All Scores

NWSL 2022 College Draft: Handing out grades for all 12 teams

No. 2 pick Jaelin Howell is the type of midfielder Racing Louisville can build a contender around. (John Todd/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

The full impact of the 2022 NWSL Draft won’t be known until a year or two from now. That doesn’t mean we can’t make some snap judgments.

Looking at the performances of all 12 teams in Saturday’s college draft, each of them made a good pick or two, at least from this pundit’s perspective. Some opted to move draft picks to stock up on allocation money or bring in more established talent. When handing out grades, those moves were considered in addition to the picks themselves.

Below is our report card for every team coming out of the NWSL draft.

Angel City FC: B+

The newcomers traded the No. 2 overall pick for the rights to Christen Press, and then added Simone Charley and Tyler Lussi in a deal that included the first pick in the second round. It’s hard to argue that adding a full U.S. women’s national team player and a pair of attackers with draft resources is a bad move. Second overall pick Jaelin Howell, however, could have been a solid building-block for the midfield.

Signings elsewhere will need to hit in order for Angel City to be competitive, since they’ll likely lean on their three draft picks as depth players. The club did go with a pair of players from Power 5 schools in Illinois midfielder Hope Breslin and Duke midfielder Lily Nabet. Their selection of Miri Taylor in the fourth round could have had more to do with securing her rights, since she could very well sign with a club back home in England next year.

Chicago Red Stars: C+

After trading out of the first round, the Red Stars didn’t pick until making back-to-back late selections in the second round. Ava Cook (Michigan State) and Sammi Fisher (Notre Dame) each have plenty of intrigue yet much to prove. In some ways, the third-round additions could have more upside, between Purdue star forward Sarah Griffith and Arkansas midfielder Kayla McKeon. Second-to-last pick Jayda Hylton-Pelaia provides much-needed depth at outside back.

Houston Dash: C+

The Dash didn’t do all that much in this draft, trading out of it for some more established NWSL players before picking South Carolina forward Ryan Gareis at No. 44 as their one selection. On the surface, that’s not a bad move given the arguable lack of depth on this year’s board. It’s hard to be too critical about veering toward more experience rather than rolling the dice on rookies. But, as the Washington Sprit showed in 2021, there is value in the draft that the Dash could have been overlooking.

Kansas City Current: B-

Kansas City dipped into the Pac-12 for the first two picks. Washington State forward Elyse Bennett has the physical qualities to be a hit in NWSL, but she needs to become a consistent finisher in order to be an everyday starter. Oregon midfielder Chardonnay Curran has U.S. youth national team experience and could help bolster Kansas City’s spine. The last two picks, Jenna Winebrenner and Izzy Rodriguez, will contribute to the Current’s back line depth and could be sneaky good additions when all is said and done.

NY/NJ Gotham FC: A-

Gotham was a part of the movement down the draft order, with the club not picking until late in the second round. Still, all three of their picks either fit positional needs or showed smart scouting. Kelly Ann Livingstone joins from Georgetown, a program with a strong reputation of sending players on to the draft, and the center back can compete for minutes right away. Hensley Hancuff is an intriguing goalkeeping prospect out of Clemson, while Michigan midfielder Raleigh Loughman had a very strong fall season.

North Carolina Courage: B+

With three first-round picks on Saturday, the Courage aimed to rebuild through the draft. Pairing up on ACC talent in Emily Gray at No. 3 and Diana Ordoñez at No. 6 isn’t a bad way to start. Both make plenty of sense for North Carolina and could get significant playing time this season. The selection of Kaitlin Fregulia at the end of the first round could be viewed as a reach. With so many center backs in the draft, it’s hard to argue with it too much, though the team could have addressed another position at No. 12. Haleigh Stackpole is an energetic forward out of Ole Miss who gives the Courage more attacking depth, and the team took the fourth goalkeeper of the day, Purdue’s Marisa Bova, with a fourth-round selection.

