The race for the NWSL’s Rookie of the Year is starting to narrow, with a few clear favorites emerging as the 2021 regular season winds down.

This year’s Olympic break offered the league’s younger players a rare opportunity to shine while NWSL veterans left for Tokyo, making way for new faces in several team’s starting lineups. Now, with international talent back from the Games and the playoff push well underway, some names have floated to the top of the league’s list of newbies poised to contend for Rookie of the Year honors.

Here are the top three:

1. Trinity Rodman

Trinity Rodman has been making headlines since before she took the pitch for the Washington Spirit. Originally set to play at Washington State University, Rodman opted to go pro after her freshman season was canceled due to COVID-19. Picked second overall in the 2021 draft, she became the youngest player ever to be drafted by the NWSL at 18 years old. Having a famous father also brought the teen even more attention.

Entering the league surrounded by hype, Rodman answered the call, scoring in her debut with the Spirit and quickly establishing herself as the team’s offensive target.

The first one is always special! Relive @trinity_rodman's first regular season NWSL goal 🔥🔥

Presented by @progressive pic.twitter.com/nId133quIR

— Washington Spirit (@WashSpirit) June 21, 2021

In her 16 matches with Washington, Rodman has scored four goals and notched three assists. She is currently tied for fourth in the league for goals and assists, alongside Ashley Hatch and Jess Fishlock.

Rodman is known to antagonize opponents’ backlines, beating defenders one-v-one with the confidence of a seasoned veteran. Her and teammate Ashley Sanchez have become one of the most formidable attacking duos in the NWSL, and as the Spirit fight for a spot in the league playoffs, expect Rodman to continue her break-out season, one that could be marked by a post-season run and which will likely be crowned with a Rookie of the Year award.

2. Ebony Salmon

Ebony Salmon came to the NWSL by way of Bristol City, with the English striker signing a two-year contract with Racing Louisville FC in May.

Though she was late to the party, Salmon made quite the entrance, scoring in her first minute on the pitch with Louisville.

We'll take any excuse to share @ebony_salmon's debut goal again. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/8al6SISk9f

— Racing Louisville FC (@RacingLouFC) August 29, 2021

The 20-year-old now has five goals in her 12 appearances with Racing Louisville. She is currently tied for 6^th on the goal-scoring list, only two goals behind Ashley Hatch, Ifeoma Onumonu and Sydney Leroux, who stand atop the leaderboard.

Salmon is also fourth in goals per 90 at .59, highlighting the rookie’s lethal efficiency on the field.

The danger in Salmon’s game lies in her ability to capitalize in the final third, pouncing on defensive miscues and converting them into points.

Ebony Salmon gives @RacingLouFC the lead 💥

That nutmeg though 👀 pic.twitter.com/BohgzoNpsO

— CBS Sports Soccer (@CBSSportsSoccer) August 19, 2021

In her debut NWSL season, Salmon has made her presence known, establishing herself as Louisville’s premier attacker and leading goal scorer. Not bad for someone who’s still just 20 years old.

3. Emily Fox

Why should forwards get all the glory? Emily Fox is proof positive that defenders can make an impact, too.

Picked first overall in the 2021 draft by Louisville, Fox had three caps with the senior USWNT before ever playing in the NWSL. The North Carolina Tar Heel has now made 16 appearances with Racing, anchoring the club’s defensive line.

Fox has completed 557 successful passes so far this season, with an 85.3 percent accuracy rate in her own half. The 23-year-old also has 40 clearances, 37 interceptions and five blocks to her name. As a defender, Fox isn’t afraid to get high up the pitch, notching two shots this year, with one landing on target.

Emily Fox is having a game! The Louisville defender gets a shot away, but Aubrey Bledsoe is there! #LOUvWAS pic.twitter.com/WlfJGnxf7O

— The Equalizer (@EqualizerSoccer) May 22, 2021

Fox has already been named to the NWSL’s May Team of the Month, quietly making a case for herself on the domestic and international stage. While she might not walk away with the ROTY award, her debut season should give Racing Louisville fans confidence that they’ve found their defensive cornerstone for years to come.

Undisputed super lightweight champion Katie Taylor defeated Amanda Serrano in the boxing legends' third-straight fight on Friday, winning the highly-anticipated rematch by majority decision.

In front of 19,721 fans in Madison Square Garden, Taylor capped the pair's rivalry just over three years after meeting in the first-ever women's headliner fight at the iconic New York venue.

"I can't believe that this is my life," said Taylor after the clash. "I'm headlining the show at Madison Square Garden. I'm looking back on the whole journey. What an absolute, what an amazing life. These are nights that I dreamed of as a kid and sitting here again as a winner. I'm so happy, so grateful."

While the 39-year-old Irishwoman retained her world championship titles in the bout, Taylor had to battle as the 36-year-old Puerto Rican, who holds world titles in over four weight classes, kept the 30 rounds tight.

While Taylor ultimately took home top honors, Most Valuable Promotions co-founder and CEO Nakisa Bidarian, whose company presented the Friday event, made it clear that "Nobody lost tonight."

The night's biggest winner was the sport itself, as Taylor and Serrano's third and final contest led an all-women's card with 17 world titles on the table — a historic moment that Taylor does not take for granted.

