The NWSL returned this past weekend and delivered plenty of action as the league’s hierarchy continues to come into focus. Two teams scored late stoppage-time goals, four are on at least five-game unbeaten streaks, and every squad is competing with a different lineup as players spread out across the globe for international duty.

July competition could lead to some shake-ups as new talent steps in. For now, teams have stayed fairly consistent despite the roster changes, and so have the power rankings (click here for our last edition). Only the top- and bottom-tier clubs have shuffled slightly.

Let’s get into it.

12. Racing Louisville FC (2-4-4) -1

In the last power rankings, Racing Louisville was one spot ahead of the last-place Orlando Pride. Then the two teams played each other Sunday to a 2-2 draw. Despite falling into an early 2-0 hole, the Pride clawed back and had the better run of play overall, earning them the nod over Louisville this week. Racing Louisville also continued to prove why they’re the best team in the league at converting direct free kicks. Savannah DeMelo scored her second free-kick goal on Sunday, over six weeks since her first successful attempt against the San Diego Wave. She is the only NWSL player to record two such goals this season.

11. Orlando Pride (2-5-3) +1

As they chipped away at the 2-0 deficit in the second half of Sunday’s game, the Pride found success with combination plays against Louisville. They had a 54 percent advantage in possession and were the better team at capitalizing on their chances in front of goal. Making six changes to the starting lineup since their last game, a 6-0 loss to the Portland Thorns, the Pride also welcomed back defender Carrie Lawrence for the first time since her injury on May 27.

10. NJ/NY Gotham FC (3-5-0) —

Gotham had the momentum early against the Chicago Red Stars on Saturday, creating multiple scoring chances, outshooting Chicago 14-10 and registering 20 crosses throughout the match. But they lost their focus 25 minutes in after the Red Stars scored two goals fewer than 10 minutes apart and suffered their second consecutive 3-0 defeat and third straight loss overall. Head coach Scott Parkinson took the blame on Saturday, saying he needs to better prepare his team to execute their tactical plans.

9. North Carolina Courage (2-5-1) —

The Courage, still at the bottom of the NWSL standings, have played fewer games than every team except Gotham and are having a hard time finding a rhythm. The good news for the Courage is that, with a goal differential of -2, they are playing teams close. Until a 2-0 loss to OL Reign on Friday, each of their losses have come by one goal. North Carolina didn’t necessarily play poorly on Friday, but they’ll have to start gelling better as a unit if they want to build on their 2022 Challenge Cup win with a playoff berth.

8. Washington Spirit (1-4-6) —

Despite controlling possession for most of the game Sunday, the Spirit had a hard time getting shots off against San Diego without their star attacking trio of Ashley Hatch, Trinity Rodman and Ashley Sanchez. As the Wave doubled up Washington in shots, 12-6, the Spirit were busy defensively, making 21 clearances and 14 tackles and winning 48 duels. They managed to reduce San Diego’s attack to mostly long balls and waited until the second half to build more of an attack. Since finishing the Challenge Cup as runners-up, the reigning NWSL champions continue to be in limbo — not playing poorly, but not making a convincing case for the playoffs, either.

Coach Ward praises the adaptability of the team on the road yesterday

Press Pass:
▪️ Coach Kris Ward
▪️ Sam Staab
▪️ Jordan Baggett pic.twitter.com/HNGLjXqHQh

— Washington Spirit (@WashSpirit) July 4, 2022

7. Kansas City Current (3-4-3) —

The Current continued their steady rise over the weekend. With a 2-1 win over Houston on Friday, they picked up their first regular-season road victory in franchise history and are now on a five-game unbeaten streak. In a physical match where the Dash drew five yellow cards, goalkeeper AD Franch made impressive saves while the rest of the squad played with a lot of heart, a combination that’s emblematic of Kansas City’s team identity this season.

6. Angel City FC (4-4-2) —

After losing star forward Christen Press to an ACL tear, Angel City received a boost in the attack last week with the acquisition of former U.S. women’s national team player Sydney Leroux from the Orlando Pride. Against Portland on Friday, Angel City was having a tougher time winning balls in the attacking third, but Leroux will help with that once she settles in with the club. The team also struggled to contain Portland’s crosses but individually, there were many successes, such as Lily Nabet doing well in possession in her first start of the season.