OL Reign: C

A relatively solid haul from the Reign started with perhaps the biggest surprise of the draft when the club took St. John’s forward Zsani Kajan at No. 8. That’s not to detract from Kajan’s quality, but rather to question whether she may have been available later. ACC additions came back to back in the second round, with OL Reign taking experienced UNC goalkeeper Claudia Dickey at No. 20 and Ryanne Brown, a savvy forward from Wake Forest. The Marley Canales pick in the fourth round has the most intrigue; her quiet midfield engine and skill on the ball could work well for the Reign if the system is set up effectively around her. The Reign did go West Coast in the third round, selecting Santa Clara midfielder/forward Kaile Halvorsen and Washington midfielder Olivia Van der Jagt.

Orlando Pride: A

Another team in rebuild mode, Orlando had three first-round picks and did pretty well with them. Mia Fishel’s connection with Amanda Cromwell is well-documented and gives the team a young talent to build around on the front line. Duke defender Caitlin Cosme has the experience of playing in the competitive ACC, while Santa Clara forward and national champion Julie Doyle should hit the ground running right away. Third-round pick Jada Talley is another sleeper coming out of the Pac-12.

Portland Thorns: B+

From the positions they were picking in, the Thorns did well. Sydny Nasello’s on-field performance at South Florida suggests she can be an effective NWSL attacker on the flanks. Gabby Provenzano comes from a Rutgers program that has a track record of developing central defenders. And don’t be surprised if fourth-round pick Natalie Beckman makes the team and works into the lineup at outside back.

Racing Louisville: A

It was a good day for Louisville from top to bottom. Along with Howell at No. 2, fourth overall pick Savannah DeMelo has plenty of potential in the midfield and No. 16 pick Charmé Morgan is a bit of a sleeper who can boost the team’s back line depth. Racing Louisville also got the goalkeeper it needed in Wisconsin’s Jordyn Bloomer after waiving 2021 starter Michelle Betos in the weeks leading up to the draft. Wake Forest forward Jenna Menta and Georgetown defender Sydney Cummings are both experienced players coming from quality programs.

San Diego Wave: B+

Taking Naomi Girma over Howell with the No. 1 pick is a decision that could certainly pay off if the center back stays healthy and can develop into a cornerstone of the team’s back line. That’s no sure thing, however, and there’s the argument that the Wave could have taken Grand Canyon’s Marleen Schimmer later in the draft instead of with the ninth overall pick. Then, of course, she could end up signing with a club back in Germany. Later picks Sydney Pulver (Washington State), Belle Briede (Stanford) and Kayla Bruster (Georgia) add depth to San Diego’s spine.

Washington Spirit: B

Entering the draft, the Spirit weren’t on the board until pick No. 38. That changed when the defending champions traded into the second round on three separate occasions. Assessing the moves without knowing the full value of allocation money is difficult, but the picks themselves should provide the Spirit with depth.

Tinaya Alexander and Madison Elwell are both forwards from the SEC who can boost the team’s front line, though minutes for that pair will be difficult to come by on a deep team. Lucy Shepherd was clinical for Hofstra in the final third and gives Washington another scoring option if she doesn’t go back home to England. Audrey Harding (UNC Wilmington) and Jordan Thompson (Gonzaga) rounded out the Spirit’s picks and made sense for the team at each spot. The Spirit’s track record in the draft is hard to argue with, but this time they’ll have to back up their strategy with second-round talent instead of first.

Travis Clark is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports, covering college soccer and the NWSL Draft. He is also the Director of Content at Top Drawer Soccer. Follow him on Twitter @travismclark.

US Tennis Stars Advance as Wimbledon Field Narrows

Italy's Jasmine Paolini celebrates her first-round win over Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships
World No. 4 Jasmine Paolini fell in the second round of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships on Wednesday. (Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images)

The 2025 Wimbledon Championships wrapped its second round on Thursday, with the grass court Grand Slam seeing just 15 of the tournament's 32 seeded players advance to the Friday and Saturday's third round.

