Sam Kerr is a once-in-a-generation talent, reaching the heights of soccer in Australia and abroad. At 28 years old, Kerr is already considered to be one of the best strikers to play the sport, shattering records for both club and country.

Here’s everything you need to know about one of the game’s greatest players.

Early life in Perth

It all started for Kerr in Fremantle, Australia, a port city in the Perth metropolitan area. She was born to a family of athletes on September 10, 1993: Kerr’s brother and father both were Australia rules footballers, and her uncle was a horse jokey. Introduced to AFL at an early age, Kerr immediately fell in love with the sport. There were no girls league when she was growing up in Australia, so Kerr played with the boys. Kerr considered footy her first love, with soccer taking a backseat.

Eventually, playing Australian football with boys got too rough, and Kerr was forced into soccer by her family at 12 years old. Despite her limited interest in the sport, the Kerr would debut for the Australian women’s national soccer team only three years later.

“I am very fortunate to have a lot of athleticism,” Kerr old Kelly O’Hara on the Just Women’s Sports podcast, explaining her prodigious rise in the sport.

Her first cap with the Matildas came when Kerr was just 15 years old, and was a bit of a surprise for the Australian star. Thinking she would be on the bench for the game, Kerr told her family not to come to the match, something she says she now regrets.

“I never realized how big the moment was and I always say if I could redo one part of my career, it would be my first cap,” Kerr told Sandra Sully in a 2021 10 News First interview.

Luckily for Kerr, she would have plenty more opportunities to take the pitch for her country, celebrating 100 caps and 48 goals with the Matildas in 2021.

Australian National Team Career

Kerr’s international career got off to a dream start, participating in her first major tournament at 16, a year after her debut. The 2010 Asian Cup served as the young star’s introduction to the world stage, and she scored in the team’s final match to help Australia clinch the Cup.

At 17-years old, Kerr went to her first World Cup, joining seven other players under 20-years-old on the 2011 Australian roster. The Matildas advanced out of the competition’s group stage but fell to Sweden in the knockout round, ending the team’s World Cup run.

Kerr’s career hit a snag leading up to the 2015 World Cup, suffering a knee injury that required surgery just before the tournament. On top of coming off an injury, Kerr was also transitioning from the wing to the No. 9 position, a role she has since mastered. The Matildas managed to survive what was deemed the “group of death,” which included the United States, Sweden, and Nigeria, and they even downed Brazil in their first knockout game. Kerr and the Matildas, however, were sent packing by Japan in the quarterfinals.

The Australian striker’s first World Cup goal wouldn’t come until the 2019 World Cup, in the team’s group-stage match against Italy. The trend continued when Kerr scored four goals against Jamaica, becoming the first Australian player, male or female, to record a hat trick at the World Cup. Norway ultimately knocked the Matildas out in the first round of elimination. Still, Kerr came in second among goals scored during the tournament with five, behind Ellen White, Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan, who all notched six.

Kerr’s 2020 Olympics marked another prolific international tournament, leading Australia to the bronze-medal match against the United States. With six goals, the Australian striker tied Great Britain’s Ellen White and Zambia’s Barbra Banda for second on the scorers’ list. Kerr’s most-exciting finish came in the Matildas’ quarterfinal against Great Britain when the 28-year-scored a late-game brace to send her team to the semifinals.

Notching her 48^th international goal in the bronze-medal loss against the USWNT, Kerr dethroned Lisa De Vanna as Australia’s all-time top scorer.

SAM KERR! ⚽️🇦🇺

Australia's superstar has her penalty saved but she puts in the rebound for her first career #FIFAWWC goal. pic.twitter.com/0JjrTqlR33

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 9, 2019

Club Career

Kerr’s club career is just as, if arguably not more, successful than her international career with the Australian national team. One of the most cited and impressive Kerr-stats is that she has won the Golden Boot award in three different leagues. The star striker first captured the top honor in the W-League (which has since re-branded as the A-League) in 2017. She repeated the feat in 2018. In the NWSL, she was the league’s stop scorer three years running: 2017, 2018 and 2019, and last season she led the FA WSL in goals scored while playing for Chelsea.

Kerr first entered the NWSL at just 18 years old in 2013, joining the Western New York Flash alongside American superstars Carli Lloyd and Abby Wambach. The Australian’s breakout season, however, came in 2017 with Sky Blue FC after two years with the club. During the 2017 campaign, Kerr scored a record-breaking 17 goals, earning her the Golden Boot and MVP awards. The year also included an instant-classic match, with Kerr notching four goals in one half to overcome a 3-0 deficit to defeat Seattle Reign 5-4. Kerr attributes her success that year to being moved to the No. 9 role on the pitch.

“I felt like I found my position,” Kerr told O’Hara. “I found where I was playing.”

Her success continued when she moved to the Chicago Red Stars in 2018, topping her previous mark when she scored a NWSL-record 18 goals on the season to clinch her second MVP award.

At 26 years old, Kerr left the NWSL, signing a two-and-a-half-year contract with Chelsea in 2019, reportedly totaling over $1 million. Critics were quick to question whether Kerr’s talent would translate to the Women’s Super League, but she quickly shut those questions down. After a shortened season due to COVID, Kerr led the Blues with 21 goals in 22 games during the 2020-2021 campaign. Her productive year earned her another Golden Boot award and helped Chelsea to the league title. The team also appeared in the Champions League final, falling to Barcelona in the title match.

In the 2021-2022 season, Kerr signed a two-year contract extension, keeping her with the Blues until 2024. Adding to her growing trophy case, Kerr also captured an FA Cup title with Chelsea in December, scoring a brace against Arsenal for the 3-0 victory.

Sam Kerr with an outrageous chip to seal the FA Cup for Chelsea 🥶

(via @VitalityWFACup)pic.twitter.com/Nmrpbjsn0n

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 5, 2021

What’s Next

Kerr is on pace to capture yet another Golden Boot award with Chelsea in the hunt for the WSL title. Internationally, Kerr is expected to captain the Australian National Team as they gear up to host the 2023 World Cup being jointly hosted by Australia and England.

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