5. Houston Dash (4-3-3) -1

The Dash are losing their grip on the dominant results they had at the beginning of the season. A lot of it comes down to their finishing. They created dangerous chances in Friday’s 2-1 loss to Kansas City, but they weren’t able to capitalize (their only goal came from a Current own goal off a Houston cross in the 10th minute of stoppage time). Due to the international window, the Dash are without some of their top attackers right now, like Rachel Daly, Nichelle Prince and Maria Sánchez. They likely need at least another week to adjust.

4. OL Reign (4-2-4) +1

With a 2-0 win over the Courage on Friday, the Reign remained unbeaten at Lumen Field across all competitions. They have eight players away on international duty — the most of any NWSL team — but after a slow start Friday, they managed to find their footing toward the end of the first half. They opened the second half with two shots and a goal within the first seven minutes, setting the tone for the rest of the game. With players like Jess Fishlock, Ally Watt, Bethany Balcer and Phallon Tullis-Joyce sticking around during the international window, the Reign and their impressive amount of depth will be just fine throughout July.

B-E-A-Utiful ball movement leading to a @bethanybalcer goal 🤩@OLReign | #BoldTogether pic.twitter.com/Nm90rzQMdT

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 2, 2022

3. Portland Thorns FC (4-1-5) -2

The Thorns needed a win to stay neck-and-neck with Chicago and San Diego at the top of the NWSL standings. Instead, they drew 1-1 with Angel City FC in a game that nearly resulted in a loss. The Thorns’ dramatic stoppage-time equalizer in the 96th minute saved the game and their unbeaten streak, extending it to six. Considering Portland had six players away on international duty, while Angel City was missing only three, they played a fairly even game. They started on the wrong foot after giving up a penalty kick goal in the second minute, but they regrouped to steal a point.

2. San Diego Wave FC (6-2-3) —

With a 2-1 win over the Spirit in front of a sold-out crowd on Sunday, San Diego extended its unbeaten streak at home to five games. The absence of seven international players gave others a chance to step up and show off the team’s depth. Belle Briede picked up her first NWSL regular-season goal, while Makenzy Doniak — who is normally a substitute but started on Sunday — scored for the second consecutive game. Critically, defender Abby Dahlkemper also returned to the starting lineup after recovering from broken ribs and helped steady the backline as the team adjusts to the changes from the international window.

1. Chicago Red Stars (5-1-4) +2

The Red Stars took their time getting adjusted against Gotham FC. After taking control of the game with two goals by the 25th minute, they connected on 82 percent of their passes and maintained 55 percent of the possession. The defense put on a solid showing despite being outshot 14-10, winning 45 percent of their tackles, making 12 clearances and registering four blocks. With the 3-0 win, Chicago extended its own unbeaten streak to eight games — the longest active streak of any team in the league.

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

For the first time in the NWSL's 12-year history, fans can now buy their own goalkeeper jerseys. And while replica goalkeeper jerseys representing all 14 NWSL teams hit the market on Wednesday, some didn't stick around for long. 

Fans across women's soccer have long vocalized their discontent over the position's lack of availability on social media, often comparing the shortcoming to the widespread availability of men’s goalkeeper jerseys. And as the NWSL has grown, so has demand — and not just from those in the stands. 

"To have goalkeeper kits available for fans in the women’s game as they have been for so long in the men’s game is not only a long-awaited move in the right direction, it’s just good business," said Washington Spirit goalie Aubrey Kingsbury in an team press release. "I can’t wait to see fans representing me, Barnie [Barnhart], and Lyza in the stands at Audi!"

just went looking at #nwsl goalkeeper kit stock out of curiosity — Alyssa Naeher's $145 kit already sold out S-XL (league announced GK jerseys on sale 3 hours ago)https://t.co/8bYA7tlwcx

— Meg Linehan (@itsmeglinehan) April 17, 2024

Business does, in fact, appear to be booming. Alyssa Naeher’s Chicago Red Stars kit sold out less than three hours after the league's announcement. Jerseys for other keepers like DiDi Haračić, Abby Smith, Michelle Betos, Katelyn Rowland, and Bella Bixby aren’t currently available via the Official NWSL Shop, though blank goalkeeper jerseys can be customized through some individual team sites. Jerseys start at $110 each.

"This should be the benchmark," said Spirit Chief Operations Officer Theresa McDonnell. "The expectation is that all players’ jerseys are available to fans. Keepers are inspiring leaders and mentors with their own unique fan base who want to represent them... I can’t wait to see them all over the city."

Decorated gymnast Simone Biles took to the popular Call Her Daddy podcast this week to open up about her experience at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, revealing she thought she was going to be "banned from America" for her performance.

