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World Cup 2023 rosters: All 32 teams announce squads

(Photo by Brad Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

The 2023 World Cup is almost here, and all 32 teams — from Argentina to Zambia — have released the 23-player rosters for the tournament in Australia and New Zealand.

A number of big-name players will be missing after a rash of ACL injuries hit women’s soccer, among them the USWNT’s Catarina Macario, France’s Marie-Antoinette Katoto, the Netherlands’ Vivianne Miedema and England’s Beth Mead and Leah Williamson. But plenty of stars will have their chance to shine, from Australia’s Sam Kerr in her home tournament to Brazil’s Marta in her sixth and final World Cup.

Just Women’s Sports has a complete breakdown of all 32 rosters.

USWNT

Manager: Vlatko Andonovski
Key players: Naomi Girma, Sophia Smith, Alex Morgan, Julie Ertz, Crystal Dunn

The USWNT roster, announced on June 21, features some surprises and a plethora of newbies. Sophia Smith and Lynn Williams enter as the team’s two hottest forwards on a line anchored by veteran Alex Morgan. The back line will be missing Becky Sauerbrunn, leaving Naomi Girma to be the team’s defensive centerpiece in her first World Cup.

Link to full roster.

Argentina

Manager: Germán Portanova
Key players: Vanina Correa, Sophia Braun, Estefanía Banini, Paulina Gramaglia

Argentina will make its fourth World Cup appearance. The men’s team had a successful 2022, winning a World Cup title. The women’s team will be looking to advance to the knockout stage for the first time.

“It is a big inspiration, but the expectation is not the same,” striker Paulina Gramaglia told the Associated Press, comparing the objectives of Argentina’s men’s and women’s teams. “We don’t have the same foundation that they have, we are not seeking to win the trophy. We have our own goals and our context.”

Link to full roster.

Australia

Manager: Tony Gustavsson
Key players: Sam Kerr, Ellie Carpenter, Caitlin Foord, Emily Van Egmond

World Cup co-host Australia named its final 23-player roster on July 3, led by all-time leading scorer Sam Kerr. The 29-year-old forward has scored 63 goals through 120 appearances for the Matildas.

The roster features a mix of veteran and youth experience, with Clare Polkinghorne the most-capped player at 156 appearances. Clare Hunt is the only player with less than 10 caps, as Australia opted for more experience in their home World Cup.

Link to full roster.

Brazil

Manager: Pia Sundhage
Key players: Marta, Kerolin, Debinha, Andressa Alves

Superstar Marta has been included on Brazil’s World Cup roster, overcoming a left knee injury that she continues to rehab. A six-time world player of the year, she’s been to five World Cup tournaments — and scored in all five of them. She’s the first player to do so, and could make it six this time around. Marta has said this will be her last World Cup.

She’s joined by Kerolin, who has been on a tear to open up the NWSL season, as well as Debinha and Andressa Alves. There are a number of newcomers, with 11 of Brazil’s 23 players having never played in a World Cup. Star striker Cristiane, who has 11 World Cup goals, was not called up.

Link to full roster.

Canada

Manager: Bev Priestman
Key players: Christine Sinclair, Kailen Sheridan, Vanessa Gilles, Jordyn Huitema, Sophie Schmidt

Defending Olympic gold medalist Canada is led by captain and all-time leading international goal scorer Christine Sinclair. The team has had a tough start to the year, having threatened a boycott of Soccer Canada due to funding issues and pay disparity. While an interim deal was reached, the issues remain.

Canada also will be without one of its stars in Janine Beckie, who tore her ACL in March during an NWSL preseason game. But they’ve got Kailen Sheridan in net and a number of threats that place them among the contenders to win the World Cup.

Link to provisional roster. Final roster is set to be announced July 9.

China

Manager: Shui Qingxia

Key players: Wang Shuang, Shen Mengyu, Wu Chengshu, Wu Haiyan

China is let by captain Wu Haiyan into this year’s World Cup. They’ve played in every single World Cup but one, and haven’t not made it out of their group each time. They also finished runners-up in 1999 to the USWNT.

