The NCAA softball season is underway, with No. 19 Georgia and No. 10 Texas already falling victim to upsets.

There are plenty of things we know about this season: Oklahoma is good. Jocelyn Alo is very good. Montana Fouts is deadly on the mound. ESPN needs to put more games on their main networks, such as this Sunday’s UCLA-Florida State showdown on ESPN as part of a 40-game weekend slate.

But there are also plenty of unknowns and intriguing storylines to follow along the way. Just Women’s Sports breaks down a few as the season continues with a couple of key tournaments this weekend that could shake up the national discussion.

How far will Oklahoma go?

The defending national champions are already off to a hot start, taking down No. 3 UCLA last Saturday 4-1. The Sooners have given up just two runs through six games so far.

Oklahoma has made it to six WCWS championship series, winning five of them, including four in the last decade. They’ve only gone back-to-back once, i 2016 and ’17.

While the Sooners lost some talent from the their title team, they return 2021 Player of the Year Jocelyn Alo, Freshman of the Year Tiare Jennings and Jayda Coleman, a finalist for the same award. They’ve also added freshman Jordy Bahl, who was named National Pitcher of the Week after striking out 14 in the win over UCLA.

She’s just getting 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝. @jordybahl | #ChampionshipMindset pic.twitter.com/frtGhd5Sr7

— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) February 13, 2022

The Sooners are at the top of the conversation about national championship contenders. They lost just four games last season, making it all the way to late April without a loss before Georgia handed them their first. Oklahoma’s next big test comes in a doubleheader on Feb. 25 against No. 9 Arizona and No. 18 Tennessee.

Which conference will stand out?

The Washington Huskies made headlines last season when they walked out of their NCAA watch party. The fifth-ranked team in the country wound up as the 16th seed in the NCAA Tournament and met eventual champion Oklahoma in the super regional.

The Pac-12 at large felt disrespected by the NCAA’s seeding last year, with UCLA coach Kelly Inouye-Perez admitting she was “shocked” during the selection show. Since then, the Pac-12 has lost a lot of talent, and the conference’s strength will be tested in some early-season matchups. At the Elite Invitational this weekend, Washington and UCLA will go up against No. 5 Florida State and No. 7 Oklahoma State. While Oklahoma headlines the Big 12, Oklahoma State picked up a couple of key pieces in the offseason in Miranda Elish (Texas), Julia Cottrill (Florida) and Morgan Day (Illinois State).

The SEC, with three teams inside the top five, continues to be one of the strongest conferences in softball. Second-ranked Alabama has one of the nation’s best returning pitchers in All-American and reigning Pitcher of the Year Montana Fouts.

The Big Ten will resume a non-conference schedule after playing only conference games last season due to COVID-19. Last year, only three Big Ten teams made the NCAA Tournament and none earned a national seed. They didn’t fare much better in the tournament, with Minnesota making it the farthest — to the regional finals where they lost to UCLA. Going up against some of the country’s best against, the Big Ten has a fresh chance to prove itself.

Jocelyn Alo and the home run record: a matter of time

Jocelyn Alo will look to make some history of her own as she continues to anchor the Oklahoma offense this season. The fifth-year senior currently has 90 home runs in her career, just five shy of the record set by Lauren Chamberlain seven years ago.

Make it 9️⃣0️⃣ career 💣’s for @78jocelyn_alo!

She is now tied for fourth all time in NCAA history with Stacey Nuveman. #NCAASoftball x 🎥 @OU_Softball pic.twitter.com/A4yaYJfYet

— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) February 12, 2022

If the Alo can break the record within 15 games, she’ll have done so faster than Chamberlain, who amassed 95 home runs in 220 games. It’s certainly possible: Alo hit 12 home runs in her first 15 games last season. In total, she smashed 34 homers, setting an Oklahoma and Big 12 single-season record. So far, she has two through five games, and the ability to heat up at any moment.

Oh, and did we mention that she’s a member of the Just Women’s Sports Varsity Squad?

Can ESPN and the NCAA come to terms on scheduling?

Inequities at NCAA Tournaments were at the center of national discussions last year, and softball was no exception. From a lack of showers to a tournament format that could mean going without a day off, the criticism over player treatment was loud.

On top of it all, despite a massive uptick in viewership through the first games of the WCWS, ESPN scheduled the final game of the national championship for 3 p.m. ET midweek. Issues arose earlier in the tournament when rain delays caused Florida State to play a game past 3 a.m. ET. A mere 12 hours later, the Seminoles took the diamond again for a spot in the championship series. This year’s tournament has expanded from seven days to nine, bringing it more in line with the men’s tournament and giving the athletes more rest days.