A full half of the WTA's Top 10 players did not survive the week, with 2024 Wimbledon finalist and world No. 5 Jasmine Paolini joining four first-round star exits by falling to unseeded Kamilla Rakhimova in a three-set, second-round battle on Wednesday.

At the same time, unseeded fan favorites like Japan's No. 53 Naomi Osaka and England's own No. 40 Emma Raducanu secured third-round spots at the London Slam, joining top surviving contenders like No. 4 Iga Świątek and defending Wimbledon champion No. 16 Barbora Krejčíková.

Notably, a full five US players managed to move ahead, tied for the largest national contingent still standing at the tournament.

Led by 2025 Australian Open champion No. 8 Madison Keys, the US group also includes No. 10 Emma Navarro and No. 12 Amanda Anisimova, as well as unseeded players No. 54 Danielle Collins and No. 55 Hailey Baptiste.

With matches against Świątek and No. 7 Mirra Andreeva, respectively, Collins and Baptiste have a tough third round ahead — though Navarro's battle against the 2024 champ Krejčíková arguably headlines Saturday's slate.

US tennis star Emma Navarro eyes a return during a 2025 Wimbledon match.
US star Emma Navarro will face 2024 champ Barbora Krejčíková in Wimbledon's Round of 32. (Rob Newell/CameraSport via Getty Images)

How to watch Wimbledon this weekend

While world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is still holding strong in the dwindling field, this year's Wimbledon play is proving that the London Slam is anyone's to take, as the grass court humbles even the sport's top stars.

Expect the twists and turns to continue as tennis's best battle for spots in Sunday's Round of 16.

Round-of-32 Wimbledon play kicks off at 6 AM ET on Friday, with live continuous coverage of the tournament airing on ESPN.

Finland Opens Women’s Euro 2025 with Upset Upset Win Over Iceland

Finland's Katariina Kosola and Emma Koivisto celebrate a goal during their opening 2025 Euro match.
Finland earned a surprise 1-0 win over Iceland in their 2025 Euro opener on Wednesday. (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

The 2025 European Championship is officially underway, as Euro action kicked off with a group-stage upset on Wednesday.

Though the 2025 UEFA tournament's opener was a sweltering affair amid a European heat wave, world No. 26 Finland prevailed, earning a 1-0 upset win over No. 14 Iceland in Group A.

Finnish winger Katariina Kosola played hero, curling in the winning goal in the match's 70th minute — just 12 minutes after Iceland midfielder Hildur Antonsdóttir picked up the competition's first red card.

"The result is important for our confidence," Kosola said after Finland's first major tournament win since the 2009 Euro. "It was the kind of goal I have been practicing a lot."

"It's terrible to lose and we feel frustrated," said Iceland head coach Thorsteinn Halldórsson. "It is an even group and we knew Finland were good, but our first half wasn't good enough."

Elsewhere, No. 16 Norway closed out Wednesday's slate on top of Group A, taking three points by defeating host No. 23 Switzerland in day's second match.

Led by captain and 2018 Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg — who pulled the match even with a second-half strike — Norway battled to a 2-1 comeback win, despite the Swiss side outshooting and out-possessing the Norwegians.

Spain jersey hang in lockers ahead of the team's 2025 Euro opening match against Portugal.
Reigning World Cup champions Spain will open their 2025 Euro account against Portugal. (Aitor Alcalde - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

How to watch this week's 2025 Euro action

Group B steals the 2025 Euro spotlight on Thursday.

While No. 13 Italy snagged a 1-0 opening win over No. 20 Belgium to kick off the day, 2023 World Cup champions and tournament favorite No. 2 Spain will face No. 22 Portugal at 3 PM ET.

Friday's Group C slate will pit No. 12 Denmark against No. 6 Sweden at 12 PM ET, before No. 3 Germany contends with No. 27 Poland at 3 PM ET.

Closing out the first group-stage matches will be arguably the toughest draw of the 2025 Euro pool.

