As any NWSL coach will tell you, the way to succeed in an Olympic year is to approach the season as a set of distinct and separate segments. In 2021, the league has already maneuvered through a Challenge Cup and the first quarter of the regular season. Now, a new challenge begins as teams re-assemble and solidify their squads without their Tokyo-bound stars.

We’ve covered our weekly power rankings, but with the league wasting no time in continuing on during the Olympics, let’s take a look at how we think each team is set up to weather this particular storm and build momentum as the season’s halfway mark approaches.

1. Washington Spirit

Current NWSL standing: 4th
Will lose: Kelley O’Hara (USA), Emily Sonnett (USA), Saori Takarada (JPN), Julia Roddar (SWE)

The Spirit will be missing some high-profile pieces on their backline, but Andi Sullivan’s Olympic heartbreak must be considered a massive Washington gain going into this portion of the season. Sullivan and Tori Huster have been the veteran heartbeat of this group — as Kelley O’Hara has had some limited availability — and they will be more than capable of guiding the team. The Spirit also benefit from a young core of players who are still rising to their full potential, and the duo of Ashley Sanchez and Trinity Rodman have the ability to set the NWSL on fire with other teams missing defenders.

Washington will miss Emily Sonnett and O’Hara, but Sullivan can take on deep-lying playmaker responsibilities with relative ease. The anticipated return of Paige Nielsen will also bolster the defense sufficiently. The Spirit have done an admirable job recently of getting results by sticking to their game plan and not forcing stylistic dogma onto a roster with some gaps. I expect that to continue.

2. Portland Thorns

Current NWSL standing: 3rd
Will lose: Christine Sinclair (CAN), Crystal Dunn (USA), Lindsey Horan (USA), Becky Sauerbrunn (USA), AD Franch (USA)

The Thorns are losing a number of key players to the Olympics, as the club deals with the consequences of fielding such a stacked roster. The good news for Portland is that their depth is finely tuned and none of those missing players are coming from their attacking line. Expect Kelli Hubly to slot in place of Becky Sauerbrunn, for Meghan Klingenberg to drift into the midfield on occasion and for the top-line options of Simone Charley, Sophia Smith and Morgan Weaver to pounce on depleted backlines throughout the league.

The reason Portland gets the second slot here is simply because they ran this very exercise in the 2021 Challenge Cup and emerged as the victors. Plus, Portland’s goalkeeping system is as good as any in the NWSL. If any team can find a way through this period with a record that many teams will envy, Portland will — despite dropping some results early this year.

3. OL Reign

Current NWSL standing: 9th
Will lose: Megan Rapinoe (USA), Rose Lavelle (USA), Quinn (CAN), Nicole Momiki (JPN)

When I first put together this re-seeding idea, it was with the intention of placing OL Reign firmly at the top of the list. They have reloaded their attack with the inclusion of Eugenie Le Sommer and Dzsenifer Marozsan and bolstered their defense with the acquisition of Alana Cook, none of whom will be out during the Olympics. They also have Shirley Cruz and Jess Fishlock as steady midfield contributors who will be available to them at a time when many other clubs are losing players of a similar caliber.

However, while talent will likely still win out in OL Reign’s favor, their 3-0 drubbing at the hands of Gotham FC this past weekend has given me some pause. Le Sommer and Marozsan each found themselves in dangerous spaces during the game, but the different pace of the NWSL caught many of the Reign’s new additions (including Sarah Bouhaddi) off guard. These issues are solvable, but the Reign will have to get more out of their attack and a much steadier performance from their defense in order to earn the points they’re expecting in the short term.

4. Orlando Pride

Current NWSL standing: 1st
Will lose: Alex Morgan (USA), Marta (BRA), Erin McLoed (CAN), Ali Riley (NZL)

Alex Morgan has been on a hot streak early in the NWSL season, helping lead Orlando to the best record in the league. Marta’s creativity will also be missed, especially if the Pride find themselves chasing games. But there are also reasons to believe that Orlando is going to be just fine with their international stars away. Sydney Leroux has been in fine form up top, Meggie Dougherty-Howard has been invaluable as a midfield engine, and Courtney Peterson and Phoebe McClernon have been developing nicely under the leadership of Ali Krieger, who will likely be the anchor of the backline (possibly along with new signing Amy Turner) while Ali Riley is away.

