The NWSL announced the full list of protected and unprotected players ahead of the expansion draft next Thursday, during which Angel City FC and San Diego Wave FC will fill out their rosters for the 2022 season.

NWSL teams’ protection lists were due Friday at 12 p.m. ET. Each team is permitted to protect nine total players, including one U.S. federation player. All other U.S. federation players must be left unprotected for the expansion clubs. Players on the discovery list are not eligible for selection during the draft.

In a nine-round draft on Thursday, Angel City and San Diego will alternate picks. They may select one player from each NWSL team but only one U.S. allocated player.

Trades in recent weeks have given several NWSL clubs full or partial protection in the expansion draft. The teams receiving protection from both clubs are: the Chicago Red Stars, Kansas City Current, NJ/NY Gotham FC and the North Carolina Courage. Racing Louisville FC and Portland Thorns FC have received expansion protection from Angel City through separate transactions. OL Reign has protected its forwards from Angel City, a group that includes Megan Rapinoe, Bethany Balcer, Tziarra, King Leah Pruitt and Ally Watt. The Washington Spirit have received protection of their U.S. allocated players from Angel City and full protection from San Diego.

The Equalizer reported on Friday that Portland also has an agreement in place with San Diego that would protect their players during the expansion draft in exchange for predetermined players. The deal would not be finalized until the NWSL trade window reopens on Dec. 17, one day after the expansion draft.

With all that in mind, here are the full protection lists, with noted asterisks based on the information outlined above:

Houston Dash

Protected Players

Jane Campbell (U.S. Federation Player)
Rachel Daly (International – ENG)
Makamae Gomera-Stevens
Shea Groom
Haley Hanson
Katie Naughton
Nichelle Prince (CAN Federation Player)
Maria Sanchez
Gabby Seiler

Unprotected Players

Michaela Abam
Michelle Alozie
Joelle Anderson (College Protected Player)
Bridgette Andrzejewski (Playing Rights)
Allysha Chapman (CAN Federation Player)
Taylor Comeau (Playing Rights)
Nikki Cross (Playing Rights)
Amanda Dennis (Playing Rights)
Hannah Diaz
Marissa Diggs (Playing Rights)
Lindsey Harris
Melissa Henderson (Playing Rights)
Bianca Henninger (Playing Rights)
Savannah Jordan (Playing Rights)
Veronica Latsko
Kristie Mewis (U.S. Federation Player)
Christine Nairn (Playing Rights)
Emily Ogle
Megan Oyster
Ally Prisock
Annika Schmidt
Sophie Schmidt (CAN Federation Player)
Jasmyne Spencer
Brianna Visalli

OL Reign

Protected Players

Bethany Balcer
Alana Cook
Angelina
Jessica Fishlock
Sofia Huerta
Rose Lavelle (U.S. Federation Player)
Quinn (CAN Federation Player)
Phallon Tullis-Joyce
Ally Watt

Unprotected Players

Lauren Barnes
Amber Brooks
Maria Bullock (Playing Rights)
Stephanie Catley (Playing Rights)
Stephanie Cox (Playing Rights)
Kiersten Dallstream
Ella Dederick
Madison Hammond
Kelcie Hedge
Sam Hiatt
Celia
Adrienne Jordan (Playing Rights)
Tziarra King*
Alyssa Kleiner (Playing Rights)
Jimena Lopez (International – MEX)
Kristen McNabb
Sinclaire Miramontez
Cosette Morche
Theresa Nielsen (Playing Rights)
Morgan Proffitt (Playing Rights)
Leah Pruitt*
Megan Rapinoe*
Nikki Stanton
Rumi Utsugi (Playing Rights)
Abby Wambach (Playing Rights)
Dani Weatherholt
Lydia Williams (Playing Rights)
Beverly Yanez (Playing Rights)

Orlando Pride

Protected Players

Mikayla Colohan (College Protected Player)
Taylor Kornieck
Sydney Leroux
Phoebe McClernon
Alex Morgan (U.S. Federation Player)
Courtney Petersen
Amy Turner (International – ENG)
Marta
Viviana Villacorta

Unprotected Players

Kerry Abello (College Protected Player)
Kaylie Collins
Claire Emslie (Playing Rights)
Joanna Fennema (Playing Rights)
Caitlin Farrell (Playing Rights)
Megan Dougherty Howard
Gunnhildur Jonsdottir
Abi Kim
Carrie Lawrence
Camila Martins Pereira (Playing Rights)
Erin McCleod (CAN Federation Player)
Jade Moore (International – ENG)
Toni Pressley
Ali Riley
Parker Roberts
Kylie Strom
Erika Tymrak
Emily Van Egmond (Playing Rights)
Marisa Viggiano
Chelsee Washington
Brittany Wilson
Shelina Zadorsky (Playing Rights)

