Just Women's Sports announced three new digital series on Thursday, headlined by The Gold Standard, a new studio show hosted by Olympic gold medalists and women's sports icons Kelley O'Hara and Lisa Leslie.

USWNT and NWSL great O'Hara, a two-time World Cup winner and Olympic gold and bronze medalist, is teaming up with three-time WNBA MVP Lisa Leslie, herself a four-time Olympic gold medalist with Team USA, to bring viewers inside the world of Olympic women's sports. The pair will record each episode in-studio, with a series of special guests joining them throughout the show's run.

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An insider's view of the Summer Games

The Gold Standard will debut on July 27th and cover the biggest women's sports stories from the Paris Olympics, giving fans a unique perspective by tapping into the insights and opinions of two legendary Olympians. 

"I know first-hand just how exciting and intense the Olympic Games can be," Leslie told JWS. "This show gives us a chance as athletes to bring fans closer to the experience, by sharing our unique insights into the Games. And with all the momentum we're seeing in women's sports, now is the perfect time to have a show dedicated to the biggest women's sports moments at the Olympic Games." 

"I can still remember watching the '96 Olympics and knowing that I wanted to be on that stage one day," says O'Hara. "Having the chance to compete in the Olympics and win gold was one of the highlights of my career. I'm looking forward to being a fan this time around and getting the chance to share my own perspective on the Games' biggest stories. Having teamed with Just Women's Sports before, I know this will be content that resonates with fans." 

The Gold Standard will live on Just Women's Sports' YouTube page, with select social cuts distributed across JWS digital platforms. The six-episode show will run through August 13th.

Additional series focus on USWNT's Olympic run

The Gold Standard is just one of three upcoming JWS series designed to invite fans to experience the Summer Games from an Olympian's point of view, with additional series zeroing in on the USWNT's 2024 Olympic run.

Ahead of the opening ceremony, JWS will launch the latest edition of 1v1, with host Kelley O'Hara interviewing three of her USWNT teammates: Emily Sonnett, Jaedyn Shaw, and Rose Lavelle. These peer-to-peer interviews provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the USWNT's preparation for their first major tournament under new manager Emma Hayes.

To round things out, JWS is also bringing back its award-winning series, The 91st. This tournament's edition will be hosted by retired USWNT star and World Cup champion Jessica McDonald alongside noted soccer personalities Jordan Angeli and Duda Pavão. The 91st will follow the USWNT as it looks to go for gold against a stacked international field at the Paris Olympics — including reigning World Cup winners Spain.

Each new digital series leans on the expertise of its accomplished hosts and special guest stars, providing fans with candid, personality-driven commentary surrounding this summer's biggest event.

In her first-ever Grand Slam quarterfinal victory, No. 6-seed Jessica Pegula knocked No. 1 Iga Świątek​ out of the 2024 US Open in straight sets Wednesday night.

Now in uncharted territory, the US tennis star will aim at extending her historic run in tonight's semifinal against unseeded Czech opponent, Karolina Muchová.

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Quarterfinal victory proved Pegula's dominance

The 30-year-old Pegula, who has yet to drop a set all tournament, took control of yesterday's match immediately, winning the first game on Świątek's serve — the five-time Grand Slam winner's first broken serve in 26 games.

Świątek, the 2022 US Open champion, committed 18 unforced errors in the first set. Visibly frustrated with her performance, the Polish phenom retreated to the locker room to regroup — a move that ultimately proved unsuccessful in the wake of Pegula's relentless 6-2, 6-4 victory.

After six previous Grand Slam quarterfinal attempts, Pegula celebrated, telling the crowd post-match that "there have been so many freaking times, and I just kept losing.... So thank God I was able to do it. And finally — finally! — I can say, 'Semifinalist.'"

Two US contenders will feature in tonight's semis

Pegula isn't the only contender making her Grand Slam semifinal debut tonight. Before Pegula takes the court, fellow US player No. 13 Emma Navarro will take on reigning back-to-back Australian Open champion No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka.

Sabalenka, who fell to US star Coco Gauff in last year's US Open, hopes for better luck against Navarro — the player who ousted the No. 3 defending champ last weekend.

If both Pegula and Navarro emerge victorious, Saturday's US Open final would be the first contested by two US athletes since Sloane Stephens defeated Madison Keys for the 2017 title. It would also pit two New York locals against each other on their home Grand Slam court: Pegula hails from Buffalo, NY, while Navarro was born in NYC.

How to watch the 2024 US Open semifinals

Navarro and Sabalenka will kick off tonight's Grand Slam action at 7 PM ET, with Pegula's match against Muchová immediately following. Both semis will air on ESPN.

USWNT icon Alex Morgan announced today that she is retiring from professional soccer, and will lace up her boots one last time for the San Diego Wave on Sunday, September 8th. Morgan, one of the faces of the USWNT's fight toward equal pay, retires a two-time World Cup champion, Olympic gold medalist, and UWCL and NWSL champion.

The 35-year-old also announced on Thursday that she is pregnant with her second child, growing her family after having her daughter, Charlie, in 2020.

