Through all the challenges of the 2021 NWSL season, the play on the field reached new heights in the league’s ninth year, ending in a playoff race that came down to the wire this past weekend.

While the competition was strong across the board, a handful of players (and a coach) stood out above the rest for their individual performances and the value they brought to their teams.

Before the NWSL kicks off the postseason on Sunday, Just Women’s Sports is handing out end-of-season awards, from the individual honors to the Best XI.

Coach of the Year: Laura Harvey, OL Reign

Laura Harvey has only been with OL Reign since August, but in her short stint with the team, she’s made a big impact.

Harvey officially returned to OL Reign as the club’s head coach on July 15 after Farid Benstiti resigned from his post on July 2. It was later reported that the club had asked Benstiti to step down following player accounts of verbal abuse. Harvey previously served as head coach of OL Reign (previously known as Seattle Reign FC) from 2013 to 2017, winning Coach of the Year twice during her tenure.

Since July, Harvey has effectively steered OL Reign in their post-Olympic playoff push. After the club fell to Kansas City in her Aug. 14 debut, Harvey led OL Reign on an eight-game undefeated streak. With an influx of European talent, as well as American stars Rose Lavelle and Megan Rapinoe returning from Tokyo, Harvey has successfully managed a convergence of new players. One of Harvey’s most fruitful endeavors was the decision to move Sofia Huerta from midfield to outside back. The 28-year-old finished the regular season leading the league with six assists.

With Harvey at the helm, OL Reign is primed to make a deep run in the NWSL playoffs after finishing the regular season second in the standings and securing an automatic semifinal bid.

Rookie of the Year: Trinity Rodman, Washington Spirit

Trinity Rodman has taken the NWSL by storm, executing some of the league’s most exciting plays in her rookie season, including a must-see assist against Racing Louisville. The second overall pick of the Washington Spirit in January, Rodman became the youngest player ever drafted to the NWSL at 18 years old. Before taking the pitch, Rodman had to manage the hype surrounding her debut season. She not only met but exceeded those sky-high expectations for the No. 3 Spirit.

With five goals and a league-lead tying six assists, Rodman has emerged as a pillar of the Spirit’s offense alongside Ashley Hatch. The rookie attacker has shown a consistent ability to stretch opponents’ backlines and exploit space like a seasoned veteran. After leading Washington to a playoff berth, Rodman’s meteoric rise may very well include a run at the NWSL trophy.

Most Valuable Player: Ashley Hatch, Washington Spirit

With a league-high ten goals on the season, Ashley Hatch earned her first-ever Golden Boot award this week, beating out Bethany Balcer, Rachel Daly and Midge Purce for the honor. Hatch’s performance is even more impressive given the off-field turmoil she and the Washington Spirit have endured throughout the season.

Rocked by reports of verbal and emotional abuse in August, an investigation into former coach Richie Burke’s behavior led to him being fired for cause. Several front office resignations and a player-led campaign to get owner Steve Baldwin to sell the team to co-owner Y. Michele Kang followed. On top of all that, the Spirit were forced to forfeit two regular-season games after a breach in COVID-19 protocols. Working against mounting adversity, Hatch and the Spirit still managed to come within striking distance of the No. 2 seed, finishing third in the NWSL standings and earning a meeting with the North Carolina Courage in Sunday’s quarterfinal.

While the NWSL was filled with impactful individual performances this season, Hatch gets the nod for her prolific offense on a team that had every reason to fold.

NWSL Best XI

GK — Ashlyn Harris, Orlando Pride

Ashlyn Harris has had a banner season, surpassing the NWSL career saves record of 468 to become the league’s all-time saves leader. Casey Murphy had a strong run for the Courage, but Harris’ three saves from the spot for Orlando puts her over the top.

D — Carson Pickett, North Carolina Courage

Carson Pickett had a breakout season in her first year with the Courage, notching five assists in 23 starts. The 28-year-old owned the flanks for North Carolina, delivering 27 successful crosses during the regular season.

