Plenty of new faces are heading Down Under with the U.S. women’s national team for the World Cup. Just Women’s Sports is taking a look at a few of the newcomers and introducing them to fans new and old.

Alyssa Thompson

Age: 18 years old
Position: Forward
USWNT debut: October 7, 2022 vs. England
Total caps: 4

How has she looked in her NWSL season?

After being selected first overall in the 2023 NWSL Draft, Thompson has had a solid start to her first professional season with Angel City FC. She scored mere minutes into her NWSL regular season debut, after scoring just five minutes into her professional debut against Liga MX Femenil.

Since then, Thompson has continued to make history in a league that’s in the midst of a youth movement, from San Diego’s Jaedyn Shaw and Melanie Barcenas to Portland’s Olivia Moultrie. Through 13 matches, Thompson has three goals and an assist and has earned NWSL Rookie of the Month honors. The forward has showcased both her finishing abilities and field vision as Angel City has tried to keep pace in a competitive NWSL.

According to Angel City teammate and New Zealand captain Ali Riley, Thompson has “lived up to all the hype.”

Tonight’s Play of the Match ft. La Cocinera, Alyssa Thompson 😗🤌 #Volemos | #NWSL | #LAvKC | #AngelCityFC pic.twitter.com/ir36qPUGvB

— Angel City FC (@weareangelcity) May 8, 2023

What does she bring to the USWNT?

Thompson has limited experience with the USWNT, having earned her first cap last year against England at Wembley Stadium. Since then, she’s made just three other appearances, including getting called into April friendlies against Ireland after Mallory Swanson went down with an injury.

“The environment of a pro is very similar to (the national team). There’s a little bit more pressure here,” Thompson said in April. “But Angel City has prepped me really well for this. I’m just continuing to grow my skills and continuing to grow as a player.”

Thompson will most likely serve as a depth forward for the USWNT at the World Cup. She has the ability to break down opposing defenses, but she is still developing in other areas. Described as a “generational player” by her club and widely considered the future of the USWNT, Thompson will use the tournament as an opportunity to learn from her peers and get valuable experience.

“I feel like I belong. When I’m on the field, the players are helping me just build confidence,” Thompson said following the roster announcement. “I know a lot of the players just talk a lot to me, which helps my confidence in the games and stuff like that. So definitely on the field, I feel more confident and like I belong and I’m supposed to be here.”

What have USWNT coaches and teammates said about Thompson?

Vlatko Andonovski, head coach: “Alyssa Thompson, I mean, she’s an exciting player. If there is a person that believes in Alyssa Thompson, or a coach that believes in Alyssa Thompson, it’d probably be me. Not long ago, when she was 17 years old, her first cap was against one of the best teams in the world in front of 80,000 people, and that was a decision that I made.

“She’s a young player, talented player, good player, and all she needs to do is just enjoy the game that she plays, focus on what she does best and allow the people that are making the decision to make the decision for her.”

Crystal Dunn, defender: “She is really hard to stop and to beat. She’s really great on the dribble. I think she’s someone who’s honed in on her talent and that’s really what brings you success, especially in club but also playing for the national team, is really knowing what you’re good at and executing that and consistently doing that. So, I think she’s shown and proven that in club, and I think that’s honestly what has really allowed her to be seen by obviously everybody — domestically in the league, but also now at the biggest stage.”

The UNC Tar Heels are having a rough start to the 2025 NCAA soccer season, logging two upset losses in the first two weeks of competition to plummet from their No. 1 spot in the preseason rankings.

North Carolina stumbled right out of the gate, becoming the first reigning national champs to drop their season opener in 23 years with their 2-0 fall to Tennessee, before the Tar Heels added a second 2-0 loss to Georgia last Thursday.

As a result, a precipitous poll drop have the once top-ranked Tar Heels now sitting at No. 22 in the nation, with Stanford rising behind four straight wins to take the UNC-vacated No. 1 spot.

Meanwhile, North Carolina's SEC conquerers earned big boosts: Georgia made their season rankings debut at No. 13 this week, and a four-match opening winning streak saw Tennessee skyrocket to No. 2.

Tennessee's early-season success also includes a second massive win, as the preseason-unranked Vols defeated 2022 champion and then-No. 4 UCLA 1-0 last Wednesday to prove that their shocking opening upset was far from a fluke.

Redshirt junior forward Shae O'Rourke is leading Tennessee's charge, netting five goals across their four games — including scoring all three against the two recent NCAA champs.

