The United States women’s national team had a year to remember, claiming the Concacaf W Championship in July to qualify for a chance to win a fifth title at the 2023 World Cup. They also had moments fans would probably soon like to forget, such as tough results against world powers this fall and their first three-game losing streak since 1993.

Through all the highs and lows, a handful of players stood out above the rest. The Just Women’s Sports team — Claire Watkins, Jessa Braun and Eden Laase — got together to put a bow on the 2022 campaign with picks for individual awards and superlatives.

For reference, our voters could choose from all capped players in 2022, while a few categories had their own requirements for consideration (as outlined in those sections below).

MVP

Watkins: Sophia Smith

This is a hard choice based on how much the U.S. rotated this year, but I have to go with NWSL MVP Sophia Smith. She scored the most goals for the USWNT, played both centrally and on the wings, supported defensively and consistently looked like a bright spot, even when the team around her was struggling. 2022 was the Year of Sophia Smith.

Braun: Naomi Girma

Center-back Naomi Girma was a USWNT rookie in 2022, but her lack of experience wouldn’t have been noticeable to someone not familiar with the national team. Playing with the composure of a veteran, she was a standout in the backline against some of the USWNT’s toughest opponents, including England and Germany to close out the season. At just 22, Girma is already a world-class player in distribution, one-on-one defense, reading the game, directing her teammates and everything in between.

Laase: Sophia Smith

Sophia Smith is my pick, too. While she’s been making appearances with the senior team since 2020, this year she truly cemented herself as the future of U.S. women’s soccer. She scored 11 goals in 17 appearances, including one in a much-needed win over Germany on Nov. 13.

Rookie of the Year

Eligible with fewer than five caps entering 2022: Sam Coffey, Alana Cook, Naomi Girma, Jaelin Howell, Aubrey Kingsbury, Taylor Kornieck, Hailie Mace, Casey Murphy, Carson Pickett, Trinity Rodman, Alyssa Thompson, Ashley Sanchez, Ashley Hatch

Watkins: Naomi Girma

I think the winner here has to be a true rookie, and I’m going with perhaps the most obvious choice. Girma didn’t get her first cap until April, and she slowly worked her way into becoming irreplaceable in the USWNT backline.

Braun: Casey Murphy

In a world where goalkeepers are too often forgotten, Casey Murphy shined on the international stage. Rotating games with two-time World Cup champion Alyssa Naeher, Murphy had no trouble maintaining the standard in her first year with the senior team. She played the most games of the three goalkeepers, totaling 810 minutes, and she had the most shutouts with six.

Laase: Naomi Girma

Girma made her debut for the national team on April 12 in a friendly against Uzbekistan and has made 10 appearances since then. Girma doesn’t play like a rookie. Her instincts are that of someone in the middle of their career, and she rarely makes mistakes. When she’s in the game, the backline looks much more relaxed, and that’s saying something for a player at the start of her career.

Defender of the Year

Eligible: Alana Cook, Abby Dahlkemper, Tierna Davidson, Crystal Dunn, Emily Fox, Naomi Girma, Sofia Huerta, Hailie Mace, Kelley O’Hara, Carson Pickett, Becky Sauerbrunn

Watkins: Becky Sauerbrunn

Girma’s my rookie, so I’m going to go with classic defensive standout Becky Sauerbrunn. Sauerbrunn arguably had an underrated 2022. The veteran was tasked with bridging a divide as her regular compatriots in the backline weren’t available due to absence and injury. Sauerbrunn’s pairing with Girma in the last game of the year — which marked only their third time together at center-back — is a good example of just how flexible the team’s captain is in her defensive role.

Braun: Sofia Huerta

Sofia Huerta was one of two defenders to play over 1,000 minutes this year, even with minutes restrictions. She also started 11 of the 16 games she played. An aggressive threat in possession, Huerta registered two assists courtesy of her lethal crosses, tying her with Alana Cook for the most by a U.S. defender. After three years away from the national team, the tenacious fullback returned last November and was a backbone for a defense dealing with injuries and lineup changes.