D — Meghan Klingenberg, Portland Thorns

Meghan Klingenberg has been an anchor for the Thorns on and off the pitch, acting as a leader on a team filled with veteran talent. Holding down the backline, Klingenberg led the team to 13 wins and 13 clean sheets, which set a new NWSL record for most shutouts in a single season.

D — Caprice Dydasco, Gotham FC

Caprice Dydasco has been the centerpiece of Gotham FC’s backline this year, playing an essential role on both sides of the ball. The 28-year-old has helped the club’s defense earn its bend-but-don’t-break reputation while also playing a big role in Gotham’s attack. With five assists and a goal on the season, Dydasco is one of the most productive outside backs in the league.

D — Sarah Gorden, Chicago Red Stars

Sarah Gorden made history this season, becoming the Chicago Red Stars’ first-ever Iron Woman by playing every minute of the regular season. In 2,160 minutes on the pitch, Gorden amassed an 86.7 percent successful tackle rate as the anchor of Chicago’s defense.

M — Sofia Huerta, OL Reign

Sofia Huerta ended the regular season tied for the league lead in assists with six. The 28-year-old started 2021 playing further up the pitch, but coach Laura Harvey has since moved Huerta to the right back position, where she has been thriving. Whether she is in the midfield or on the backline, Huerta is the key to OL Reign’s attack, whipping in crosses from the flanks with technical precision.

M — Jess Fishlock, OL Reign

Jess Fishlock has the numbers on her side, notching five goals and four assists on the season, but what the 34-year-old brings to the pitch goes beyond the stat sheet. The midfielder is known to keep OL Reign in tight games, buoying her side at exactly the right time. Fishlock’s grit combined with her technical skill makes her one of the most well-rounded midfielders in the league.

M — Rachel Daly, Houston Dash

As captain of the Houston Dash, Rachel Daly knows how to rally her team. The attacker executed big plays in critical moments to keep Houston alive during a streaky season that nearly ended in a playoff bid. Notching nine goals, Daly nearly clinched the Golden Boot, coming in second to Hatch on the goal-scorers ranking.

F — Ifeoma Onumonu, Gotham FC

Ifeoma Onumonu is a playmaker, facilitating Gotham FC’s attack all season long. With eight goals this season, Onumonu also set up her teammates four times, making her one of the most dynamic forwards in the NWSL.

F — Ashley Hatch, Washington Spirit

The 2021 Golden Boot winner has caused issues for backlines all season long. Not only is the Spirit forward dangerous in the final third, burying 10 goals on 22 shots on goal, but she also is versatile. Hatch recorded four left-footed and four right-footed goals, as well as two headers, to finish the season on top.

F — Bethany Balcer, OL Reign

Bethany Balcer has come a long way from going undrafted and entering OL Reign as a non-rostered training camp invitee. The 2019 Rookie of the Year, Balcer nearly earned herself another trophy this year, finishing just one goal shy of the Golden Boot with nine. An expert in the air, Balcer registered five header goals on the season.

The Power Four wrapped up their 2024/25 NCAA basketball seasons on Sunday, with newly minted conference tournament champions punching their tickets to the March Madness tournament.

While the Big 12's weekend was all chalk as No. 8 TCU added their first tournament title since 2005 to their 2024/25 regular-season conference trophy on Sunday, the ACC capped their contest with chaos.

No. 11 Duke put the conference — and the NCAA selection committee — on notice, upsetting both No. 6 Notre Dame and No. 7 NC State en route to their first ACC tournament championship in 12 years.

In the SEC, No. 5 South Carolina had the last word against No. 1 Texas. After splitting their two 2024/25 meetings and sharing the regular-season title, the defending national champion Gamecocks turned the SEC tournament final into a defensive masterclass, defeating the Longhorns 64-45 to claim the conference trophy.