Morgan's off-pitch legacy changed the game

Not only did Morgan help oversee the USWNT’s fight for equal pay, which was ratified in the team's CBA in 2022, she also played a huge part in the NWSL's 2021 watershed change that enacted policies to protect players.

“We're changing lives, and the impact we have on the next generation is irreversible, and I'm proud of the hand I had in making that happen,” said Morgan in a video posted to X.

“Charlie came up to me the other day and said that when she grows up she wants to be a soccer player,” Morgan explained. “And it just made me immensely proud. Not because I wish for her to become a soccer player when she grows up, but because a pathway exists that even a four year old can see now.”

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On-field accomplishments made Morgan an international icon

Bursting onto the USWNT scene in 2010, Morgan's legacy includes her "Baby Horse" moniker and crucial goal contributions on the field.

Her most well-known scoring moments include notching the final goal of the USWNT’s Olympic semifinal match against Canada en route to their 2012 gold medal, and her soaring header in their 2019 World Cup semifinal against England — the goal that spurred her world-famous "sipping tea" celebration.

Morgan’s 176 combined international goals and assists ranks fifth all-time in USWNT history. She trails only Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach, Kristine Lilly, and Carli Lloyd on the national team's stat sheet.

In NWSL play, Morgan's resume includes the 2013 league championship, the 2022 Golden Boot title, and the 2023 NWSL Shield.

Ultimately, Morgan will be remembered as the face of a USWNT generation that excelled during a crucial era of the team's success — though the change she helped usher in off the pitch will arguably have an even bigger impact.

The 2024 Ballon d’Or shortlist dropped yesterday, and while reigning winner Aitana Bonmatí as well as five USWNT athletes made the cut, defender Naomi Girma — considered by many to be the best center back in the world — was shockingly left off the 30-player list.

Seattle Reign head coach Laura Harvey was one of several notable figures to call out the snub, posting on X, “The ballon d’or is recognition of what? Is it domestic performances? Is it national team performances? Is it champions league performances? Because on the womens side how Naomi Girma isn’t nominated makes the whole thing hilarious.”

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Girma's resume puts her squarely among the best

The 2022 NWSL Draft No. 1 pick has already racked up a full career's worth of accolades.

In her first professional season, Girma earned Rookie of the Year, Defender of the Year, and NWSL Best XI honors. She also helped her club, the San Diego Wave, win the 2023 NWSL Shield and 2024 NWSL Challenge Cup. 

In 2023, Girma became the first defender ever named US Soccer’s Player of the Year. This summer, the 24 year old led the USWNT to Olympic gold as the only field athlete to play every single second of the 2024 Paris Games.

USWNT boss Emma Hayes called Girma “the best defender [she's] ever seen” during the Olympics, saying, “she's got everything: poise, composure, she can defend, she anticipates, she leads. [She's] unbelievable."

Ballon d'Or has a history of skipping over defenders

Awarded by French magazine France Football, the Ballon d’Or has long been criticized for heavily favoring athletes who play in Europe, and those who serve in an attacking capacity. Of the 30 2024 nominees, only seven play for clubs outside of Europe — six of them in the NWSL. Just four defenders — plus one goalkeeper, USWNT star Alyssa Naeher — made this year's cut.

In the award’s five-year history, only one defender has ever cracked the top three: England’s Lucy Bronze, who came in second to the USWNT’s Megan Rapinoe in 2019.

Ultimately, defense may win championships — but it has yet to win the Ballon d’Or.

With two weeks left in the regular season, ​former WNBA greats​ and fans alike are weighing in on this year's historic Rookie of the Year race.

"I don't care what comparisons you make both @Reese10Angel and @CaitlinClark22 deserve the Rookie of the Year award," basketball legend Lisa Leslie posted this week. "The pressure and the weight of this season has forever changed the @WNBA and both rookies rose to the top and exceeded all our expectations. Take a bow, ladies."

Rookies continue shattering league records

While only one player can win the award, both Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have undoubtedly left their marks on the season.

Clark leads all rookies in scoring at 18.7 points per game​, while her 8.4 assists per game​ tops the entire WNBA. Even more, she's on pace to surpass​ Seimone Augustus's rookie scoring record, and has already broken the record for most three-pointers in a rookie season while leading the league in three-pointers made.

For her part, Reese recently shattered Sylvia Fowles's single-season rebounding record and leads the league in rebounds per game. Plus, she holds the longest consecutive double-double streak in WNBA history, averaging 13.3 points and 13.2 rebounds per game.

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Field goal percentage favors Clark

Despite the neck-and-neck competition, Clark does hold one major statistical advantage over Reese. Clark's field goal percentage​ sits at 42.4% while Reese's is 38.5% — a significant gap considering Reese makes most of her attempts close to the basket.

That same stat arguably makes Sparks guard Rickea Jackson a dark horse in this race: Shooting 46.6% from the field, she's currently the WNBA's most efficient rookie averaging over 10 points per game.

All to say, while Clark​ appears to be pulling away as the ROY frontrunner, the way this year's rookie class has performed in the face of huge expectations will impact the league far beyond 2024.