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Duke star Michelle Cooper turns pro: Will she go to the NWSL?

Forward Michelle Cooper is turning pro after just two college seasons at Duke. (Chris Leduc/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Duke sophomore Michelle Cooper announced on Monday that she’ll be foregoing her remaining college eligibility to begin her professional soccer career in 2023.

“This was such a difficult decision, but one that I made with my heart and the people I trust dearly,” the 20-year-old wrote in a statement. The Blue Devils’ 2022 season ended in a quarterfinal loss to Alabama in November, in which Cooper scored a brace.

Transitioning to the professional game won’t be a huge leap for Cooper, who scored 19 goals and registered 11 assists this season, leading Duke in both categories by a significant margin.

She also captained the U-20 U.S. women’s national team in both the Concacaf Championship and the World Cup, scoring eight goals in Concacaf qualifying to win the Golden Boot as well as the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player. She scored her final U-20 goal in the World Cup in August, as the U.S. bowed out of a very difficult group stage.

Cooper’s credentials place her in the upper echelon of young American-born talent, but her jump to the pros is also a larger reflection of the way the sport is changing.

Traditionally, even the top women’s college players would sometimes choose to stay in school for their full eligibility, valuing a college scholarship and degree over a professional salary. But as salary opportunities grow year after year in the professional game, norms have begun to change, and Cooper might be just the first of several underclassmen this year to make the same decision.

Tierna Davidson and Sophia Smith left Stanford early to become the first picks in their respective NWSL College Drafts, but both had already featured for the U.S. women’s national team, lending more weight to the decision. Cooper has yet to be called into the U.S. senior team, but she joins a growing group of prospects who have chosen to develop outside of the college game.

Ashley Sanchez (since capped with the USWNT), Brianna Pinto and Mia Fishel made similar decisions to leave college after their junior years. Emily Madril of Florida State recently made a unique jump of her own, forgoing her college eligibility to sign with the NWSL directly, and then going on loan before joining the league through the 2023 College Draft.

Adding to the ease of the process are Name, Image and Likeness rights, which allow college players to sign with an agency without having to make a quick decision to give up NCAA eligibility. Cooper, before her big announcement, had already signed with Wasserman Group (which represents a number of USWNT and NWSL players) and New Balance.

Fans in the U.S., however, will have to wait to see if Cooper follows Pinto and Sanchez to the NWSL, or if she takes a page from Fishel and Catarina Macario’s book and jumps at an opportunity abroad. U.S.-based clubs have the benefit of the NWSL’s new CBA, but Cooper wouldn’t yet qualify for allocation money — setting her salary limit at a non-allocated max contract, which is currently $75,000.

The NWSL also doesn’t have the benefit of player choice for those entering the league; even top talent has to opt into the College Draft. Unlike basketball, the NWSL is competing with leagues that don’t adhere to parity rules, and they occasionally lose talent that wants to be in control of their own destiny.

Whether she hears her name called on the NWSL Draft stage in Philadelphia in January or makes a splashy signing abroad, Cooper is ready for the next level. Fans will just have to wait and see where she takes her talents.

Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

Davidson Captains New-Look Gotham FC Roster Ahead of 2025 NWSL Kick-Off

Gotham FC defender Tierna Davidson prepares for a kick during a 2024 NWSL match.
Defender Tierna Davidson will captain Gotham FC this season. (Karen Hickey/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Gotham FC set the scene for NWSL club's 2025 season on Tuesday, dropping their official 24-athlete roster and new player-led leadership group while handing longtime USWNT defender Tierna Davidson the captain’s armband ahead of Saturday’s regular-season kick-off.

At 26 years old, the 2019 World Cup champion and 2024 Olympic gold medalist succeeds retired goalkeeper Michelle Betos as the NJ/NY squad's captain, heading up Gotham’s leadership alongside fellow defenders Jess Carter and Mandy Freeman, as well as midfielders Rose Lavelle and Nealy Martin.

Gotham also removed star forward Midge Purce from her season-ending injury designation on Tuesday, opening the door for the 29-year-old USWNT standout to return to the NWSL pitch for the first time since tearing her ACL in last season's opener.

The 2023 NWSL Championship MVP tallied 16 goals across her 46 career appearances for Gotham before sitting out the entirety of the 2024 season.

Gotham FC midfielder Nealy Martin warns up before an NWSL match.
Gotham midfielder Nealy Martin will serve on the club's 2025 leadership group. (Ira L. Black - Corbis/Getty Images)

Gotham aims for successful 2025 behind refreshed roster

Following last year’s third-place finish, the 2023 NWSL champs saw a handful of big-name departures, prompting the club to adopt a more measured approach to this season’s roster rebuild.

"Change is normal in this environment, right?" Martin told JWS in January. "People have got to do what’s best for their career, but it hurts losing your friends on your team just personally, selfishly."

"Professionally, you have to take it in stride and see how all the new pieces can fit together," she continued. "How you can highlight new people’s best talent in the system that you’re playing."

Once considered a superteamGotham definitely looks a little different this time around, but early season moves display the club's interest in transforming steady consistency into a winning squad — with or without massively deep star power.

