When U.S. women’s national team coach Vlatko Andonovski announced his squad’s roster for the upcoming friendly matches against Germany, he also provided updates on 10 players who have been absent, including some predictions of when fans can expect their returns.

Julie Ertz

It’s been more than a year since soccer fans have seen Ertz on the field. The 30-year-old midfielder gave birth to a son in early August, and the team is not rushing her into a comeback, Andonovski said.

The coach also did not offer a possible timetable.

“She’s enjoying motherhood and she’s happy and doing a great job at it,” he said. “We want to give Julie time to get back slowly. We won’t even discuss it. This is time for Julie to enjoy time with her family, and when the time comes, if she is anywhere near her best, this team will welcome her back.”

Catarina Macario

The 23-year-old midfielder tore her ACL in June and underwent surgery soon afterward. She is expected to return in early 2023 after at least six months of recovery.

She is working on her recovery at a FIFA rehab center in Qatar, Andonovski said.

“She has been recovering very well,” he said. “Last week she started doing some running and jumping for the first time. … As of right now it is hard to predict exactly when she will be back. We do have some idea based on how the progress is going.”

Andonovski anticipates having Macario back in February, as long as there are no setbacks in her rehab process, he said. Macario provided a similar timeline last week, saying she “would like to start ramping it up in February and March and just go from there.”

Tierna Davidson

Another player battling an ACL injury, Davidson sustained her tear during an April training session ahead of the NWSL season. The 24-year-old was the youngest player to represent the United States in the 2019 World Cup when she was 20.

Davidson has the potential to return for the 2023 World Cup, Andonovski said — and if she does, the defender has the ability to be a starter.

“She is looking really good,” he said. “We expect her to be back in full in the middle of November.”

Abby Dahlkemper

Dahlkemper is recovering from a third consecutive injury. She missed the SheBelieves Cup in February with a back injury, then broke two ribs in May. Just before the San Diego Wave competed in their NWSL quarterfinal, the team announced Dahlkemper would miss the playoffs with a back injury.

The 29-year-old defender played in just eight regular-season matches for the Wave, and Andonovski said her return will take a while yet, as her latest back injury requires surgery.

“We are just hoping everything goes well,” he said. “We will know more about what the return is going to be for her once she has the surgery.”

Casey Krueger

The 32-year-old defender gave birth to a baby boy in July, and Andonovski said Krueger is in the same situation as Ertz: The team wants to give her as much time as she wants to recover and enjoy motherhood.

Krueger has been training, though, and she worked out with her NWSL squad this month.

“She actually did some training with Chicago Red Stars before they got eliminated, and she is in training with a group of players from Chicago even after the season,” Andonovski said.

Emily Sonnett

After sustaining a foot injury during the Concacaf W Championship, Sonnett remains out for the rest of 2022.

Andonovski does expects the 28-year-old defender to be available for selection in January, he said.

Kelley O’Hara

O’Hara continues to rehab a nagging hip injury after missing September’s friendlies against Nigeria as well as October’s trip to England and Spain. The 34-year-old defender is working through physical therapy and should be available in January as well, Andonovski said.

Lynn Williams

The forward tore her hamstring during the NWSL preseason and has been out ever since.

The 29-year-old had a slight setback to her recovery, according to Andonovski, but he also anticipates her return in January.

Tobin Heath

The OL Reign forward suffered a season-ending injury in September and had surgery on her left knee shortly after that. Andonovski said she is “recovering,” but the coach didn’t provide any other details.

Christen Press

After playing just eight games for Angel City FC to start the NWSL season, Press tore her ACL. The 33-year-old forward missed the remainder of the year.

Andonovski expects her return to be in line or slightly behind that of Macario, he said.

World No. 5 Germany is heading to the 2025 UEFA Women's Nations League Final, advancing with a narrow 3-2 aggregate advantage after surviving a semifinals comeback bid from No. 6 France in Tuesday's 2-2 draw.

The German women will next face reigning Nations League champions and world No. 1 Spain in this winter's two-legged finale, after the perennial titans quickly dispatched No. 3 Sweden by adding a 1-0 Tuesday victory to advance on a lopsided 5-0 aggregate score.

The two-match 2025 Nations League championship will kick off on November 28th in Germany, before Spain hosts the second leg on December 2nd.

While Germany's international prowess isn't new — with the program's resume boasting two World Cup wins (2003, 2007), an Olympic gold medal (2016), and eight of the 14 total Euros titles — the German Federation is doubling down on the national team's future by making a landmark €100 million investment into the country's top-flight domestic league: the Women's Bundesliga.

The German Football Association (DFB) announced the plan last week, with the DFB General Assembly readying to vote on the funds at next month's meeting.

Once approved, the move will mark the largest single investment in German women's football history.

