Since its inception, Angel City FC have strived to be one of the more special places to play in the NWSL. And while some teams may talk about wanting to have a family atmosphere, the Los Angeles-based club is one of the places where those wishes have become reality.

From sold-out stadiums to programs meant to help players in their careers and beyond, Angel City FC have set a standard off the field while being one of the better-faring expansion teams on it. The club finished eighth in last year’s standings, just outside of a playoff spot in their first season.

“There are so many reasons why I think Angel City is special but for me I think it’s just given me a platform to talk about what’s important to me,” captain Ali Riley told Just Women’s Sports. “It’s given me so many resources, I’ve been able to connect with a community that’s given me so much. I’m just really proud to represent my city of LA and give back to the community.”

Such a stellar first year could be tough to beat – but not impossible.

“It’s really hard because last year exceeded all expectations, it was just one of the best years of my life,” Riley said. “But I really want to start to play even better soccer, score more goals and to make the playoffs.”

Sydney Leroux, who was traded to Angel City halfway through last season from the Orlando Pride, has enjoyed getting to experience her first preseason with the club. She adds that the family environment has been “amazing.”

The 32-year-old forward is focused on staying healthy this year after dealing with an ankle injury last season. She hopes to play a full season in Angel City’s frequently sold-out home stadium, she said.

“The moment that I stepped on the field for the first time, it was unbelievable. I’ll remember that for the rest of my life,” she said of her first game with Angel City. “It’s such a family environment, I love being part of this team, part of the club…

“The family vibe we have here, I think it’s amazing to be a part of. Our stadiums are full, and our fans really love us and we love them back.”

As the team looks the game from its debut campaign, it will be able to lean on new additions such as No. 1 overall pick Alyssa Thompson, who already made waves in her professional debut despite being just 18 years old. Other rookies also have been making an impact, Riley said, and she has noticed a higher level of play compared to last year.

“The rookies are great, Alyssa [Thompson] is a sensational player scoring her first goal in our first game back at BMO. And I think they’re just gonna push the level even higher, set the standard higher so that we can compete, and again have a better season this year,” she said.

Leroux concurred with Riley’s assessment.

“I think we stepped our game up a little bit, and I’m really excited to see what we put together on the field,” she said.

This year also likely will include some time away for the World Cup for Riley, who plays for the New Zealand women’s national team, and for other players. But Riley notes that her club team has been instrumental in helping with preparations for the upcoming tournament.

“It is a privilege to be splitting time because I am so excited for this World Cup, especially being at home [in New Zealand],” Riley said. “And I have the benefit of having such amazing Angel City teammates, so when I’m here training it’s preparing me for when I go away with the national team.”

Sweden veteran defender Magda Eriksson is hanging up her international boots to focus on her health, with the 32-year-old officially announcing her retirement from her national team on Sunday.

Eriksson will continue competing at the domestic level for her German club, Bayern Munich.

The longtime captain sat out the most recent international window due to a head injury, watching as world No. 3 Sweden fell to No. 1 Spain in the two-leg 2025 Nations League semifinals.

"It's by far the toughest decision I've ever made," Eriksson said in her social media announcement. "But I'm listening to my body and mind instead of my heart."

"I've landed in the fact that unfortunately it's a decision that has to be made."

After an 11-year career with the Swedish senior national team, Eriksson retires as a two-time Olympic silver medalist, earning those podium finishes in Rio in 2016 and at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Games.

Often leading Sweden through major tournaments where early domination dissolved into a third-place finish, Eriksson also helped her team eke onto the World Cup podium in both 2019 and 2023.

"It is heavy news," said Sweden head coach Tony Gustavsson after Eriksson announced her international retirement, calling her "one of our most important players for a long time."

"[Magda's] professionalism, courage, and heart have left a strong mark on the national team," he added.

Chelsea FC's £1 million gamble is paying dividends, as USWNT rising star Alyssa Thompson continued her goal-scoring momentum for the six-time defending WSL champs on Sunday.

The young forward found the back of the net in the ninth minute of the Blues' 1-1 Sunday draw with Liverpool, solidifying her status as a decisive attacking threat for her new club.

"You can see how much talent she has and the quality she brings to the team," Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor said of Thompson earlier this month. "She's improving game after game, becoming more connected to her teammates, and understanding the way we want to play better."

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Thompson left NWSL side Angel City for Chelsea on a then-record £1 million transfer fee in early September, with the 21-year-old going on to notch three goals and one assist in four matches across both WSL and Champions League play.

"Being able to play with players that are the best in the world is an amazing opportunity," said the striker. "I want to learn, grow, and develop a lot. I feel like Chelsea is such an amazing environment to do that in."

Beyond individual accomplishment, Thompson's success underscores Chelsea's depth as they continue to hunt domestic and continental honors on a now-34 match WSL unbeaten streak — while also looking to potentially draw more USWNT stars away from the NWSL.

Women's professional baseball has landed a home base, with Front Office Sports reporting on Monday that the newly formed WPBL will play the entirety of its 2026 debut season at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois.

The incoming league prioritized a neutral venue without an existing baseball team to house its four inaugural clubs — New York, Boston, LA, and San Francisco — for its first campaign, with barnstorming games also planned for each team market.

"Our sport is for everybody," WPBL co-founder Keith Stein told FOS. "It's for middle America, everybody. We thought, 'Our teams are on these two coasts, it would be good to be in the middle of the country.'"

Founded in 2024 as the first professional women's baseball outfit in the US since 1954, the WPBL will hold its first-ever draft on Thursday, with the league's four teams drawing from a pool of 120 eligible players.

The WPBL recently fielded an oversubscribed Series A investment round, telling FOS that they're closing a $3 million raise with another round planned ahead of its August 2026 season-opener.

Each 30-player team will operate under a $95,000 salary cap for the first year, with the league also covering living costs throughout the seven-week season as well as giving players a percentage of sponsorship funds.

How to watch the first-ever WPBL Draft

The 2025 WPBL Draft kicks off at 8 PM ET on Thursday, with live coverage streaming across the league's Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube channels.

Las Vegas Aces boss Becky Hammon spoke her mind last week, telling CNBC Sport that the WNBA might need "a change in leadership" for the league's CBA talks to successfully progress.

"I just think [player relations] might be too fractured at this point, but we'll see," Hammon said, while also noting that she's had only limited interactions with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert.

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Citing Engelbert's "private conversations...with individual players — or lack of the conversations," Hammon described the commissioner's current relationship with players as "rocky" while describing her widely criticized leadership style.

"I don't know if she can ever regret, retract, and get that traction back from those conversations," the Aces boss posited.

"When the players speak, people need to sit up and listen," she continued. "I think [Engelbert is] sitting up and listening now."

Hammon also voiced support for Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier after the five-time All-Star described the WNBA as having the "worst leadership in the world" in her now-viral 2025 exit interview.

"I completely agree with Napheesa that the players should be making more than coaches," the Las Vegas sideline leader — who publicly earns seven figures per year — continued. "They're due for a huge increase in salary, and it's got to be something that is sustainable. That's the biggest thing you got to remember, that this league is still a young league."

Ultimately, while the 2025 WNBA season is over, CBA concerns loom large over the league's current offseason and 2026 campaign, leaving Hammon and others looking to avoid a lockout as the November 30th extension deadline nears.