The 2022 NWSL College Draft is on Saturday, with the NWSL announcing on Tuesday the full list of players available to be drafted.

As expected, Florida State midfielder Jaelin Howell has declared for the NWSL College Draft and will likely be selected first overall by San Diego, sources told Just Women’s Sports.

Others included on the list are Naomi Girma from Stanford and Penelope Hocking from Southern California, Just Women’s Sports’ projected second and third picks in the draft.

The 2022 NWSL Draft presented by Ally will stream live on Paramount+, the CBS Sports HQ Twitch channel and on the CBS Sports HQ and NWSL YouTube channels. CBS Sports HQ will also stream the draft from 2-4 PM, ET. Both drafts will stream internationally outside the U.S. on the NWSL’s Twitch channel.

Final list of players registered for the 2022 NWSL Draft, in alphabetical order:

Last Name	First Name	School/University	Position(s) Played	Hometown	Youth Club	Citizenship
Adams	Haileigh	University of Colorado – Boulder	Defender	Pasadena, California	Golden State	United States
Adams	Leslie	Siena College	Goalkeeper	Collegeville, PA	Reading Rage	United States
Alexander	Tinaya	Louisiana State University	Forward, Midfielder, Defender	Reading, England	Arsenal Women Youth Academy	United Kingdom
Anderson	Taylor	University of Richmond	Midfielder	Peachtree Corners, Georgia	Concorde Fire	United States
Arthurs	Carli	Stephen F. Austin State University	Forward, Defender	Lewisville, Texas	Solar Soccer Club	United States
Aviza	Shannon	St. John’s University	Midfielder, Defender	Medway, Massachusetts	Boston Breakers	United States
Bardes	Erica	Central Connecticut State University	Midfielder, Defender	Montvale, New Jersey	World Class FC	United States
Bass	Jasmine	New Jersey City University	Forward, Midfielder	Middletown, New York	TOWS (Town of Walkill Soccer Club)	United States
Beckman	Natalie	University of Denver	Forward, Midfielder	Aurora, Colorado	Colorado Rapids (Colorado Storm)	United States
Beletic	Isabella	University of Incarnate Word	Midfielder, Defender	Corpus Christi, Texas	Classics Elite / Athenians	United States
Belisle	Mollie	University of Georgia	Forward	Atlanta, Georgia	Concorde Fire	United States
Bennett	Elysa	Washington State University	Forward	De Pere, Wisconsin	FC Wisconsin Eclipse (ECNL)	United States
Bentick	Aysha	University of Louisiana – Monroe	Midfielder, Defender	London, England	Millwall Lionesses	United Kingdom
Berry	Olivia	Benedictine College	Goalkeeper	Cedar Hill, Missouri	WC St. Louis	United States
Bike	Jenna	Boston College	Forward	Trumbull, Connecticut	Connecticut Football Club	United States
Bloomer	Jordyn	University of Wisconsin – Madison	Goalkeeper	Hartland, Wisconsin	FC Wisconsin	United States
Bostard	Haley	Grand Canyon University	Midfielder, Defender	Discovery Bay, California	West Coast Wild	United States
Bova	Marisa	Purdue University	Goalkeeper	Hartland, Wisconsin	SC Waukesha (SC Wave)	United States
Breslin	Hope	University of Illinois	Forward, Mifielder	Massapequa, New York	East Meadow Soccer Club	United States
Briede	Belle	Stanford University	Forward, Midfielder	Alpharetta, Georgia	Tophat Soccer Club	United States
Brown	Ryanne	Wake Forest University	Forward, Midfielder, Defender	Indianapolis, Indiana	Indiana Fire	United States
Brummett	Gabi	University of Portland	Forward, Midfielder	Bow, New Hampshire	FC Stars of Massachusetts	United States
Bruster	Kayla	University of Georgia	Defender	Smyrna, Georgia	Tophat Soccer Club	United States
Caffey	Tiana	Louisiana State University	Midfielder, Defender	Port St. Lucie, Florida	Space Coast United	United States
Cahalan	Claire	University of Toledo	Forward, Mifielder	Ann Arbor, Michigan	Michigan Hawks	United States
Camberos	Scarlett	University of California – Irvine	Forward, Midfielder	Chula Vista, California	Albion Soccer Club	United States/Mexico
Campbell	Raenah	Drexel University	Forward	Skaneateles, New York	Syracuse Developmental Academy	United States
Canales	Marley	University of California – Los Angeles	Midfielder	San Diego, California	San Diego Surf	United States
Cardozo	Ashley	Utah State University	Forward, Midfielder	Salt Lake City, Utah	La Roca	United States
Cavanaugh	Meghan	University of South Florida	Forward, Midfielder	Clifton Park, New York	New York Elite FC	United States
Chang	Lauren	University of South Carolina	Midfielder	Alpharetta, Georgia	Tophat Soccer Club	United States
