People’s expectations of Ava Cook used to be as tiny as she was.

Family friend Todd Wells still has a team picture from when he coached Cook in U15 club soccer. In the photograph, he’s towering over Cook, a B-team player who dreamed of playing professional soccer but had received only a couple of offers from Division III schools.

Cook weighed less than 90 pounds at the time, and yet Wells could tell ever since she was in elementary school training with the high schoolers he coached with Cook’s dad that she was special. He believed in all of his players, but he was relentless with Ava, the closest thing he had ever had to a daughter. When Cook got to high school and played against Wells’ team, she had his vote for Player of the Year, while the other coaches in the conference chose a player who went on to sit on the bench for her career at Michigan State.

“Hey, you guys gotta understand that this girl is next-level good,” Wells told the coaches. “You just don’t know it.”

As everyone continued to doubt her, Wells kept promising, “Just wait, just wait, just wait.”

That patience paid off in a big way. As the Chicago Red Stars’ top pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft, Cook has been a key contributor to the 2021 finalists as they look to make the playoffs in the final weekend of the regular season. The forward has two goals and three assists across 18 matches played and nine starts for the No. 7 team.

Wells, who had coached at the youth, college, Olympic development and USL W League levels, wasn’t new to spotting talent. He knew what it took to play for the top NCAA Division II women’s soccer program in the country, Grand Valley, conveniently located in their home state of Michigan. Four or five of his youth players had gone there, and some of them had won national championships. Wells believed that Cook could achieve that, too, and maybe reach an even higher level than the others.

He relayed that to Grand Valley coach Jeff Hosler in a phone call, and Hosler agreed to take a look at Cook.

So, the sophomore went to the ID camp. Hosler saw the potential, but Cook wasn’t as polished as some of the other players. To him, she seemed uncoordinated, her touches weren’t clean and she wasn’t strong or fast enough.

“I just don’t see it,” Hosler told Wells afterwards.

Cook went home and worked on exactly what Hosler suggested, focusing on her strength, speed and agility every single day through her junior year to prepare for the next opportunity. The goal was just to be the best version of herself. She had no intention of going back to Grand Valley. The message that they didn’t want her had been loud and clear.

Throughout that year, though she might not have noticed it at the time, she was beginning to stand taller. At 5-foot-10, she was growing physically into her 17-year-old body while also becoming mentally tougher.

“She started to grow and it was like, watch. Now, watch what happens,” said Wells.

Cook was called up to play with the A team in a regional championship tournament. She scored in every game, and in the second match, her late goal saved the team from defeat.

Jeff Hosler was there. After Cook’s goal, Wells told Hosler, “I told you so.” The Grand Valley coach wasn’t convinced yet, but Wells could tell he was getting there.

Ahead of the next ID camp, in the winter of Cook’s junior year, Wells persuaded Cook to give it another go. When she finally agreed, he called Hosler: “I’m sending Ava back.”

That’s when everything changed. Hosler vividly remembers one play when Cook, with her back to a defender as she received a pass, effortlessly flicked it with the outside of her foot to get around her opponent.

“There’s not a lot of high school juniors at camps trying to pull that type of skill off,” he said.

Ten minutes into the camp, he called Wells. “I’m going to give this kid an offer tomorrow,” Hosler told him.

Cook and Hosler’s conversation at the end of that camp was completely different than their last. He had a vision for how she could fit into the program as a versatile forward who was dangerous in the air and could hit strikes from distance.

Grand Valley was the only school who gave Cook an offer, so she took it and set out to get even better.

Freshman year was about learning, mostly from a fellow striker named Gabby Mencotti, a senior who mentored Cook in reading the game and making decisions. By sophomore year, Cook was miles ahead of where she was in her first season, this time receiving Second Team All-American honors. As a junior, she helped the Lakers win a national championship while leading Division II in goals (29) and points (70) and being named a First Team All-American.

