The group stage of the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup has come and gone, with a few teams meeting or even exceeding expectations, leaving behind a field with quite a few things to address in their limited time before the regular season starts on April 29.

The soccer on the pitch has continued to improve every week, as squads get to know each other better after an offseason of immense turnover. So, let’s take a look in the grade book at what went well, what needs to get better and what we can expect in the future for each team.

West Division

OL Reign (4-0-2) — A

OL Reign came into the Challenge Cup with high expectations, and by all measures have met them. The team finished unbeaten in six games, with a league-leading plus-6 goal differential, and 10 different players found the back of the net in the group stage. They were just as good on the road as they were at Lumen Field, which should serve them well as they travel to Leesburg, V.A. for a semifinal matchup with the Washington Spirit they are technically hosting.

As the Reign continue to tinker with their strongest starting XI, they haven’t yet hit their ceiling, which bodes well for the regular season. They could use the depth after waning on short rest in recent games, needing a stoppage time winner to get past Angel City and settling for a draw in San Diego.

Portland Thorns FC (3-2-1) — B+

Consider this grade on a bit of a curve: Arguably one of the five best teams in the league, the Thorns suffered for having OL Reign in their Challenge Cup division. They’ve tested their depth throughout the group stage, and at times have appeared to find answers for the holes in their midfield, even if Lindsey Horan and Crystal Dunn are ultimately irreplaceable.

After a COVID-19 outbreak left Sophia Smith and others out of their final lineup, the Thorns concluded the Challenge Cup on a down note. Once they start to control the tempo of games by slowing things down, they’re built to earn points under their new manager.

San Diego Wave FC (1-3-2) — B-

There are two ways to grade the California expansion teams: against other established clubs, and against their own expectations. The Wave’s lone Challenge Cup win came against fellow expansion side Angel City, but San Diego showed flashes of potential throughout the group stage.

Their attack is as stacked as advertised, with Alex Morgan in good form, Taylor Kornieck taking steps forward and rookie Amirah Ali getting off to a strong start. The Wave’s defense hasn’t been perfect, but goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan makes up for a lot of mistakes, and the backline has also had to deal with extra pressure due to a lack of control in the middle of the pitch. Naomi Girma has held her own regardless, and if she can get some help in front of her, the Wave could become difficult to break down. Their issues, as expected, lie in the midfield. Find solutions there, and the Wave quickly become a very competitive team.

Angel City FC (1-4-1) — B-

Fitting for Hollywood, Angel City had a clear narrative arc to their preseason. After building a roster for a very specific defensive system, the club then lost two starting defenders before the group stage even began. Other lingering absences meant that fans got only a glimpse of the intended starting XI in the Challenge Cup.

As ACFC adjusted and rotated in their depth options, they suffered a few rough results early on. But they turned the lessons from those losses into a winning performance against the Thorns in their group stage finale, and the frontline of Christen Press, Jun Endo and Simone Charley — with Savannah McCaskill behind them — looks like a real winner. If Angel City can get healthy, they’re going to win some games behind their starting XI in the regular season.

Central Division

Kansas City Current (4-1-1) — A

Kansas City’s success in the Central Division should be celebrated as a massive turnaround, but those who have been watching closely had a sense the Current had these results in them. Perhaps more impressively, the Current found ways to win without two of their biggest offseason signings in Lynn Williams and Sam Mewis. They’re building a high-press system that can hurt teams on the counter-attack, and they’re winning games as a unit.

Rookie Elyse Bennett looks beyond ready for the professional level, Kristen Hamilton is comfortable leading the frontline, and the defense has held firm so that the results have matched the performances. They did have one very poor game down in Louisville, indicating that they haven’t perfected the system just yet, but it’s a style of play that will win them games.

Chicago Red Stars (2-2-2) — B

Chicago debuted a brand new three-back formation in the Challenge Cup group stage, deploying a midfield-flooding tactical philosophy with many players who did not get many minutes in 2021. That the Red Stars were in the running for the knockout stage until their final game is a testament to the new system, but they’ve also been hampered by starters’ absences, some of which are long term.

The biggest remaining questions for Chicago are who will carry the attack when Mallory Pugh isn’t available, and whether the midfield can turn numerical advantages into possession and control games. The Red Stars are capable of becoming a possession-based team, which is the complete opposite of how they lined up in 2021, but now they have to consistently turn that into points.

