Each month in the leadup to the World Cup, Just Women’s Sports will make the case for one player as most essential to the success of the U.S. women’s national team in 2023. Next up: Lynn Williams.

The absence of Lynn Williams’ skillset from the USWNT roster in 2022 made her importance to the team that much clearer.

The defensive prowess she brings to the forward line should make her a lock for the World Cup. Indeed, coach Vlatko Andonovski has made clear his appreciation for the Williams since her return from the hamstring tear that sidelined her for most of last year.

“One of the things that Lynn is very special at, is she’s probably one of the best defenders from the attacking players. There is no hesitation when she goes into press, (she) drives the press, drives the intensity of the team, sets up a good rhythm,” USWNT manager Vlatko Andonovski said during the SheBelieves Cup in February.

In addition to Williams’ defensive abilities, she’s also shown off her scoring touch, notching her first goal of 2023 just seven minutes into her first game back with the team in January.

Seven minutes into her first appearance following a long-term hamstring injury, Lynn Williams gets on the scoresheet 😤 pic.twitter.com/z12EZVh3eR

— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 18, 2023

While the USWNT had more problems than just Williams’ absence in late 2022, the team nonetheless has looked much better with her back in the lineup.

The 29-year-old forward is still working her way back to full health, but that means she could be even more lethal as the team sets its eyes on another World Cup title.

“I love being back in this environment. It’s a tough environment to be in, as I’m sure everybody can imagine. I’m feeling more and more like myself every single day. I still think I have a bit more to feel like myself again,” she told The Athletic in February. “It’s always an honor to be here.”

After she was snubbed from the 2019 World Cup team, she was named to the Tokyo Olympic team and proved her worth in that tournament. During the team’s Olympic quarterfinal against the Netherlands, she notched a goal and an assist to help them go up 2-1 in a span of three minutes.

What makes her performance in Tokyo even more impressive is that Williams wasn’t one of the 18 players initially named to the roster. Rather, she was added later when the Olympics expanded their rosters to 22 players.

On her first start, @lynnraenie adds another one for @TeamUSA! 2️⃣ - 1️⃣@USWNT x #TokyoOlympics

📺 NBCSN
💻 https://t.co/aazsVXbtR0
📱 NBC Sports App pic.twitter.com/1MSB2Soo0D

— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) July 30, 2021

She has continued to prove her worth and her value to Andonovski’s squad since then. So this year, there should be no question about her place on the World Cup roster.

On top of her scoring abilities, she also can set up her teammates — for example, she once helped Christen Press send one home sans a boot. She’s up to 15 goals and 11 assists for the USWNT in her career, including 10 assists in 2020 and 2021.

Who says you need two boots on to provide an assist ⁉️

Not Lynn Williams 🇺🇸 #CWOQ @lynnraenie @USWNT @Concacafpic.twitter.com/RwfpOXC4FH

— FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) January 29, 2020

On the club side, she is joining forces with Midge Purce in New York after a trade to Gotham FC, which means the two forwards could link up even better when playing for the USWNT.

Even still, Williams has proven how invaluable she is for the USWNT no matter who else is with her on the pitch. Her abilities to adapt will work well for the USWNT as they play against teams they haven’t played before in the World Cup, and teams that they have (looking at you, Netherlands).

That, and she’s also a built-in babysitting auntie for the team children, with Crystal Dunn, AD Franch and Alex Morgan all traveling with their kids.

“I just think it comes naturally,” Williams said, “and obviously Crystal is a good friend of mine and her baby is adorable. So it’s pretty easy to just take him and hold him all the time.”

Best aunts on the planet 💃 pic.twitter.com/DDo3EDJkyr

— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) February 17, 2023

Who is the most essential USWNT player?

• The case for… Mallory Swanson
• The case for… Rose Lavelle
• The case for… Sophia Smith
• The case for… Catarina Macario
• The case for… Alex Morgan
• The case for… Becky Sauerbrunn
• The case for… Julie Ertz
• The case for… Naomi Girma
• The case for… Crystal Dunn

Cameron Brink already has her rookie of the year pick for the upcoming WNBA season, and it’s Indiana-bound star Caitlin Clark. 

In the latest edition of Kelley on the Street, host Kelley O'Hara caught up with Brink in New York hours before the Stanford phenom went No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks at the 2024 WNBA Draft. When O’Hara asked who would win the WNBA's rookie of the year, she answered without pause.

"Caitlin Clark," she said, while a fan commented that she thought Brink would take home the award. Brink later added that the extra foul granted to WNBA players will be "good for me."

"I hope it’s me," Charisma Osborne, who was later drafted by the Phoenix Mercury, said when asked her ROY prediction. "But, I don’t know — we’ll see."

