At JWS Next, we are dedicated to providing the most comprehensive coverage of high school sports possible. That starts with our weekly rankings, which debut today. We took a microscope to the national basketball scene and carefully mapped out a top-25 we believe reflects the balance of power.

Healthy dialogue is not just expected, but encouraged. We want to hear from you — coaches, players, athletic directors, fans and more. If you think your team isn’t ranked fairly, reach out and state your case. Our goal here is put together the best rankings possible, and in order to do so, we encourage your feedback.

That being said, find our first rankings below:

1. Sidwell Friends (D.C.), 16-0

Anchored by the three-headed monster of senior point guard Kiki Rice (UCLA commit), junior forward Jadyn Donovan and sophomore guard Kendall Dudley, the Quakers are in a class of their own.

2. Hopkins (Minn.), 15-1 

Forward Maya Nnaji, an Arizona commit, has the Royals rolling. Hopkins, the alma mater of 2020 No. 1 recruit and UConn star Paige Bueckers, picked up its lone loss of the season against Sidwell Friends on Jan. 21.

3. DeSoto (Texas), (23-2)

The Eagles reached a season-high in points in an 80-23 win over Mansfield on Jan. 28.

4. Etiwanda (Calif.), 22-0

The undefeated Eagles have beaten their last four opponents by an average of 52 points.

5. St. John Vianney (N.J.), 15-0

The Lancers, also undefeated, routed Colts Neck 79-19 on Jan. 27. Their highly anticipated showdown against Sidwell Friends last weekend was snowed out.

6. La Jolla Country Day (Calif.), 19-2

The Torreys have won 11 games in a row since an upset loss to Grandview on Dec. 18.

7. Classen SAS (Okla.), 16-1

A 53-51 defeat to Etiwanda on Dec. 22 is the lone blemish on the Comets’ otherwise perfect season record.

8. DME Academy (Fla.), 20-2

After a 10-point defeat to IMG Academy on Jan. 27, DME Academy will look for revenge on Saturday when the teams meet again.

9. Sierra Canyon (Calif.), 22-1

The Trailblazers have beaten each of their last four opponents by at least 25 points.

🎥: @BeachCityHoops pic.twitter.com/Co5SEUt5GO

— Sierra Canyon Girls Basketball (@sierracanyongbb) February 3, 2022

10. New Hope (Md.), 20-2

The Tigers are cruising heading into the final four games of their regular season slate.

11. Montverde (Fla.), 18-3

A big 59-51 win over Lake Highland Prep on Jan. 27 wrapped up the Eagles’ regular season slate.

12. Conway (Ark.), 21-1

The Wampus Cats face a stiff test Friday against rival North Little Rock on the road.

13. Cedar Park (Texas), 28-0

The Timberwolves ended the regular season unbeaten, and now turn their attention toward the Texas 5A playoffs.

14. Incarnate Word (Mo.), 17-0

The Red Knights will put their undefeated record on the line Friday against high-powered Cardinal Ritter.

15. Lake Highland Prep (Fla.), 18-4

Despite concluding the regular season with a loss to Montverde, the Highlanders feel confident entering the postseason. They’re led by star forward and Louisville commit Nyla Harris.

16. Rock Bridge (Mo.), 17-0

The Bruins shellacked Co Jesu Academy, 50-19, on Tuesday.

17. Fremont (Utah), 16-2

Led by forward Timea Gardiner, a five-star recruit (per ESPN) committed to Oregon State, the Silverwolves have won 10 in a row since a Dec. 21 loss to La Jolla.

18. Hazel Green (Ala.), 27-0

The unbeaten Trojans kick off the 6A postseason next Monday against local rival Huntsville.

19. Good Counsel (Md.), 13-1

The Falcons bolstered their resume with a definitive 60-50 win over Paul IV (Va.) on Jan. 25.

I knew @angieharrisss was locked in last night when she looked at us with fire in her eyes when we took her out for a rest. We have not coached a more competitive player. She embodies the GC way: Be coached hard and Play hard! Our lunch box winner from last night! Leader!! pic.twitter.com/JjEVhWRzK3

— Good Counsel Women's Basketball (@falcongirlbball) January 26, 2022

20. Edison (Mich.), 12-1

Five-star guard Ruby Whitehorn, a Clemson commit, has the Pioneers riding a 10-game winning streak.

21. Johnston (Iowa), 15-0

The undefeated Dragons are four victories away from a perfect regular season.

22. Woodward Academy (Ga.), 20-2

After a 72-34 thrashing of local foe Banneker on Tuesday, the War Eagles head into their final two regular season contests.

23. Homestead (Ind.), 21-1

Wing Ayanna Patterson, a five-star recruit committed to UConn, and the Spartans kick off the 4A playoffs Friday against Columbia City.

24. Bishop McNamara (Md.), 10-4

The Panthers squeezed into the rankings this week, but need to beat Paul VI on Saturday to stay relevant in the national conversation.

25. IMG (Fla.), 11-4

Behind a 40-point performance from Arizona commit Kailyn Gilbert last week, the Ascenders beat DME to pick up a statement win late in the season.