Racing Louisville FC (1-2-3) — B-

Racing Louisville has shown their youth and rawness at times during the group stage, which isn’t quite so dire since they are both of those things in the club’s second season. Their attack has been relatively efficient, finishing the Challenge Cup with a shots-to-shots on goal ratio that was tighter than a number of other teams. Jessica McDonald has been a welcome addition to the attack, and the continued development of second-year outside back Emily Fox and rookie midfielder Jaelin Howell into franchise cornerstones will pay dividends down the road.

Louisville doesn’t have the same talent ceiling that other flashy teams do, and they managed only one win for their efforts. But with three draws in the Challenge Cup, they showed they are able to get results when they are either outplaying their opponent or being outplayed. The next step has to be establishing a more defined style of play, while not letting themselves become a solvable puzzle.

Houston Dash (2-4-0) — B-

What differentiates Houston from the rest of the pack is the roller-coaster effect: In some stretches, they look as competitive as anyone, but in others, they get completely dominated. Recent addition Maria Sánchez is a bright spot for the club, but their defense needs work on all three lines. Their obvious gaps on the pitch have been exploitable too often (Mal Pugh alone scored four goals on the Dash in the group stage).

Since winning the 2020 Challenge Cup, the Dash have struggled with consistency, which is key to regular season success. The Dash can still do damage on the wings, but they need to bring that same intensity when the tide turns against them. They also have another level of uncertainty to overcome after head coach James Clarkson was suspended Tuesday based on initial findings in the NWSL and NWSLPA’s joint investigation.

East Division

North Carolina Courage (3-0-3) — A+

No one counted the Courage out entirely after a tumultuous offseason, but I’m not sure we anticipated just how aggressive the new-look team would be this early in the year. The Courage started a number of players on the frontline with wing experience who have handled the goal-scoring well. They’ve also found ways to maintain the high-transition attack based on waves of pressure and quick-trigger counter-attacking soccer that has served the team so well in the past.

Debinha looks as good as ever, and new additions Brianna Pinto and Kerolin Nicoli give the Courage options in the center of the pitch. They had a tendency for sloppy distribution from the goalkeeping position and the backline, but goalkeeper Casey Murphy will help settle those channels when she returns as the starter.

Washington Spirit (2-0-4) — A-

The Spirit kept their unbeaten streak alive through the Challenge Cup group stage, salvaging a few results with furious comebacks after falling behind early. They still have the core group from their 2021 championship run, but they’ve had to be strategic with which players to rest — Andi Sullivan, for example, didn’t play the team’s final two group stage matches. Trinity Rodman and Ashley Sanchez both look like they’ve taken steps forward, and the sight of Bailey Feist and Jordan Baggett points to depth the team might not have even had in 2021.

The Spirit have gotten off to slow starts, frequently having to overcome an adverse scoreline or a player advantage to earn points. They’ll want to figure out how to bring the intensity from the opening whistle as the year goes on.

NJ/NY Gotham FC (1-2-3) — B

There is no doubt Gotham has all the pieces to be a good team, but in a tough division in the Challenge Cup, they showed how much of a learning curve they still have. The team had individual moments of excellence, like Ifeoma Onumonu’s equalizer in the second game against North Carolina and Margaret Purce’s late winner over Orlando in the third game. But they’ve also conceded four goals on set pieces, indicating that the defense is still meshing with new keeper Ashlyn Harris, and the midfield doesn’t appear completely balanced, even with the addition of Kristie Mewis.

Gotham has so much going for them: dynamic strikers, veteran leaders and one of the best off-field presences in the game. In the regular season, they’ll look to take the next step as a unit on the field.

Orlando Pride (0-4-2) — C+

The Pride are the only NWSL team that have yet to win a game in 2022, but what pushes them into a passing grade are their injury circumstances and their future prospects. Orlando leaned into a full rebuild in the offseason, compounded by Marta’s season-ending ACL tear and Sydney Leroux’s lingering Achilles issue. Because of that, this Challenge Cup was more about the process than the results, and the Pride have still made gains from early-year frustration.