Instead of fading during the Olympic stretch, I expect the Pride to continue to pick up points in a similar fashion to the first quarter of the season. It might not be perfect, but if they can find a way to get the ball to Leroux or Taylor Kornieck, they’ll still be in the playoff mix when the international stars return.

5. North Carolina Courage

Current NWSL standing: 2nd
Will lose: Sam Mewis (USA), Lynn Williams (USA), Abby Erceg (NZL), Debinha (BRA)

Lynn Williams just barely missed the main U.S. roster. She will serve as an alternate in Tokyo, which will nevertheless take her away from her club presumably for much of the Olympic period. Her goal-scoring will be missed, but the team does benefit from the expertise of World Cup champion Jessica McDonald and long-time super sub Kristin Hamilton. Sam Mewis will be an impossible player to replace in the midfield (though do look for Hailie Mace to have a breakout game or two), and the Courage will likely try to fill Debinha’s creative output with a player in a more functional role.

However, the player the Courage can quietly least afford to lose is center-back stalwart Abby Erceg. She will be playing for New Zealand through at least the Olympic group stage (New Zealand has never advanced out of their group in an international tournament). Erceg has been essential to North Carolina’s recent steadiness in the defense, and when she was out early in the season due to a lingering injury, the Courage struggled to keep the ball out of the back of their own net.

North Carolina does benefit from having Casey Murphy available, who has been in the U.S. goalkeeper pool but wasn’t in contention for a 2021 spot. It’s going to be up to her to keep the Courage as organized as possible, lest they fall in the types of shootouts they found themselves in during the Challenge Cup.

6. Gotham FC

Current NWSL standing: 5th
Will lose: Carli Lloyd (USA), Evelyne Viens (CAN), Kailen Sheridan (CAN)

Gotham’s biggest piece of good news comes from one of the highest-profile names not on the U.S. Olympic list: Midge Purce. Rather than going to Tokyo as an alternate, Purce now has the space to turn her attention fully to the NWSL. In the absences of Carli Lloyd and Evelyne Viens, Purce has already had one breakout game while paired with Ifeoma Onumonu in the attack; Paige Monaghan, who is currently out with an injury, should also join them for the long term.

Gotham will also benefit from the rising fitness of McCall Zerboni, whose place in the midfield allows Jennifer Cudjoe to move more freely in creative spaces. The Gotham backline will also be fully intact. Whereas in the past, the loss of Kailen Sheridan would be a concern for NJ/NY’s already impressively staunch goal differential, Didi Haracic proved a capable starter during the Challenge Cup. She’ll look to carry that momentum through the Olympic period and keep Gotham firmly in the playoff mix.

7. Racing Louisville

Current NWSL standing: 6th
Will lose: none

While not carrying any U.S. stars or Olympic standouts in their first year could be a long-term issue for Louisville, it might be something of a blessing during this next quarter of the NWSL season. Ebony Salmon has already proved to be a terrific signing and PSG legend Nadia Nadim will soon join her in the front-line. This should allow the team to keep building chemistry between their defense and their midfield, where they’ve been most vulnerable, giving them more chances to steal points from teams with loftier style goals while many of their opponents’ best players are away.

Look to Emily Fox to stake a claim toward the next U.S. roster with continued excellent play on the flank, and for Yuki Nagasato to continue in a facilitator role for Salmon and Nadim up top.

8. Chicago Red Stars

Current NWSL standing: 8th
Will lose: Julie Ertz (USA), Alyssa Naeher (USA), Tierna Davidson (USA), Casey Krueger (USA)

The Red Stars lost Julie Ertz a number of weeks ago when she left their regular season opener with an MCL sprain. They have capable backups to Alyssa Naeher in Cassie Miller and Emily Boyd, and Kayla Sharples seems ready to slide into the second center-back spot left by Tierna Davidson.

The bigger surprise is the inclusion of Casey Krueger as a U.S. alternate. Her absence will stretch the Chicago defense even further than anticipated. The Red Stars have struggled with their goal differential on both ends of the pitch in recent games, and while their midfield and attack will be completely intact, they still haven’t found ways to turn those players into a formidable unit. Despite this, the Olympic period serves as a good opportunity for that group to gel.

