Lisa Leslie remembers friend Kobe Bryant as devotedly committed to his family and uniquely dedicated to the game of basketball.
The former Los Angeles Sparks star stopped by the new Just Women’s Sports Netlife podcast and talked with host Dawn Staley about the “void” Bryant left after his passing.
Leslie was first introduced to Bryant as the young star and his family was getting settled in Los Angeles.
“I just hit it off with the family,” recalls Leslie. “His mom reminded me of my mom.”
Shaya, Kobe’s sister, and Leslie quickly became friends.
“I am there talking basketball with Kobe and then I am over playing with Shaya and we’re going to the mall,” Leslie remembers of the early days at the Bryant home.
The basketball banter between Leslie and Bryant often centered on Michael Jordan, with Leslie remembering Bryant studiously watching Jordan games in his room.
The WNBA and NBA stars bonded over their work ethic, both being steadfast about their gym routine. “What meshed was that tenacity, that hard work, that passion.”
Training at the same facility, Leslie would periodically get updates from Bryant on his life as he evolved as a player and person. She recalls when the legendary Laker met his wife Vanessa Bryant, which was originally “tough for the family” as Bryant was young when they decided to marry.
“Nobody knew Vanessa was gonna be so amazing, she’s awesome,” says Leslie. “She was the right one and it was amazing.”
As the years went on, Leslie and Bryant would continue to keep in touch.
“I knew that Kobe was happy,” remembers Leslie. “It really was just about family.”
Hear more from Staley and Leslie on Bryant’s legacy on the latest episode of NETLIFE.
It took almost two months, but in the last few weeks, U.S. regulated sportsbooks finally got around to giving us something to bet on in women’s college basketball. No, we don’t have lines on individual games yet — that probably won’t happen until March. But DraftKings, FanDuel and PointsBet have posted odds on which teams have the best chance at winning the national championship.
As frustrating as sportsbooks’ lack of attention to women’s basketball can be, it also provides an opportunity to profit off of them. None of the lines on any of these three books have moved since they were first posted, despite the constantly shifting landscape that gives us new information about teams every week. (Does it really make sense to still have UCLA tied for 13th?)
It’s in that spirit that we dove into the data to find the best bets on this year’s title winner. If you’re new to betting, the main thing you need to know about the odds is that the number following the plus sign is how much money you would make on a $100 bet. For the math-inclined folks, you can find the breakeven point of those bets by dividing the amount bet ($100 in this case) by the amount returned (the original $100 plus the winnings).
As an example, a team with +400 odds would return $500 on a $100 bet (the $100 back and the $400 winnings), so the breakeven point would be 100/500, or 20 percent. This is called the implied probability, and it means you need the bet to have a greater than 20 percent chance of winning for it to be a good bet.
Now, onto the important stuff.
South Carolina, +225 at DraftKings (30.8% implied probability)
The fact that this didn’t move after Missouri’s Lauren Hansen buried the Gamecocks last month is just one of many examples of sportsbooks neglecting to follow women’s sports. Then again, one could argue that it shouldn’t have moved: South Carolina had already separated itself from the pack so much that most people, including AP Poll voters, still view them as the best in the nation.
The best team isn’t always the best bet, but the +225 odds here are hard to pass up. Consider that it’s been over a decade since the champion wasn’t a No. 1 seed; No. 2 seed Texas A&M in 2011 was the last to do it. You even have to go back four years to Arike Ogunbowale’s 2018 Notre Dame squad just to find the last champion that wasn’t the No. 1 overall seed.
After South Carolina ran through the laughably difficult non-conference schedule Dawn Staley put together (pending the upcoming UConn rematch), it’s almost impossible to imagine their end-of-season resume being unworthy of a top seed. That Missouri game was an indicator of how far the parity in this sport has come, but it’s not quite at the point yet where the nation’s best team has to sweat out early-round games. All we need for this bet to have value is a one-in-three chance that South Carolina cuts down the nets.
Stanford, +600 at PointsBet (14.3% implied probability)
Like South Carolina, Stanford was able to withstand a loss without dropping in the AP Poll when they retained their No. 2 ranking after falling to the Gamecocks. Also like South Carolina, this team looks to be on its way to a No. 1 seed.
