The 2022 NWSL Expansion Draft was filled with surprises, trades and roster shake-ups. Angel City and San Diego used seven of the nine available selections during Thursday night’s draft, with the Wave passing on two picks.

Much of the drama, however, happened outside of the draft, with a flurry of deals becoming official after the official selection process.

So, where does the league stand after Angel City and San Diego made their picks for the 2022 season? Here are five takeaways from the event.

1. NWSL (Expansion Draft) After Dark

In true NWSL fashion, much of Thursday’s action took place after the expansion draft.

San Diego made it official with Alex Morgan, announcing the terms of the team’s trade with the Orlando Pride for the U.S. women’s national team forward. The Pride received the rights to midfielder Angharad James and $275,000 in allocation money in exchange for the 32-year-old.

The Wave also announced a trade with Gotham FC for Kristie Mewis, whom the expansion club selected second overall in the draft, in exchange for $200,000 in allocation money. San Diego’s deal with the Portland Thorns for Christen Westphal and Amirah Ali was also made public, with the Thorns receiving $50,000 in allocation money for the two players.

Angel City also got involved in the post-draft movement, trading their No. 26 pick in the 2022 NWSL College Draft and $125,000 in allocation money to the Houston Dash in exchange for the Dash’s No. 6 pick.

The pre- and post-draft trades are a sign of progress in the NWSL, with clubs striking deals to keep their marquee players and protect their depth while also fulfilling players’ wishes. According to Jeff Kassouf of The Equalizer, the $275,000 Orlando received in the Morgan deal is the largest amount transferred in a single NWSL trade in league history.

We’ve acquired rights to Forward Amirah Ali from Portland Thorns. Amirah most recently played for Rutgers and starred in the 2021 Women’s College Cup. Welcome to Wave FC, @amirahali07! 🌊 pic.twitter.com/139iN6JjhE

— San Diego Wave FC (@sandiegowavefc) December 17, 2021

2. The Kristie Mewis flip

After San Diego selected her second overall in the expansion draft, Mewis was traded to Gotham FC in exchange for $200,000 in allocation money. The USWNT midfielder joins an already stacked Gotham FC side, after star goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris and veteran defender Ali Krieger recently moved to the club in a trade. Mewis’ status for the NWSL season remains up in the air, however, with rumors indicating she could sign with Tottenham Hotspur.

The influx of new talent bolsters a team that includes MVP nominee Midge Purce, Defender of the Year Caprice Dydasco and stars Ifeoma Onumonu, Ali Long and Imani Dorsey. Gotham’s offseason moves signal a “win-now” mentality. If Gotham’s postseason posture is any indication, the club is definitely in the hunt for a championship in 2022.

We're having an OK time.

NJNY Gotham FC acquires midfielder Kristie Mewis in trade with San Diego. pic.twitter.com/XIHJbmUSSK

— NJ/NY Gotham FC (@GothamFC) December 17, 2021

3. San Diego’s trickery

San Diego passed twice during the expansion draft, forgoing their sixth pick and their eighth pick. The official reasoning for the non-picks has not been confirmed, but many speculate it’s due to a handshake deal the Wave made with the Portland Thorns ahead of the draft, which the Thorns intended to protect their core from selection. The series of trades announced afterward only strengthened that theory.

The passes, while perhaps a solid strategic move for San Diego, made the event less entertaining that it was originally chalked up to be. In fact, most of the excitement around the draft occurred in the weeks leading up to it, with clubs across the league striking blockbuster trades to secure immunity from Angel City and San Diego.

4. OL Reign has holes to fill

OL Reign lost two defensive players Thursday night, with Dani Weatherholt going to Angel City and Kristen McNabb to San Diego. Compounding their departures is the fact that the club will also be without internationals Sarah Bouhaddi, Dzsenifer Marozsan and Eugénie Le Sommer, who are returning to Lyon following their NWSL stint in 2021.

While OL Reign still managed to protect star players like Sofia Huerta, Tziarra King and Rose Lavelle, the team needs to find answers for considerable roster turnover heading into the 2022 season.

Thank you Dani! We wish you all the best at @weareangelcity! pic.twitter.com/REgXxs3FCE

— OL Reign (@OLReign) December 17, 2021

5. San Diego and Angel City’s rosters are shaping up

San Diego and Angel City each made some impressive signings leading up to the expansion draft, highlighting the draw of both markets.

