The halfway point of the FAWSL season is approaching, and while the players are away on international duty, coaching staffs are working on their plans for the second half of the season.

Each club has its own goals for the season, whether it is winning the league or simply avoiding relegation. For a team just promoted from the FA Women’s Championship, there are typically two objectives for their first season in the FAWSL: number one, don’t get relegated. Number two, build a team with a strong foundation—so you don’t get relegated in the years to come.

A tough challenge for any coach, but even more so for Gemma Davies, the FAWSL’s youngest manager. Aston Villa steamrolled the Championship last season with Davies at the helm, winning 13 matches and drawing one during their 14 game season, and finishing six points ahead of second-placed Sheffield United. Watching Villa dominate last season made it easy to forget how much the club once struggled, a testament to the work that Davies has done since she joined the club back in 2018.

Truly privileged to be the new Head Coach @AVLFCOfficial ... I am unbelievingly excited to get started and join up with the team! #PartOfThePride https://t.co/KGIRIbuK21

— Gem Davies (@GemDav6) June 19, 2018

The FAWSL is proving to be a new challenge for Davies and the team; they currently sit in 10th place with three points, having registered one win and four losses. The good news is that they are not in the relegation zone, nor are they in eleventh, just above relegation. Their one win against Brighton Hove & Albion back in early November has secured their spot above both Bristol City and Tottenham Hotspur. Furthermore, Villa have played one less game than Bristol City and two less than Tottenham, putting Villa in a position where they have the advantage.

Outside of the league, Villa have made positive strides in the Conti Cup, having topped their group after beating Durham 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. They advanced to the knockout rounds, which will see the top eight teams compete for the cup.

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— Aston Villa Women (@AVWFCOfficial) November 19, 2020

The season is a marathon, not a sprint, but Villa’s upcoming four matches in the league may make or break their season. First, they host league leaders, Manchester United, and while Villa goes into the game as massive underdogs, their mentality regarding the match is vital.

Back in 2018, the same fixture occurred, with United beating Villa 12-0. Both teams were still in the Championship back then, and it was one of Davies’ first matches in charge of Aston Villa. The match was the biggest away win of the season and the highest-scoring match of the season for United.

FT: Aston Villa 0 #MUWomen12

United secure their first 3 points of the season with an outstanding victory to kick off the campaign in style. Goals from @jessSigsworth5 (5), @laurenjamess22 (2), @KirstyHanson3 (2), @katiezel, @mollie_green97 and @ellatoone99! #MUWomen pic.twitter.com/AfFPoDI1MZ

— Manchester United Women (@ManUtdWomen) September 9, 2018

That blowout is now considered a turning point in the recent history of Aston Villa. Davies herself said it was a “stark awakening” which shaped how she approached managing the team. Davies now has a chance to show her growth, with the same fixture two years on from that twelve-goal defeat.

After United, Villa takes on Bristol City and Tottehnham Hotspur in the league. These two matches are of critical importance given that both teams are below Villa in the table; this is an opportunity for Villa to pull further away from the relegation zone. Both their opponents are in poor form, and while it is important that Villa doesn’t get complacent, the team should go into both matches with confidence.

Villa’s fourth match in December will be against West Ham. At the time of writing, West Ham are one point ahead of Villa in the table. This is yet another opportunity for Villa to gain some more points.

Currently, West Ham have lost four of their last five, and they’ve just lost Matt Beard as head coach, who left the club by mutual consent. It remains to be seen as to whether West Ham will have hired a new permanent head coach by then, but even if they do, it takes time for a team to gel under a new manager. The Villa players will have the upper hand in large part because they know their manager’s system so well.

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— Aston Villa Women (@AVWFCOfficial) November 22, 2020

It’s always fascinating to see how promoted teams do in their first season in the top flight. By simply looking at the league table, it would seem like Aston Villa is massively struggling. But the Villans have a string of winnable games, and if those go their way, then Gemma Davies and her team are on their way to becoming a steady presence in the FAWSL.

The 2024/25 NCAA basketball season continues to impress, as stunning upsets took over college courts this week.

Kicking off the drama was Trojan superstar JuJu Watkins, who set a new USC three-point record​ in Tuesday's 94-52 win over Cal Baptist, going 9-11 from behind the arc en route to a 40-point performance that led the Big Ten newcomer to a 7-1 season record.

"The goal is to have fun always," Watkins said after the game. "I shoot my best when I'm not really thinking."

Chaos reigns on Thursday's NCAA basketball courts

Watkins's big night set the stage for a stellar week of college hoops, with Thursday's slate serving up Top-10 matchups, upsets, and overtime thrillers.

