We’ve got two more weekends of postseason play before the 2022 NWSL calendar officially closes for the season, but it’s never too early to speculate about the league’s first free agency period.

NWSL players won the rights to free agency as part of the league’s first collective bargaining agreement, ratified before the 2022 season. Those with six years of service became unrestricted free agents on Aug. 26, though the official courting process likely won’t begin until the season ends.

While more intricate free agency opportunities will come in 2023, the rules this year are relatively simple: If you’ve played in the league for six years and are out of a contract, you can look wherever you want. On Monday, an independent arbitrator ruled in favor of the NWSL Players Association, adding 22 more players to the list of free agents and casting aside team options that had plagued the league in the past.

By nature of how long an NWSL player must compete to be eligible for free agency, many athletes on the list are core pieces of their current clubs. Not everyone will be looking to make a move, but here are 10 of the most intriguing names available.

Debinha, North Carolina Courage

Debinha is one of the biggest stars who might be inclined to make a jump. The midfielder has already won three NWSL Shields and two championships as part of the Courage, and she might want to test the waters as North Carolina maneuvers through a strategic rebuild.

She won’t lack for offers. As an attacking generator whose defensive work rate is underrated, Debinha can be one of the best players in the world in the right situation.

Most of Chicago’s midfield

The Red Stars have a whopping seven players eligible for free agency in the defense, midfield and attack. As more stories of off-field dysfunction at the club continue to emerge, a number of Chicago lifers could look for new landing spots in 2022.

The midfield trio of Danny Colaprico, Morgan Gautrat and Vanessa DiBernardo stand out, not only because of their years of service in Chicago (DiBernardo and Colaprico have never played elsewhere,) but also because they are the glue that holds the Red Stars’ formation together.

Tobin Heath, OL Reign

Heath’s status is particularly intriguing since the attacker could go in almost any direction as she works her way back onto the pitch. Heath’s short-term contract with OL Reign this season proved indicative of the last few years of her career: She is incredibly effective when she’s on the field, but injuries continue to hamper her production.

One of the biggest stars in women’s soccer, Heath has only ever played on the West Coast. It seems possible that one of the California clubs will be interested in offering her a one-year deal, pending Heath’s recovery from knee surgery in the offseason.

Julie Ertz, Angel City FC

If a return to professional soccer is imminent for the two-time World Cup champion, this free agency period will be telling. The midfielder hasn’t appeared on the field since the Tokyo Olympics and hasn’t played club soccer since May 2021, after suffering a knee injury and then going on maternity leave.

Angel City acquired Ertz’s rights in a trade with Chicago last December that also brought Sarah Gorden to Los Angeles, but that proved to be more of a hopeful attempt at calling her up to the squad. Now, they’ll have to see if she’s inclined to return to the sport at all.

Marta, Orlando Pride

Marta has been out of the public consciousness this season as she rehabs from an ACL tear, but never count out one of the legends of the game. For the Orlando Pride, Marta’s free agency comes at an interesting time.

You would assume that her resume and leadership ability would make her club of the last six years eager to re-sign the forward. But Orlando is in the middle of a substantial rebuild, having moved many of their most prominent stars last offseason. The club might have different goals in mind than in past years and encourage Marta to explore free agency as a result.

Megan Rapinoe and Lauren Barnes, OL Reign

You’re not fooling me. Depending on their fitness and desire to return for another season, Megan Rapinoe and Lauren Barnes are not playing anywhere other than Seattle next year.

Christine Sinclair, Portland Thorns

See above. Barring a shocking opening of a team in Vancouver prior to the 2023 regular season, Sinclair will stay in Portland.

Ifeoma Onumonu, NJ/NY Gotham FC

Gotham had a rough go of it in the 2022 regular season, finishing at the bottom of the league table. They’ll almost certainly have to make some tough roster decisions in the coming months, and a player of Onumonu’s talent might be looking for a more stable situation.

Onumonu can play on the wing or in the middle of the attack. After three seasons with Gotham, the 28-year-old might be inclined to field calls from more established coaches to take her game to the next level as she prepares to represent Nigeria at the 2023 World Cup.

Kristen Edmonds, Kansas City Current

Edmonds has had one of the most consistent seasons of her professional career in 2022, steadying the Current’s backline as they make a run to their first semifinal.

There are a number of NWSL teams that could use a seasoned defender, including Gotham FC. And as a New Jersey native, Edmonds is in a position to make a money move off a contract year. Edmonds has found a home in Kansas City, but the pull to seize a new opportunity might be too strong to pass up.

Abby Smith, Portland Thorns

Perhaps flying a bit under the radar, Thorns backup goalkeeper Abby Smith might look for a club where she can compete for a starting job. Bella Bixby has all but sealed her place as the Thorns starter for the foreseeable future.

Smith has a wealth of NWSL experience and a track record that deserves a look from teams in need of a veteran presence between the sticks. Smith would be on any expansion team’s shortlist, but maybe the move comes a year early.

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

U.S. Soccer announced Tuesday that the USWNT will play their last home game on July 16th in the lead-up to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

The 2024 Send-Off Match against Costa Rica will take place at Washington, DC’s Audi Field — home to both the Washington Spirit and DC United — at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 16th. The friendly rounds out a four-game Olympic run-up campaign under incoming head coach Emma Hayes’ side, with the last two set to feature the finalized 2024 U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer Team roster.

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Hayes will appear on the USWNT sideline for the first time this June, helming the team as they embark on a two-game series against Korea Republic hosted by Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado on June 1st followed by Allianz Stadium in St. Paul, Minnesota on June 4th. 