After an early-season stretch in which the Cardinal were a couple of buckets away from a 2-4 start, questions arose around the loss of point guard Kiana Williams and if this year’s team had enough to overcome it. Subsequent double-digit wins over top-ten opponents Maryland and Tennessee vaulted them right back into the top tier, and the nation was reminded that Tara VanDerveer’s Princeton offense doesn’t always rely on a pure point guard once it starts clicking.
The biggest factor that has allowed Stanford to compensate for its lack of a floor general, however, has been its defense. VanDerveer has generally been content to allow opponents to shoot 3s, particularly in recent seasons. The last four Cardinal teams have allowed opponents to take over 30 percent of their shots from beyond the arc, each ranking outside of the top 200 in 3-point rate allowed.
VanDerveer has changed her defense this season and looked to run shooters off the line, which has resulted in an opponent 3-point rate of just 21.7 percent — good for 12th in Division I. Draining triples is usually the best way to pull off a big upset, so preventing those shots from getting up in the first place is a great recipe for a deep tournament run. This probably isn’t the best bet on this list, but +600 is good enough to have some value.
NC State, +1500 at all three books (6.3% implied probability)
The last time NC State failed to make the Sweet 16, they lost in the second round to Texas and Ariel Atkins, who isn’t even on her WNBA rookie contract anymore. Yet, in the years since that 2017 loss, the Wolfpack have never reached the Elite Eight.
It’s about time. As good as those teams were, this is probably the best team Wes Moore has had in Raleigh. It took a Sarah Ashlee Barker miracle to hand the Wolfpack their only loss since they opened the season with a single-digit defeat at the hands of the team at the top of this list.
The Her Hoop Stats ratings and the Massey Ratings both have NC State in the top three, and after they pummeled previously-unbeaten rival North Carolina last week, it’s easy to see why. Nearly the entire rotation is shooting above 40 percent from 3, which makes this team almost impossible to guard when Elissa Cunane is on the floor commanding attention in the post.
Never change, @ecunane_.
— #4 NC State WBB 🐺🏀 (@PackWomensBball) January 11, 2022
An absolutely DOMINANT week for this senior center. pic.twitter.com/lu8dli7Oyb
At +1500 odds, the implied probability here is 1-in-16, which makes this an automatic value assuming NC State doesn’t miss the Sweet 16 for the first time in Cunane’s career. Once we hit the Sweet 16, all teams would have a 1-in-16 shot if they were equal, and it’s almost certain that NC State will be among the better teams in that group. This line should drop below +1000 at some point. To me, this is the best bet on the board, so grab it now before it’s too late.
Iowa State, +6600 at PointsBet (1.5% implied probability)
Rounding out PointsBet’s list of 18 teams are three teams tied for the longest odds: Iowa State, Kentucky and Tennessee at +6600. The Lady Vols have been the highest-ranked team among the three for most of the season, but the Cyclones are where I’m putting my money.
Ashley Joens and company were mere minutes from a Sweet 16 berth last season before Jordan Nixon happened, and just about the whole rotation from that team came back. Nobody has taken or made more 3s than Iowa State, and if current numbers hold, two of the nine teams in NCAA history to shoot over 81 percent from the free throw line will be 2020-21 Iowa State and 2021-22 Iowa State. That could come into play in March down the stretch of a tight tournament game.
The only blemish on the resume is a nine-point loss to LSU, and that looks a whole lot better now than it did at the time given how Kim Mulkey has her team playing. The Cyclones are in the top eight in the Her Hoop Stats ratings and the Massey ratings, and Charlie Creme’s latest bracketology has them as a No. 2 seed. If those spots hold, this 1.5 percent implied probability will look silly.
We’ll know a lot more about Iowa State after games next week against Texas and Baylor. As it stands, the Cyclones are looking like a serious contender to end Baylor’s reign atop the Big 12. Make sure you manage your bankroll responsibly and bet less on this than on a top team like South Carolina, but it’s definitely worth what those in the betting community would call “lunch money.”
Calvin Wetzel is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports, covering basketball and betting. He also contributes to Her Hoop Stats and Bet Her. Follow him on Twitter at @cwetzel31.
Opposites attract when it comes to former roommates, teammates and longtime friends Lisa Leslie and Dawn Staley.
The WNBA legend stopped by Dawn Staley’s new podcast Netlife to reminisce about her illustrious career, including her time on the court with Staley.
