The NWSL announced the list of draft-eligible players for Saturday’s event, and as a result, the second and final mock draft looks very different from our first edition last week.

Florida State’s Jaelin Howell is still expected to go No. 1 overall after she officially declared for the draft, but she’s the only player from the 2021 national champions making the jump at this time. Several other NCAA stars from the fall season are either returning for their extra year of eligibility or keeping their name out of the draft.

Before the College Draft kicks off at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, here is the second and final NWSL first-round mock draft for Just Women’s Sports.

1. San Diego Wave FC

Jaelin Howell, M, Florida State

Howell wrapped up a decorated college career at Florida State with a second national championship and First Team All-American honor as a senior. The 2020 MAC Hermann Trophy winner started 21 games this year as a holding midfielder, leading a group that recorded 23 shutouts and adding two goals and four assists (not to mention the game-winner in the NCAA semifinals). She should compete for minutes right away with the expansion club.

2. Racing Louisville FC

Naomi Girma, D, Stanford

The three-year Stanford captain would bring immediate steadiness and leadership to Racing Louisville’s backline. Girma has the skill level and experience to help a young Louisville team that gave up 40 goals last season, the most in the NWSL. The two-time Pac-12 Defender of the Year won a national championship with Stanford in 2019 and has been a part of the U.S. youth system for years, serving as captain of the U20 team and winning the U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year award in 2020.

3. North Carolina Courage

Mia Fishel, F, UCLA

Declaring early for the draft, Fishel wrapped up her junior season at UCLA with back-to-back United Soccer Coaches All-American honors. In 59 games, she scored 32 goals and added 14 assists, moving into the Bruins’ top 10 all-time goal scorers in just three seasons. With the No. 3 pick, the Courage can add a young player with upside who can develop behind returning attackers Lynn Williams, Amy Rodriguez and Jessica McDonald.

4. Racing Louisville FC

Emily Gray, M, Virginia Tech

With several top-end players heading back to school, Gray becomes one of the best midfield prospects available. She had an excellent senior season this fall, scoring 12 goals and adding eight assists for the Hokies, meaning she was involved in nearly half of her team’s goals. While she may not provide that kind of attacking punch at the pro level, Gray’s ability to connect through the midfield makes her a good fit for Louisville.

5. Orlando Pride

Sydny Nasello, F, South Florida

After the Pride hired Amanda Cromwell from the college ranks, what they do with their first-round draft pick is going to be fascinating to watch. While Nasello is no replacement for Alex Morgan, she’s a wide attacker who can play along flank and she improves the team’s depth across the forward line. Coming from USF, she’ll be a known commodity to Orlando’s technical staff.

6. Houston Dash

Diana Ordoñez, F, Virginia

Ordoñez announced in late November that she would forgo her final year of college eligibility and declare for the NWSL Draft as a junior. Her stock might never be higher after she finished the 2021 season second in the NCAA with 18 goals and first with eight game-winning goals, earning her the ACC Offensive Player of the Year award and a First Team All-American nod. A Houston team that just missed out on the playoffs in 2021 could use Ordoñez’s scoring punch. It would also be a homecoming of sorts for the Texas native.

7. North Carolina Courage

Caitlin Cosme, CB, Duke

As an anchor for one of the top defenses in the country this fall, Cosme capped an excellent career in Durham by leading the team in minutes played with 1,829 and scoring three goals. Listed at 5-foot-5, she plays bigger than her size and has the versatility to play on the flanks or as a defensive midfielder if not centrally.

8. NJ/NY Gotham FC

Sydney Cummings, CB, Georgetown

After a decorated career at Brown, Cummings transferred to Georgetown and was the Big East Defender of the Year this past season. She helped lead one of the best defenses in the country and has the skills and ability to slot into Gotham’s competitive backline. As a bonus, she’s a local product from New Jersey.

9. San Diego Wave FC

Raleigh Loughman, CM, Michigan

The San Diego native makes a lot of sense for the expansion club’s ninth pick. Loughman enjoyed a stellar fall season in front of goal, scoring nine goals and adding nine assists on a talented Michigan team. The lone player from the squad to declare for the draft, Loughman will likely fill a depth role at the next level. Her ability to cope with the defensive and possession responsibilities with her new team will determine her success, but she has the quality to make it happen.

10. OL Reign

Savannah DeMelo, CM, USC

After suffering an Achilles tear and missing the 2019 season, DeMelo returned for both the spring and fall campaigns this year, playing a total of 34 matches in 2021. Primarily an attacking midfielder, she can also play out on the left or in a deeper role. This past fall, USC deployed her in a variety of ways, including as a striker. Carving out a clear role and playing for a team that values the ball will be important for her chances as a pro, and she would be a good fit in the Pacific Northwest.

11. Chicago Red Stars

Julie Doyle, F, Santa Clara

While Doyle didn’t play the fall season after using her final year of eligibility in the spring, she’s included on the draft list and is a strong candidate to go in the first round. She spent the fall training and playing in England and is a forward who can play either on the wing or underneath a lone striker. The Red Stars can add a quality player here with the ability to step in immediately and compete for minutes.

12. Kansas City Current

Izzy Rodriguez, LB, Ohio State

There’s no such thing as too much outside back depth, and with plenty already on the roster, the Current can go in a number of different directions to close out the first round. Rodriguez was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in the spring, wrapping up her career in Columbus with 88 appearances. If she can handle the jump in attacking quality out wide, she’s a very solid backup to Hailie Mace on the left side. A case could be made to even try her centrally as a left center back.

