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NWSL top prospect Jaelin Howell has the full package

Jaelin Howell won her second national championship with Florida State earlier this month. (Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

Jaelin Howell looked out across a large, excited crowd at Florida State and prepared to address them. Years earlier, she might not have been as composed; but after winning her second national championship with Florida State in a shootout over BYU, the senior stood up on behalf of her teammates and thanked the fans who welcomed them home from the College Cup.

“Jaelin stood up there and had a little bit of a speech,” FSU head coach Mark Krikorian says. “She delivered it graciously, elegantly and she looked like a leader. She looked like a pro … It had nothing to do with being on the field. It had everything to do with the way she presented herself.”

It took a few seasons for Howell to grow into the person who could both dominate college soccer and command the respect of her coaches and teammates. The traits the team admires in Howell – her leadership, competitiveness and growth mentality – are the same ones that have impressed coaches at the next level, where Howell is expected to land as the No. 1 pick in Saturday’s NWSL College Draft.

Howell’s Florida State coaches saw her potential as a leader before she did, naming her captain as a sophomore. Krikorian says they chose her because she is an emotional leader, the type who can set the tone and standard for others. It was clear she had the capacity to develop other leadership qualities, as well.

The role was a lot of responsibility for Howell to take on, as she was leading players who were older than she was at 19. But she had good teachers in the seniors who guided the Seminoles to a national title in 2018 during Howell’s freshman year.

“As a freshman, I didn’t realize how big of a deal honestly it was, winning a national championship, and how hard it is,” she says.

The daughter of Super Bowl champion John Howell, Jaelin brought a winning mentality to Florida State. In the years between FSU’s two national championships, she learned how to channel her competitiveness to get her teammates to buy in, too.

Howell and Krikorian would often sit in his office and pore over the monthly Coaching and Leadership Journal, full of tips and stories from successful people all around the world, in industries from sports to business. Howell got to choose which sections to focus on in their sessions, and she and Krikorian would unpack the details.

A big lesson Howell took away from those meetings is that captaincy is not entirely up to her.

“I depend on a lot of girls on the team to help me lead,” she says. “I think it’s partly asking the other older players their opinions and really having everybody involved so it’s not just you making decisions – it’s a full-team effort.”

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(Erin Chang/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

As early as Howell’s first game at Florida State, where she imposed herself physically in a 5-0 win over Troy, Krikorian knew he was working with potentially one of the best holding midfielders in the world. Her athleticism, strength and power made her the type of player Krikorian could build a program around.

Currently in the running for her second MAC Hermann Trophy, the 5-foot-8 midfielder is a physical player by nature who goes for every tackle and tries to win every header. This year, she led a defense that recorded 23 shutouts and conceded only 13 goals.

Throughout her college career, the FSU coaching staff has worked with Howell on the tactical and technical sides of her game, specifically spacing, getting touches in the midfield and changing the point of attack.

“That’s part of the reason why I came here, just to be that double-sided six,” says the Lone Tree, Colo. native. “Somebody who can go in and tackle, but also be the playmaker.”

Howell says Krikorian is a good match for her development because they’re both “no B.S. type of people” who keep conversations about the game straightforward and to the point.

“I want to hear the things that I can improve on more than the good things,” Howell says. “He’s able to do that with me. I want to be able to listen to that. I think that’s been something that’s really helped my growth as a player while being here, is just his ability to be honest, and it’s all out of love.”

Krikorian describes her as a “sponge” – coachable and open-minded. Whatever Krikorian tells her the team needs, she delivers. Howell demonstrated that during her last three games in a Seminoles uniform.

Near the end of Florida State’s NCAA quarterfinal game on Nov. 26, the sold-out crowd of 2,100 in Tallahassee, Fla. groaned as they watched Michigan goalkeeper Hillary Beall save Howell’s penalty kick in the 74th minute to preserve a 0-0 tie. Howell, frustrated, put a hand to her forehead and glanced at the goal before turning to run back into position. Fifteen minutes later, the two-time ACC Midfielder of the Year made the cross to Gabby Carle that broke the tie in overtime and sent the Seminoles to the College Cup.

“I think that shows a lot about her psychological dimension and being able to be a big-game player and play in that moment,” Krikorian says. “She has a wonderful mentality, which is second to none.”

In the semifinal against Rutgers, Howell executed her role as Florida State’s corner-kick target, scoring the game-winner that sent the Seminoles to the College Cup final for the third time in her career.

During the championship game on Dec. 6, the 22-year-old converted a penalty kick to give the Seminoles a 3-2 advantage in their 4-3 shootout win. Before that, she controlled play in the center of the park, making crunching tackles and earning a yellow card that could have easily turned into two. TV cameras caught her at the sideline mouthing to her teammate, “I can’t foul anymore.”