Cherry	Mackenzie	Coastal Carolina University	Midfielder, Defender	Canton, Georgia	Atlanta Concorde Fire ECNL	United States
Cleverley	Daisy	Georgetown University	Midfielder	Auckland, New Zealand	Western Springs Club AFC	New Zealand
Coleman	Gabriella	Oklahoma State University	Forward	Keller, Texas	D’Feeters Soccer Club/ DKSC	United States
Cook	Ava	Michigan State University	Forward	Battle Creek, Michigan	Midwest United – Kalamazoo	United States
Correa De Oliveira	Julia	Chicago State University	Forward, Midfielder	Canoas, Brazil	EC Pelotas Phoenix	Brazil
Cosme	Caitlin	Duke University	Defender	New Hyde Park, New York	Albertson Fury 98	United States
Cowart	Jessika	University of Washington	Midfielder, Defender	Redwood City, California	Palo Alto Soccer Club	United States
Cummings	Sydney	Georgetown University	Defender	Millstone Township, New Jersey	FC Copa Academy	United States
Curran	Chardonnay	University of Oregon	Midfielder, Defender	Ewa Beach, Hawaii	Hawaii Rush	United States
DeMarco	Giovanna	Wake Forest University	Midfielder	Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania	Match Fit Academy	United States
DeMelo	Savannah	University of Southern California	Forward, Midfielder	Bellflower, California	Beach Futbol Club	United States
Dennis	Chyanne	University of South Florida	Midfielder, Defender	Sunrise, Florida	Orlando City ECNL	United States/Jamaica
DePriest	Peyton	Middle Tennessee State University	Forward, Midfielder	Franklin, Tennessee	Tennessee Soccer Club	United States
Dickey	Claudia	University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill	Goalkeeper	Charlotte, North Carolina	Charlotte Soccer Academy	United States
Dierickx	Natalie	Western Washington University	Goalkeeper	Kirkland, Washington	Crossfire Premier FC	United States
DiGenova	Marissa	Temple University	Forward, Midfielder, Defender	King of Prussia, Pennsylvania	FC Delco	United States
Diwura Soale	Wasila	Louisiana State University	Midfielder	Accra, Ghana	Hasaacas Ladies FC	Ghana
Doyle	Darby	Western Washington University	Midfielder	Spokane, Washington	Spokane Shadow G98	United States
Doyle	Julie	Santa Clara University	Forward, Midfielder, Defender	Newport Beach, California	San Diego Surf Soccer Club	United States
Edwards	Hannah	Grand Canyon University	Defender	Aurora, Colorado	Colorado Storm ECNL	United States
Elwell	Madison	Vanderbilt University	Forward, Midfielder, Defender	Ambler, Pennsylvania	YMS Xplosion	United States
Enciso	Sabrina	University of Arizona	Defender	Moreno Valley, California	SoCal Blues	United States
Fishel	Mia	University of California – Los Angeles	Forward, Midfielder	San DIego, California	San Diego Surf SC	United States
Fisher	Samantha	University of Notre Dame	Forward, Midfielder	Simi Valley, California	Real So Cal	United States
Fregulia	Kaitlin	Cal State University – Long Beach	Forward, Defender	Torrance, California	Beach Futbol Club	United States
Frerker	Andrea	Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville	Midfielder, Defender	Maryville, Illinois	Loufusz Soccer Club	United States
Gareis	Ryan	University of South Carolina	Forward	Naperville, Illinois	Sockers FC Chicago ECNL	United States
Gee	Tatum	Princeton University	Forward, Midfielder, Defender	Long Beach, California	Beach Futbol Club	United States
Girma	Naomi	Stanford University	Defender	San Jose, California	N/A	United States
Golob	Lana	Virgina Commonwealth University	Defender	Recica ob Paki, Slovenia	ŽNK Nona Pomurje	Slovenia
Grant	Jazmin	University of Houston	Forward, Midfielder	Atascocita , Texas	Texas Rush	United States
Gray	Emily	Virginia Tech University	Midfielder	Sewell, New Jersey	Penn Fusion Soccer Academy	United States
Green	Deanna	University of South Alabama	Midfielder, Defender	Madison, Mississippi	Mississippi Rush	United States
Griffith	Sarah	Purdue University	Forward, Midfielder	Naperville, Illinois	Team Chicago	United States
Grosso	Julia	University of Kentucky	Midfielder, Defender	Sunrise, Florida	Sunrise Sting	United States
Guion	Renee	Clemson University	Defender	Simpsonville, South Carolina	Carolina Elite Soccer Academy	United States
Halvorsen	Kaile	Santa Clara University	Forward, Midfielder	Honolulu, Hawaii	Surf Hawaii	United States
Hancuff	Hensley	Clemson University	Goalkeeper	Edmond, Oklahoma	Orlando Pride DA Club	United States