The 2021 WCWS was the most-watched on record, recording higher viewership than the men’s baseball tournament with an average audience of 1.2 million.

ESPN is promising unprecedented softball coverage throughout the regular season, including a new game-of-the-week series called “Thursday Night Throwdown” that will air for four weeks from mid-April through early-May. Those games will air in primetime slots on ESPN2.

There are still opportunities for more games to move to main networks; for example, Sunday’s matchup between No. 3 UCLA and No. 4 Florida State, originally slated for ESPN2, will now air on ESPN as part of the network’s premier weekend of women’s sports. If there is one learning from last season, it’s that people want more softball on their televisions.

Emma Hruby is an associate editor at Just Women’s Sports.

Australia and Manchester City forward Mary Fowler exited last Sunday’s FA Cup semifinal with a confirmed ACL injury, cutting short what had been a promising season for the young international star.

“Mary will remain under the care of the club’s medical team and start her rehabilitation,” City said after the team’s 2-0 loss to crosstown rivals Manchester United.

“It’s never easy when something like this happens, especially when you’ve been working so hard and feeling good,” Fowler added.

Fowler scored six goals in 17 WSL appearances for Manchester City this season, coupled with a league-leading seven assists. She joined City in 2022 from French side Montpellier, signing a four-year contract with the English team.

The news adds to City’s mounting injury tally, as the fourth-place team enters the UK league’s home stretch with Vivianne Miedema, Bunny Shaw, and Alex Greenwood on the sidelines. Additional unavailable players include Jill Roord, Laura Blindkilde-Brown, Aoba Fujino, Rebecca Knaak, and Lauren Hemp.

Fowler injury leaves 2026 Asian Cup fitness in question

Fowler's recent ACL tear has broader implications than club play.

Australia is set to host 2026 Asian Cup, with the 22-year-old striker expected to lead the Matildas' frontline at the tournament. However, with a lengthy rehabilitation process ahead, Fowler might not be available to represent her country when the Asian Cup kicks off next March.

“This is tough news for Mary and for all of us who know the dedication and passion she brings to her craft,” Matildas interim head coach Tom Sermanni said in a national team statement. “She’s an exceptional talent and a much-loved member of our team, and we know she’ll meet this challenge with the same courage she brings to the pitch.”

“Everyone in the Matildas and Football Australia family – players, coaches, and support staff – will be right behind Mary as she takes the first steps toward her comeback,” he continued.

Fowler debuted for Australia's national team in 2018. She went on to score 16 goals over 64 appearances.

NCAA conference realignment drastically altered this year's college sports landscape, affecting volleyball, basketball, and, now, softball, as former titans lose ground while others rise to the occasion.

After years dominating the Big 12, four-time reigning NCAA softball champions Oklahoma are now riding the ups and downs of the stacked SEC.

The Sooners recorded a loss to unranked Missouri and fell twice to then-No. 10 Tennessee last month, before dropping two of three games to then-No. 22 Alabama this week.

With the now-No. 17 Crimson Tide's victories, Oklahoma fell two spots to No. 4 in Tuesday's ESPN/USA Softball rankings update.

Similarly, after adding a pair of weekend losses to then-No. 5 Tennessee alongside earlier stumbles against ranked SEC foes Florida and Mississippi State, former Big 12 standout No. 1 Texas took a tumble, with the 2024 runners-up Longhorns sliding to No. 3 this week.

While those wins earned the Vols a boost to No. 2, a dark horse SEC squad took over the sport's No. 1 spot on Tuesday, when a 12-game winning streak lifted the Texas A&M Aggies atop both the SEC table and the national rankings for the first time in program history.

SEC solidifies itself as top NCAA softball conference

The fall of NCAA softball's recent giants from the sport's elite spots isn't due to a decline in Oklahoma's or Texas's play, but simply a result of the intense level of competition and talent in the SEC.

The conference now lays claim to all of NCAA softball’s top four teams — plus seven of the Top 10.

With the college softball postseason looming next month — not to mention the eight-team Women's College World Series beginning on May 29th — the SEC is proving itself the conference to beat in the 2025 title hunt.

How to watch SEC softball this weekend

While No. 1 Texas A&M will take the weekend off after closing out a three-game series against Missouri early Friday afternoon, both No. 3 Texas and No. 4 Oklahoma will be battling in SEC series.

The Longhorns hope to sweep No. 9 LSU after claiming a 7-3 series-opening win on Thursday. Friday's first pitch between the pair is at 5:30 PM ET on SECN+, with Saturday's final game beginning at 12 PM ET on ESPN2.

The Sooners will kick off their own three-game slate against No. 15 Mississippi State at 5 PM ET on Friday, streaming live on SoonerSports. The pair will close out the series with a Sunday doubleheader beginning at 3 PM ET, with both games airing on SECN+.

