As college basketball season continues, players are making their cases for the national player of the year awards.

While the plethora of talent makes narrowing the list difficult, Just Women’s Sports takes a look at five front-runners for the end-of-season honors.

Caitlin Clark, Iowa

27.8 PPG / 7.9 APG / 7.9 RPG / 46% FG

At this point, the Naismith Player of the Year award could be Clark’s to lose. After featuring heavily in the conversation last year, Clark is having an even better season this time around.

To give a rundown of everything Clark has done so far this year: She became the only player to put up at least 40 points against a ranked opponent twice this season. Her triple-double against then-No. 2 Ohio State put her in the same conversation as Dwyane Wade and Courtney Vandersloot. And she is the only player in Division I basketball history to have four triple-doubles with 25 or more points.

She’s also the only D-I player in the past 20 seasons to have four straight games of at least 20 points and 10 assists. Her points and assists both rank second in the country, and if last year wasn’t Clark’s year to win the POY award, this one certainly could be.

Aliyah Boston, South Carolina

12.9 PPG / 10.0 RPG / 60.1% FG

The reigning player of the year has dropped off a bit after her historic season in 2021-22. But she set the bar incredibly high.

That Boston has seen a dip in production as other players have stepped up for South Carolina isn’t unusual. But it also speaks to her leadership skills, as freshman Raven Johnson leads the team in assists and steals. Still, she’s one of just three players in this conversation averaging a double-double on the year.

📽️📽️ Aliyah Boston Film Room 📽️📽️

Fresh off of her record-breaking 73rd career double-double, @aa_boston and Assistant Coach Fred Chmiel sit down in the Gamecocks Film Room as we look at how she continues to dominate into her senior season even with all the extra attention. pic.twitter.com/YOxJTmyo1C

— Gamecocks Plus (@GamecocksPlus) January 30, 2023

Angel Reese, LSU

23.4 PPG / 15.5 RPG / 54.6% FG

The primary challenger to Clark’s player of the year bid appears to be Reese. The sophomore transfer has 22 double-doubles to start the season, which has coincided with LSU’s 22-0 start – the longest winning streak in program history. Her streak puts her just five back of the SEC record (set by Aliyah Boston last season), and she already has broken the LSU record set by Sylvia Fowles.

She also became the first SEC player to have at least 25 points and 25 rebounds in 20 seasons, putting up 26 points and an LSU record 28 rebounds in a win over Texas A&M in January.

Mackenzie Holmes, Indiana

22.3 PPG / 7.8 RPG / 69.2% FG

One of the most efficient shooters in the country, Holmes is a danger to her opponent anytime she steps on the court.

With six straight games of 20 or more points, Holmes has been a stalwart on an Indiana team currently ranked fourth in the country. Her average of 26.5 points per game over those contests is bolstered by the fact that three of those games were against ranked opponents: then-No. 21 Illinois, then-No. 13 Michigan and then-No. 2 Ohio State.

Aneesah Morrow, DePaul

25.4 PPG / 11.6 RPG / 41.9% FG

Aneesah Morrow is one of the best sophomores in the country, if not the best. And it doesn’t come as a surprise after she averaged 21.9 points and 13.8 rebounds per game as a freshman. With multiple games of 40-plus points this season, she’s building on a résumé that likely will make her a top WNBA draft pick. She’s second in the Big East in scoring and leads the conference in rebounding all while taking on a bigger role for the Blue Demons.

As she should 😤@AneesahMorrow24 is a Top 10 candidate for the Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year Award!

🔗: https://t.co/bfM75ZlKqO pic.twitter.com/E4qRbQUDCn

— DePaul Women's Basketball (@DePaulWBBHoops) February 2, 2023

The 2025 CAF African Women's Player of the Year nominations dropped last week, with a trio of NWSL stars — including 2024 award winner Barbra Banda of Zambia — topping this year's shortlist.

Calling the nomination "an honour and a privilege," Banda posted about the nod on social media, saying that "To be in the same category with all these amazing talents is truly a humbling feeling."

Joining the Orlando Pride striker in excelling for both club and country in 2025 are two other NWSL standout goalscorers: Kansas City Current star and 2024 NWSL MVP Temwa Chawinga (Malawi) and Bay FC's Rachael Kundananji (Zambia).