After Biles botched her vault routine due to a bout of the "twisties," she withdrew from the team final as well as the all-around final in order to focus on her mental health. She later reentered the competition to win bronze in the individual balance beam final.

In her interview with podcast host Alex Cooper, Biles admitted to feeling like she let the entire country down by failing her vault attempt.

"As soon as I landed I was like 'Oh, America hates me. The world is going to hate me. I can only see what they’re saying on Twitter right now,'" she recalled thinking. "I was like, ‘Holy s---, what are they gonna say about me?'"

"I thought I was going to be banned from America," she continued. "That’s what they tell you: Don’t come back if not gold. Gold or bust. Don’t come back."

Widely regarded as the greatest gymnast of all time, Biles has hinted at a desire to join her third Olympic team in Paris, though her participation won't be confirmed until after the gymnastics trials in late June. She holds over 30 medals from the Olympic Games and World Artistic Gymnastics Championships combined, and if qualified, would be a sure favorite heading into this summer’s games.

Caitlin Clark is reportedly close to cementing a hefty endorsement deal with Nike.

The Athletic was the first to break the news Wednesday evening, commenting that the deal would be worth "eight figures" and include her own signature shoe. On Thursday afternoon, the publication tweeted that the deal would top $20 million, according to lead NBA Insider Shams Charania. Both Under Armour and Adidas are said to have also made sizable offers to the college phenom and expected future WNBA star.

The new agreement comes after Clark's previous Nike partnership ended with the conclusion of the college basketball season. She was one of five NCAA athletes to sign an NIL deal with the brand back in October, 2022. 

Considering Clark's overwhelming popularity and Nike's deep pockets, the signing's purported value doesn't exactly come as a shock. New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu’s deal with the brand is reportedly worth $24 million, while NBA rookie and No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama’s deal is rumored to weigh in at $100 million. And in 2003, LeBron James famously earned $90 million off his own Nike deal. 

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Clark’s star power continues to skyrocket, with the NCAA championship averaging 18.9 million viewers and the 2024 WNBA Draft more than doubling its previous viewership record. Following the draft, Fanatics stated that Clark's Indiana Fever jersey — which sold out within an hour — was the top seller for any draft night pick in the company’s history, with droves of unlucky fans now being forced to wait until August to get their hands on some official No. 22 gear.

In Wednesday's Indiana Fever introductory press conference, the unfailingly cool, calm, and collected Clark said that turning pro hasn’t made a huge impact on how she’s conducting her deals.

"If I’m being completely honest, I feel like it doesn’t change a ton from how I lived my life over the course of the last year," she said. "Sponsorships stay the same. The people around me, agents and whatnot, have been able to help me and guide me through the course of the last year. I don’t know if I would be in this moment if it wasn’t for a lot of them."

Former Oklahoma slugger Jocelyn Alo has signed on with Athletes Unlimited and will compete in the AU Pro Softball AUX this June.

The NCAA record holder in career home runs (122), total bases (761), and slugging percentage (.987), Alo was originally drafted by the league in 2022 but opted instead to join the newly debuted Women’s Professional Fastpitch. 

Alo currently plays for independent pro softball team Oklahoma City Spark, with team owner Tina Floyd reportedly on board with her recent AUX signing. AUX games are scheduled for June 10-25, while the Spark's season will kick off June 19th. Alo will play for both. 

Among those joining Alo on the AUX roster are former James Madison ace pitcher Odicci Alexander and former Wichita State standout middle infielder Sydney McKinney.

According to Alo, the decision to play in the Athletes Unlimited league was fueled by her desire to propel women's sports forward as well as provide more exposure to a sport that's given her "so many opportunities."

"Not only to challenge myself more, but just for the growth of the game," Alo said, explaining her reasoning to The Oklahoman. "I genuinely believe that professional softball can be a career for girls."

Joining AUX is also one more step in her plan toward representing Team USA at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

"I’m constantly thinking about how can I do these little things right in these four years to prepare me for the biggest stage of softball," she told The Oklahoman. "I definitely want to play in the Olympics, for sure."

Alo further expressed enthusiasm in the hope that the rise of other women’s sports, like women’s basketball and the NWSL, will push softball’s professional viability even higher.

"We’re seeing the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League) get their stuff going, I see the WNBA starting to get hot," she continued. "I feel like the softball community is like, 'All right, it’s our turn and it’s our turn to just demand more.'"