The team is then scheduled to meet a talented Mexico squad on July 13th at Gotham FC’s Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, where the Olympic-bound lineup will attempt to rewrite February’s shocking 2-0 loss to El Tri Femenil in the group stages of this year’s Concacaf W Gold Cup. And while clear roster favorites have emerged from both of this year’s Gold Cup and SheBelives Cup rosters, a spate of recent and recurring injuries means making it to the Olympics is still largely anyone’s game.

Broadcast and streaming channels for the USWNT's final July 16th friendly at Audi Field include TNT, truTV, Universo, Max, and Peacock.

The USA Basketball Women's National Team is still considering Caitlin Clark for a spot on the Paris Olympics squad, says selection committee chair Jennifer Rizzotti. 

On Monday, Rizzotti told the AP that the committee will be evaluating the college phenom’s Olympic prospects by keeping a close eye on her first few weeks of WNBA play with Indiana.

The move is somewhat unconventional. While Clark was invited to participate in the 14-player national team training camp held earlier this month — the last camp before Team USA’s roster drops — she was unable to attend due to it coinciding with Iowa’s trip to the NCAA Women’s Final Four.

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Judging by the immense talent spread throughout the league in what might be their most hyped season to date, competition for a piece of the Olympic pie could be fiercer than ever before.

"You always want to introduce new players into the pool whether it's for now or the future," said Rizzotti. "We stick to our principles of talent, obviously, positional fit, loyalty and experience. It's got to be a combination of an entire body of work. It's still not going to be fair to some people."

Of course, Clark isn’t the first rookie the committee has made exceptions for. Coming off an exceptional college season that saw her averaging 19.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4 assists per game for UConn, Breanna Stewart was tapped to represent the U.S. at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil less than two weeks after being drafted No. 1 overall by the Seattle Storm. Eight years prior, fellow No. 1 pick Candace Parker punched her ticket to the 2008 Games in Beijing just two weeks after making her first appearance for the L.A. Sparks.

In the lead-up to Paris’ Opening Ceremony on July 26th, USA Basketball Women’s National Team is scheduled to play a pair of exhibition games. They'll first go up against the WNBA's finest at the July 20th WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix before facing Germany in London on July 23rd.

While an official roster announcement date hasn’t yet been issued, players won’t find out if they’ve made this year’s Olympic cut until at least June 1st.

For the first time in history, three different WNBA teams have completely sold out of season ticket plans well before the league's May 14th kick-off.

Call it the Caitlin Clark effect, attribute it to this year’s tenacious rookie class, or look to the skyrocketing visibility of veteran players across the board. But no matter the cause, facts are facts: Tickets to the 2024 WNBA season are selling like never before. 

On Monday, the Dallas Wings became the third team to sell out of season ticket memberships in the league’s 27-year history. The announcement from Arlington came shortly after the Atlanta Dream issued their own season ticket sell-out statement, also on Monday, and almost seven weeks after the back-to-back WNBA Champion Las Vegas Aces made headlines by becoming the first-ever WNBA team to sell out their season ticket allotment.   

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According to the Wings, season ticket memberships will fill nearly 40% of the 6,251 seats inside their home arena, College Park Center. The club also said that their overall ticket revenue has ballooned to the tune of 220% this year, spanning not just season tickets but also a 1,200% increase in single ticket sales. There’s currently a waitlist to become a Dallas season ticket holder, a status that comes with extra incentives like playoff presale access and discounts on additional single-game tickets. 

In Atlanta, season tickets aren't the only thing flying off the shelves. The Dream also announced that they broke their own record for single-game ticket sales during a recent limited presale campaign. Sunday was reportedly their most lucrative day, with five different games totally selling out Gateway Center Arena. Individual tickets for all upcoming matchups will hit the market this Thursday at 8 a.m., while a waitlist for season ticket memberships will open up next Tuesday at 10 a.m.

"Excitement around women's sports, particularly basketball, is at an all-time high and nowhere is that felt more than here in Atlanta," Dream president and COO Morgan Shaw Parker said in the team’s statement. "We’ve continued a record-setting growth trajectory over the past three years under new ownership — both on and off the court — and 2024 is shaping up to be our best season yet."

As of Tuesday, season ticket sales revenue for Caitlin Clark’s hotly anticipated Indiana Fever debut haven’t yet been announced by the club. But if these numbers are any indication — not to mention the explosive demand for Fever away games felt by teams around the country — it won’t be long before we see some scale-tipping figures coming out of Indianapolis.

25-year-old American pro golfer Nelly Korda secured her spot in LPGA history on Sunday, notching her fifth-straight title at this weekend's Chevron Championship in The Woodlands, Texas.

Ranked No. 1 in the world by Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, Korda joins Nancy Lopez (1978) and Annika Sörenstam (2005) as just the third LPGA player to rack up five consecutive tour wins. She is also the third No. 1-ranked player to capture The Chevron Championship victory since the rankings debuted in 2006, accompanied by Lorena Ochoa and Lydia Ko.

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The Florida native shot three-under 69 in Sunday's final, besting Sweden's Maja Stark despite Stark's valiant come-from-behind attempt in the 18th. Korda finished with a four-day total of 13-under 275, celebrating her two-stroke win by cannonballing into Poppie's Pond, much to the crowd's delight. She left The Club at Carlton Woods with $1.2 million from an overall purse of $7.9 million.

It wasn't long ago that the two-time major champion's current winning streak seemed unimaginable. After maintaining her No. 1 position for 29 weeks, Korda underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from her left arm in 2022. She returned to the course not long after, but failed to win a single tournament in 2023 before seeing a surge in form during the first four months of 2024. As of today, she hasn't lost a tournament since January.

Korda will attempt a record sixth-straight win at next week's JM Eagle LA Championship at Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles, where she'll vie for a cut of the $3.75 million purse.