With the 2023 World Cup in the rear-view mirror, it’s time to take a look back at the breakout stars of the tournament. Spain had a number of players step up on their way to the World Cup title.

It’s hard to argue with a pick from the champions, but in a tournament where the rising parity of the global women’s game was on full display, many players showcased why they are the best in the world. Some of those highest performers represented a changing of the guard, as the next generation of soccer players introduced themselves to the public.

Let’s take a look at who is deserving of the highest individual prize, and who else was in the running.

Our pick for Golden Ball

Aitana Bonmatí, Spain

Bonmatí was the main playmaker on the championship team, earning the official Golden Ball award after the World Cup final. She also earns our top award both for scoring and facilitating Spain’s excellent ball movement as they put together their most complete performances ever at the senior level.

Spain has been known to falter in big moments and overly rely on their passing abilities without being dangerous in front of goal. Bonmatí refused to let that reputation hold them down, dismantling Switzerland in the Round of 16 before handling the Netherlands and Sweden on their way to defeating England in the final.

Honorable mentions

Linda Caicedo, Colombia

The 2023 World Cup served as the world’s introduction to one of the most exciting young talents in South American soccer as Linda Caicedo took the group stage by storm. Caicedo was clearly the focal point of Colombia’s attack, but her individual quality made her impossible to stop.

The 18-year-old put the world on notice in Colombia’s upset of Germany in the group stage, scoring one of the best goals of the tournament to put her team ahead in the first half. She also showcased a relentless willingness to defend from an advanced position, buying into her team’s gritty ethos that helped Colombia advance to the quarterfinals.

Millie Bright, England

It’s a testament to England’s team mentality that they came very close to their first World Cup title without one single player taking the team on their back. Midfielder Keira Walsh battled injury and had a rough World Cup final, while Lauren James’ two-game suspension for a red card offense in the Round of 16 halted her momentum from the knockout rounds.

But the Lionesses’ defense was excellent, and the team’s center-backs handled a mid-tourney formation change with ease. Jess Parker, Millie Bright and Alex Greenwood all deserve credit, but Bright as captain anchored the team’s defense and sent important long-ball passes forward to spring the England attack, most notably against Australia in the team’s semifinal win.

Teresa Abelleira, Spain

The only mark against Bonmatí’s right to the Golden Ball is that she might have been outplayed by her teammate in Spain’s midfield. Teresa Abelleira dominated through possession, never allowing opponents to grab momentum by taking control of the tempo of the match. Her finest hour may have come in the World Cup final, as Spain slowly squeezed the life out of England after taking a 1-0 lead in the 29th minute.

Spain’s ability to hold and progress the ball has become such a key part of their identity that one might begin to take it for granted, but combined with clinical finishing at the right times, it became their superpower. Abelleira’s performance in the World Cup’s biggest moments set the foundation for the team’s success.

Hinata Miyazawa, Japan

The Japan forward took home the Golden Boot Award for most goals scored in the tournament, with five goals and one assist despite Japan’s quarterfinal exit. Miyazawa represented the final piece of Japan’s puzzle as the Nadeshiko slashed through defenses with ease, most notably in their 4-0 group stage takedown of eventual champions Spain.

HINATA MIYAZAWA WAS A CHEAT CODE 🎮

Here's every goal from Hinata Miyazawa's 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup Golden Boot campaign ⬇️🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/tVl5pei1GJ

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 22, 2023

The one criticism of Japan’s play going into the World Cup was a lack of clinical finishing. But the team’s free-flowing, counter-attacking style of soccer was some of the most enjoyable to watch throughout the tournament, and Miyazawa led the way.

Salma Paralluelo, Spain

Named the World Cup’s Young Player of the Tournament, 19-year-old Salma Paralluelo was also crucial in Spain’s run to the World Cup final. Scoring off the bench in both the quarterfinal and semifinal, Paralluelo provided width and blazing pace to exploit gaps behind opponents’ defenses.

