The NWSL expansion draft for Bay FC and the Utah Royals is set to take place at 7 p.m. ET Friday on CBS Sports Network.

How long the draft will take, though, is anyone’s guess, as many teams opted to trade for draft protection rather than subject themselves to the guessing game. The Equalizer’s Taylor Vincent broke down every team’s status into a Venn diagram, showcasing who has protection from whom – and who doesn’t have protection at all.

8pm EST #NWSL Expansion Draft Update (Hopefully the last for my anxiety's sake)

*Houston joins the party https://t.co/NFdMqRfvzl pic.twitter.com/0sCBKg4uvL

— Taylor Vincent (@tayvincent6) December 13, 2023

Neither the Chicago Red Stars nor OL Reign have protection from either expansion team entering the draft. But then again, they might have had less reason to seek it.

The Red Stars’ best player, Mallory Swanson, is a free agent and has not re-signed with the team, making her ineligible for the expansion draft. (But it’s highly likely she will re-sign with the club, given that her husband Dansby Swanson signed a seven-year contract with the Chicago Cubs last December.)

OL Reign, meanwhile, has players such as Rose Lavelle and Emily Sonnett exploring free agency and also ineligible for the draft.

In total, seven teams acquired total protection from Bay FC and the Utah Royals:

• Orlando Pride
  • Acquired $90,000 in allocation money and expansion draft protection from Utah in exchange for midfielder Mikayla Cluff and the No. 26 overall pick in the 2024 college draft.
  • Acquired $50,000 in allocation money and expansion draft protection from Bay FC in exchange for their natural first round pick (No. 8 overall) in the 2024 college draft.
• Washington Spirit
  • Traded the No. 20 and No. 21 overall picks in the 2024 college draft for protection from Utah.
  • Traded defender Dorian Bailey for protection from Bay FC.
• Kansas City Current
  • Acquired $175,000 in allocation money and protection from Bay FC in exchange for defender Alex Loera.
  • Acquired $75,000 in allocation money and protection from Utah in exchange for defender Kate Del Fava and the No. 4 pick in the 2024 college draft.
• Portland Thorns
  • Acquired $75,000 in allocation money and protection from Bay FC in exchange for defender Emily Menges.
  • Acquired protection from Utah in exchange for $10,000 in allocation money, the No. 33 overall pick in the 2024 college draft and forward Hannah Betfort.
• Gotham FC
  • Acquired $150,000 in allocation money and protection from Utah in exchange for goalkeeper Mandy Haught.
  • Acquired protection from Bay FC in exchange for defender Ellie Jean, while also trading the No. 28 and No. 42 overall picks to Racing Louisville in a three-team trade.
• Angel City FC
  • Acquired $50,000 in allocation money and protection from Bay FC in exchange for forward Scarlett Camberos.
  • Acquired protection from Utah in exchange for $100,000 in allocation money and a 2024 international roster spot.
• Houston Dash
  • Traded $50,000 in allocation money and forward Cameron Tucker for protection from Utah.
  • Traded $25,000 in allocation money and midfielder Joelle Anderson for protection from Bay FC.

Racing Louisville acquired protection from Bay FC but not Utah. Meanwhile, the North Carolina Courage and San Diego Wave FC have protection from the Royals but not from Bay FC.

All offseason transactions in the league for the 2023-24 season can be found here.

Approaching the final stretch en route to this year's College Cup, six of the eight remaining NCAA soccer teams rep the ACC, including overall No. 1 seed Duke, historic powerhouse No. 2 UNC, and conference debutant No. 3 Stanford.

Two Big Ten squads — No. 1 USC and No. 4 Penn State — round out next weekend's quarterfinals after the Big 12 and SEC failed to advance from rounds two and three, respectively.

Trio of former NCAA champions fall

All three of the Cup's most recent winners were eliminated in the tournament's second round on Friday, including 2020's Santa Clara and 2022's No. 2 UCLA. UNC ousted the Broncos 1-0, while the Bruins suffered a 2-1 upset at the hands of No. 7 Virginia Tech.

Taking down reigning champs No. 1 Florida State was a surprisingly strong No. 8 Vanderbilt squad, who played the Seminoles to an impressive 3-3 extra-time draw before besting FSU 4-3 in penalty kicks. Commodore senior goalkeeper Sara Wojdelko, who only played 143 minutes across four matches all season, put in all 110 minutes of work on Friday, registering 14 saves plus two penalty stops to end FSU's stellar season. 

The 'Dores fell 3-1 to No. 4 Penn State in Sunday's third round, which also served upsets. The Hokies continued their trend by taking down No. 3 Iowa 1-0, and Stanford narrowly advanced past No. 2 Arkansas on penalties.

The second No. 1 seed to fall was Mississippi State, whose record-breaking season was halted by No. 4 Notre Dame in a 2-0 Sunday result that further cemented the ACC's dominance over the sport's other Power conferences.

How to watch the 2024 NCAA soccer tournament quarterfinals

The Elite Eight goes to work this weekend, with three quarterfinal matches kicking off on Friday. At 5 PM ET, No. 1 USC will face No. 2 Wake Forest for the first time since their lone meeting (a 2-1 Trojan loss) in 2002, while No. 3 Stanford takes on a No. 4 Notre Dame side that blasted the Cardinal 3-0 just last month.

Then at 6 PM ET, No. 2 UNC will contend with No. 4 Penn State, a program the Heels haven't defeated in over 10 years.

Two ACC teams who have yet to play each other this year will close out the round. No. 1 Duke, who haven't lost to No. 7 Virginia Tech since 2015, will look to book their 2024 College Cup ticket by ousting the Hokies at 6 PM ET on Saturday.