Gotham FC forward Midge Purce prepares a corner kick during a 2024 NWSL match.
After missing the 2024 season with injury, Midge Purce could make her Gotham return shortly. (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

Gotham FC's official 2025 team roster

  • Goalkeepers: Ann-Katrin Berger, Ryan Campbell, Shelby Hogan
  • Defenders: Bruninha, Jess Carter, Tierna Davidson, Mandy Freeman, Lilly Reale, Emily Sonnett
  • Midfielders: Sofia Cook, Jaelin Howell, Rose Lavelle, Nealy Martin, Stella Nyamekye, Taryn Torres
  • Forwards: Esther Gonzalez, Khyah Harper, Cece Kizer, Gabi Portilho, Midge Purce, Sarah Schupansky, Jéssica Silva, Ella Stevens, McKenna Whitham

Oregon State Basketball Tops Potential March Madness Bracket Busters

New mid-major basketball team Oregon State celebrates their 2025 WCC tournament title.
No. 4-seed Oregon State won the WCC tournament on Tuesday. (Candice Ward/Getty Images)

While NCAA basketball's Power Four conference tournaments wrapped up on Sunday, teams from mid-major Division I leagues are still battling for invites to the Big Dance, where they'll aim to upset top March Madness contenders.

Already harnessing upset momentum is former Pac-12 squad Oregon State, who won the West Coast Conference (WCC) tournament as the No. 4 seed on Tuesday.

After conference realignment saw most of the starters from last season's Elite Eight team transfer to Power Four programs, Oregon State finished the 2024/25 regular-season at 16-15 (12-8 in WCC play).

This week, however, the Beavers found another gear, tearing through their tournament and upsetting the two WCC regular-season co-champions along the way.

Catarina Ferreira #30 of the Oregon State Beavers holds up a ceremonial NCAA tournament ticket after the team's 59-46 victory over the Portland Pilots in the championship game of the West Coast Conference women's basketball tournament.
Potential NCAA upset Oregon State overcame star departures to win the WCC tournament. (Candice Ward/Getty Images)

Oregon State paves a path to NCAA tournament underdog

First, Oregon State narrowly defeated top-seeded Gonzaga 63-61 in Monday's semifinals, before beating back-to-back defending champion No. 2-seed Portland 59-46 in Tuesday's tournament finale — only the fourth loss suffered by the Pilots all season.

Oregon State's unlikely March Madness bid is the program's 13th overall, and the ninth in the NCAA tournament's last 11 editions.

"I'm just so happy and so proud of this team," said Oregon State head coach Scott Rueck. "For this group to cover the ground that they did this year, from day one until now, is absolutely remarkable. It's one of the most special things I've been a part of."

The Beavers’ surge, however, holds consequences for both Portland and Gonzaga, whose slim chances of making Sunday's bracket now rest with the NCAA selection committee.

While Portland is a more recent contender on the national stage, Gonzaga hasn't missed an NCAA tournament since 2016, with the Bulldogs appearing in all but two brackets since their 2007 March Madness debut.

The South Dakota State basketball bench cheers during a 2025 NCAA game.
South Dakota State could snag a No. 9 seed in March Madness. (Samantha Laurey/Argus Leader/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

NCAA underdogs looks to spur chaos in March Madness

Should they make the cut, at-large underdogs Portland and Gonzaga would join Oregon State and other smaller conference champions in trying to bust brackets by upsetting top contenders in the first few rounds of the NCAA's competition.

Other mid-major standouts are already considered likely members of the 68-team national pool, with current projections listing Fairfield University (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) and new No. 24-ranked South Dakota State (Summit League) claiming seeds as high as No. 9.

Projections also show that the Ivy League is on the precipice of sending a full trio of upset-hungry teams to the NCAA tournament.

While regular-season champion Columbia is expected to claim a national No. 11 seed after Saturday's conference tournament final, strong seasons from both Princeton and Harvard have the pair currently snagging one of the final four at-large bracket spots.

Atlantic 10 tournament victors George Mason could also pose a threat to Power Four contenders, with the Patriots clinching their first-ever NCAA tournament berth on Sunday despite ceding the regular-season conference title to Richmond.

Though it’s not always wise to bet against heavyweights in the NCAA tournament's opening rounds, emerging college basketball underdogs are embracing the spotlight — and welcoming the opportunity to shake things up after Selection Sunday.
 
 

‘Sports Are Fun!’ with Kelley O’Hara Talks March Madness Bracket Predictions

Cover image for Sports Are Fun! with Kelley O'Hara.
This week's episode of Sports Are Fun! tackles all things March Madness. (JWS)

Welcome to another episode of Sports Are Fun! presented by TurboTax.

Every week on Sports Are Fun!, soccer legend Kelley O'Hara, sports journalist and basketball expert Greydy Diaz, and JWS intern BJ serve up their hottest takes all things women's sports. And in today's episode, the crew is joined in the studio by two-time Olympic diver — and Stanford Cardinal alum — Kassidy Cook.

Of course, the co-hosts waste no time in getting down to the biggest conversations in women's sports. And this time of year, that can only mean one thing: March Madness.