With Morgan officially joining Abby Dahlkemper in San Diego, the expansion club has established a solid veteran foundation. The Wave have also prioritized defense heading into 2022, with expansion draft selections Kristen McNabb and Kaleigh Riehl joining Dahlkemper on the backline. Next up, the team has the first pick in Saturday’s college draft and is expected to select Florida State star midfielder Jaelin Howell. Not a bad starting point for a club set to make its debut.

On the other side, Angel City’s attack is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in the league spearheaded by Christen Press. The Los Angeles club added Jasmyne Spencer to the lineup with their fifth overall expansion pick and secured Simone Charley via a pre-draft trade with the Thorns. ACFC also padded its defense during the draft, bringing in midfielder Dani Weatherholt to strengthen the team’s backline, anchored by center back Sarah Gorden.

Gotham and Dove are teaming up, with the 2023 NWSL champs signing a record-setting multi-year kit partnership with the beauty brand on Thursday.

As Dove's first major investment in a women's sports team, the move also ranks as the highest-ever back-of-jersey sponsorship deal in NWSL history.

While Gotham did not provide specific numbers, the contract surpasses Bay FC's then-record $500,000 deal with private equity giant Sixth Street.

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Dove joins Gotham in fight to keep girls in sports

The partnership is a part of Gotham's "Keep Her in the Game" initiative, a community effort launched last August to help adolescent girls stay in sports. Dove will serve as the program's presenting sponsor.

"Dove is the ultimate leader in female strength and empowerment, and we could not be prouder to partner with the brand in a number of impactful ways," Gotham FC chief business officer Ryan Dillon said in the team's release. "We are excited to team up with Dove to create key pathways for young female athletes to stay in sports, develop confidence, and become strong future leaders."

"The partnership is taking effect at a crucial time when supporting girls in sports has never been more important."

With girls twice as likely as boys to abandon sports by age 14, "Keep Her in the Game" aims to bolster young athletes' resilience and amplify the joy and connection that happens on and off the playing field.

After impacting 30 local New Jersey and New York youth clubs and more than 500 players in 2024, the initiative is aiming to double its reach in 2025. It will also pass the proverbial mic to the young athletes themselves by creating a Youth Leadership Council.

"The data is clear: Sports build confidence, leadership skills and resilience in young women, benefiting them for years to come," stated Laura DiMiceli, the head of personal care sports marketing for Dove's parent company, Unilever North America. "Dove is committed to supporting 'Keep Her in the Game' as part of our overall mission to help young girls pursue sports and keep playing the games they love."

Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball will crown its first-ever 1v1 tournament champion on Friday night, when all four semifinalists take the court with a $200,000 grand prize on the line.

Vinyl guard Arike Ogunbowale will kick off the semis against Mist forward Aaliyah Edwards, before Unrivaled co-founder and Lunar Owls forward Napheesa Collier faces Rose forward Azurá Stevens. The victors will immediately advance to the night's best-of-three final series.

Notably, Friday's set puts alma mater pride on center court. A trio of UConn alums in Collier, Stevens, and Edwards will all clock in, while Ogunbowale reps Notre Dame — one of just three teams to beat the Huskies this NCAA season.

Along with those priceless bragging rights, the semifinalists are battling for a six-figure payday, though none will leave empty-handed. Each are guaranteed at least $25,000, with $50,000 on deck for the tournament's runner-up.

The players' Unrivaled teammates will also be watching with interest, as the winner's entire 3×3 team will snag $10,000 each.

Though 1v1 can feel like a schoolyard version of basketball, with this much money involved, expect the competition to rise miles above playground tussles.

Endurance could decide Unrivaled 1v1 tournament champion

Friday's format is in part a test of stamina, as players stare down a grueling schedule where the eventual winner must play either three or four 1v1 games in a single night.

To that end, Collier's elite conditioning could make her the favorite, if she can outlast Stevens in the pair's semifinal.

"Her motor is unmatched," Stevens said of Collier's endurance, a key factor in her success so far. "I try to conserve some energy in between possessions, especially when the games get really tiring."

Motors aside, Friday's title will boil down to fundamentals — and which athlete best leverages their personal skillset.

"I have to use my size and stick to my strengths," said Edwards. "It’s about imposing my will and getting the job done."