In 2019, they finished in the Round of 16, their worst-ever finish, and have had a rough go of it lately, losing 3-0 to Spain back in an April friendly.

Link to full roster.

Colombia

Manager: Nelson Abadía
Key players: Linda Caicedo, Daniela Montoya, Catalina Usme

Colombia is led by captain Daniela Montoya and leading-scorer Catalina Usme into the 2023 tournament. This will be their third World Cup appearance, which includes a Round of 16 finish in 2015.

Link to full roster.

Costa Rica

Manager: Amelia Valverde
Key players: Raquel Rodríguez, Lixy Rodríguez, Priscila Chinchilla

Costa Rica announced its provisional roster on June 7, although as head coach Amelia Valverde said, it’s not a definitive list. She is willing to call other players into camp if necessary. This will be Costa Rica’s second World Cup appearance after the squad made its first in 2015.

The roster is headlined by Raquel Rodríguez, who plays for the NWSL’s Portland Thorns. Rodríguez is Costa Rica’s leading goal scorer with 55 goals in 100 international caps.

Link to provisional roster.  The final 23-player roster is expected at the beginning of July.

Denmark

Manager: Lars Søndergaard
Key players: Signe Bruun, Sofie Junge Pedersen, Pernille Harder, Sanne Troelsgaard Nielsen

Denmark is led by captain and all-time leading scorer Pernille Harder. Sanne Troelsgaard Nielsen, who is third all-time, was also named to the roster. Denmark is making its first World Cup appearance in 16 years, with its last coming in 2007.

The team is without Nadia Nadim due to injury but has newcomers who could make a splash, including Josefine Hasbo and Amalie Vangsgaard.

Link to full roster.

England

Manager: Sarina Wiegman
Key players: Lucy Bronze, Rachel Daly, Mary Earps, Millie Bright, Alessia Russo

One of the World Cup favorites, England in particular has been hobbled by injury, with Mead and Williamson both set to miss the World Cup with ACL tears. Fran Kirby will also miss the World Cup due to injury. In Williamson’s place, Bright has been named captain of England’s World Cup team.

Not all hope is lost for England, as Russo, Beth England and Daly have stepped up their scoring in 2023, which could fill the holes that Williamson and Mead will leave.

Link to full roster.

France

Manager: Hervé Renard
Key players: Wendie Renard, Kadidiatou Diani, Eugénie Le Sommer

On July 4, France named its final 23-player roster. Les Bleus have faced turmoil in recent months, with women’s national team coach Corinne Diacre fired due to a “fracture” in her relationship with players.

Marquee players, including Wendie Renard, Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Kadidiatou Diani, all said in February that they would not play with the national team until the team’s issues were resolved. Following the firing of Diacre and the hiring of Hervé Renard, Wendie Renard returned to the team. She and Diani are including on the provisional roster, as is top scorer Eugénie Le Sommer.

Katoto, though, will miss the World Cup with an ACL injury.

Link to full roster.

Germany

Manager: Martina Voss-Tecklenburg
Key players: Lena Oberdorf, Lina Magull, Alexandra Popp, Lea Schüller

Another World Cup favorite, Germany’s World Cup provisional roster features 20 of the 23 players that helped the team finish as runner-up at last year’s Euros tournament.  Giulia Gwinn and Linda Dallmann were not named to the roster due to injuries, while Almuth Schult is missing due to pregnancy.

Alexandra Popp, one of the team’s best players, will feature as captain and is also one of the top international scorers.

Link to provisional roster. The final 23-player roster will be announced later in June.

Haiti

Manager: Nicolas Delépine
Key players: Roselord Borgella, Batcheba Louis, Nérilia Mondésir, Kethna Louis

Haiti announced its preliminary roster on June 15, with just one player having over 20 international appearances. This is largely a roster with youth, including a number of American college athletes and French clubs.

Link to provisional roster.

