The NWSL MVP race is heating up. With half of the regular season in the books, competition for the league’s top individual honor has started to take shape, with a handful of favorites emerging.

As national team players return from Olympic duty, here’s who to keep an eye on for the remainder of the 2021 NWSL season.

Sydney Leroux, Orlando Pride

Sydney Leroux is on a tear. The Pride striker currently leads the league’s Golden Boot race with seven goals in 13 appearances, and she also has the most attempted shots so far this season, with 42.

The veteran forward has powered a resurgent Orlando offense, stretching opponents’ backlines and exploiting seams wherever she can. Though her attacking presence can’t be understated, Leroux is also known to put in the work on defense. The 31-year-old often tracks into midfield or all the way back to Orlando’s box in order to break up an opponent’s play, triggering the Pride’s counterattack.

Leroux’s standout year marks the striker’s first full season back on the pitch since having her second child in 2019. The biggest question may be whether the Pride can keep their form following the departure of Marc Skinner.

Syd called game 😌#CHIvORL | https://t.co/0LtSAUK1Jw | #NWSL21 pic.twitter.com/21SF0Uel1M

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 8, 2021

Ashlyn Harris, Orlando Pride

Ashlyn Harris has long been a dominant presence in goal, but the veteran keeper seems to have tapped into a new mindset this year.

Harris has stopped five straight penalty kicks from the line, making her the only goalkeeper to stop multiple PKs so far this season.The 35-year-old sits third in the league’s goalkeeper rankings, with 39 saves in 990 minutes on the pitch.

👉😠👈@Ashlyn_Harris' penalty stop is your @Verizon Save of the Week winner 👏 pic.twitter.com/aN2TI4ic00

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 8, 2021

Harris’s ability to come up clutch and keep Orlando in close games has propelled the club to fourth in the NWSL standings with half the season left to play.

Bethany Balcer, OL Reign

Second only to Leroux in the Golden Boot race, Balcer has been a consistently energizing force for the OL Reign.

Bethany Balcer strikes first 💪@OLReign | @NWSL pic.twitter.com/pqbQ8QT8JS

— CBS Sports Soccer (@CBSSportsSoccer) July 18, 2021

The 2019 Rookie of the Year is lethal in the club’s attack, employing strategic movement off the ball to create a flurry of chances in the final third. Whether or not the 24-year-old is scoring–and she often is–Balcer’s mere presence and ability to create space rattles defenses, complicating opponents’ game plans.

Simone Charley, Portland Thorns

Simone Charley is having a moment. Making her mark during the Olympic break, Charley’s third year with the Thorns is proving to be her breakout season.

The 26-year-old is currently tied with Sophia Smith as the club’s leading scorer, recording four goals in 13 appearances. The Portland striker has emerged as a fixture for Portland’s offense, creating ten chances and powering the team to the top of the NWSL table. If Portland can stay there, and Charley can keep scoring, she’ll remain a dark horse candidate for league MVP.

NBD, just @SimoneCharley soarin' ✈️#ORLvPOR | https://t.co/0LtSAUK1Jw | #NWSL21 pic.twitter.com/L4ttzgkR4c

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 26, 2021

Lynn Williams, North Carolina Courage

Williams has momentum on her side. The Courage striker is coming off an impressive Olympic debut, notching a goal and an assist in the USWNT’s win over the Netherlands in Tokyo.

Make that two braces in two games for Lynn Williams! She doubles to lead for the Courage!#NCvPOR | 2-0pic.twitter.com/qGRiqclykt

— The Equalizer (@EqualizerSoccer) June 27, 2021

Williams was on a scoring streak before leaving for the Games, netting four goals in four days in her final NWSL matches before heading to Tokyo. If Williams can keep up that type of offensive output for the Courage, she could be in contention for her second NWSL MVP award, having won the honors in 2016 with the Western New York Flash.

Nike is sending Team USA to Italy in style, with the sportswear giant's ACG (All Conditions Gear) brand releasing the designs for a special 2026 Winter Olympics collection this week.

Branded with Nike ACG badges alongside Team USA patches, this year's collection builds off a traditional red, white, and navy color scheme to outfit the country's Olympic and Paralympic athletes, as well as fans, ahead of the 2026 Games' February 6th opening ceremony in Milan.

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The designs include a long-sleeved T-shirt displaying an animated, winter sports-bound bald eagle and a zipped fleece sherpa and Therma-Fit skirt, both emblazoned with a bald eagle soaring over mountains.

Additionally, the collection boasts multiple T-shirts, long-sleeved sweat-wicking shirts, Polartec® jackets, and accessories including a baseball cap and winter beanie.

Nike is just one of many major brands outfitting Team USA for this year's competition, with the athletic corporation joining J.Crew in inviting fans to gear up for the Games after the fashion retailer dropped its own Winter Olympics capsule collection earlier this month.