Hand	Jacqueline	Colorado College	Forward, Midfielder	Auckland, New Zealand	Auckland Football Federation	New Zealand
Hansen	Taylor	University of Montana	Defender	Cardiff by the Sea, California	San Diego Surf Soccer Club	United States
Harber	Jojo	Stanford University	Forward, Defender	Bellevue, Washington	Eastside FC/Crossfire ECNL	United States
Harding	Audrey	University of North Carolina – Wilmington	Forward, Midfielder	Akron, Ohio	Ohio Premier	United States
Harkleroad	Emma	University of South Dakota	Goalkeeper	Geneva, Illinois	Strikers Fox Valley	United States
Harr	Jordie	Texas Tech University	Forward, Midfielder	Sachse, Texas	Sting Soccer	United States
Harriot	Madiya	Vanderbilt University	Midfielder, Defender	Davie, Florida	Sunrise Sting	United States
Harris	Tiana	Kent State University	Defender	Whitby, Canada	FC Durham Academy	Canada
Heckman	Isabel	Murray State University	Defender	Powder Springs, Georgia	Southern Soccer Academy	United States
Hopcroft	Shanade	University of Colorado – Boulder	Forward, Midfielder	Aylesbury, England	Middlesex U17’s	United Kingdom
Howell	Jaelin	Florida State University	Midfielder	Lone Tree, Colorado	Real Colorado	United States
Hussen	Ameera	University of Washington	Forward, Midfielder	Federal Way, Washington	Crossfire Premier FC	United States
Hylton-Pelaia	Jayda	Arizona State University	Defender	Brampton, Ontario	Woodbridge Soccer Club	Canada
Ikeda	Angelique	Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville	Midfielder, Defender	Saint Charles, Missouri	Loufusz Soccer Club	United States
Irwin	Jamie	University of New Hampshire	Defender	Roxbury, New Jersey	STA Morris United	United States
Jacobs	Karen	San Bernardino Valley College	Forward	Redlands, California	Pateadores Soccer Club	United States
Jacobsen	Eden	University of Utah	Midfielder	North Salt Lake, Utah	La Roca	United States
Kajan	Zsanett	St. John’s University	Forward, Midfielder	Budapest, Hungary	Ferencvarosi Torna Club	Hungary
Kearse-Thomas	Olivia	Arizona State University	Forward, Midfielder, Defender	Phoenix, Arizona	Del Sol	United States
Kelley-Lusk	Hannah	West Texas A&M University	Forward	Farmington, New Mexico	N/A	United States
Killman	Jenna	Western Washington University	Forward, Midfielder	Olympia, Washington	Washington Premier FC	United States
Kirton	Alexa	University of New Mexico	Midfielder	Sammamish, Washington	Eastside FC	United States
Knox	Alexus	Georgia State University	Defender	Powder Springs, Georgia	BUSA ECNL	United States
Kowalski	Amanda	Butler University	Midfielder, Defender	Arlington Heights, Illinois	Eclipse Select Soccer Club	United States
Kouzelos	Gabrielle	University of Louisville	Goalkeeper	Wadsworth, Ohio	Internationals Soccer Club	United States
Kuehn	Athena	Lousiana State University	Forward, Midfielder, Defender	Colorado Springs, Colorado	Colorado Pride Predators	United States/Germany
LaMacchia	Elaina	University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee	Forward, Midfielder, Defender, Goalkeeper	Mequon, Wisconsin	SC Waukesha	United States
Lampe	Brooke	University of North Texas	Forward, Midfielder, Defender, Goalkeeper	Mansfield, Texas	Solar Chelsea ZuaZua	United States
Laurendeau	Marika	The College of Saint Rose	Goalkeeper	Sainte-Julie, Canada	CS Longueuil	Canada
Layne	Emerson	Loveland High School	Forward, Midfielder	Fort Collins, Colorao	Real Colorado	United States
Leal	Amanda	Cal State University – Stanislaus	Goalkeeper	Mountain House, California	West Coast Soccer Club	United States
Lee	Shannon Claire	George Mason University	Defender	Haymarket, Virginia	McLean ECNL	United States
Lewis	Sofia	Minot State University	Forward, Midfielder	Minot, North Dakota	Minot Soccer Association	United States
Livingstone	Kelly Ann	Georgetown University	Midfielder, Defender	Glen Ridge, New Jersey	Match Fit Academy	United States
Loughman	Raleigh	University of Michigan	Midfielder	San Diego, California	MVLA Soccer Club	United States/Argentina
Lucci	Carolina	Chowan University	Forward	Monaca, Pennsylvania	North United	United States
Lundgren	Jenna	Western Illinois University	Forward, Midfielder, Defender	Elmhurst, Illinois	Oak Brook Soccer Club, Eclipse	United States
Martin	Molly	University of Mississippi	Forward, Midfielder	Memphis, Tennessee	Memphis Lobos/BUSA	United States
Mayer	Anna	Missouri Western State University	Goalkeeper	Duluth, Minnesota	East Select Soccer	United States