Travis Clark is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports, covering college soccer and the NWSL Draft. He is also the Director of Content at Top Drawer Soccer. Follow him on Twitter @travismclark.

The WNBA is back in action on Tuesday night, as the Indiana Fever and Seattle Storm headline a series of games that could make or break the current trajectories of several 2025 title contenders.

Seeking an especially strong Tuesday performance is the Fever, as Indiana tries to snap a two-game losing streak against the increasingly confident Storm.

"There are going to be stretches that are really good and there's going to be stretches that aren't as good," Fever guard Caitlin Clark said on Sunday, addressing her recent shooting slump.

While the Indiana and Seattle clash will lead the Tuesday charge, the night will also see young squads sizing up WNBA juggernauts as bottom-table teams look for a leg up:

• No. 8 Indiana Fever vs. No. 5 Seattle Storm, 10 PM ET (NBA TV): The Fever need a win against a Storm side that can't seem to lose, as both teams eye the postseason.

• No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 9 Washington Mystics, 8 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The up-and-coming Mystics will attempt to hand the Lynx a second season loss, as Minnesota star Napheesa Collier remains day-to-day with lower back stiffness.

• No. 4 Atlanta Dream vs. No. 12 Dallas Wings, 8 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The Dream are on a tear, surging up the standings as the struggling Wings attempt to take flight.

• No. 10 LA Sparks vs. No. 11 Chicago Sky, 8 PM ET (NBA TV): The Sparks have cooled after a hot start while the Sky has yet to rev up, with both teams aiming to end a three-game losing streak on Tuesday night.

Teams across the league are hoping to make the most of every minute while also managing injury concerns and absences as the WNBA All-Star break looms.

The WNBA Class of 2025 is already making its mark on the league, with first-year players stepping up and showing out while the Rookie of the Year race — and betting odds — heat up.

No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers has been just as good as advertised, with the Dallas Wings guard leading her class in both minutes played and points per game while also charting league-wide in assists per game, steals per game, and mid-range shots made.

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DraftKings currently has Bueckers as the clear WNBA Rookie of the Year race frontrunner at -1,000, though the dynamic DC duo of guard Sonia Citron (+1,500) and forward Kiki Iriafen (+1,000) are quickly gaining traction.

Iriafen won May's WNBA Rookie of the Month award after a series of career-opening double-doubles, while her Washington Mystics teammate Citron has continued to execute in the clutch — most recently posting a career-high double-double performance of 27 points and 11 rebounds in last Sunday's 91-88 overtime win over Dallas.

"Not only is [Iriafen] holding her own, she's excelling," Citron told JWS earlier this month. "And seeing that is just incredible."

"Soni just does all the little things," Iriafen added. "She doesn't shortcut anything, she's doing the fundamentals, she doesn't cheat the game at all."

Though the NWSL hit the pause button this week, players worldwide are still on the move, as both European and US soccer teams use the midseason break to sharpen their lineups with international signings.

The NWSL has already seen one major departure, with the San Diego Wave announcing Monday that forward María Sánchez will return to her former Liga MX club UANL Tigres after nearly five years in the NWSL, with the Wave set to receive an undisclosed transfer fee in return.

"When the opportunity came to return to Tigres, I had to do a lot of inner searching, and I ultimately decided that returning to Liga MX Femenil and Tigres specifically was the best course of action for my career," the 29-year-old dual citizen and Mexico international player said in the Wave's release.

NWSL clubs are also setting their sights on European free agents, with the Washington Spirit bringing in Juventus forward Sofia Cantore last week — the first Italian signing in league history.

Also hopping aboard the player transaction carousel is new WSL side London City, with the top-flight debutantes inking OL Lyonnes midfielder and Dutch international Daniëlle van de Donk on Friday.

Meanwhile, van de Donk's wife and club teammate Ellie Carpenter is also potentially WSL-bound, with the defender reportedly nearing a deal that would see the Australian join Chelsea FC in return for the Blues sending Canadian international Ashley Lawrence to OL Lyonnes.

For their part, OL Lyonnes picked up defender Ingrid Engen from Barcelona as a free agent last week, adding the Norwegian international after snagging French forward and PSG's all-time leading scorer Marie-Antoinette Katoto earlier this month.

With the most recent NWSL CBA abolishing traditional trade windows, expect even more international signings and roster reshufflings before the league resumes play on August 1st.

San Diego is paying tribute to one of their own, with the Wave announcing plans to retire the No. 13 jersey of NWSL and USWNT legend Alex Morgan on September 7th.

Still topping the team's all-time scoring leaderboard with 23 goals in just over two seasons with San Diego, the retired club captain will be the first-ever Wave player to receive the prestigious honor.

Morgan also led San Diego to the 2023 NWSL Shield as well as postseason appearances in the 2022 expansion club's first two seasons.

"Alex's legacy goes far beyond goals and accolades. She helped lay the foundation for this club and elevated the standard for what women's soccer is today," said Wave FC governor Lauren Leichtman in the team's Tuesday announcement.

"She made this city her home, inspired our fans and community, and helped define who we are," Leichtman continued. "Her impact will be felt for generations, and it's only fitting that her number becomes a permanent part of Wave FC history." 

Morgan joined the Southern California squad's ownership group just last month, saying "San Diego is where I've built my home, where I am raising my children, and found a purpose beyond my playing career."

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How to attend the San Diego jersey retirement of Alex Morgan

San Diego will officially retire Morgan's No. 13 jersey during their home match against the Houston Dash at 8 PM ET on September 7th.

Tickets to the game will go on sale to the general public online at 6 PM ET on Tuesday.