Laase: Naomi Girma

I have no issue picking Girma for multiple awards because of the all-around stellar year she had. So, in addition to Rookie of the Year, she’s my Defender of the Year for all the reasons I mentioned above.

Iron Woman of the Year

Eligible with over 1,000 minutes played: Alana Cook (1,286), Sofia Huerta (1,074), Rose Lavelle (1,107), Mallory Pugh (1,030), Sophia Smith (1,192), Andi Sullivan (1,126)

Watkins: Alana Cook

I’m going to go with a player who has received some criticism in recent months and stick with the team’s most depended-on player in 2022. The fact that Alana Cook is both eligible for rookie status and also played the most minutes for the USWNT in 2022 provides some insight into her development as an international center-back. She had to hold everything down while pairing with a rotation that included Tierna Davidson, Abby Dahlkemper, Sauerbrunn and Girma.

Braun: Sophia Smith

To play the second-most minutes on the team is not common for an attacker, but Smith proved this year that there’s nothing she can’t do. She started and played 17 games, the most of anyone on the team, and she was also the only player to reach double digits in goals with 11. Known as the brace queen, Smith also scored at least two goals in four matches.

Laase: Andi Sullivan

Injuries plagued Andi Sullivan’s early years with the senior national team, including a torn ACL in 2016, a torn meniscus in 2020 and a quad injury in 2021. This year, she stayed healthy and appeared in 15 games. The USWNT is sitll figuring things out in the midfield heading into a World Cup year, but Sullivan was a steadying force throughout all the workshopping.

Biggest surprise

Watkins: Sam Coffey

It has to be Sam Coffey, in that a year ago, I’m not sure anyone had her ascension to the USWNT on their radar. Coffey played as a forward at Boston College and then as an attacking midfielder at Penn State, only joining the Thorns as a defensive midfielder at the beginning of 2022. That she took to the position so quickly and is already being hailed as the possible “One True No. 6 To Rule Them All” is a bit of a shocking development, and a welcome one.

Braun: Megan Rapinoe

In most ways, Megan Rapinoe was not a surprise at all. The legendary veteran has been instrumental in getting four World Cup stars above the USWNT badge. But this year, her return to the national team during a time of turnover wasn’t entirely predictable, especially after she played limited minutes for her NWSL club, OL Reign. When she joined the national team for the first time this year in June, she was expected to serve as an off-field leader. But Rapinoe took full advantage of the few minutes she spent on the field, recording two assists and scoring a goal in November to save the U.S. from a scoreless loss against Germany.

Laase: Crystal Dunn

For me, the biggest surprise was Crystal Dunn coming back to play just 140 days after giving birth to her son. Though the USWNT lost to England on Oct. 7, Dunn subbing in at the 63-minute mark was one of the best moments of the match. The 30-year-old not only managed to play at the highest level of soccer less than five months after giving birth, but she also reminded the USWNT how valuable she can be to the lineup.

Best goal

Watkins: Mallory Pugh vs. Iceland (Feb. 23)

twice as nice for @malpugh 💥💥 pic.twitter.com/RbYKSwK3QE

— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) February 24, 2022

I think you could pick any of the first four goals that the U.S. scored against Iceland to clinch the SheBelieves Cup in February, but I’m going with the fourth. Catarina Macario sprung a counter with her defensive work rate, and she and Mal Pugh looked like the only two strikers on Planet Earth in the back-and-forth sequence that ended in a perfect final pass from Macario and strike by Pugh.

Braun: Catarina Macario vs. Iceland (Feb. 23)

Like Claire said, those goals against Iceland are top of the list. For me it’s the first one, where Macario is in a two-on-one situation at the far corner of the box and blasts the ball from there. The build-up to the goal was about as picture-perfect as Macario’s strike itself, with the fluid string of passes showing the chemistry the national team is capable of.