While No. 3 South Carolina dispatched No. 8 Duke 81-70 behind Chloe Kitts' career-high tying 21 points, No. 10 Notre Dame snapped their two-game losing streak by handing No. 4 Texas their season's first defeat.

Even more impressive about the 80-70 overtime victory is that the Fighting Irish clinched it with an injury-hampered roster. Only six Notre Dame players took the court, battling 11 total Longhorns.

Sophomore star Hannah Hidalgo, who competed all 45 minutes, led the Irish with 30 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Guards Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron also contributed 18 points apiece. That said, defense clinched the upset win by holding Texas to just two overtime points while Notre Dame drained 12.

"They played with their hearts," Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey noted after the win. "They played with passion and fire. I'm just really proud of this group."

Also shaking up higher ranked teams on Thursday was NC State and No. 16 UNC, who downed No. 18 Ole Miss and No. 14 Kentucky, respectively. On the West Coast, Cal humbled No. 19 Alabama 69-65, sending the Tide home with their first season loss to end Bama's first 9-0 start in 24 years.

Narrowly escaping Thursday's upset party was No. 5 LSU, who needed overtime to take down unranked Stanford 94-88. Cardinal sophomore Nunu Agara impressed with a 29-point, 13-rebound double-double, but the Tigers bit back with Mikaylah Williams, Kailyn Gilbert, and Flau'jae Johnson combining for an astounding 78 points to keep LSU undefeated on the season.

Top NCAA teams take over Barclays in new Champions Classic

The madness continues on Saturday with the first-ever Women’s Champions Classic. Four college basketball powerhouses will hit the court at Brooklyn's Barclays Center — home to the 2024 WNBA champion NY Liberty.

Saturday's doubleheader sees eight-time NCAA champs Tennessee take on No. 17 Iowa in their first clash since 1993, when the Hawkeyes registered their only win over three matchups with the Vols.

The nightcap between 11-time title-winners No. 2 UConn and No. 22 Louisville has an even deeper history, with legendary coach Geno Auriemma's Huskies holding a 19-3 all-time record over the Cardinals.

Unlike the 13-year-old men's Champions Classic, which features the same four teams (Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, and Michigan State) each year, the new annual women's edition will always include UConn alongside three other rotating teams.

"There's never been a higher level of interest in women's basketball," Auriemma said ahead of the games. "The Champions Classic will give fans exciting, marquee matchups early in the season."

How to watch UConn college basketball at the Women's Champions Classic college basketball event

Saturday's action starts with No. 17 Iowa vs. Tennessee at 7 PM ET. No. 22 Louisville vs. No. 2 UConn follows at 9 PM ET. Both games will air live on Fox.

The 2024 NCAA College Cup kicks off on Friday with four ACC semifinalists, making the newly realigned coast-to-coast league the first conference in the Cup's 43-year history to field every Final Four team.

Even more, with WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina hosting for the 12th year, three of the four squads will have a home-state advantage. Overall No. 1 seed Duke, No. 2 Wake Forest, and No. 2 UNC all hail from the Tar Heel State.

Joining that local trio of ACC veterans looking to book a spot in Monday's championship match is conference rookie No. 3 Stanford.

Alongside UNC, the Cardinal hold championship experience advantage over Duke and Wake Forest, who are both hunting first-ever national titles. The Tar Heels' historic dynasty leads the NCAA with 21 trophies, though they haven't lifted one since 2012. Stanford has three, the most recent from 2019 when a roster of future superstars including USWNT icons Sophia Smith, Naomi Girma, and Catarina Macario brought the Cup back to Palo Alto.

Wake Forest kicks off 2024 College Cup against Stanford

The first of Friday's two semifinals will see Wake Forest fight to extend their record-setting season by logging a fourth all-time win over Stanford.

The Demon Deacons handed the former Pac-12 team losses in 2000 and 2006 before clashing for the first time as conference foes this September. In then-No. 1 ranked Stanford's first-ever ACC matchup, they fell 1-0 to Wake Forest, who earned their first win over a top-ranked team in program history in the process.

The road to the 2024 College Cup required grit and some penalty kick luck for both squads. The Cardinal needed a shootout to advance past No. 2 Arkansas in the tournament's third round before shutting out No. 4 Notre Dame 2-0 in their quarterfinal to punch their ticket to Cary.

As for Wake Forest, they narrowly defeated No. 3 Ohio State 1-0, then used PKs to oust No. 1 USC to secure entrance to their second-ever College Cup.

