Lynn Williams is one of four field players who have not appeared yet for the U.S. women’s national team at the 2023 World Cup.

After what she described as a “devastating” snub in 2019, the 30-year-old forward made the World Cup roster for the first time in 2023. But she is still awaiting her first minutes, alongside fellow debutantes Kristie Mewis and Ashley Sanchez. Emily Sonnett, who featured on the 2019 championship squad, also has not taken the field.

The USWNT used just one substitute in Wednesday’s 1-1 draw against the Netherlands: Rose Lavelle, a regular starter in the midfield who is recovering from a knee injury. Head coach Vlatko Andonovski used the same starting lineup as he did in the opening match against Vietnam.

“Of course we thought about substitutes,” Andonovski told reporters after the match. “And Lynn was probably one of the first that would have been on if we needed to change something.

“But I thought that we had control of the game. And I thought that we were knocking on the door of scoring a goal. The players played well, we were around the goal the whole time. And I just didn’t want to disrupt the rhythm at that point.”

To Andonovski’s point, the USWNT did outshoot the Netherlands 18-5 in the draw. And after a shaky start, the attack stepped up in the second half, generating more and better chances.

“We just didn’t want to jeopardize anything,” he said of sticking with his lineup. “Because I thought all three of our forwards were very good today, dangerous, created opportunities.”

Yet the trio — Alex Morgan, Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman — did not make an impact on the scoresheet. While Smith finished with two goals and one assist in the 3-0 opening win against Vietnam, she did not have any goal involvements against the Netherlands. And Morgan and Rodman both looked uncomfortable at times in the run of play.

That made Williams’ absence stand out more than that of Mewis, Sanchez or Sonnett. Her fellow forwards Megan Rapinoe and Alyssa Thompson, both of whom came off the bench against Vietnam, also could have provided a shake-up on the frontline. But Williams brings speed and an unmatched defensive skill set — plus 10 goals scored across all competitions so far this year, second only to Smith (12) among USWNT forwards.

The lone USWNT goal against the Netherlands came from two midfielders: Lavelle sliced a corner kick into the box, and Lindsey Horan headed the ball into the net.

The NCAA is turning up the heat on the next two seasons of non-conference basketball competition, with powerhouse programs from the University of South Carolina and the University of Southern California set to determine which team is "The Real SC" via a special two-game series.

The acronymic rivals will first meet at Crypto Arena in Los Angeles on Saturday, November 15th, 2025, before heading to Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina, on the same date the following year.

In anticipation of high ticket demand, series host Complete Sports Management shifted both games to the aforementioned higher-capacity venues, rather than utilizing the teams’ usual on-campus arenas.

"I will always choose elevating women's basketball, and that's especially true in scheduling," South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said in a team statement. "I know Complete Sports Management has the same mission, and I like their creativity in bringing not just two great programs together, but engaging their fan bases on both coasts in a debate they love to have."

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Series to showcase the best of NCAA basketball

The newly created series won't just decide "The Real SC," it also pits two of the sport's historic programs against each other in an SEC vs. Big Ten and East Coast vs. West Coast battle for bragging rights.

The defending champion Gamecocks are currently ranked No. 2 in the nation as they gear up for the 2025 March Madness tournament, in which they'll seek a fifth straight Final Four berth and an overall fourth NCAA title.

Meanwhile, the Trojans are chasing South Carolina up the AP Poll in the No. 4 spot, with a goal to equalize with Gamecocks by claiming a third national championship this season. If they're successful, it will be USC's first NCAA trophy since 1984.

Regardless of the 2024/25 NCAA tournament's outcome, both teams will likely still roster multiple future WNBA stars for the foreseeable future, with fans banking on seeing current sophomore stars like South Carolina's MiLaysia Fulwiley and USC's JuJu Watkins featuring in both games of "The Real SC" series.

How to buy tickets to USC vs. South Carolina in "The Real SC"

Tipping off in LA on November 15th, 2025, tickets for the first meeting between the Gamecocks and Trojans in "The Real SC" series will be available for purchase online this Friday at 1 PM ET.

Blockbuster viewership isn’t the only booming women’s sports statistic, with women's sports ads making serious inroads as more brands buy into the growing market.

Per a study released by TV outcomes company EDO on Tuesday, women’s sports saw an overall 56% year-over-year increase in ad effectiveness in 2024, with 40% more ad impact than an average primetime ad.

Based on consumer behavior metrics like brand searches and site visits, some of the most effective advertisers last year were apparel brands like Athleta, Fabletics, and Skims.

Even more, efficacy measures skyrocketed when brands put sports and women athletes in their content. CarMax ads spotlighting women's basketball stars, for example, exceeded other WNBA advertisers' effectiveness by 185%.

"Women’s sports are officially a business imperative," said EDO SVP and head of client solutions Laura Grover. "It’s not just about reaching this fast-growing audience — it’s about inspiring action, building brand affinity, and driving real business impact."

Basketball leads women's sports ad impact numbers

The spike in ad revenue coincides with the surging popularity of both college sports and women’s basketball, with ads during WNBA and NCAA games boosting viewer engagement and brand loyalty.

The 2024 WNBA Playoffs, for instance, saw an 11% increase in ad impact over the 2023 edition.

Meanwhile, both the 2024 WNBA Playoffs and 2024 NCAA women's basketball tournament ads proved 24% and 18% more effective, respectively, than the primetime average.

With March Madness taking over the airwaves in the coming weeks, expect even more brand involvement, as companies buy into both the NCAA sport and its stars.

One athlete leading that charge is USC sophomore phenom JuJu Watkins, whose numerous NIL endorsements have the 19-year-old starring in a commercials for NYX Professional Makeup, Degree, and State Farm.

