The Women’s Super League season begins Friday after delaying kickoff by a week to honor Queen Elizabeth II after her death on Sept. 8.

Tabbed by Arsenal star Leah Williamson as “the best league in the world” in terms of competitiveness, the WSL has seen a wave of attention (and ticket sales) after England’s triumph in the UEFA Women’s EURO in July.

While the league has seen some key departures in Georgia Stanway and Keira Walsh, others such as Rachel Daly are sure to wow fans.

Just Women’s Sports has five players to watch as the action kicks off.

Sam Kerr

Club: Chelsea
Key Stats from 2021-22: 23 goals

Kerr spent last season atop the Super League, winning the Golden Boot as the league’s top scorer for the second straight season and helping Chelsea take the WSL title for the third straight season.

She notched a brace in last year’s FA Cup final against Arsenal, winning Player of the Match as she helped the club secure the domestic quadruple – the first English women’s club to do so.

Her efforts earned her third place in the 2021 Ballon d’Or standings, behind Barcelona’s Jennifer Hermoso and winner Alexia Putellas.

Beth Mead

Club: Arsenal
Key Stats: 72 chances created, 11 goals, 8 assists

One of the top players in WSL history, Beth Mead is coming off a season in which she led the league in assists and became the all-time assists leader.

She also was named Player of the Season for Arsenal after breaking the record for most chances created in a season (72) – a number that was more than double the second-place total (48).

The 27-year-old also led the league in most big chances created (13), most key passes (65) and most goal-creating actions (18).

😮‍💨 @bmeado9 pic.twitter.com/nJsG5zCIpa

— Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) September 6, 2022

Vivianne Miedema

Club: Arsenal
Key Stats: 14 goals, 8 assists

While many thought a departure from Arsenal could be in Vivianne Miedema’s future after the 2021-22 season, she opted to re-sign with the club on a one-year deal, which made her the highest-paid women’s player in England.

The top goalscorer in Women’s Super League history, Miedema is the only player to score against every team she’s faced in the league. Twice she’s won the Golden Boot, and she has finished as the runner-up to Kerr in the past two seasons.

She’s good on the assist as well, tying with teammate Beth Mead and Manchester United’s Ella Toone for the most assists last season with eight.

Rachel Daly

Club: Aston Villa
Key Stats: 9 regular-season goals in NWSL

Rachel Daly arrives back in the WSL after spending the summer with the Lionesses. She opted to leave the NWSL and remain in England in order to be closer to family.

Daly spent the past seven years with the Houston Dash, where she served as captain and scored a franchise-high 33 regular season goals during her tenure. She’s no stranger to the WSL, having spent time with Leeds United, Lincoln Ladies and West Ham United.

Her move should have no small impact on Aston Villa, as USWNT and Portland Thorns defender Becky Sauerbrunn called her transfer “such a loss” to the NWSL.

“She’s definitely one of those players that I know I hate going up against because she is that good and some players think they’re that good and that’s also super irritating to me, but she is actually that good,” Sauerbrunn said. “So, in a weird way, I am gonna miss her.”

Love it, @RachelDaly3! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/XB7ePfcELy

— Aston Villa Women (@AVWFCOfficial) September 6, 2022

Mary Earps

Club: Manchester United
Key Stats: 10 clean sheets

Fresh off a stellar summer with the England national team, Mary Earps will step back into net for Manchester United. She had the second-most clean sheets last season and was one of the league’s best goaltenders all season long, only allowing 21 goals through 21 games.

While Ann-Katrin Berger earned WSL Goalkeeper of the Year honors, Earps certainly deserved to be on the shortlist. And her stellar summer, which only cemented her place as one of England’s top goalkeepers, puts her on this list as one to watch as the WSL season gets underway.

This is a Mary Earps appreciation post ❤️

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #Lionesses #MUWomen || #WEURO2022 pic.twitter.com/Pon5Coei95

— Manchester United Women (@ManUtdWomen) July 27, 2022

All 14 NWSL teams issued final​ end-of-year roster decisions on Tuesday, as the 2025 free agency period shifts into full gear.

