Stanford’s roster will look a lot different this season, but Cameron Brink isn’t worried.

In fact, the senior says her team is in better shape than people might realize. The Cardinal lost several players to graduation, including standout guard Haley Jones to the WNBA Draft and Lauren Betts, the No. 1 recruit in 2022, to rival UCLA in the transfer portal.

The Cardinal won a national championship during Brink’s freshman year in 2021. That created high expectations for a program that, despite making nine Final Fours since 2008, hadn’t won a title since 1992. Then, Stanford went undefeated in conference play in 2021-22 before losing to UConn in the Final Four.

Last season was a disappointment for the Cardinal, as Ole Miss upset the No. 1 seed in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. It was the first time since 2007 that Stanford hadn’t made it to the Sweet 16.

That, followed by a slew of transfers, put Stanford and head coach Tara VanDerveer in an unusual position. Now, the storied program must contend with the impending demise of the Pac-12 conference. In the wake of multiple Pac-12 universities agreeing to join other sports conferences in 2024, due in large part to college football media deals, Stanford is in preliminary talks to move to the ACC.

Despite the continuously evolving offseason turmoil, the Cardinal are focused on the upcoming season after reloading with a solid freshman class, according to Brink.

“We’ve done a lot of rebuilding, but I could not be happier with what we have so far,” Brink said during WNBA All-Star weekend last month. “It’s still such early stages, but the freshmen are legit. I’m just so excited to see them grow.”

Stanford signed five-star guard Courtney Ogden, who averaged 21.3 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game during her senior season at Atlanta’s Westminster School. They also added two four-star players, forward NuNu Agara and guard Chloe Cardy.

.@CourtneyP_Ogden went OFF in the first half 😤 pic.twitter.com/JJxlDq7nmV

— Girls UAA (@UANextGHoops) August 12, 2022

Brink, the two-time Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, says she’s been impressed with all three freshmen so far.

“They’re open to learning and are so coachable,” she said. “They have the best attitudes.”

The 21-year-old Brink will be tasked with leading a Stanford team this season against tough competition in the Pac-12 (while the conference still stands). Former teammate Betts’ transfer to UCLA turns the Bruins into a contender full of young talent, while USC landed top recruit JuJu Watkins and Arizona boasts another talented recruiting class led by three five-star recruits.

Colorado and Utah finished first and third in the Pac-12, respectively, last season and return most of their rosters. That includes Pac-12 Player of the Year Alissa Pili for Utah and NCAA Tournament standout Frida Formann for Colorado.

Despite the competition, Brink has confidence in her Stanford squad.

“We are going to be really good,” she said.

Eden Laase is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.

Mercedes-Benz is getting into the women's game, with the luxury car giant becoming the official automotive partner of England's WSL and WSL2 this week.

The deal showcases Mercedes-Benz's growing commitment to women's sports, with the auto giant also signing on as the presenting sponsor of the WTA Tour last month — adding to a resume that includes serving as the official patron of the LPGA Tour's AIG Women's Open.

"The Mercedes-Benz story began 140 years ago with a bold idea," said Mercedes-Benz UK CEO and managing director Olivier Reppert in the WSL's Wednesday press release. "Now, that same spirit of innovation and ambition drives our partnership with WSL Football."

While financial terms of the partnership are not public, Mercedes-Benz is just the latest big-name sponsor to back WSL Football, with some reports saying that the two-league outfit has tripled its commercial revenue since splitting with the FA in 2024.

"Bringing a brand of this calibre…will help us elevate the game, deepen engagement with fans and players, and accelerate long-term growth across both leagues," said WSL Football CRO Zarah Al-Kudcy.

Mercedes-Benz will also present this spring's inaugural interleague playoff, in which the third-place WSL2 club will battle the last-place WSL team for a chance at promotion as a part of the top flight's planned 14-team expansion for 2026/27.

The PWHL is coming to the Garden, as the No. 2 New York Sirens announced on Thursday that they'll host the No. 6 Seattle Torrent at Manhattan's legendary Madison Square Garden (MSG) on April 4th.

While MSG staged a fan-less PWHPA game in February 2021, this year's PWHL takeover marks the iconic arena's first-ever ticketed pro women's hockey event.

