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

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

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

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

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

Three teams to watch

South County – Lortan, Va. (2-0)

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

Broomfield – Broomfield, Colo. (2-0)

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

St. Dominic – O’Fallon, Mo. (5-0)

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

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

— Gracie B (@gracebindbeutel) November 8, 2020

Three players to watch

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nike is sending Team USA to Italy in style, with the sportswear giant's ACG (All Conditions Gear) brand releasing the designs for a special 2026 Winter Olympics collection this week.

Branded with Nike ACG badges alongside Team USA patches, this year's collection builds off a traditional red, white, and navy color scheme to outfit the country's Olympic and Paralympic athletes, as well as fans, ahead of the 2026 Games' February 6th opening ceremony in Milan.

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The designs include a long-sleeved T-shirt displaying an animated, winter sports-bound bald eagle and a zipped fleece sherpa and Therma-Fit skirt, both emblazoned with a bald eagle soaring over mountains.

Additionally, the collection boasts multiple T-shirts, long-sleeved sweat-wicking shirts, Polartec® jackets, and accessories including a baseball cap and winter beanie.

Nike is just one of many major brands outfitting Team USA for this year's competition, with the athletic corporation joining J.Crew in inviting fans to gear up for the Games after the fashion retailer dropped its own Winter Olympics capsule collection earlier this month.

How to purchase items from the Nike ACG x Team USA collection

The Nike ACG x Team USA line will hit shelves on Friday, January 23rd, with fans able to snag pieces prior to the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The collection will be available for purchase via nike.com.

Stars of the 2025 Euro stole the EA FC 26 spotlight this week, as the video game giant's fan-voted 2026 Team of the Year recognized some of international soccer's top achievers on Thursday.

Champions England fielded four honorees as forward Alessia Russo joined a trio of Lioness defenders — Leah Williamson, Millie Bright, and Team of the Year captain Lucy Bronze — on the 11-player list.

"Being named the first-ever Women's EA Sports FC TOTY Captain is an honour," Bronze said in a statement. "2025 was an amazing year — winning the Euros again and picking up my first BWSL with Chelsea — so much of that success is thanks to our fans, and it's great to see them recognize my efforts with this award."

The rest of the EA FC 26 Team of the Year also favored European titans, as Euro runners-up and Nations League winners Spain also saw a quartet of players make the roster. La Roja fully owned the Team of Year midfield as stars Aitana Bonmatí, Mariona Caldentey, and Alexia Putellas joined forward Clàudia Pina on Thursday's lineup.

Rounding out the squad were three other European club standouts as EA FC 26 also tapped Chliean goalkeeper Christiane Endler (OL Lyonnes), French defender Selma Bacha (OL Lyonnes), and Polish forward Ewa Pajor (FC Barcelona).

The first Grand Slam of 2026 has arrived, as the main draw of the Australian Open hits the court on Saturday evening, promising some early-round fireworks.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka enters as the tournament favorite, though the rest of the WTA Top 10 promises to give her a run for her money — as No. 2 Iga Świątek chases the only major tournament title still eluding her.

Meanwhile, No. 9 Madison Keys will attempt to defend her 2025 crown, as fellow US products No. 3 Coco Gauff, No. 4 Amanda Anisimova, and No. 6 Jessica Pegula also locked down top seeds.

Another US superstar will return this weekend, with 45-year-old Venus Williams following up her impressive 2025 performances by accepting a wild-card entry to her first Australian Open in five years.

"Even though I've been on tour for a long time, this is also still my first experience as [reigning champion]," Keys said. "I'm really just trying to soak in all of the really cool fun parts."

How to watch the 2026 Australian Open

The 2026 Australian Open begins at 7 PM ET on Saturday, with Williams as well as top-seed Sabalenka and world No. 7 Jasmine Paolini set to face their first opponents on the first day of the Slam's main draw.

The second day of first-round matches will see the rest of the WTA elite in action, as No. 2 Świątek, No. 3 Gauff, No. 4 Anisimova, No. 6 Pegula, and No. 9 Keys — as well as No. 5 Elena Rybakina, No. 8 Mirra Andreeva, and No. 10 Belinda Bencic — will hit the hardcourt in Melbourne starting at 7 PM ET on Sunday.

All matches in the 2026 Australian Open — from the first round through the women's final on Saturday, January 31st — will air live across ESPN platforms.

Monday's NCAA basketball action will put two of the nation's top guards to the test, as No. 10 TCU faces No. 14 Ohio State in Newark, New Jersey's Coretta Scott King Classic — part of a stacked MLK Day slate.

Buckeye sophomore Jaloni Cambridge is on a tear in this season, averaging 21.8 points per game — good for No. 10 in the country — and tallying 102 points, 20 rebounds, and 20 assists across Ohio State's last three games.

At the same time, TCU has seen similar stylings from Notre Dame transfer Olivia Miles, with the senior putting up a career-high 19.2 points per game while sitting at No. 9 in the nation behind her 7.3 assists average for the Horned Frogs.

Even more, Miles is lapping her collegiate cohort in triple doubles on the season, posting four of the elite stat-sheet performances while all other NCAA players have a maximum of one.

Both teams are meeting expectations head-on this season, impressing following 2025 NCAA tournament exits that spurred significant offseason roster changes.

Ohio State star forward Cotie McMahon transferred to Ole Miss after the Buckeyes' second-round ousting, while TCU graduated standout starting guard Hailey Van Lith and center Sedona Prince.

With Miles and Cambridge leading the charge, however, both squads are flourishing: TCU faltered just once in their 2025/26 campaign so far — a January 3rd overtime loss to unranked Utah — while Ohio State's two season losses came at the hands of titans No. 1 UConn and No. 3 UCLA.

"Ultimately, [TCU forward] Marta [Suarez] and Miles are two of the best players in college basketball," Horned Frogs head coach Mark Campbell said after Sunday's win over Arizona State. "But for our team to reach our full potential, we need these other players to show great growth. And I think we have."

How to watch TCU vs. Ohio State basketball on Monday

The No. 10 Horned Frogs will take on the No. 14 Buckeyes at 12 PM ET on Monday, airing live on FOX.