Paralluelo went on to start the World Cup final and cause so many issues for England’s wingbacks that the Lionesses made a formation change at halftime, sacrificing their dynamism in the attack. With a bright future ahead of her, Paralluelo represents the best of Spain’s developmental pipeline.

Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

Chelsea began Sunday with their WSL title hopes a distant dream... before closing out the weekend right back in the thick of the title chase.

The Blues made a last-ditch effort to claim their fifth consecutive Barclays WSL title on Sunday with an 8-0 win over relegation-bound Bristol City. The victory came after a visiting Arsenal upset current table-toppers Manchester City at Joie Stadium, besting the home side 2-1 on back-to-back goals from Stina Blackstenius. With the win, the third-place Gunners re-opened the door for Chelsea to finish level at the top of the table on points.

Chelsea remains second in the standing, with 49 points to Manchester City's 52. But the barrage of goalscoring over the weekend could be enough to overtake City's potential tiebreak advantage in goal differential, leaving even coach Emma Hayes in awe.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

Chelsea holds a game in hand, but the Blues will need to win their May 15th match against Tottenham to give them a shot at the title. Should they take all three points, the title race will come down to the final weekend, when Chelsea squares off with Manchester United while City faces Aston Villa on Saturday, May 18th. 

Set to take over the USWNT in June, Hayes acknowledged the likelihood of finishing out her time at Chelsea with zero trophies, after losing in both the Conti Cup final and UWCL semifinal last month. But for now, her initial pessimism has subsided.

"Let me be clear, it's not f*****g over," Hayes said after coaching her last home match with Chelsea on Sunday. "There's no time for sentimentality, all work drinks are canceled. There's a title to be won.

"This group of players taught me something so special this week — that you never ever give up."

A WNBA League Pass error left fans scrambling to watch Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso make their preseason debuts for the Chicago Sky in Minneapolis on Friday. 

Despite indicating streaming availability via YouTube before tip-off, the evening’s game was later removed from the league’s platform. With no streaming options — along with no live TV broadcast — WNBA fan Alli Schneider began livestreaming the game on X from her seat inside Target Center. As many as 400,000 people logged on to watch the game live, and by Saturday, the resulting two-hour video had amassed over 2 million total views. 

In the lead-up to the preseason showdown, fans on both sides voiced frustrations over the WNBA's error. The league apologized in response, saying their app was "incorrectly showing that every preseason game (including CHI vs MIN) is available on League Pass."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

"The growth is happening so fast, it’s so accelerated. Business as usual isn’t going to work anymore, you’re going to get left behind," Reeve said of the blunder. "This is an example... We have to capitalize on those things."

Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon echoed Reeve's sentiments, calling it "awesome" that so many fans followed along via Schneider's DIY livestream.

"We would love for us to be on and for everyone to take a look, especially for this team, you have a great group of young women who are exciting to watch play," said Weatherspoon. "Tonight we had an opportunity to kind of get a feel for where we are and what we need to do. It’s awesome to know that a lot of people really tuned in."

On the court, Reese had a near double-double in her first professional outing, notching 13 points and nine rebounds in 24 minutes. A viral pass inside to set up fellow rookie Cardoso's bucket served as the icing on the cake. The Sky ultimately lost to the Lynx 92-81, despite Minnesota newcomer Alissa Pili netting just two points and one rebound in 13 minutes of playing time.

Due to overwhelming fan demand, the WNBA confirmed today that it will indeed stream the Sky's next preseason game against the New York Liberty on League Pass. The two teams square off on Tuesday, May 7th at 8 PM ET.

The Caitlin Clark WNBA era has officially begun, with the star-studded rookie making her preseason debut with the Indiana Fever on Friday. 

Clark scored a team-leading 21 points — including five threes — and recorded a game-high 16 points at the half. But it was Arike Ogunbowale who got the last word for Dallas, knocking down a splashy buzzer-beating three-pointer in front of the sold-out crowd to deliver the Wings the 79-76 win.

