Kristen Hamilton plays as a forward for both the North Carolina Courage of the NWSL and the Western Sydney Wanderers in Australia’s W-League. Prior to helping the Courage win their second NWSL title in a row last season, Hamilton was called into the USWNT, where she recorded her first national team cap against Portugal in September.

The NWSL is entering it’s 8th season. You’ve been in the league for five years. What’s changed since you joined? 

The league has made leaps and bounds since I’ve been involved. I tore my ACL right out of college, so 2015 was technically my first full year in the league, and oh my gosh, the minimum salary was like $6,000, which is absolutely insane. The minimum this year is up to $20,000, so even just in terms of money, it’s gotten much better. We now have year-round housing. We have better medical training staff. Just all around, it’s a more professional organization. This is actually something that people can do for a living now. Before, it was almost like you had to pay to be a professional athlete.

Your own career has been on an incredible upward trajectory. Can you talk about what it was like mentally to grind for so long without seeing much of the field?  

Mentally, it was exhausting. In this league, you’re always fighting to earn your spot, because everybody’s the best of the best. If it’s not something you’re passionate about, if it’s not something you love and you’re truly willing to fight for, I don’t think it’s for you. This was the hardest thing for me to wrap my head around when I first got into the league. I realized I just had to fight and be patient. I had to learn to be a different type of role player on the team. If I’m not scoring all the goals, I have to find another way to help us win. No matter the number of minutes I’m playing, I need to be the best teammate I can possibly be. I tell rookies this all the time, but you have to understand that everyone in this league was the best player on their college team. That’s why they’re here. They probably played every minute of their college career. Not everyone is going to get to do that at the next level, at least not right away.

Did you ever think about walking away? 

There were definitely times I wanted to quit. And there was a time when I wanted Paul to trade me, because, to be fair, our team is stacked. Our forwards are unbelievable. And Jessica and Lynn we’re playing so well together, I knew that it was going to be hard to take them off the field. They were just that good. It’s hard when you have coaches telling you that you could get more minutes on another team, and you’re like, do I really want to leave this environment? Because Paul and all of us really have built something special in North Carolina. I feel like I’m still getting better every day, whether I’m playing 90 minutes or zero. And I think that’s very, very rare and very unique. The fact that people still want to stay on the same team, even though they’re not playing, is a testament to Paul and a testament to all the girls on the team just making everyone feel welcome. But yeah, I wanted to be traded, and now I’m very happy that I wasn’t.

I’m playing in Australia for the first time right now, and I love it, but I definitely miss the environment in North Carolina. I’m playing every minute here, but that on its own hasn’t made me necessarily happier. It’s been a good wake up call for me, because it’s helped me realize how important the people are and the culture is. There’s so much more that goes into it than just playing a 90 minute game. I’ve been blessed to come down here and have a great time and also have this learning experience. It’s a hard gig, but I’m grateful to be playing.

You were called into the national team after this last season. What was that experience like? 

Honestly, I kind of thought that opportunity had passed. I thought that was just something that was never going to come to fruition. In my head I was just kinda like, Oh well, I’m going to continue to play because I love it, and I’ll play as long as I can because who wants to go sit at a desk and work a job when you could be out on the field doing this? But then I got an opportunity to join the team for the World Cup victory tour, and it was amazing. I had zero international experience. I was never with the youth national team. My route was very unconventional, but it worked out. It made me realize the dream isn’t dead. And it’s something that, once you get a little taste of it, it just kind of makes you want more.

Your partner, Abby Erceg, is also on the Courage. What’s it like to compete day in and day out with someone that you’re also in a relationship with?  

To be honest, it’s really good that we play different positions. Because even though we go against each other, it’s not a competitive thing where, if she started then I wouldn’t. It isn’t a positional battle, which would suck. We’re always having fun on the field, but we’re super competitive with each other. There’s a lot of banter, especially if I score on her. And if she beats me in a sprint, it’s because I wasn’t warm. Obviously, she’s starting every game because she’s a badass — I’m not biased or anything. And it’s so cool just go see somebody you love, somebody you care about, go out on the field and just be so successful. And there’s something very real about being in this together, about getting to see somebody on a daily basis live out their passions. Most people don’t get to see their partners at work. But we each get to see each other at our most authentic moments, doing what we love.

Is it hard to turn it on and off, in terms of stepping onto the field and being teammates, and then stepping off and being in a relationship?  

We’re pretty good about that stuff. It’s easy to stay focused on the field because your mind is so preoccupied. It’s not like I’m sitting there as we’re competing, thinking, you know, I’m in a relationship with her. She’s just another teammate in those moments. It’s very professional. It’s very much, when we’re at work, it’s work. We understand that and everyone else on the team knows that. And then after work, you go home and things are normal. Things might get heated at training, but you learn to leave it on the field.

