Some of the key matchups going into Saturday’s NWSL Championship game between the Portland Thorns and the Kansas City Current are obvious: Sophia Smith vs. AD Franch, Kansas City’s legs vs. Portland’s bench, Bella Bixby vs. elaborate goal celebrations.

But in any game of this magnitude, with an NWSL trophy on the line, you can expect a few unsung heroes to step up. These are the underrated impact players we’ll be watching at Audi Field in primetime.

Portland Thorns

Kelli Hubly

Hubly’s progression as a center back since joining the Thorns as a national team replacement player in 2017 has been meteoric. She’s been relied upon heavily in recent years as Portland’s center-back duo of Becky Sauerbrunn and Emily Menges have not been able to play consistent minutes together (last year due to Sauerbrunn’s absences, and this year due to Menges’ lingering injury.) Hubly has fully seized the opportunity, and she will need to provide enough coverage and pace on Saturday to allow Sauerbrunn to set up Portland’s distribution.

Raquel Rodriguez

Though perhaps still frozen in time in the eyes of fans as the young talent that won Rookie of the Year in 2016, Rodriguez was actually the most seasoned player starting in Portland’s midfield in their semifinal on Sunday. The Thorns appear to want Rodriguez to operate as a one-two punch with Crystal Dunn, who is still building her minutes after giving birth to her son in May. Rodriguez is a ball-winning No. 8 who can go box-to-box and provide an outlet in distribution while getting in the way of the other team’s ball movement. Her ability to disrupt and counter will be key to the early midfield battle — as will any more goals like this one.

ROCKY RIGHT ON CUE 🤩@raque_rocky | @ThornsFC pic.twitter.com/FkWb1K1uXG

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) October 23, 2022

Hina Sugita

If the Best XI First and Second Teams include 22 of the best NWSL players from the 2022 regular season, Sugita has a case for being No. 23. She’s the main creative spark in Portland’s midfield, pulling defenders in to stretch space for Smith to run in behind and create chances. She can also strike herself, with a number of quality shots this season from both outside the 18-yard box and inside at tough angles. If the final turns into a shootout, Sugita is a player you want on your side.

Morgan Weaver

Weaver is sometimes overlooked as the other rookie the Thorns drafted in 2020 alongside Smith, the No. 1 pick and a 2022 MVP candidate. Weaver spent the first few years of her professional career coming off the bench, but under head coach Rhian Wilkinson, she has made the left wing her own. She’s focused as much on making runs to the endline and crossing balls in as she is on cutting inside for shots of her own. Her ability to do both forces defenders to make decisions that open up space for others.

Kansas City Current

Alex Loera

If the 2022 Rookie of the Year shortlist had extended to five names, Loera would have had a good argument for making it. The 23-year-old had a strong regular season, notching three assists in 20 matches, but she has risen to another level in the playoffs. The Kansas City midfield had to deal with absences in both knockout games — first, the suspension of Desiree Scott and then the season-ending injury to Claire Lavogez. Loera scored her first NWSL postseason goal against the Reign in the semifinals, and she’ll be called upon again to shore up the midfield defensively and break lines in the attack.

Hailie Mace

You might be thinking, Hailie Mace isn’t an unsung hero —  she played for the USWNT just last month. True! But while she’s played outside back internationally, Mace as an attacking midfielder is still somehow underrated. The 25-year-old is almost difficult to place on the field because of how competent she is in various roles. But she’s at her most dangerous when she’s moving the ball forward for the Current, such as last Sunday when she posed a consistent threat to the Reign’s defense. Against Portland on Saturday, Mace will be key to Kansas City’s ability to create clear chances on the counter.

Elizabeth Ball

Ball has one of the most difficult jobs in Kansas City’s defensive setup as the central center back in a three-back system. While Kristen Edmonds and a rotation of Adissyn Merrick and Izzy Rodriguez defend in isolation on either side, Ball has to be savvy in her positioning and calm when the ball is in the air. Her communication with Loera and Scott will be critical to locking down dangerous areas in front of the Current’s penalty area and, of course, keeping Sophia Smith off the scoresheet.

Kate Del Fava

Del Fava got the glory with her stoppage-time winner in the Current’s quarterfinal against Houston, but it’s her ability to defend that could be a difference-maker on Saturday. Del Fava’s defensive positioning is underrated on the wings: She expertly pushes players onto their weak foot and cuts off dribbles inside to force hopeful crosses in the air. With the Thorns’ Morgan Weaver creating chaos on the outside, Del Fava will likely be tasked with keeping her from moving effectively, and that will be a premier battle to watch.

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

In this week's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins examines Angel City FC's early success in the young 2025 NWSL season.

Off to an undefeated 2025 campaign, a stat only the 2024 championship-winning Orlando Pride and powerhouse Kansas City Current also boast, 2022 expansion side Angel City launched itself into the early contender conversation after missing the NWSL Playoffs entirely last season.

Watkins digs into the LA club, chatting through the team's star-studded formation, its early days, as well as its young core, highlighted by star sisters Alyssa and Gisele Thompson — all while weighing if the squad is truly ready to level up into the league's title-seeking echelon.

Angel City is beginning to see some payoff from its early developmental strategy, with Watkins pointing out that taking winger Alyssa Thompson straight out of high school is now providing major returns.

"She's got three goals in four games in 2025, she's the second youngest NWSL player to hit 10 goals and 10 assists in her career," noted Watkins. "Teams are having trouble accounting for her despite knowing that she is their offensive focal point at this moment."

That said, even with Thompson's prowess, Watkins does expect the club's hot start to cool, though she does predict a 2025 NWSL Playoff berth for the LA team.

"They are getting through on moments of brilliance, on chemistry and mental fortitude," noted Watkins. "It's a long season, and those kinds of things can start to slip as you get tired and other teams get used to the way that you play."

