The 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup group stage concluded on Sunday, sending four teams to the semifinals next Wednesday. Now that each team has played six matches, it’s time to look at where teams stand as the regular season kicks off with a matchup between Angel City FC and the North Carolina Courage on Friday night.

While the Challenge Cup was an opportunity for early evaluation, teams’ performances don’t necessarily reflect the full picture. Some coaches used the preseason tournament to experiment with different formations and attacking styles. Others focused on helping rookies adjust to the speed of the professional environment. The teams that turned over much of their roster in the offseason need time to build chemistry. During the regular season, however, the only motive is to win.

After the chaos of the Challenge Cup, here is where every team stands in the Just Women’s Sports NWSL preseason power rankings.

1. OL Reign

They’re good on paper, and they’re even better on the pitch. With the most wins of any team in the tournament, the second-most goals and the fewest goals conceded, the Reign are roaring. They’re one of a few teams with no weak link in their lineup, boasting strong depth along their backline and a Bethany Balcer-led attack that’s thriving even without 10-year veteran Megan Rapinoe and Tziarra King. Adding to the dominance are three of the best center midfielders in the world — Jess Fishlock, Quinn and Rose Lavelle — who are responsible for the Reign’s creative combination plays into the attacking third.

Playing in the West Division, the Reign have arguably had an easier run to the Challenge Cup semifinal because of the 2022 expansion teams, but beating longtime NWSL conqueror Portland in their second meeting says a lot about this team’s standing.

2. North Carolina Courage

The Courage going undefeated in the group stage of the Challenge Cup was perhaps the biggest surprise of the tournament. Finishing in sixth place last season before losing a herd of stars (including Lynn Williams, Sam Mewis and Amy Rodriguez) and signing six rookies from December’s draft, North Carolina appeared to be heading for a slight rebuild. They shut that theory down pretty quickly, racking up three wins and three ties in the tournament.

While Abby Erceg continues to be one of the strongest defenders in the NWSL, Kerolin Nicoli has been a game-changing addition up front, consistently creating dangerous chances with her 1v1 play. With veterans Meredith Speck and Denise O’Sullivan holding the team to a high standard, the Courage appear poised to extend the club’s long history of success in the league.

3. Washington Spirit

The Spirit ended the Challenge Cup with the fewest amount of wins of the three undefeated teams, but with the longest unbeaten streak. Outside of two forfeits in September due to COVID-19 protocols, the 2021 NWSL champions haven’t lost since Aug. 7. They’re still working on coming out of the gate with more intensity, but once their front trio of Ashley Hatch, Trinity Rodman and Ashley Sanchez get in a groove, they are very difficult for teams to stop. In their group stage finale Saturday, the Spirit displayed some impressive team defense to salvage a draw with the Courage while playing without starters Andi Sullivan and Sam Staab.

Trin is a menace 🔥 @trinity_rodman pic.twitter.com/uAiPwhzIFR

— Washington Spirit (@WashSpirit) April 18, 2022

4. Kansas City Current

The Central Division was perhaps the most competitive and unpredictable, with two clubs — the Houston Dash and Racing Louisville FC — tying at six points apiece. Kansas City was the outlier, earning 13 points to pull ahead of the second-place Red Stars by five, thanks in large part to the team’s depth. The Current were projected to improve this year after acquiring U.S. national team players Sam Mewis and Lynn Williams from North Carolina, but both were out of the Challenge Cup due to injury. Kansas City proceeded to dominate anyway behind the frontline duo of veteran Kristen Hamilton and rookie Elyse Bennett.

5. Portland Thorns

For the second time in just a few months, Portland has failed to advance in an NWSL competition because of an underdog. In November, the No. 4 Chicago Red Stars upset the Thorns in the NWSL semifinals. On Sunday, last-place Angel City blanked them 1-0 for their first win as a franchise. Granted, the Thorns were missing their head coach and five players in that game due to COVID-19 protocol. That match aside, Portland had a solid showing across the tournament with a handful of players stepping up in the absence of stars.