The teammates first met when Staley was a freshman in college and Leslie was just a junior in high school. With Leslie projecting a laidback California demeanor and Staley sporting an east-coast toughness, the two couldn’t have been more different. What bonded the friends, however, was their shared commitment to the game of basketball.
“What we have always had in common is our work ethic,” says Leslie, “and our work ethic was like, it does not matter who is in front of us, we are going after it, we are going one hundred percent.”
The former Team USA and Los Angeles Sparks star reveals that fighting for her teammates is what kept her passion for the game alive. Staley shared in that same mentality.
“We were of the same cloth,” Leslie tells Staley.
Playing on the 1996 Olympic team together, Leslie remembers the entire squad sharing their grit and resilience.
“It wasn’t the best players in the country, the 12,” recalls Leslie, “but we had the best chemistry and the best understanding of sacrificing self for the team.”
The 1996 USA Basketball team went on to win the Atlanta Summer Games, capturing national attention and elevating the profile of women’s basketball.
With the exposure and connectedness that comes with social media, Leslie isn’t sure if the hunger of the 1996 group could be replicated by players today.
“I don’t know that their level of passion and work ethic is the same,” says Leslie. “They want the glitz and the glamor, they want the deals already, but who is in the gym at six in the morning?”
Despite the grind, It wasn’t all work and no play with Team USA. Staley and Leslie remember getting their laughs in while playing for multiple Olympic teams.
One memory in particular still makes the two laugh, reminiscing about a failed “circle the wagon” drill. In order to complete the game, each player had to net a layup and collect a rebound in succession without letting the ball hit the floor, or else the drill would start over.
“Of course, we are professionals, so you should make layups. But unfortunately on this day, Tina Thompson has missed two layups so the drill keeps starting over,” Leslie recalls.
The first time Thompson missed the team was understanding. By the second, people started to lose their patience, and then the third was simply too much for some teammates to take.
Upon whiffing her third attempt, teammate Sheryl Swoopes yelled out, “Damnit, Tina!” The moment instantly became an inside joke for the team and is still referenced to this day.
Listen to more behind-the-scenes Team USA stories with Staley and Leslie here.
The U.S. women’s national team and U.S. Soccer Federation have agreed to end the NWSL allocation system, allowing players to sign directly with NWSL teams and have their salaries paid by their respective clubs.
Since the NWSL launched in 2013, USSF had been paying the salaries of select USWNT players within the NWSL.
The agreement goes into effect immediately, with teams able to sign players directly for the upcoming 2022 season. Players who choose to sign with the NWSL will become members of the NWSLPA and have more flexibility in their club careers, the USWNT Players Association said Monday.
USWNTPA statement regarding MOU with USSF to extend current CBA and dissolve NWSL Allocation System. pic.twitter.com/31eGIumL6W
— USWNT Players (@USWNTPlayers) December 13, 2021
In addition, the USWNT and the USSF have agreed to extend the current collective bargaining agreement through at least March 31, 2022, giving the sides more time to negotiate.
“We remain committed to good faith negotiations,” the USWNTPA wrote in a statement. “But we will ensure that our players and our fans know when USSF is misrepresenting what is happening in our discussions.”
In a statement, the USSF continued to encourage the USWNT and the USMNT to come together and agree on a joint path forward.
The Chicago Red Stars have already signed their USWNT players to contracts, with Tierna Davidson, Casey Krueger, Alyssa Naeher and Mallory Pugh agreeing to multi-year contracts in early December.
The WNBA announced on Thursday the information for the upcoming 2022 WNBA Draft Lottery, presented by State Farm.
ESPN will present the Draft Lottery for the 10th consecutive year. The 2022 lottery will air in a 30-minute broadcast on Sunday, Dec. 19 at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Four teams – the Indiana Fever (12-42), Atlanta Dream (15-39), Washington Mystics (21-33) and Dallas Wings (27-27) – have qualified for the 21st annual lottery. The winner secures the top pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft, held next April.
As part of the drawing, 14 balls numbered 1 through 14 will be played in a lottery machine. Four of those balls will be drawn to determine a four-digit combination that is assigned to one of the four teams, who will then receive the No. 1 pick. The process will then be repeated to determine the second pick. From there, the team with the lowest cumulative two-year record who does not have their numbers picked will select third, and the final team will select fourth.