"Madison Square Garden has a storied women's sports history," said Sirens GM Pascal Daoust in the team's announcement. "New York doesn't just watch moments; it lives with them. This is one of those nights meant to be experienced together, in the building, as part of the history of our team, our league, and everyone who helps bring it to life."

The April showdown will serve as the pair's final regular-season clash, with the 2025/26 series currently tied at 1-1.

Seattle took the first meeting 2-1 behind goals from captain Hilary Knight and Alex Carpenter on December 3rd, before New York stole the second game 4-3 as NYC local Casey O'Brien's hat trick lit up the league's Takeover Tour stop in Dallas on December 28th.

The Torrent and Sirens will next face off in Chicago on March 25th before closing out their four-game slate by making history at MSG at 8 PM ET on April 4th.

How to attend the PWHL clash at Madison Square Garden

While New York season ticket-holders can currently access tickets to the MSG clash, the presale for Sirens newsletter subscribers will begin on Monday before general sales opens at 10 AM ET on Tuesday via Ticketmaster.

Just one week into the 2026 NCAA season, UCLA women's gymnastics is the nation's No. 1 team for the first time since 2018, with senior Jordan Chiles — a two-time Olympic medalist in her final year of collegiate competition — leading the charge.

"It is really easy to be at the end of your career thinking, 'Okay, I am good with where I am at,' but they do not have that mentality," Bruins head coach Janelle McDonald said of her senior-heavy squad.

Winning the all-around in UCLA's January 3rd opening meet, Chiles is the current all-around No. 1, while also topping the rankings in the uneven bars, balance beam, and floor events, while sitting second in the vault.

"I've got the cutesy, I've done the hip hop," Chiles said of her updated senior floor routine. "This is more like the passionate, confident last year of being a Bruin."

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Notably, Chiles and UCLA have a leg up in the scores-based national gymnastics rankings considering they began their 2026 NCAA campaign before most other top programs: Only 14 Division I squads — 10 from the Power Four conferences — have started their seasons so far.

This allowed the Bruins to lead the ranks before the rest of the field could earn any points to challenge UCLA's top spot — though that will change this weekend when the majority of the NCAA's gymnastics squads enter the fray.

Pitting some of the NCAA's best squads against each other, the annual Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad will officially kick off the 2026 season in style this weekend, welcoming 2025 champions Oklahoma, finalists UCLA and Utah, semifinalists LSU and Michigan State, and regional contenders Cal, Kentucky, and Michigan across two four-team sessions on Saturday.

How to watch UCLA at the 2026 Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad

The Bruins will aim to keep their No. 1 spot in the first session of Saturday's the 2026 Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad, where UCLA will battle Oklahoma, Utah, and LSU at 4 PM ET on ABC.

The second session will begin at 8 PM ET, when Michigan State, Cal, Kentucky, and Michigan will compete head-to-head, airing live on ESPN2.

The winter of change is revving up for the Kansas City Current, with the 2025 NWSL Shield-winners announcing both a new manager and key player departures this week.

Former MLS head coach Chris Armas will officially take over as manager, after the Current's former sideline leader Vlatko Andonovski became the club's sporting director in November.

"[Armas] brings an abundance of experience at the highest levels," said Kansas City co-owners Angie and Chris Long in a Wednesday club statement. "We are confident he will further cultivate and enhance our competitive environment as we continue to pursue championships and expand our global footprint."

Armas will have his work cut out for him, however, as Kansas City will attempt to defend their Shield in the 2026 NWSL season despite major on-field contributors continuing to jump ship.

Most notably, Brazil national team star and 2025 NWSL MVP candidate Bia Zaneratto departed the club to pursue free agency, the Current announced on Wednesday.

"The impact that Bia had in Kansas City over the past two years is immeasurable," said Andonovski about the 32-year-old attacker. "Her quality, both on and off the field, will be greatly missed. On behalf of everyone at the Current, we thank Bia for everything she has given to this club and to this city."

All in all, Kansas City is turning over an untested leaf, committing to rolling the dice in 2026 after falling short of the NWSL championship in 2025.