Portland Thorns FC

Protected Players

Bella Bixby
Crystal Dunn
Lindsey Horan
Natalia Kuikka (International – FIN)
Emily Menges
Olivia Moultrie
Raquel Rodriguez (International – CRC)
Sophia Smith (U.S. Federation Player)
Morgan Weaver

Unprotected Players

Ali Amirah (College Protected Player)
Nadine Angerer (Playing Rights)
Hannah Betfort
Celest Boureille
Samantha Coffey (College Protected Player)
Marian Dougherty (Playing Rights)
Britt Eckerstrom (Playing Rights)
Marissa Everett
Shelby Hogan
Kelli Hubly
Meghan Klingenberg
Andressa Machry (Playing Rights)
Nikki Marshall (Playing Rights)
Meagan Morris (Playing Rights)
Meaghan Nally
Madison Pogarch
Hayley Raso (Playing Rights)
Katherine Reynolds (Playing Rights)
Yazmeen Ryan
Angela Salem
Becky Sauerbrunn
Christine Sinclair
Katarina Tarr (Playing Rights)
Rachel Van Hollebeke (Playing Rights)
Christen Westphal
Sandra Yu (Playing Rights)

Racing Louisville FC

Protected Players

Gemma Bonner (International – ENG)
Kristen Davis (College Protected Player)
Emina Ekic
Emily Fox
Cece Kizer
Katie Lund
Nadia Nadim (International – DEN)
Freja Olofsson (International – SWE)
Ebony Salmon (International – ENG)

Unprotected Players

Julia Ashley
Janine Beckie (Playing Rights)
Caitlin Foord (Playing Rights)
Parker Goins (College Protected Player)
Tobin Heath (Playing Rights)
Alanna Kennedy (Playing Rights)
Nealy Martin
Cheyna Matthews
Savannah McCaskill
Addisyn Merrick
Lauren Milliet
Yuki Nagasato (International – JPN)
Taylor Otto
Kaleigh Riehl
Erin Simon
Emily Smith (College Protected Player)

Washington Spirit

Protected Players

Dorian Bailey
Aubrey Bledsoe
Bayley Feist
Ashley Hatch
Tara McKeown
Julia Roddar (International – SWE)
Trinity Rodman
Ashley Sanchez
Sam Staab

Unprotected Players

Taylor Alymer
Camryn Biegalski
Averie Collins
Jordan DiBiasi
Morgan Goff
Anna Heilferty
Tori Huster
Devon Kerr
Lori Lindsey (Playing Rights)
Joanna Lohman (Playing Rights)
Paige Nielsen
Kelley O’Hara (U.S. Federation Player)*
Kariana Rodriguez
Sydney Schneider
Emily Sonnett (U.S. Federation Player)*
Andi Sullivan (U.S. Federation Player)*
Saori Takarada (International – JPN)
Kumi Yokoyama (International – JPN)

*Protected from one or both teams based on team transactions, as outlined above

The NWSL Expansion Draft will air on CBS Sports Network on Thursday, Dec. 16 at 7 p.m. ET.

U.S. Soccer announced Tuesday that the USWNT will play their last home game on July 16th in the lead-up to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

The 2024 Send-Off Match against Costa Rica will take place at Washington, DC’s Audi Field — home to both the Washington Spirit and DC United — at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 16th. The friendly rounds out a four-game Olympic run-up campaign under incoming head coach Emma Hayes’ side, with the last two set to feature the finalized 2024 U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer Team roster.

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Hayes will appear on the USWNT sideline for the first time this June, helming the team as they embark on a two-game series against Korea Republic hosted by Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado on June 1st followed by Allianz Stadium in St. Paul, Minnesota on June 4th. 

The team is then scheduled to meet a talented Mexico squad on July 13th at Gotham FC’s Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, where the Olympic-bound lineup will attempt to rewrite February’s shocking 2-0 loss to El Tri Femenil in the group stages of this year’s Concacaf W Gold Cup. And while clear roster favorites have emerged from both of this year’s Gold Cup and SheBelives Cup rosters, a spate of recent and recurring injuries means making it to the Olympics is still largely anyone’s game.

Broadcast and streaming channels for the USWNT's final July 16th friendly at Audi Field include TNT, truTV, Universo, Max, and Peacock.

The USA Basketball Women's National Team is still considering Caitlin Clark for a spot on the Paris Olympics squad, says selection committee chair Jennifer Rizzotti. 

On Monday, Rizzotti told the AP that the committee will be evaluating the college phenom’s Olympic prospects by keeping a close eye on her first few weeks of WNBA play with Indiana.

The move is somewhat unconventional. While Clark was invited to participate in the 14-player national team training camp held earlier this month — the last camp before Team USA’s roster drops — she was unable to attend due to it coinciding with Iowa’s trip to the NCAA Women’s Final Four.

