All Scores

NWSL 2022 College Draft: Every pick in rounds 1-4

(Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

As teams look to fill holes, increase depth or draft the next NWSL star, Just Women’s Sports has every pick for the 2022 NWSL College Draft.

Here’s a full list of all the draftees.

First Round

1. San Diego Wave FC

Naomi Girma, D, Stanford University

With the No. 1 overall pick of the draft, San Diego selected defender Naomi Girma out of Stanford University. A two-time Pac-12 Defender of the Year, Girma won the NCAA Championship with Stanford in 2019. Starting in 67 out of 68 career games, Girma is a solid defender who brings leadership experience, having captained Stanford for the past three seasons and served as captain of the U20 national team.

2. Racing Louisville FC

Jaelin Howell, M, Florida State University

After being passed on by San Diego, Jaelin Howell will take her talents to Louisville as the No. 2 overall pick of the college draft. The midfielder had a decorated career at Florida State, twice winning a national championship and earning First Team All-American honors as a senior. The 2020 MAC Hermann Trophy winner, Howell scored 14 goals in her college career while also recording 14 assists through 90 games.

3. North Carolina Courage

Emily Gray, M, Virginia Tech

As a midfielder, Gray will be able to fill some holes for the Courage after they traded away Sam Mewis to Kansas City. While the team added Brianna Pinto in a trade with Gotham FC, the addition of Gray will add more depth to the Courage’s midfield. Gray was excellent in her senior season, scoring 12 goals and adding eight assists for the Hokies – nearly half of the team’s total.

4. Racing Louisville FC 

Savannah DeMelo, CM, USC

DeMelo is a versatile midfielder, primarily being used as an attacking midfielder at USC but also holding the abilities to play out on the left or in a deeper role. This past fall also saw her play in a multitude of ways, including as a striker. Through 20 games played this season she scored four goals as well as seven assists. She’ll bolster a midfielder group that is now being led by Jessica McDonald after a trade with the North Carolina Courage.

5. Orlando Pride

Mia Fishel, F, UCLA

After departing with much of their roster during the offseason – including the departure of Alex Morgan to San Diego – the addition of Fishel is significant and could wind up being an absolute steal. In 59 games, she scored 32 goals and added 14 assists, moving into the Bruins’ top 10 all-time goal scorers in just three seasons. Not to mention, Fishel will be reuniting with her collegiate head coach in Amanda Cromwell, who was recently named head coach of the Orlando Pride.

6. North Carolina Courage

Diana Ordoñez, F, University of Virginia

A semifinalist for the 2021 MAC Hermann Trophy, Ordoñez’s 45 career goals is tied for third most all-time at Virginia. She led the ACC in goals during the 2021 season and is a three-time All-ACC selection, including a First Team selection in 2021. The Courage traded away Jessica McDonald to Racing Louisville FC for this pick, and Ordoñez should provide some depth to a line that is led by USWNT forward Lynn Williams.

7. Kansas City Current

Elyse Bennett, F, Washington State University

Bennett will be joining a forward group led by Jéssica Silva and Kristen Hamilton, giving her time to develop as a forward to the pro level. A high-powered scorer, Bennett spent five seasons at Washington State, playing in 93 games and scoring 26 goals while adding 12 assists. She had a career-high 10 goals in her senior season through 21 games and finished her season being named a Second Team All-American by the United Soccer Coaches organization.

8. OL Reign

Zsanett Kajan, F, St. John’s University

A forward out of Hungary, Kajan is an offensive powerhouse, having scored 16 goals in 18 games during the 2021 season. Throughout her five year career, the forward scored 45 goals in 87 career appearances and was named the Big East Offensive Player of the Year twice. She also has national team experience, earning her first cap for the Hungarian National Team at 16 years old. While the Reign have a lot of depth at forward with Megan Rapinoe, Bethany Balcer and Tziarra King, Kajan will be able to develop her game with some of the NWSL’s best. 

9. San Diego Wave FC

Marleen Schimmer, M/F, Grand Canyon University

After transferring to Grand Canyon, Schimmer started in 15 games during the 2021 season, scoring 13 goals and notching 14 assists. She also has international experience, having played on the U17 German National Team at the 2017 U17 UEFA Championship. She’ll get to develop under one of the world’s best in San Diego with Alex Morgan and could compete for minutes in the 2022 season.

10. Orlando Pride

Caitlin Cosme, D, Duke University

Cosme anchored one of the top defenses of the country at center back, leading the Blue Devils in minutes played with 1,829 and scoring three goals. With the departure of Ali Krieger, Cosme could fight for minutes while also learning from Pride defender Amy Turner. 

11. Orlando Pride

Julie Doyle, F, Santa Clara University

A member of the 2020 National Champion Santa Clara Broncos, Doyle sat out the fall season after using up her eligibility. Excellent in 1-on-1 situations, Doyle can play either on the wing or underneath a lone striker. With the Pride looking to bolster their roster, she could step in immediately and compete for minutes. 

