The second season of Athletes Unlimited lacrosse has arrived, with the four week season running from July 21 through August 14.

This year’s rookie class is stacked with names like Charlotte North and Jamie Ortega entering the ranks. But others like Sam Apuzzo and Caylee Waters are back in the fold. Just Women’s Sports has three athletes to watch as the season heats up

Charlotte North

Raise your hand if you’re surprised Charlotte North is on this list. 

One of this season’s rookies, North enters this season having cemented her legacy as one of the greatest collegiate lacrosse players of all time. The NCAA all-time leader with 358 career goals, she brings the firepower every time she steps onto the field. 

A two-time Tewaaraton Award winner, she is also fresh off of winning gold with Team USA at the World Lacrosse Women’s World Championship (as are many of those competing with Athletes Unlimited this season). At those championships, North led Team USA in goals with 23 total – good for ninth in the tournament. 

She appears to be bringing those stats with her, having scored three goals in her first AU game against Team Waters, with two of those goals being two-point goals. She added three assists and won two draw controls, showcasing just how balanced she can be on the scoresheet.

Another @charlotteocho8 goal!! Are we surprised⁉️#AULax | 📺: ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/m0tuUBNR53

— Athletes Unlimited (@AUProSports) July 22, 2022

Look for North to find the back of the net even more this season – and find herself at or near the top of the leaderboard.

Lauren Gilbert

A two-time IWLCA All-American First Team selection, Lauren Gilbert made noise with a very good Northwestern program in college. The fourth-leading scorer in program history with 225 career goals, she helped lead the Wildcats to two Big Ten Conference titles and three NCAA semifinal appearances.

Her first time out with Team Apuzzo ended well last night, with Gilbert rocketing to the top of the leaderboard. She notched the first goal of the Athletes Unlimited season – her first of four on the night against Team Glynn.

First goal of the season, first goal of Lauren Gilbert's AU career 🙌#BeUnlimited | #AULax pic.twitter.com/92e5wzn3MC

— Athletes Unlimited (@AUProSports) July 21, 2022

While there are still plenty of games to be played, Gilbert is no stranger to leading the way, having led Northwestern last season with 79 goals and 106 points. With 27 assists, she’s also capable of creating chances for teammates, making her a threat all around.

Marie McCool

Another player fresh off of a gold medal win at the world championships, Marie McCool ranked second on Team USA with 20 goals, including the opener in the gold medal game against Canada.

She also contributed 17 draw controls and had five hat tricks in eight separate games. The former No. 2 overall selection in the Women’s Professional Lacrosse League draft and a 2019 WPLL champion with Baltimore, McCool is a winner.

McCool as the other side of the pillow. @mariemccool4 🥶 pic.twitter.com/4n8jZhJfMR

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) July 6, 2022

After finishing ninth last season with 1,517 points, the midfielder is back and ready for more. Look for her to improve on her draw controls from last season (49, good for second in the league) and continue her goal scoring tear from the world championships. Already she has two from Team Waters’ 12-8 loss to Team Read, which was tied for first on her team with attacker Kenzie Kent (2G, 2A).

Light work for @mariemccool4 🤩

Team Waters is up by2️⃣after the first quarter!!#AULax | 📺: ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/d84tFQj2Eb

— Athletes Unlimited (@AUProSports) July 22, 2022

The Athletes Unlimited lacrosse season continues Saturday beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

Chelsea FC is once again looking across the pond to bolster their roster, with the six-time reigning WSL champions reportedly aiming to make a deal with NWSL side Angel City to acquire ACFC and USWNT forward Alyssa Thompson, per The Guardian this week.

Though the two clubs have yet to reach terms, Chelsea would need to have the deal signed before the WSL transfer window closes next Thursday.

Any agreement for Chelsea to snag Thompson from Angel City will likely feature yet another historic transfer fee, with cost projections topping former Tigres UANL star Lizbeth Ovalle's record $1.5 million transfer to the Orlando Pride earlier this month.

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The 20-year-old phenom is currently under contract with ACFC through the 2028 season after inking a three-year extension this past January.

With six goals and two assists in her 16 regular-season appearances in 2025 so far, the 2023 NWSL Draft No. 1 pick is trailing only rookie Riley Tiernan's seven goals on this year's Angel City scoresheet.

Should the transfer go through, Thompson would be the third ACFC player in a week to be moving to the UK, with the NWSL club transferring defender Alanna Kennedy and midfielder Katie Zelem to the newly WSL-promoted London City Lionesses on Wednesday.