The remaining order of the first round is as follows:
5. New York (12-20)
6. Dallas (14-18)
7. Chicago (16-16)
8. Minnesota from Phoenix (19-13) via New York and Seattle
9. Seattle (21-11)
10. Indiana from Minnesota (2-10)
11. Las Vegas (24-8)
12. Connecticut (26-6)
Angel City FC continues to grow its roster ahead of next weeks drafts, acquiring USWNT star Julie Ertz and NWSL Defender of the Year nominee Sarah Gorden from the Chicago Red Stars in exchange for full roster protection in the 2022 NWSL Expansion Draft.
Forever Red Stars. Forever CHICAGO.@sarahlgorden, @gutinikki7, @katieajohnson33,@makenzy_allyson, @julieertz...Thank You ❤️
— Chicago Red Stars (@chicagoredstars) December 2, 2021
Additionally, ACFC will receive an international slot from Chicago in 2022 and 2023.
Previously, the club had signed USWNT star forward, two-time Olympian and World Cup Champion Christen Press.
“Julie Ertz and Sarah Gorden are two players that are so important for the defensive foundation we are building on the Angel City roster,” said ACFC Sporting Director Eni Aluko. “We know successful football teams need to have competitive defenses and we are delighted with the addition of two competitive defenders with many years of NWSL experience.”
According to a release by the Red Stars, the moves “prioritize and honor the wishes of select players.”
Chicago has had a roller coaster few months, reaching the NWSL Championship final before head coach Rory Dames resigned ahead of verbal and emotional abuse allegations.
“The level of experience and leadership that both Julie Ertz and Sarah Gorden bring to a team is incredible,” said ACFC Head Coach Freya Coombe. “Julie is such a known leader and competitor on top of being a rock in the middle of the field. Sarah is absolutely one of the league’s best defenders. She was excellent all season and stood out in the NWSL Championship. They are the calibre of player that we want on the field playing for Angel City.”
The Red Stars also saw to a trade with San Diego that sent Katie Johnson, Makenzy Doniak and Kelsey Turnbow to the Wave in exchange for draft protection and allocation money. Additionally, Nikki Stanton has been traded to OL Reign.
While altogether, the trades may appear somewhat lopsided, with Chicago losing a total of six players while taking in zero, it is worth noting that Chicago had five USWNT allocated players and could only protect one in the expansion draft. With the roster protection they received in both trades, the Red Stars will now be able to keep Tierna Davidson, Casey Krueger, Alyssa Naeher and Mallory Pugh.
WTA chairman and CEO Steve Simon announced on Wednesday that the WTA has decided to suspend all tournaments in China over concerns about the safety of Chinese player Peng Shuai.
It’s the strongest public stand a sports body has taken against China.
The Grand Slam doubles champion, who accused a former government official of sexual assault, disappeared from the public eye following a Nov. 2 post to social media. She has since been seen attending a youth tennis event and spoke with IOC officials.
But the appearances have not convinced other public entities that Peng is safe. On Tuesday, the European Union requested “verifiable proof” that the 35-year-old is safe.
“Her recent public reappearance does not ease concerns about her safety and freedom,” an EU spokesperson said.
The WTA has taken a continuously hard stance, making repeated calls for a “full and transparent investigation — without censorship” into Peng’s accusations.
“Unfortunately, the leadership in China has not addressed this very serious issue in any credible way,” Simon wrote in a statement. “While we now know where Peng is, I have serious doubts that she is free, safe, and not subject to censorship, coercion, and intimidation.”
According to Simon, the move to halt tour play in China comes “with the full support of the WTA Board of Directors.”
“In good conscience, I don’t see how I can ask our athletes to compete there when Peng Shuai is not allowed to communicate freely and has seemingly been pressured to contradict her allegation of sexual assault,” Simon said. “Given the current state of affairs, I am also greatly concerned about the risks that all of our players and staff could face if we were to hold events in China in 2022.”
Next year, China is supposed to host several of the WTA’s tournaments, including the season-ending WTA Finals — scheduled to be held there until 2030.
Tennis icon Billie Jean King threw her support behind the measure, writing that she applauds Simon and WTA leadership for “taking a strong stand on defending human rights in China & around the world.”
“The WTA is on the right side of history in supporting our players.”
I applaud Steve Simon & the @WTA leadership for taking a strong stand on defending human rights in China & around the world. The WTA is on the right side of history in supporting our players.
