The U-23 U.S. women’s national team will travel to Paris during the upcoming Feb. 12-21 international break for training and two games against the France U-23 national team, U.S. Soccer announced on Thursday. The games will take place on Feb. 17 and 20 at Clairefontaine, France’s National Training Center.

The U.S. U-23 roster is packed with college, NWSL and other top professional talent. Headlining the group is UANL Tigres forward Mia Fishel, who currently holds the Golden Boot title in Liga MX Femenil. Fishel has long been considered a potential call-up to the U.S. first team, but head coach Vlatko Andonovski hasn’t yet indicated he has the 21-year-old in his plans for this year’s World Cup.

“Mia is a very good young player,” Andonovski said in January. “Right now, after looking at everything, we decided the players that we have in camp are going to give us the best chance to be successful.”

“We analyze every goal that she scores,” he continued. “And analyze the difficulties of the goals, and compare to the players that we called up, and try to see how they would fit or how they would replicate [performances] on the team that we have.”

Fishel is joined in the attack by Angel City’s No. 1 draft pick, Alyssa Thompson, who has two caps with the U.S. first team. No. 2 draft pick and 2022 MAC Hermann trophy winner Michelle Cooper, now with the Kansas City Current, also features on the squad.

The #U23WYNT returns to the pitch for the first time this year for a camp and two matches vs. France on Feb. 17 & 20, outside of Paris. Among the invited players, seven were part of the 2022 U-20 @FIFAWWC Team.

— U.S. Soccer YNT (@USYNT) February 9, 2023

The rest of the roster is full of exciting rising talent. The midfield alone includes former Notre Dame sophomore Korbin Albert, who recently signed with Paris St. Germain, North Carolina Courage starter Brianna Pinto and college standouts Lexi Missimo (Texas) and Lia Godfrey (Virginia).

The defense features USWNT U-20 outside back Lily Reale, who recently won a national championship with UCLA. In addition to Reale, Albert, Cooper and Thompson, Lauren Flynn, Laney Rouse and Trinity Byars played for the U-20 USWNT in 2022. Last year, that team won the Concacaf U-20 Championship on their way to the U-20 World Cup. Pinto, Fishel and Kansas City draftee Alex Spaanstra were a part of the team that won the Concacaf U-20 Women’s Championship in early 2020 before the World Cup was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Goalkeepers Hensley Hancuff (Gotham FC, on loan to Australian side Brisbane) and Lauren Kozak (Portland Thorns) round out the group, giving the team a mix of players professional and college experience.

The coaching staff also features a few notable names. Head coach Carrie Kveton, former Washington Spirit and OL Reign assistant coach and current Head of Individual Development for FC Nordsjaelland in Denmark, will work with two record-breaking, national championship-winning assistants.

UCLA Margueritte Aozasa joins the group off a historic season with UCLA, after becoming the first head coach to win the women’s soccer DI NCAA title in their first year. Former Chicago Red Stars assistant Julianne Sitch will also serve as an assistant coach after becoming the first woman to lead a men’s team — DIII program University of Chicago — to a national championship as head coach.

Full roster (by position)

GOALKEEPERS (2): Hensley Hancuff (Brisbane Roar; Edmond, Okla.), Lauren Kozal (Portland Thorns FC; Ada, Mich.)

DEFENDERS (6): Megan Bornkamp (Clemson; Mooresville, N.C.), Lauren Flynn (Florida State; Arlington, Va.), Eva Gaetino (Notre Dame; Dexter, Mich.), Lilly Reale (UCLA; Hingham, Mass.), Laney Rouse (Virginia; Cary, N.C.), Kate Wiesner (Penn State; Monrovia, Calif.)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain; Grayslake, Ill.), Hannah Bebar (Harvard; Naperville, Ill.), Lia Godfrey (Virginia; Fleming Island, Fla.), Lexi Missimo (Texas; Southlake, Texas), Brianna Pinto (North Carolina Courage; Durham, N.C.), Alexis Theoret (Virginia; Oak Hill, Va.)

FORWARDS (6): Trinity Byars (Texas; Richardson, Texas), Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current; Clarkston, Mich.), Mia Fishel (Tigres FC; San Diego, Calif.), Taylor Huff (Florida State; Mansfield, Ohio), Alexa Spaanstra (Kansas City Current; Brighton, Mich.), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC; Studio City, Calif.)

For the first time in the NWSL's 12-year history, fans can now buy their own goalkeeper jerseys. And while replica goalkeeper jerseys representing all 14 NWSL teams hit the market on Wednesday, some didn't stick around for long. 

Fans across women's soccer have long vocalized their discontent over the position's lack of availability on social media, often comparing the shortcoming to the widespread availability of men’s goalkeeper jerseys. And as the NWSL has grown, so has demand — and not just from those in the stands. 

"To have goalkeeper kits available for fans in the women’s game as they have been for so long in the men’s game is not only a long-awaited move in the right direction, it’s just good business," said Washington Spirit goalie Aubrey Kingsbury in an team press release. "I can’t wait to see fans representing me, Barnie [Barnhart], and Lyza in the stands at Audi!"

just went looking at #nwsl goalkeeper kit stock out of curiosity — Alyssa Naeher's $145 kit already sold out S-XL (league announced GK jerseys on sale 3 hours ago)https://t.co/8bYA7tlwcx

— Meg Linehan (@itsmeglinehan) April 17, 2024

Business does, in fact, appear to be booming. Alyssa Naeher’s Chicago Red Stars kit sold out less than three hours after the league's announcement. Jerseys for other keepers like DiDi Haračić, Abby Smith, Michelle Betos, Katelyn Rowland, and Bella Bixby aren’t currently available via the Official NWSL Shop, though blank goalkeeper jerseys can be customized through some individual team sites. Jerseys start at $110 each.