12. North Carolina Courage

Kaitlin Fregulia, D, Long Beach State University

The Courage continue to bolster their defense, which is led by Abby Erceg and Carson Pickett. As a redshirt senior during the 2021 season, Fregulia started in 18 games while amassing a total of 1,608 minutes. She led a defense that recorded five shutouts while also tallying one goal and one assist. While she may have an uphill battle when it comes to competing for playing time, Fregulia will be able to learn from some of the league’s best and could develop into a solid starter in North Carolina.

Second Round

13. Portland Thorns FC – Sydny Nasello, F, University of South Florida

14. Washington Spirit – Tinaya Alexander, F, Louisiana State University

15. Washington Spirit – Madison Elwell, M/F, Vanderbilt University

16. Racing Louisville FC – Charmé Morgan, D, Oklahoma State University

17. Kansas City Current – Chardonnay Curran, M, University of Oregon

18. Chicago Red Stars – Ava Cook, F, Michigan State University

19. Chicago Red Stars – Sammi Fisher, M, Notre Dame

20. OL Reign – Claudia Dickey, GK, University of North Carolina

21. OL Reign – Ryanne Brown, F, Wake Forest

22. Portland Thorns – Gabby Provenzano, D/M, Rutgers University

23. Washington Spirit – Lucy Shepherd, F/M, Hofstra University

24. NJ/NY Gotham FC – Kelly Ann Livingstone, D, Georgetown University

25. San Diego Wave FC – Sydney Pulver, M/D, Washington State University

26. Racing Louisville FC – Jordyn Bloomer, GK, University of Wisconsin

Third Round

27. San Diego Wave FC – Belle Briede, F/M, Stanford University

28. Angel City FC – Hope Breslin, M, University of Illinois

29. North Carolina Courage – Haleigh Stackpole, M/F, Ole Miss

30. Racing Louisville FC – Jenna Menta, F, Wake Forest

31. Orlando Pride – Jada Talley, F, USC

32. OL Reign – Kaile Halvorsen, M/F, Santa Clara University

33. OL Reign – Olivia Van Der Jagt, M, Washington University

34. Gotham FC – Hensley Hancuff, GK, Clemson University

35. Chicago Red Stars – Sarah Griffith, F, Purdue University

36. Angel City FC – Lily Nabet, M, Duke University

37. Chicago Red Stars – Kayla McKeon, M, University of Arkansas

38. Washington Spirit – Audrey Harding, F, UNC Wilmington

Fourth Round

39. Angel City FC – Miri Taylor, F, Hofstra University

40. San Diego Wave FC – Kayla Bruster, D, University of Georgia

41. Kansas City Current – Jenna Winebrenner, D, Texas Christian University

42. Racing Louisville FC – Sydney Cummings, D, Georgetown University

43. Kansas City Current – Izzy Rodriguez, D, Ohio State University

44. Houston Dash – Ryan Gareis, F, University of South Carolina

45. North Carolina Courage – Marisa Bova, GK, Purdue University

46. NJ/NY Gotham FC – Raleigh Loughman, M, University of Michigan

47. OL Reign – Marley Canales, M, UCLA

48. Portland Thorns – Natalie Beckman, F, University of Denver

49. Chicago Red Stars – Jayda Hylton-Pelaia, D, Arizona State University

50. Washington Spirit – Jordan Thompson, D, Gonzaga University

Wisconsin Volleyball Attendance Soars as NCAA Sees Growing Demand

Wisconsin volleyball players leap to block a kill from rival Nebraska during a 2024 NCAA match.
Wisconsin currently has the highest NCAA volleyball attendance in the country. (Michael Gomez/Getty Images)

Wisconsin volleyball is off to the attendance races, with the No. 7 college squad averaging 8,620 fans per match this season to become this NCAA's best-attended program — narrowly beating Big Ten rival No. 1 Nebraska's 8,602 current average.

Other than the Badgers and Cornhuskers, no other college volleyball team has surpassed 6,000 fans per match this year, but Wisconsin is well on track to surpass even their own dominant attendance history in the sport.

If they finish the season in the top attendance spot, the Badgers will snap a six season streak logging the second-best average crowds per year.

Even more, Wisconsin is on their way to blasting through their program-best mark, set when 7,761 fans per match filled the bleachers in 2022.

The growing demand for Badger volleyball is also translating into significant revenue boosts for school.

"We're really, really excited; we're going to exceed $2 million in volleyball ticket sales for the first time ever," Wisconsin deputy athletic director Mitchell Pinta told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel earlier this week. "And we're largely sold out for the rest of our matches at the Field House for the remainder of the season."

Should the Badgers reach that $2 million mark, they will see a massive 25% increase over the $1.6 million the team garnered just two seasons ago, and a near 18-fold growth from the $111,809 in volleyball ticket sales that Wisconsin logged in 2013.

Ultimately, the sky's the limit for both Wisconsin volleyball — and the sport at-large.

"If there's a saturation point on the demand for Wisconsin volleyball, we certainly have not seen it yet," said Pinta.

How to watch Wisconsin volleyball in action

With conference play kicking off this weekend, No. 7 Wisconsin will host unranked Big Ten foe Rutgers at 8 PM ET on Friday, before paying a visit to also-unranked Iowa at 3 PM ET on Sunday.