Rivals Duke and UNC to square off in second semifinal

The nightcap sees rivals Duke and UNC battle for the fourth time this season, as the Blue Devils look to avenge their lone 2024 loss to the Tar Heels by ousting the 21-time champs en route to a first-ever national title.

The Tar Heels lead the series by a mile with a 44-6-5 record against the Blue Devils but, as the nation's top team, Duke has been the team to beat this season — something UNC has only done once.

After the Blue Devils took both of the pair's regular-season meetings — a program-first home win on September 5th and a Halloween season finale victory — UNC booted Duke 2-1 from the ACC tournament's semifinals on the WakeMed pitch.

In their NCAA-leading 32nd College Cup appearance on Friday, UNC will look to become the first team all tournament to break through Duke's brick-wall backline. Previously, the Blue Devils have yet to concede a goal in the NCAA bracket.

The two rivals are also currently standing on opposite sides of historic coaching legacies. The preseason departure of 45-season leader Anson Dorrance has UNC hungry to prove that their dominance is not Dorrance-dependent. On the other hand, Duke is hoping to gift a program-first national title to head coach Robbie Church, who will retire post-College Cup after 23 seasons at the helm.

How to watch the 2024 College Cup NCAA soccer tournament

The 2024 College Cup contenders begin battle on Friday. First, No. 2 Wake Forest takes on No. 3 Stanford at 5 PM ET, with No. 1 Duke vs. No. 2 UNC following at 7:30 PM ET.

Both semifinals as well as Monday's 7 PM ET championship match will be broadcast live on ESPNU.

On today's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins takes a break from the soccer beat to catch up on other women's sports action, starting with the state of NCAA basketball, which has already seen big upsets this season, before moving onto look at some recent upheaval in the WNBA.

Later, Watkins chats about PWHL stars and how conference dominance is shaping the 2024 NCAA volleyball tournament.

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.

Subscribe to The Late Sub to never miss an episode.

Fever rookie Caitlin Clark rocketed to the upper tiers of Sportico's annual highest-paid women's sports athletes report on Wednesday, landing in 10th place with an estimated $11 million in yearly earnings.

With tournaments like the US Open guaranteeing equal purses across men's and women's events, tennis players dominated the findings, accounting for nine of the 15 entries. This includes first-place Coco Gauff, who, with $9.4 million in prizes plus $21 million in endorsements, tops the list for the second year in a row.

Skier Eileen Gu came in second, complementing her individual earnings with the list's highest-estimated endorsement profits at $22 million. Gymnast Simone Biles came in at No. 9 with an estimated $11.1 million in total income.

Golfers Nelly Korda and Lydia Ko also made the cut, mirroring the LPGA Tour's expanded purses.

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Report highlights endorsements in women's sports

The report underlines the continued importance of endorsements in the women's game — particularly within team sports, where many athletes rely on supplemental income to boost relatively small pro salaries.

However, 2024's estimated $221 million in total earnings is up 27% over last year, with 11 athletes making at least $10 million compared to six in 2023.

Sportico's 15 highest-paid women's sports athletes

1. Coco Gauff: $30.4 million
Prize money: $9.4 million | Endorsements: $21 million

2. Eileen Gu: $22.1 million
Prize money: $62,000 | Endorsements: $22 million

3. Iga Świątek: $21.4 million
Prize money: $8.4 million | Endorsements: $13 million

4. Zheng Qinwen: $20.6 million
Prize money: $5.6 million | Endorsements: $15 million

5. Aryna Sabalenka: $17.7 million
Prize money: $9.7 million | Endorsements: $8 million

6. Naomi Osaka: $15.9 million
Prize money: $870,000 | Endorsements: $15 million

7. Emma Raducanu: $14.7 million
Prize money: $671,000 | Endorsements: $14 million

8. Nelly Korda: $14.4 million
Prize money: $4.4 million | Endorsements: $10 million

9. Simone Biles: $11.1 million
Prize money: $135,000 | Endorsements: $11 million

10. Caitlin Clark: $11.1 million
Salary/bonus: $100,000 | Endorsements: $11 million

11. Jasmine Paolini: $10 million
Prize money: $6.5 million | Endorsements: $3.5 million

12. Jeeno Thitikul: $9.1 million
Prize money: $7.1 million | Endorsements: $2 million

13. Jessica Pegula: $8.2 million
Prize money: $4.2 million | Endorsements: $4 million

14. Elena Rybakina: $7.9 million
Prize money: $3.9 million | Endorsements: $4 million

15. Lydia Ko: $6.7 million
Prize money: $3.2 million | Endorsements: $3.5 million