The NWSL season is just around the corner. What’s your mindset like right now as you and the Courage get ready to defend your title? 

Personally, I’m just looking forward to another year of challenges and continuing to grow. I think that’s something that Pau has done really well, is instill in us that you’ve never reached your peak potential. You can always grow, you can always improve. Last season was definitely my best as a pro, so I just want to build on that. I think everyone on the team is excited to get back into the environment we’ve built. It feels like a home. It feels like family. I can’t wait to get back in that locker room and see everyone. I don’t mind missing a bit of the pre-season right now though. Paul usually kicks our ass.

The first time Washington Spirit midfielder Croix Bethune experienced an NWSL playoff game at DC's "Rowdy Audi" Field, it was from the sidelines. The promising young star had experienced a major setback, injuring her MCL while throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at nearby Nationals Park — just weeks after winning Olympic gold with the USWNT. "

"Sitting in the stands watching the game wasn't ideal," she told JWS this week. "But it was still very fun and very cool, just to have that whole experience, seeing Audi full and rowdy and the fans just very excited."

Bethune's changing fortunes — she'd go on to win both 2024 Rookie of the Year and Midfielder of the Year despite her late-August season-ending injury — underlined a 2024 season of extremes for the Spirit. Washington finished second in the NWSL standings, entering the postseason confident before ultimately ceding the championship game to Shield-winners Orlando.

This year, the club is hoping to finish the job, once again locked into second place and hunting the franchise's second NWSL title. And for Bethune and her teammates, the sense of deja vu is palpable.

The Spirit emerges from a season of constant change

The Spirit underwent their second midseason coaching change in two years this past June, when manager Jonatan Giraldez left to take over fellow Michele Kang-owned club, France's OL Lyonnes. Adrián González — last season's interim coach — reclaimed the team's top leadership role, guiding the Spirit to their second straight No. 2 finish in a surprising show of consistency for a club undergoing significant change.

"Things happen, not everything is permanent," Bethune said plainly, commenting on the staffing changes "I learned this in my college recruiting process: You don't pick a school for the coach, because the coach can always move."

And while Washington added significant depth over the course of 2025 — namely bringing on international standouts like Italy's Sofia Cantore and Nigeria's Gift Monday — the roster has struggled to overcome lingering injuries and absences. Bethune officially returned to play in April, registering two goals and two assists through 20 regular-season games, but overall availability has continued to plague the squad despite the training staff's best efforts.

Captain Andi Sullivan and starting outside back Casey Krueger are currently both on maternity leave. And superstar Trinity Rodman remains questionable after a freak knock to the knee in late October — two months after originally returning from a lengthy back injury.

Bethune misses NWSL Decision Day as injury issues take a toll

Last Sunday's Decision Day loss to the eliminated Utah Royals saw even more attrition, with impact players Leicy Santos, Gift Monday, and Rose Kouassi all left off the gameday roster. Even Bethune missed Sunday's regular-season finale with a thigh injury, though she's now listed as available after training alongside club medical staff this week.

This is when experience facing adversity comes in handy for the 24-year-old. "When I'm playing, I feel like I can see everything, but when you're not playing, you can really see everything," she said, stressing the perspective she's gained from sitting on the sidelines. "Just seeing how the game should flow, or how it is flowing."

Bethune has also learned to avoid pushing her body too hard if she's not feeling 100%, a mantra that can be both frustrating and, at times, liberating.

"I feel like, over the years, I've done very well at understanding when my body is telling me something, and listening to that," she said.

Returning from injury is difficult for any player, but particularly for those as creative on the pitch as Bethune. Known for confidence on the ball, audacious passing vision in the midfield, and the ability to turn towards goal herself if she senses weakness, the Georgia grad became a household name last year thanks to a free-wheeling partnership with fellow USWNT standout Rodman.

It took some time for Bethune to re-find her footing this season, learning how to not overthink exactly what makes her such a special player.

"Feeling like myself is just feeling like Croix Bethune," she said. "Doing what I do — momentum, rhythm, cheekiness, just feeling smooth and calm in the game."

Bethune looks to lean on Spirit culture ahead of quarterfinal test

Shaky availability — and the related threat of yet again falling short of the NWSL title — still looms over the Spirit as they head into this weekend's quarterfinal matchup against an extra-motivated Racing Louisville. But Bethune thinks the Spirit can lean on their depth for that creative spark, as injured players inch closer to a healthy return with every passing day.

"We're big on our culture," she explained. "The culture that we have off the field, within the team, is very strong. And when we incorporate the staff and the coaches, we're all on the same page."

Even without a full-strength roster, the Spirit have shown an ability to bend without breaking, riding the ups and downs of a topsy-turvy season without slipping from the league's top ranks. And that level of togetherness can be difficult to derail.