9. Houston Dash

Current NWSL standing: 7th
Will lose: Jane Campbell (USA), Kristie Mewis (USA), Sophie Schmidt (CAN), Allysha Chapman (CAN), Nichelle Prince (CAN), Rachel Daly (GB)

In something of a turn of fortune, the Olympics are hitting the Dash harder than possibly any other team in the league. The ascension of Jane Campbell and Kristie Mewis in the U.S. ranks, along with the inevitable losses of Allysha Chapman and Rachel Daly to Canada and England respectively, means that many of Houston’s most dynamic players will be missing for some time. Sophie Schmidt missed out on the main Canada roster but will be traveling to Tokyo as an alternate, which means Dash lose her steady presence in the midfield as they try to build some momentum after a rocky start to their regular season.

The Dash do have the depth to slot into the many gaps left by their Olympic players. The question will be whether they can get the same production from the wings without Nichelle Prince and from their full-team press with so much of their core in Tokyo. Look to Shea Groom to provide a spark and Gabby Seiler to have opportunities to become a midfield generator.

10. Kansas City NWSL

Current NWSL standing: 10th
Will lose: Katie Bowen (NZL), Desiree Scott (CAN), Chloe Logarzo (AUS)

Kansas City are losing fewer players than many other NWSL teams, but their issue continues to be getting out of first gear. They haven’t won a match yet in the regular season, despite being in a winning position numerous times, and will have deeper squad issues to deal with than the loss of Bowen, Scott, and Logarzo to the Olympics. Kansas City’s best bet for results will come from the tired legs of their opponents and focused work from Amy Rodriguez. Rachel Corsie should help the club on defense and Abby Smith’s development as a sweeper keeper will be key to keeping them in games.

This next stretch of games could line up in such a way that Kansas City manage their first win, but they still don’t quite have the pieces to make a deep run while their Olympic players are away.

As the world of women’s soccer approaches 2026, the last year may well be remembered for its dynasties.

Chelsea won a sixth straight WSL title, Euros champion England and Copa winner Brazil retained their continental crowns, and Gotham FC lifted a second NWSL trophy in three years.

The winds of change also began to blow in new directions, with Arsenal upsetting Barcelona to win the Champions League final, top NWSL talent departing the US for opportunities overseas, and Kansas City reminding everyone what happens when regular-season dominance meets playoff vulnerability.

Through it all the game continued to grow, with increasingly interesting results on both sides of the pond, as the ramp-up to the 2027 World Cup and a new slate of regional competitions coincide with an ever-shifting economic landscape

So instead of looking back, we’re keeping the spirit of progress alive by presenting five bold predictions for women’s soccer in 2026.

Sophia Wilson’s return: A top contender for 2026 NWSL MVP

News of USWNT Sophia Wilson’s impending return to the Portland Thorns gave NWSL fans a boost earlier this month, with the Triple Espresso forward signing a single-year extension with her original club team.

Expect Wilson to hit the ground running as she comes back from pregnancy. The 2022 NWSL MVP has been very consistent throughout her career, and she’ll be joined by other returning Thorns attackers to bolster her opportunities in front of goal.

Fellow extended Portland star Olivia Moultrie will be paramount to the 25-year-old’s MVP campaign, especially as Wilson looks to challenge two-time reigning MVP Temwa Chawinga.

Don’t bet against Wilson showing shades of Alex Morgan’s 2023 Golden Boot run. That's when the USWNT legend blew past expectations for what new mothers could achieve in their first season back on the pitch.

No repeat champs: Why the women's soccer guards are changing in 2026

Reigning WSL winner Chelsea’s repeat bid is already shaky, with Everton snapping their 34-game unbeaten streak earlier this month. And they’re preparing to enter the new year six points behind Manchester City in the league table.

Blues manager Sonia Bompastor has seemed to prefer a static roster rotation. Of course, she’s charged with managing players from two eras: ex-coach Emma Hayes’s success and the team’s modern iteration. If there was a time for a changing of the WSL guard, 2026 is the year.