All 2024 NCAA soccer quarterfinal matches will stream live on ESPN+.

Star USWNT goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher announced her retirement from international play on Monday, with the vet set to hang up her boots after the team's upcoming friendlies against England and the Netherlands. Naeher's final game will fall on December 3rd — 10 years to the month after her 2014 first cap.

"When I began this journey, I never could have imagined where it would take me," Naeher wrote. "This has been a special team to be a part of and I am beyond proud of what we have achieved both on and off the field."

Naeher will continue playing professionally in the NWSL, recently inking a contract to stay in Chicago for an upcoming 10th season.

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One of the best to ever do it

With two World Cup titles, a gold and bronze Olympic medal, and 88 wins and 68 shutouts across her 113 caps, the 36-year-old exits as one of the best goalkeepers in USWNT history.

Naeher is also unmatched on the world stage. The only goalie nominated for the 2024 Ballon d'Or is also the first and only to record shutouts in both a World Cup final and Olympic gold-medal match. Even more, Naeher didn't concede a single goal throughout the 2024 Olympics knockout round, shutting down the world's best to help the USWNT secure gold.

Amidst her many achievements and skills, Naeher will likely be remembered for her quiet, reserved demeanor, her intensity, and her unparalleled ability to play penalty hero in some of the USWNT's biggest moments.

The PK specialist made key stops to send the US to the 2019 World Cup final and to eventually earn bronze in the 2021 Olympics. To date, she's the only US goalkeeper to record three saves in a penalty shootout.

Most impressively, Naeher is one of few keepers at the international level who will step to the spot herself. Earlier this year, she strung together a shootout series of saving a shot, burying her own, and immediately making another save, and she did it twice, just five weeks apart — in March's Concacaf W Gold Cup and April's 2024 SheBelieves Cup.

Future USWNT shotblockers

Naeher's retirement kicks off the hunt for a new starting keeper. Regulars Casey Murphy (NC Courage) and Jane Campbell (Houston Dash) are the likely frontrunners for the job, though neither will feature in the USWNT's final camp of 2024.

Currently in Europe alongside Naeher are Mandy Haught (Utah Royals), who earned her first cap in October, and first-time call-up Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United), who will both look to prove their worth to US boss Emma Hayes in Europe.

How to watch Alyssa Naeher's final USWNT matches

The goalkeeping great's last two matches in a USWNT kit begin with Saturday's battle against England at London's iconic Wembley Stadium at 12:20 PM ET.

After traveling to The Hague, Naeher's final US game will be against the Netherlands at 2:45 PM ET on December 3rd.

Both friendlies will air live on TNT.

On today's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins recaps another wonderful, wild NWSL Championship weekend, digging into the before, during, and after of Orlando’s historic win in the 2024 title game.

Watkins chats about the full experience in Kansas City, from industry events through the championship match. Focusing in on the pitch, Watkins breaks down Brazlian legend Marta's lore, the match's officiating, the big defense moments, and more before putting what was a record-breaking 2024 NWSL season to bed.

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.

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Headlining an NCAA basketball weekend rife with upsets, South Carolina lost for the first time since the 2023 Final Four on Sunday. The Gamecocks fell 77-62 to then-No. 5 UCLA, snapping a 43-game winning streak in the largest loss by an AP No. 1 team since 2020.

"I thought our kids fought, but we ran into a buzzsaw today," said South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley after the game.

After rocketing to a 43-22 lead at the half, UCLA's defense stepped up to combat the defending champions' second-half surge and secure the victory. The Bruins forced the Gamecocks to commit the same number of turnovers as assists at 13, all while out-rebounding them 41-34.

South Carolina guard Te-Hina Paopao led all scoring with 18 points, but UCLA put together a true team effort, with five Bruins draining double-digits in their first-ever program win over the Gamecocks.

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Notre Dame tips off the NCAA basketball upset party

Underdogs earned wins in both of the weekend's Top-10 matchups, with then-No. 6 Notre Dame defeating then-No. 3 USC 74-61 on Saturday.

Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo put together a game-leading performance of 24 points, eight assists, six rebounds, and five steals. Together with star teammate Olivia Miles, who added 20 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and three steals, the Irish quieted a stacked USC lineup featuring stars JuJu Watkins and Kiki Iriafen.

"Big-time player, big-time stage," said Fighting Irish head coach Nielle Ivey about Hidalgo. "Not at all shocked what she did today."

NCAA upsets shake up AP poll

Fueled by their historic win over 2024 champions South Carolina, UCLA claimed the No. 1 spot in Monday's AP Top 25 for the first time in school history. At the same time, the Gamecocks fell to No. 4 after holding the top position for 61 of the last 62 polls.

"We came here saying we want to be an elite basketball program and to be in that company as the 26th program ever to be a No. 1 team is significant," UCLA coach Cori Close commented after the AP standings were released. "I’m grateful."

Notre Dame and USC fully swapped their rankings after the Irish victory, entering Week 4 of the NCAA season at No. 3 and No. 6, respectively.

Elsewhere, stellar defense earned WNBA star Caitlin Clark's alma mater Iowa its AP poll season debut at No. 22 while state rival Iowa State suffered the largest rankings fall, plummeting seven spots to No. 15 after dropping 87-75 to unranked Northern Iowa last week.

While the bulk of college basketball's elite 25 teams saw minor one-spot shifts, No. 2 UConn was one of only four squads to hold steady, with the Huskies recently celebrating their program's sustained dominance behind the now-winningest NCAA basketball coach in history, Geno Auriemma.