Athletes who are currently out-of-contract are now technically on the chopping block, faced with either negotiating new terms to return to their teams or taking the leap and brokering a fresh deal elsewhere.

Standouts listed as out-of-contact include 2024 NWSL champion and Orlando Pride captain Marta as well as NC Courage striker and the league's 2023 MVP Kerolin. Several current and former USWNT stars also face offseason negotiations, like Gotham FC forward Midge Purce, Portland Thorns center back Becky Sauerbrunn, and Angel City forward Christen Press.

Multiple teams have already acknowledged an intent to retain top players by announcing ongoing negotiations in their final 2024 roster announcements, with Press, Marta, and Kerolin in talks to stay with their clubs.

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New CBA means more NWSL movement

Under the league's new CBA, when a team declines a player's contract option, that player automatically becomes an unrestricted free agent, guaranteeing roster shakeups despite this year's lack of expansion and college drafts.

Both athletes whose contracts have expired and those whose options have been declined are considered out-of-contract. While those players will be weighing their options on the open market, teams will be doing the same, deciding who to try to retain and who to officially waive.

Clubs will make many of those decisions imminently, as the waiver wire will open and close this week, before the trade window opens again on December 13th.

The league will take a transaction moratorium from December 20th to 27th, after which teams can resume signings.

Between the CBA-induced influx of free agents and the lack of drafts forcing front offices into what could be lengthy recruiting and negotiating processes to attract young talent, the business of building an NWSL roster has become more complicated.

That said, some clubs seem to be capitalizing on the shake-up. After finishing the season in last place, the Houston Dash have already seen significant roster action — including nabbing defender Christen Westphal from San Diego and signing ex-Gotham free agent Delanie Sheehan — setting an aggressive rebuilding example as the NWSL embraces a new era.

Thanks to her impact on and off the court, Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark was named Time Magazine's Athlete of the Year on Tuesday. Clark is the first WNBA player to receive the award and just the second individual woman athlete, joining 2021 honoree Simone Biles.

The 22-year-old's 2024 resume is extraordinary. Clark wrapped up her NCAA career as Division I's all-time leading scorer, helping Iowa reach a second-straight national championship game.

Since becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, Clark's pro debut included claiming the league's single-season assist record and fueling the Fever to their first playoff berth since 2016. Along the way, she picked up both All-Star honors and the WNBA's Rookie of the Year award.

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All eyes on Clark

Clark's on-court skills built a massive following, drawing record viewership and attendance at both the college and professional level. Her ascent into the league helped the WNBA record its most-watched regular season in 24 years.

That surge in fandom has directly contributed to the sport's growth, something venerated South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley acknowledged on the 2024 NCAA Championship podium, saying, "I want to personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport."

More eyes, however, have made the fan-favorite a lightning rod for online discourse, with even minor on-court moments sparking intense national debates.

"I tell people I feel like the most controversial person," Clark says in Time magazine's detailed interview. "But I am not. It's just because of all the storylines that surround me."

While Clark's talent certainly warrants attention, she also acknowledges the role her race plays in commanding the national spotlight.

"I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a white person, there is privilege," she explains. "A lot of those players in the league that have been really good have been Black players. This league has kind of been built on them. The more we can appreciate that, highlight that, talk about that, and then continue to have brands and companies invest in those players that have made this league incredible, I think it’s very important.

"I have to continue to try to change that. The more we can elevate Black women, that’s going to be a beautiful thing."

Ultimately, Clark's 2024 will be remembered as a watershed moment for women's basketball — and women's sports at large. But, as she tells Time, it will also hopefully mark the start of a long and accomplished career. 

On today's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins dives into basketball. She kicks things off with a look at the first WNBA expansion draft since 2008, when the Golden State Valkyries selected 11 players from around the league to build their inaugural 2025 roster.

Pivoting to the college court, Watson chats through No. 3 South Carolina's winning week, zeroing in on how the defending national champions dominated two Top-10 teams.

Finally, Watkins takes a trip around the sports world, discussing NWSL free agency, NCAA soccer's College Cup, NCAA volleyball, PWHL hockey, and more.

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.

Subscribe to The Late Sub to never miss an episode.