6. NJ/NY Gotham FC

Next to the Courage, Gotham FC was the second-biggest surprise of the Challenge Cup, and for the opposite reason. After adding Olympic bronze medalist Kristie Mewis and World Cup champions Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris, the 2021 Challenge Cup finalists appeared primed for success. But, despite being the oldest team in the NWSL by average age, they haven’t built chemistry as quickly as some might have thought for an experienced team. They also were tested early, competing in one of the toughest divisions with North Carolina and Washington.

7. Chicago Red Stars

The Red Stars have recently been without many key players due to injuries and trades, and unable to live up to the standard they set in the fall when they reached the NWSL championship game. They did, however, maintain a decent 2-2-2 record in the Challenge Cup. Defender Bianca St. Georges has become an important player on the backline, building on her breakout 2020 Challenge Cup before a quiet 2021. Mallory Pugh, before she suffered a concussion, was essential to the Red Stars remaining in the top half of the Central Division, netting four goals to place her among the top goal-scorers of the tournament.

Game on in KC 😱@biancastgeorges | @chicagoredstars pic.twitter.com/xAFnZRVcTV

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) April 24, 2022

8. Racing Louisville FC

Racing Louisville’s only two losses in the Challenge Cup unusually came against the Houston Dash, the last-place tema in the Central Division. Louisville has a group of hard-working subs who were able to turn around the team’s energy on several occasions, most notably in their 2-1 loss to Houston on Sunday despite the final score. As Louisville’s new players become more acquainted with the team, and the defense cleans up its technical errors, the team has what it takes to be a strong contender in the league this season.

9. San Diego Wave FC

The Wave, perhaps surprisingly, have come out as the stronger of the two 2022 expansion teams. The club has a bright future thanks to its promising rookie class, including center back Naomi Girma, game-changing substitute Amirah Ali and forward Kelsey Turbow, who has been key to the Wave controlling the center of the park. Sofia Jakobsson, a Swedish national team player competing in the NWSL for the first time in her career, has brought a fire to San Diego’s attack. With a number of individual talents, the Wave need more time to gel, but their competitive start bodes well for the regular season.

10. Houston Dash

The Dash finished the tournament as the only team with no draws. The inconsistency of their results — two wins and three losses — makes more sense when considering they used the Challenge Cup to experiment with new systems. In their most recent win over Racing Louisville, the Dash played three attacking midfielders, allowing them to press and capitalize on small mistakes in Louisville’s defensive third. María Sánchez had a standout tournament, solidifying her spot on the attack as the Dash adjust to losing midfielder Kristie Mewis to Gotham. They’ll have more adjusting to do at the start of the regular season after head coach James Clarkson was suspended based on initial findings in the NWSL and NWSLPA’s joint investigation into workplace conduct.

11. Angel City FC

Angel City is beginning to find their stride, especially after outplaying the Thorns in their first-ever win on Sunday. They scored in every game except one, a 3-0 loss to Portland, despite having 56.1 percent of the possession in that game. Overall, the Challenge Cup was a bit of a learning curve for Angel City as the club faced two of the strongest teams in the league, the Reign and the Thorns, two times each. A quickly developing team, ACFC has the potential to climb in the standings during the regular season.

Forward @ChristenPress talks about @weareangelcity first game of the season at @BancStadium this Friday #angelcity #angelcityfc #christenpress #nwsl pic.twitter.com/LRxeayK5Fv

— Eduard Cauich (@ecauich) April 27, 2022

12. Orlando Pride

The Pride are in for a ride this season, with nearly half the roster new to the club and head coach Amanda Cromwell embarking on her first professional season at the helm. They were tested through the second half of the Challenge Cup after Marta, their star attacker, was ruled out with a season-ending injury. The tournament, as a result, gave them a chance to adjust the lineup before jumping into regular season. Even with Marta on the pitch, it could take a couple of years for Orlando to contend for trophies.

Jessa Braun is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering the NWSL and USWNT. Follow her on Twitter @jessabraun.

The 2025 WNBA season was one for the record books, defined by the departure of legends, the rise of a new generation of game-changers, and a massive surge in popularity.

From historic on-court milestones to significant shifts in the business landscape, the year delivered a continuous stream of headlines that invariably reshaped the future of the league.

