The 2021 NWSL season featured a plethora of stunning goals. From long-range bangers to cheeky chips, the regular season was packed with quality finishes which flexed the talent saturation of the league.

Though it’s a tall order to select the year’s top goals, a few plays rose above the rest, defining the NWSL season that was.

These are the 10 must-see goals from this 2021 NWSL season:

1. Jess Fishlock’s long-range effort

OL Reign midfielder and league MVP Jess Fishlock is no stranger to a long-range shot. The Welsh star has proved herself dangerous from any distance, causing problems for defenses across the NWSL.

Jess Fishlock top corner from the parking lot for @OLReign 🚀

(via @NWSL)pic.twitter.com/BphwIFZwVh

— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 11, 2021

Fishlocks’s banger from outside the box in OL Reign’s October matchup against Chicago showcased the 34-year-old’s shot-making ability and her command over the midfield. Her equalizer was one of her five goals on the season as well as one of the most stunning finishes of the year.

2. Trinity Rodman’s crazy assist

Trinity Rodman burst onto the scene in 2021, putting together one of the most impressive rookie campaigns in NWSL history. Her assist to Golden Boot winner Ashley Hatch in the Spirit’s October 3-0 win over Racing Louisville was likewise one of the most impressive services of the year, highlighting the 18-year-old’s technical ability and defensive commitment.

Hi, we would like to create an assist of the year award and give it to @trinity_rodman immediately pic.twitter.com/qI7MriXDNP

— Washington Spirit (@WashSpirit) October 11, 2021

Winning the ball in the midfield, Rodman perfectly picked out Hatch, putting the ball on a platter for the Washington striker to slot home.

3. Ebony Salmon’s NWSL debut

Ebony Salmon wasted no time making her mark on the NWSL, scoring in her first two minutes on the pitch. The English striker opened up her account with Racing Louisville in June, setting herself up with creative skill to notch her first finish with flare.

OH MY GOODNESS @ebony_salmon ‼️#LOUvHOU | https://t.co/0LtSAUK1Jw | #NWSL21 pic.twitter.com/VUSFHX2UUv

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) June 20, 2021

The 20-year-old finished her inaugural season with six goals and one assist, giving Racing Louisville fans a lot to look forward to in 2022.

4. Sophia Smith’s sensational strike

Sophia Smith showed why she is considered the future of the USWNT’s attack, striking a sensational ball from outside the box to beat Ashlyn Harris at the near post. The 21-year-old’s finish helped Portland to a 2-1 win over the Pride, catapulting the team to the top of the table just before the Olympics.

Take a bow, @sophsssmith! 💫 pic.twitter.com/PmPPprpe35

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) July 19, 2021

The moral of the story — be weary of giving Smith time and space.

5. Caprice Dydasco’s “shross”

Caprice Dydasco’s first NWSL goal was a stunner, albeit confounding to categorize. The NWSL Defender of the Year’s finish looked to some to be a cross that tucked into the back of the net. To others, it was a stunning curler.

🚨 SHROSS ALERT 🚨#ORLvNJNY | https://t.co/0LtSAUK1Jw | #NWSL21 pic.twitter.com/QHWBFAjden

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) June 20, 2021

Whatever Dydasco’s intention, her June finish for Gotham FC was one of the most impeccable goals of the year.

6. Eugénie Le Sommer puts her defender on skates

Eugenie Le Sommer’s first OL Reign goal was arguably the league’s best finish of the season. The French forward put her defender on skates before curling the ball past the fully extended Louisville keeper to open her OL Reign account in stunning fashion.

Cruel (Le) Sommer. #NWSL pic.twitter.com/GPKlwSAhhw

— Our Game Magazine (@OurGameMagazine) August 1, 2021

Le Sommer’s July finish kicked off a stellar campaign with the NWSL club, scoring eight goals in 18 matches.

7. Emina Ekic plays hometown hero

Racing Louisville clinched the club’s first-ever win with a 2-0 shutout over the Washington Spirit in May. Emina Ekic, a Louisville native and graduate of the University of Louisville, notched the team’s go-ahead goal, evading a swarm of defenders before striking a banger into the far post.

Can't write this stuff...