With a trio of old and new rivalries on deck, the 2025 NWSL season's fifth matchday promises budding top-table rivals, a bicoastal clash, and one of the league’s longest regional feuds.

Plus, with only two points separating the No. 5 and No. 12 teams in the standings, clubs will be focused on securing all three points as they strive to keep up with the season’s three remaining undefeated teams.

While the NWSL’s official Rivalry Week is still months away, this weekend’s key matchups provide some sneak-peek showdowns:

• Seattle Reign FC vs. Portland Thorns, Friday at 10 PM ET (Prime): In the first Cascadia Clash of the season, the Thorns — fresh off their first 2025 win — face a Seattle team trying to turn around a two-game losing streak.

• Angel City FC vs. Gotham FC, Friday at 10:30 PM ET (NWSL+): A classic East Coast vs. West Coast battle sees Gotham chasing Angel City up the table, as LA tries to keep their unbeaten streak alive against one of the league's more dangerous rosters.

• Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit, Saturday at 5:05 PM ET (ION): The Pride downed the Spirit at the 2024 NWSL Championship before Washington enacted revenge in the 2025 Challenge Cup, with both powerhouses now aiming for regular-season bragging rights.

As NWSL teams push for early-season positioning, this weekend’s action promises to up the stakes by tapping into rising tensions and rivalries — both old and new.

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Angel City hires new coach in Bundesliga's Alexander Straus

On Thursday, Angel City announced that the club officially filled its head coaching vacancy, hiring Frauen Bundesliga manager Alexander Straus to take over the LA team after his current season leading Bayern Munich ends on June 1st.

After more than a decade coaching in the club and youth national system of his home country Norway, Straus took charge of Bayern Munich in 2022, leading the German team to back-to-back league titles.

His 2024/25 squad is on track to claim a third straight Bundesliga trophy, and recently exited the competitive UEFA Champions League tournament in the quarterfinal round.

Following manager Becki Tweed's firing in December, ACFC tapped Sam Laity to serve as interim head coach as the club conducted an extensive global search for the permanent position.

"When we set out to hire our head coach, we looked for specific characteristics such as a dominant style of play, a proven winner at the highest level, a focus on player development, a collaborative mindset, and a leader in high performance," said ACFC sporting director Mark Parsons in a club statement. "Alex fits this profile at every measure."

Still undefeated entering the fifth matchday of the 2025 NWSL season, Angel City will continue under Laity until Straus's arrival.

The interim manager will then shift into an assistant coach capacity as Straus leads the 2022 expansion franchise as it hunts a second-ever postseason berth.

The 2024/25 UEFA Women's Champions League semifinals begin this weekend, as four powerhouse clubs familiar with the UWCL spotlight kick off their first matches of the two-leg round.

France's Olympique Lyonnais, Spain's Barcelona FC, and England's Arsenal and Chelsea will battle it out, with just two tickets to the winner-take-all May 24th final in Portugal on the line.

"The coolest thing about big tournaments and high-stake games is you might be expecting something, and you get something completely different," Olympique Lyonnais midfielder Lindsey Heaps told reporters this week. "That's when you see the best teams come out, and they're able to adjust."

Champions League semis pit WSL against European elite

Arguably topping the four-contender list are defending champs Barcelona, with the Spanish side hunting a fourth UWCL title in five years. First, however, they'll have to contend with a stacked Chelsea team hungry to lift a first-ever Champions League trophy — one that could clinch a historic quadruple.

Meanwhile, with both the men's and women's sides reaching this season's Champions League semifinals, Arsenal will square off against eight-time champions Lyon in a quest to claim their first UWCL title in over 18 years.

Both WSL titans are chasing history against their European opponents, with Arsenal still the only UK team to ever win Champions League.

The Gunners will kick off the round by hosting Lyon in their 60,000-capacity Emirates Stadium.

"Playing at the Emirates, and the hunger and the belief that we have as a team at the moment, we're going to go and play our game to the best we can," said Arsenal manager Renée Slegers.

With an estimated 40,000 tickets sold for the pivotal clash, Emirates provides an environment even Arsenal's opponents look forward to competing in.

"You always want these kind of crowds and this kind of atmosphere," Heaps said of the Saturday matchup. "Even if it's against you, it's the best thing in the world."

How to watch the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League semifinals

The first-leg matchups of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League semifinals kicks off on Saturday, when Arsenal hosts Lyon at 7:30 AM ET.

Then on Sunday, Chelsea will travel to Barcelona to take on the reigning champs at 12 PM ET.

Both matches will air live on DAZN.