Cook had planned to play just four years of college. Going into her senior year, she was open to pursuing whatever professional opportunities presented themselves. Then COVID-19 hit, and the fall season of her senior year got moved to the spring. When the NCAA granted athletes an additional year of eligibility due to the canceled fall season, Cook began to have second thoughts about leaving school, especially since a fifth year would broaden her professional opportunities and maybe even open a door to the NWSL.

She thought about the choice for a long time.

When she finally settled on playing a fifth season, Hosler had taken a job at Michigan State, and Cook, who had developed astronomically under him, had another decision to make.

She reached out to Wells for advice.

“I’ve got a year of eligibility,” she told him. “Do I stay at Grand Valley or go to Michigan State?”

“That’s a dumb question,” Wells replied.

He sent her a text with exactly what she needed to do, numbering the steps one through four. Cook not only followed Wells’ advice, she manifested it, and made sure that every step along the way came true.

1. Transfer to MSU

Cook entered her name into the transfer portal and called Hosler.

“Hey, it’s me again,” she said.

Coming to Michigan State wasn’t something that Hosler was going to let just any of his former players do. But Cook had the blend of pace, athleticism, size and humility. Her determination to grow never seemed to let up.

“Ava is one of those special people that you don’t get an opportunity to work with very often because of who she is,” Hosler said. “I truly love this kid, with everything that she stands for and who she is. I’m super proud of her.”

After a long conversation, Cook decided to take her chances on the Big Ten.

2. Do what you do

Cook went on to help the Spartans to their first Big Ten tournament since 2011. Playing over 1,000 minutes during the 2021 season, she led the team in goals (seven), assists (three), points (17), shots (77) and game-winning goals (three).

Starting all but one game, Cook earned Second Team All-Big Ten and United Soccer Coaches All-Region honors.

“Ava just never knew how great she could be until she just went up against the players that were the best ,and she’s like, ‘I’m here, and I’m doing my thing. Look what I can do,’” said Wells.

3. Apply for the NWSL Draft

With her teammates still in college this past spring, Cook watched a lot of NWSL and U.S. women’s national team games. Knowing most of the national team players were in the league, Cook felt the NWSL featured “truly some of the best soccer out there.”

“To be able to even get the chance to play in a league like that, I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” she said.

Because of players like fellow Michigan native Bethany Balcer, who was the first NAIA player to sign with an NWSL club in 2019, she knew it was possible to carve out a successful professional career despite spending most of her college days outside of Division I.

“I think that not only me, but a lot of girls definitely look at her, especially in Michigan, and get a really good sense of hope,” Cook said of the OL Reign forward.

So, she applied for the 2022 draft but didn’t expect anything to come out of it. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe in herself; she just didn’t want to be disappointed.

On the day of the draft, Cook was eating a slice of pizza, surrounded by family and friends, when she saw her name and picture appear on the TV screen.

Ava Cook, 18th overall to the Chicago Red Stars.

Everyone screamed. Cook nearly choked on her pizza, as her phone began blowing up with texts and calls.

“That is something I will never ever forget,” she said of draft day. “I was so thankful for everyone who was there and that I got to share that moment with them and everyone who reached out. It makes me so happy to think about.”

Pugh ➡️ Cook. Right on the money 🎯

Ava Cook seals the win for Chicago 2-0. pic.twitter.com/T7ZkqGUujT

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) August 8, 2022

4. Play NWSL

Since joining the Red Stars, Cook has made nine starts and played 1,202 minutes in 22 games across all competitions. Her three assists led the league for the first half of the regular season, and she earned her first call-up to the U.S. U23 women’s national team in June.

Achieving the last item on Wells’ list only means that Cook is ready for a new set of goals. Right now, outside of making the playoffs with the Red Stars, she’s focused on improving her technical skills and soccer IQ and watching as many games on TV as she can. Her eyes are glued to players in positions that interest her. She watches their runs, what they do with the ball and how they move off of it.