About 'The Late Sub' with Claire Watkins

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes on the USWNT, NWSL, and all things women's soccer. Special guest appearances featuring the biggest names in women’s sports make TLS a must-listen for every soccer fan.

Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.

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The Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) hired former MLB executive Kim Ng as its first-ever commissioner on Wednesday, tapping into Ng’s 21 years of top-level experience ahead of the league’s inaugural 2025 season.

After becoming the youngest assistant general manager in baseball history for the New York Yankees in 1998, Ng inked another line into the record books as the first woman GM in any major US men’s sports league in November 2020, when she took over the front office for MLB’s Miami Marlins.

Her three-season tenure in Miami culminated in a 2023 playoff appearance — the Marlins' first in 20 years.

Ng's pivot to softball is a homecoming for the trailblazing 56-year-old exec, who played NCAA softball before breaking down MLB barriers.

"I think after 30-plus years in the business, I also owe it to myself to do some things that I hadn't necessarily had the opportunity to do in the past," Ng told The Athletic about her decision to join AUSL. "And this is, for me, it's a passion."

Prior to her commissioner appointment, Ng served as a senior advisor for AUSL, helping to develop the league into existence from a landscape full of growing parity at the college level, yet few viable pro opportunities.

"Knowing what an established, mature system of governance looks like, I think will be really helpful in establishing this league," Ng added.

AUSL takes the field with 2025 tour

Launching on June 7th — immediately following the 2025 NCAA Women's College World Series — each of the AUSL's four inaugural teams will play 24 games across a seven-week season.

The league's 2025 debut will function as a tour, with regular-season games played across eight different cities before two additional locations are added for the first-ever AUSL All-Star Cup in August.

Each city is auditioning to become one of six permanent markets for the league, which will transition to a traditional location-based set-up in 2026.

The PWHL dropped its 2025 Draft details on Tuesday, with the league’s third-annual entry draft set to take over Ottawa, Canada — home of the Charge — on June 24th.

Eligible NCAA standouts and other pro hockey prospects have until May 8th to declare for selection, following the PWHL’s May 3rd regular-season finale.

Notably, the second-year league follows the Gold Plan when it comes to determining draft order. Under this system, teams eliminated from the playoffs have an incentive to continue hunting wins, as franchises who amass more points post-elimination secure higher draft picks.

The New York Sirens and 2024 champions Minnesota Frost currently sit below the postseason cutoff line, meaning both teams could snag the most draft capital when the league returns from international break later this month.

NCAA stars likely to top 2025 PWHL Draft selections

Last year, the New York Sirens selected Princeton star Sarah Fillier as the overall No. 1 pick, with the rookie forward having an immediate impact in her debut pro season.

Fillier currently ranks second in individual points scored on the 2024/25 PWHL stat sheet, trailing only US hockey legend and Boston Fleet captain Hilary Knight.

As for who will join Fillier and Minnesota Frost forward Taylor Heise — the inaugural 2023 PWHL Draft No. 1 pick — atop this year's draft, two NCAA standouts are likely contenders.

Should she declare, University of Minnesota forward Abbey Murphy is the projected 2025 No. 1 pick.

However, Murphy could return to the Golden Gophers for a final NCAA season following her international duty with the 2025 IIHF Women's World Championship semifinals-bound Team USA.

Should Murphy defer her pro debut, 2024/25 NCAA MVP Casey O'Brien is the likely top selectee, having already declared for the draft.

The Wisconsin captain wrapped up her NCAA campaign as this season's leading scorer, claiming 88 points on 26 goals and 62 assists en route to this year’s national championship — the third NCAA title of her college career.

Eight top squads are edging closer to Saturday’s 2025 NCAA gymnastics championships team trophy, with the pivotal semifinal round kicking off on Thursday afternoon.

No. 2-seed Oklahoma, No. 3 Florida, No. 7 Missouri, and No. 11 Alabama will hit the mat first, before 2024 winners and the 2025 bracket's No. 1-seed LSU goes to work to defend their title against No. 4 Utah, No. 5 UCLA, and No. 8 Michigan State.

The top two teams from each of Thursday's semifinals will advance to compete for the national title on Saturday.

Semifinal meets will crown individual NCAA champions

First, however, five individual NCAA trophies will be bestowed on Thursday night, as the semifinal meets will determine the 2025 all-around and event champions.

In addition to the athletes on the eight qualifying teams, four all-around competitors and 16 event specialists will join the race for solo NCAA hardware, with each earning an invite as the top performer in their respective category at one of the sport's four Regional tournaments.

These individual contenders will follow a qualified team's rotation schedule during their semifinal meet.

Leading the all-around pack is LSU star and 2024 individual champ Haleigh Bryant, though she'll face stiff competition in her bid for a back-to-back championship.

Standing in Bryant's path are Oregon State's Jade Carey, Arkansas's Joscelyn Roberson, Denver's Madison Ulrich, and Washington's Mary McDonough, alongside qualified team athletes like UCLA's Jordan Chiles — Carey’s 2024 Olympics teammate.

Bryant will also defend her shared 2024 vault title, though her co-champion on that event, Cal's Mya Lauzon, will instead compete for beam and floor hardware this week.

All other 2024 event winners are also back, with LSU's Konnor McClain and Florida's Leanne Wong seeking to repeat on beam and floor, respectively. Wong will also hunt another trophy on bars, alongside last year's co-champ, Utah's Grace McCallum.

How to watch the 2025 NCAA Gymnastics Championships

The first 2025 NCAA gymnastics semifinal starts at 4:30 PM ET on Thursday, followed by the second semi at 9 PM ET.

Live coverage of both semifinal meets will air on ESPN2.