Sierra Canyon, slotted No. 8 in the JWS’ national girls’ basketball rankings, are one of the top teams in Southern California this year. What makes the Trailblazers special, however, is that they are primed to compete into next season and beyond.

That’s because two of Sierra Canyon’s best players, guard Juju Watkins and forward Mackenly Randolph, will be with the team beyond the 2021-22 season. Watkins, a five-star recruit per ESPN, is a junior. And Randolph, a four-star recruit, is a sophomore.

No. 4 Etiwanda is undefeated and remains a level above the rest in the area, but Sierra Canyon, with its lone blemish this season coming in a two-point defeat to No. 6 La Jolla, might very well be the Southern California’s future.

After debuting our high school basketball rankings last week, we’re back with another weekly installment.

1. Sidwell Friends (D.C.), 16-0

The top-ranked Quakers hit the road Tuesday to challenge Georgetown Visitation, which it beat by 16 points earlier in the season.

2. Hopkins (Minn.), 16-1

The Royals extended their winning streak to four games with a 75-42 road win over Edina on Friday.

3. DeSoto (Tex.), 24-2

The Eagles clinched the District 11-6A title with a 59-32 win over Cedar Hill on the road.

4. Etiwanda (Calif.), 23-0

The Eagles wrapped up the regular season without a loss and clinched the No. 1 seed in the Open Division playoffs.

5. St. John Vianney (N.J.), 17-0

Behind 28 points from senior Madison St. Rose, the Lancers thrashed Saddle River Day 76-51 in a battle between the top two teams in the state.

The @SJVLadyLancers leave NO doubt!

SJV continues to have a hold on NJ’s No. 1 ranking after a 76-51 win over Saddle River Day.

Madison St. Rose drops 28 points, while Zoe Brooks had 14 + Meg Cahalan with 12 more.

FULL coverage later! @nat_strose @zoebrooks35 @megancahalan pic.twitter.com/uQzYzKlUn8

— Jersey Sports Zone (@JSZ_Sports) February 7, 2022

6. La Jolla Country Day (Calif.), 20-2

The Torreys smashed Bishop’s 71-52 on Friday in the first game of a home-and-home series that’ll conclude the regular season.

7. Classen SAS (Okla.), 16-1

The Comets enter their final two games of the regular season as heavy favorites against inferior opponents.

8. Sierra Canyon (Calif.), 23-1

Led by junior guard Juju Watkins and sophomore forward Mackenly Randolph, the Trailblazers are prepared to compete now and into the future.

9. New Hope (Md.), 21-2

Following a 70-42 win over National Christian on Sunday, the Tigers face a trio of out-of-state opponents.

10. DME (Fla.), 20-2

Two games separate coach Wesley Arocho’s team from the postseason, where DME will look to contend for a championship.

11. Montverde (Fla.), 18-3

The Eagles finished their regular season on Jan. 29 and will be well-rested when the Florida regional playoffs kick off this week.

12. Conway (Ark.), 21-1

After a seven-day break, the Wampus Cats return to the court Tuesday to challenge conference rival Cabot.

13. Cedar Park (Tex.), 29-0

The Timberwolves kicked off the 5A playoffs with a 62-34 blowout win over Rouse.

14. Incarnate Word (Mo.), 19-0

The Red Knights beat their two weekend opponents by an average of 21 points.

15. Lake Highland Prep (Fla.), 19-4

In the 4A District 6 Championship game, the Highlanders shellacked Horizon, 89-18.

16. Fremont (Utah), 17-2

The Silverwolves remained hot with a 72-22 rout of Layton on Friday.

17. Hazel Green (Ala.), 27-0

The Trojans kick off the Class 6A Area 16 tournament on Monday against lowly Columbia.

18. Good Counsel (Md.)., 13-1

The Falcons carry a six-game winning streak into Monday’s matchup with St. Mary’s Ryken.

19. Rock Bridge (Mo.), 18-1

After a stunning 49-45 defeat at Webster Groves on Saturday, the Bruins rebounded the following day with a 59-46 win over Cardinal Ritter Prep.

20. Johnston (Iowa), 16-0

Led by 6-foot-1 forward Jada Gyamfi, an Iowa commit, the Dragons preserved their undefeated season with a 81-50 win over Waukee.

21. Woodward Academy (Ga.), 21-2

The War Eagles look to end the regular season on a high note Tuesday against Creekside.

22. Homestead (Ind.), 23-1

Wing Ayana Patterson scored 32 points to lead the Spartans to an 87-55 win over South Side and help the team claim the 4A Sectional championship.

23. Bishop McNamara (Md.), 11-4

The Mustangs picked up a much-needed statement win with a 64-57 overtime triumph over Paul IV on Saturday.

24. IMG (Fla.), 11-4

The Ascenders have two regular season games remaining, including a highly anticipated Feb. 18 bout against Hopkins.

25. Edison (Mich.), 12-2

A 75-68 defeat to local power Joliet West marked the Pioneers’ second loss of the season.

Josh Needelman is the High School Sports Editor at Just Women’s Sports. Follow him on Twitter @JoshNeedelman.

The 2025/26 UEFA Women's Champions League begins anew this week, as the European club competition kicks off its first-ever league phase with a blockbuster lineup.