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Judging by the immense talent spread throughout the league in what might be their most hyped season to date, competition for a piece of the Olympic pie could be fiercer than ever before.

"You always want to introduce new players into the pool whether it's for now or the future," said Rizzotti. "We stick to our principles of talent, obviously, positional fit, loyalty and experience. It's got to be a combination of an entire body of work. It's still not going to be fair to some people."

Of course, Clark isn’t the first rookie the committee has made exceptions for. Coming off an exceptional college season that saw her averaging 19.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4 assists per game for UConn, Breanna Stewart was tapped to represent the U.S. at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil less than two weeks after being drafted No. 1 overall by the Seattle Storm. Eight years prior, fellow No. 1 pick Candace Parker punched her ticket to the 2008 Games in Beijing just two weeks after making her first appearance for the L.A. Sparks.

In the lead-up to Paris’ Opening Ceremony on July 26th, USA Basketball Women’s National Team is scheduled to play a pair of exhibition games. They'll first go up against the WNBA's finest at the July 20th WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix before facing Germany in London on July 23rd.

While an official roster announcement date hasn’t yet been issued, players won’t find out if they’ve made this year’s Olympic cut until at least June 1st.

For the first time in history, three different WNBA teams have completely sold out of season ticket plans well before the league's May 14th kick-off.

Call it the Caitlin Clark effect, attribute it to this year’s tenacious rookie class, or look to the skyrocketing visibility of veteran players across the board. But no matter the cause, facts are facts: Tickets to the 2024 WNBA season are selling like never before. 

On Monday, the Dallas Wings became the third team to sell out of season ticket memberships in the league’s 27-year history. The announcement from Arlington came shortly after the Atlanta Dream issued their own season ticket sell-out statement, also on Monday, and almost seven weeks after the back-to-back WNBA Champion Las Vegas Aces made headlines by becoming the first-ever WNBA team to sell out their season ticket allotment.   

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According to the Wings, season ticket memberships will fill nearly 40% of the 6,251 seats inside their home arena, College Park Center. The club also said that their overall ticket revenue has ballooned to the tune of 220% this year, spanning not just season tickets but also a 1,200% increase in single ticket sales. There’s currently a waitlist to become a Dallas season ticket holder, a status that comes with extra incentives like playoff presale access and discounts on additional single-game tickets. 

In Atlanta, season tickets aren't the only thing flying off the shelves. The Dream also announced that they broke their own record for single-game ticket sales during a recent limited presale campaign. Sunday was reportedly their most lucrative day, with five different games totally selling out Gateway Center Arena. Individual tickets for all upcoming matchups will hit the market this Thursday at 8 a.m., while a waitlist for season ticket memberships will open up next Tuesday at 10 a.m.

"Excitement around women's sports, particularly basketball, is at an all-time high and nowhere is that felt more than here in Atlanta," Dream president and COO Morgan Shaw Parker said in the team’s statement. "We’ve continued a record-setting growth trajectory over the past three years under new ownership — both on and off the court — and 2024 is shaping up to be our best season yet."

As of Tuesday, season ticket sales revenue for Caitlin Clark’s hotly anticipated Indiana Fever debut haven’t yet been announced by the club. But if these numbers are any indication — not to mention the explosive demand for Fever away games felt by teams around the country — it won’t be long before we see some scale-tipping figures coming out of Indianapolis.

25-year-old American pro golfer Nelly Korda secured her spot in LPGA history on Sunday, notching her fifth-straight title at this weekend's Chevron Championship in The Woodlands, Texas.

Ranked No. 1 in the world by Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, Korda joins Nancy Lopez (1978) and Annika Sörenstam (2005) as just the third LPGA player to rack up five consecutive tour wins. She is also the third No. 1-ranked player to capture The Chevron Championship victory since the rankings debuted in 2006, accompanied by Lorena Ochoa and Lydia Ko.

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The Florida native shot three-under 69 in Sunday's final, besting Sweden's Maja Stark despite Stark's valiant come-from-behind attempt in the 18th. Korda finished with a four-day total of 13-under 275, celebrating her two-stroke win by cannonballing into Poppie's Pond, much to the crowd's delight. She left The Club at Carlton Woods with $1.2 million from an overall purse of $7.9 million.

It wasn't long ago that the two-time major champion's current winning streak seemed unimaginable. After maintaining her No. 1 position for 29 weeks, Korda underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from her left arm in 2022. She returned to the course not long after, but failed to win a single tournament in 2023 before seeing a surge in form during the first four months of 2024. As of today, she hasn't lost a tournament since January.

Korda will attempt a record sixth-straight win at next week's JM Eagle LA Championship at Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles, where she'll vie for a cut of the $3.75 million purse.