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Panthers’ unbeaten run culminates with WIAA Division 2 crown

(Photo courtesy of @wiaawistate on Twitter)

An undefeated regular season did not earn Oregon (Wis.) the top overall seed in Wisconsin’s Division 2 state playoffs. But no matter, the Panthers knocked off top-seeded Whitefish Bay 1-0 in Saturday’s final to earn their third state title.

Katelyn Studebaker scored the game-winning goal in the second half, and the Panthers notched their 21st shutout in their 24th game of the season.

It’s the Panthers’ second title in four years and propels them to No. 5 in the JWS soccer rankings.

With all the high school spring soccer seasons wrapped up, these rankings encompass all schools that played in the spring.

1. Westminster (Ga.), 19-1

The Wildcats continued their dominance with a seventh consecutive state championship, outscoring opponents 148-11. Westminster is loaded with talent; North Carolina commit Evelyn Shores is one of five players committed to a college in the Power 5 conferences.

2. Grandview (Colo.), 17-1-2

The Wolves beat the top two seeds in the semifinal and final to claim the coveted 5A state title, avenging their sole regular-season loss in the process.

3. Yorktown (Va.), 22-1-1

The Patriots won their second state championship in three seasons behind a shutdown defense that posted 18 shutouts and an explosive attack led by South Carolina signee Shay Montgomery, who finished with 25 goals and 10 assists.

4. St. Thomas Aquinas (Kan.), 17-0-2

The Saints tested themselves against the best, beating 6A state champion Blue Valley West in the regular season, and it paid off with a dominant postseason run to a second straight 5A crown.

5. Oregon (Wis.), 23-0-1

The Panthers last conceded a goal on May 11.

6. Briar Woods (Va.), 20-0-2

Virginia Tech-bound Taylor Price netted 32 goals and had 15 assists, as the Falcons rebounded from last year’s state championship defeat to win it all this spring.

7. Gretna (Neb.), 21-0

The Dragons outscored opponents 118-6 to capture a second consecutive state title. They are 42-1 over that stretch.

8. Fort Zumwalt South (Mo.), 26-1

Another repeat champion, the Bulldogs rebounded from a regular-season loss to reel off 15 wins to end the season.

9. Triad (Ill.), 25-1

The Knights’ unbeaten streak ended at 41 games, but that was just a temporary speed bump en route to their fourth state title in 11 years.

10. Lassiter (Ga.), 16-0-4

The Trojans dedicated their state title to Libby Rountree, a rising senior soccer player who died last summer in a car crash.

11. Searcy (Ark.), 21-0-1

The Lions gave up just one goal all season en route to back-to-back state championships.

12. St. Dominic (Mo.), 23-3

Despite three regular-season losses, the Crusaders never lost faith and secured a third consecutive state title.

13. Cardinal Gibbons (N.C.), 16-6-2

Another team that started slowly, Cardinal Gibbons played its best soccer at the right time, winning the state championship in penalty kicks.

14. Dallas Center (Iowa), 22-0

With a plus-95 goal difference, the Mustangs secured a state championship and a perfect season.

15. Wando (S.C.), 19-1

The Warriors have built a perennial powerhouse in South Carolina, winning the 12th state title in program history.

16. Metea Valley (Ill.), 22-2-1

The Mustangs won the first state championship in program history in a penalty shootout and ended the season on a 14-game winning streak.

17. West Forsyth (Ga.), 18-3

An overtime win propelled the Wolverines to back-to-back state titles in Georgia’s highest classification.

18. James Island (S.C.), 20-1-2

A year after capturing its first state crown, the Trojans did it again. Their sole defeat was a 1-0 loss to Wando.

19. Valor Christian (Colo.), 16-1

The Eagles fell just short of a perfect season with a double-overtime loss to Grandview in the state semifinals.

20. Homewood (Ala.), 20-2-2

After losing in the state final last year, the Patriots captured the program’s second state championship this spring.

21. South County (Va.), 20-1-1

The Stallions picked a bad time to suffer their first loss of the season, falling in the state semifinals and missing out on a chance for back-to-back state titles.

