To those of you visiting Just Women’s Sports for the first time, welcome — you’re coming aboard at just the right time. To those of you who have been with us from day one, thank you — your loyalty and support are what’s made today possible.

We are thrilled to announce our seed financing, led by Will Ventures and with participation from Kevin Durant’s Thirty Five Ventures, as well as an incredible group of athletes, including Elena Delle Donne, Hilary Knight, Sam Mewis, Kelley O’Hara and Arike Ogunbowale.

With this fundraising, we’re taking JWS to a whole new level, which is why we wanted to take a moment to re-introduce ourselves.

First off, you might be asking: Why Just Women’s Sports?

We exist because just 4% of media coverage is dedicated to women’s sports. We’re here to change that. From podcasts and newsletters, to highlights and long-form features, we’re building the media ecosystem these fans and athletes deserve.

We’re already delivering comprehensive coverage and one-of-a-kind original features. Now, we’re ramping it up. We have new teammates, new investors and new athlete partners, who all believe that women’s sports are worth more than a token vertical or back-page story.

Together, we are going to take our coverage to the next level.

What do we have to offer right now?

• Podcasts:
• • Just Women’s Sports (hosted by Kelley O’Hara): The two-time World Cup champ sits down with the biggest athletes in the world to discuss the untold stories behind their success.
  • Tea with A & Phee (hosted by A’ja Wilson and Napheesa Collier): The reigning WNBA MVP and 2019 Rookie of the Year take you inside the WNBA season.
  • Snacks (hosted by Sam Mewis and Lynn Williams): Two of soccer’s biggest stars dish on the USWNT, NWSL, life off the field and everything in between.
• Social media: Everything you need to see and know in women’s sports, at the click of a button or swipe through. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.
• Newsletter: Every Tuesday and Friday, we deliver all of the top women’s sports news, scores and storylines straight to your inbox.
• Reads: Keep up with the latest news, highlights, conversations and viral moments on our website, your daily home for all things women’s sports.
• Merch: Be a walking billboard for women’s sports by rocking a JWS hoodie, hat, beanie or mug.

What can you expect from us next?

• More content: The WNBA and NWSL regular seasons are around the corner. The Olympics are fast approaching. Much more is on the way. We’ll have regular coverage of what’s happening in and around the competition, from player features and interviews to rankings and analysis.
• More shows: We’re partnering with some of the biggest names in the game and the ideas are flowing. We want to pull back the curtain even more to show you what life is like for these athletes on and off the field, as they chase championships, change culture, push for social justice and build their own businesses. Stay tuned.
• More hype: We can’t celebrate women in sports and amplify their voices unless their work is accessible. Bringing that to you is behind everything we do, and the product is only getting bigger and better. This is a commitment, not a pastime; an investment, not a trial.

At Just Women’s Sports, we’re 100% women’s sports, 100% of the time. And we’re still just getting started.

So, don’t go anywhere, because the untold stories in women’s sports are bursting at the seams. And we’re going to be the ones who bring them to you first.

US Soccer submitted its World Cup bid book to FIFA last week, naming 14 US stadiums among the 2031 tournament's 20+ proposed North American host venues.

The four-country joint bid for the 2031 World Cup spanned cities across host nations USA, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica, with the quartet collectively identifying 50 potential stadiums while also designating their proposed core of 20 venues.

In the US, stadiums in Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Los Angeles, Kansas City, and Seattle made the proposed shortlist, as well as Arlington, Texas, and East Rutherford, New Jersey, among others.

Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Torreón made Mexico's primary proposal, while Costa Rica and Jamaica put forward San Jose and Kingston, respectively.

The bid includes both soccer and football venues, with secondary venues also listed as possible options in eight of the first-choice US cities.

Additionally, the bid book pegged Atlanta as the World Cup draw host and Dallas as the tournament's international broadcast center, though FIFA will likely not make final decisions on 2031 venues until after the 2027 competition in Brazil.