McCarthy	Robyn	Cal State University – Fresno	Midfielder, Defender	Brentwood, California	West Coast Soccer Club	United States
McClure	Megan	Arkansas State University	Goalkeeper	Webster Groves, Missouri	St. Louis Scott Gallagher (ECNL) and United Women’s Soccer (UWS)	United States
McLaughlin	Christine	Christendom College	Forward, Midfielder, Defender	Fauquier, Virginia	Virginia Soccer Association	United States
McManus	Mikenna	Northeastern University	Defender	Lake Forest, California	West Coast Futbol Club	United States
McMillan	Caylon	Stephen F. Austin State University	Midfielder	Forney, Texas	FC Dallas 98G ECNL	United States
McNally	Natalie	Western Carolina University	Defender	Grayslake, Illinois	Greater Libertyville Soccer Association	United States
McNulty	Hannah	Providence College	Forward	Warwick, Rhode Island	Bayside FC	United States
Medina	Jodi	Alabama A&M University	Goalkeeper	Coral Springs, Florida	Coral Springs United FC	United States
Menta	Jenna	Wake Forest University	Forward, Midfielder	Somers, New York	New York Soccer Club	United States
Miagkova	Alina	Syracuse University	Defender	Lipetsk, Russia	Lokomotiv Moscow	Russia
Mitchell	Alexis	University of South Dakota	Midfielder	Lee’s Summit, Missouri	Sporting Blue Valley ECNL	United States
Morgan	Charmé	Oklahoma State University	Midfielder, Defender	Frisco, Texas	Dallas Texans	United States
Moser	Louisa	George Mason University	Forward, Goalkeeper	Fairfax, Virginia	SC Freiburg	Germany
Murnin	Madison	University of Central Florida	Midfielder, Defender	Jacksonville, Florida	Jacksonville FC	United States
Myers	Erica	University of Tennessee – Martin	Goalkeeper	Holland, Ohio	Metro FC Toledo	United States
Nabet	Lily	Duke University	Midfielder	Los Angeles, California	Real So Cal	United States
Nasello	Sydny	University of South Florida	Defender	Millstone Township, New Jersey	FC Copa Academy	United States
Ochoa Rodriguez	Paola	Missouri Valley College	Forward, Midfielder	Sioux City, Iowa	South Sioux Soccer	United States
Ordoñez	Diana	University of Virginia	Forward	Prosper, Texas	FC Dallas	United States
Palacios	Randi	Liberty University	Goalkeeper	Ashburn, Virginia	Football Club of Virginia	United States
Pantaleao	Ermelinda	University of Louisiana – Monroe	Defender	Belo Horizonte, Brazil	N/A	Brazil
Pedroza	Siera	Hope International University	Forward, Midfielder, Goalkeeper	Tustin, California	Wolfpack	United States
Perez	Maia	University of Hartford	Goalkeeper	Kentwood, Michigan	Midwest United  FC Women	United States
Peters	Sarah	University of Kansas	Goalkeeper	Lee’s Summit, Missouri	Sporting DA	United States
Peterson	Karstyn	Utah State University	Forward, Defender	West Haven, Utah	La Roca	United States
Philpotts	Rachel	University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee	Midfielder, Defender	Linden, Michigan	Nationals Soccer Club	United States
Potts	Nicola	Ball State University	Forward, Midfielder	Nuneaton, England	Aston Villa Women	United Kingdom
Proulx	Lysianne	Syracuse University	Goalkeeper	Boucherville, Canada	AS Varennes	Canada
Provenzano	Gabby	Rutgers University	Midfielder, Defender	Sergeantsville, New Jersey	Players Development Academy	United States
Pulver	Sydney	Washington State University	Midfielder, Defender	Parker, Colorado	Real Colorado	United States
Pursey	Valentine	Western Carolina University	Forward, Midfielder, Defender	Ticehurst, England	Brighton and Hove Albion	United Kingdom
Rabot	Iris	James Madison University	Midfielder	Lyon, France	Olympique Lyonnais	France
Reiss de Araujo	Thais	University of North Florida	Forward, Midfielder, Defender	Jacksonville, Florida	U-17/U-20 Brazilian National Team	Brazil
Reyes	Calista	Pepperdine University	Forward, Midfielder, Defender	Las Vegas, Nevada	Eagles Soccer Club	United States
Ries	Taryn	University of Portland	Forward	Ridgefield, Washington	FC Portland	United States
Ritchie-Williams	Chiara	Louisiana State University	Midfielder, Defender	London, England	Arsenal Women’s Football Club	United Kingdom
Rockwell	Jenna	University of the Cumberlands	Defener	London, Kentucky	Lexington FC	United States
Rodriguez	Izzy	Ohio State University	Midfielder, Defender	Canton, Michigan	Michigan Hawks	United States
Roelfsema	Mijke	Rice University	Midfielder, Defender	Schoonhoven, Netherlands	ADO Den Haag	Netherlands
Ross	Julianne	Northeastern University	Defender	Cumberland, Rhode Island	Boston Breakers/NEFC	United States