Stateside, 2025 NWSL Shield winners Kansas City continue to navigate offseason changes. The Current will start 2026 under brand new leadership, after former head coach Vlatko Andonovski announced he’ll move to a Sporting Director role.

ESPN recently reported Kansas City’s plan to hire former MLS head coach Chris Armas in 2026. But without a formal announcement and the offseason clock ticking, the Current might run out of runway to set up a repeat bid.

2025 NWSL champion Gotham has both FIFA and Concacaf Champions Cup commitments this year, complicating their quest as they maneuver a jam-packed season. The club landed one major re-signing in Midge Purce, but forward Ella Stevens departed for expansion side Boston. Thus, the team is left relying on a title-winning core with an average age over 28.

Arsenal hasn’t looked too terribly far off their Champions League game yet. But the subsequent resurgence of Barcelona and OL Lyonnes could see the WSL on the outside looking in once the tournament reaches May's final.

Despite having a few worthy clubs — including strong newcomers Manchester United — the UK league’s chances of claiming another UWCL title appear overshadowed by mainland Europe’s renewed dominance.

Emma Hayes's USWNT: Expect major roster overhauls in 2026

USWNT coach Emma Hayes embraced change in 2025, giving 43 players their first national team cap this year — the most since 2001.

Though the approach came with some speed bumps. The US matching the single-year total loss record with three dropped matches.

Considering Hayes’s approach, it seems that the future of the USWNT has arrived much sooner than expected. And looking back, those losses actually made an emphatic argument for more lineup overhauls — not less.

The team’s November loss to Portugal showcased a veteran midfield trio in Rose Lavelle, Lindsey Heaps, and Sam Coffey. The lineup exposed the old guard’s weaknesses as the team looks to hold ground among the world’s elite.

Remember — Hayes made the call to leave Alex Morgan off the gold medal-winning 2024 Olympic roster. In doing so, she laid the groundwork for even bigger calls as the US gears up for a tough World Cup qualifying run in 2026.

The global talent war: NWSL salary cap faces European threats

The NWSL closes 2025 with flashy off-field headlines and waning on-field enthusiasm, as it attempts to grapple with a rash of overseas departures.

They’ve even gone so far as to institute a new “High Impact Player” rule allowing teams to exceed the salary cap for top talent. The move comes after rejecting the Washington Spirit’s blockbuster play for superstar striker Trinity Rodman.

Viewed as a half-measure to circumvent larger salary cap issues, the NWSL Players Association has come out against the newly approved mechanism.

The union is advocating for the league to raise the base salary cap across the board. This will help clubs keep up in an increasingly competitive global market without destroying parity.

Whether or not the two parties will reach a compromise remains to be seen. Meantime, it leaves NWSL fans to hope for a solution as wealthy European clubs continue to draw top free agents away from the US league.

Of course, money isn’t everything. Raising the salary cap won’t guarantee NWSL favorites remain Stateside, as another league’s pull features more than just a pay bump. Thoughugh should the NWSL figure things out in time, US clubs might bring in a few big names themselves.

Regardless, expect more players to test their abilities in new environments when the transfer window opens back up in January. And it's especially pressing considering the looming World Cup and its national team implications.

The 2026 Men’s World Cup will transform women’s soccer

International soccer’s largest event lands in the US next year, as the 2026 Men’s World Cup promises to reshape football fandom in this country and beyond.

The NWSL remains bullish on the tournament’s ability to convert soccer fans across gender lines. Though the competition itself is subsequently bound to have a serious and immediate impact on the women’s game.

The NWSL plans to pause for the duration of next summer’s World Cup. This is in part due to infrastructural strains, as the tournament takes over venues shared between men’s and women’s club teams. The USWNT’s World Cup qualifying campaign will also hit the breaks, rendering the team’s summer international windows largely meaningless.

And with Concacaf qualifiers kicking off immediately after the 2026 NWSL Championship, top players will have to balance commitments at the end of a long year.

No matter how the 2026 World Cup ends up influencing US soccer culture, it will inevitably present some challenges as the domestic women’s game pushes to be more than an afterthought alongside the sport’s biggest stage.

No. 3 South Carolina basketball suffered a blow this week, as top transfer Ta'Niya Latson exited the Gamecocks' 96-55 win over Providence with a lower leg injury on Sunday.