As for UNC, the Tar Heels have time to right the ship under newly permanent head coach Damon Nahas, with the team looking to log some wins over lopsided opponents before their next ranked matchup against fellow ACC foe No. 24 Virginia Tech on September 11th.

Global seven-a-side soccer venture World Sevens Football (W7F) is on its way Stateside, announcing Tuesday that the second-ever W7F tournament will kick off in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, later this year.

After a successful debut in Portugal last May, the eight-team competition will put another $5 million purse on the line when it takes over Beyond Bancard Field, the home of the USL Super League's Fort Lauderdale United FC from December 5th through the 7th.

While European clubs — including eventual champions Bayern Munich — dominated the inaugural W7F field, the tournament is now looking to platform teams based in North and South America for its US edition.

Like the first iteration, W7F will again team up with media partner DAZN for live match coverage from Florida.

W7F boasts a Player Advisory Council that includes the USWNT's two-time World Cup champions Tobin Heath and Kelley O'Hara, plus a trio of former international stars — England defender Anita Asante, longtime Sweden captain and midfielder Caroline Seger, and France defender Laura Georges — all of whom are also shareholders in the upstart.

"We saw undeniable proof of concept [in Portugal]. Now, we're building on that momentum," W7F head of football Adrian Jacob said in Tuesday's press release. "This isn't just a tournament — it's a movement, this time in America, where women's soccer has unprecedented momentum."

As the 2025 WNBA regular season nears its end, fresh faces and league mainstays alike have risen to the top of a still-too-close-to-call Coach of the Year race.

Reigning WNBA Coach of the Year Cheryl Reeve is making the case for back-to-back honors after leading the Minnesota Lynx to the top of the WNBA standings on a 30-7 record.

That said, more than one squad has turned things around under new management following an offseason coaching carousel that reshaped the league's tactical landscape.

First-year coaches Natalie Nakase (No. 7 Golden State Valkyries) and Karl Smesko (No. 2 Atlanta Dream) as well as second-year boss Nate Tibbetts (No. 4 Phoenix Mercury) are also making their mark, with all three teams firmly on track to punch their tickets to the 2025 WNBA Playoffs.

Nakase is on the brink of history as the Valkyries strive to become the first-ever expansion side to make the playoffs in their debut year, while Smesko's revamped roster has already earned the Dream nine more wins than last year.

Tibbetts has also struck gold, improving Phoenix's win record by over four games while reshaping their identity around star forward Alyssa Thomas.

As the WNBA booms in popularity and parity, the players aren't the only individuals becoming more competitive, the coaches are, too — though there might be no competing with experience when it comes to successfully making a championship run.

The No. 6 Indiana Fever are still in control of their playoff destiny, taking down the No. 8 Seattle Storm 95-75 behind star center Aliyah Boston's dominant 27-point performance on Tuesday night.

Also helping to offset Indiana's slate of high-profile injuries were guards Kelsey Mitchell and midseason hardship signee Odyssey Sims, who combined for 43 points in Tuesday's win.

"Every game at this point in the season is huge, and this one was a big one for us," said Fever head coach Stephanie White afterwards. "We knew that we had to come out and show some urgency."

"Going into this game, we talked about how this is a big game for us and an important game for us considering the standings," echoed Boston. "This is a great win for us before we head on the road."

After losing multiple guards to season-ending injuries this month, Indiana entered Tuesday's matchup having lost six of their last eight games as they await the return of sidelined superstar Caitlin Clark.

"[Boston] has been the one that's been most affected by all of our injuries, all of the point guards who can get her the ball," White continued. "She set the tone for us on both ends."

As for Seattle, Tuesday's loss dropped the Storm to eighth in the WNBA standings, sitting just above the postseason cutoff line with the No. 9 LA Sparks hot on their heels.

"There's no excuse for what happened today other than not matching the energy of the other team," said Seattle forward Nneka Ogwumike, who led her squad's scoring with 17 points on Tuesday.

How to watch the Indiana Fever, Seattle Storm this week

No. 6 Indiana hits the road this weekend, taking on No. 9 LA at 10 PM ET on Friday on ION before facing the No. 7 Golden State Valkyries at 8:30 PM ET on Sunday, with live coverage airing on NBA TV.

An uphill battle is on deck for No. 8 Seattle as the Storm gear up for an 8 PM ET clash against the league-leading Minnesota Lynx on Thursday, airing live on WNBA League Pass.