"By proposing more than the required 20 sites, the joint bidders demonstrate a commitment to securing the best possible hosting conditions and ensuring the tournament represents the full diversity of our region on a global scale," FIFA stated.

The WNBA and WNBPA agreed to a second CBA extension late Sunday night, officially pushing the contract's deadline to January 9th, 2026, to allow for 40 more days of negotiations.

Like the original CBA extension from October 31st to December 1st, either the WNBA or WNBPA now has the option to terminate the agreement with 48 hours of notice.

"We expect substantive movement from the league within this window," the players union told Front Office Sports, while the WNBA issued a statement saying both parties are "continuing to work toward a new agreement."

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While total annual compensation offers have reportedly crossed the million-dollar mark for players earning the league's maximum, the WNBA's salary model — particularly in regards to revenue sharing — remains a core issue.

According to sources, the WNBA's proposal offers players a revenue-sharing option only after reaching certain minimums, while the WNBPA continues to advocate for a bigger cut of the exponentially growing league.

The players union is also reportedly advocating for a salary cap that increases with the league's income, rather than at an arbitrarily fixed growth rate.

With important offseason processes like the planned two-team expansion draft to stock incoming 2026 WNBA franchises the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo now delayed until a new CBA is in place, the pressure is approaching new highs on both sides of the negotiating table.

No. 4 Texas blew past two top-ranked opponents last week, setting the tone for the 2025/26 NCAA basketball season with back-to-back wins over No. 3 UCLA and No. 2 South Carolina to earn the Players Era Championship trophy on Thanksgiving Day.

Fifth-year senior Rori Harmon was named tournament MVP, putting up a game-leading 26 points and breaking the Longhorns' career assists record in Wednesday's 76-65 defeat of UCLA before hitting the game-winner to lift Texas over the Gamecocks 66-64 in Thursday's title game.

"I just read the vibe and flow of the game," Harmon said afterward. "[Texas head coach Vic Schaefer] called the play at the end of the game, and I've been in this moment before, so it felt good coming out of my hands."

Texas's win added fuel to the burgeoning SEC rivalry, with the teams squaring off five times in the last year — and South Carolina riding a narrow 3-2 advantage.

"I'm not upset at all," Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley said postgame. "This is going to help us because there are a lot of things to unpack in it."

"If you can give [Texas] a run for their money in that way, I mean, you're on to something," she continued. "I like our resiliency. We've just got to clean up some things at the end of the game."

How to watch Texas, South Carolina this week

Both Texas and South Carolina have another ranked matchup on this week's NCAA docket, with the No. 4 Longhorns taking on the No. 12 UNC Tar Heels while the No. 2 Gamecocks face the No. 23 Louisville Cardinals.

Both games tip off at 7 PM ET on Thursday, with Texas vs. UNC airing live on ESPN2 while South Carolina vs. Louisville airs on ESPN.

After a year of testing and experimentation, the USWNT will look to close out 2025 on a high note on Monday night, when the world No. 2 squad faces No. 12 Italy in the second of the pair's winter friendlies.

"I've been very clear on the process to develop players and what we have to go through, so I'm not zoomed in on three losses," US manager Emma Hayes said of the team's 2025 shortcomings. "If I was, I wouldn't make changes."

"We work in an environment we're really proud of," she continued. "It's a very inclusive environment, diverse environment, and all these things contribute to the culture that hopefully leads to long-term success."

In line with her ongoing rotational philosophy, Hayes indicated that fans in Fort Lauderdale on Monday could see a departure from the combination of players that defeated Italy 3-0 in Orlando on Friday — as well as new tactics from the 2025 Euro semifinalists.

"My whole argument is that no matter who plays, the level of performance should still be high," Hayes said.

The US saw 16 players debut this year — the most since 1985 — with 51% of the team's combined 39 goals and 26 assists in 2025 involving a player under 25 years old.

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How to watch the USWNT vs. Italy on Monday

The 2025 finale for the No. 2 USWNT will see the national team kick off against No. 12 Italy at 7 PM ET on Monday, with live coverage airing on TNT and HBO Max.