Salvador	Romane	California Baptist University	Goalkeeper	Lyon, France	Paris Saint-Germain PSG	France
Santos	Ashley	Illinois State University	Midfielder, Defender	Naperville, Illinois	Team Chicago Academy	United States
Sapp	Mercedes	University of North Florida	Goalkeeper	Orlando, Florida	Orlando City Elite	United States
Schill	MacKenzie	University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee	Forward, Midfielder	Pewaukee, Wisconsin	SC Wave	United States
Schimmer	Marleen	Grand Canyon University	Forward, Midfielder	Mainz, Germany	TSV Schott Mainz	Germany
Sever	Jelena	University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee	Forward, Midfielder	Milwaukee, Wisconsin	United Serbians Soccer Club	United States
Shepherd	Lucy	Hofstra University	Forward	Worcester, England	Aston Villa Women	United Kingdom
Silva Santos	Ana Paula	WIlliam Carey University	Midfielder	Sao Paulo, Brazil	N/A	Brazil
Skiba	Bridgette	Oregon State University	Goalkeeper	Portland, Oregon	Westside Timbers	United States
Sodoma	Sarah	Arkansas State University	Midfielder, Defender	St. Louis, Missouri	Lou Fusz Soccer Club	United States
Stackpole	Haleigh	University of Mississippi	Forward, Midfielder	Bowling Green, Kentucky	NC Courage Academy	United States
Stauffer	Annie	Transylvania University	Midfielder, Defender	Owensboro, Kentucky	Indy Fire Juniors ECNL	United States
Steigleder	Regan	Northwestern University	Forward, Midfielder, Defender	Iowa City, Iowa	Michigan Hawks	United States
Steinwascher	Cecelia	Grand Valley State University	Midfielder, Defender	Sterling Heights, Michigan	N/A	United States
Stephan	Dani	Michigan State University	Midfielder, Defender	DeWitt, Michigan	Michigan Hawks	United States
Stevenson	Erin	University of Maryland – Baltimore County	Midfielder, Defender	Sellersville, Pennsylvania	FC Bucks	United States
Suarez Quevedo	Sara	Chicago State University	Forward, Midfielder	Las Palmas, Spain	Union Viera	Spain
Talbot	Madeline	Stephen F. Austin State University	Goalkeeper	Shreveport, Louisiana	Shreveport United	United States
Talley	Jada	University of Southern California	Forward	Corona, California	So Cal Blues	United States
Taylor	Miriael	Hofstra University	Forward, Midfielder, Defender	Kent, England	Chelsea Women, Arsenal Women	United Kingdom
Thomas	Haley	Boston College	Midfielder, Defender	Kennewick, Washington	Three Rivers Soccer Club	United States
Thompson	Jordan	Gonzaga University	Defender	Sumner, Washington	Washington Premier FC	United States
Thompson	Kayla	Brown University	Goalkeeper	Austin, Texas	Lonestar Soccer Club	United States
Thron	Julietta	Northwestern University	Midfielder, Defender	Caldwell, New Jersey	Matchfit FC	United States
Tripp	Amber	Utah Valley University	Forward, Midfielder	Draper, Utah	Utah Avalanche	United States
Van der Jagt	Olivia	University of Washington	Midfielder	Kent, Washington	Eastside FC	United States
Villagrana	Yossimar	Butler Community College	Midfielder	Wichita, Kansas	Wichita Kansas Rush	United States
Walker	Ellie	University of Portland	Defender	Vancouver, Washington	FC Portland	United States
Wandt	Jennifer	Baylor University	Goalkeeper	Brookfield, Wisconsin	FC Wisconsin	United States
Weaver	Camille	Colorado College	Midfielder, Defender	Bend, Oregon	Bend FC Timbers	United States
Wegener	Emory	University of Georgia	Goalkeeper	Alpharetta, Georgia	Atlanta Fire United	United States
West	Alex	University of Vermont	Midfielder, Defender	New York, New York	Albertson Fury	United States
Westin	Emma	University of California – Berkeley	Forward, Midfielder	Stockholm, Sweden	Boo FF Sweden	Sweden
Whitmore	Lindsey	Southern Methodist University	Forward, Midfielder	Henderson, Nevada	Heat FC	United States
Winebrenner	Jenna	Texas Christian University	Defender	Kansas City, Missouri	Futura FC	United States
Wiseman	Ebony	James Madison University	Midfielder	King’s Lynn, England	Norwich City FC	United Kingdom
Wolfbauer	Madison	Bowling Green State University	Forward, Midfielder	Canton, Michigan	Michigan Hawks	United States
Zamiela	Chloe	University of South Florida	Forward, Defender	Stuart, Florida	Sunrise SC	United States
Zerva	Theoni	University of Louisiana – Monroe	Midfielder, Defender	Kalamata, Greece	PAOK	Greece
Zullo	Luciana	University of South Carolina	Forward, Midfielder	Flemington, New Jersey	PDA	United States
Zuniga	Jenna	Cal State University – Stanislaus	Midfielder, Defender	Manteca, California	Davis Legacy	United States