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How to watch the Unrivaled 1v1 tournament finals

The inaugural Unrivaled 1v1 tournament concludes on Friday. Live coverage begins at 7:30 PM ET on TNT.

The last perfect DI basketball season has officially fallen, as USC phenom JuJu Watkins put up a historic performance to lead the No. 6 Trojans to a 71-60 win over then-undefeated No. 1 UCLA on Thursday.

Watkins finished the night with 38 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and eight blocks, becoming the first DI player to register an overall stat-line so robust in 20 years.

"It took everything. It's been a rough couple weeks for me," Watkins said after the game, referencing uncharacteristic performances leading up to Thursday's rivalry matchup. "To be able to kind of snap back into it and get into my rhythm here at Galen versus UCLA, it's really all I could ask for."

"I'm really just like a kid out there and living out my dream."

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Throughout the back-and-forth battle, Watkins's consistency made all the difference. She scored every one of USC's 14 second-quarter points, and helped lead a monster fourth quarter in which the Trojans slammed the door by outscoring the Bruins 24-8.

"I didn't teach JuJu any of that," commented USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb after the game. "[I] just try to put her in situations to be her best self, and she does most of that work. What I was so impressed with tonight, obviously, was just the mentality she came out with."

With the marquee win, USC now sits firmly atop the Big Ten. That said, UCLA will have a chance to avenge the loss in the pair's March 1st rematch, when that final regular-season game could decide the conference title.

Until then, the Trojans will be riding high on their Thursday night dominance.

"We'll never forget this night," Gottlieb said. "It's as good as anything I've ever seen."

How to watch Top 10 NCAA basketball this weekend

With no undefeated teams left in DI basketball, Watkins's performance has put the field on notice to not make any assumptions about who might end up on top.

While Sunday will see USC roll against unranked Washington and UCLA try to bounce back against No. 22 Michigan State, the NCAA slate will also serve up two huge Top 10 matchups.

First, No. 7 UConn will take their final major regular-season test when they visit No. 4 South Carolina at 1 PM ET, when Paige Bueckers and the Huskies will aim to pull off a similarly impressive USC-inspired upset.

Then at 3 PM ET, No. 5 LSU heads to No. 3 Texas, where the Tigers will hunt their first win over the Longhorns in more than 22 years.

Both elite meetings are set to air live on ABC.

The brand-new professional Women's Lacrosse League (WLL) made its official debut this week just outside of Washington, DC, where its first-ever game saw the New York Charging take down the Maryland Charm 14-13 in the WLL Championship Series.

After the inaugural Tuesday result, the action continued on Wednesday, when the California Palms opened their WLL account by getting the better of the Boston Guard in a tight 16-15 matchup.

Founded and run by the Premier Lacrosse League, the WLL fosters top-level competition as the sport gears up for its 2028 Olympic return.

The four-team WLL Championship Series follows an Olympic-style "sixes" format. Unlike traditional lacrosse, which uses a larger pitch and 10 athletes per team, sixes employs a condensed field with six players per side.

In the Championship Series, teams are first competing in three round-robin games to determine semifinal seedings. The tournament will culminate with the knockout semifinal and final rounds on Sunday and Monday, respectively.

WLL looks to level up lacrosse ahead of 2028 Olympics

Despite the competition's quick turnaround, the WLL represents a growing professionalization movement in women's lacrosse — with all involved betting big on the sport's Olympic success in LA.

When lacrosse steps back onto the Olympic stage in 2028, it will have been 80 years since its last 1948 outing — and even then, it was merely a demonstration event. The last time the sport earned medals was in 1908.

Furthermore, the sport's entire Olympic history rests in the men's game — 2028 will see women take the Olympic lacrosse pitch for the first time ever.

"We are honored to be a part of the WLL, and we couldn't be more excited to bring this game to the fans in new ways than ever before," said Boston Guard star Charlotte North in a league statement.

"We firmly believe that this is the beginning of what will be a monumental movement in the game of professional women's lacrosse, and for female athletes around the globe.... It's our time."

How to watch the WLL Championship Series

The tournament's round-robin play continues with the Maryland Charm facing off against the Boston guard at 9 PM ET on Thursday, before the California Palms contend with the New York Charging at 6 PM ET on Friday.

All WLL Championship Series games will stream live on ESPN+, with Sunday's and Monday's knockout rounds airing live on ESPN2.