Gabby Williams has been signed by the Los Angeles Sparks, with the team announcing her addition to the 2022 roster on Tuesday.

Williams originally was acquired by the Sparks in a trade with the Chicago Sky in May. She was picked fourth overall by Chicago in the 2018 draft and spent three seasons in Chicago, averaging 7.7 points per game in the 2020 season.

Prior to the trade, Williams was placed on the full-season suspended list due to her international commitments. A member of the French national team, Williams competed in the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket and the Olympics, causing her national team commitments to last a majority of the WNBA season.

In addition to Williams joining the 2022 team, the Sparks will also welcome back 2021 No. 7 overall pick Jasmine Walker. Walker missed nearly her entire rookie season with a torn ACL.

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.

NWSL teams are extending key player contracts, with the Current announcing the re-signing of captain Lo'eau LaBonta on a contract extension through the 2028 NWSL season this week.

"From baseball field to NWSL Shield, I've seen how far we've come and I'm hyped to see how far we can go," the 32-year-old said in the club's contract extension announcement on Thursday. "I've grown with this club and this city, and I've seen how belief turns into history. This new contract is about more than just soccer — it's about building a legacy, one celly at a time."

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The top-seeded Current weren't the only team locking down their locker room ahead of this week's 2025 NWSL Playoffs kick off, with Kansas City's quarterfinals foe No. 8-seed Gotham FC also getting in on the deal-making action.

The Bats inked rising star midfielder Jaedyn Shaw to a new multi-year contract extension on Thursday, signing the 20-year-old phenom through the 2029 season less than two months after securing her from the North Carolina Courage in a record-breaking $1.25 million midseason transfer deal.

"Whether we're winning games or losing games, just being around the girls and stuff, I feel like everyone has been so welcoming to me and has made this place feel like home," Shaw told JWS after Thursday's news.

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How to watch LaBonta, Shaw in the 2025 NWSL Playoffs

While Thursday saw their respective clubs go all in on their NWSL futures on Thursday, both LaBonta and Shaw will be battling against each other for their team's 2025 success this weekend, as the No. 1 Kansas City Current hosts No. 8 Gotham FC in a win-or-go-home clash on Sunday.

The pair's quarterfinal kicks off at 12:30 PM ET, with live coverage airing on ABC.

On a mission to avenge their 13th-place finish last year, No. 5 Seattle will visit the No. 4 Orlando to open the quarterfinals of the 2025 NWSL Playoffs on Friday night, with the Reign laser-focused on ending the 2024 NWSL champions' title defense.

"Everyone wants to go back-to-back, everyone wants to double down on what they've done, and to become a winning club you have to do it multiple times," Orlando defender Carson Pickett said ahead of Friday's quarterfinal.

"In big games, big players step up," said Seattle head coach Laura Harvey. "One thing we know with our squad — and we've shown it all season — is what we look like at the start of the game, we're probably not going to look like that at the end of the game."

Both teams will have room for adjustments, after playing each other to a 1-1 stalemate last Sunday — with Friday's face-off becoming just the fourth regular-season finale rematch in NWSL playoff history.

The Reign will likely continue their defensive-minded five-back approach, while the Pride tries to overcome the absence of injured superstar Barbra Banda.

"The league is getting harder and harder every single year that I've played," said nine-season NWSL veteran Pickett. "It's hard to break a deadlock sometimes, especially in a moment when you absolutely have to win."

How to watch Orlando vs. Seattle in the 2025 NWSL Playoffs

The No. 4 Orlando Pride will host the No. 5 Seattle Reign in the first quarterfinals clash of the 2025 NWSL Playoffs at 7 PM ET on Friday, with live coverage airing on Prime.

The 2025 NWSL Playoffs have finally arrived, with the league's Top 8 teams duking it out in quarterfinals all weekend — each hunting a ticket to November 22nd's championship match in San Jose, California.

Gearing up for the toughest quarterfinal battle is arguably No. 8 Gotham FC, with the NJ/NY club traveling to take on the No. 1 Kansas City Current on Sunday in an attempt to claim an historic upset to extend their season.

"I don't think there's an underdog mindset at all," a confident Gotham midfielder Jaedyn Shaw told JWS this week. "We know that we can come into this game, bring our style of play, and win this game."

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Winning the 2025 NWSL Shield in record fashion, the Current haven't suffered a home loss all year — though that could change if an adductor strain continues to sideline Kansas City's back-to-back Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga.

The team has yet to provide an update on Chawinga, though the striker did sit out last Sunday's 2-1 win over the No. 6 San Diego Wave.

"Obviously Temwa's an amazing player, but our bench is is incredible," Kansas City defender Elizabeth Ball said ahead of the team's 2025 NWSL regular-season finale. "Our whole squad is always ready for whatever's thrown at us."

The Current hold a 2-0 winning record over the Bats this season, with Gotham managing just one regular-season win in their last five matches.

"We're not performing terrible — we're actually playing well," Shaw said. "We have moments in the games where we're doing really well. It's just the last touch to score goal, or the last block, or being in the right positioning to prevent a goal."

How to watch Kansas City vs. Gotham in the 2025 NWSL Playoffs

The No. 1 Kansas City Current will host No. 8 Gotham FC for their 2025 NWSL quarterfinals clash at 12:30 PM ET on Sunday, airing live on ABC.