby

This position is fairly straightforward: Naeher and Murphy are the USWNT’s No. 1 and No. 2 goalkeepers, and Franch’s recent form should earn her the spot at No 3. NWSL action could sway that decision if Kingsbury, Campbell or Bixby start the season out strong, but Franch would have to slip in form to make room for any changes.

Defenders

Locks: Naomi Girma, Becky Sauerbrunn, Alana Cook, Sofia Huerta, Emily Sonnett, Crystal Dunn, Emily Fox

First players out: Tierna Davidson, Kelley O’Hara, Casey Krueger

The first players out in this scenario could absolutely make their way to the World Cup, but the lack of recent game tape from Davidson, O’Hara and Krueger makes it difficult to select them if the tournament started today.

The player most vulnerable to being overtaken by someone coming back from injury is Emily Sonnett. The 29-year-old has played both center back and outside back for the U.S. in recent international windows, with Andonovski not committing her to either position. Davidson has similar versatility and might be considered a more stable presence on the backline.

O’Hara and Krueger are experienced defenders who will have an opportunity to push for the spot currently held by Sofia Heurta at right back. If O’Hara is fit, she’ll be on the plane, but she simply needs to show she can handle the workload. Krueger is probably one step further out, but she could get a look at April camp.

Midfielders

Locks: Lindsey Horan, Andi Sullivan, Rose Lavelle, Catarina Macario, Kristie Mewis, Ashley Sanchez, Taylor Kornieck

First players out: Sam Coffey, Jaelin Howell, Morgan Gautrat

The U.S. midfield is a complicated project, with Andonovski packing the roster with players who fill similar roles for their club teams as Lindsey Horan, who has appeared undroppable from the starting lineup in recent games. Andi Sullivan will likely be relied upon heavily in the defensive midfield, aided by a combination of Horan, Kristie Mewis and Taylor Kornieck.

Andonovski has said recently that he considers Catarina Macario to be an attacking midfielder, but the 23-year-old can also play at the point of the team’s new 4-2-3-1 formation. She’s the one player who has a seat on the plane to New Zealand regardless of fitness, though she’s very close to making her national team return after tearing her ACL last June.

The three players just outside the roster bubble are all defensive midfielders, as Andonovski doesn’t appear to have a true backup No. 6 in his plans. Sam Coffey and Jaelin Howell are both up and coming at the position, perhaps tabbed for tournaments in the future. Morgan Gautrat is an experienced holding midfielder at both the club and international level, but she hasn’t gotten much time with the U.S. while coming back from injury in 2022.

Forwards

Locks: Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, Lynn Williams, Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson, Trinity Rodman

First players out: Midge Purce, Christen Press, Ashley Hatch, Alyssa Thompson

Whether Macario is listed as a midfielder or a center forward will influence how many players are taken at each position, but her presence will influence the frontline selections no matter how she is designated. Ashley Hatch has served as the backup to Alex Morgan in Macario’s absence but will likely be the odd player out when Morgan and Macario are healthy at the same time.

Midge Purce and Christen Press both suffer from the USWNT’s incredible depth at the winger position. Purce hasn’t gotten significant time at the SheBelieves Cup, with Trinity Rodman and Lynn Williams getting starts at right wing. Rodman is an exciting connecting winger with a high ceiling, and Williams is arguably the player most integral to making Andonovski’s defensive press work.

Press is simply in a race against time, as she works her way back from an ACL injury that cut her 2022 season short with Angel City. The two left wingers in front of her are Rapinoe and Swanson, though the starting job will almost certainly go to Swanson if she’s fit. If Press can hit the ground running in March, she deserves consideration to return to the team in April. But if she has any setbacks in her recovery, she might run out of opportunities to make it back to the international stage in 2023.

Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

Now that the dust has settled on WNBA free agency, it’s time to dig into how teams did before the draft takes place in April and the regular season tips off a month later.

The 2023 free-agency period brought fireworks, with some of the league’s biggest stars transferring markets and creating WNBA superteams in the process. Breanna Stewart and Courtney Vandersloot joined Jonquel Jones in New York, and Candace Parker made the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces even more dangerous (though the Aces organization is under investigation both for its treatment of Dearica Hamby and reportedly for circumventing the salary cap). Other teams retooled through trades and signings, trying to keep up with the two frontrunners.

Which teams won and lost free agency? Our team of WNBA experts — Rachel Galligan, Lyndsey D’Arcangelo and Eden Laase — debate and hand out final grades below.