Ireland

Manager: Vera Pauw
Key players: Katie McCabe, Denise O’Sullivan, Sinead Farrelly

Sinead Farrelly is among the ranks of the Girls in Green, joining Katie McCabe and Denise O’Sullivan on the roster.

Farrelly stepped away from the game in 2016 after experiencing sexual abuse at the hands of her coach. She made her return to the sport in 2023, playing for NJ/NY Gotham FC in the NWSL and making her first appearance for Ireland back in April.

Link to final roster.

Italy

Manager: Milena Bertolini
Key players: Cristiana Girelli, Barbara Bonansea, Elena Linari

Italy announced its 23-player squad on July 2, with a number of veteran and youth players. Two have no international appearances, while another pair have just one. But they’re joined by a number of veterans, including seven who have over 50 international appearances.

Link to full roster.

Jamaica

Manager: Lorne Donaldson
Key players: Khadija Shaw, Jody Brown, Allyson Swaby, Kiki Van Zanten

Jamaica’s World Cup squad features a number of professional and college stars. But the team has called out its national federation for its lack of support, and one of the players’ mothers has started a GoFundMe in order to get supplies and necessities for the World Cup.

Still, this is an exciting team, and one that could surprise in the group stages. Star forward Khadija “Bunny” Shaw is no stranger to scoring against some of the world’s best and has done so 56 times through 38 caps with Jamaica.

Link to full roster.

Japan

Manager: Futoshi Ikeda
Key players: Jun Endo, Maika Hamano, Yui Hasegawa, Hina Sugita

The last team to beat the USWNT at a World Cup, 2011 champion Japan announced its 23-player roster on June 13,  headlined by Yui Hasegawa.

“We will fight for the top spot with great ambition,” Japan coach Futoshi Ikeda said in Japanese. “But the level of (women’s) football in the world is improving very rapidly.”

Angel City FC forward Jun Endo made the team despite a recent knee injury. She scored in Japan’s 3-0 win against Canada in February at the SheBelieves Cup, but she saw plenty of room for growth in the losses to the USWNT and Brazil during the same tournament.

“We have to make every single game count and those mistakes can’t be happening,” she told The Athletic.

Notably, Mana Iwabuchi, who has played in three straight World Cups for Japan, was absent from the roster. Ikeda said he appreciated her “passion” but did not go into specifics on her omission.

Link to full roster.

Morocco

Manager: Reynald Pedros
Key players: Ghizlane Chebbak, Rosella Ayane, Fatima Tagnaout

Morocco named its 28-player preliminary roster on June 19. The team will make its World Cup debut this year, featuring in Group H alongside Colombia, Germany and South Korea. Led by captain and leading scorer Chizlane Chebbak, Morocco brings a mix of youth and veteran talent Down Under.

Link to provisional roster.

Netherlands

Manager: Andries Jonker
Key players: Lieke Martens, Jill Roord, Daniëlle van de Donk, Sherida Spitse, Stefanie van der Gragt

The runner-up from the 2019 World Cup, the Netherlands looks a little different this time around. Then-manager Sarina Wiegman now coaches for England, while star player and top scorer Vivianne Miedema will be out of the World Cup after tearing her ACL in December.

After a bit of turmoil over the past year, Andries Jonker has taken over as head coach and will face a tall task in a group that features the USWNT, who beat the Dutch squad in the 2019 championship match.

Link to full roster.

New Zealand

Manager: Jitka Klimková
Key players: Ali Riley, Hannah Wilkinson, Grace Jale, Annalie Longo

World Cup co-host New Zealand announced its 23-player roster, as well as three reserve players: Ava Collins, Meikayla Moore and Kate Taylor. Ali Riley leads the squad as captain, with Ria Percival — the Ferns’ most-capped player — as vice captain.

A total of 10 players will make their World Cup debut at home.

Link to full roster.

Nigeria

Manager: Randy Waldrum
Key players: Asisat Oshoala, Michelle Alozi, Onome Ebi

Nigeria brings a number of veterans but also a number of new faces with them Down Under.