Seven-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, at a White House ceremony this afternoon. 

The Team USA standout is the most decorated women’s swimmer in the sport’s history. In addition to her seven Olympic golds, she’s also won a total of 21 gold medals at the World Championships, the most of any swimmer regardless of gender. 

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The esteemed award recognizes those who have "made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors," according to a White House press briefing. 

Ledecky is one of 19 medal recipients chosen by the Biden administration this year. She joins a class that spans the worlds of politics, sports, film, human rights, religion, and science. Her fellow 2024 awardees include Everything Everywhere All at Once actress Michelle Yeoh, pioneering Hispanic astronaut Dr. Ellen Ochoa, and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, plus posthumous winners Jim Thorpe, the first Native American to win an Olympic gold medal for the US, and assassinated civil rights leader Medgar Evers. 

Olympic gymnast Simone Biles and USWNT legend Megan Rapinoe were among 2022’s class of Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients. Biles and Rapinoe were the fifth and sixth women athletes to be given the honor, making Ledecky the seventh.

After an illustrious career for both club and country, Gotham FC and U.S. Women’s National Team defender Kelley O’Hara announced today via Kelley on the Street that she will be retiring from professional soccer at the end of this year, making the 2024 NWSL season her last.

"I have always said I would play under two conditions: that I still love playing soccer, and if my body would let me do it the way I wanted to," O’Hara told Just Women’s Sports in the lead-up to her retirement announcement. "I realized a while back that I was always going to love it, so it was the physical piece that was going to be the deciding factor."

