The U.S. women’s national soccer team is in transition ahead of the 2023 World Cup.

Seven members of the 2019 team feature on the roster for the squad’s October friendlies against England and Spain, and several more could return to the lineup in the coming months from injury and pregnancy absences.

Still, the team looks markedly different than the one that last wielded the World Cup trophy. And while we would love to see Alex Morgan stick around forever, the changing of the guard will continue as veterans take their final bows and new stars step into the spotlight.

We’re even getting a glimpse of that now, as a knee injury ruled Morgan out of the upcoming European trip and created space for younger players like Alyssa Thompson and Savannah DeMelo to make their marks.

USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski thinks highly of the NWSL as a barometer of talent. With plenty of rising stars on display as the league heads into its final weekend of the regular season, Just Women’s Sports offers a look at a few who deserve a shot on the USWNT roster.

Tatumn Milazzo – Defender, Chicago Red Stars

Milazzo is one player who has not yet earned a USWNT call-up but arguably should.

After going undrafted out of South Carolina in 2019, Milazzo earned a spot on the Red Stars’ preseason squad in 2021. First named as a supplemental roster player, Milazzo played in 14 games during the 2021 season for Chicago, starting in 10 of them.

This season, she’s been an instrumental part of the Red Stars’ defense, starting in all 21 games and playing a total of 1,861 minutes. She’s been a weapon and one of the best one-on-one defenders in the league all season long, with a 76.6 percent success rate on passes and making 68.5 percent of her tackles.

Tatumn Milazzo is the Red Star with the most Attempted Passes (966), and Interceptions (43) in the 2022 Regular Season 😳🔥 #MatchStats pic.twitter.com/bA88vy2NXO

— Chicago Red Stars (@chicagoredstars) September 16, 2022

Milazzo leads the league with 47 interceptions and is tied for fifth in tackles won with 39.

There are a lot of questions about the USWNT’s defense in the lead-up to the World Cup, and Milazzo could be a versatile piece. She primarily has played at center back for the Red Stars but also has experience at right back in college.

Of course, Becky Sauerbrunn remains key down the middle of the field for the USWNT, and Tierna Davidson’s ACL tear has left Alana Cook in the other starting center-back role. Naomi Girma also has been impressive, swapping out with Sauerbrunn at times this year.

The return of Crystal Dunn from parental leave adds another layer to the piece of the defense pie. But as Milazzo continues to improve, she deserves a look from Andonovski.

Cece Kizer – Forward/Midfield, Kansas City Current

That Kizer hasn’t been called up yet is about as shocking as her trade from from Racing Louisville to the Current.

Upon her arrival in Kansas City, Kizer lit up the field for Kansas City. The club went on an 11-game unbeaten run, and Kizer has scored seven goals since her arrival in May, which puts her eighth in the league.

Teammate Lo’eau LaBonta has the same number, and together their 14 goals make up nearly half of the team’s 29 total on the season.

THIS IS OUR FAVORITE SONG ✋🎤@cecekizer | #TealRising pic.twitter.com/0Fl1FhOIxh

— KC Current (@thekccurrent) September 25, 2022

The Kansas City native has enjoyed being home and in doing so has helped the team that finished in last place last year clinch their first-ever playoff appearance.

But she’s not just good at scoring goals. Kizer is also skilled at setting up plays. She holds a 68.7 percent success rate on passes this season, making 24 key passes and putting up three assists. She’s directly had a hand in a third of her team’s goals.

While the USWNT’s top spots at midfield and forward appear to be locked in by the likes of Morgan, Sophia Smith, Mallory Pugh and Rose Lavelle, there have been a few players brought in for trial runs, including DeMelo and Sam Coffey in the midfield and now Thompson at forward. Kizer could be next.

Phallon Tullis-Joyce – Goalkeeper, OL Reign

Tullis-Joyce has been outstanding in net this season. Andonovski even has said she’s on his radar, along with Bella Bixby and Katie Lund.

Tullis-Joyce also has earned praise from the coaching staff in Seattle.

“She’s a huge talent. She’s got a lot of room for growth and today, she did her job,” said assistant coach Sam Laity following the team’s 2-1 win over North Carolina on Sept. 17. “She did the things that we knew she could do.

“As strange as it might seem, I think she’s actually a better goalkeeper and has more work to do. So, it’s a bit of a catch-22; the goalkeeper that doesn’t have a lot of work to do, sometimes loses their rhythm, but then when they’re called upon, they stand up and make big saves. I thought she showed some incredible character and courage today. She made some big saves for us.”

Phallon Tullis-Joyce you are a wall. 🧤 pic.twitter.com/8ZK78Qb7wS

— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) September 17, 2022

She’s earned Save of the Week honors multiple times this season, and also leads the NWSL in save percentage and ranks sixth in saves, all in her first season as the team’s starter. Tullis-Joyce has been so good, the club extended her through the 2024 season in July.

While the goalie lineup has remained relatively consistent under Andonovski, the NWSL’s pool is deep. Both Alyssa Naeher and Casey Murphy spent time in net at the Concacaf W Championship, and each got a start in the team’s September friendlies against Nigeria. But Tullis-Joyce deserves her shot.

