The NWSL announced the list of draft-eligible players for Saturday’s event, and as a result, the second and final mock draft looks very different from our first edition last week.

Florida State’s Jaelin Howell is still expected to go No. 1 overall after she officially declared for the draft, but she’s the only player from the 2021 national champions making the jump at this time. Several other NCAA stars from the fall season are either returning for their extra year of eligibility or keeping their name out of the draft.

Before the College Draft kicks off at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, here is the second and final NWSL first-round mock draft for Just Women’s Sports.

1. San Diego Wave FC

Jaelin Howell, M, Florida State

Howell wrapped up a decorated college career at Florida State with a second national championship and First Team All-American honor as a senior. The 2020 MAC Hermann Trophy winner started 21 games this year as a holding midfielder, leading a group that recorded 23 shutouts and adding two goals and four assists (not to mention the game-winner in the NCAA semifinals). She should compete for minutes right away with the expansion club.

2. Racing Louisville FC

Naomi Girma, D, Stanford

The three-year Stanford captain would bring immediate steadiness and leadership to Racing Louisville’s backline. Girma has the skill level and experience to help a young Louisville team that gave up 40 goals last season, the most in the NWSL. The two-time Pac-12 Defender of the Year won a national championship with Stanford in 2019 and has been a part of the U.S. youth system for years, serving as captain of the U20 team and winning the U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year award in 2020.

3. North Carolina Courage

Mia Fishel, F, UCLA

Declaring early for the draft, Fishel wrapped up her junior season at UCLA with back-to-back United Soccer Coaches All-American honors. 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. With the No. 3 pick, the Courage can add a young player with upside who can develop behind returning attackers Lynn Williams, Amy Rodriguez and Jessica McDonald.

4. Racing Louisville FC

Emily Gray, M, Virginia Tech

With several top-end players heading back to school, Gray becomes one of the best midfield prospects available. She had an excellent senior season this fall, scoring 12 goals and adding eight assists for the Hokies, meaning she was involved in nearly half of her team’s goals. While she may not provide that kind of attacking punch at the pro level, Gray’s ability to connect through the midfield makes her a good fit for Louisville.

5. Orlando Pride

Sydny Nasello, F, South Florida

After the Pride hired Amanda Cromwell from the college ranks, what they do with their first-round draft pick is going to be fascinating to watch. While Nasello is no replacement for Alex Morgan, she’s a wide attacker who can play along flank and she improves the team’s depth across the forward line. Coming from USF, she’ll be a known commodity to Orlando’s technical staff.

6. Houston Dash

Diana Ordoñez, F, Virginia

Ordoñez announced in late November that she would forgo her final year of college eligibility and declare for the NWSL Draft as a junior. Her stock might never be higher after she finished the 2021 season second in the NCAA with 18 goals and first with eight game-winning goals, earning her the ACC Offensive Player of the Year award and a First Team All-American nod. A Houston team that just missed out on the playoffs in 2021 could use Ordoñez’s scoring punch. It would also be a homecoming of sorts for the Texas native.

7. North Carolina Courage

Caitlin Cosme, CB, Duke

As an anchor for one of the top defenses in the country this fall, Cosme capped an excellent career in Durham by leading the team in minutes played with 1,829 and scoring three goals. Listed at 5-foot-5, she plays bigger than her size and has the versatility to play on the flanks or as a defensive midfielder if not centrally.

8. NJ/NY Gotham FC

Sydney Cummings, CB, Georgetown

After a decorated career at Brown, Cummings transferred to Georgetown and was the Big East Defender of the Year this past season. She helped lead one of the best defenses in the country and has the skills and ability to slot into Gotham’s competitive backline. As a bonus, she’s a local product from New Jersey.

9. San Diego Wave FC

Raleigh Loughman, CM, Michigan

The San Diego native makes a lot of sense for the expansion club’s ninth pick. Loughman enjoyed a stellar fall season in front of goal, scoring nine goals and adding nine assists on a talented Michigan team. The lone player from the squad to declare for the draft, Loughman will likely fill a depth role at the next level. Her ability to cope with the defensive and possession responsibilities with her new team will determine her success, but she has the quality to make it happen.

10. OL Reign

Savannah DeMelo, CM, USC

After suffering an Achilles tear and missing the 2019 season, DeMelo returned for both the spring and fall campaigns this year, playing a total of 34 matches in 2021. Primarily an attacking midfielder, she can also play out on the left or in a deeper role. This past fall, USC deployed her in a variety of ways, including as a striker. Carving out a clear role and playing for a team that values the ball will be important for her chances as a pro, and she would be a good fit in the Pacific Northwest.

11. Chicago Red Stars

Julie Doyle, F, Santa Clara

While Doyle didn’t play the fall season after using her final year of eligibility in the spring, she’s included on the draft list and is a strong candidate to go in the first round. She spent the fall training and playing in England and is a forward who can play either on the wing or underneath a lone striker. The Red Stars can add a quality player here with the ability to step in immediately and compete for minutes.

12. Kansas City Current

Izzy Rodriguez, LB, Ohio State

There’s no such thing as too much outside back depth, and with plenty already on the roster, the Current can go in a number of different directions to close out the first round. Rodriguez was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in the spring, wrapping up her career in Columbus with 88 appearances. If she can handle the jump in attacking quality out wide, she’s a very solid backup to Hailie Mace on the left side. A case could be made to even try her centrally as a left center back.

Travis Clark is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports, covering college soccer and the NWSL Draft. He is also the Director of Content at Top Drawer Soccer. Follow him on Twitter @travismclark.

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.