Rounding out the 10-player lineup is Chawinga's older sister Tabitha (OL Lyonnes/Malawi), Esther Okoronkwo (AFC Toronto/Nigeria), Rasheedat Ajibade (PSG/Nigeria), Ghizlane Chebbak (Al Hilal/Morocco), Sanaâ Mssoudy (AS FAR/Morocco), Portia Boakye (Hapoel Petah Tikva/Ghana), and Mama Diop (RC Strasbourg/Senegal).

Based on performances between January 6th and October 15th of this year, the expert panel displayed a more than significant lean toward attacking prowess in their selections, ultimately choosing a roster of all forwards for the 2025 CAF Player of the Year shortlist.

While the exact date is forthcoming, the CAF will announce its award-winners at a ceremony later this year.

Six-time NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler is hitting the NWSL pitch, with the Golden State Warriors forward joining the San Diego Wave as a minority investor this week.

"Soccer has been a passion of mine for a long time, and being part of the game in a meaningful way has always been a dream," Butler said in the club's Monday press release. "San Diego has become a city close to my heart, and I'm proud to invest in a club that is pushing boundaries, building something lasting, and setting a new standard for what women's sports can be both on and off the pitch."

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Butler joins retired San Diego Wave star Alex Morgan in an ownership group led by the Levine Leichtman family, after the majority owners purchased the California club at a then-record $113 million valuation in 2024.

"Jimmy is a competitor and visionary who shares our values and our ambition to grow this club," said San Diego controlling owner Lauren Leichtman. "He brings a global perspective, a deep respect for the athlete's journey, and a creative spirit that perfectly complements what we are building here at Wave FC."

Butler isn't the only high-profile men's sports athlete anteing up for the NWSL in recent months, with the NBA star following in the footsteps of NFL quarterback Caleb Williams — who invested in 2026 expansion side Boston Legacy FC — and LA Clippers forward Chris Paul, who joined Angel City's star-studded ownership group.

The 2031 FIFA Women's World Cup spread further around Concacaf on Monday, as Costa Rica and Jamaica officially joined the previously announced Mexico and the US in submitting an uncontested bid to host the international tournament.

"Together, we have an extraordinary opportunity to host the biggest and most impactful Women's World Cup in history, one that will inspire a new generation of fans and help grow the women's game across our entire region and around the world," said US Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone in a Monday statement.

"This bid is a reflection of our shared belief that soccer can be a force for good," added US Soccer CEO JT Batson. "We're not only creating an unforgettable moment for athletes and fans, we're building a lasting foundation to grow the women's game at every level, in every country."

Parlow Cone also noted that more than 30 US cities have already expressed interest in hosting some of the 104 games during the newly expanded 48-team tournament, with Jamaica poised to make history as the first-ever Caribbean nation to welcome a senior World Cup match.

"This will have a huge impact on the psyche of every single Jamaican," said Jamaican Football Federation president Michael Ricketts. "It is no ordinary feat for a small country like ours to host World Cup matches.... This is huge for Jamaica and for every person who proudly calls themselves Jamaican."

With no other bids on the table, FIFA is on track to ratify its 2031 hosting decision at the next FIFA Congress in April 2026.

Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon is stepping into the spotlight, with Variety announcing that the three-time WNBA title-winning boss will star in a forthcoming documentary from NFL athlete-backed production houses SMAC and 2463 Entertainment.

"For decades, women on the hardwood [were] underestimated and told to stay in their lane," said SMAC CEO and co-founder Constance Schwartz-Morini. "Becky defied every expectation and broke through barriers that once seemed unshakable."

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Schwartz-Morini, Fred Anthony Smith, Ajay Sangha, and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Sean Clifford will serve as executive producers, joined by 2463 founder and Super Bowl champion wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. as well as SMAC founder and retired New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan.

Through audio diaries, the documentary will provide an inside look at Hammon's rise up the WNBA coaching ranks as well as her experience as the first woman to serve as an acting head coach for an NBA team, with Hammon taking the reins of the San Antonio Spurs in 2020.

A six-time WNBA All-Star during her playing career, Hammon left the NBA for Las Vegas at the end of 2021, leading the Aces to three championships in four years.

The report didn't specify the film's title or scheduled release date, with more details expected in the coming months.