Of this year’s NWSL awards, Rookie of the Year might be the toughest to hand out. The 2022 first-year players — between our list and players like Amirah Ali, Elyse Bennett, Kelsey Turnbow and Alex Loera -— have been some of the best the league has ever seen.

Just Women’s Sports has chosen four players as frontrunners for Rookie of the Year, representing positions across the field and teams from coast to coast.

Diana Ordoñez, F, North Carolina Courage

Drafted sixth overall in last year’s draft, Diana Ordoñez has been a top-five scorer in the league this season, rising as high as second in the Golden Boot race. Her most impressive run was from June 19 to Aug. 24, when she scored nine goals in six straight games, contributing to her season total of 11 goals and earning August Rookie of the Month honors. With 17 starts across 18 games played, the former Virginia Cavalier has a long-ball success rate of 70 percent and has made 13 key passes.

We call her Scordóñez 😎

Congrats to @diana0rdonez, the August @NWSL Rookie of the Month, presented by @Ally!#CourageUnitesUs pic.twitter.com/cWNubiJXud

— NC Courage (@TheNCCourage) September 7, 2022

Savannah DeMelo, M, Racing Louisville FC

In the same draft class as Racing Louisville teammate and No. 2 overall pick Jaelin Howell, USC’s Savannah DeMelo might have initially flown under the radar but was quick to set the record straight. One of Louisville’s most consistent players, the No. 4 overall pick and July Rookie of the Month has led her team in chances created, successful dribbles per 90 and penalties won. She has also been one of the league’s best at scoring off set pieces, with two of her four goals coming from direct free kicks.

What a beauty from rookie @Savannah_DeMelo! 😍#RacingLou | @RacingLouFC pic.twitter.com/WGlLHP10us

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 17, 2022

Sam Coffey, M, Portland Thorns FC

Not only has Sam Coffey been impressing in the defensive midfield during her NWSL rookie season, but it’s her first season in that role entirely. Formerly an attacking midfielder at Penn State, she has transitioned seamlessly into her new position, recording an 83 percent passing success rate and hitting her target on long balls 56.6 percent of the time. Defensively, the June Rookie of the Year wins 69 percent of her tackles and 55 percent of her duels, and she’s made a total of 38 interceptions.

Y'ALL BETTER REMEMBER THE NAME. HER FIRST @NWSL GOAL!

SAM. COFFEY. pic.twitter.com/mRcDiMP1np

— X - Portland Thorns FC (@ThornsFC) September 22, 2022

Our pick: Naomi Girma, D, San Diego Wave FC

No. 1 draft pick Naomi Girma has had a good enough season to be nominated for NWSL Defender of the Year and MVP, let alone Rookie of the Year. Named to three of four NWSL Teams of the Month, she has been the fearless backbone of the San Diego defense, even getting a chance to wear the captain’s armband in her first season with the 2022 playoff-bound expansion team.

The former Stanford defender reads the game like a book, can play deadly long balls to teammates in the opponent’s 18-yard box and is bold enough to carry the ball out of the back and through multiple players in the midfield. Playing every minute of every game she’s been available for, Girma has passed with 83 percent accuracy, won 68 percent of her duels and made 85 clearances, 12 blocks and 24 interceptions.

Center back appreciation post!
Keep your eye on @naomi_girma in the playoffs! @alywagner breaks down the rookie in Inside the Game presented by @mastercard. pic.twitter.com/Y3CaLYWeQj

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 26, 2022

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

The Connecticut Sun is still on the chopping block, with reports surfacing Tuesday that the WNBA made a $250 million offer to buy the team in order to control its final landing place.

The Mohegan Tribe — the Sun's current owners — are reportedly still seeking clarity on the league's preferred relocation destination, after two prospective outside bids stalled in front of the Board of Governors.

Multiple offers remain on the table, including two $325 million bids from groups in Boston and nearby Hartford, Connecticut — as well as a plan to raise capital via minority investments rather than a full sale.

Recent reports point to the league's desire to control the Sun's fate while preserving certain markets for expansion, with the Mohegan Tribe under pressure to bend to the WNBA's interests.

The WNBA offer to buy the Connecticut Sun outright is reportedly part of a larger plan to flip the team to a different prospective ownership group without an additional relocation fee — and rumors say Houston is in the lead.