A low-block team defensively, Orlando has gotten better at bending but not breaking. Their final match, a 1-1 draw against Gotham, showed a team unafraid of getting stuck in, allowing them to disrupt long enough to earn a result. First-year Pride forward Darian Jenkins has been very active in her minutes, and she’ll surely be excited to see Leroux’s name back in the 18.

Claire Watkins is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering soccer and the NWSL. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

South Carolina boss Dawn Staley became the highest-paid coach in women's college basketball history on Friday, when the three-time national champion inked a contract extension worth over $25 million to remain with the Gamecocks.

At an annual salary of $4 million — plus a $500,000 signing bonus and a yearly $250,000 escalator — the deal locks in Staley through the 2029/30 season.

A significant bump from her previous $3.2 million annual payday, the new contract sees Staley leapfrog over UConn legend Geno Auriemma and LSU's Kim Mulkey to top the league in compensation.

Calling her "a once-in-a-generation coach," athletic director Jeremiah Donati noted that Staley "has elevated the sport of women's basketball on the national level and here on campus, and I am excited that she will be representing our University for many years to come."

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Locking in a South Carolina legend

Since taking the helm in 2008, Staley has led South Carolina to 630 wins, 16 SEC titles, and 12 straight NCAA tournament appearances including five Final Fours and three national championships.

After taking South Carolina to an 128-4 record since her previous contract extension in 2021, this new agreement all but squashes any rumors about the coach's departure.

Despite a clause releasing Staley from an early departure penalties should she exit for a WNBA or NBA job, the legendary college leader has no intentions to leave Columbia.

"I will never leave here to go take another college job," Staley told reporters after the No. 2 Gamecocks' Sunday win over then-No. 13 Oklahoma. "[And] I don't have a passion for the next level. I don't. I would've been gone."

As the Hall of Famer continues setting the on-court NCAA standard in her 17th season with South Carolina, Staley's record-breaking contract both reflects the sport's overall rising stock and pushes for even more investment in the game.

Pledging to prove the impact of supporting both her and the game itself, Staley committed "to continuing to be an example of how an investment in women’s basketball is one that will pay off for everyone."

World No. 3 Coco Gauff exited the 2025 Australian Open on Monday night, falling 7-5, 6-4 to Spain's No. 11 Paula Badosa in the Grand Slam's quarterfinal round.

Gauff's recent improvements seemed to fade in her first loss of the year, which saw the 2025 United Cup champ record 41 unforced errors, including 28 missed forehands and six double-faults.

As a result, Badosa advances to her first-ever Grand Slam semifinal, a marked comeback after a 2023 injury nearly ended her career.

"I would never think that, a year after, I would be here," Badosa said post-match. "I've been through a lot."

Sabalenka looms after quarterfinal victory

Badosa moves on to face back-to-back defending champion Aryna Sabalenka on Thursday, as the world No. 1 sets her sights on becoming the first three-peat Australian Open women's champ this century.

Sabalenka advanced past No. 27 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in an early Tuesday morning quarterfinal to reach her 10th major semifinal in her last 11 Grand Slams.

The 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 victory didn't come easily, though, as Pavlyuchenkova managed to snap the 26-year-old's 25-set Australian Open winning streak which dates back to her 2023 final win.

"I’m really glad that at some point I was able to put myself back together," said Sabalenka about the tough match. "I was able to keep fighting, keep trying, and I was able to turn around this match. It was a really difficult one."

US players to close out Australian Open quarterfinals

The Melbourne Slam's remaining two quarterfinals each place a US tennis star in the spotlight on Tuesday.

Fresh off ousting No. 10 Danielle Collins and No. 6 Elena Rybakina in the third and fourth rounds, No. 19 Madison Keys will square off against No. 28 Elina Svitolina for a shot at the semis. This will be Keys's first match against the Ukrainian since taking a two-set victory over Svitolina in Adelaide in January 2022.

The nightcap pits three-set specialist No. 8 Emma Navarro against perennial contender No. 2 Iga Świątek, marking the second-ever meeting — and first since 2018 — between the 23-year-olds.

The Polish phenom has yet to drop a set all tournament, and has seemed near-unbeatable after losing just four games across her last three matches. That said, Navarro has proved she just won't quit, leading the WTA in three-set contests over the last year — and gritting out a 24-9 record in the same span. Consequently, the longer Tuesday's match runs, the more it will likely favor the US star.