22. Ardrey Kell (N.C.), 25-2-1

Ardrey Kell lost the state championship in penalty kicks to Cardinal Gibbons, bringing its record in state title games to 0-4, but the Knights were otherwise brilliant in their run to the state final.

23. Bloomfield Hills (Mich.), 15-2-3

The Black Hawks knocked off previously unbeaten Northville in penalty kicks to win the state crown.

24. Blue Valley West (Kan.), 16-3-1

Despite some regular-season stumbles, the Jaguars showed their skill in the postseason, outscoring their semifinal and final opponents combined by 7-1.

25. Deer Creek (Okla.), 17-3

The Antlers secured the seventh state championship in program history but first since 2015, winning the final in penalty kicks.

Phillip Suitts is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports. He has worked at a variety of outlets, including The Palm Beach Post and Southeast Missourian, and done a little bit of everything from reporting to editing to running social media accounts. He was born in Atlanta but currently lives in wintry Philadelphia. Follow Phillip on Twitter @PhillipSuitts.

Texas A&M Takes on Kentucky in 2025 NCAA Volleyball Championship Final

An overhead view of Kansas City's T-Mobile Center before the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament semifinals.
No. 3-seed Texas A&M swept No. 1-seed Pitt in the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament semifinals on Thursday. (Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

The 2025 NCAA volleyball championship game is officially on lock, as No. 3-seed Texas A&M and No. 1-seed Kentucky survived Thursday's semifinals to punch their tickets to Sunday's season finale.

After snapping overall top-seed Nebraska's undefeated season in last weekend's Elite Eight round, The Aggies kept their history-making hot streak alive, blowing past No. 1 Pitt as the first team to sweep the Panthers all year.

Leading the charge for A&M were sophomore outside hitter Kyndal Stowers and senior opposite Logan Lednicky, who registered 16 and 14 kills, respectively, on the Final Four court in Kansas City.

As for the last No. 1 seed standing, Kentucky survived No. 3 Wisconsin in a five-set thriller on Thursday, following the example of senior outside hitter Eva Hudson, whose 29 kills trailed only the semifinals-leading 32 posted by Badger senior outside hitter — and fellow AVCA Player of the Year finalist — Mimi Colyer.

With Kentucky hoping to add to their 2020 Division I title — the only NCAA volleyball championship in SEC history — the conference already owns the 2025 trophy, as Thursday set up the sport's first-ever all-SEC national final.

Though the 2025 SEC champion Wildcats seemingly have the edge over the conference's runners-up — Kentucky took down Texas A&M 3-1 in October — A&M's current momentum is undeniable, with the Aggies riding into Sunday's clash having ousted two No. 1 seeds and one No. 2 seed en route to a program-first national final.

"We are considered the underdog in a lot of these moments just [because] we haven't been here before. But we know we have all the right pieces," said Lednicky. "So why not us?"

How to watch the 2025 NCAA volleyball championship

No. 3 Texas A&M will battle No. 1 Kentucky for the 2025 NCAA volleyball championship at 3:30 PM ET on Sunday, airing live on ABC.

Report: Portland Fire Hires Hall of Fame WNBA Icon Sylvia Fowles as Assistant Coach

Retired WNBA star Sylvia Fowles poses in her Naismith Hall of Fame jacket and ring holding a basketball during her 2025 induction.
2025 Naismith Hall of Fame inductee Sylvia Fowles won two WNBA titles with the Minnesota Lynx. (Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)

Retired WNBA icon Sylvia Fowles is returning to the court, with ESPN reporting on Wednesday that the former Minnesota Lynx star center will join the staff of the Portland Fire, becoming an assistant coach for the 2026 expansion team.

After reportedly fielding multiple offers of WNBA coaching opportunities, the 40-year-old will back up recently announced Portland Fire head coach Alex Sarama during the team's debut season, with the opportunity to help mold a fresh league roster and create culture from day one serving as a deciding factor in Fowles choosing the expansion franchise.

The 2025 Naismith Hall of Fame inductee's resume underlines her ability to make an impact from the sideline, as the beloved WNBA alum packs both championship experience and a defensive mindset to aid a team still forming its identity.