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) December 1, 2021
This is another reason why women’s tennis is the leader in women’s sports. https://t.co/PHiU0S7Prw
Candace Parker sat down with Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks on Tuesday, speaking candidly about her non-relationship with USA Basketball and Geno Auriemma after the program famously cut Parker from the 2016 Olympic team.
FULL CLIP: Candace Parker speaks about not having a relationship with USA Basketball, dislike between her and Geno Auriemma , and the @nnekaogwumike snub
— Taylor Rooks (@TaylorRooks) December 1, 2021
“I don’t like him, he doesn’t like me. We don’t like each other..” pic.twitter.com/3Z828ffarQ
“I’m happy for them,” Parker said of the Tokyo squad, singling out Napheesa Collier and Chelsea Gray for their success this past summer as they helped Team USA win Olympic gold in Tokyo. Parker said she wishes Team USA the best, but was also candid in critiquing the program’s evolution.
“When you evolve with time, that’s when you’re at your best. And I don’t know if USA Basketball has continually evolved with time.”
Parker, who played very little in 2012 and was snubbed from the team in 2016, added that she wished that USA Basketball had been more upfront about the process. Parker highlights a camp in which she excelled on the court, alluding to the idea that it was about who she was off of the court that made the difference.
“I got a triple-double at the camp, was first or second in scoring,” she said. “Like, it wasn’t on the court.
“So if it’s me as an individual, as a person… I’m spending time away from my daughter to come and do these camps that I’m not even being judged off of how I’m playing.”
She added that she didn’t think she personally fit in with the team, which was then coached by UConn’s Geno Auriemma.
“I don’t think Geno wanted me on the team,” she said, adding that she wished that Auriemma and USA Basketball had just been upfront rather than beating around the bush.
“As soon as he was named coach again, I was like ‘ah well, this is gonna be interesting,’” Parker said in reference to 2016. When pressed for as to why Auriemma didn’t want her on the team, Parker said: “He doesn’t like me, I don’t like him.”
Parker also alluded to the fact that during her time at Tennessee, UConn failed to win a national championship and couldn’t beat the Lady Vols.
“We don’t like each other… But I’m of the mindset that I don’t have to like you to play with you. I don’t have to like you to work with you. And it’s fine, it’s cool. They made their decision.”
Parker then added that she’s still upset about Nneka Ogwumike being left off of the USA Basketball team that won gold in Tokyo.
“I get more angry at the people that I love getting hurt, and what they did to Nneka was unbelievable,” she said. “It’s one of those things where it’s like, I’m more angry at that. Because you have somebody that arguably, maybe in 2016 but definitely in 2020 [should have been included]. She’s the only MVP of the league [that hasn’t been named to an Olympic team]. She went and got MVP of the World Games and then you leave her off the team? I think that there’s certain grace for certain people, and there’s certain things that aren’t, that you don’t get grace.”
Parker also complimented UConn’s success as a college program while seeming to insinuate that the team and Geno have had too much influence over Team USA, a claim Seimone Augustus also recently made.
Chicago Red Stars majority owner Arnim Whisler has apologized to players over text message, former Red Star Sam Johnson revealed Tuesday.
According to a screenshot posted to Johnson’s Instagram stories, Whisler texted her saying he is “so sorry for what happened to you at the Red Stars and for not knowing or having procedures that could uncover it.
“If it’s helpful I’m happy to speak or help further,” he continued.
On the screenshot, Johnson wrote “Calculated…”
She later added that she was “happy to discuss publicly honey, pick a platform” tagging the Chicago Red Stars as well as multiple national media outlets.
Johnson then revealed a text that was sent to Jen Hoy, another player quoted publicly in the Post, that read similar to what she received.
“….that was kinda like a mass text,” she wrote.
Johnson had 68 appearances for the Red Stars from 2014 through 2018 before being traded to the Utah Royals. She was then sent on loan to Australia’s W-League where she played with Sydney FC and the Melbourne Victory. She then returned to Utah where she appeared in 14 games for the team before announcing her retirement from professional soccer.
In 2020, she made her return to Australia’s W-League with Melbourne City before making her way to Soyaux in France.
The defender was quoted multiple times in The Washington Post story published Monday, which featured multiple current and former NWSL players accusing former Red Stars coach Rory Dames of verbal and emotional abuse.
