The 2023 NWSL Draft is almost upon us, and the league has released the list of all players who have registered so far.

Registration closes on Monday, Jan. 9, and the draft is set for 6 p.m. ET on Thursday, Jan. 12, in Philadelphia. The list includes 110 players so far, with more players expected to join.

Just Women’s Sports breaks down what you need to know ahead of the draft — and which players you should watch.

How many rounds are in the draft?

The draft includes four rounds of 12 picks each, with a total of 48 players to be selected.

Who has the first overall pick?

NJ/NY Gotham FC holds the first overall pick, followed by the Orlando Pride, who have the second and third picks.

The Portland Thorns have the last pick of each round after winning their third NWSL championship this season.

Who are players to watch?

So far, no players from national champion UCLA or runner-up North Carolina have entered the draft pool.

But quite a few players from the Alabama Crimson Tide, who lost to the Bruins in the semifinals, have thrown their names in the ring. Among them are star defender Reyna Reyes, who scored a career-high eight goals this season.

Forwards Riley Mattingly Parker and Ashlynn Serepca and goalkeeper McKinley Crone are also on the list.

Reyna Reyes with the goal of her life ‼️ #NCAASoccer x 🎥 @AlabamaSoccer pic.twitter.com/UGOB8OG8h0

— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) November 26, 2022

Just one Stanford player — midfielder Sierra Enge — features on the list so far. A player out of Stanford has been the No. 1 overall pick in four out of the last five years: Naomi Girma (2022), Sophia Smith (2020), Tierna Davidson (2019) and Andi Sullivan (2018).

Enge and TCU forward Messiah Bright both played for the U.S. U-23 Women’s Youth National Team this summer, and both should garner attention from NWSL clubs.

Former Florida State star Emily Madril made headlines this summer when she signed a contract with the NWSL to maintain her draft eligibility while she played for Swedish club BK Häcken FF. When she is selected the draft, her contract rights will go to that team.

Duke sophomore Michelle Cooper has yet to enter the NWSL draft, but the USWNT U-20 captain will be one to watch if she does make the leap.

Have no fear Michelle Cooper is here 🦸‍♀️#NCAASoccer x 🎥@DukeWSOC pic.twitter.com/oEzME18Hsc

— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) November 26, 2022

What is the draft order for the first round?

1. NJ/NY Gotham FC
2. Orlando Pride (Acquired from Washington Spirit via trade)
3. Orlando Pride
4. Racing Louisville FC
5. Angel City FC
6. North Carolina Courage
7. Chicago Red Stars
8. Houston Dash
9. North Carolina Courage (Acquired from San Diego Wave via trade)
10. Kansas City Current (Acquired from Gotham FC via trade)
11. North Carolina Courage (Acquired from Kansas City Current via trade)
12. Portland Thorns FC

The 2025 NWSL Championship claimed a major viewership milestone on Saturday, as Gotham FC's 1-0 title win over the Washington Spirit became the first-ever league match to record an average of more than one million viewers.

The CBS evening broadcast averaged an impressive 1.184 million fans and peaked at 1.55 million viewers, making it the most-watched NWSL match of all time.

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The 2025 final marked a 22% viewership increase over the 967,900 fans who watched 2024's Orlando Pride victory — the previous NWSL viewership record-holder — and a 45% ratings gain over Gotham's 2023 championship win, which averaged 816,800 viewers.

Saturday's gains both matched the 22% viewership increase the NWSL regular season saw this year and also far exceeded the 2025 postseason's pre-final year-over-year increase of 5%.

Calling the one-million viewer mark "an extraordinary achievement" in Tuesday's league statement, NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman also noted that the "record-setting audience demonstrates the deepening connection fans have with our players, our clubs, and the world-class competition on the field, and it underscores the growing demand for women's soccer on the biggest stages."

"We're incredibly proud of what this moment represents for the NWSL and for everyone who continues to invest in and believe in the future of our game," Berman added.

Incoming offseason league Project B scored more major WNBA signings this week, as the upstart venture continues stacking its roster ahead of a planned November 2026 launch.

Indiana Fever guards Kelsey Mitchell and Sophie Cunningham have both publicly signed on with Project B, joining already announced talent like Seattle Storm star Nneka Ogwumike and Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, New York Liberty center Jonquel Jones, and Las Vegas Aces guard Jewell Loyd.

Also inking deals to join the inaugural season of Project B are Chicago Sky center Kamilla Cardoso, Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaün, and Li Meng, a former Washington Mystics guard and current player in the Women's Chinese Basketball Association.

The multi-continent, Formula One-style traveling tournament circuit will ultimately sign 66 international stars, as Project B looks to field six 11-player teams in its debut 2026/2027 campaign.

Project B player signings will undoubtedly impact other offseason leagues like Unrivaled and Athletes Unlimited, but the new venture is also looming large over the ongoing WNBA CBA talks.

With negotiations racing toward this Sunday's extended deadline, Project B is putting WNBA compensation offerings under increased pressure, as the new league is reportedly anteing up multimillion-dollar salaries to its signees — far exceeding the 2025 WNBA maximum as well as the $1.1 million-max currently on the negotiating table.

World No. 1 Spain will take aim at a second-straight UEFA Nations League title this week, as La Roja take on No. 5 Germany in the first leg of the 2025 tournament's final at 2:30 PM ET on Friday.

The defending Nations League champions booked their spot in the 2025 final by dismantling No. 3 Sweden 5-0 on aggregate in the semifinal round, while Germany advanced after a tense 3-2 aggregate win over No. 6 France.

Germany must also contend with availability issues during Friday's match, as 28-year-old Bayern Munich forward and senior national team leading scorer Lea Schüller will be out due to family reasons.

To overcome that disadvantage, German head coach Christian Wück is reinforcing the team's back line, adding Athletic Bilbao defender Bibi Schulze Solano to the roster on Wednesday.

Also aiming to shut down Spain's offensive firepower on Friday is new NWSL champion goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, who joined her German compatriots late following Gotham FC's title celebrations in New York this week.

While Spain and Germany will contend for the 2025 Nations League trophy this week, the pair — along with ousted semifinalists Sweden and France — have already booked spots in the top group of teams battling for tickets to the 2027 World Cup, with UEFA qualifying set to begin in 2026.

A full 19 months removed from their back-to-back Final Four runs, No. 11 Iowa basketball refuses to go away, with the Hawkeyes already notching one Top-25 win in the young 2025/26 NCAA campaign so far.

The still-unbeaten Hawkeyes took down No. 15 Baylor 57-52 last Thursday, with Iowa starting post players Hannah Stuelke and Ava Heiden combining for 28 points while guard Taylor Stremlow added another 12 off the bench in the marquee win.

"We have nice pieces," said Iowa head coach Jan Jensen this week. "But it's knowing when to play which pieces and with whom, and we're six games in."

The Hawkeyes have been finding their new identity under Jensen after a transformative period saw Iowa's longtime head coach Lisa Bluder retire while superstar guard Caitlin Clark joined the WNBA.

"Jan's been amazing," Stuelke told JWS at the Big Ten Media Day in October. "She stepped up like she needed to, and she's been growing every day since she's been the head coach, which it's really cool to see she cares. And it's a great environment for all of us."

"I have a year under my belt," Jensen echoed. "I know what this chair feels like now, and I have a little better of understanding of what that first road trip feels like, what that first big win feels like, or the tough loss feels like."

Iowa's season heats up with a ranked rivalry matchup against No. 10 Iowa State on Wednesday, December 10th.

The state rivals will tip off at 7 PM ET, with live coverage airing on ESPN.