Laase: Mallory Pugh vs. Germany (Nov. 10)

Standout stuff by @sunshine_sully in the midfield and a bit of @MalPugh magic puts us in front ✨🇺🇸⚽️ pic.twitter.com/qQvxdo7j7E

— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) November 13, 2022

While it wasn’t the most impressive or exciting of all the goals scored this year, I’m going with Mal Pugh’s game-winner against Germany. The U.S. desperately needed a win to end the year on a high note after an unexpected three-game slide. Pugh outran the German defense and placed the ball perfectly into the low corner, finally giving her squad something to celebrate.

Best Off-Field Content

Watkins: Trinity Rodman

Long away camps are never easy, but Trinity Rodman’s Concacaf W TikToks (supported by a rotating cast of teammates) will live forever.

Braun: Taylor Kornieck

The videos might not be on her own social media profiles, but Taylor Kornieck shines in the goofy entertainment she creates with San Diego Wave FC teammate Kailen Sheridan. The “High School Musical” human basketball reel on Sheridan’s Instagram can’t be forgotten.

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Laase: Rose Lavelle

It was late in the year, but I have to shout out Rose Lavelle’s performance of Celine Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” at the Player’s Ball. Iconic.

rose lavelle you are my favorite human ever pic.twitter.com/P3LBCvmCFr

— maddie (@vivmccabe) November 15, 2022

Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

Jessa Braun is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering the NWSL and USWNT. Follow her on Twitter @jessabraun.

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

The 2024 NCAA DI Soccer Championship field is officially set, with 64 teams gearing up to battle for postseason glory in this weekend's first round.

All teams have their sights set on this year's College Cup — NCAA soccer's Final Four — which will take place in Cary, NC, with semifinals on December 6th before the December 9th championship match.

Along with the 30 conference tournament champions who automatically received postseason invites, the NCAA committee revealed its 34 selectees in Monday's bracket release. The top 32 teams are seeded one through eight in their respective bracket quadrants, and teams are guaranteed to only face non-conference opponents through the tournament's second round.

Tight race for top seeds reflect NCAA talent

In this 43rd edition of the NCAA championship, three of the four No. 1 seeds are already making history.

After finishing the the regular season atop the sport's rankings, Duke is the tournament's overall No. 1 team for the first time ever. The Blue Devils, who boast the nation's second-best scoring offense, are aiming for a program-first national title this year.

Joining Duke in the bracket's elite echelon are USC and Mississippi State, who claimed No. 1 seeds for the first time ever. The Trojans did so in their first season as a Big Ten team, while the SEC veteran Bulldogs put together their best year yet, finishing with a nationally unparalleled 16-1-0 regular-season record.

Rounding out the top quartet is defending champion Florida State, the lone consistent standby in the No. 1-seed club. The Seminoles have earned the honor 12 times, with this year marking their sixth straight NCAA tournament atop a quadrant.

Power Four squads lead NCAA Championship charge

Unsurprisingly, the Power Four conferences comprise over half the national bracket. The SEC and Big Ten lead the charge with 10 teams each, while the ACC has nine in the mix, and the Big 12 is sending seven.

Though the ACC didn't win the total team race, the tough conference is still arguably the one to beat in the bracket, as seven of their teams earned Top-4 seedings. Even more, a full half of the eight Nos. 1 and 2 teams hail from the ACC, with second-seeds North Carolina and Wake Forest joining top seeds Duke and Florida State.

UNC and Wake Forest represent two very different paths to the tournament: The Tar Heels — a dynasty who've won 21 of the 42 national trophies — extended their streak of appearing in every single NCAA tournament with Monday's bracket drop. Meanwhile, the Demon Deacons have shot to national acclaim after failing to garner an invite to last year's NCAA party.

Joining the ACC pair as No. 2 seeds are SEC standouts Arkansas and 2022 national champions and new Big Ten members UCLA. The Razorbacks claim their third No. 2 seed in four years, while the Bruins' defense is on a hunt to prove that defense wins championships.