Johnson discussed being witness to an incident in which Dames yelled at a player, who is a mother, “If you can’t even talk on the field, what kind of mother are you?”
“Something happens to [Dames] when he comes to work, because he’s a completely different person, and he does not have to be that way,” Johnson said of Dames and the incident. “It’s extremely demoralizing and definitely verbally abusive. Is verbal abuse against the rules? I don’t know, but I just know I wasn’t comfortable with him challenging my teammate like that.”
“It affects people’s individual confidence, individual everything,” she later added. “For some players, you question everything you do, everything you are.”
According to reporting by Post, Whisler had knowledge of allegations of abuse against Dames since at least 2018 when he was made aware of an investigation that was being conducted by U.S. Soccer. Whisler has a long history with U.S. Soccer, having worked with the federation to help found the NWSL in 2012.
The first time allegations of abuse were brought to U.S. Soccer was in 2014, when USWNT and former Red Star Christen Press brought her concerns to U.S. Soccer officials.
In addition to the allegations, the article details the failures of U.S. Soccer to respond to the allegations. In the article, Johnson said it is a sign that there needs to be an independent and unbiased governing body that overlooks the league, its owners and U.S. Soccer.
“There’s no one looking over the higher-ups,” she said.
On Tuesday, Red Stars’ ownership issued a statement, walking back their previous statement on Dames and apologizing to players.
The 2021 NWSL season has officially come to a close, with the Washington Spirit winning their first-ever championship in an extra-time thriller. Now it’s time to look ahead to 2022.
With December’s expansion draft just around the corner, most of the league’s teams will undergo a considerable roster shakeup this offseason. Clubs are allowed to protect nine players, including just one U.S. allocated player, from San Diego and Angel City FC’s selection, making change inevitable.
How will the upcoming expansion draft impact the existing NWSL teams, and how will the Wave and ACFC fair? We’ll find out in December. For now, here’s how the league shakes out today.
2022 NWSL Way-too-early Power Rankings:
1. Washington Spirit
It’s hard to bet against the Washington Spirit after their commanding 2021 Championship run. The Spirit finished the season on a 12-game unbeaten streak, excluding the club’s two forced forfeits due to COVID-19 protocol violations. Overcoming off-field turmoil, the team fielded a young team that was stacked across the board, including Rookie of the Year Trinity Rodman, Goalkeeper of the Year Aubrey Bledsoe, Golden Boot winner Ashley Hatch and USWNT stars Kelley O’Hara, Emily Sonnett and Andi Sullivan.
Even on their way to capturing the league title, the team looked to be still growing into itself, with young, talented players yet to hit their apex. With another year of development, Washington seems poised for a playoff repeat.
2. Portland Thorns
The Portland Thorns were the heavy favorites heading into the 2021 season and lived up to the preseason hype, winning the 2021 Challenge Cup and NWSL Shield but falling short of the Championship.
Longtime coach Mark Parson’s departure could shake things up, but with veteran talents like Becky Sauerbrunn and Christine Sinclair, coupled with young stars in Simone Charley, Sophia Smith and Morgan Weaver, Portland could exact revenge in 2022, clinching the NWSL Championship they were expected to win in 2021. The big what-if? How soon Crystal Dunn can return from pregnancy.
3. NJ/NY Gotham FC
Gotham FC had a landmark 2021, launching one of the most successful rebrands in NWSL history, playing in Red Bull Arena, booking a trip to the Challenge Cup final, and making a hard-fought playoff run. Though Carli Lloyd has retired, Gotham FC has plenty of talent ready to step up to the plate, including MVP candidate Margaret Purce.
The squad is also loaded defensively, with Caprice Dydasco winning Defender of the Year and Imani Dorsey recently receiving a call-up to the USWNT. With another year to gel as a team and develop their confidence, Gotham FC should be a force to be reckoned with in 2022.
4. OL Reign
OL Reign ended the season as one of the most exciting attacking teams in the league, boosted by an influx of international talent. The Tacoma club, however, is set to lose Eugiene Le Sommer, Dzsenifer Marozsan and Sarah Bouhaddi, who are all on loan from Lyon. The team does still have the 2021 MVP in Jessica Fishlock, star midfielder Rose Lavelle and Sofia Huerta, who is quickly becoming one of the league’s best outside backs. OL Reign also has a not-so-secret weapon in Coach of the Year Laura Harvey, who has experience leading teams to titles and getting the most out of her players.