Cook is 5-10 but still growing. Always growing. And other people’s expectations of her have increased accordingly.

“This is only the beginning for her because of the way she approaches things and the year-to-year growth she showed during my time with her,” Hosler said. “I know it will continue in the league.”

As Wells says, “Just wait, just wait, just wait.”

Jessa Braun is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering the NWSL and USWNT. Follow her on Twitter @jessabraun.

Looking back, UCLA coach Cori Close has mixed emotions about her team’s 2024/25 campaign.

Featuring one of the most talented starting fives in the sport, the team made historic strides all the way to a program-first Final Four appearance. But last season also served up a bittersweet ending.

The Bruins saw their dream postseason unceremoniously ended by eventual national champions UConn in an 85-51 rout. Highly touted but inexperienced on the big stage, UCLA nearly reached the mountaintop before a rough tumble, stirring up questions about the team’s ability to hang with the NCAA’s blue chip establishment.

“There’s nothing like having a historic season, and falling a little bit short,” head coach Cori Close told JWS in October. “The hunger to do it better, but also the attention to detail that it really takes.”

“It’s one thing to know things in your head, it’s a whole other thing to have them in your heart,” she continued. “And I think our team has a higher degree of these things in our heart.”

With renewed focus and deepened experience — plus an even more complete roster that can run the court against just about anyone — the Bruins just might reach the mountaintop again in 2026.

Following another strong offseason recruiting cycle, UCLA currently sits fourth in the AP Top 25 Poll after ranked wins over No. 8 Oklahoma, No. 19 Ohio State, and No. 23 Tennessee. And now the reigning Big Ten Tournament champions are setting their sights on conference play — with Saturday’s showdown with Southern California rivals No. 17 USC front of mind.

From here on out, attention to detail could make all the difference in how this season’s story ends.

UCLA is on a mission to reduce turnovers and own the glass

Before the 2024/25 season even began, coach Close already knew exactly where her team needed to improve.

The Bruins played a fast-paced style last year, facilitating ball movement inside and out with skill players at every position. This year, Close believed her squad could excel in terms of discipline, rather than sheer talent.

“We went back and studied the last five national championship teams and talked about trends that we see that they all have, that maybe we’ve fallen short in,” she said. “We figured that we need to turn the ball over three fewer times a game.”

Defense also plays a factor. “When you really trace championship teams, they have to be dominant in their rebounding,” she added. “We have a goal to get 70 to 75% of the misses.”

13 games into the season, UCLA hasn’t quite achieved all their goals. But they are showing potential. They’re slightly up in average rebounds with 44.1 per game, while lowering average turnovers by more than three per game.

But the team’s limitations against top talent reared its head in their November 26th loss to No. 2 Texas. UCLA grabbed only 32 rebounds while committing 20 turnovers — nearly double their season average.

“I was really honest with [the players],” Close said after the 76-65 defeat. “There’s some things we’ve been talking about that haven’t gotten enough change. Maybe this will get us to change some things that led to this.”

The threat of not sizing up against the best of the best fresh in their minds, UCLA has subsequently looked stronger. They reduced their turnovers even more against then-No. 14 Tennessee in late November, before dominating the boards against No. 19 Ohio State last Sunday.

“We have an abundance of growth opportunities, we have an abundance of opportunities to invest in each other,” Close told JWS.

“We have an abundance of ways in which we can improve week by week. We’re going to just stay focused on those.”

The Lauren Betts blueprint: Efficiency over minutes

Reaching UCLA’s goals relies on team-wide commitment — and figuring out the best way to utilize the team’s biggest star.

The Bruins have a wealth of elite guards, with upperclassmen like Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez running the backcourt. But it’s no secret that the team’s attack and defense runs through 6-foot-8 All-American center Lauren Betts.

The senior is a global talent. She made her USA Basketball debut in December, and is shortlisted to become the 2026 WNBA Draft No. 1 pick once her decorated college career comes to an end.

