As the FA Women’s Super League wrapped up their ninth gameweek of the season, Manchester United cemented their place atop the league standings, Chelsea added another big win over Brighton & Hove Albion, and Arsenal’s Vivianne Miedema continued her reign as the league’s top scorer.

But beneath the biggest headlines, a small cohort of players likewise used the weekend to cement their status as among the most important footballers playing today. They may not win any end-of-year hardware, but that hasn’t stopped these four women from proving just how critical they are to their teams’ success.

 

CAROLINE WEIR, MANCHESTER CITY

Caroline Weir rightfully tops our list after having been a key player in Manchester City’s most recent wins over Everton and Arsenal. In eight appearances this season, Weir has booked three assists and a goal — her one score being the game-winner in Sunday’s contest against Arsenal, which she rocketed home in the final minutes of stoppage time. Though a quiet presence in her first few games with Manchester City, Weir has emerged as an asset in City’s midfield as of late, her excellent passing talent and ability to think quickly on the ball endearing the 25-year-old to both her teammates and the City faithful.

The finish to this #BarclaysFAWSL weekend was ????

What a way to score a late winner, @itscarolineweir ????pic.twitter.com/pNqL2Gaw9X

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) December 14, 2020

Following her standout performance, which lifted City to a needed victory over Arsenal, Weir said: “Our performances have grown as the season has gone on, and I think you can see how we want to play now. It takes a bit of time but the depth of quality in the squad means that we can rotate, and to go unbeaten for so long is obviously a positive thing, and that’s what we are going to need going forward,” she continued. “That was my first goal of the season, so I have been waiting a while for it. The team needed the three points and we’re delighted we came out on top in the end.”

After struggling with inconsistency as a team earlier on in the season, Weir’s presence in the midfield has helped steady the Blues, who are now firmly in position to compete for the title.

 

LEAH GALTON, MANCHESTER UNITED

Scoring her second goal in two games this weekend was Manchester United’s Leah Galton. Beating a defender up the left flank, the forward took a touch towards her left foot, burying a shot past Reading goalkeeper Grace Moloney. Galton’s goal would be a contributing factor in United’s 2-1 win over Reading FC, keeping her squad undefeated through nine matches with a 7-2-0 record.

The young player has appeared in all nine of United’s games this season, notching three goals and two assists.

Too hot to handle! ????#MUWomen @Leah_Galton21 pic.twitter.com/amBTnu6KCB

— Manchester United Women (@ManUtdWomen) December 14, 2020

The forward’s stellar performance in Sunday’s match earned her the honor of Barclays Player of the Match, with fans and fellow teammates alike having high praise for her consistency and quality of play. As for Galton’s thoughts on the match, she acknowledged the importance of every contest moving forward should Manchester United want to remain atop the table in a post-game interview, not losing sight of what matters most to Casey Stoney’s team.

United’s dominance has been the biggest surprise this season, in what is only their second FAWSL campaign. But if Galton can maintain both her on-field play and her big-picture attitude, the Red Devils could be on track for a historic finish.

Well earned, @Leah_Galton21 ???? #MUWomen #BarclaysFAWSL pic.twitter.com/WgO76Sr7L8

— Manchester United Women (@ManUtdWomen) December 13, 2020

ALEX MORGAN, TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

A major recent storyline in the FA Women’s Super League has been the resurgence of Tottenham Hotspur since the hiring of new manager Rehanne Skinner. Now sitting at eighth place in the table, a major contributor to the Spurs’ surprising win streak has been USWNT forward Alex Morgan. In the Spurs’ match against Aston Villa, Morgan logged her second goal in two games, driving home yet another penalty kick to draw first blood for her team in the 13th minute, as Tottenham went on to defeat Aston Villa in a comfortable fashion, 3-1.

Another week, another penalty slotted home by @SpursWomen's @alexmorgan13 ????????#BarclaysFAWSL pic.twitter.com/hhIBuycz9Z

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) December 13, 2020

Not only did Morgan get on the scoresheet this weekend, but she logged valuable minutes of playing time — starting the match and playing the entire game, something she has not done since returning to the pitch since the birth of her daughter. Her performance also earned her a spot in the Barclays FAWSL Team of the Week, selected by Siobhan Chamberlain.

Your #BarclaysFAWSL Team of the Week! ????