"Some would say this is the most exciting Sunday in women's sports," says O'Hara, kicking off a deep dive in the college basketball's fast-approaching Selection Sunday. "Based on this weekend and season overall, who are your number one seeds? Up for discussion we've got Texas, USC, UConn, UCLA, South Carolina, Notre Dame. What are we saying?"

"I'm a little worried about Notre Dame. Going into the season, I was expecting them to have an elite season," Diaz admits. "But losing to Duke? Bro. They do have a great coach, but Notre Dame on paper should have won that game."

"I think UT is still going to get a number one seed," says Cook. "Throughout the year they've had the number one seed. And even though they lost, I'm going to say South Carolina because they just won. And I'm going to say USC because they're a powerhouse. Then UCLA because their only two losses were to USC."

"I want to say UConn as well, because out of the top teams, they are the underdog of that list. I would love to see them walk away with it," Cook adds. "And like you guys said last week, Paige Bueckers doesn't have a championship yet, right?

The co-hosts additionally tackle the NWSL Challenge Cup, the likelihood of a WNBA lockout, Trinity Rodman and Ben Shelton soft launch, and so much more!

'Sports Are Fun!' announces Final Four live show in Tampa

In between hot takes, the Sports Are Fun! team also shared some big news.

JWS is heading to Tampa! Get ready for a live recording of Sports Are Fun! with Kelley O'Hara on Thursday, April 3rd ahead of the NCAA Women’s Final Four.

This exclusive event only adds to the madness of March Madness. There, O'Hara, Greydy Diaz, Merritt Mathias, and JWS intern BJ bring interactive moments, surprise guests, and behind-the-scenes access to the biggest weekend in college basketball.

“There’s never been a better time to be a women’s sports fan, and I couldn’t be more excited to bring Sports Are Fun! to Tampa during the Final Four,” says O’Hara. “The energy around this weekend is going to be electric, and we’re giving fans a front-row seat to be part of it.”

Tickets are $20 and include a complimentary drink and JWS party favor. Get yours now.

Sports Are Fun! graphic featuring soccer legend Kelley O'Hara.
'Sports Are Fun!' places Kelley O'Hara at the intersection of women's sports and fun. (Just Women's Sports)

About 'Sports Are Fun!' with Kelley O'Hara

'Sports Are Fun!' is a show that’ll remind you why you fell in love with women's sports in the first place.

Join World Cup champ, Olympic gold medalist, and aspiring barista Kelley O'Hara as she sits down with sports journalist Greydy Diaz and a revolving cast of co-hosts and friends. Together, they're talking the biggest, funnest, and most need-to-know stories in the world of women’s sports.

From on-court drama to off-field shenanigans, to candid (and silly) chats with the most important personalities in the space, this show screams "Sports Are Fun!"

Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.

WSL Side Manchester City Fires Manager Gareth Taylor

Manchester City manager Gareth Taylor looks on during a 2025 WSL match.
Former manager Gareth Taylor joined Manchester City in May 2020. (Matt McNulty/Getty Images)

WSL side Manchester City parted ways with manager Gareth Taylor on Monday, just five days before the club faces table-leaders Chelsea in Saturday’s League Cup final — and nine days before they meet Chelsea once again in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.

In his nearly five years at the helm, Taylor led Man City to an overall 117-15-29 record, picking up the 2020 FA Cup and 2022 League Cup along the way.

Taylor departs just one year into a three-year contract renewal with the club.

"Manchester City prides itself on competing at the top of the WSL and on its outstanding record of qualifying for European competition," said Man City managing director Charlotte O'Neill in a club statement. "Unfortunately, results this season have so far not reached this high standard."

Former City coach Nick Cushing — who led the team from 2013 to 2020 — will take over interim manager duties for the remainder of the season.

Taylor’s dismissal follows a number of big-name WSL coaching changes, with Arsenal’s Jonas Eidevall and Liverpool’s Matt Beard both exiting the league this season.

Eidevall has since taken over as head coach for the NWSL’s San Diego Wave.

Despite rumblings that Taylor could follow suit and fill the vacancy with the Wave’s SoCal rival Angel City, those rumors appear to be overblown.

Manchester City attacker Vivianne Miedema celebrates a goal during a 2025 WSL match.
Man City will face Chelsea four times over the next three weeks. (Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images)

Manchester City still in the hunt for non-WSL titles

Sitting 12 points behind Chelsea with just six matchdays left in their 2024/25 season, fourth-place Man City's WSL title hopes have dimmed. However, they remain very much in the running for the League Cup, FA Cup, and Champions League honors.

That said, the Citizens are staring down an unusually demanding gauntlet against one of the world’s top clubs this month.

After facing Chelsea in Saturday's League Cup final and next week's Champions League quarterfinals, City will again take on the Blues in a March 23rd regular-season matchup before wrapping up the pair's two-leg Champions League quarters on March 27th.

Ultimately, the pressure for top WSL teams to properly challenge Chelsea’s years-long dominance is mounting — and some coaches appear to be bearing the brunt of those ambitions.

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