5. North Carolina Courage
The North Carolina Courage undoubtedly had a trying 2021, dealing, like the rest of the league, with the allegations of sexual coercion made against former coach Paul Riley. The team somehow found a way to make the playoffs despite the off-field drama and a sidelined Sam Mewis. If the team can regroup in the offseason and get their all-star midfielder back, the Courage may just be back in contention for the top of the table. With Lynn Williams and Jessica McDonald up top, it’s hard to count out North Carolina.
6. Chicago Red Stars
The Chicago Red Stars pushed their way to the club’s third NWSL title match in 2021 against all odds, with a series of the team’s top players falling to injury. Julie Ertz, Alyssa Naeher and Casey Krueger were all mainstays on the injury list following the Tokyo Olympics, while Kealia Watt and Mallory Pugh picked up knocks throughout the playoffs. Pugh also missed Chicago’s semifinal match alongside teammate Kayla Sharples due to COVID-19 protocols.
Now, the Red Stars must deal with a bombshell report detailing former coach Rory Dames’s alleged misconduct over his tenure with the team. Depending on the new coach and what the club does to shift the overall culture, Chicago could either rise to the challenge of a culture overhaul or be forced to start over next year. No matter what, the talent will be there, as Ertz, Watt, Naeher and Kreuger should all be healthy — the only question is if the Red Stars will get to keep all of them during the expansion draft.
7. Houston Dash
The name of the game for Houston’s offseason will be defensive development. The Dash ranked fourth in goals scored for the 2021 season but conceded 32 goals — the only teams to allow more goals in their net were Racing Louisville, Kansas City and Orlando Pride, none of whom made the playoffs.
With USWNT center-back Abby Dahlkemper traded to San Diego, Houston will need to shore up their backline in order to make a playoff run in 2022.
8. Orlando Pride
The Orlando Pride had a tough break in 2021, enduring a midseason coaching switch-up that resulted in a late-year stall after what looked to be a promising start to the NWSL schedule. The club is still on the search for a new head coach after Beck Burleigh’s stint as interim coach came to an end.
The team has undeniable talent in Marta, Alex Morgan, Ashlyn Harris and Sydney Leroux, but has yet to find a way to be productive in the final third, with the team ranking eighth in the league in goals and shots on goal this season, in front of only Racing Louisville and Kansas City.
9. Racing Louisville
Racing Louisville made its presence known in the NWSL early, winning the inaugural Women’s Cup in its first year as an expansion team. The club also played host to the NWSL Championship, showcasing its world-class facilities and the city’s burgeoning soccer fandom. On the pitch, Louisville finished strong, too, notching two draws and a win to end the year, indicating promise for the 2022 season. Now that Louisville knows what it has in star striker Ebony Salmon, the team certainly has the ability to build a compelling attack and climb the NWSL standings.
10. Kansas City Current
Kansas City can breathe a sigh of relief as it is the only team exempt from the NWSL expansion draft in an agreement solidified with the club’s introduction to the league. The Current finished last in the 2021 NWSL standings but showed flashes of promise during their debut season. Acquiring known talents in Adrianna Franch and Kristen Hamilton during the season, Kansas City has a solid core to build around without the stress of losing players to either San Diego or Los Angeles.
11. Angel City FC
Before ever making a pick in December’s NWSL expansion draft, Angel City FC heads into their first season with a key roster cornerstone — that being USWNT star Christen Press. The Los Angeles expansion team signed Press in August, acquiring one of the best forwards in the world in the process. The team also brought on Gotham FC’s former head coach Freya Coombe, who has a proven record at succeeding in NWSL. Depending on who the club takes in the draft, ACFC could be a contender in its inaugural season. For now, they’re sitting near the bottom of our list.
12. San Diego Wave FC
San Diego also has a proven coach and a big-name star heading into the league’s expansion draft. The Wave inked a deal with Casey Stoney, luring Manchester United’s manager to the NWSL, while USWNT defender Abby Dahlkemper also signed with the team, becoming San Diego’s first player. Stoney’s experience in professional women’s soccer could be a real advantage in a year that’s scene historic turnover elsewhere across the NWSL. But as with ACFC, San Diego sits at the bottom of our rankings until we know more about their roster come December.