Meanwhile, Sunday's Big Ten finale saw No. 4 UCLA enact revenge on their crosstown rivals, No. 2 USC. After dropping both their matchups and ceding the conference's regular-season title to the Trojans, the Bruins held USC to just 34.3% from the field and 28.6% from beyond the arc to snag the tournament crown with a 72-67 win.

Conference winners eye NCAA tournament seeding

With their Sunday wins and their automatic entries into the upcoming NCAA basketball tournament, conference champions are now eyeing their shots at top national seedings.

While TCU and Duke each made strong cases for increasing their seeds, UCLA and South Carolina fully cemented themselves as frontrunners to top the 2024/25 bracket.

"When you win this [SEC] tournament and play the schedule that we play, I do think we’re the No. 1 overall seed," remarked South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley. "There isn’t anybody in the country that has played the schedule that we have played, that had share of the regular-season title, won this tournament and beat the No. 1 team in the country."

The stats back up Staley's claims. South Carolina played more Top 25 opponents this season than any other currently ranked squad, winning 12 of those games — seven against Top 10 teams. The only three losses they logged all season came against No. 1 Texas, No. 3 UConn, and No. 4 UCLA, with the Gamecocks handing the Longhorns two defeats in return.

UCLA head coach Cori Close took a more diplomatic approach when asked about top seeding after winning the Big Ten title.

"I think it would mean a lot for us [and USC] both to be No. 1 seeds," Close told ESPN. "And I hope we do get the chance to do it [in the Final Four] in Tampa a fourth time."

The final decisions rest with the selection committee, who will reveal their 2024/25 NCAA tournament bracket this Sunday.

How to watch Monday's Big East tournament final

Though the Power Four have handed out their hardware, other DI conference tournaments will be in action all week, with the Big East championship tipping off Monday night.

No. 3 UConn is hunting their fifth straight Big East tournament trophy, but they'll have to beat No. 23 Creighton to hoist it.

The No. 1-seed Huskies and No. 2-seed Bluejays will tip off at 7 PM ET, with live coverag on FS1.

The WTA announced sweeping new parental protections on Thursday, with over 300 players becoming eligible to receive paid parental leave for the first time in the pro tennis organization’s history.

Despite their year-round schedule, WTA players are technically independent contractors, a status that previously limited their access to benefits.

Players can now apply for up to 12 months of leave for carrying a child, while athletes who become parents through surrogacy, adoption, or partner pregnancy are eligible for a two-month leave.

The program also allots grants to support fertility treatments, including egg freezing and IVF.

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All athletes who have competed in at least eight WTA tournaments, including four at a minimum 250 level, over the last 12 months are eligible to receive benefits. As an alternative, players contesting at least 24 WTA events over the last 36 months, including 12 at the 250 level, will also be eligible.

Under those requirements, the WTA calculates that 320 current athletes now qualify for paid parental leave.

Details surrounding the benefit amount were not disclosed. But the program will be retroactive to January 1st.

"We’ve seen players making decisions about maybe ending their careers a little sooner than they would have liked because they want to explore family life, or coming back onto the tour and competing maybe sooner than they’re ready," WTA CEO Portia Archer told reporters at the BNP Paribas Open on Monday. "And so we think that this will minimize some of that stress and make those kinds of decisions easier."

"That can be transformational for some players, particularly those earning less than the top players in the world, where these kinds of benefits and support may be more impactful. So we really do hope that it changes lives."

WTA parental leave program sponsored by Saudi Arabia

The new WTA program offering parental protections is being backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund of 2024 WTA Finals host Saudi Arabia. The WTA entered into a multi-year partnership with the kingdom last May.

While the country’s recent investments in women’s sports grab headlines, many identify the moves as "sportswashing," or using sports investments to draw public attention away from other unethical practices.

Numerous prominent athletes have criticized Saudi Arabia's human rights record, particularly when it comes to practices involving women as well as the LGBTQIA+ community.

Practices such as a law requiring women to have permission from a male relative in order to marry have the country ranked 126th out of 146 nations in the 2024 Global Gender Gap Report.