Biggest winners

Rachel Galligan: New York Liberty

The Liberty won free agency, and it’s not even close. Owners Joe and Clara Wu Tsai laid out a vision for the franchise when they acquired it in 2019, and that plan kicked into high gear this offseason. New York secured top free agents Breanna Stewart and Courtney Vandersloot to add to their arsenal of talent, which includes newly acquired MVP forward Jonquel Jones.

There was also the four-team trade involving Dallas, Chicago, Phoenix and New York, which ended up being a low-key victory for the Liberty. New York acquired the rights to Leonie Fiebich and a 2025 first-round pick swap from Phoenix. With the Mercury’s post-Diana Taurasi future in question, that pick could end up as a lottery selection.

Lyndsey D’Arcangelo: New York Liberty

The Liberty set the bar this offseason, no question. They not only acquired the top players on their wish list in Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart and Courtney Vandersloot, but they also handled themselves professionally and transparently throughout the entire process. New York has clearly demonstrated its position as a player-first organization that is investing in both the franchise and the league’s future.

Eden Laase: New York Liberty

The player that put the Liberty’s offseason over the top for me was Vandersloot. Once they acquired Jones and signed Stewart, the team’s only potential weakness was the lack of a true point guard, since Sabrina Ionescu plays better off the ball. They solved that problem with perhaps the best pass-first point guard in the league.

Biggest disappointment

Galligan: Minnesota Lynx, Seattle Storm

The Lynx were unable to sign any top free agents despite reports that they were in the mix. Minnesota’s last three free agencies have been below average, and now they have a number of heavy contracts limiting their cap space. Essentially, Minnesota appears to be trying to run it back with the same core roster but without Sylvia Fowles, who retired after last season. Tiffany Mitchell and Lindsay Allen were the Lynx’s biggest pick-ups alongside Damiris Dantas and Nikolina Milić re-signing. With the way the roster is currently constructed, I don’t see the needle moving much in Minnesota.

Seattle added Kia Nurse, retained Ezi Magbegor and lost one of the best players in the world to New York in free agency. The Storm got nothing in return for Brenna Stewart because of their decision not to core her last year. They have no point guard after the retirement of Sue Bird (for which there had been plenty of time to prepare), and unless they make some late additions, this team could be in trouble of falling out of contention.

Silver lining for both? If there is a year to wind up in the draft lottery, 2024 is the time to do it.

D’Arcangelo: Chicago Sky, Seattle Storm

Both the Sky and the Storm knew their big stars might not stay and didn’t seem to have good back-up plans in place. The Sky’s roster has been completely dismantled and yet, in their recent trade for Marina Mabrey, they gave away a handful of future (and much-needed) draft picks. The Storm have no true point guard on the roster, even when they knew Sue Bird wasn’t coming back. They essentially threw all of their eggs in the Courtney Vandersloot basket and came up empty.

Laase: Chicago Sky

Losing Candace Parker, Courtney Vandersloot and rising star Azurá Stevens in free agency was a big blow to the 2021 WNBA champions. They have a franchise player to build around in Kahleah Copper, but none of their signings or acquisitions thus far have put this team over the edge. It seems like the organization is signing whichever players it can instead of building a team.

Biggest surprise

Galligan: Dallas Wings

The Wings’ overall roster movement this offseason was unexpected. I anticipated Marina Mabrey to return and did not expect Diamond DeShields to be on the move, let alone end up in Dallas. The Wings are clearly making a long-term investment in fifth-year center Teaira McCowan, which is understandable given her production, but there are no guarantees for how this team gels together on the floor under new head coach Latricia Trammell. Dallas continues to hoard draft picks, including three first-round selections in this year’s draft.

D’Arcangelo: Los Angeles Sparks

In his introductory press conference, new Sparks head coach Curt Miller talked about his excitement and anticipation for free agency. After leaving Connecticut for Los Angeles in October, he was ready to make some moves. Acquiring Jasmine Thomas and Dearica Hamby showed he meant it. But luring Azurá Stevens out of Chicago and away from other teams was downright impressive.

Laase: Los Angeles Sparks

All eyes have been on the Liberty and the Aces, but Miller is quietly putting together a solid team in Los Angeles. Picking up Hamby, Thomas and Stevens, and then re-signing both Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike, are all wins for the new coach. The Sparks are heading in the right direction after two straight losing seasons.