Italian powerhouse Juventus sets the stage against Portugal's Benfica early Tuesday afternoon, before reigning champs Arsenal start their title defense against eight-time winners OL Lyonnes while 2023/24 champs Barcelona face Bundesliga standout Bayern Munich.

"Winning last year hasn't changed that mindset one bit," Arsenal and USWNT defender Emily Fox said this week. "We know that any team on their day is dangerous and, especially with the new format this season, it's not going to be easy."

The debut format Fox refers to replaces the previous group-stage setup, with the new league phase seeing all 18 clubs playing six matches each — three at home and three away — against six different opponents.

While the league phase will eliminate the bottom six teams, the top four finishers will automatically qualify for next spring's quarterfinal round.

As for the 5th- through 12th-place clubs, they must battle in a two-legged knockout playoff round next February in order to punch their quarterfinal tickets.

How to watch the 2025/26 Champions League matches

The league phase of the 2025/26 Champions League campaign opens on Tuesday when Juventus takes on Benfica at 12:45 PM ET.

Arsenal vs. OL Lyonnes and Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich will then snag the spotlight at 3 PM ET.

All UWCL matches will air live on Paramount+.

As the 2025 NWSL season winds down, top players are on the move as teams across the league look to stock their rosters in order to either boost their postseason odds or hit the ground running in 2026.

Incoming expansion side Boston Legacy FC is stocking up their 2026 debut roster, adding 18-year-old phenom Chloe Ricketts to their midfield and Brazilian international Amanda Gutierres — a 2025 Ballon d'Or nominee and two-time Golden Boot winner in Brazil's top-flight league — to their front line last week.

Along with that offensive firepower, Boston is on track to gain one of the NWSL's top veteran goalkeepers, with ESPN reporting last week that NC Courage net-minder Casey Murphy — a longtime USWNT backup to legend Alyssa Naeher — inked a deal to join the Legacy as soon as she becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2025 season.

The NWSL newcomer isn't the only club making moves, however.

Angel City and Portland have also been busy, with the Thorns sending midfielder Hina Sugita to the LA club in exchange for defender MA Vignola and $600,000 in intra-league transfer funds last week.

While there's no deadline for finalizing 2026 free agent transactions, the 2025 NWSL trade window officially closes this Thursday, leaving playoff-hopeful teams scrambling to pad their rosters while other clubs shift to focus on the future.

With just three matchdays left in the regular season, Racing Louisville FC is on the brink of franchise history, launching themselves into contention for a 2025 NWSL Playoffs berth at No. 7 on the table behind a 3-1 win over the No. 9 North Carolina Courage on Saturday.

Louisville forward and USWNT rising star Emma Sears notched a brace while midfielder Kayla Fischer — Sears's collegiate teammate — also found the back of the net in the victory, with the Ohio State alums helping lift Racing to sit four points above the postseason cutoff line.

"I'm so proud of this group," Louisville head coach Bev Yanez said post-game. "I think that's a very big win in a very crucial time."

Joining the league as a 2021 expansion team, Racing Louisville is still searching for a first-ever ticket to the NWSL Playoffs, with an October 19th clash against a surging No. 3 Gotham FC marking the club's toughest test still to come in the 2025 campaign.

Notably, No. 8 San Diego's ongoing skid helped Louisville climb the standings, with the Wave suffering their seventh consecutive winless match in a 2-1 loss to the postseason-bound No. 2 Washington Spirit on Sunday.

All in all, the battle for both spots and seeding in the 2025 NWSL Playoffs is tighter than ever, as only four points separate Nos. 3 and 8 on the table — meaning competition will only heat up as the league races toward Decision Day on November 2nd.

The No. 2 Las Vegas Aces raced to a 2-0 series lead in the 2025 WNBA Finals over the weekend, opening with a close 89-86 Game 1 victory over the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury on Friday before pulling off a more dominant 91-78 Game 2 win on Sunday.

The Aces' offense ruled the court, with guards Dana Evans and Jewell Loyd putting up a momentum-shifting combined 39 points off the bench in Game 1 before Game 2 saw guard Jackie Young post 32 points — setting a WNBA Finals record with the most points by a player in a single quarter (21).

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Young and 2025 WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson — who is averaging 24.5 points per game through the first two Finals matchups — also became the second-most prolific duo in a single Finals game in WNBA history by combining for 60 of Las Vegas's 91 points on Sunday.

"I am so proud of Jackie," Wilson said after Sunday's win. "I'm a pain in the ass sometimes when she's not doing her job, because I know that [potential] is there."

Hunting their third title in four years, Las Vegas veterans Wilson, Young, and guard Chelsea Gray are combining with new signings Evans and Loyd to make things difficult for the new-look Mercury.

"We have weapons," Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon said. "We want to use them all, because we're harder to guard that way."

"What gives me confidence is we've been down before," countered Phoenix head coach Nate Tibbetts. "We've been overlooked."

While no WNBA Finals team has ever bounced back from a 0-2 start, the league's new best-of-seven format gives the Mercury a little extra cushioning as the series travels to Phoenix for Game 3 on Wednesday.

How to watch Game 3 of the 2025 WNBA Finals

The No. 4 Phoenix Mercury will hunt their first victory in the 2025 WNBA Finals on home court when they host the No. 2 Las Vegas Aces for Game 3 at 8 PM ET on Wednesday.

Live coverage will air on ESPN.