"We want to ensure that the women's Bundesliga can stand on its own two feet: economically, structurally, and in terms of visibility," DFB president Bernd Neuendorf told German newspaper Frankfurter Rundschau. "It is an investment in the future — in equality, in opportunity, and in the growth of the women's game."

The broadcast reach of Athletes Unlimited got even stronger this week, as the pro women's sports organization scored a blockbuster media rights extension with ESPN on Wednesday, ensuring three more years of basketball, volleyball, and softball coverage.

"The growth we've seen across Athletes Unlimited's leagues speaks to the power and appeal of women's sports," said ESPN EVP of programming and acquisitions Rosalyn Durant. "We're excited to deepen our partnership and bring even more of these moments and athletes to fans everywhere."

As part of the extended partnership, ESPN will exclusively air 50 Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) games annually, including 47 regular-season matchups and the AUSL Championship Series, with the company's titan channel ABC also committed to airing the first-ever pro softball game on network television.

The broadcast giant already has a vested interest in softball's future, with the most recent Women's College World Series Finals delivering a record-high 2.2 million viewers across ESPN networks last June.

AU's basketball and volleyball footprints are also growing, with all 24 games from each competition's season now set to air live each year.

"This renewed and expanded partnership affirms the strength of our properties and reflects the growing enthusiasm for women's professional sports," said AU chief broadcast officer Cheri Kempf.

Reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers is branching out, with Deadline reporting Wednesday that the Dallas Wings guard has signed on to star in an upcoming Apple Original Film.

Dubbed Jess & Pearl, the sports drama is based on an original idea by Zahir McGhee, whose resume includes writing and producing on the hit TV series Scandal.

"Set in the world of women's basketball, the film follows two phenoms who forge an extraordinary bond as teammates until fame, competition, and the ruthless business of college athletics threaten to turn their friendship into an epic rivalry," stated Deadline.

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Middle Child Pictures will produce the film with White Lotus executive producer David Bernad at the helm along with Wasserman's Lindsay Kagawa Colas and Tommy Alter.

Along with stepping in front of the camera, Bueckers will also serve as an executive producer on the project.

Bueckers isn't the first WNBA player to dive into the world of cinema this year, after enterprising Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese made her own feature film debut with a cameo in Netflix's A House of Dynamite earlier this month.

The UConn alum is facing a packed offseason, with Bueckers adding her new Hollywood venture to a schedule that includes the star guard making her Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball debut in January.

UConn basketball continues to pile on the preseason accolades, with ESPN's annual Top 25 women's NCAA player rankings listing star Sarah Strong at No. 1 ahead of her sophomore season with the Huskies.

Even more, UConn emerged as the only program with two Top 10 players, as ESPN put Strong's teammate Azzi Fudd at No. 8 entering her final NCAA season.

New UConn transfer Serah Williams also made the cut at No. 18, as the preseason AP No. 1 Huskies attempt to repeat their 2024/25 title despite losing superstar Paige Bueckers to the WNBA.

Last season's Final Four participants No. 2 Lauren Betts (UCLA), No. 4 Madison Booker (Texas), No. 11 Joyce Edwards (South Carolina), and No. 17 Kiki Rice (UCLA) round things out, accompanied by more individual standouts like No. 3 Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame) and No. 5 Flau'Jae Johnson (LSU).

The lineup also featured big-name offseason transfers, including highly touted newcomers No. 6 Olivia Miles (TCU), No. 7 Ta'Niya Latson (South Carolina), No. 14 Gianna Kneepkins (UCLA), and No. 19 MiLaysia Fulwiley (LSU).

Freshmen were not eligible for ESPN's preseason rankings, though NCAA debutants can make the updated list as it shifts throughout the year.

How to watch the ESPN Top 25 players in action

The NCAA basketball elite will tip off the 2025/26 season on Monday, with a full slate of games beginning at 11 AM ET.

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The ESPN 2025/26 NCAA basketball preseason Top 25 players

1. Sarah Strong (UConn)
2. Lauren Betts (UCLA)
3. Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame)
4. Madison Booker (Texas)
5. Flau'Jae Johnson (LSU)
6. Olivia Miles (TCU)
7. Ta'Niyah Latson (South Carolina)
8. Azzi Fudd (UConn)
9. Mikayla Blakes (Vanderbilt)
10. Audi Crooks (Iowa State)
11. Joyce Edwards (South Carolina)
12. Mikaylah Williams (LSU)
13. Raegan Beers (Oklahoma)
14. Gianna Kneepkens (UCLA)
15. Kymora Johnson (Virginia)
16. Zoe Brooks (NC State)
17. Kiki Rice (UCLA)
18. Serah Williams (UConn)
19. MiLaysia Fulwiley (LSU)
20. Yarden Garzon (Maryland)
21. Talaysia Cooper (Tennessee)
22. Khamil Pierre (NC State)
23. Cotie McMahon (Ole Miss)
24. Toby Fournier (Duke)
25. Maggie Doogan (Richmond)