In a 14-year playing career split between the Chicago Sky and Minnesota, the 2017 WNBA MVP won two league titles, earning Finals MVP honors alongside each of those Lynx championships.

A four-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, Fowles exited her pro career as the league's all-time rebounds leader with 4,007 boards — a stat that held until current Connecticut Sun center Tina Charles passed the Hall of Famer in September 2024.

The eight-time All-Star also shined on the international stage, as Fowles snagged four Olympic gold medals during her time with Team USA.

UWCL Draw Sets Up Potential Chelsea-Arsenal Champions League Quarterfinal Clash

The 2025/26 Champions League draw cards for WSL clubs Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester United sit on a table before the draw for the playoffs and quarterfinals rounds.
The 2025/26 Champions League quarterfinals could see an all-WSL battle. (Kristian Skeie - UEFA/Getty Images)

With the 18-team UWCL league phase now done and dusted, the 12 clubs still standing discovered their paths to the Final in the 2025/26 Champions League knockouts draw on Thursday.

While the top four clubs — No. 1 Barcelona, No. 2 OL Lyonnes, No. 3 Chelsea FC, and No. 4 Bayern Munich — punched their way into March's quarterfinals behind elite league-phase performances, the remaining eight teams must battle in February's playoffs in order to advance.

Thursday's draw has reigning champs No. 5 Arsenal facing Belgian side No. 12 Oud-Heverlee Leuven in the playoffs, but the Gunners then face a difficult road in the UWCL knockouts, staring down a potential quarterfinal clash with WSL rivals Chelsea as eight-time UWCL winners OL Lyonnes looms on the same side of the semifinal bracket.

Elsewhere, No. 7 Real Madrid have an opportunity to make UWCL history should they win their playoff tie against No. 10 Paris FC, setting up the tournament's first-ever El Clásico with a possible quarterfinal match against perennial winners Barcelona.

How to watch the 2025/26 Champions League Playoffs

The first-leg of the 2025/26 UWCL playoffs kick off with No. 12 Oud-Heverlee Leuven hosting No. 5 Arsenal at 12:45 PM ET on February 11th, with No. 7 Real Madrid visiting No. 10 Paris FC at 3 PM ET.

The following day, No. 8 Juventus will take on hosts No. 9 Wolfsburg at 12:45 PM ET before No. 11
Atlético de Madrid faces the visiting No. 6 Manchester United at 3 PM ET.

All 2025/26 Champions League matches will stream live on Paramount+.

NWSL Players Association Rejects League’s Proposed ‘High Impact Player’ Rule

Washington Spirit star Trinity Rodman looks on from the sideline during the 2025 NWSL Championship match.
The NWSL "High Impact Player" proposal comes as the Washington Spirit try to retain star striker Trinity Rodman. (Erin Chang/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

The NWSL Players Association is not on board with the league's latest proposal, rejecting the NWSL's new "High Impact Player" rule allowing teams to exceed the salary cap by up to $1 million to retain star athletes.

According to the current CBA, the union — rather than the league — has the final sign-off on all changes regarding compensation.

"The league is trying to control and interfere by trying to dictate which players [benefit from] this pot of funds," NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke told ESPN. "How you measure a player's value, both in terms of sporting merit and business criteria, is nuanced. It is more complicated than a handful of bullet points."

The NWSLPA has instead suggested that the league simply raise the 2026 salary cap by $1 million, giving clubs the same spending discretion without the star player mechanism.

Citing concerns about the rule's potential long-term implications on the market, roster structures, and locker-room culture, Burke noted that "We just don't feel that it delivers anything of value that simply increasing the team salary cap wouldn't, without having negative consequences."

"Our position is that teams — GMs, soccer ops, business folks at the team level — are uniquely positioned to make judgment calls about how to structure their rosters, how to negotiate deals," Burke continued. "It is within the purview of the teams to make those judgement calls, and in a system of free agency like we all agreed to, that's how it works. It's a free market."

"We are actively reviewing feedback from the NWSLPA as part of the consultation process outlined in the CBA," an NWSL spokesperson said in response.

"The league remains committed to being the home of the world's best talent, and this path gives our clubs the opportunity to pursue that goal while raising overall player investment."