The 35-year-old will retire as a two-time World Cup champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and at least a two-time NWSL champion, depending on where Gotham finishes this season. Her legacy as a player is hard to fully encapsulate, and will forever run through some of the biggest snapshots in USWNT and NWSL history. 

In 2012, O’Hara played every minute of the USWNT’s Olympic gold medal run, after having recently converted into a defender. Her soaring goal off the bench in the 2015 World Cup semifinal is the stuff of legend. And her return from lingering injury to play in every knockout match of the national team’s 2019 World Cup win cemented a storybook international career. 

It was O’Hara who scored the overtime goal in 2021 to earn the Washington Spirit their first-ever NWSL championship, and O’Hara who returned to help see Gotham earn a title in 2023 after years spent in the trenches with the club’s previous iteration, Sky Blue. Her 15-year career spanned two professional women’s soccer leagues in the U.S. (she earned her first professional title in 2010 with WPS’s FC Gold Pride), as well as sweeping changes to the sport both on and off the pitch.

On the field, O’Hara has always been known for a motor that never quits, making the right flank her domain in attacking possession and defensive transition. In recent years, she’s also been celebrated for a competitive fire that raises the level of her teammates, whether she’s in the starting XI or supporting from the bench.

But injuries take a toll, a reality not always seen by the fans watching from home. "I've never taken anything for granted, and I feel like I've never coasted either," O’Hara said of her late-career success in the NWSL despite battling injuries. "I've always been like, 'I gotta put my best foot forward every single day I step on this field' — which is honestly probably half the reason why I'm having to retire now as opposed to getting a couple more years out of it. I've just grinded hard."

Recently, O’Hara has been sidelined at Gotham with ankle and knee injuries, and the situation motivated her to really prioritize listening to her body. "To get injured and come back, and get injured and come back, and just keep doing it, it really takes a toll on you.

"People don't see the doubt that's associated with injury,” she continued. "As athletes we feel a certain way, we perform a certain way, our body feels a certain way, we're very in tune with our bodies. And there's always so much doubt surrounding injury. It’s like, 'Can I feel the way I felt before?' The reality is sometimes you don't."

O’Hara didn’t arrive at the decision to move on from her playing career lightly. But once she began seriously considering making 2024 her final year during the last NWSL offseason, it felt right. "Once I was like, 'Alright, you know what, this will be my last year,' I have had a lot of peace with it," she said. "Truly the only thing I felt was gratitude for everything that my career has been, all the things I've been able to do and the people I've been able to do it with."

She said she’ll miss daily interactions with her teammates and all the amazing memories they’ve created, though she feels lucky to have formed relationships that go beyond sharing a locker room. "You're basically getting to hang out and just shoot the shit with your best friends every day," she reflected. "Which is so unheard of, and I just feel very lucky to do it for so long."

The Stanford graduate also mentioned that the NWSL’s suspension of regular season play in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic made her realize how much playing allowed her the space to simply be creative every day. The tactical elements of soccer provided O’Hara an outlet for problem solving and made use of her naturally competitive edge.

She’s now gearing up to channel her on-field intensity into her post-playing career full time, which is a new chapter she’s excited to begin. "I don't know if the world's ready for it, like the fact that I'm not going to be putting all of my energy into football all the time," she said with a laugh. 

O’Hara said she would like to stay connected to the game in some fashion, whether it be as an owner, coach, or member of a front office. She’s also interested in the growing media space surrounding women’s sports, having provided on-camera analysis for broadcasters like CBS Sports in addition to starting a production company with her fiancée.

"I just feel like I have a lot of passions, and things that excite me," she says. "And I do want to stay as close as I can to the game, because I feel a responsibility — and I'm not sure in what capacity — to continue to grow it."

A sense of responsibility to grow the game has been a consistent refrain for the USWNT and NWSL players of O’Hara’s era, who ushered in a new age of equal pay for the national team and collectively bargained protections for those in the league. The landscape for new players looks different than it did 14 years ago, in large part due to this pivotal generation.

"I feel an immense sense of pride around that, because I don't know if any of us knew that was gonna happen," she said. "We kind of, as things unfolded, took the next step towards changing what women's football looks like in this country and around the world.

"I'm really grateful to have been part of this era with the players that I was [with], not backing down and pushing and knowing that was the right thing to do."

Whatever the future holds, O’Hara is going ahead full throttle. It’s a piece of advice she’d also give to the next generation of professionals looking to make their own impact.