First regular season goal for the hometown hero, @emina_ekic10 💥#LOUvWAS | https://t.co/iecT7II54a | #NWSL21 pic.twitter.com/iulYJyi890

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 22, 2021

The moment was the stuff of movies, galvanizing her hometown crowd in a franchise-defining moment.

8. Christine Sinclair’s chip 

Christine Sinclair is a soccer legend, making even the most difficult skills look effortless. The Portland star’s finish in her team’s May rivalry matchup against OL Reign was no different. Karen Bardsley’s deflected save fell to Sinclair, who, with precision, chipped the Reign keeper for a cheeky and memorable goal.

What a cheeky chip from @sincy12 🤯#PORvRGN | https://t.co/bONPZnnmCJ | #NWSL21 pic.twitter.com/bNBjireYho

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 23, 2021

38 years old, Sinclair still hasn’t lost a step.

9. Crystal Dunn from deep

For those who forgot, Crystal Dunn can score goals. While USWNT fans may be accustomed to seeing Dunn at outside back, for Portland, the 29-year-old plays higher up the pitch in her preferred position.

The swerve on this goal from Crystal Dunn 🤩

(🎥: @ThornsFC)pic.twitter.com/mE3oK9OQKy

— B/R Football (@brfootball) May 30, 2021

Dunn showed off her attacking skills in May when she hit a banger into the upper 90, beating her Gotham defender at the top of the box and reminding us all of what she’s capable of.

10. Gotham FC’s team goal

Gotham FC showed a team goal could be just as thrilling as an individual flash of brilliance, executing one of the most comprehensive plays of the year. Margaret Purce finished off the buildup play, which started with the team’s backline. Ifeoma Onumonu set up a dummy for Carli Lloyd before making a critical overlapping run, notching the assist.

Team football at its finest from @GothamFC 📈#ORLvNJNY | https://t.co/iecT7II54a | #NWSL21 pic.twitter.com/zrapROAS2k

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) October 10, 2021

The October finish showed just what this burgeoning Gotham team is capable of. Lloyd may be gone in 2022, but an influx of USWNT stars has the New Jersey/New York club looking to continue their ascent.

Rose Lavelle is hoping to return to the field soon. 

The 28-year-old midfielder has been sidelined with a lower leg injury since the Gold Cup in early march. Since then, she has yet to play for new club Gotham FC in the NWSL. She also missed a potential USWNT appearance at the SheBelieves Cup in April, where senior team newcomer Jaedyn Shaw saw success assuming Lavelle's role in the attacking midfield. 

At the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee media showcase on Monday, Lavelle told reporters that she’s doing well and hopes to be back soon.

"I’m doing good — I’m hoping I’ll be back in the next couple weeks," Lavelle said. "It’s frustrating to start the year off with an injury, just because I feel like you come off preseason and you’re revving to go, so it’s so annoying."

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Lavelle is still looking to compete for one of just 18 Olympic roster spots. When healthy, she ranks as one of the national team’s most trusted assets, but considering this most recent injury, her health is an obvious concern. Faced with an onslaught of experienced competitors and young talent, incoming USWNT coach Emma Hayes will have some big decisions to make when selecting the Paris-bound squad — a reality Lavelle seems to be taking in stride as she works to regain full fitness.

"We have so many special players, we have so much depth, and so many different weapons to utilize on and off the bench," Lavelle said. "Unfortunately that means really good players are going to get left off, too. And I think for all of us, it’s just about being ready for whatever role is given to us, embracing that, and looking to put it into a collective picture so that we can go into the Olympics ready to go."

Stanford has found its replacement for legendary head women's basketball coach Tara VanDerveer in associate head coach Kate Paye.

The Cardinal confirmed the hiring on Tuesday via a press release. Paye was largely expected to replace the longtime head coach, as the college mentioned they were still negotiating Paye's contract when they announced VanDerveer's retirement.

In Tuesday's statement, Paye reported that she was "humbled" to have been tapped to lead the women’s program.

"Stanford University has been a central part of my life for as long as I can remember and I am humbled to have the opportunity to lead its women’s basketball program," Paye said. "I’d first like to thank Tara, who has played such a pivotal role in my career for her friendship and guidance. It’s not what she’s done, but how she’s done it, that has had such a profound impact upon me."