Saturday's Group D slate features major tournament debutants No. 30 Wales against the No. 11 Netherlands at 12 PM ET, with No. 10 France taking on defending champions No. 5 England to cap the day at 3 PM ET.

Live coverage of 2025 Euro matches will air across Fox Sports platforms.

USWNT Caps Summer Friendlies with 3-0 Canada Shutout

Yazmeen Ryan, Michelle Cooper, Claire Hutton, Mandy McGlynn, and Izzy Rodriguez and the rest of the USWNT huddle after their July 2025 friendly win over Canada.
The USWNT finished the summer international window with 11 goals, conceding none, across three matches. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)

The world No. 1 USWNT ruled the pitch on Wednesday night, shutting out North American rivals No. 8 Canada 3-0 to finish the international window on a high note.

Catching the Canada backline sleeping, US midfielder Sam Coffey opened the scoring at the 17-minute mark before 19-year-old Claire Hutton claimed her first-ever USWNT goal by heading in a Rose Lavelle corner kick in the game's 36th minute.

Houston Dash forward Yazmeen Ryan then padded the US tally in the waning minutes of the match, finding the back of the net just eight minutes after subbing onto the field.

Despite fielding a young roster, the US overpowered a veteran-heavy Canada side in almost every category, topping their Northern neighbors in shots, shots on target, possession, and — most notably — set pieces.

Canada ultimately couldn't match the game's mental pace or physical battle, as the USWNT scored all three goals off dead ball situations — a free kick, a corner kick, and a throw-in.

"It's not about the opponent," US head coach Emma Hayes said after the match. "It's about what we do, and I felt that was extremely dominant."

With Wednesday's contributions, the USWNT finishes the summer window with 11 goals scored across the three friendlies — and zero goals conceded.

The US now enters an extended break before reconvening for another as-yet-unannounced friendly series in October — but players will be expected to perform in the meantime.

"I said to the players in the end in the huddle, if you want to compete to win the biggest things, it's not what you do here that matters," said Hayes. "It's what you do when you go back to your club."

Seattle Storm Looks to Climb the WNBA Standings in Weekend Gauntlet

Seattle Storm star Nneka Ogwumike high-fives teammates as she's introduced before a 2025 WNBA game.
The No. 5 Seattle Storm will face No. 4 Atlanta and No. 3 New York this weekend. (Soobum Im/NBAE via Getty Images)

The 2025 WNBA regular season returns on Thursday night, with teams at the top of the league standings looking to prove their mettle against close competition across the long holiday weekend.

The No. 5 Seattle Storm have arguably the toughest weekend assignments, taking on the No. 4 Atlanta Dream on Friday before tackling the No. 3 New York Liberty on Sunday.

Four middle-of-the-pack teams will look to close in on a double-digit season win tally while the league's frontrunners strive to maintain their advantage in this weekend's slate:

  • No. 7 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 8 Indiana Fever, Thursday at 7 PM ET (Prime): Though still without star Caitlin Clark, the Fever hope to harness their 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup victory momentum against an Aces side tied with Indiana with an 8-8 season record.
  • No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 4 Atlanta Dream, Thursday at 7:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): Seattle will look to make strides against a strong Atlanta side while putting last Sunday's stinging 84-57 loss to up-and-comer Golden State in their rearview.
  • No. 6 Golden State Valkyries vs. No. 1 Minnesota Lynx, Saturday at 8 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The rising Valkyries must face a Lynx side hunting redemption, as the league-leaders look to bounce back from their stifling Tuesday Commissioner's Cup upset loss.
  • No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 3 New York Liberty, Sunday at 1 PM ET (CBS): With injured Liberty center Jonquel Jones still sidelined, the Seattle Storm will have a chance to steal a weekend game against the reigning champs, as New York struggles to re-find their footing.

With the 2025 WNBA All-Star break looming, early top performers must keep standards high if they want to hold the line when the season crosses the midway point.

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