With Saturday's 78-68 upset win over then-No. 17 Iowa, Tennessee ​earned their first NCAA basketball AP Top 25 nod since November 2023, slotting in at No. 19 and putting an end to the historic powerhouse's longest-ever unranked streak.

The still-undefeated Vols have featured in nearly 90% of the 870 total AP polls since the list's 1976 beginnings, but this week's Top 25 return is a triumphant one.

"The beauty of it is we earned it," head coach Kim Caldwell told reporters after the rankings dropped on Monday. "Not because the name is Tennessee. We didn’t start (ranked)."

Minor shifts pervade updated AP basketball rankings

While No. 1 UCLA, No. 2 UConn, and No. 3 South Carolina held steady atop Monday's poll, last week's elite​ NCAA basketball schedule caused minor shifts throughout much of the Top 25. Behind losses to the defending champion Gamecocks, Duke dropped one spot to No. 9 and TCU slid three to No. 12.

After suffering their season's first loss on Thursday, an 80-70 overtime thriller against Notre Dame, the Texas Longhorns fell two poll positions to No. 6.

The Irish used their momentum to tack on a second victory on Sunday, routing Syracuse 93-62 behind a trio of 20+ point double-doubles from Hannah Hidalgo, Olivia Miles, and Sonia Citron. Those big wins lifted Notre Dame two spots to No. 8 this week.

Behind respective losses to aforementioned Tennessee and then-unranked NC State, Iowa and Ole Miss fell the farthest, tumbling four spots each to Nos. 21 and 22.

On the other hand, undefeated Michigan State's best start in program history saw the Spartans leap seven spots to No. 17 in the poll's biggest bump.

AP basketball poll exits and newcomers

Joining Tennessee in making their 2024 AP poll debut this week is No. 25 Georgia Tech, whose 9-0 record marks the Yellow Jackets' best season start since 1977. NC State is also back, tying Ole Miss at No. 22 after a week out of the rankings.

Meanwhile, Louisville's fourth season loss by way of UConn's 85-52 Champions Classic smackdown on Saturday sent the now-unranked Cardinals packing. Joining them in leaving this week's poll are Illinois, who logged their third season loss against No. 11 Ohio State on Sunday, and Alabama, who succumbed to unranked Cal last week.

How to watch midweek Top 25 NCAA basketball

Under the new rankings, NCAA basketball has two ranked matchups on deck this week. First, No. 18 Iowa State will battle state rivals No. 21 Iowa at 9 PM ET on Wednesday, airing live on FS1.

The marquee midweek matchup, however, hits the court at 7 PM ET on Thursday, when preseason All-Americans Paige Bueckers and Hannah Hidalgo will meet when No. 8 Notre Dame hosts No. 2 UConn.

The battle between two of the nation's best guards will be broadcast on ESPN.

Week 6 AP college basketball rankings

1. 1. UCLA (9-0, Big Ten)
2. 2. UConn (8-0, Big East)
3. 3. South Carolina (9-1, SEC)
4. 4. LSU (11-0, SEC)
5. 5. USC (8-1, Big Ten)
6. 6. Texas (8-1, SEC)
7. 7. Maryland (10-0, Big Ten)
8. 8. Notre Dame (7-2, ACC)
9. 9. Duke (9-2, ACC)
10. 10. Oklahoma (8-1, SEC)
11. 11. Ohio State (8-0, Big Ten)
12. 12. TCU (9-1, Big 12)
13. 13. Kansas State (10-1, Big 12)
14. 14. UNC (9-1, ACC)
15. 15. West Virginia (9-1, Big 12)
16. 16. Kentucky (8-1, SEC)
17. 17. Michigan State (9-0, Big Ten)
18. 18. Iowa State (8-2, Big 12)
19. 19. Tennessee (7-0, SEC)
20. 20. Michigan (8-1, Big Ten)
21. 21. Iowa (8-1, Big Ten)
22. 22. Ole Miss (6-3, SEC)
23. 22. NC State (6-3, ACC)
24. 24. Nebraska (8-1, Big Ten)
25. 25. Georgia Tech (9-0, ACC)