Watch more of Kelley on the Street:

Maria Sanchez issued a statement on Thursday, confirming recent reports that she has requested a trade from the Houston Dash. 

In it, she revealed that the club has been aware of the request "since late March."

"This has all taken a toll and isn’t an easy thing to talk about, but I want to confirm that I’ve requested an immediate trade," she wrote. "My expectations and reasons have been clear. I trust that my current club’s management will honor my decision in a timely manner and proceed with accepting a trade."

"I’m eager to refocus and dive back into what I love most: playing football," she concluded.

Thank you, everyone, for the outpouring of kindness and support. pic.twitter.com/gcnN7dhCJU

— Maria Sanchez (@Maria17_7) April 19, 2024

Reports of Sanchez's trade request first surfaced on ESPN last week, and were later confirmed by multiple sources. 

In December of last year, Sanchez signed a three-year contract with the Dash valued at $1.5 million including bonuses and an option year. It was the largest contract in NWSL history at the time — a figure that would be eclipsed by multiple contracts in the following months. 

Sanchez spent the offseason as a restricted free agent, meaning that Houston could match any other team's offer to retain her rights. Should the Dash trade Sanchez, her current contract terms would remain intact, limiting potential buyers to teams able to afford to take on an inking of that size.

The Dash has yet to address the trade, instead reiterating to ESPN that Sanchez is "under contract, a choice she made in free agency at the end of 2023." 

Both the NWSL trade window and transfer window close tonight, April 19th, at 12 a.m. ET. The window will stay closed through the next 11 regular season games, reopening on August 1st, 2024.

The four-time league champion Seattle Storm unveiled their new practice facility on Thursday, with Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel dubbing Interbay's Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance the team’s "new home."

"It's just such a special space," Brummel told Fox 13 Seattle. "I think when the players get here, it's gonna be overwhelming."

The sprawling 50,000-square-foot, $64 million property is just the second designated practice facility to be designed and built expressly for a WNBA team, with the Storm further noting that 85% of all design and engineering team members involved in the project's construction were women and people of color. The finished product holds two professional indoor courts, two 3x3 outdoor courts, a state-of-the-art locker room, and players' lounge, plus designated areas for strength and conditioning, kitchen, dining, and nutrition, and recovery. 

"This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance," said Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder in an official team release. "It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports."

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For their part, the team can't wait to make the faciilty their own.

"It's amazing," Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Fox 13. "Not having to drive everywhere around, knowing you have access anytime of the day to get into the gym, to workout." 

Head coach Noelle Quinn said she predicts the team is "never going to leave this building."

"Which is a good thing for me," she continued. "You talk about having an edge in performance. We want our athletes to not only perform on the court, but get whatever they need."

All of the Storm's staff and operations will now live under one roof, and the team also has plans to launch a youth basketball program operating out of the building.

The Caitlin Clark effect is quickly making its mark on the big leagues, as WNBA host teams around the country rush to upgrade their Fever games to larger arenas in order to accommodate surging ticket sales.

With Clark mere weeks away from her Indiana Fever debut, both the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have officially relocated their scheduled home games with head coach Christie Sides' squad. On Thursday, the Mystics became the latest to adjust their plans, moving their June 7th matchup from Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southwest DC to the more centrally located — and much larger — Capital One Arena "due to unprecedented demand."

The Mystics home court's capacity taps out at 4,200, while Capital One Arena — home to the Wizards, Capitals, and Georgetown Hoya's Men's Basketball — can fit nearly five times that crowd at some 20,000 spectators.

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"The move to Capital One Arena will allow for additional fans in the stands as well as premium hospitality options, including Suites and the all-new all-inclusive courtside Hennessy Lofts," the team announced via Thursday's press release.

The Aces were one of the first teams to switch venues, aiming to take on the Indiana Fever in front of as many as 20,000 fans inside T-Mobile Arena on July 2nd. That’s a sizable a boost from their home venue, which holds just 12,000.

For those still planning to face the Fever in their home arenas, ticket prices have skyrocketed. Previously scheduled construction has already forced the LA Sparks to relocate their first five games — including their May 24th clash with the Fever — to Long Beach State's Walter Pyramid. The temporary venue is quite the downsize, holding just 4,000 in comparison to Crypto.com Arena's near-19,000. As of Friday, the get-in price for that game started around $400.

Despite fans launching a Change.org petition urging relocation, the Chicago Sky say they're unable to move their June 23rd Fever meeting from Wintrust Arena's 10,000-seat facility to the 23,500-seat United Center due to a concert. Tickets for that game start around $325 as of Friday.