All Scores

NWSL kits for 2023: Ranking the styles from worst to best

(Photos courtesy of Angel City FC, Chicago Red Stars and Portland Thorns)

The NWSL season kicked off this weekend, and many teams debuted new kits (or new spins on their existing kits) ahead of their opening matches.

While this year’s new batch of kits display a disappointing lack of color, teams did show off intriguing (and polarizing) creative choices. But which team did it best? Just Women’s Sports lays out our 2023 kit rankings.


12. Washington Spirit

The Washington Spirit are in the process of rebranding, and that includes the team’s new kits for the 2023 season.

While the iridescent logo is cool, all-black and all-white kits leave much to be desired. And while black-and-white wardrobes are all the rage in fashion, we’ll miss the color that the Spirit always brought to the field.

The only thing that could possibly improve the Spirit’s ranking is a cherry blossom-inspired kit, which has long been a wish of editor Kate Yanchulis.

11. San Diego Wave FC

San Diego did not move up a spot in this year’s rankings simply because its new kit isn’t exactly new. The Wave have gotten rid of the detailing last year’s kit had on the sleeve and got for a straight navy home kit. The away kit is all white, which is certainly a choice.

While both kits feature cool detailing in the texture, a lack of color differentiation makes it difficult to see. Once again, the Wave failed to live up to the potential of their crest, which is disappointing as they have one of the best colorways in the league.

10. North Carolina Courage

Very little has changed from last year’s kits, save for the fact that the Courage have now gone with an all-white away colorway with a “ghosted” crest that features a light blue outline. While they’re now on the very short list of colorful NWSL teams, the refresh still leaves something to be desired.

9. Houston Dash

The Dash get a point for their new Estrella Kit, which is a vibrant orange color, especially in a year when teams are turning to black-and-white colorways. But unfortunately, the orange kit doesn’t stand out as much as one might like.

The design is a bit bland, although the orange accents on black shorts are a nice touch. And while orange is the Dash’s color, it wouldn’t hurt to be a little bit more adventurous, would it?

8. Kansas City Current

Kansas City offered up a refresh on its secondary kit with the “Ice Kit,” which is a white jersey paired with teal shorts and socks. It’s fresh, colorful and brings something different to the NWSL lineup with the teal shorts. But the white jerseys are exactly that: white, without much added excitement.

7. Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride get bumped up in this year’s rankings due to their revamp of their Luna Kit. While not a fully new kit, the numbers on the backs of the jerseys have been updated to black so that fans can more easily identify players on the field.

Also, the Pride get major prop points for changing to dark shorts to make the kits more comfortable for players during their periods. While it’s a small change, it’s a huge moment for inclusivity and accessibility. Plus, the black, gray and white look sleek.

6. OL Reign

OL Reign revealed their new “Purpose” kit, which features two-toned blue psychedelic-style print and red accents. The change is fitting for the Reign, and it offers a refreshing update to their home kit.

Plus, the video reveal was one of the better ones we’ve seen this season.

5. Gotham FC

Gotham get style points simply for the fact that they didn’t reveal their new kit for this year, EA Sports did, via NWSL gameplay announcement. And while this kit maintains black elements, Gotham’s trademark Sky Blue is sprinkled throughout in a fun way.

Overall, this kit is fun and includes color – something that a lot of other kits seem to be lacking this season. Plus, we get to see Kelley O’Hara and Lynn Williams play in it. Sounds like a win.

4. Portland Thorns FC

What can I say? I’m a 2000s kid who was raised on Ed Hardy. You either hate this kit or you love it, and I love it. Not only does it pay homage to the Thorns and their city, but it brings something different to this year’s kit lineup.

First stop, NWSL championship. Next stop, MTV.

3. Angel City FC

When considering last year’s away kit, this year’s seems decidedly less exciting. But the pops of pink help. The team once again opting to hone in on their home city of LA, this time by showcasing it on the front of the kit, is a cool touch. The Volemos on the back of the kit, accompanied by a gray to white ombré, is different from other teams’ kits.