As for Chelsea, the Blues have been a major player in recruiting US players over the last few seasons, with Thompson potentially joining her USWNT teammates Catarina Macario and Naomi Girma in suiting up for the WSL side's upcoming 2025/26 season.

Two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka is looking like her old self this week, as the world No. 24 advanced to the 2025 New York Grand Slam's third round for the first time since 2021 with a straight-set win over the US's No. 47 Hailey Baptiste on Thursday.

"I don't make it my business to know anymore, I kind of just leave it up in the air," said the fan favorite following questions about a possible fifth Grand Slam title run. "I've trained really hard. I practiced really hard. If it happens, it happens."

After taking her lumps on the WTA Tour since returning from pregnancy in 2024, the 2025 US Open marks Osaka's first seeded entry into a major tournament since 2022 — and she appears to be embracing her competitive boost in style, complete with eye-catching outfits and a matching Labubu.

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The 27-year-old Japanese national next faces No. 18 Daria Kasatkina in the pair's third career meeting, with Osaka getting the best of the Australian in both previous matchups — most recently at the 2024 Italian Open.

Should Osaka advance to Sunday's Round of 16, she could be on a collision course toward a date with No. 3 Coco Gauff, after the US star advanced past her own emotionally challenging second-round battle on Thursday.

How to watch Naomi Osaka at the 2025 US Open

With times still to be announced, Osaka will next battle Kasatkina during the second day of 2025 US Open third-round play on Saturday.

Live coverage of the New York Grand Slam airs across ESPN platforms.

The No. 1 Kansas City Current have been unstoppable this season, riding a 10-match unbeaten streak into Saturday's game against the No. 9 North Carolina Courage and inching closer to claiming a franchise-first NWSL Shield.

The Current's dominant 12-point advantage over the No. 2 Washington Spirit marks the league's largest top-table margin since the Courage finished 15 points ahead in 2018.

Even more, Kansas City tops the NWSL in goals scored (34) while also registering the fewest goals allowed (10), entering the league's 18th weekend of play with a record-tying five consecutive shutouts.

After coming in fourth in 2024, the Current's defense has continued to improve under manager Vlatko Andonovski, while another MVP-level year from star forward Temwa Chawinga has bolstered Kansas City's offense.

Chawinga currently leads the 2025 NWSL Golden Boot race with 11 goals through 17 games, while sitting in the league's Top 3 for both shots and shots on goal.

"I think because we have such a powerful offense, the defensive things, maybe people don't notice as much," Kansas City forward Michelle Cooper said earlier this week. "I think something absolutely important to us is our entire back line and the commitment to get little touches in, to take [advantage] of angles, and block shots."

How to watch the Kansas City Current this weekend

No. 1 Kansas City will host No. 9 North Carolina — one of just two teams to defeat the Current all season — at 7:30 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage airing on ION.

The No. 5 New York Liberty are creeping back up the ladder, as the defending WNBA champions continued reversing their recent skid with Thursday's 89-63 win over the No. 10 Washington Mystics — all while the race to the 2025 WNBA Playoffs reaches its boiling point.

While Washington rookie Sonia Citron's 18 points led the game, New York pulled together a true team effort to secure Thursday's victory, with five Liberty players scoring double-digits — including a season-high 16 points off the bench from forward Isabelle Harrison in her return from concussion protocol.

"We're not looking at the other teams at this point," Liberty forward Emma Meesseman said after the game. "We're just looking at ourselves, to maybe send a message to ourselves."

Despite that focus, New York is still contending with injury woes that have overshadowed much of the Liberty's season, taking Thursday's court without starters Sabrina Ionescu (toe), Jonquel Jones (illness), and Natasha Cloud (nose), while leaning on recently returned forward Breanna Stewart.

"We need to win the rest of our games," acknowledged Stewart, with the team gearing up for visits to the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury, No. 8 Golden State Valkyries, and No. 7 Seattle Storm over the next week. "We need to go and be road warriors."

The Liberty will have their hands full against the Mercury this weekend, with Phoenix coming in hot off a three-game winning streak with postseason-clinching top-of-mind.

"It's like a playoff matchup," Stewart added. "It's a big game, big implications, and [we're] not shying away from that."

How to watch the New York Liberty this weekend

No. 4 Phoenix will host No. 5 New York at 10 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage airing on NBA TV.