Parity set to increase NCAA tournament chaos

Though the top contenders have certainly earned respect, this season's competition is particularly fierce, as the fallout of conference realignment and unrestricted transfers has meant increased parity on the NCAA pitch.

That parity isn't just reflected by new teams claiming top national seeds. This postseason has already proved that almost any team can emerge victorious from the college soccer pitch at any time.

In last week's Power Four conference tournaments, for example, only the Big 12 saw the top conference seed advance to the final, and none ultimately lifted hardware: UCLA claimed the Big Ten as the No. 2 seed, No. 3 seeds Florida State and Texas won the ACC and SEC tournaments, respectively, and Kansas absolutely stunned the Big 12 as the conference's No. 6 seed champions.

How to watch the NCAA Soccer Championship tournament

Those parity-fueled upsets will be increasingly likely in the tournament's later rounds, but several of the 32 first-round matchups have upset potential.

All will stream on ESPN+, starting with the NCAA's kickoff match between No. 8 Utah State and Washington on Friday at 4 PM ET.

Friday will see 25 matches, with six on Saturday. Wrapping up the tournament's first chapter will be No. 1 USC, who will host Sacramento State at 5 PM ET on Sunday.

This episode of 'The Late Sub' is presented in partnership with Visa.

In the latest episode of The Late Sub, podcast host and JWS staff writer Claire Watkins invites Bay FC center defensive midfielder Kiki Pickett into the studio to chat through the 2024 NWSL expansion's side banner first season — one, as Pickett reveals, where local support made all the difference.

"That love for women's sports is huge," the Santa Barbara native and Stanford grad says of her team's Northern California home. "And then we have the Valkyries coming in as well, so I think that's only just going to increase."

Throughout the conversation, Pickett looks back on other sources of support, including hands-on backing from team staff as well as a unique partnership with founding partner Visa that sees direct investment in current Bay FC players. In addition to investing in enhanced player benefits such as dedicated mental health support, Visa's partnership enables players to more efficiently earn the maximum amount of appearance fee compensation available under the NWSL's current CBA.

"I think that's been a huge advantage for us, knowing that they have our back on whatever it is — recovery, nutrition, mental balance," she says of Bay FC's Visa partnership. "Those are just the little details that get us above and beyond."

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Bay FC's rise from shaky start to 2024 NWSL Playoffs

Pickett then walks Watkins through the team's impressive mid-season turnaround, explaining how Bay FC became the perfect NWSL underdog before highlighting some of the most memorable moments from the team's record-breaking debut year.

"Every game has helped us learn and build our blocks," Pickett continues, reflecting on the team's journey from a shaky start to making last weekend's NWSL quarterfinals. "The mindset switch was, 'If we're so focused on defense, you've got to make sure the offense is correct. If we're so focused on offense, we've got to make sure our defense is correct.' We eventually put those two together, and it just clicked."

"Maybe people aren't talking about us in the beginning because we didn't have the best record," she adds. "Now people are talking about us."

Elsewhere in the episode, Watkins also takes time to recap this past weekend's NWSL quarterfinals, talking through blowouts, surprises, empty tanks, and why the league's top four teams continue to rule the pitch this year.

About The Late Sub with Claire Watkins

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.

Subscribe to The Late Sub to never miss an episode.

One week into the 2024/25 season and the Big Ten is already leading the college basketball charge, with multiple teams tallying upsets to boost their spots in Monday's AP Top 25 update.

The biggest leap belonged to Maryland, who climbed seven spots to No. 11 after defeating now-No. 16 Duke 85-80 on Sunday. With four double-digit scorers, the Terrapins' team effort was led by junior guard Kaylene Smikle's 23 points.

Maryland's Big Ten compatriots, No. 23 Illinois and No. 25 Oregon, broke into Monday's standings after respective wins against then-No. 19 Florida State on Thursday and then-No. 12 Baylor on Sunday.