"Whatever you do in life, do it because you love it, and the chips will fall in place," she said. "If you love something, you're willing to do what it takes. You're willing to make the sacrifices, you're willing to handle the roller coaster.

"To me, it's simple. Don't do it for any other reason but that, and I think you'll be alright."

The Phoenix Mercury center spoke with Robin Roberts about her 10-month incarceration, reflecting on her poor living conditions and shaky mental state ahead of her May 7th memoir.

"The mattress had a huge blood stain on it. I had no soap, no toilet paper," Griner told the ABC News anchor in last night’s 20/20 special. "That was the moment where I just felt less than a human." 

She also detailed some of her lowest moments during that time, saying with tears in her eyes that she went so far as to consider taking her own life on more than one occasion. However, the thought of Russian officials not releasing her body back to her family made her reconsider.

"I just didn't think I could get through what I needed to get through," said Griner.

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In February 2022, Griner was arrested and charged with drug possession and smuggling by a Russian court after Sheremetyevo International Airport police found vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage. The cartridges were prescribed by Griner’s doctor for chronic pain back in Arizona, where medical marijuana is legal. In the interview, the two-time Olympic gold medalist said she had a "mental lapse" while packing, and never intended to bring the cannabis products with her when she returned to play for UMMC Ekaterinburg.

"It's just so easy to have a mental lapse," Griner said. "Granted, my mental lapse was on a more grand scale. But it doesn't take away from how that can happen." 

She was later sentenced to nine years behind bars after her Russian attorneys advised her to plead guilty the following July. Griner was then sent to a remote penal colony where she was forced to spend her days cutting cloth to make military uniforms. From there, it only got worse.

"Honestly, it just had to happen," she said when asked about her decision to cut off her signature long locks. "We had spiders above my bed making nests.

"My dreads started to freeze," she added. "They would just stay wet and cold and I was getting sick. You've gotta do what you've gotta do to survive."

Shortly after Griner’s initial arrest, the U.S. State Department classified her case as wrongfully detained, escalating its urgency within the government and calling even more attention to the situation. On December 8th, she was freed in a prisoner exchange negotiated by the Biden administration.

While she told Roberts she was "thrilled" when she got the news, she was also very upset about having to leave fellow wrongful detainee Paul Whelan behind. She also continues to carry guilt about her arrest, saying "At the end of the day, it's my fault. And I let everybody down."

Griner’s memoir, Coming Home, hits shelves on May 7th.

"Coming Home begins in a land where my roots developed and is the diary of my heartaches and regrets," Griner told ABC News in an exclusive statement. "But, ultimately, the book is also a story of how my family, my faith, and the support of millions who rallied for my rescue helped me endure a nightmare."

Longtime USWNT fixture Carli Lloyd took to Instagram Wednesday morning to announce that she’s pregnant with her first child. 

"Baby Hollins coming in October 2024!" she wrote. The caption framed a collaged image of baby clothes, an ultrasound photo, and syringes indicating what she described as a "rollercoaster" fertility journey.

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In a Women’s Health story published in tandem with Lloyd’s post, the Fox Sports analyst and correspondent opened up about her struggles with infertility and the lengthy IVF treatments she kept hidden from the public eye.

"Soccer taught me how to work hard, persevere, be resilient, and never give up. I would do whatever it took to prepare, and usually when I prepared, I got results," Lloyd told Women’s Health’s Amanda Lucci. "But I found out that I didn’t know much about this world. I was very naive to think that we wouldn’t have any issues getting pregnant. And so it began."

Lloyd went on to discuss her road to pregnancy in great detail, sharing the highs and lows of the process and expressing gratitude for the care and support her family and medical team provided along the way. She rounded out the piece with a nod toward others navigating the same challenges, encouraging people to share their own pregnancy journeys, painful as they may be.

"My story is currently a happy one, but I know there are other women who are facing challenges in their pregnancy journey. I see you and I understand your pain," she said. "My hope is that more and more women will speak up about this topic, because their stories helped me. I also wish for more resources, funding, and education around fertility treatments. There is much to be done, and I hope I can play a role in helping."

The 41-year-old New Jersey native retired from professional soccer in 2021, closing out her decorated career with 316 international appearances, the second-most in USWNT history, in addition to 134 international goals. A legend on the field, Lloyd walked away from the game with two World Cups, two Olympic gold medals, and two FIFA Player of the Year awards.