Asisat Oshoala is one of the biggest stars on the squad, with 29 goals for the Super Falcons since her debut in 2013. There’s also a number of familiar faces for NWSL fans in Uchenna Kanu (Racing Louisville FC), Ifeoma Onumonu (Gotham FC) and Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash). This will be Nigeria’s first major tournament under head coach Randy Waldrum.

Link to full roster.

Norway

Manager: Hege Riise
Key players: Caroline Graham Hansen, Ada Hegerberg, Maren Mjelde

Norway’s 23-player roster is led by Ada Hegerberg and Caroline Graham Hansen. Maren Mjelde is the most-capped player on the squad, with 165 international appearances.

This will be Hegerberg’s first World Cup since 2015, as she stepped away from the national team in 2017 as a form of protest due to how the Norwegian Football Federation treated women’s soccer. As a result, she missed the 2019 World Cup. She ended her exile in March 2022, however, and will complete her comeback with her World Cup return.

Link to full roster.

Panama

Manager: Ignacio Quintana
Key players: Riley Tanner, Lineth Cedeño, Marta Cox

Panama will make its World Cup debut this year, going up against Brazil, France and Jamaica in Group F. The roster has limited international experience, with no players having more than 20 appearances. They’re led by Marta Cox and Lineth Cedeño, who are the team’s top scorers.

Link to full roster.

Philippines

Manager: Alen Stajcic
Key players: Hali Long, Quinley Quezada, Sarina Bolden

In total, 29 players were named to the provisional roster, including co-captains Hali Long and Tahnai Annis. Moving to No. 46 in the latest FIFA world rankings, it’s the highest-ever ranking that the Philippines has ever had.

The Filipinas are set to play against Switzerland, New Zealand and Norway in Group A. This will be their first World Cup appearance.

Link to provisional roster. The final roster will follow.

Portugal

Manager: Francisco Neto
Key players: Jéssica Silva, Carolina Mendes, Carole Costa, Diana Silva

Portugal is in its first-ever World Cup and will be playing in a tough group that features the Netherlands and the USWNT. But veteran presence mixed with some youth firepower could make Portugal a sneaky opponent in the group stage.

Link to full roster.

Spain

Manager: Jorge Vilda
Key players: Alexia Putellas, Aitana Bonmati, Irene Paredes, Jennifer Hermoso

Three of the 15 players who had refused to compete under coach Jorge Vilda starting last September have returned to the national team as part of the provisional World Cup roster for Spain. Aitana Bonmati, Mariona Caldentey and Ona Batlle have all been named to the 30-person squad.

Also returning is Alexia Putellas, who had been out with an ACL tear since last July. The two-time reigning Ballon d’Or winner returned to FC Barcelona in late April.

Sandra Paños, Mapi Leon and Patri Guijarro were among the 12 protesting players still absent from the squad. Some players do not believe enough has been done to address their complaints, ESPN reported.

Since the 15 players removed themselves from consideration last September, Spain has played nine matches, winning seven — including a 2-0 victory over the USWNT in October. Putellas, Irene Paredes and Jenni Hermoso had all voiced their support for the 15, although they never made themselves unavailable for selection; all three appear on the provisional roster.

Spain announced its final roster on June 30, with a number of youth talents, including Salma Paralluelo, who at 19 has five goals through six international appearances. In total, nine players have 10 caps or less.

Link to full roster.

South Africa

Manager: Desiree Ellis
Key players: Hildah Magaia, Sibulele Holweni, Linda Motlhalo, Noko Matlou

The 2022 Africa Women Cup of Nations champions are led by Desiree Ellis. Racing Louisville’s Thembi Kgatlana is the lone NWSL player on the squad.

A relatively young squad, a few university players are in the mix. Notably, former captain and most-capped player Janine van Wyk is absent from the provisional roster due to injury.

Link to full roster.