That wasn’t the first time Twitter found amusement in Howell’s lip reading. While she was receiving her medal at the SheBelieves Cup after her second cap with the U.S. women’s national team in February, the broadcast zeroed in on her face during the ceremony. Confused, she asked her teammates beside her, “Why am I on the big screen?”

When recalling that moment, Howell laughed.

“I knew I belonged there and I’ve worked very hard to get there, and specifically for those camps, but it was still a surreal moment standing on stage with some of those players at a tournament like that,” she says. “And so when I saw myself on the big screen, when you have Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, Becky Sauerbrunn, all these great players surrounding me, I was like, ‘I don’t know why they’re showing me right now.’ I was just kind of awestruck in that moment, honestly.”

That tournament came three months after Howell’s first USWNT cap in November, when she subbed on in the 89th minute for Sam Mewis against the Netherlands. A year later, she was nominated for U.S. Soccer’s 2021 Young Player of the Year award.

“Jaelin is a talented young player with a lot of good qualities,” USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski tells Just Women’s Sports. “She’s always very competitive and great in the team environment. We’ve enjoyed working with her during the few times we’ve had her in with the national team.”

Howell hasn’t made an appearance with the national team since then, but Andonovski hopes to see more of her in 2022.

“They’ve given her the opportunity to have her senior year and play the games and recognize that it was important for us to be able to have her as we have, but now it’s time for her to start that professional career at the international senior level and continue to develop on that,” Krikorian says. “For me, I’ll always be a fan watching and supporting her from whatever distance it may be. But she knows that.”

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Howell has a bright future with the U.S. women's senior national team. (Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Over time, Howell has gotten more comfortable playing with her idols on the national team. She was especially grateful when the older players took her under their wings.

“Then you’re able to kind of get in a groove and you’re not as starstruck, like, ‘No, I do belong here. I want to stay here. I want to be a starter,’” she says.

As she prepares to enter the next stage of her soccer career, those who’ve watched her grow into a top prospect know she’s capable of so much more than that.

In Krikorian’s words: “She’ll certainly go down as one of the greats.”

Jessa Braun is an editorial intern for Just Women’s Sports. She is also the Head of North American Content for the Women’s Sports Alliance. You can find her on Twitter @jessabraun.

Top Tennis Stars Crash Out of Wimbledon in the First Round

US tennis star Coco Gauff reacts to her 2025 Wimbledon first-round loss to Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska.
World No. 2 Coco Gauff fell to Ukraine's unseeded Dayana Yastremska in the first round of 2025 Wimbledon on Tuesday. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)

The grass court chaos of Wimbledon didn't disappoint this week, as the unpredictable surface claimed more than one surprise victim in the 2025 Grand Slam's first round.

A full 10 of the London tournament's 32 seeded players fell in the competition's first round, including four of the WTA's Top 10: World No. 2 Coco Gauff, No. 3 Jessica Pegula, No. 6 Qinwen Zheng, and No. 9 Paula Badosa.

"I should just play no tournaments, get no wins, then roll into Wimbledon, and maybe I'll have better results," US star Pegula joked after her two-set Tuesday loss to Italy's No. 116 Elisabetta Cocciaretto, referencing her recent wins.

Gauff's short Wimbledon outing also represented a new challenge for the 21-year-old standout, as the top-ranked US tennis player struggled to bounce back after winning the 2025 French Open last month.

"I feel like mentally I was a little bit overwhelmed with everything that came afterwards," Gauff told ESPN. "So I didn’t feel like I had enough time to celebrate and also get back into it."

The upsets continued as Wimbledon entered its second round on Wednesday morning, claiming several more seeded players like world No. 5 Jasmine Paolini and No. 15 Diana Shnaider, though both No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and unseeded fan favorite Naomi Osaka cruised into the Slam's third round on two-set wins.

No. 8 Madison Keys now leads the US contingent, with fellow US contender No. 12 Amanda Anisimova joining the 2025 Australian Open champion in snagging their own two-set, second-round victories on Wednesday.

How to watch the 2025 Wimbledon Championships

Second-round play at the 2025 Wimbledon women's singles tournament continues on Thursday, as seven US players — including No. 10 Emma Navarro and No. 28 Sofia Kenin — look to advance to the competition's third round.

Live continuous coverage of the London Grand Slam airs on ESPN.

USWNT Faces Rivals Canada in Final Summer Friendly

USWNT players Alyssa Thompson and Sam Meza eye the ball during a June 2025 training camp.
The USWNT will face Canada in their final summer friendly on Wednesday. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

The world No. 1 USWNT will close out their summer international break against a familiar foe on Wednesday night, facing North American rival No. 8 Canada for the first time this year.