Chosen by @Sio_Chamberlain ???? pic.twitter.com/jXJcSTFcKJ

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) December 15, 2020

It’s worth noting that Tottenham has not lost a single match that Morgan has played in — in case her importance to the Spurs wasn’t already obvious.

 

SAM MEWIS, MANCHESTER CITY

Joining Caroline Weir on the scoresheet for Manchester City this weekend was none other than the “Tower of Power” herself, Sam Mewis. Down by a goal early on thanks to Arsenal’s Vivianne Miedema, City was in desperate need of an equalizer. After 28 minutes of play, City would get their opportunity, as Chloe Kelly lofted a corner kick into the Arsenal box. The ball met the head of Mewis, who redirected a header into the lower 90 to notch her third (!) goal of the season for the Blues.

After heading in another goal in Man City’s FA Cup Final win over Everton in November, Mewis is starting to cement her reputation as a player who quite literally rises to the occasion.

The ???????????????????? ???????? ???????????????????? is amongst the goals again! ????@sammymewy heads in her third of the season! ???? pic.twitter.com/nOcBmGbZph

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) December 13, 2020

Like Alex Morgan, Mewis was also named to the Barclays FAWSL Team of the Week as City handed Arsenal another loss to move into fourth place in the table. Now edging even closer to a top-three finish on the season, City will rely on players like Mewis to maintain a strong midfield and continue on with their winning ways.

WHAT’S NEXT IN THE FA WSL

December 20th

Manchester United vs. Bristol City @ 7:00 a.m. EST

Arsenal vs. Everton @ 7:30 a.m. EST

Birmingham City vs. Manchester City @ 9:00 a.m. EST

Chelsea vs. Tottenham @ 9:00 a.m. EST

Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Reading FC @ 9:30 a.m. EST

West Ham United vs. Aston Villa @ 10:00 a.m. EST

USA Hockey is sending a refreshed lineup to Italy this winter, with Friday's 23-player Olympic roster tapping both newcomers and seasoned veterans looking to avenge 2022's silver-medal finish.

US hockey legend Hilary Knight will play in her fifth — and final — Winter Games next month, with the 36-year-old forward joining fellow veteran mainstays Kendall Coyne Schofield and Lee Stecklein as just 11 players return from the team's Beijing campaign.

After falling just short of gold in Beijing, this year's USA hockey roster balances youth with experience, heading to Milan with a full dozen Olympic debutants, including seven college players — a full four from reigning NCAA champion Wisconsin.

All other 16 athletes currently compete in the PWHL with the pro league sending players from five of its eight teams to join the US squad in February.

The rest of the team focuses on young talent, including University of Wisconsin defender Laila Edwards, who will make history as USA Hockey's first-ever Black woman Olympian when she steps on the ice in Italy.

"It still hasn't really kicked in yet. Getting that call is like a dream come true," said Edwards.

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How to watch Team USA hockey in the 2026 Winter Olympics

The USA will open their 2026 Olympic campaign against Czechia at 10:40 AM ET on February 5th before subsequent Group A games against Finland, Switzerland, and defending champions Canada.

The clash will air live on USA Network as part of the full 2026 Olympic Games coverage across NBC platforms.

USA Hockey's 2026 Olympic roster

Goaltenders: Aerin Frankel (Boston Fleet), Ava McNaughton (University of Wisconsin), Gwyneth Philips (Ottawa Charge)

Defenders: Cayla Barnes (Seattle Torrent), Laila Edwards (University of Wisconsin), Rory Guilday (Ottawa Charge), Caroline Harvey (University of Wisconsin), Megan Keller (Boston Fleet), Lee Stecklein (Minnesota Frost), Haley Winn (Boston Fleet)

Forwards: Hannah Bilka (Seattle Torrent), Alex Carpenter (Seattle Torrent), Kendall Coyne Schofield (Minnesota Frost), Britta Curl-Salemme (Minnesota Frost), Joy Dunne (Ohio State University), Taylor Heise (Minnesota Frost), Tessa Janecke (Penn State University), Hilary Knight (Seattle Torrent), Abbey Murphy (University of Minnesota), Kelly Pannek (Minnesota Frost), Hayley Scamurra (Montréal Victoire), Kirsten Simms (University of Wisconsin), Grace Zumwinkle (Minnesota Frost)

Tennis's biggest names have hit highs and lows down under over the weekend, with stars like Coco Gauff seeing mixed results at the 2026 United Cup as the annual Australian Open team tune-up tournament heads into its knockout rounds.

