Ally Watt made an impression in her Orlando Pride debut, while Ebony Salmon and Diana Ordóñez surged in the Golden Boot race.

Just Women’s Sports breaks down the top plays from the past week of NWSL action.

NWSL Plays of the Week

Ally Watt’s debut Pride goal

Ally Watt knows how to make an entrance. The 25-year-old forward scored less than 10 minutes into her first game with the Pride.

After receiving a ball from Meggie Dougherty-Howard, Watt surged past her defender before burying a low shot into the far post.

“We needed one percent more, and what you had seen with Meggie’s one percent more resulted in a goal for Ally Watt,” said Pride coach Seb Hines following Orlando’s 2-1 win Saturday over Gotham FC.

Watt joined the Pride via an August trade with OL Reign after starting in three of her 14 matches with the Seattle club this season.

It's a debut goal for @allymwatt in @ORLPride colors as the visitors go two-up 😎#NJNYvORL | #PrideOfOrlando pic.twitter.com/jGsXSsMUsY

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 21, 2022

Ebony Salmon’s rocket

Ebony Salmon is on a tear, scoring eight goals in her eight starts with the Houston Dash.

Saturday’s match against the San Diego Wave proved no different, with the English striker launching a crafty shot to put the Dash ahead early. Trapping a stray ball at the top of the box, Salmon let off a screamer to the far post, adding to her goals tally, though the Dash eventually fell 3-1 to the Wave.

In her brief tenure with Houston, Salmon has proven to be a clinical finisher with extraordinary talent on the ball and in space.

She just can't stop scoring. 8th goal for @ebony_salmon of @HoustonDash pic.twitter.com/9frfshvT30

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) August 21, 2022

Diana Ordóñez’s Brace

Diana Ordóñez is unstoppable, racking up a staggering 10 goals through 11 games. She has shattered the NWSL’s rookie scoring record (7 goals) and is challenging Alex Morgan for the league’s Golden Boot trophy.

On Saturday, the 20-year-old helped the Courage to an empathic 4-0 shutout over the Chicago Red Stars, logging two goals in the contest.

Ordóñez’s first came in the 10th minute, as she nodded in a corner kick for the go-ahead goal.

Then, in the 74th minute, Ordóñez doubled her tally, expertly shaking off a defender before slotting home the finish with poise.

MAKE THAT 10 ‼️ The rookie Diana Ordonez is 3rd in the golden boot race and is not slowing down pic.twitter.com/gzYX8vzwHy

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) August 21, 2022

The 2025 NWSL Championship claimed a major viewership milestone on Saturday, as Gotham FC's 1-0 title win over the Washington Spirit became the first-ever league match to record an average of more than one million viewers.

The CBS evening broadcast averaged an impressive 1.184 million fans and peaked at 1.55 million viewers, making it the most-watched NWSL match of all time.

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The 2025 final marked a 22% viewership increase over the 967,900 fans who watched 2024's Orlando Pride victory — the previous NWSL viewership record-holder — and a 45% ratings gain over Gotham's 2023 championship win, which averaged 816,800 viewers.

Saturday's gains both matched the 22% viewership increase the NWSL regular season saw this year and also far exceeded the 2025 postseason's pre-final year-over-year increase of 5%.

Calling the one-million viewer mark "an extraordinary achievement" in Tuesday's league statement, NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman also noted that the "record-setting audience demonstrates the deepening connection fans have with our players, our clubs, and the world-class competition on the field, and it underscores the growing demand for women's soccer on the biggest stages."

"We're incredibly proud of what this moment represents for the NWSL and for everyone who continues to invest in and believe in the future of our game," Berman added.

Incoming offseason league Project B scored more major WNBA signings this week, as the upstart venture continues stacking its roster ahead of a planned November 2026 launch.

Indiana Fever guards Kelsey Mitchell and Sophie Cunningham have both publicly signed on with Project B, joining already announced talent like Seattle Storm star Nneka Ogwumike and Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, New York Liberty center Jonquel Jones, and Las Vegas Aces guard Jewell Loyd.

Also inking deals to join the inaugural season of Project B are Chicago Sky center Kamilla Cardoso, Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaün, and Li Meng, a former Washington Mystics guard and current player in the Women's Chinese Basketball Association.

The multi-continent, Formula One-style traveling tournament circuit will ultimately sign 66 international stars, as Project B looks to field six 11-player teams in its debut 2026/2027 campaign.

Project B player signings will undoubtedly impact other offseason leagues like Unrivaled and Athletes Unlimited, but the new venture is also looming large over the ongoing WNBA CBA talks.

With negotiations racing toward this Sunday's extended deadline, Project B is putting WNBA compensation offerings under increased pressure, as the new league is reportedly anteing up multimillion-dollar salaries to its signees — far exceeding the 2025 WNBA maximum as well as the $1.1 million-max currently on the negotiating table.

World No. 1 Spain will take aim at a second-straight UEFA Nations League title this week, as La Roja take on No. 5 Germany in the first leg of the 2025 tournament's final at 2:30 PM ET on Friday.

The defending Nations League champions booked their spot in the 2025 final by dismantling No. 3 Sweden 5-0 on aggregate in the semifinal round, while Germany advanced after a tense 3-2 aggregate win over No. 6 France.

Germany must also contend with availability issues during Friday's match, as 28-year-old Bayern Munich forward and senior national team leading scorer Lea Schüller will be out due to family reasons.

To overcome that disadvantage, German head coach Christian Wück is reinforcing the team's back line, adding Athletic Bilbao defender Bibi Schulze Solano to the roster on Wednesday.

Also aiming to shut down Spain's offensive firepower on Friday is new NWSL champion goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, who joined her German compatriots late following Gotham FC's title celebrations in New York this week.

While Spain and Germany will contend for the 2025 Nations League trophy this week, the pair — along with ousted semifinalists Sweden and France — have already booked spots in the top group of teams battling for tickets to the 2027 World Cup, with UEFA qualifying set to begin in 2026.

A full 19 months removed from their back-to-back Final Four runs, No. 11 Iowa basketball refuses to go away, with the Hawkeyes already notching one Top-25 win in the young 2025/26 NCAA campaign so far.

The still-unbeaten Hawkeyes took down No. 15 Baylor 57-52 last Thursday, with Iowa starting post players Hannah Stuelke and Ava Heiden combining for 28 points while guard Taylor Stremlow added another 12 off the bench in the marquee win.

"We have nice pieces," said Iowa head coach Jan Jensen this week. "But it's knowing when to play which pieces and with whom, and we're six games in."

The Hawkeyes have been finding their new identity under Jensen after a transformative period saw Iowa's longtime head coach Lisa Bluder retire while superstar guard Caitlin Clark joined the WNBA.

"Jan's been amazing," Stuelke told JWS at the Big Ten Media Day in October. "She stepped up like she needed to, and she's been growing every day since she's been the head coach, which it's really cool to see she cares. And it's a great environment for all of us."

"I have a year under my belt," Jensen echoed. "I know what this chair feels like now, and I have a little better of understanding of what that first road trip feels like, what that first big win feels like, or the tough loss feels like."

How to watch Iowa basketball in the 2025/26 NCAA season

Though there are a few lopsided matchups on the Hawkeyes' more immediate schedule, Iowa's season heats up with a ranked rivalry matchup against No. 10 Iowa State on Wednesday, December 10th.

The state rivals will tip off at 7 PM ET, with live coverage airing on ESPN.