"It's never friendly, you know? It's always like a final," US midfielder Sam Coffey told media earlier this week. "We all know each other super well."

"I'm really excited to be a part of it again for our younger, newer players," she continued. "I think it's going to be a huge learning opportunity on what representing this crest means."

The Northern neighbors are the USWNT's most frequent opponent, with the US entering the pair's 67th meeting with a 53-4-9 all-time record against Canada.

Wednesday's matchup will also mark Canada's first US clash under new head coach Casey Stoney, who joined the team in January following her abrupt June 2024 dismissal by the NWSL's San Diego Wave FC.

As for US boss Emma Hayes, she'll be looking for yet another refreshed set of starters on Wednesday after swapping out all 11 players between the team's two friendlies against Ireland last week.

"It's a testament to players and staff alike that we can rotate to different groups like we did last game, and everybody's understanding [the tactics] to varying degrees," Hayes said on Tuesday.

With months to go before the next USWNT camp in October, Wednesday's showdown serves as the last chance for bubble players to prove their worth, all while the team aims to cap the summer window with a big win over their longtime rivals.

How to watch the USWNT vs. Canada on Wednesday

The USWNT will cap their three-friendly summer break against Canada at 7:30 PM ET in Washington, DC.

Live coverage of the clash will air on TNT.

Indiana Upsets Minnesota, Wins WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Without Clark

The Indiana Fever celebrate and lift the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup trophy.
The Indiana Fever upset the Minnesota Lynx to win the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup. (David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Indiana Fever lifted their first trophy since 2012 on Tuesday night, winning the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup with a 74-59 upset victory over reigning Cup champs Minnesota — all while injured star guard Caitlin Clark watched from the sidelines.

To snag the win, Indiana leaned on balanced scoring, with forward Natasha Howard's 16-point, 12-rebound double-double leading the Fever's five double-digit shooters.

At the same time, the Fever employed a shutdown defense, limiting the Lynx to their lowest point total of the season.

Beyond the $500,000 payout, Tuesday's win gives the 8-8 Fever a momentum boost as the team continues contending with both high-profile departures and the limited availability of their floor general.

"We have a resilient group, you know?" Indiana head coach Stephanie White said after the game. "They're tough, mentally and physically, they pull for one another. I'm just really proud."

"It felt good to get a win under gut-check circumstances," echoed guard Kelsey Mitchell. "To have so much going on and still stay consistently for each other, it was beautiful. It felt really amazing."

As for the league-leading Lynx, the Commissioner's Cup loss won't impact Minnesota's regular-season WNBA standings — and they’ll hope to build on the learnings from last night's ego blow.

Minnesota also has a bit of history one their side, as the last two Commissioner's Cup runners-up went on to win the WNBA Championship in the same year.

"We have to take this game to heart and learn from the mistakes we made, the way we showed up, the way we prepared, and make sure we don't do it again," said Lynx center Alanna Smith.

How to watch the Indiana Fever, Minnesota Lynx this week

Neither 2025 Commissioner's Cup contender will have much time to reflect on Tuesday's game, as both Indiana and Minnesota will dive back into regular-season WNBA play on Thursday.

The Fever will host the Las Vegas Aces at 7 PM ET, airing on Prime, before the Washington Mystics visit the Lynx at 8 PM ET, with live coverage on WNBA League Pass.

Indiana Fever Guard Sophie Cunningham Sounds Off on WNBA Expansion

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham speaks to reporters before the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup final.
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham expressed concern about the new WNBA expansion cities. (David Dow /NBAE via Getty Images)

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham turned heads on Tuesday, criticizing the latest WNBA expansion plans in light of ongoing WNBPA CBA negotiations.

Cunningham drew ire from some fans after expressing skepticism about the WNBA awarding expansion teams to Detroit and Cleveland over other possible cities, while also suggesting that the league might be growing too quickly.

"You want to listen to your players, too. Where do they want to play?" she told reporters ahead of Indiana's Commissioner's Cup win. "I'm not so sure what the thought process is there, but at the end of the day, you want to make sure that you're not expanding our league too fast."

"It's kind of a hard decision-making situation. But man, I don't know how excited people are to be going to Detroit or [Cleveland]."

Elsewhere, Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally also voiced her expansion concerns on Tuesday, calling on the WNBA to keep player support at the forefront when adding expansion teams.

"We really have to put an emphasis on the players that are in our league right now," she told reporters. "Maybe focus on the teams that find excuses continuously to lack investment in their players before we focus on adding more to the grain of people that can't really be sustained."

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