South Korea

Manager: Colin Bell
Key players: Cho So-hyun, Park Eun-sun, Ji So-yun, Lim Seon-joo

South Korea’s 23-player roster includes a number of veterans, but also its first American-born player in Casey Phair. She’s the first player of mixed heritage to represent South Korea on a national soccer team, and at 16 years old, also the youngest.

Both Ji So-yun and Cho So-hyun have 144 international appearances apiece, and have 66 and 25 international goals, respectively. They’re protected by goalkeeper Kim Jung-mi, who has 135 international appearances.

Link to full roster.

Sweden

Manager: Peter Gerhardsson
Key players: Magdalena Eriksson, Sofia Jakobsson, Nathalie Björn, Fridolina Rolfö

Young talents Matilda Vinberg and Rosa Kafaji were left off the Swedish roster, but Rebecka Blomqvist and Sofia Jakobsson made the cut. And Carolina Seger will play in her fifth World Cup despite struggling with knee injuries over the last year.

Captain Madgalena Eriksson will feature in her second World Cup and San Diego Wave FC’s Jakobsson in her fourth. Sweden finished in third place at the 2019 tournament.

Link to full roster.

Switzerland

Manager: Inka Grings
Key players: Noelle Maritz, Lia Wälti, Ana Maria Crnogorčević, Ramona Bachmann

Switzerland’s roster announcement may have been the best one yet, if not the best one period. Let by Lia Wälti, the squad boasts Ramona Bachmann from PSG and Ana Maria Crnogorčević from Barca as its leading scorers. Goalkeeper Gäelle Thalmann leads the squad in net.

16-year-old Iman Beney was selected to the squad, just three days after making her senior national team debut, but ruptured her ACL during training.

Link to full roster.

Vietnam

Manager: Mai Duc Chung
Key players: Phạm Hải Yến, Huỳnh Như, Nguyễn Thị Tuyết Dung

Vietnam called 28 players into camp as it prepares for its first World Cup appearance.

Captain Huỳnh Như leads the squad with 67 goals in 72 international appearances. She’s joined by Phạm Hải Yến, who has 39 goals in 66 appearances. The squad features a multitude of experience, with 14 of the 23 players having at least 25 international appearances. Of those 14, 11 have more than 30.

Link to full roster.

Zambia

Manager: Bruce Mwape
Key players: Barbra Banda, Agness Musesa, Grace Chanda

The Copper Queens will make their World Cup debut in 2023 after being one of the first women’s national soccer teams to form in Africa in 1983. Zambia is the first team from a landlocked nation in Africa to qualify for a senior World Cup, men’s or women’s.

Barba Banda has been a force for Zambia, with 22 goals in 10 international appearances, and will look to continue her success on the World Cup stage.

Link to full roster.

New York Sirens Continue 2024/25 PWHL Surge

The New York Sirens celebrate a goal by Noora Tulus.
The Sirens dominated Toronto in their 2024/25 home opener on Wednesday. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The new-look New York Sirens continue to impress in the early stages of the 2024/25 PWHL season, most recently notching a big 4-2 win over Toronto in the the team home opener on Wednesday.

All four of New York's goals came in the second period — the most in a single period all season — and all were the first goals of the season by each scorer.

Finland international Noora Tulus opened the game's scoring with her first PWHL goal, with teammates Emmy Fecteau, Micah Zandee-Hart, and Jaime Bourbonnais following suit. Both Fecteau's goal and team captain Zandee-Hart's were the first of their PWHL careers.

Sirens rookie Sarah Fillier and teammate Alex Carpenter both assisted on Tulus's game-opening goal, with each booking a point in their fourth straight contest. Fillier remains in the PWHL's lead with two goals and five assists for a total of seven points, while Carpenter is just behind with six points — though her three goals make her the league's scoring leader.

As for the Sceptres, forwards Hannah Miller and former Siren Emma Woods each made a dent in the scoresheet with goals of their own in the third period, but it wasn't quite enough as Toronto failed to complete the comeback.

Last-place Toronto has now allowed their opponents to breach the scoresheet first in each of their 2024/25 matchups, ultimately losing their last three games in regulation.