How to purchase items from the Nike ACG x Team USA collection

The Nike ACG x Team USA line will hit shelves on Friday, January 23rd, with fans able to snag pieces prior to the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The collection will be available for purchase via nike.com.

Stars of the 2025 Euro stole the EA FC 26 spotlight this week, as the video game giant's fan-voted 2026 Team of the Year recognized some of international soccer's top achievers on Thursday.

Champions England fielded four honorees as forward Alessia Russo joined a trio of Lioness defenders — Leah Williamson, Millie Bright, and Team of the Year captain Lucy Bronze — on the 11-player list.

"Being named the first-ever Women's EA Sports FC TOTY Captain is an honour," Bronze said in a statement. "2025 was an amazing year — winning the Euros again and picking up my first BWSL with Chelsea — so much of that success is thanks to our fans, and it's great to see them recognize my efforts with this award."

The rest of the EA FC 26 Team of the Year also favored European titans, as Euro runners-up and Nations League winners Spain also saw a quartet of players make the roster. La Roja fully owned the Team of Year midfield as stars Aitana Bonmatí, Mariona Caldentey, and Alexia Putellas joined forward Clàudia Pina on Thursday's lineup.

Rounding out the squad were three other European club standouts as EA FC 26 also tapped Chliean goalkeeper Christiane Endler (OL Lyonnes), French defender Selma Bacha (OL Lyonnes), and Polish forward Ewa Pajor (FC Barcelona).

The first Grand Slam of 2026 has arrived, as the main draw of the Australian Open hits the court on Saturday evening, promising some early-round fireworks.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka enters as the tournament favorite, though the rest of the WTA Top 10 promises to give her a run for her money — as No. 2 Iga Świątek chases the only major tournament title still eluding her.

Meanwhile, No. 9 Madison Keys will attempt to defend her 2025 crown, as fellow US products No. 3 Coco Gauff, No. 4 Amanda Anisimova, and No. 6 Jessica Pegula also locked down top seeds.

Another US superstar will return this weekend, with 45-year-old Venus Williams following up her impressive 2025 performances by accepting a wild-card entry to her first Australian Open in five years.

"Even though I've been on tour for a long time, this is also still my first experience as [reigning champion]," Keys said. "I'm really just trying to soak in all of the really cool fun parts."

How to watch the 2026 Australian Open

The 2026 Australian Open begins at 7 PM ET on Saturday, with Williams as well as top-seed Sabalenka and world No. 7 Jasmine Paolini set to face their first opponents on the first day of the Slam's main draw.

The second day of first-round matches will see the rest of the WTA elite in action, as No. 2 Świątek, No. 3 Gauff, No. 4 Anisimova, No. 6 Pegula, and No. 9 Keys — as well as No. 5 Elena Rybakina, No. 8 Mirra Andreeva, and No. 10 Belinda Bencic — will hit the hardcourt in Melbourne starting at 7 PM ET on Sunday.

All matches in the 2026 Australian Open — from the first round through the women's final on Saturday, January 31st — will air live across ESPN platforms.

Monday's NCAA basketball action will put two of the nation's top guards to the test, as No. 10 TCU faces No. 14 Ohio State in Newark, New Jersey's Coretta Scott King Classic — part of a stacked MLK Day slate.

Buckeye sophomore Jaloni Cambridge is on a tear in this season, averaging 21.8 points per game — good for No. 10 in the country — and tallying 102 points, 20 rebounds, and 20 assists across Ohio State's last three games.

At the same time, TCU has seen similar stylings from Notre Dame transfer Olivia Miles, with the senior putting up a career-high 19.2 points per game while sitting at No. 9 in the nation behind her 7.3 assists average for the Horned Frogs.

Even more, Miles is lapping her collegiate cohort in triple doubles on the season, posting four of the elite stat-sheet performances while all other NCAA players have a maximum of one.

Both teams are meeting expectations head-on this season, impressing following 2025 NCAA tournament exits that spurred significant offseason roster changes.

Ohio State star forward Cotie McMahon transferred to Ole Miss after the Buckeyes' second-round ousting, while TCU graduated standout starting guard Hailey Van Lith and center Sedona Prince.

With Miles and Cambridge leading the charge, however, both squads are flourishing: TCU faltered just once in their 2025/26 campaign so far — a January 3rd overtime loss to unranked Utah — while Ohio State's two season losses came at the hands of titans No. 1 UConn and No. 3 UCLA.

"Ultimately, [TCU forward] Marta [Suarez] and Miles are two of the best players in college basketball," Horned Frogs head coach Mark Campbell said after Sunday's win over Arizona State. "But for our team to reach our full potential, we need these other players to show great growth. And I think we have."

How to watch TCU vs. Ohio State basketball on Monday

The No. 10 Horned Frogs will take on the No. 14 Buckeyes at 12 PM ET on Monday, airing live on FOX.