"She's smiling," South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said of Latson immediately following the game, offering an optimistic injury update. "She got treatment all through the second half."

The star senior guard, who turned 22 years old last Friday, joined South Carolina after leading Division I in scoring with Florida State last season.

This year, Latson's 16.9 points per game trails only sophomore forward Joyce Edwards's 21.4-point average on the Gamecocks' scoresheet.

While the full extent to Latson's injury and her potential time off the court is still unknown, any absence exacerbates the team's injury woes, as South Carolina lost standout forward Chloe Kitts to a season-ending injury before the 2025/26 campaign tipped off — with the Gamecocks battling additional availability limits throughout their roster all month.

That said, with the recent returns of forward Madina Okot and guard Agot Makeer from concussion protocol, the Gamecock bench is significantly less sparse, with both returnees impacting Sunday's South Carolina victory with a double-double.

Even more, Staley's squad will see additional roster relief when 18-year-old French center Alicia Tournebize joins the team midseason.

How to watch South Carolina basketball this week

The No. 3 Gamecocks will open the new year by tipping off their SEC slate on Thursday, when South Carolina hosts unranked Alabama at 2 PM ET.

The clash with the Crimson Tide will air live on SEC+.

The world's tennis stars are preparing to open 2026 play in Australia this weekend, with top WTA and ATP leaders on Team USA gearing up to defend their United Cup title starting this Friday.

The two-time champion US enters as the No. 1 seed in the fourth edition of the hard-court tournament, bolstered by the return of world No. 3 Coco Gauff to lead Team USA's six-player United Cup contingent.

With each tournament bout consisting of one WTA singles match, one ATP singles clash, and one mixed-doubles competition, Gauff notably claimed a straight-sets victory over Polish phenom No. 2 Iga Świątek to secure the 2025 title for the US.

"I'm super excited," the 21-year-old star said prior to this year's United Cup. "I had such a good time in my first year playing with the team, and I'm looking forward to going back."

With the 2026 Australian Open beginning in less than two weeks, the United Cup pits 18 national teams against each other as players from both the women's and men's tours tune up for next year's Slams.

Fellow WTA Top-10 stars Świątek and Italy's No. 8 Jasmine Paolini will join Gauff on the 2026 United Cup court, while fan favorite No. 16 Naomi Osaka will feature for tournament debutant Japan.

Also battling for national pride will be two winners of last season's WTA awards, with 2025 Newcomer of the Year No. 18 Vicky Mboko joining Team Canada and 2025 Comeback Player of the Year No. 11 Belinda Bencic competing for Switzerland.

How to watch the 2026 United Cup

The 2026 United Cup runs January 2nd through 11th, with live coverage airing on the Tennis Channel.

The No. 3 Minnesota Frost are looking to skate up the PWHL table, as the reigning back-to-back champs hope to make up ground before the third-year league breaks for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Eight games into the 2025/26 season, the Boston Fleet top the PWHL standings with 19 points, trailed by the No. 2 Toronto Sceptres with 14, while the No. 4 Montréal Victoire sit one point behind the Frost with 11.

"Our league is good. Every game is going to be close," Minnesota head coach Ken Klee said last week. "It's just about getting better and keep accumulating points."

With the league's original six teams largely off to a hot start, there's only a few weeks left before players hang up their PWHL jerseys for February's Winter Games.

Teams outside the current playoff chase are also making a statement, as New York Sirens forward Casey O'Brien scored her first pro goals to power the sixth-place squad past the No. 5 Seattle Torrent 4-3 on Sunday — becoming the first rookie to record a hat trick in PWHL history in the process.

"We've been putting in a lot of work in practice and video, focusing on the little things," O'Brien said postgame. "Tonight felt like the payoff."

How to watch this week's PWHL action

The puck drops on the final 2025 PWHL matches on Tuesday, when the No. 3 Minnesota Frost visit the No. 2 Toronto Sceptres at 7 PM ET, airing live on Prime.

Closing out the year on Wednesday, the No. 6 New York Sirens will host the No. 7 Vancouver Goldeneyes at 1 PM ET, with live coverage airing on MSG Network.