New York Siren rookie Sarah Fillier skates against Toronto.
PWHL rookie Sarah Fillier will try to lead New York past reigning champs Minnesota on Sunday. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

New York Sirens to face Minnesota Frost in top matchup

New York's shifting fortune highlights the second-season league's rapidly growing parity. With only one loss through their first four games, the Sirens sit in second place to stake an early season claim on "most improved" after finishing last in the PWHL's inaugural season.

Just above New York on the league's table are the Minnesota Frost. The reigning Walter Cup champions are holding strong as the team to beat, but New York has already proved that it's possible after handing Minnesota an overtime 4-3 season-opening loss on December 1st.

The Sirens' will officially take aim at the top of the PWHL table on Sunday, when New York will try to gift Minnesota a second season loss in the league's pre-Christmas closer. This time, the Sirens will have the crowd on their side as the Frost visit New York's home ice.

How to watch New York Sirens vs. Minnesota Frost in PWHL action

The puck is set to drop on New York vs. Minnesota at 12 PM ET on Sunday, with live streaming coverage on YouTube.

Underdogs Triumph in 2024 NCAA Volleyball Final Four 

A wide view of Louisville's KFC Yum! Center packed with fans for the 2024 NCAA volleyball semifinals.
An NCAA volleyball semifinals record of 21,726 fans attended Thursday's matches. (Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

Despite being populated by all four No. 1 seeds, Thursday's 2024 NCAA volleyball semifinals served up the bracket's biggest upsets, as heavily favored Nebraska and overall top seed Pitt were sent packing by their conference foes.

In front of 21,726 fans — a new record for college volleyball's postseason — Louisville shocked Pitt with a 3-1 victory before Penn State ousted Nebraska in a five-set instant classic.

Louisville volleyball players celebrate a play against Pitt in Thursday's NCAA semifinal.
Louisville could become the first ACC team to win an NCAA volleyball championship. (Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

Louisville books second national championship ticket

After dropping their first set to Pitt on Thursday night, it seemed the deck was stacked against the Cards, who had already lost twice to the Panthers in the regular season.

However, buoyed by their raucous home crowd, Louisville surged back, sweeping the next three sets to book their first trip to the national championship match since 2022, when they became the first and only ACC team to ever compete in the collegiate final.

As for Pitt, Thursday's loss was just their second all season, and not even 2024 AVCA Player of the Year Olivia Babcock's astounding 33 kills could extend their title chase. Notably, their national semifinal curse continues, with the Panthers now falling in the NCAA tournament's penultimate round for four straight years.

On the other hand, Louisville's victory was a true team effort, with three senior outside hitters — Anna DeBeer, Charitie Luper, and Sofia Maldonado Diaz — leading the offensive charge with 14 kills each.

The Cardinals' roster was also required to step up in unexpected ways. Just two points into the fourth set, Louisville star DeBeer crumbled to the court with an ankle injury and did not return to the match. The visibly shocked Cards looked to freshman Payton Petersen, who made a massive statement by recording two kills and four clutch digs to help seal the win.

"I wanted to do this for her," Petersen said of DeBeer. "She's meant so much to me."

Penn State volleyball celebrate their NCAA semifinal upset win over Nebraska in their locker room.
Penn State stunned Nebraska with a reverse sweep in the NCAA volleyball semifinals. (Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

Penn State roars back to top Nebraska

In Thursday's battle between two Big Ten titans, the message was clear: Never count out the Nittany Lions.

After falling behind the Cornhuskers 2-0 in what increasingly looked like an inevitable Nebraska victory, Penn State emerged from the brink of defeat to pull off the first reverse sweep of the Huskers in the NCAA tournament since 1982.

Following a 5-0 run that helped the Nittany Lions stay alive with a third set win, they flipped a 22-16 deficit into a match-point battle that ended the fourth set 28-26 in Penn State's favor. With the match now equalized, Penn State took control in the fifth, holding off Nebraska 15-13 to clinch their first championship trip since winning their seventh title in 2014.