Cameron Brink already has her rookie of the year pick for the upcoming WNBA season, and it’s Indiana-bound star Caitlin Clark. 

In the latest edition of Kelley on the Street, host Kelley O'Hara caught up with Brink in New York hours before the Stanford phenom went No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks at the 2024 WNBA Draft. When O’Hara asked who would win the WNBA's rookie of the year, she answered without pause.

"Caitlin Clark," she said, while a fan commented that she thought Brink would take home the award. Brink later added that the extra foul granted to WNBA players will be "good for me."

"I hope it’s me," Charisma Osborne, who was later drafted by the Phoenix Mercury, said when asked her ROY prediction. "But, I don’t know — we’ll see."

Watch more of Kelley on the Street:

Maria Sanchez issued a statement on Thursday, confirming recent reports that she has requested a trade from the Houston Dash. 

In it, she revealed that the club has been aware of the request "since late March."

"This has all taken a toll and isn’t an easy thing to talk about, but I want to confirm that I’ve requested an immediate trade," she wrote. "My expectations and reasons have been clear. I trust that my current club’s management will honor my decision in a timely manner and proceed with accepting a trade."

"I’m eager to refocus and dive back into what I love most: playing football," she concluded.

Thank you, everyone, for the outpouring of kindness and support. pic.twitter.com/gcnN7dhCJU

— Maria Sanchez (@Maria17_7) April 19, 2024

Reports of Sanchez's trade request first surfaced on ESPN last week, and were later confirmed by multiple sources. 

In December of last year, Sanchez signed a three-year contract with the Dash valued at $1.5 million including bonuses and an option year. It was the largest contract in NWSL history at the time — a figure that would be eclipsed by multiple contracts in the following months. 

Sanchez spent the offseason as a restricted free agent, meaning that Houston could match any other team's offer to retain her rights. Should the Dash trade Sanchez, her current contract terms would remain intact, limiting potential buyers to teams able to afford to take on an inking of that size.

The Dash has yet to address the trade, instead reiterating to ESPN that Sanchez is "under contract, a choice she made in free agency at the end of 2023." 

Both the NWSL trade window and transfer window close tonight, April 19th, at 12 a.m. ET. The window will stay closed through the next 11 regular season games, reopening on August 1st, 2024.

The four-time league champion Seattle Storm unveiled their new practice facility on Thursday, with Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel dubbing Interbay's Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance the team’s "new home."

"It's just such a special space," Brummel told Fox 13 Seattle. "I think when the players get here, it's gonna be overwhelming."

The sprawling 50,000-square-foot, $64 million property is just the second designated practice facility to be designed and built expressly for a WNBA team, with the Storm further noting that 85% of all design and engineering team members involved in the project's construction were women and people of color. The finished product holds two professional indoor courts, two 3x3 outdoor courts, a state-of-the-art locker room, and players' lounge, plus designated areas for strength and conditioning, kitchen, dining, and nutrition, and recovery. 

"This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance," said Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder in an official team release. "It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports."

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For their part, the team can't wait to make the faciilty their own.

"It's amazing," Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Fox 13. "Not having to drive everywhere around, knowing you have access anytime of the day to get into the gym, to workout." 

Head coach Noelle Quinn said she predicts the team is "never going to leave this building."

"Which is a good thing for me," she continued. "You talk about having an edge in performance. We want our athletes to not only perform on the court, but get whatever they need."

All of the Storm's staff and operations will now live under one roof, and the team also has plans to launch a youth basketball program operating out of the building.

The Caitlin Clark effect is quickly making its mark on the big leagues, as WNBA host teams around the country rush to upgrade their Fever games to larger arenas in order to accommodate surging ticket sales.

With Clark mere weeks away from her Indiana Fever debut, both the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have officially relocated their scheduled home games with head coach Christie Sides' squad. On Thursday, the Mystics became the latest to adjust their plans, moving their June 7th matchup from Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southwest DC to the more centrally located — and much larger — Capital One Arena "due to unprecedented demand."

The Mystics home court's capacity taps out at 4,200, while Capital One Arena — home to the Wizards, Capitals, and Georgetown Hoya's Men's Basketball — can fit nearly five times that crowd at some 20,000 spectators.

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"The move to Capital One Arena will allow for additional fans in the stands as well as premium hospitality options, including Suites and the all-new all-inclusive courtside Hennessy Lofts," the team announced via Thursday's press release.

The Aces were one of the first teams to switch venues, aiming to take on the Indiana Fever in front of as many as 20,000 fans inside T-Mobile Arena on July 2nd. That’s a sizable a boost from their home venue, which holds just 12,000.

For those still planning to face the Fever in their home arenas, ticket prices have skyrocketed. Previously scheduled construction has already forced the LA Sparks to relocate their first five games — including their May 24th clash with the Fever — to Long Beach State's Walter Pyramid. The temporary venue is quite the downsize, holding just 4,000 in comparison to Crypto.com Arena's near-19,000. As of Friday, the get-in price for that game started around $400.

Despite fans launching a Change.org petition urging relocation, the Chicago Sky say they're unable to move their June 23rd Fever meeting from Wintrust Arena's 10,000-seat facility to the 23,500-seat United Center due to a concert. Tickets for that game start around $325 as of Friday.