The Women’s College World Series is here, with eight teams all in the hunt for the national championship.

While there are plenty of great players on every team, Just Women’s Sports highlights one player to watch from each.

Oklahoma: Jordy Bahl

While Jocelyn Alo certainly has been the biggest name out of Oklahoma softball this year, freshman Jordy Bahl also has been a name to know.

The pitcher was named NFCA Freshman of the Year this week after a dominant rookie campaign. She hasn’t pitched since Oklahoma’s regular season finale due to an injury, but according to head coach Patti Gasso, Bahl will make her return to the circle this week.

“You’re going to see her pitch this week,” Gasso said during a press conference Wednesday. “How much? We’re still working.”

Bahl could be an issue for any opponent whenever she returns to the circle. The second-best pitcher on OU’s staff behind Hope Trautwein, she posted a 0.95 ERA during the regular season.

UCLA: Maya Brady

UCLA sophomore Maya Brady struggled a bit this season, hitting just .274 during Pac-12 play and hitting just five for 35 in the 12 games before her current streak.

But she’s turned the wheels on during the postseason, hitting .438. She arrives in Oklahoma City with a hit in 10 of her last 11 games. That includes a 3-for-3, two-RBI performance in UCLA’s win over Duke last week to clinch the super regional.

Oklahoma State: Kelly Maxwell

An All-American first teamer, Kelly Maxwell pitched a 1.16 ERA on the season en route to a 19-4 record. The Big 12 conference strikeout leader, she’s pitched 279 strikes heading into the WCWS.

Included in that number is her 13-strikeout, two-hit performance against Clemson in the team’s Super Regional en route to a 2-0 series win over the Tigers.

“When you have somebody like Kelly, you feel good going into any game that she’s gonna throw,” said Oklahoma State coach Kenny Gajewski.

Northwestern: Danielle Williams

Northwestern pitcher Danielle Williams has been a stalwart of the Wildcats’ defense this season, pitching her way to NFCA first team All-American honors alongside teammate Rachel Lewis.

Heading into the Women’s College World Series, she’s the only pitcher to have pitched in all of her team’s postseason games. Through six starts, she’s thrown 681 pitches.

Over three games against Arizona State in the Super Regionals, she threw 430 pitches in 23 ⅓ innings. That includes a 179-pitch, 11 inning performance in the series opener to lift the Cats 4-3 over the Sun Devils.

Danielle Williams.

That's it, that's the tweet. pic.twitter.com/vJF7L2mas1

— Northwestern Softball (@NUSBcats) May 28, 2022

And don’t count out catcher Jordyn Rudd, either. Rudd just won the inaugural Golden Glove award given to the season’s best catcher. She also has the best batting average on the team, making her a dual threat.

Florida: Skylar Wallace

With a .407 batting average, Skylar Wallace has helped propel No. 14 Florida to its 11th WCWS in 15 seasons. But while Wallace is a major piece of the Gators’ team, coach Tim Walton has pointed to the team’s ability to work together as a major reason why they’re back in Oklahoma City.

“The chemistry on the field,” Walton said. “The chemistry in our work ethic and just the constant ability to communicate with each other the right way.”

Wallace, as part of a duo with Kendra Falby, has combined to contribute 87 stolen bases out of the Gators’ 131. An Alabama transfer, she’s been unstoppable for Florida this season.

“Skylar had probably one of the best seasons in Division I softball history,” Walton said.

Texas: Janae Jefferson

The all-time hits leader at Texas and the Big 12 career hits and batting average leader, Janae Jefferson has been a stalwart this season for Texas, showing up in big moments — for example, when she scored the decisive run in the Longhorn’s 3-0 win over Arkansas to propel her team to its first WCWS since 2013.

Jefferson has a .431 batting average this season, the second-best amongst the teams in the WCWS. Only Oklahoma’s Alo has a better batting average this season.

On Wednesday, she joined Cat Osterman as the only other Longhorn to be a four-time All-American.

The 4x All-Americans in the history of Texas' softball program:

Cat Osterman.
Janae Jefferson.

That's it. That's the list. #HookEm https://t.co/u9JtpUMhkr

— Danny Davis (@aasdanny) June 1, 2022

Oregon State: Mariah Mazon

Mariah Mazon is one half of the “Bash Sisters,” alongside Frankie Hammoude. The duo hit 27 combined home runs on the year.

A threat in the circle and the batters’ box, Mazon was named a first team All-American by the NFCA. She has a team-record 861 strikeouts in her career, and she’s notched 220 of them this season. On top of her 2.18 ERA on the season, she’s also hitting .366.

Arizona: Allie Skaggs

Hard-nosed hitter Allie Skaggs enters the WCWS having tied for the most home runs in the Pac-12 to end the regular season. Currently at 24 on the season, she could break the tie with one swing during the World Series.

Her 24 home runs ties her for fourth in the country. She’s also batted in 58 runs, which ranks 19th in Division I, and has a .818 slugging percentage. Recently named a second team NFCA All-American, she’ll lead the unseeded Wildcats into Oklahoma City.