Both Big Ten battles will stream live on B1G+.

Liverpool Score Emotional League Cup Win in Tribute to Late Manager Matt Beard

Liverpool players stand and observe a minute of silence in remembrance of former manager Matt Beard before a 2025 League Cup match.
Liverpool earned an emotional League Cup win shortly after the sudden passing of former manager Matt Beard. (Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

WSL side Liverpool opened their 2025/26 League Cup campaign with an emotional 5-0 win over WSL2 club Sunderland on Wednesday, dedicating the shutout victory to former manager Matt Beard after the 47-year-old's sudden passing last Saturday.

The match marked the Reds' return to the pitch following the postponement of their Sunday regular-season game against Aston Villa due to Beard's passing.

"It's a good win for Matt. We played with a lot of emotion," Liverpool defender Jenna Clark said afterwards, calling Wednesday "a really emotional night and an emotional few days for everyone involved with the club."

"We have pulled through together as a team the best we could and you saw that on the pitch tonight," Clark added.

Beard won back-to-back WSL titles with Liverpool in 2013 and 2014, departing the Reds in 2015 for a two-year stint with the NWSL's Boston Breakers.

He made his return to Liverpool in 2021, lifting the club back into the top-flight WSL by earning promotion his first season back at the helm.

"Matt will leave a huge void in the women's game," USWNT head coach and former Chelsea boss Emma Hayes said in a statement earlier this week. "He was one of a kind, and his loss will be felt by all. My heart goes out to his family, but I want to take the time to acknowledge what a special man he really was."​

How to watch Liverpool this weekend

Liverpool will continue their 2025/26 WSL campaign against Manchester United this Sunday, kicking off live at 7 AM ET on ESPN+.

No. 1 England Battles No. 2 Canada in 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup Final

England players sing their national anthem before kicking off the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup.
Host nation England will play for their first Women's Rugby World Cup title in more than a decade on Saturday. (David Rogers/Getty Images)

The 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup culminates on Saturday, when host nation England battles for their first tournament title in more than a decade in a top-tier final against Canada, who are hunting their first-ever world championship trophy.

The Red Roses' long dominance on the Rugby World Cup pitch has led them to eight finals in the competition's nine editions, with England emerging victorious twice — in 1994 and 2014.

On the other hand, Canada will make just their second-ever appearance in the World Cup final this Saturday, as the Maple Leafs aim for a decidedly different outcome from their 21-9 loss to England in the 2014 championship game.

The top-ranked Red Roses will also be looking to avenge their narrow 34-31 loss to New Zealand in the tournament's most recent 2022 edition when they square off against No. 2 Canada in front of an sold-out crowd inside London's Twickenham Stadium — with another women's rugby attendance record on the line.

"You feed off of that energy, especially knowing what this game is going to be," England defense coach Sarah Hunter said. "It's a cliché, but [the crowd] almost becomes the 16th person in those moments where you need them."

How to watch the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup final

England and Canada will battle in the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup final at 11 AM ET on Saturday, with live coverage airing on Paramount+.

No. 2 Washington Spirit Fights to Stay Atop the NWSL Table on 9-Game Unbeaten Streak

Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman sprints up the pitch during a 2025 NWSL match.
Trinity Rodman and the No. 2 Washington Spirit will look to extend their six-point lead over No. 3 Gotham in the NWSL standings this weekend. (Jamie Sabau/NWSL via Getty Images)

While the No. 1 Kansas City Current have officially run away with the 2025 NWSL Shield, the race for top playoff seeding rages on, as the No. 2 Washington Spirit fights to hold their ground against an unpredictable No. 9 Houston Dash this Sunday.

Bolstered by star Trinity Rodman's return from injury, the Spirit enter the weekend on a nine-game unbeaten streak, going up against a motivated Dash side sitting just two points outside of postseason contention.

"Every game we just need to be a lot more clinical in the final third," Rodman said after last weekend's 2-2 draw with No. 11 Angel City. "We're doing all the hard stuff and then it's [lacking] quality at the end."

Washington isn't without top-table challengers, with No. 3 Gotham FC riding their own five-game unbeaten streak into a Friday night match against the No. 4 Portland Thorns, who sit tied for points with both the Bats and the No. 5 San Diego Wave in the NWSL standings.

"At this stage, almost everyone still has a real chance to make the playoffs, which is great for the league," said Gotham manager Juan Carlos Amorós after the Bats' 1-1 draw with Bay FC last Sunday. "But it also means nothing can be taken for granted."

How to watch the Washington Spirit and Gotham FC this weekend

No. 3 Gotham FC kicks off this weekend's NWSL action when they host the No. 4 Portland Thorns at 8 PM ET on Friday, with live coverage on NWSL+.

Then in Sunday's NWSL action, the No. 9 Houston Dash will visit the No. 2 Washington Spirit at 1 PM ET, airing live on Paramount+.

Start your morning off right with Just Women’s Sports’ free, 5x-a-week newsletter.