The Mohegan Tribe already turned down a low-ball bid out of Cleveland, with WNBA later awarding the Northeast Ohio city an expansion team for a $250 million fee.

NBA co-ownership was a clear priority during the league's most recent expansion, with officials now looking to force that strategy onto the Sun's future.

While the No. 1 Minnesota Lynx watch from above, the race for the No. 2 postseason seed is taking center stage, with teams like the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury eyeing 2025 WNBA Playoffs spots as the league nears the regular-season home stretch.

Big Tuesday wins helped boost the No. 2 New York Liberty and No. 5 Las Vegas Aces up the WNBA standings, while the Mercury refused to lose pace with a 98-91 victory over the No. 7 Golden State Valkyries.

"We're just continuing to try to build," Phoenix head coach Nate Tibbetts told reporters afterwards. "We're on the right step, but there's still work to be done."

Multiple talent-stacked teams are continuing to sharpen their form with the 2025 Playoffs looming, with only a half-game currently separating the New York Liberty, Atlanta Dream, Phoenix Mercury, and Las Vegas Aces on the WNBA table.

The Mercury have benefitted a healthy Big Three — Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally, and Kahleah Copper — with Copper leading Phoenix's five double-digit scorers by registering 25 points in Tuesday’s win.

"Our support staff has been great and our culture and my teammates have been great in helping me navigate through [early-season injuries] and just being able to get back out there," Copper said this week.

How to watch the Phoenix Mercury this week

The No. 4 Phoenix Mercury will have their work cut out for them on Thursday, when they'll visit Las Vegas to tip off against the surging No. 5 Aces and their eight-game winning streak at 10 PM ET.

Live coverage of the clash will air on Prime.

The No. 9 Sparks haven't given up the fight, with LA sitting just outside the 2025 WNBA playoff picture ahead of Wednesday night's clash with a No. 11 Dallas Wings side facing postseason elimination.

The Sparks have had an up-and-down season, arriving at a 16-18 record with six wins in their last 10 games.

"We control our destiny, so what do we do with it?" LA head coach Lynne Roberts said on Tuesday. "And I love that we're in that spot, but we'll see how competitive we are."

"Obviously we feel like there's some games that we should have and could have won at the beginning of the season early on, but [you] can't change the past," echoed Sparks forward Dearica Hamby. "We have good momentum right now still. We're still in good position to make the playoffs, so just take it a game at a time."

Meanwhile, Dallas will try to stave off joining the last-place Connecticut Sun in playoff elimination, though their draft lottery odds rise with every loss.

The Wings will be even more shorthanded on Wednesday after losing Li Yueru to a season-ending ACL sprain on Friday, with the center now joining star guard Arike Ogunbowale, who is suffering from knee tendinitis, on the sideline.

How to watch the Dallas Wings vs. LA Sparks on Wednesday

The No. 9 Sparks will host the No. 11 Wings at 10 PM ET on Wednesday, with live coverage airing on WNBA League Pass.

The No. 6 Indiana Fever are officially down another guard due to injury, with the team confirming Tuesday that Sophie Cunningham suffered a season-ending right MCL tear during the squad's Sunday matchup against the No. 13 Connecticut Sun.

"If you're going to hurt your knee, that is the best possible case," Cunningham explained on her podcast on Tuesday. "A couple more inches to the left, [I] would've torn a whole bunch more s—t. I'm very thankful for where I am at, so it's all good."

Cunningham posted an average of 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game while shooting 46.9% from the field on the season for Indiana.

In response to losing the seven-season WNBA standout, Indiana signed veteran guard Shey Peddy to a seven-day hardship contract on Tuesday, one day after releasing previous hardship addition Kyra Lambert.

Cunningham became the third Fever guard sidelined with a season-ending injury in less than two weeks, after Indiana lost both Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald to an ACL tear and broken foot, respectively, in the same game on August 7th.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

The trio join superstar guard Caitlin Clark on the Fever's injured list, after the WNBA sophomore's lingering right groin issue has seen her on the bench since before the 2025 All-Star break.

That said, Clark has reportedly been participating in practice this week, ramping up her game fitness as she eyes a return to the 2025 WNBA court.