"We created history together three times," Taylor said about Serrano. "My name will always be embedded with hers forever. I'm very, very happy about that."

"What we've been able to create over these last few years has been unbelievable," she continued. "It's amazing to have a rival like that in the sport. And this has brought [the world to] an event like this tonight, an all-female card, because of what myself and Amanda have been able to do to produce over the last few years."

New world No. 3 tennis star Iga Świątek won her first Wimbledon Championship on Saturday, needing only 57 minutes to dominate US finalist No. 7 Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 to top the 2025 London Slam.

To date, Świątek has never lost a Grand Slam final.

Saturday's title is the 24-year-old's first tournament win this season and the sixth Grand Slam trophy of her career alongside her four French Open wins and her 2022 US Open victory.

Świątek is now the first woman to win Wimbledon without dropping a single game in the final in over 100 years, with Saturday's performance joining only Dorothea Lambert Chambers's 1911 London title win over Dora Boothby in that elite club.

Even more, Świątek and legendary German star Steffi Graf are now the only women's players to win a Slam by a perfect 6-0, 6-0 scoreline in the Open Era, with Graf doing so at the 1988 French Open.

"[It's] pretty surreal," said Świątek afterwards. "I'm just proud of myself because... who would have expected that?!"

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With grass proving to be one of the trickiest surfaces in the modern calendar, Świątek is now the eighth straight first-time Wimbledon women's champion, and the first to hail from Poland.

"Today I just wanted to enjoy the time that I had on the Centre Court and enjoy the last hours of me playing well on grass, because who knows if it's going to happen again," she said. "I just focused on that, and I really had fun."

While Świątek celebrates, the tennis world will now switch back to the hardcourt — many players' preferred surface — as the 2025 US Open kicks off next month to wrap up the Grand Slam calendar.

Fresh off a banner win against the No. 1 Minnesota Lynx on Saturday, the No. 10 Chicago Sky have a shot at a second straight victory over the league leaders as this week's WNBA action tips off.

The upstart Sky handed the Lynx just their fourth loss of the 2025 season on Saturday, snagging the 87-81 victory behind guard Ariel Atkins's game-leading 27 points.

"Somebody said we aren't the best young core in the league — I think we're the best, for sure," Chicago forward Angel Reese said after notching her eighth-straight double-double in Saturday's win. "We do it every single night."

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After suffer two of their four losses within the last week, Minnesota will be hunting redemption, as the Lynx faces both teams who bested them before the league breaks for the 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend — starting with the Sky:

• No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 10 Chicago Sky, 8 PM ET on Monday (WNBA League Pass): In front of another Chicago crowd, Minnesota will look to avenge their weekend loss and maintain their multi-game lead in the WNBA standings as the league races toward its midway point.

• No. 2 Phoenix Mercury vs. No. 8 Golden State Valkyries, 10 PM ET on Monday (WNBA League Pass): Following an extended road trip, the Valkyries will tip off their first July home game on Monday, as the always-impressive Golden State crowd will try to boost them above the WNBA's No. 2 team.

Last weekend solidified the 2025 Euro quarterfinals, as eight of the region's top teams escaped a competitive group stage to sit just three wins away from becoming European Champions.

World No. 16 Norway emerged as the Group A winner with three straight wins, with host No. 23 Switzerland joining them by advancing from the Euro group stage for the first time in history.

The Swiss booked their quarterfinal spot thanks to a last-gasp goal by midfielder Riola Xhemaili in Thursday's 1-1 draw with No. 26 Finland, giving them a narrow goal differential to advance in Group A's second place.

Speaking of goal differential, No. 2 Spain cruised through by outscoring their opponents 14 to three in their trio of Group B wins.

Despite falling 3-1 to La Roja on Friday, No. 13 Italy secured their position in the 2025 Euro quarterfinals with four groups points — just ahead of No. 20 Belgium's three points.

Though Group C's frontrunners advanced before taking the pitch for their final first-round match, No. 6 Sweden handed second-place No. 3 Germany their largest defeat in tournament history on Saturday, dominating the Germans 4-1 and raising the stakes entering this week's knockouts.

Elsewhere, a dramatic opening round saw the Group D leaders more than survive the "Group of Death," as both stage-winners No. 10 France and No. 5 England emphatically booked their quarterfinal spots with massive victories on Sunday.

While the defending Euro champs staged a 6-1 goal-fest against UK rivals No. 30 Wales to advance, Les Bleues overcame a 2-1 halftime deficit to sink the No. 11 Netherlands 5-2 on Sunday, taking the lead with an astounding three goals in six minutes — including a brace from San Diego Wave attacker Delphine Cascarino.

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How to watch the 2025 Euro quarterfinals

The eight quarterfinalists have a short break to celebrate and prepare, as their 2025 Euro slate is wiped clean before the knockouts begin on Wednesday.

Each 2025 Euro quarterfinal will take the pitch on consecutive days, with all matches kicking off at 3 PM ET:

• Wednesday: No. 16 Norway vs. No. 13 Italy
• Thursday: No. 6 Sweden vs. No. 5 England
• Friday: No. 2 Spain vs. No. 23 Switzerland
• Saturday: No. 10 France vs. No. 3 Germany

Live coverage will air across Fox Sports platforms.