Led by former UNC standout Deja Kelly's 20 points, the Ducks staved off a late Baylor surge to secure the 76-74 win, snapping a 13-game losing streak to ranked opponents in the process.

Outside the Big Ten, Stanford also made their 2024/25 poll debut, coming in at No. 24. The Cardinal took their omission from the preseason poll — the first in 25 years with Stanford — as a challenge, defeating their first three season opponents last week by an average of 41 points.

South Carolina maintains stranglehold on No. 1

The preseason top eight teams held their ground this week behind defending champs No. 1 South Carolina, who extended their division-record active unbeaten streak to 40 games with Sunday's 71-57 win over now-No. 13 NC State.

With junior forward Chloe Kitts, who led the Gamecocks with a double-double in their season opener, ruled out due to an academic issue, South Carolina guards Te-Hina Paopao and MiLaysia Fulwiley stepped up in a big way, sinking 23 and 18 points, respectively.

SEC is still NCAA's top basketball conference

While still early days, it does appear that conference realignment and a robust transfer portal has once again emboldened the NCAA's biggest players. 

New Big Ten members No. 3 USC, No. 5 UCLA, and No. 24 Oregon join veterans No. 11 Maryland, No. 12 Ohio State, No. 21 Nebraska, and No. 23 Illinois in this week's rankings, tying the SEC with the most teams in the poll at seven.

Even so, the SEC remains the conference to beat, with not just No. 1 South Carolina setting the sport's standard, but three other Top-10 teams. Conference veteran No. 7 LSU and last season's Big 12 stalwarts No. 4 Texas and No. 9 Oklahoma round out the SEC's grip on the top of the rankings, with No. 19 Ole Miss, No. 20 Kentucky, and No. 22 Alabama also featuring in the poll.

AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll

1. South Carolina
2. UConn
3. Southern California
4. Texas
5. UCLA
6. Notre Dame
7. LSU
8. Iowa State
9. Oklahoma
10. Kansas State
11. Maryland
12. Ohio State
13. North Carolina State
14. North Carolina
15. West Virginia
16. Duke
17. Baylor
18. Louisville
19. Ole Miss
20. Kentucky
21. Nebraska
22. Alabama
23. Illinois
24. Stanford
25. Oregon

World No. 3 tennis star Coco Gauff won the 2024 WTA Finals on Saturday, becoming the youngest US player to take the tournament since Serena Williams in 2001.

Gauff's championship came by way of a grueling three-hour 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2) final match win over reigning Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen.

The 20-year-old's road to the $4.8 million purse — the largest in women's tennis history — included just her second-ever win over No. 2 Iga Świątek in the group round and a semifinal victory over No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka on Friday.

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A winning end to a rollercoaster season

When asked about her 2024 season, Gauff told reporters, "There’s been a lot of ups and downs. At moments, it felt great. At other moments, it felt awful. Basically, a typical year on tour."

Her low point was a disappointing attempt to defend her 2023 US Open title. Gauff stumbled out of the US Grand Slam in the fourth round this fall.

That performance led Gauff to an apparently productive coaching change. She left coach Brad Gilbert, adding Matt Daly to her team to work with Jean-Christophe “JC” Faurel.

Since then, Gauff has gone 13-2, ultimately adding the China Open and WTA Finals titles to her June French Open doubles trophy.

After silencing doubters with Saturday's victory, Gauff took to social media, writing "lol safe to say I beat the bad season allegations."

A double dose of WTA Finals history

Just before Gauff took the court, Canadian Gabriela Dabrowski and New Zealand's Erin Routliffe were crowned the season's doubles champions.

Dabrowski and Routliffe avenged their Wimbledon final loss by defeating US player Taylor Townsend and her Czech partner Kateřina Siniaková 7-5, 6-3 on Saturday. They are now the first athletes from Canada and New Zealand to win the WTA Finals doubles title.