Gymnastics, volleyball draw advertisers to NCAA women's sports

The NCAA also boasts significant brand boosts in rising women's sports like lacrosse and gymnastics, which saw respective ad impact growths of 26% and 15%.

That said, college volleyball boasts the sporting event with the biggest brand impact. With a 51% ad efficacy rate over the primetime average, Penn State's 2024 NCAA championship win over Louisville was last year's most effective women's sports TV program.

All in all, the market is seizing onto the fact that women’s sports are good business and, with a seemingly limitless ceiling, 2025 could see the highest rate of return yet.

Gotham FC set the scene for NWSL club's 2025 season on Tuesday, dropping their official 24-athlete roster and new player-led leadership group while handing longtime USWNT defender Tierna Davidson the captain’s armband ahead of Saturday’s regular-season kick-off.

At 26 years old, the 2019 World Cup champion and 2024 Olympic gold medalist succeeds retired goalkeeper Michelle Betos as the NJ/NY squad's captain, heading up Gotham’s leadership alongside fellow defenders Jess Carter and Mandy Freeman, as well as midfielders Rose Lavelle and Nealy Martin.

Gotham also removed star forward Midge Purce from her season-ending injury designation on Tuesday, opening the door for the 29-year-old USWNT standout to return to the NWSL pitch for the first time since tearing her ACL in last season's opener.

The 2023 NWSL Championship MVP tallied 16 goals across her 46 career appearances for Gotham before sitting out the entirety of the 2024 season.

Gotham aims for successful 2025 behind refreshed roster

Following last year’s third-place finish, the 2023 NWSL champs saw a handful of big-name departures, prompting the club to adopt a more measured approach to this season’s roster rebuild.

"Change is normal in this environment, right?" Martin told JWS in January. "People have got to do what’s best for their career, but it hurts losing your friends on your team just personally, selfishly."

"Professionally, you have to take it in stride and see how all the new pieces can fit together," she continued. "How you can highlight new people’s best talent in the system that you’re playing."

Once considered a superteam, Gotham definitely looks a little different this time around, but early season moves display the club's interest in transforming steady consistency into a winning squad — with or without massively deep star power.

Gotham FC's official 2025 team roster

• Goalkeepers: Ann-Katrin Berger, Ryan Campbell, Shelby Hogan
• Defenders: Bruninha, Jess Carter, Tierna Davidson, Mandy Freeman, Lilly Reale, Emily Sonnett
• Midfielders: Sofia Cook, Jaelin Howell, Rose Lavelle, Nealy Martin, Stella Nyamekye, Taryn Torres
• Forwards: Esther Gonzalez, Khyah Harper, Cece Kizer, Gabi Portilho, Midge Purce, Sarah Schupansky, Jéssica Silva, Ella Stevens, McKenna Whitham

While NCAA basketball's Power Four conference tournaments wrapped up on Sunday, teams from mid-major Division I leagues are still battling for invites to the Big Dance, where they'll aim to upset top March Madness contenders.

Already harnessing upset momentum is former Pac-12 squad Oregon State, who won the West Coast Conference (WCC) tournament as the No. 4 seed on Tuesday.

After conference realignment saw most of the starters from last season's Elite Eight team transfer to Power Four programs, Oregon State finished the 2024/25 regular-season at 16-15 (12-8 in WCC play).

This week, however, the Beavers found another gear, tearing through their tournament and upsetting the two WCC regular-season co-champions along the way.

Oregon State paves a path to NCAA tournament underdog

First, Oregon State narrowly defeated top-seeded Gonzaga 63-61 in Monday's semifinals, before beating back-to-back defending champion No. 2-seed Portland 59-46 in Tuesday's tournament finale — only the fourth loss suffered by the Pilots all season.

Oregon State's unlikely March Madness bid is the program's 13th overall, and the ninth in the NCAA tournament's last 11 editions.

"I'm just so happy and so proud of this team," said Oregon State head coach Scott Rueck. "For this group to cover the ground that they did this year, from day one until now, is absolutely remarkable. It's one of the most special things I've been a part of."

The Beavers’ surge, however, holds consequences for both Portland and Gonzaga, whose slim chances of making Sunday's bracket now rest with the NCAA selection committee.

While Portland is a more recent contender on the national stage, Gonzaga hasn't missed an NCAA tournament since 2016, with the Bulldogs appearing in all but two brackets since their 2007 March Madness debut.

NCAA underdogs looks to spur chaos in March Madness

Should they make the cut, at-large underdogs Portland and Gonzaga would join Oregon State and other smaller conference champions in trying to bust brackets by upsetting top contenders in the first few rounds of the NCAA's competition.

Other mid-major standouts are already considered likely members of the 68-team national pool, with current projections listing Fairfield University (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) and new No. 24-ranked South Dakota State (Summit League) claiming seeds as high as No. 9.

Projections also show that the Ivy League is on the precipice of sending a full trio of upset-hungry teams to the NCAA tournament.

While regular-season champion Columbia is expected to claim a national No. 11 seed after Saturday's conference tournament final, strong seasons from both Princeton and Harvard have the pair currently snagging one of the final four at-large bracket spots.

Atlantic 10 tournament victors George Mason could also pose a threat to Power Four contenders, with the Patriots clinching their first-ever NCAA tournament berth on Sunday despite ceding the regular-season conference title to Richmond.

Though it’s not always wise to bet against heavyweights in the NCAA tournament's opening rounds, emerging college basketball underdogs are embracing the spotlight — and welcoming the opportunity to shake things up after Selection Sunday.