The gray shorts to go along with the jersey isn’t the most exciting choice. Pink or black shorts might have elevated and helped to counteract the blandness of the gray color on the jersey.

2. Racing Louisville FC

Since their inception, Racing Louisville has not missed on a kit release. The mint kit was a joyous addition to the NWSL lineup, following home kits that were one of the best expansion kits the league has ever seen.

They once again hit the mark with the Houndstooth Kit, meant to honor Penny Chenery, the owner of Secretariat, 50 years after the colt’s Triple Crown run.

It’s fitting for Louisville, which is home to the Kentucky Derby, and is meant as a “celebration of pioneering women.” While the fleur-de-lis kit will always hold a special place amongst the NWSL kit ranks, this refresh means a lot and looks good. It also breaks up the trend of black jerseys that has plagued the league this season, with Racing opting to go all-purple with a mint logo.

1. Chicago Red Stars

The Chicago Red Stars stay winning with the kit game, releasing their new “Foundation” kit, which once again pays homage to the city of Chicago and its architecture. These might not just be the best uniforms in the NWSL, but also top the list when it comes to Chicago teams as well.

Not to mention, the kit is meant to signify the club’s new beginning as they work toward new ownership.

“The stars represent the bedrock of the foundational framework being laid as we prepare to enter a new chapter for the club,” the Red Stars wrote in a statement.

Other teams should take note of the ways in which the Red Stars lean into their city’s unique features. (Although, to be fair, no city does it quite like Chicago, which is probably why the Cubs’ City Connect jerseys were such a disappointment.) Home to some of the best architectural elements in the world, that the Red Stars continuously look to the skies and the city for their kit inspiration keeps them at the top of the league in this year’s rankings.

Big Ten Underdogs Aim for Sweet 16 Upsets in 2025 NCAA Volleyball Tournament

A general view of the Stanford's Maples Pavilion before a 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament game.
No. 2-seed Stanford will face No. 3-seed Wisconsin in the Sweet Sixteen round of the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament. (Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

With half of the Elite Eight now set, a few Big Ten underdogs still have a shot at disrupting the No. 1 seed stronghold at the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament this weekend.

The No. 3-seed Purdue Boilermakers are through to the quarterfinals after defeating No. 2-seed SMU 3-1 on Thursday, while the No. 4-seed Indiana Hoosiers, No. 3 seed-Wisconsin Badgers, and the still-undefeated overall No. 1 seed Nebraska Cornhuskers all face stiff Sweet Sixteen competition on Friday afternoon.

Coming off a strong regular season, the Big Ten could still field half of the quarterfinal round — though that would require the first No. 1-seed upset of the 2025 national tournament in the form of an Indiana victory over top-seeded Texas.

Bolstered by their defensive leader, senior middle blocker Madi Sell, the Hoosiers booked just their second-ever Sweet Sixteen trip with last week's win over No. 5 Colorado, with Indiana now hoping their lucky run continues against the 2022 and 2023 champion Longhorns.

Meanwhile, the No. 1 Huskers will look to keep rolling against No. 4-seed Kansas while the No. 3 Badgers aim to snag another Big Ten spot in the Elite Eight by ousting No. 2-seed Stanford on Friday.

How to watch the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament this weekend

The NCAA volleyball tournament's Sweet Sixteen action will wrap with four games on Friday, starting with No. 1 Texas vs. No. 4 Indiana at 12 PM ET.

The Elite Eight will then meet at the net on Saturday and Sunday to determine the last-standing teams heading to next week's Final Four in Kansas City.

All of this weekend's NCAA tournament games will air live across ESPN platforms.

Team USA Eyes 2025 Rivalry Series Sweep Against Canada Women’s Hockey

Team USA hockey players Britta Curl-Salemme, Cayla Barnes, Abbey Murphy, and Hannah Bilka celebrate a goal during the third game of the 2025 Rivalry Series against Canada.
The USA has taken a commanding 3-0 lead in the four-game 2025 Rivalry Series against Team Canada. (Leila Devlin/Getty Images)

Team USA is on a roll, officially taking the four-game 2025 Rivalry Series against Canada before the slate of friendlies is even over, with the US collecting three consecutive wins so far — and one shot left at making it a clean sweep.

