After the 2022 NWSL season, free agents flooded the transfer market, as all six-year veterans became unrestricted in their ability to pursue new deals with teams. While the process will pay dividends for years to come, finalized deals have been slow to arrive as teams look toward the upcoming college draft and begin to put their rosters together.

A number of top veteran free agents re-signed with their current clubs, such as Christine Sinclair, Sophie Schmidt, Yuki Nagasato and Ifeoma Onumonu. Those moves were undeniably influenced by free agency, but not quite the splash announcements fans might have been expecting.

Gotham FC has been the only team so far to get deals with new players over the line, though their announcement of USWNT national Kelley O’Hara’s signing might have been slightly premature. They officially signed goalkeeper Abby Smith to shore up the position after the retirement of Ashlyn Harris. They also improved their defense with the signing of Kansas City standout Kristen Edmonds on Thursday.

Most teams are likely still negotiating with the free agents they had on their rosters in 2022 or are sitting back to evaluate the brand-new free-agency market. O’Hara’s announcement provided a welcome spark to the NWSL offseason, but other clubs have been slow to follow suit.

There is a wealth of talent still testing the waters, with a few notable names sticking out as players head toward the new year without deals in place.

Debinha, North Carolina Courage

It seems likely that Debinha will either come to contract terms with North Carolina or leave the NWSL entirely before moving to a different team in the league. Debinha has superstar talent as one of the best attacking midfielders in the world. Even with greater cap space and extended reserves of allocation money, there are few teams that can even afford to pursue the 31-year-old without radically shaking up the rosters they’ve already built. It would be amazing to see a home-run swing from another NWSL contender, but if Debinha wants to make a big money move, she might have to leave the U.S.

Teams that should be interested: All of them. Dark horse: Orlando (combined with re-signing Marta, who similarly might be looking outside the NWSL for her next adventure)

Morgan Gautrat, Chicago Red Stars

Gautrat has already told Chicago she won’t be returning in 2023, and she’ll have a number of teams interested in her services. NWSL teams aren’t always known for their midfield hold-up play, and a number of clubs could use a healthy Gautrat as a tempo-setter. The two-time World Champion was arguably Chicago’s most important player as the club made a run to the 2021 NWSL Championship, maintaining possession and influencing play off the ball when the Red Stars held their defensive shape. If teams are looking for a player who excels with and without the ball, Gautrat would be a savvy pick-up. The question mark might simply be the 29-year-old’s injury history, though she looked as good as ever when she returned to the field late in 2022.

Teams that should be interested: San Diego, Angel City, Gotham

Desiree Scott, Kansas City Current

“She better be signing a new [contract],” Kansas City midfielder Lo’eau Labonta said of teammate Scott after the 2022 NWSL Championship. The Current’s unlikely run to the final showcased just how many teams could use a player like the Canadian international. She’s an imposing defensive midfield presence and a proven locker-room leader who hasn’t seemed to miss a step in the 12th year of her professional career. Scott has been a part of the original FC Kansas City roster since 2013, and while the Current are poised for one of the best set-ups in the league, Scott might be interested in testing the waters. Kansas City could also view Alex Loera as her successor.

Teams that should be interested: Gotham, San Diego, Kansas City

Megan Rapinoe, OL Reign

Rapinoe has said she wants to stay in Seattle, and longtime coach Laura Harvey seems amenable to the idea, so the hold-up for the Reign might simply be coming to contract terms with one of the biggest stars in the sport. Rapinoe consistently had a place on the USWNT roster in 2022, with next year’s World Cup on the horizon, and she played a significant role in OL Reign’s surge to the NWSL Shield. The Reign, though, have a number of big stars on their roster, and figuring out a salary-optimizing one- or two-year deal might take some time.

Teams that should be interested: OL Reign — in getting the deal done

Tobin Heath, OL Reign

With Heath rehabbing from offseason surgery after another year riddled with injuries, the question surrounding her NWSL future has less to do with which teams would like to have a player of her experience and talent level, and more with what terms they’d be willing to offer her. Heath signed a one-year deal with the Reign upon her return to the league in 2022, and she’ll likely be looking at similar offers for 2023. Still, she remains one of the biggest names in women’s soccer, and teams might be waiting to see how the rest of free agency shakes out before putting together an offer that matches her stature.

Teams that should be interested: Angel City, San Diego, Orlando, Chicago

Katie Johnson, San Diego Wave

Katie Johnson has been something of an NWSL journeywoman in her career, playing for Seattle, Sky Blue, Chicago and most recently San Diego, who released her to pursue free agency. She can play both as an attacker and behind the front line, and she has a knack for connectivity that fits either a false No. 9 or No. 10 role. She scored a rocket for Chicago in the 2021 semifinals and was effective for San Diego before going down with an injury. She’s probably less effective off the bench than when given time to ease into a match, but she quietly provides value when on the pitch.

Teams that should be interested: Houston, Orlando, Louisville

Julie Ertz, Angel City

There still hasn’t been much information regarding Ertz’s interest in returning to the NWSL in 2023 (though she posted her most soccer-related piece of content in months this week), but USWNT January camp is rapidly approaching and could provide a tip in either direction. What messaging Ertz gets from the U.S. as the team prepares for the 2023 World Cup might convince her to make her way back, at which point she’ll have her pick of teams willing to make an offer to add her to their midfield.

Teams that should be interested: Angel City, Chicago, San Diego, Kansas City, Gotham

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 share, 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.