World No. 4 Coco Gauff and the reigning champion Team USA are through to the quarterfinals, joined by top WTA competitor and No. 11 Belinda Bencic of Team Switzerland.

Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Czechia, and Greece also punched their tickets to the knockouts, with Tuesday night's final group-stage bout deciding whether No. 2 Iga Świątek and Team Poland or Team Germany will claim the final spot in the quarterfinals.

Thus far in the team competition, however, Gauff has experienced a particularly up-and-down tournament, suffering her first-ever United Cup singles defeat on Monday against No. 42 Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain after causing a stir with her postmatch comments.

"I feel like we're definitely, in tennis, the worst," she told reporters before the singles showdown. "I've always said I wish our country in other places would show up throughout the world as we see smaller countries support."

After taking some heat, the 21-year-old later clarified her position on social media, writing "Trust me I understand the financial aspect of things and know tennis is not accessible for everyone, it was more of a comment for those who are already attending and how I wish they were as passionate as those from other countries."

How to watch Gauff and Team USA at the 2026 United Cup

Gauff will look to return to form against No. 51 Maria Sakkari when Team USA kicks off the 2026 United Cup quarterfinals against Team Greece at 9 PM ET on Tuesday, airing live on the Tennis Channel.

Unrivaled leadership is back in the hot seat, telling reporters at Monday's Season 2 tip-off that the offseason 3x3 league is open to whatever the future might bring — even if it's a formal partnership with the WNBA.

"We're not in constant dialogue about that," Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell said from Miami. "But as I've made very clear, we are open to growing the ecosystem, whichever way that looks like."

"Nothing is on the table or off the table," he continued. "I'm not going to speculate what could happen down the road, but everyone knows our door is always open."

As reported prior to the 3×3 upstart's inaugural 2025 season, Unrivaled co-founders Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier had approached the WNBA about a potential equity stake — in part to further illustrate that the new venture is complementary, rather than in competition with, the WNBA — but league leadership turning down the offer, citing a possible rules violation.

Questions have since come up about Unrivaled becoming a prioritization issue for players under the WNBA's still-developing CBA, but Bazzell underlined the league's benefits as being supplemental, rather than in direct conflict with the 5x5 league.

"As long as you can look at the space through an innovative lens, anything is doable," he said. "Anything is possible."

In the first AP women's basketball poll in two weeks, Monday's new rankings reflected last week's conference upsets, sending four Top 10 teams skidding down the table while other contenders broke through.

Now-No. 12 LSU suffered the biggest drop, falling seven spots after consecutive losses to No. 6 Kentucky and No. 7 Vanderbilt.

The Wildcats and the still-undefeated Commodores experienced the opposite effect, jumping five spots each after their ranked victories, with No. 5 Oklahoma and No. 10 Louisville making similar three-spot advances.

The biggest winner of this week's AP poll, however, sits just outside the Top 10, as No. 15 Michigan State leapt nine spots, defeating unranked Indiana, Illinois, and Rutgers after closing out nonconference play with a 66-49 upset win over now-No. 18 Ole Miss.

Chasing the Spartans' rise up the ranks are No. 16 Baylor, who earned a six-spot jump after handing No. 11 Iowa State their first loss of the season on Sunday, and No. 17 Texas Tech, whose unbeaten status saw the Red Raiders claim a four-spot boost.

Meanwhile, a struggling Notre Dame dropped out of the Top 25 entirely after losses to unranked Georgia Tech and Duke, snapping an 85-week AP Poll appearance streak — the third-longest in women's basketball history.

Additionally, the Top 4 remained unchanged after perfect results from No. 1 UConn, No. 2 Texas, No. 3 South Carolina, and No. 4 UCLA — who dominated their crosstown rival No. 21 USC 80-46 on Saturday.

How to watch Top 25 NCAA basketball this week

Top 25 teams will continue their conference slates this week, starting with USC taking on unranked Oregon on Tuesday.

The Trojans and visiting Ducks will tip off live at 10 PM ET on Fox Sports.

2025/26 AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll: Week 9

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