The NWSL playoffs are here, and with them comes a whole new season. The slate has been wiped clean, and the championship is there for the taking.

While some clubs — namely the top two seeds, OL Reign and the Portland Thorns — surged into the postseason, other clubs have reason to worry. Take the San Diego Wave, who are closely monitoring Golden Boot winner Alex Morgan’s knee injury ahead of their first-round match.

Morgan is just one of many players to watch as the road to the title begins, and Just Women’s Sports highlights one from each team, listed in order of playoff seeding.

1. OL Reign: Phallon Tullis-Joyce

The goalkeeper enters the playoffs having recorded a clean sheet in each of her team’s past three matches, including against the Houston Dash on Sept. 24.

Her first year as the starting goalkeeper for OL Reign has been nothing short of outstanding, with Tullis-Joyce playing all 1,980 minutes of the season as one of just two goalkeepers to play every minute for their team.

She has recorded nine clean sheets through 22 games and made 65 saves, allowing a league-low 19 goals all season long (Wave keeper Kailen Sheridan allowed just 17 goals but played in just 18 games). Tullis-Joyce also ranks first in save percentage (81 percent) and goals against average for every 90 minutes (0.86).

2. Portland Thorns FC: Sophia Smith

It’s hard to pick just one player to watch at Portland. But Smith stands out amongst the rest, having notched four braces this season (including one in the regular-season finale against Gotham FC) to bring her goal total to 14 on the season. Not only is that the most of Smith’s career in a single season, it also set the Portland franchise record.

With her 14 goals, Smith now has 21 in her career through just two seasons and is fourth all-time on the Thorns’ list behind Christine Sinclair (55 goals), Allie Long (30) and Lindsey Horan (25).

3. San Diego Wave FC: Alex Morgan

Morgan might be the most important player to take the field for the Wave in the playoffs — if she makes it there. She described her knee injury Friday as “day-to-day,” and her availability remains up in the air heading into the Wave’s postseason opener Sunday against the Red Stars.

“I’m trying my best to be available for Sunday but it really is day-to-day at this moment,” Morgan said Friday. “As much as I’m hopeful, I can’t really set expectations because my body really needs to tell myself and this club whether I’ll be ready to go.”

The Wave will be without defender Abby Dahlkemper, and midfielder Taylor Kornieck is also “questionable” for Sunday, according to coach Casey Stoney, so Morgan’s status holds even greater importance for San Diego. Not only did she score 15 goals this season, she also has veteran experience that the first-year expansion team will need heading into their first-ever playoffs.

San Diego has defied expectations all season long, as has Morgan. If her knee can hold up, look for Morgan to factor heavily into these playoffs.

4. Houston Dash: Ebony Salmon

Since arriving in Houston from Louisville, Salmon has made her mark. She scored a hat trick in just her third game with the club and went on to record nine goals on the season through 12 games. That number left her just two shy of Kealia Ohai Watt’s team record of 11.

Houston will be without longtime captain and veteran Rachel Daly, who departed for Aston Villa following the Euros this summer. But the Dash have been able to find ways to win, and they’ll look to get their first playoff win Sunday in their first playoff appearance.

5. Kansas City Current: Lo’eau LaBonta

LaBonta’s career-best season put an exclamation point on Kansas City’s second season, which included a 13-game unbeaten streak. LaBonta tied with Cece Kizer for a team-leading seven goals, which showcases just how balanced this Current team is. The midfielder also added four assists, the most of any player on the team.

Head coach Matt Potter calls her the team’s “engine,” and with her they might have a shot at securing the NWSL title.

6. Chicago Red Stars: Tatumn Milazzo

While Mallory Pugh is certainly another player to watch, Milazzo has been an instrumental part of the team’s backline. Not only does she lead the league in interceptions (50), she also is tied for fourth with teammate Vanessa DiBernardo for the most tackles won (41).

Cameron Brink already has her rookie of the year pick for the upcoming WNBA season, and it’s Indiana-bound star Caitlin Clark. 

In the latest edition of Kelley on the Street, host Kelley O'Hara caught up with Brink in New York hours before the Stanford phenom went No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks at the 2024 WNBA Draft. When O’Hara asked who would win the WNBA's rookie of the year, she answered without pause.

"Caitlin Clark," she said, while a fan commented that she thought Brink would take home the award. Brink later added that the extra foul granted to WNBA players will be "good for me."

"I hope it’s me," Charisma Osborne, who was later drafted by the Phoenix Mercury, said when asked her ROY prediction. "But, I don’t know — we’ll see."