"This should be the benchmark," said Spirit Chief Operations Officer Theresa McDonnell. "The expectation is that all players’ jerseys are available to fans. Keepers are inspiring leaders and mentors with their own unique fan base who want to represent them... I can’t wait to see them all over the city."

Decorated gymnast Simone Biles took to the popular Call Her Daddy podcast this week to open up about her experience at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, revealing she thought she was going to be "banned from America" for her performance.

After Biles botched her vault routine due to a bout of the "twisties," she withdrew from the team final as well as the all-around final in order to focus on her mental health. She later reentered the competition to win bronze in the individual balance beam final.

In her interview with podcast host Alex Cooper, Biles admitted to feeling like she let the entire country down by failing her vault attempt.

"As soon as I landed I was like 'Oh, America hates me. The world is going to hate me. I can only see what they’re saying on Twitter right now,'" she recalled thinking. "I was like, ‘Holy s---, what are they gonna say about me?'"

"I thought I was going to be banned from America," she continued. "That’s what they tell you: Don’t come back if not gold. Gold or bust. Don’t come back."

Widely regarded as the greatest gymnast of all time, Biles has hinted at a desire to join her third Olympic team in Paris, though her participation won't be confirmed until after the gymnastics trials in late June. She holds over 30 medals from the Olympic Games and World Artistic Gymnastics Championships combined, and if qualified, would be a sure favorite heading into this summer’s games.

Caitlin Clark is reportedly close to cementing a hefty endorsement deal with Nike.

The Athletic was the first to break the news Wednesday evening, commenting that the deal would be worth "eight figures" and include her own signature shoe. On Thursday afternoon, the publication tweeted that the deal would top $20 million, according to lead NBA Insider Shams Charania. Both Under Armour and Adidas are said to have also made sizable offers to the college phenom and expected future WNBA star.

The new agreement comes after Clark's previous Nike partnership ended with the conclusion of the college basketball season. She was one of five NCAA athletes to sign an NIL deal with the brand back in October, 2022. 

Considering Clark's overwhelming popularity and Nike's deep pockets, the signing's purported value doesn't exactly come as a shock. New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu’s deal with the brand is reportedly worth $24 million, while NBA rookie and No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama’s deal is rumored to weigh in at $100 million. And in 2003, LeBron James famously earned $90 million off his own Nike deal. 

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Clark’s star power continues to skyrocket, with the NCAA championship averaging 18.9 million viewers and the 2024 WNBA Draft more than doubling its previous viewership record. Following the draft, Fanatics stated that Clark's Indiana Fever jersey — which sold out within an hour — was the top seller for any draft night pick in the company’s history, with droves of unlucky fans now being forced to wait until August to get their hands on some official No. 22 gear.

In Wednesday's Indiana Fever introductory press conference, the unfailingly cool, calm, and collected Clark said that turning pro hasn’t made a huge impact on how she’s conducting her deals.

"If I’m being completely honest, I feel like it doesn’t change a ton from how I lived my life over the course of the last year," she said. "Sponsorships stay the same. The people around me, agents and whatnot, have been able to help me and guide me through the course of the last year. I don’t know if I would be in this moment if it wasn’t for a lot of them."

Former Oklahoma slugger Jocelyn Alo has signed on with Athletes Unlimited and will compete in the AU Pro Softball AUX this June.

The NCAA record holder in career home runs (122), total bases (761), and slugging percentage (.987), Alo was originally drafted by the league in 2022 but opted instead to join the newly debuted Women’s Professional Fastpitch. 

Alo currently plays for independent pro softball team Oklahoma City Spark, with team owner Tina Floyd reportedly on board with her recent AUX signing. AUX games are scheduled for June 10-25, while the Spark's season will kick off June 19th. Alo will play for both. 

Among those joining Alo on the AUX roster are former James Madison ace pitcher Odicci Alexander and former Wichita State standout middle infielder Sydney McKinney.

According to Alo, the decision to play in the Athletes Unlimited league was fueled by her desire to propel women's sports forward as well as provide more exposure to a sport that's given her "so many opportunities."

"Not only to challenge myself more, but just for the growth of the game," Alo said, explaining her reasoning to The Oklahoman. "I genuinely believe that professional softball can be a career for girls."

Joining AUX is also one more step in her plan toward representing Team USA at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

"I’m constantly thinking about how can I do these little things right in these four years to prepare me for the biggest stage of softball," she told The Oklahoman. "I definitely want to play in the Olympics, for sure."

Alo further expressed enthusiasm in the hope that the rise of other women’s sports, like women’s basketball and the NWSL, will push softball’s professional viability even higher.

"We’re seeing the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League) get their stuff going, I see the WNBA starting to get hot," she continued. "I feel like the softball community is like, 'All right, it’s our turn and it’s our turn to just demand more.'"