The season tipped off with the retirement of all-time leading scorer Diana Taurasi, who capped a storied 20-year career spanning three championships and six Olympic gold medals. And as icons exited, new stars filled the void, with eventual 2025 Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers setting a new rookie scoring record, while A’ja Wilson’s historic MVP run saw her become the first-ever player to record a 30-point, 20-rebound game.

Off the court, the central theme was explosive growth. 2025 expansion side Golden State shattered attendance records, while the league moved aggressively toward its 18-team goal by awarding new franchises to three cities, with Portland and Toronto already on board for 2026.

And despite navigating hurdles — including Fever superstar Caitlin Clark’s season-ending injury and increasingly heated CBA negotiations — the WNBA concluded the year with record-breaking viewership and a landmark $2.2 billion media deal.

Here are the 10 biggest moments that defined a historic season for the WNBA.

1. WNBA icon Diana Taurasi retires from pro basketball

After 20 seasons in the WNBA, Diana Taurasi officially announced her retirement from professional basketball on February 25th, with the Phoenix Mercury legend exiting as the league’s all-time leading scorer since 2017.

Taurasi’s resume includes three WNBA championships (2007, 2009, 2014), six Olympic gold medals, and 11 All-Star selections, as the Mercury immortalized Taurasi’s impact with the team’s new $100 million training facility, which features two practice courts named in her honor.

Other 2025 retirements include two-time WNBA MVP and seven-time All-Star Elena Delle Donne, known for leading the Washington Mystics to their first-ever WNBA championship in 2019, and four-time WNBA 3-Point Contest champion Allie Quigley, who won a WNBA title with the Chicago Sky in 2021.

2. WNBA announces expansion to Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia

On June 30th, the WNBA awarded new franchises to Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia, making good on a promise to grow the league to 18 teams by 2030 with Cleveland set to tip off in 2028, followed by Detroit in 2029, and Philadelphia in 2030.

The move highlighted the league’s soaring valuation, with each city’s ownership group paying a record $250 million fee — a massive jump from previous team buy-ins.

While Philadelphia prepares to welcome its first-ever WNBA team, pro women’s basketball is officially returning to Cleveland and Detroit, former homes of the Rockers and the three-time champion Shock.

3. Season-ending injury sidelines Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark

Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark’s sophomore season was cut short after she suffered a significant groin injury on July 15th. The injury — compounded by an August ankle sprain — limited the 2024 Rookie of the Year to just 13 games in 2025, and saw her officially ruled out for the remainder of the season in early September.

By mid-December, however, Clark reported she was back to “100% healthy” during a press conference at Team USA training camp in Durham, North Carolina.

4. Players take a stand ahead of the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game

This year’s All-Stars transformed the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis into a platform for labor advocacy, wearing black T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan “Pay Us What You Owe Us” during July 19th warm-ups. Organized by the WNBPA, the statement highlighted the friction between players and the league as CBA negotiations loomed.

The sentiment was echoed by fans, who chanted “Pay them!” while commissioner Cathy Engelbert presented the All-Star MVP trophy to Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier after Team Collier’s 151-131 blowout win over Team Clark.

5. Aces star A’ja Wilson’s 30/20 game makes WNBA history

On August 10th, Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson became the first-ever WNBA player to register 30+ points and 20 rebounds in a single game.

The eventual 2025 MVP capped the Aces’ 94-86 victory over the Connecticut Sun with 32 points, 20 rebounds, and five assists, solidifying Wilson’s status as the league’s premier dominant force and served as a cornerstone performance in yet another winning season.

6. Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers drops 44 points on LA

On August 20th, Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers delivered a landmark performance, dropping 44 points in a narrow 81-80 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks to tie Cynthia Cooper’s single-game rookie scoring record, set in 1997 — four years before Bueckers was born.

The eventual 2025 Rookie of the Year made even more history that night, becoming the first-ever player to record more than 40 points while shooting 80% from the field, finishing the night 17-of-21 from the floor.

7. Golden State Valkyries shatter WNBA attendance records

In their inaugural season, the Golden State Valkyries shattered WNBA attendance records, selling out all 22 home games at the Chase Center while averaging 18,064 per game for a total of 397,408 — far eclipsing the 2024 Indiana Fever’s previous high point.