One of the most dominant two-way bigs in the college game, Betts averaged a near-20-point, 10-rebound double-double last season. She’s an attention magnet on the court, disrupting play at the rim with the motor needed to finish the work back up the court.

Ironically, though, to get the most out of Betts, Close has found she has to actually limit her time on the floor.

“When Lauren and I had our exit evaluation meetings last year, we both agreed that she needs to have less minutes,” said Close. “And honestly maybe even less shots, but more efficiency.”

“As a 6-foot-8 player, you get beat up so much before she even touches the ball,” Close continued. “I think it’s important that we protect her wherever we can.”

Betts is aware that physicality can sometimes throw her off her game. She’s now pushing to hone her tenacity at the rim while leveraging her size through double- or triple-teams.

“Just playing the game, making the right read, is something that’s really important for me, trusting that I know what to do on the floor,” Betts at reporters from USA Basketball training camp last month.

“Also aggressiveness, I think that’s something that I can always grow into.”

UCLA enters 2026 with fresh faces — and family ties

Close sees Betts at her best with nothing to prove individually and a little extra help under the basket. And they worked hard over the offseason to get her that support, shaking things up via both traditional recruiting and the transfer portal.

Take senior transfer Gianna Kneepkins, for example. The former Utah standout is giving the Bruins a scoring boost with 14.3 points per game while carrying minutes alongside more established starters.

“She’s been a pivotal puzzle piece for us in terms of having a 50/40/90 player that’s really able to stretch the floor. She’s making everybody better around her,” Close said of Kneepkins, as the newcomer provides a tall outside presence in the paint.

Close also credits second-year transfer Charlisse Leger-Walker. She’s bolstered the team off the bench after sitting out last season to rehab her ACL.

Betts’s biggest supporter, however, stems from a little closer to home. Lauren’s little sister Sienna, the No. 2 recruit in her class, joined the Bruins this season. And she shares many of her older sister’s attributes on the court.

Listed at 6-foot-4, the freshman can stretch defenses even without her big sister on the court, strengthening UCLA’s reach through negative runs while forcing opponents to game-plan for even more frontcourt power

“[I’m] just trying to help her as much as I can,” Lauren said of her sister prior to the season start. “Especially because we’re playing kind of the same position. Just trying to help her with the plays, help her with tough practices, kind of helping her move on.”

Unfortunately, a lower leg injury delayed Sienna’s college debut by 10 games. The younger Betts missed the loss to Texas, slowing down some of the flow Close is looking to build against a big-heavy lineup. But the plan for the Betts sisters is still very much in motion, even with limited playing time.

Reverse engineering success, one UCLA game at a time

Entering the new year with a healthy roster, UCLA will now have to balance expectations both inside and outside the locker room. Because regardless of how the season ends, significant change looms on the horizon.

“I think it’s really tempting to be championship or bust, and that could not be further from our mission,” Close explained.

“I am such a big believer that you talk about your end goal one time. And then you reverse engineer the process and habits it’s going to take to get there.”

“Just staying present, recognizing that this is also a new team,” senior Kiki Rice told JWS in October. “After what happened last year, there’s lessons in the past. [But we] really just focus on being our best versions of ourselves every day.”

UCLA might have fallen short against Texas last month. But they maintain faith that increased depth, veteran leadership, and a refreshed detail-oriented outlook can guide them all the way through the postseason.

“There were certain levels of preparation, certain ways that we needed to minimize distractions, certain ways we needed to handle all of the ways that are going to be pulling on our attention,” Close said of the team’s Final Four journey, noting that she also learned some major lessons herself.

For now, UCLA is enjoying the moment — and the process — with the hope that the wins keep coming this spring.

“This is probably the most complete team I’ve ever coached,” Close added. “If we can stay healthy and stay focused, we’re going to have big things ahead.”

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.