"I think there's gonna be a lot to go back and look at and learn from, because a lot of it is kind of different from college," Clark said shortly after the Fever's loss. "Just from, you know, a technique standpoint or you know, scheme standpoint, and what we do is not always always going to be the same. So I think those are the biggest things, but I think overall, I just played really hard and that's always something to be proud of."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

For Clark, the biggest transition challenges lie in WNBA's physicality and talent levels. 

"No matter who steps into the game, you can never really relax, because that’s how competitive the league is," she added.

Fever coach Christie Sides also commented on's Clark on-court adjustment in her postgame remarks. Noting that the team will have to take steps to protect their star as she navigates the W's upgraded athleticism, Sides shared that at one point in the game, Clark was "completely gassed" and called for a sub. 

"We have to do better, we can't let her get to that point," Sides said. "She just won't be able to last and the way people are guarding her — I mean, she's seeing a double team, she's seeing hard hedges, they're being real physical with her. That's how it's going to be for her. And so we've got to make sure we're doing what we can to protect her so she's able to go into fourth at the same level she is in the first."

Clark wasn't the only rookie making their pro debut in Dallas that night. Ohio State ace Jacy Sheldon racked up six points and one rebound in her 13 minutes on the court (plus an unfortunate viral moment), but the breakout performance of the night went to Jaelyn Brown, a Cal grad who went undrafted in 2020 and spent the last few years playing overseas. On Friday, she carried the Wings to the finish line with 21 points in 29 minutes on 7-of-15 shooting.

After the game, Brown attested that she's "ready to compete" in an atmosphere that she "belongs in."

"I just try and treat it as any other game," she continued. "The crowd was amazing, it’s a little different from overseas, a little bit, but it’s the same game. I just [came] out there with a calm composure and did what I can do."

Seven-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, at a White House ceremony on Friday afternoon. 

The Team USA standout is the most decorated women’s swimmer in the sport’s history. In addition to her seven Olympic golds, she’s also won a total of 21 gold medals at the World Championships, the most of any swimmer regardless of gender. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

The esteemed award recognizes those who have "made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors," according to a White House press briefing. 

Ledecky is one of 19 medal recipients chosen by the Biden administration this year. She joins a class that spans the worlds of politics, sports, film, human rights, religion, and science. Her fellow 2024 awardees include Everything Everywhere All at Once actress Michelle Yeoh, pioneering Hispanic astronaut Dr. Ellen Ochoa, and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, plus posthumous winners Jim Thorpe, the first Native American to win an Olympic gold medal for the US, and assassinated civil rights leader Medgar Evers. 

"I'm surrounded by so many extraordinary people in so many different fields," Ledecky told Just Women's Sports on Friday. "I feel like I've made a lot of friends today among that group, and their families and their friends."

Olympic gymnast Simone Biles and USWNT legend Megan Rapinoe were among 2022’s class of Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients. Biles and Rapinoe were the fifth and sixth women athletes to be given the honor, making Ledecky the seventh.

Ledecky said she was surprised to learn how recent it has been that athletes in women's sports have been considered for the honor. Billie Jean King was the first to receive the award in 2009. "That kind of blew my mind that it was that recent," she said.

"There are so many great female athletes that I've looked up to for so many years," she continued. "And I know we're just going to keep pushing ahead, and doing our best to continue to get a seat at every table."

Like Biles, Ledecky receives the Medal of Freedom while she's still actively competing in her sport, a fact not lost on the 27-year-old. "My goals in the pool are to continue to push forward and swim good times, hopefully win some more medals. And then secondly to continue to do good things out of the pool, whether that's inspiring young kids to learn how to swim, get into the sport, set big goals in whatever pursuits they're interested in."

"I've recognized I've had a long career now, and it's important to reflect every now and then. But at the same time, I'm still competing and still working hard into the future."