On the court, the Valkyries made even more of a mark by becoming the first WNBA expansion team to qualify for the postseason in their debut year, finishing the regular season on a 23-19 record.

8. Napheesa Collier puts WNBA leadership on blast

During her October 1st exit interview, Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier delivered a blistering critique of WNBA leadership, calling the league office “negligent” and the “worst in the world” while citing several systemic issues like inconsistent officiating, ignored compensation demands, and overworked players.

Collier specifically called out commissioner Cathy Engelbert, alleging a lack of accountability and detailing Engelbert’s unpopular management style, with Engelbert later responding by saying she was “disheartened” by the characterization but remained committed to the players.

9. Las Vegas Aces win the 2025 WNBA Championship

On October 10th, the Las Vegas Aces secured their third league title in four years by sweeping the Phoenix Mercury 4-0 in the 2025 WNBA Finals, confirming Las Vegas as a modern-day WNBA dynasty under coach Becky Hammon.

The clinching 97-86 victory also saw A’ja Wilson earn Finals MVP honors, with the star forward making history as the first player to win MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Finals MVP in the same season.

10. WNBA blows past season-long viewership records

2025 went down as the most-watched in WNBA history, with ESPN networks averaging 1.3 million viewers per game for a 6% year-over-year increase in regular-season viewership.

May 17th’s matchup between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever topped the regular-season returns with a record-2.7 million viewers. Later, Game 1 of the 2025 WNBA Finals drew 1.9 million viewers — the most-watched Finals opener in 28 years. And the Las Vegas Aces’ championship-winning sweep subsequently averaged 1.5 million viewers, becoming the second-most watched Finals behind 2024.

The gains also hit ancillary shows, with ESPN’s WNBA Countdown averaging 437,000 viewers through the playoffs — up 30% year-over-year. Hoop Streams and The Wrap-Up also saw a 60% boost across eight postseason episodes.

And the dividends are already paying off. The WNBA is set to embark on an 11-year, $2.2 billion media deal promising $200 million per year in returns.

US skiing icon Lindsey Vonn is officially back, clinching her spot on Team USA's 2026 Winter Olympics roster this week behind stellar recent performances on the sport's World Cup tour.

The 41-year-old made headlines two weekends ago when she became the oldest Alpine Ski World Cup winner since the circuit's 1967 inception, taking first in the downhill race in St. Moritz, Switzerland on December 12th — her 83rd World Cup victory.

"Every single thing that I could do to be faster, I did," said Vonn after winning the downhill event. "And now, now this is what happens. You get the reward."

Vonn is continuing to rack up the rewards, claiming podium finishes in four of the five total races she's competed in so far this season, earning another second-place downhill finish in St. Moritz before taking third in both downhill and the Super G in Val-d'Isère, France, last weekend.

As for her fifth World Cup race, Vonn clocked in at a still-impressive fourth.

"Four podiums in five races, I couldn't really be any happier," the Olympic gold medalist said in response.

Those finishes have the US ski legend sitting at No. 1 in the World Cup downhill standings and No. 3 in the Super-G — with her downhill ranking putting her far enough ahead to guarantee Vonn one of the four Team USA roster spots at the 2026 Olympics.

"Lindsey qualifying for the 2026 Olympic team is a testament to her resilience and dedication," said US Ski & Snowboard president and CEO Sophie Goldschmidt, confirming Vonn's Team USA qualification in a Tuesday statement. "She's proven once again that elite performance isn't just about past success, it's about rising to the moment, race after race."

Success spurs Vonn to extend final competitive season

Returning to competitive skiing in November 2024 following her retirement in February 2019, Vonn spent part of her five-year hiatus undergoing and recovering from a titanium knee replacement that ultimately returned her to the slopes.

Though Vonn previously planned to retire immediately after February's Winter Games in Cortina, Italy, she's now setting her sights on completing the World Cup circuit in March — though that will officially be the end of the road for the US icon.

"I feel like I'm rolling the dice enough as it is, being 41 and putting myself through this," Vonn told The Athletic. "So this is a one-season, final season."

That said, she'll look to add to her trio of Olympic medals before hanging up her competitive skis.