"Versatility, being close — we have a lot of options," Bethune said of her team's postseason strategy. "We have a lot of people that can play a lot of different positions."

"Once we get that rhythm," she added, "it's pretty scary for the defense."

The two newest PWHL teams are re-introducing themselves this week, as the third-year league officially revealed the team names and branding for 2025/26 expansion sides Seattle Torrent and Vancouver Goldeneyes on Thursday.

"The Seattle Torrent and Vancouver Goldeneyes are bold, distinctive, and true to who we are as a league," PWHL EVP of business operations Amy Scheer said in a league statement. "Each team identity is deeply connected to its home — Seattle draws inspiration from the waterways that shape its landscape, and Vancouver from its abundance of unique wildlife."

While the Torrent's letter "S" evokes Seattle's waterways, Vancouver's branding utilizes a local city bird — the "fiercely protective Common Goldeneye" — for "its speed, strength, and precision in flight."

"The Goldeneyes name is powerful, bold, and tough," said Vancouver forward and local product Jenn Gardiner. "This identity is a perfect reflection of who we are, where we come from, and that we will be relentless to play against every single night."

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While the PWHL always planned to unveil the expansion sides' individual identities ahead of the 2025/26 season, both teams will still follow suit from the league's inaugural year by sporting generic PWHL branding throughout their debut campaigns.

In what Scheer calls "the start of an incredible Pacific Northwest rivalry," both the visiting Seattle Torrent and host Vancouver Goldeneyes will make their PWHL debuts against each other when the puck drops on the league's third season on Friday, November 21st.

How to purchase Seattle Torrent and Vancouver Goldeneyes merch

While the Torrent and Goldeneyes will don generic jerseys this season, fully branded merchandise for the 2025/26 PWHL expansion teams hit the league's online shop for fans to purchase on Thursday.

New offseason league Project B is raising more than eyebrows, with the international upstart reportedly far exceeding WNBA salaries as it builds out its pro women's basketball roster ahead of a planned 2026 debut.

According to Front Office Sports (FOS), Project B is offering athletes like inaugural signee Nneka Ogwumike multimillion dollar salaries, with indications that multi-year deals could see paydays reach upwards of eight figures.

Project B also gave the Seattle Storm star equity in the venture, putting WNBA stakeholders on edge as CBA negotiations continue to simmer Stateside.

Sources also reportedly told FOS that the budding league has already signed additional WNBA players.

While the winter league's F1-style tournament structure doesn't directly compete with the WNBA calendar, history shows that players will sometimes de-prioritized domestic league play if offered enough money to compete overseas.

One of the most notable instances of this occurred when now-retired superstar Diana Taurasi sat out the entire 2015 WNBA season after top EuroLeague side UMMC Ekaterinburg paid her $1.5 million to forgo that summer's competition.

Other offseason leagues are also making financial inroads that supersede the WNBA's current salary offerings, with 54 WNBA players set to take the Unrivaled 3×3 court in the winter league's 2026 season in January — including equity-holder Paige Bueckers.

Even more, big names like four-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson, 2024 Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark, 2024 champion Sabrina Ionescu, and two-time All-Star Angel Reese opted out of joining the 2026 Unrivaled season, leaving some speculating that seven-figure deals could see those stars instead eyeing a jump to Project B.

Ultimately, the reports of additional options for lucrative offseason contracts only increases the drama surrounding the US league's ongoing CBA negotiations, putting even more pressure on the WNBA to offer an attractive financial agreement to its athletes.

Despite missing the 2025/26 NCAA basketball season due to injury, USC superstar JuJu Watkins is staying busy, with the junior guard buying into 2026 NWSL expansion side Boston Legacy FC's investment group this week.

Besides padding her portfolio, the move also sees Watkins make history as the first-ever NCAA athlete to actively invest in a professional women's sports franchise.

"Boston Legacy FC is creating a space for women to achieve, lead, and inspire others at the highest level," Watkins said in a Thursday club press release. "I'm proud to be part of the movement pushing women's sports forward."

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The 20-year-old reigning Naismith Player of the Year now joins a Boston Legacy investment core that includes the likes of Indiana Fever center Aliyah Boston and Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams as well as three-time Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast Aly Raisman and actor Elizabeth Banks.

"JuJu's investment marks a groundbreaking moment for women's sports and the power of NIL," said Legacy owner Jennifer Epstein. "She's showing that today's student-athletes aren't just building their own brands — they're shaping the future of the game."

How to become a part of Boston Legacy FC history

Fans looking to take part in NWSL history can snag seats to the first-ever Boston Legacy match at 12:30 PM ET on Saturday, March 14, 2026.

Tickets to the expansion club's debut are currently on sale at BostonLegacyFC.com.