Josh Needelman is the High School Sports Editor at Just Women’s Sports. Follow him on Twitter @JoshNeedelman.

US Soccer submitted its World Cup bid book to FIFA last week, naming 14 US stadiums among the 2031 tournament's 20+ proposed North American host venues.

The four-country joint bid for the 2031 World Cup spanned cities across host nations USA, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica, with the quartet collectively identifying 50 potential stadiums while also designating their proposed core of 20 venues.

In the US, stadiums in Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Los Angeles, Kansas City, and Seattle made the proposed shortlist, as well as Arlington, Texas, and East Rutherford, New Jersey, among others.

Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Torreón made Mexico's primary proposal, while Costa Rica and Jamaica put forward San Jose and Kingston, respectively.

The bid includes both soccer and football venues, with secondary venues also listed as possible options in eight of the first-choice US cities.

Additionally, the bid book pegged Atlanta as the World Cup draw host and Dallas as the tournament's international broadcast center, though FIFA will likely not make final decisions on 2031 venues until after the 2027 competition in Brazil.

"By proposing more than the required 20 sites, the joint bidders demonstrate a commitment to securing the best possible hosting conditions and ensuring the tournament represents the full diversity of our region on a global scale," FIFA stated.

The WNBA and WNBPA agreed to a second CBA extension late Sunday night, officially pushing the contract's deadline to January 9th, 2026, to allow for 40 more days of negotiations.

Like the original CBA extension from October 31st to December 1st, either the WNBA or WNBPA now has the option to terminate the agreement with 48 hours of notice.

"We expect substantive movement from the league within this window," the players union told Front Office Sports, while the WNBA issued a statement saying both parties are "continuing to work toward a new agreement."

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While total annual compensation offers have reportedly crossed the million-dollar mark for players earning the league's maximum, the WNBA's salary model — particularly in regards to revenue sharing — remains a core issue.

According to sources, the WNBA's proposal offers players a revenue-sharing option only after reaching certain minimums, while the WNBPA continues to advocate for a bigger cut of the exponentially growing league.

The players union is also reportedly advocating for a salary cap that increases with the league's income, rather than at an arbitrarily fixed growth rate.

With important offseason processes like the planned two-team expansion draft to stock incoming 2026 WNBA franchises the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo now delayed until a new CBA is in place, the pressure is approaching new highs on both sides of the negotiating table.

No. 4 Texas blew past two top-ranked opponents last week, setting the tone for the 2025/26 NCAA basketball season with back-to-back wins over No. 3 UCLA and No. 2 South Carolina to earn the Players Era Championship trophy on Thanksgiving Day.

Fifth-year senior Rori Harmon was named tournament MVP, putting up a game-leading 26 points and breaking the Longhorns' career assists record in Wednesday's 76-65 defeat of UCLA before hitting the game-winner to lift Texas over the Gamecocks 66-64 in Thursday's title game.

"I just read the vibe and flow of the game," Harmon said afterward. "[Texas head coach Vic Schaefer] called the play at the end of the game, and I've been in this moment before, so it felt good coming out of my hands."

Texas's win added fuel to the burgeoning SEC rivalry, with the teams squaring off five times in the last year — and South Carolina riding a narrow 3-2 advantage.

"I'm not upset at all," Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley said postgame. "This is going to help us because there are a lot of things to unpack in it."

"If you can give [Texas] a run for their money in that way, I mean, you're on to something," she continued. "I like our resiliency. We've just got to clean up some things at the end of the game."

How to watch Texas, South Carolina this week

Both Texas and South Carolina have another ranked matchup on this week's NCAA docket, with the No. 4 Longhorns taking on the No. 12 UNC Tar Heels while the No. 2 Gamecocks face the No. 23 Louisville Cardinals.

Both games tip off at 7 PM ET on Thursday, with Texas vs. UNC airing live on ESPN2 while South Carolina vs. Louisville airs on ESPN.

After a year of testing and experimentation, the USWNT will look to close out 2025 on a high note on Monday night, when the world No. 2 squad faces No. 12 Italy in the second of the pair's winter friendlies.

"I've been very clear on the process to develop players and what we have to go through, so I'm not zoomed in on three losses," US manager Emma Hayes said of the team's 2025 shortcomings. "If I was, I wouldn't make changes."

"We work in an environment we're really proud of," she continued. "It's a very inclusive environment, diverse environment, and all these things contribute to the culture that hopefully leads to long-term success."

In line with her ongoing rotational philosophy, Hayes indicated that fans in Fort Lauderdale on Monday could see a departure from the combination of players that defeated Italy 3-0 in Orlando on Friday — as well as new tactics from the 2025 Euro semifinalists.

"My whole argument is that no matter who plays, the level of performance should still be high," Hayes said.

The US saw 16 players debut this year — the most since 1985 — with 51% of the team's combined 39 goals and 26 assists in 2025 involving a player under 25 years old.

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How to watch the USWNT vs. Italy on Monday

The 2025 finale for the No. 2 USWNT will see the national team kick off against No. 12 Italy at 7 PM ET on Monday, with live coverage airing on TNT and HBO Max.