The 2025 CAF African Women's Player of the Year nominations dropped last week, with a trio of NWSL stars — including 2024 award winner Barbra Banda of Zambia — topping this year's shortlist.

Calling the nomination "an honour and a privilege," Banda posted about the nod on social media, saying that "To be in the same category with all these amazing talents is truly a humbling feeling."

Joining the Orlando Pride striker in excelling for both club and country in 2025 are two other NWSL standout goalscorers: Kansas City Current star and 2024 NWSL MVP Temwa Chawinga (Malawi) and Bay FC's Rachael Kundananji (Zambia).

Rounding out the 10-player lineup is Chawinga's older sister Tabitha (OL Lyonnes/Malawi), Esther Okoronkwo (AFC Toronto/Nigeria), Rasheedat Ajibade (PSG/Nigeria), Ghizlane Chebbak (Al Hilal/Morocco), Sanaâ Mssoudy (AS FAR/Morocco), Portia Boakye (Hapoel Petah Tikva/Ghana), and Mama Diop (RC Strasbourg/Senegal).

Based on performances between January 6th and October 15th of this year, the expert panel displayed a more than significant lean toward attacking prowess in their selections, ultimately choosing a roster of all forwards for the 2025 CAF Player of the Year shortlist.

While the exact date is forthcoming, the CAF will announce its award-winners at a ceremony later this year.

Six-time NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler is hitting the NWSL pitch, with the Golden State Warriors forward joining the San Diego Wave as a minority investor this week.

"Soccer has been a passion of mine for a long time, and being part of the game in a meaningful way has always been a dream," Butler said in the club's Monday press release. "San Diego has become a city close to my heart, and I'm proud to invest in a club that is pushing boundaries, building something lasting, and setting a new standard for what women's sports can be both on and off the pitch."

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Butler joins retired San Diego Wave star Alex Morgan in an ownership group led by the Levine Leichtman family, after the majority owners purchased the California club at a then-record $113 million valuation in 2024.

"Jimmy is a competitor and visionary who shares our values and our ambition to grow this club," said San Diego controlling owner Lauren Leichtman. "He brings a global perspective, a deep respect for the athlete's journey, and a creative spirit that perfectly complements what we are building here at Wave FC."

Butler isn't the only high-profile men's sports athlete anteing up for the NWSL in recent months, with the NBA star following in the footsteps of NFL quarterback Caleb Williams — who invested in 2026 expansion side Boston Legacy FC — and LA Clippers forward Chris Paul, who joined Angel City's star-studded ownership group.

The 2031 FIFA Women's World Cup spread further around Concacaf on Monday, as Costa Rica and Jamaica officially joined the previously announced Mexico and the US in submitting an uncontested bid to host the international tournament.

"Together, we have an extraordinary opportunity to host the biggest and most impactful Women's World Cup in history, one that will inspire a new generation of fans and help grow the women's game across our entire region and around the world," said US Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone in a Monday statement.

"This bid is a reflection of our shared belief that soccer can be a force for good," added US Soccer CEO JT Batson. "We're not only creating an unforgettable moment for athletes and fans, we're building a lasting foundation to grow the women's game at every level, in every country."

Parlow Cone also noted that more than 30 US cities have already expressed interest in hosting some of the 104 games during the newly expanded 48-team tournament, with Jamaica poised to make history as the first-ever Caribbean nation to welcome a senior World Cup match.

"This will have a huge impact on the psyche of every single Jamaican," said Jamaican Football Federation president Michael Ricketts. "It is no ordinary feat for a small country like ours to host World Cup matches.... This is huge for Jamaica and for every person who proudly calls themselves Jamaican."

With no other bids on the table, FIFA is on track to ratify its 2031 hosting decision at the next FIFA Congress in April 2026.

Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon is stepping into the spotlight, with Variety announcing that the three-time WNBA title-winning boss will star in a forthcoming documentary from NFL athlete-backed production houses SMAC and 2463 Entertainment.

"For decades, women on the hardwood [were] underestimated and told to stay in their lane," said SMAC CEO and co-founder Constance Schwartz-Morini. "Becky defied every expectation and broke through barriers that once seemed unshakable."

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Schwartz-Morini, Fred Anthony Smith, Ajay Sangha, and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Sean Clifford will serve as executive producers, joined by 2463 founder and Super Bowl champion wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. as well as SMAC founder and retired New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan.

Through audio diaries, the documentary will provide an inside look at Hammon's rise up the WNBA coaching ranks as well as her experience as the first woman to serve as an acting head coach for an NBA team, with Hammon taking the reins of the San Antonio Spurs in 2020.

A six-time WNBA All-Star during her playing career, Hammon left the NBA for Las Vegas at the end of 2021, leading the Aces to three championships in four years.

The report didn't specify the film's title or scheduled release date, with more details expected in the coming months.