How to watch the 2025 Australian Open this week

No. 19 Madison Keys will clash with No. 28 Elina Svitolina starting at 7:30 PM ET on Tuesday, with No. 8 Emma Navarro's bout against No. 2 Iga Świątek beginning at 9 PM ET.

Both Tuesday quarterfinals will be broadcast live across ESPN’s platforms.

This weekend's NCAA basketball action saw unranked Penn State earn their first ranked win in almost four years against Big Ten foe Ohio State on Sunday, ending the then-No. 9 OSU's unbeaten run.

Though Ohio State forward Cotie McMahon and guard Chance Gray led the back-and-forth battle with 19 and 18 points, respectively, it wasn’t enough to hold off the Nittany Lions, who snapped a seven-game losing streak with the 62-59 victory.

"We had no fight. We had no grit," McMahon told reporters after the game. Subsequently, Ohio State skidded to No. 12 in yesterday's AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll update.

The Buckeye loss also narrows the DI undefeated team list down to two. Only No. 1 UCLA and No. 5 LSU remain unbeaten this season.

Big Ten teams tackle Top 25 clashes

Monday's inaugural Coretta Scott King Classic featured two Big Ten/Big 12 matchups, opening with top-ranked UCLA welcoming No. 25 Baylor back to the AP Poll with a 72-57 defeat.

The Bruins took off to 17-2 lead in the first quarter. The Bears then failed to get past star UCLA center Lauren Betts, who put up a game-high 24 points, nine rebounds, and a program-record nine blocks.

The weekend's top-ranked match closed out the Classic, with No. 7 Texas star Madison Booker posting 28 points to lead the Longhorns to a dominant 89-51 win over No. 8 Maryland.

While the Terrapins’ 26 turnovers and silence from beyond the arc didn’t help the Big Ten team's case, injuries to top scorers accounted for at least some of Maryland's downfall. The Terps lost junior Bri McDaniel to a season-ending ACL tear last week, before senior Shyanne Sellers exited Monday's second quarter with a knee injury of her own.

How to watch top-ranked NCAA basketball games this week

In a battle for redemption after tough weekend losses, Big Ten foes No. 8 Maryland and No. 12 Ohio State will face off at 6 PM ET on Thursday, with live coverage on BTN.

Though the week's marquee matchup belongs to two teams atop the SEC. Undefeated LSU will take on defending NCAA champions No. 2 South Carolina at 8 PM ET on Thursday, live on ESPN.

AP Top 25 NCAA Women's College Basketball Poll: Week 12

1. UCLA
2. South Carolina
3. Notre Dame
4. USC
5. LSU
6. UConn
7. Texas
8. Maryland
9. TCU
10. Kansas State
11. Kentucky
12. Ohio State
13. North Carolina
14. Duke
15. Oklahoma
16. West Virginia
17. Tennessee
18. Georgia Tech
19. Alabama
20. NC State
21. Michigan State
22. California
23. Minnesota
24. Michigan
25. Baylor

Sophia Smith isn't much of a gamer. 

"It just does not come naturally to me," the Portland Thorns and USWNT forward tells Just Women's Sports with a laugh. "I think with more practice, I could get good."

Whatever skills Smith may lack on the virtual pitch are made up in full by her talent on the actual one. And that talent has ironically earned her an outsized on-screen role in the popular soccer video game EA Sports FC.

Earlier this week, the 24-year-old earned her second-straight spot on EA Sport's Team of the Year. The honor that places her alongside international heavyweights like Barcelona's Aitana Bonmati, Chelsea's Lauren James, and Lyon's Wendie Renard.

While gaming might not have been front of mind when Smith won Olympic gold in Paris last summer, she has noticed how FC 25 has become an essential way for soccer fans to get to know their favorite players. The franchise only started fully integrating NWSL teams in 2023, but Smith's rise to in-game prominence was swift. 

Her avatar is regularly featured in national TV commercials, scoring in both a Thorns and a USWNT jersey alongside men's soccer stars like Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham. It might be just a video game, but FC 25 feels increasingly like one of the few platforms that views both sides of the sport as having equal potential.