"For Cortina, things are looking pretty f—ing awesome."

The No. 3 South Carolina Gamecocks are calling in roster reinforcements, announcing Monday that French forward Alicia Tournebize will join the NCAA basketball team after the holidays.

"Alicia has an incredible skill set and basketball IQ," South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said in a news release. "She has great touch around the rim, can shoot it out to the 3-point line and is a shot blocker."

While they've only dropped one game so far this season, the Gamecocks' roster has been running thin due to injuries — including losing star forward Chloe Kitts to a season-ending ACL injury in October.

With the continued absence of forward Ashlyn Watkins, who is out this season as she continues to rehab a January ACL tear, South Carolina has suffered additional temporary roster losses this month as injuries forced forward Madina Okot and guard Agot Makeer into concussion protocol.

Though Okot, who is currently averaging a double-double, returned to play last Thursday, Makeer remains out, as the Gamecocks and their traditionally deep bench continue a 2025/26 campaign that's seen just three games played with a healthy 10-player roster.

The midseason signing of Tournebize will add both depth and height to bolster South Carolina, as the 6-foot-7 freshman rivals Chicago Sky forward Kamilla Cardoso as one of Staley's tallest-ever players.

The 18-year-old daughter of French basketball Hall of Famer Isabelle Fijalkowski — one of the inaugural WNBA players for the Cleveland Rockers — is already making a name for herself in Europe, leading the France's youth squad in both scoring and rebounding as they claimed bronze at last summer's 2025 FIBA U18 EuroBasket.

Tournebize also packs professional experience, coming to Columbia from French club Tango Bourges Basket.

The young star will likely make her NCAA debut as South Carolina kicks off SEC conference play in early 2026.

Monday's AP Top 25 Poll featured few dramatics, as the Week 8 tally reflected another consistent slate from the 2025/26 NCAA basketball elite with only one shift in the Top 10 and marginal movement at the bottom.

Undefeated TCU keeps making gains, rising one spot to tie Oklahoma at No. 8 after taking down Big 12 foe Kansas State 77-55 behind senior guard Olivia Miles's 29-point performance on Saturday.

On the other hand, a 90-64 loss to No. 1 UConn on Saturday saw Iowa skid three spots, with the now-No. 14 Hawkeyes falling to a 1-2 record against ranked opponents this season.

Outside the relatively stationary Top 10, some blue chip programs are threatening to exit the AP Poll entirely after dropping ranked games last weekend.

Baylor experienced the greatest slide, dropping seven spots to No. 22 after falling 61-60 to Big 12 rival and rankings newcomer No. 21 Texas Tech on Sunday — the Bears' third loss in their season's four ranked games so far.

Tennessee saw a similar dip, plummeting six spots to No. 23 after losing to a surging No. 13 Louisville 89-65 on Saturday.

How to watch Top 25 NCAA basketball this week

The ranked action returns on Sunday, as No. 4 UCLA visits No. 19 Ohio State at 2 PM ET, live on the Big Ten Network.

2025/26 AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll: Week 8

1. UConn (12-0, Big East)
2. Texas (14-0, SEC)
3. South Carolina (12-1, SEC)
4. UCLA (11-1, Big Ten)
5. LSU (13-0, SEC)
6. Michigan (10-1, Big Ten)
7. Maryland (13-0, Big Ten)
T8. TCU (13-0, Big 12)
T8. Oklahoma (12-1, SEC)
10. Iowa State (13-0, Big 12)
11. Kentucky (12-1, SEC)
12. Vanderbilt (12-0, SEC)
13. Louisville (12-3, ACC)
14. Iowa (10-2, Big Ten)
15. Ole Miss (12-2, SEC)
16. UNC (11-3, ACC)
17. USC (9-3, Big Ten)
18. Notre Dame (9-2, ACC)
19. Ohio State (11-1, Big Ten)
20. Nebraska (12-0, Big Ten)
21. Texas Tech (14-0, Big 12)
22. Baylor (11-3, Big 12)
23. Tennessee (8-3, SEC)
24. Michigan State (11-1, Big Ten)
25. Princeton (12-1, Ivy)