A Woodside, California native, Paye played under VanDerveer from 1992 to 1995, taking home a national title her freshman year. After graduation, Paye briefly joined San Diego State as an assistant coach before making her professional debut with the ABL's Seattle Reign in 1996. After finishing her playing career with the WNBA's Seattle Storm, she joined the team’s coaching staff in 2007 and has been with the organization ever since, picking up another national title win — this time as associate head coach — in 2021. Paye's brother John played quarterback for Stanford from 1983 to 1986, while also serving as a point guard on the basketball team.

In her own response, VanDerveer said that she was "grateful" that Stanford picked Paye to follow in her stead. Last week, the decorated coach stated that this year would be her last after 38 seasons at the helm and three national titles under her belt.

"She has long been ready for this opportunity and is the perfect leader for Stanford at this time of immense change in college athletics," VanDerveer noted. "Kate was the choice for this job and I am confident she will achieve great success as head coach."

The 2024 WNBA Draft has officially concluded, leaving the newly minted rookie class facing a tough road ahead.

Only 144 roster slots are available throughout the league’s 12 teams, the reason why the players are sometimes referred to as the “144.” And Monday’s draft picks are set to join a large group of established players competing for those same roster spots, from seasoned veterans to young athletes determined to prove their value on the court.

Last year, just 15 of the league’s 36 draftees made it onto their drafting team's opening-day squad.

In reality, there are oftentimes fewer than 144 spots available, as not every team maxes out their roster. Per the league's CBA, each team roster must maintain a minimum standard of 11 players, but those lists can include players out with injuries or on other forms of leave. Players can also be assigned to short-term hardship contracts, something waived players must be prepared for at any point during the season.

Earlier this week, Laeticia Amihere — a 2022 national champion with South Carolina who currently plays for the Atlanta Dream — took to TikTok to provide some insight into the WNBA training camp process. 

"You can either get drafted on Draft Night, or you can get signed by a team," she said. "Once that happens, you go to training camp literally like two weeks later... Basically everybody's got to try out. There's 12 roster spots, and there's like 18 people at the at the trial."

@laeticiaamihere Replying to @dantavius.washington #wnba #draft ♬ original sound - Laeticia Amihere

Amihere also had an important point to make: Getting cut does not signify a player’s abilities. 

"If you get cut after training camp, that does not mean you're not good," she said. "That does not mean that player sucks, don't stop supporting that player. Literally, there's so many reasons somebody can get cut."

"If you guys look at the best players in the league, most of them have bounced around teams," she added. "And I promise you it is not a bad thing, it's just how the league is."

Things, however gradually, are changing. With Golden State's WNBA team scheduled to launch in time for the 2025 season, league expansion is just around the corner. On Monday, Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced that the league is aiming to grow to 16 teams by 2028. But by then, it might be too little too late for the generation of talent emerging from an increasingly competitive NCAA system.

Monday night’s WNBA draft added to the nationwide uptick in record-breaking women's sports viewership, pulling in 2.45 million viewers throughout the nearly two-hour broadcast and peaking at 3.09 million, according to an ESPN release. 

That number shatters the previous draft viewership record — 601,000 in 2004 — which was fueled primarily by then-No. 1 pick Diana Taurasi entering the league after UConn's historic three-peat March Madness performance.  

The 2023 WNBA draft drew 572,000 viewers, the most for any televised WNBA event since 2.74 million tuned in to NBC for a Memorial Day matchup between the New York Liberty and Houston Comets back in 2000.

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While many came to watch Caitlin Clark get drafted No. 1 overall, it’s important to note that viewership didn’t take a massive dip after the superstar shooter left the stage. The numbers show that a bulk of the audience stuck around to watch the remainder of the show, making 2024's event not just the most-viewed WNBA draft in history, but also the most-viewed WNBA program to ever air on ESPN platforms.

Draft Day's popularity is yet another sign indicating an expected rise in WNBA regular season viewership. Clark and Iowa's NCAA tournament showdown with the Chicago Sky-bound Kamilla Cardoso's South Carolina side drew a record 18.7 million to ABC's Sunday afternoon broadcast. Banking on this trend, 36 of Indiana's upcoming 40 games are set to be shown on national television. In-person ticket sales are also soaring, leading the defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces to re-home their matchup with the Fever to a venue that can accommodate some 6,000 more fans.