Best signing or acquisition

Galligan: Azurá Stevens (Chicago Sky)

New York’s Breanna Stewart and Courtney Vandersloot signings are the easy choice, but I’m going to go with Azurá Stevens to Los Angeles. Given the free-agency market this year, Stevens was highly sought after, with half of the teams in the league making a play to recruit her. It’s a positive sign that Los Angeles was able to attract a free agent of Stevens’ caliber this early on in their rebuild under new general manager Karen Bryant and coach Curt Miller. Stevens gives the Sparks a unique weapon and a great complement to Nneka Ogwumike.

D’Arcangelo: Candace Parker (Las Vegas Aces), Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream)

Candace Parker is a huge get for the Aces, who are the favorites to repeat as WNBA champions outside of New York. Aside from Stewart and Vandersloot, Parker was the biggest signing in free agency and makes Las Vegas even more talented than they already were. But I have to give Atlanta credit as well. Allisha Gray, whom the Dream acquired in a trade with Dallas last month, is an undervalued player with a huge upside. Don’t sleep on a Gray/Rhyne Howard backcourt.

Laase: Jonquel Jones (New York Liberty)

This signing was especially critical because it sent all the other offseason moves in motion. Jones made New York an even more desirable location for Stewart and Vandersloot and likely played a part in Parker signing with the Aces, who give her the best shot at a title this season when competing against New York. The Liberty set off an era of superteams in the WNBA when they traded for Jones.

Most perplexing move

Galligan: Chicago Sky’s three first round picks and five total picks for Marina Mabrey

The Sky gave up their 2023 first-round pick, 2024 first-round pick, 2025 first-round swap rights, 2024 third-round pick and 2025 second-round pick for Marina Mabrey at a time when a host of elite college talent will be coming up through the draft. While there is reason to commend coach James Wade’s desire to win, this trade fleecing is hard to look past. He plans on winning now and retooling his roster through free agency for years to come, a vision that will largely depend on the franchise’s ownership changes and added investment.

We knew Chicago’s championship era would come to an end — with Candace Parker, Allie Quigley, Azurá Stevens and Courtney Vandersloot all walking away this offseason — but the decision to give up future assets in the midst of a complete overhaul is baffling. A move of this magnitude will be scrutinized for years to come.

D’Arcangelo: Chicago Sky, Minnesota Lynx

I’m a big Mabrey fan, but the Sky giving away the farm for a player who has yet to make an All-Star team is mind-boggling. As for the Lynx, it’s the lack of moves for me. They most likely tried to make plays for some big names but were unable to seal the deal, and now they’re left to compete in the league’s new superteam era with just two All-Stars on their roster (Napheesa Collier and Kayla McBride).

Laase: Chicago refusing to accept the idea of a rebuild

There is no shame in rebuilding. It’s part of the game, particularly when you lose three starters at the same time, as James Wade and Chicago did. While Wade’s desire to be competitive with the team he has is understandable, his refusal to admit that his squad will need time to develop is puzzling.

Team grades

Atlanta Dream

B — Galligan
B+ — D’Arcangelo
B — Laase

Dallas Wings

A- — Galligan
B+ — D’Arcangelo
A — Laase

Los Angeles Sparks

A — Galligan
A — D’Arcangelo
A — Laase

Phoenix Mercury

B — Galligan
B- — D’Arcangelo
B — Laase

Chicago Sky

C- — Galligan
D — D’Arcangelo
D — Laase

Indiana Fever

B- — Galligan
B- — D’Arcangelo
B — Laase

Minnesota Lynx

F — Galligan
D — D’Arcangelo
D — Laase

Seattle Storm

D — Galligan
D — D’Arcangelo
D — Laase

Connecticut Sun

B+ — Galligan
B — D’Arcangelo
C — Laase

Las Vegas Aces

A — Galligan
A- — D’Arcangelo
A — Laase

New York Liberty

A+ — Galligan
A+ — D’Arcangelo
A+ — Laase

Washington Mystics

B — Galligan
B — D’Arcangelo
B — Laase

Rachel Galligan is a basketball analyst at Just Women’s Sports. A former professional basketball player and collegiate coach, she also contributes to Winsidr. Follow Rachel on Twitter @RachGall.

Lyndsey D’Arcangelo is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports, covering the WNBA and college basketball. She also contributes to The Athletic and is the co-author of “Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the National Women’s Football League.” Follow Lyndsey on Twitter @darcangel21.

Eden Laase is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.