Watch more of Kelley on the Street:

Maria Sanchez issued a statement on Thursday, confirming recent reports that she has requested a trade from the Houston Dash. 

In it, she revealed that the club has been aware of the request "since late March."

"This has all taken a toll and isn’t an easy thing to talk about, but I want to confirm that I’ve requested an immediate trade," she wrote. "My expectations and reasons have been clear. I trust that my current club’s management will honor my decision in a timely manner and proceed with accepting a trade."

"I’m eager to refocus and dive back into what I love most: playing football," she concluded.

Thank you, everyone, for the outpouring of kindness and support. pic.twitter.com/gcnN7dhCJU

— Maria Sanchez (@Maria17_7) April 19, 2024

Reports of Sanchez's trade request first surfaced on ESPN last week, and were later confirmed by multiple sources. 

In December of last year, Sanchez signed a three-year contract with the Dash valued at $1.5 million including bonuses and an option year. It was the largest contract in NWSL history at the time — a figure that would be eclipsed by multiple contracts in the following months. 

Sanchez spent the offseason as a restricted free agent, meaning that Houston could match any other team's offer to retain her rights. Should the Dash trade Sanchez, her current contract terms would remain intact, limiting potential buyers to teams able to afford to take on an inking of that size.

The Dash has yet to address the trade, instead reiterating to ESPN that Sanchez is "under contract, a choice she made in free agency at the end of 2023." 

Both the NWSL trade window and transfer window close tonight, April 19th, at 12 a.m. ET. The window will stay closed through the next 11 regular season games, reopening on August 1st, 2024.

The four-time league champion Seattle Storm unveiled their new practice facility on Thursday, with Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel dubbing Interbay's Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance the team’s "new home."

"It's just such a special space," Brummel told Fox 13 Seattle. "I think when the players get here, it's gonna be overwhelming."

The sprawling 50,000-square-foot, $64 million property is just the second designated practice facility to be designed and built expressly for a WNBA team, with the Storm further noting that 85% of all design and engineering team members involved in the project's construction were women and people of color. The finished product holds two professional indoor courts, two 3x3 outdoor courts, a state-of-the-art locker room, and players' lounge, plus designated areas for strength and conditioning, kitchen, dining, and nutrition, and recovery. 

"This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance," said Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder in an official team release. "It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports."

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For their part, the team can't wait to make the faciilty their own.

"It's amazing," Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Fox 13. "Not having to drive everywhere around, knowing you have access anytime of the day to get into the gym, to workout." 

Head coach Noelle Quinn said she predicts the team is "never going to leave this building."

"Which is a good thing for me," she continued. "You talk about having an edge in performance. We want our athletes to not only perform on the court, but get whatever they need."

All of the Storm's staff and operations will now live under one roof, and the team also has plans to launch a youth basketball program operating out of the building.

The Caitlin Clark effect is quickly making its mark on the big leagues, as WNBA host teams around the country rush to upgrade their Fever games to larger arenas in order to accommodate surging ticket sales.

With Clark mere weeks away from her Indiana Fever debut, both the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have officially relocated their scheduled home games with head coach Christie Sides' squad. On Thursday, the Mystics became the latest to adjust their plans, moving their June 7th matchup from Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southwest DC to the more centrally located — and much larger — Capital One Arena "due to unprecedented demand."

The Mystics home court's capacity taps out at 4,200, while Capital One Arena — home to the Wizards, Capitals, and Georgetown Hoya's Men's Basketball — can fit nearly five times that crowd at some 20,000 spectators.

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"The move to Capital One Arena will allow for additional fans in the stands as well as premium hospitality options, including Suites and the all-new all-inclusive courtside Hennessy Lofts," the team announced via Thursday's press release.

The Aces were one of the first teams to switch venues, aiming to take on the Indiana Fever in front of as many as 20,000 fans inside T-Mobile Arena on July 2nd. That’s a sizable a boost from their home venue, which holds just 12,000.

For those still planning to face the Fever in their home arenas, ticket prices have skyrocketed. Previously scheduled construction has already forced the LA Sparks to relocate their first five games — including their May 24th clash with the Fever — to Long Beach State's Walter Pyramid. The temporary venue is quite the downsize, holding just 4,000 in comparison to Crypto.com Arena's near-19,000. As of Friday, the get-in price for that game started around $400.

Despite fans launching a Change.org petition urging relocation, the Chicago Sky say they're unable to move their June 23rd Fever meeting from Wintrust Arena's 10,000-seat facility to the 23,500-seat United Center due to a concert. Tickets for that game start around $325 as of Friday.