When pressed on the issue, Archer simply said, "Questions about Saudi society are really not questions for me or the WTA. They’re questions for the Saudis to answer."

The USWNT held fast to the world No. 1 spot in Thursday’s updated FIFA rankings, dropping 18 points since their 2024 Olympic gold medal-winning run but still sitting 49 points ahead of No. 2 Spain.

Also maintaining their elite rankings were No. 3 Germany and No. 4 England, who each trail their predecessor by a mere six points.

Japan earned the Top 10's biggest boost, fueled by a 2025 SheBelieves Cup championship run that included a rare defeat of the US. As a result, the Nadeshiko leapt from No. 8 to No. 5, overtaking No. 6 Sweden, No. 7 Canada, and No. 8 Brazil in the process.

Japan's jump made them the only team in FIFA's Top 75 to rise more than two spots.

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US Soccer officially intends to bid on 2031 World Cup

While the world No. 1 USWNT doesn't have any major tournaments to build toward this year, US Soccer is cementing future plans to bring the sport's biggest competition back to the US.

The national federation formally confirmed its intent to submit a bid to host the 2031 World Cup on Wednesday evening, bolstered by FIFA’s motion earlier that day which dictates that the 2031 tournament must be played either in North America or Africa.

"We are excited by the opportunity to welcome teams and fans, inspire the next generation, and grow the game regionally and globally," US Soccer announced on social media.

Though a formal bid submission is still to come, the US is already a frontrunner for hosting the competition. FIFA will decide on the 2031 World Cup host nation at the governing body's 76th Congress in 2026.

FIFA's other main decision-making group, the FIFA Council, could soon see incumbent US Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone join its 37-member ranks, as the former USWNT star is currently running unopposed for the North American seat previously held by ex-Mexico Football Federation president Yon de Luisa.

The US hasn’t held a FIFA Council seat since ex-USSF president Sunil Gulati’s position expired in 2021.

Cone’s likely March 15th election — plus the USWNT’s No. 1 ranking and planned 2031 World Cup hosting bid — gives US Soccer a valuable foothold in the global game.

The NWSL is back in action, as 2024 Championship contenders Orlando Pride and Washington Spirit suit up for a rematch in Friday night’s 2025 Challenge Cup.

Last November's 2024 season finale saw the Pride earn their first-ever league championship by defeating the Spirit 1-0.

While Friday's Challenge Cup results won’t impact either club’s regular-season record, each player on the winning team will receive a $3,500 bonus — not to mention bragging rights one week out from the 2025 NWSL season's official kickoff.

The Challenge Cup MVP will snag an additional $2,000, while the losing squad will see a $2,200 per player pay bump.

After a banner 2024 that also included winning the franchise's first-ever NWSL Shield, Orlando captain Marta is deeply aware that the Pride will have a target on their backs this season.

"Everybody’s gonna hunt after us, and we need to deal with this and find a way to keep doing our best to keep making history for this club," the 39-year-old Brazil legend told reporters on Thursday. "It's exciting to know that everybody is gonna look to us and then try to make it difficult for us."

Injuries leave Spirit with shortened Challenge Cup roster

While the Challenge Cup offers a 2025 season preview, this year’s short NWSL offseason presented difficulties for squads trying to ready their roster for the long-haul.

Finishing 2024 with a hefty injury tally, the Spirit ruled out a full 11 players for Friday's match, while superstar forward Trinity Rodman is listed as questionable due to her lingering back issue.

"[I'm] just kind of progressing slowly," Rodman told JWS in January. "Even if I feel good, I don’t want to set it back again and be in a bad position."

With both hardware and money on the line, there’s plenty of incentive for players to give it their all on Friday — but long-term priorities also weigh heavy, with the 2025 NWSL season kicking off on March 14th.

How to watch the 2025 NWSL Challenge Cup

The 2025 NWSL Challenge Cup will see 2024 runners-up Washington taking on reigning champions Orlando at 8 PM ET on Friday, with live coverage on Prime.