The phenomenon is not lost on Smith. She says that from time to time fans will recognize her not from the Olympics or an NWSL championship appearance, but from the video game. "When people have the ability to play with women in a game that they've played all their life, it opens a whole new door for us," she says.

"It's so great for women in sports, because it shows that we also deserve to be in a game," she continues. "We also deserve to have that platform, to have our names out there at the same level as the men."

EA FC levels the playing field

While the EA FC 25 Team of the Year is voted on by fans, the breadth of leagues in this year's lineup also calms some of the debates currently raging within the women's side. It's no secret that NWSL players sometimes have trouble gaining traction in top European awards. This is a tension that Smith herself has faced before her US national team breakout.

"I do think the NWSL isn't recognized enough," says Smith. "People have a lot of opinions on it, maybe people who don't even watch any games. That can be frustrating because it's a very challenging league to play in — every game is competitive."

To prove her point, she references the time it's taken for her USWNT teammate and fellow Stanford alum Naomi Girma to gain recognition on the international stage. If there were any player she could add to EA FC's Team of the Year, she adds, it'd be the San Diego Wave center-back — "and not just because she's my best friend." The growing global market for NWSL-based players like Girma and Smith likely won't silence critics promoting European-style football over American. But Smith sees differences across leagues as an asset for a player, not a problem.

"Either league could be good for any player for a number of reasons," she explains. "You can learn something in Europe that you can't learn here, and vice-versa. That's why players go back and forth."

"I believe that every league that exists can be challenging in its own way, and we're all just trying to figure it out," she continues. "FC having women in the game — women from the NWSL and European leagues — just puts us all as equals as we should be. It allows you to determine someone's game based off someone's game, not if they play in Europe or the NWSL."

Focusing on USWNT growth in 2025

Smith's game speaks for itself. Coming off a disappointing 2023 World Cup, the forward scored three goals and registered two assists during the USWNT's Olympic run, leading the team to their first major tournament trophy since 2019. Her club contributions were similarly impressive. She scored 12 regular-season goals alongside six assists despite Portland's failure to make it past the 2024 quarterfinals.

But the year took a toll, and Smith says that prioritizing rest has been essential to preparing herself for everything 2025 has to offer.

"I feel like this offseason was very much needed for me," she says. "While it was a great year, it was a long year — we just gave everything 110%, 24/7, so when we got to the offseason, it kind of just smacked us in the face."

Smith says she's physically bouncing back after a lingering ankle injury limited her playing time in the later half of 2024. "Most offseasons I'll take a few weeks and I'll start training," she says. "This offseason I took a little longer. I knew that in order to start this next year off right, I needed to give my body what it needed while I could."

With no major US tournaments set for 2025, Smith is looking forward to seeing the national team continue to gel and evolve. She's a big believer in USWNT manager Emma Hayes's "If it's not broken, break it" ethos. It makes her excited to push herself and her team to take things to the next level. 

Bringing the EA FC Team of the Year energy back to Portland

Smith also has work to do in the NWSL. She's rejoining a Portland club that saw multiple legends of the game step away after 2024's uncharacteristic sixth-place finish. As a leader, she wants to see the Thorns back at the top of the table. And she hopes to carry on the legacy of retired stars like Christine Sinclair, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Meghan Klingenberg.

"Since I arrived in Portland, every year there's been change. I'm just used to it at this point," she says. "The best thing we can do as players is stick together, really just show up for each other every day. And work towards the same goal, which is to win."

"It's easier said than done," she admits. "I'm used to being one of the younger players on the team. I still am, but I have more experience. I feel like I can be a leader in a different way."

With 2024's triumphs behind her, Smith views the new year as an opportunity to improve without the intense pressure of a major tournament. As always, the goal comes down to one simple thing: growth.

"I'm not the loudest person," she says. "But I can lead by example and show up every day, trying to be the best version of myself and helping those around me get better, too."

Making connections on and off the screen

One thing Smith can guarantee is that she'll continue to connect with fans. That goes whether it's signing autographs after a match or finding the back of the net in EA FC 25. 

"It wasn't that long ago that I was that little kid, watching people I grew up looking up to," she remembers. "If they took a minute out of their day to say hi or to sign something, that stuff means a lot." 

"So I try to be that person for people. If I can do that through FC, if I can do that in real life, I always take the opportunity."