The US downed their northern neighbors by a commanding 10-4 scoreline in Edmonton on Wednesday, marking Team USA's first-ever 10-goal victory against the reigning Olympic champs — all while upping the 2025 series' goal tally to 20-6.

While each team fine-tunes rosters ahead of the 2026 Olympics, one test remains for both international hockey titans before the Winter Games take the ice in February.

"The work doesn't stop. Our Olympic team is not named. There's still one more game to go," said USA captain Kendall Coyne Schofield, acknowledging that her squad is not taking their foot off the gas despite the recent lopsided results.

"We have one more game against them before the Olympics," echoed Canada captain Marie-Philip Poulin. "We're all aware of that."

How to watch Team USA vs. Canada in the 2025 Rivalry Series

The puck drops on the final match of the sixth annual hockey Rivalry Series between the USA and Canada in Edmonton, Alberta, on Saturday.

Live coverage of the clash will begin at 9 PM ET on the NHL Network.

Nations League Win Keeps Spain at No. 1 in Latest FIFA Women’s Soccer Rankings

Spain players celebrate with attacker Vicky López after her goal during the 2025 Nations League final
Spain earned their second straight Nations League title earlier this month. (Diego Souto/Getty Images)

The latest FIFA women's soccer rankings dropped on Thursday, with Spain widening their lead at No. 1 after winning a second consecutive UEFA Nations League title earlier this month.

The USWNT held steady at No. 2, ceding 7.48 points after losing an October friendly to No. 22 Portugal before going on to secure four straight wins over Portugal, No. 35 New Zealand, and No. 13 Italy to close out 2025.

Elsewhere in the FIFA Top 10, No. 3 Germany and No. 6 Brazil both saw boosts after successful fall runs, while Canada skidded to No. 10 amid a recent five-match winless streak, with Les Rouges's last victory coming against No. 43 Costa Rica last June.

The biggest changes, however, occurred outside the top ranks, as No. 96 Nicaragua, No. 118 Burkina Faso, and No. 137 American Samoa all rose by 16 spots.

Notably, upcoming USWNT opponent Paraguay saw the largest drop in this month's Top 50, sliding five spots to No. 46.

Ultimately, as the USWNT battled to keep pace in a year of roster experimentation — and without a major competition on the team's 2025 docket — the many international competitions in Europe benefitted victors and challenged losers in this week's FIFA rankings update.

No. 16 USC Hosts No. 1 UConn in NCAA Basketball Weekend Headliner

USC senior guard Kara Dunn high-fives freshman Jazzy Davidson during a 2025/26 NCAA basketball game.
USC earned their second ranked win of the 2025/26 NCAA basketball season against No. 20 Washington last weekend. (Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The No. 16 USC Trojans are gearing up for another top-ranked test, hosting the reigning national champion No. 1 UConn Huskies in the weekend's flashiest NCAA women's basketball matchup on Saturday.

Coming off their second ranked win of the season, USC topped No. 20 Washington 59-50 last Sunday, with 22 points and 12 rebounds from freshman Jazzy Davidson helping pull the Trojans to a 7-2 record.

"I saw a resolve in our team," said head coach Lindsay Gottlieb afterwards. "I knew we could get the next stop, I knew we could get the next play."

USC will face a particularly familiar foe against the Huskies — this time without sidelined star junior JuJu Watkins — after UConn knocked the Trojans out of the NCAA tournament two years in a row.

Notably, sophomore guard Kayleigh Heckel departed USC over the summer for the Huskies, with the former Trojan averaging 7.7 points per game entering Saturday's clash with her old team.

"I just try to take one game at a time, but I'm excited to go back," Heckel said ahead of her first trip back to LA since transferring. "I had a great freshman year there, and I learned a lot, and it was a great experience, a lot of fond memories. So I'm looking forward to it."

How to watch No. 1 UConn vs. No. 16 USC on Saturday

The Trojans will host the Huskies with tip-off set for 5:30 PM ET on Saturday.

Live coverage of the clash will air on FOX.