Star Jess Mruzik led the Nittany Lions' charge with a 26-kill, 12-dig double-double, putting together what Nebraska head coach John Cook called "one of the best performances [he's] ever seen by an outside hitter." 

Like Louisville's Petersen, freshmen also stepped up for Penn State, with Izzy Starck recording six key blocks and redshirt freshman Caroline Jurevicius hammering 20 kills against her former team, having transferred from Nebraska in December 2023.

As for the Huskers, their stacked roster showed out, with outside hitter Harper Murray leading the charge with a 20-kill, 15-dig double-double, plus three aces — the most by any player in either match on Thursday. Middle blocker Andi Jackson also had a standout night, putting together a near-errorless performance to finish with 19 kills.

Four-time All-American libero Lexi Rodriguez added program history to Thursday's mix, closing out her NCAA career as the Huskers' all-time digs leader with 1,896.

Penn State volleyball head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley gives player Jordan Hopp directions on the 2024 NCAA semifinals sideline.
Sunday's NCAA volleyball championship team will be the first led by a woman coach. (Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

Sunday's court will make NCAA history

Louisville and Penn State's semifinal victories have guaranteed that Sunday's 44th NCAA volleyball championship match will go down in the history books.

With Dani Busboom Kelly leading the Cardinals and Katie Schumacher-Cawley coaching the Nittany Lions, a woman head coach will lift the national championship trophy for the first time.

Only two women have ever coached their teams into the college volleyball final, with Florida's Mary Wise doing so in 2003 and 2017 before Busboom Kelly followed in 2022.

For context, the last seven Division I basketball trophies came under women head coaches.

The fact that this glass ceiling still exists is partially due to volleyball having less women in head coaching positions than other NCAA sports. Less than half of Division I's 334 teams are led by a woman, while basketball boasts nearly 68% female leadership and softball claims almost 74%.

Busboom Kelly's ACC exceeds that 50% stat, but the Schumacher-Cawley remains one of only six women leading the Big Ten's 18 teams.

Both of Sunday's sideline leaders know what it takes to win the national championship, with Schumacher-Cawley taking the 1999 title while playing for Penn State and Busboom Kelly doing the same with Nebraska in 2006.

Even so, in some ways, this year's title will mean even more, as the coaches pave the way for future generations of volleyball leaders.

"[There’s] just honestly no better feeling than being led by a female because that could be me someday, that could be one of my teammates someday," Mruzik noted

How to watch the 2024 NCAA volleyball championship match

Sunday's final won't just make women's coaching history, it could see Louisville earn the ACC's first-ever NCAA volleyball title. But to do so, the Cardinals, who fell to Penn State 3-0 in early September, will have to deny the Nittany Lions an eighth national championship.

NCAA volleyball will crown its Division I champion in Sunday's 3 PM ET match, with live coverage on ABC.

Trinity Rodman gets candid about relationship with father Dennis

A close-up profile of USWNT star Trinity Rodman looking out on the 2024 Olympic pitch.
Trinity Rodman set the record straight about her famous father this week. (Harriet Lander - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

For the first time, USWNT and Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman is opening up in unprecedented detail about her famous father, NBA legend Dennis Rodman, discussing him on Wednesday’s episode of the popular podcast "Call Your Daddy."

While having previously discussed their estranged relationship in brief, the 22-year-old enters "new territory" in sharing this amount of detail. 

Speaking to host Alex Cooper, Rodman described a financially controlling, partying alcoholic who was mostly absent after her parents’ divorce, and at one time left his children and their mother to briefly live in their car.

"I think he's an extremely selfish human being," Rodman told Cooper. "I think everything has always been about him."

An NWSL breaking point

In 2021, Dennis unexpectedly showed up to Rodman’s NWSL quarterfinal match — the first and only he ever attended — causing the then-19-year-old to become emotional.

"I was so mad. I was like 'You took this happy moment from me. You f***ed with my head again,'" Rodman said. "I’m walking over [to him] so mad... he grabs my head and I just start bawling into his arms as if it’s a daddy-daughter [moment]."

That embrace was captured in a viral photo that was misconstrued as familial joy, rather than anger and overwhelm.

Dennis Rodman hugs his daughter, Washington's Trinity Rodman, after her 2021 NWSL quarterfinal.
Trinity Rodman sets the record straight on her father's viral hug after her 2021 NWSL Playoff match. (Tony Quinn/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

After Dennis expressed that he wanted to see her more in what Rodman calls a "wholesome" post-match catchup, she once again grew optimistic about building a relationship, but instead received total "radio silence" that lasted until late 2023.

"I think after that was when I lost hope in ever getting him back," she said. "Even at that game, I don’t think that was for me. I think he wanted to have a good conscience and then be like, headline, Dennis Rodman showed up to his daughter's game."

Today, Rodman has almost no relationship with her father, though she does answer when he calls.

"If something does happen, God forbid, I want to know that I did that. Or if he needed to hear my voice," she said. "That’s why I answer the phone, not for me."

"He's not a dad. Maybe by blood but nothing else. Hearing his voice is painful."

Gotham’s Lynn Williams traded to Seattle Reign

Gotham forward Lynn Williams strikes the ball during a match.
Lynn Williams is rumored be joining the Seattle Reign. (Ira L. Black - Corbis/Getty Images)

Gotham FC and USWNT forward Lynn Williams is being traded to the Seattle Reign, according to multiple reports late Wednesday.

Sports Illustrated reports that Williams and goalkeeper Cassie Miller will join the Reign in exchange for midfielder Jaelin Howell and an undisclosed transfer fee. 

Though still unconfirmed, the move reportedly comes at Williams’s request, with the 31-year-old Olympic gold medalist hoping to close out her club career on the West Coast, closer to her California home.

In her two seasons at Gotham, Williams scored 11 goals and tallied four assists en route to back-to-back NWSL Playoff runs.

Williams is a major score for Seattle

The addition of Williams — the NWSL’s all-time leading scorer and third on the career assists list — would be a massive win for the Reign, who are in desperate need of firepower after posting the league’s fourth-worst goal count and finishing in 13th place last season.

Plus, Williams knows how to win, arguably more than nearly any other player in the league.

Since entering the NWSL in 2015, Williams has lifted trophies with all three of her clubs, earning championships with the Western New York Flash (2016), the NC Courage (2018, 2019), and Gotham FC (2023). Those four titles surpass every other NWSL athlete except McCall Zerboni, who coincidentally was Williams's teammate for all of those championships.

That title-winning aptitude would be clutch for Seattle, who are still hunting a franchise-first NWSL championship despite competing in three league finals.

Racing Louisville's Jaelin Howell battles Gotham's Lynn Williams for the ball during a match.
Gotham will be Jaelin Howell's third NWSL club in five months. (EM Dash/USA TODAY Sports)

Howell, Miller on the move again

Both Howell and Miller will exit their respective clubs after short tenures.

Miller joined Gotham from Kansas City in January as a replacement for starting goalkeeper Abby Smith, who suffered a season-ending injury in August 2023. In April, however, the NJ/NY club snagged German international Ann-Katrin Berger — one of the best keepers in the world and the NWSL's 2024 Goalkeeper of the Year — leaving Miller in a backup role.

Logging an even shorter time at Seattle than Miller's 11-month Gotham stretch is Howell, who will join her third club in five months with this trade. The midfielder began her NWSL career with Racing Louisville in 2022, but was sent to Seattle in August in exchange for striker Bethany Balcer and $50,000.

The 25-year-old, who captained her Louisville team, has struggled to stay in form. That said, if Gotham can help Howell unlock consistency in her top-level play, her on-pitch potential and off-pitch leadership could be a boon for the NJ/NY side.

Ultimately, trading Williams for a player with more potential than top form reads as a possible rebuild for a club who entered a so-called superteam era just one year ago — particularly in light of Gotham's flood of defectors this offseason, which includes star midfielder Delanie Sheehan.

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