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USWNT star Tobin Heath’s NWSL rights explained

(Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

All eyes are on Tobin Heath as rumors mount of a possible NWSL return for the USWNT star.

The veteran forward left Arsenal in April after suffering a season-ending hamstring injury, returning to the United States to focus on rehabilitation. Heath joined the Gunners in September via free transfer after competing with Manchester United during the 2020-2021 Women’s Super League season.

The American made 18 appearances with Arsenal, scoring three goals for the club during her stint.

All the while, Heath’s NWSL rights have remained with Racing Louisville. The club acquired her playing rights in the 2021 expansion draft from the Portland Thorns, where Health had played since 2013.

Christen Press’s rights were obtained by Louisville alongside Health’s and were since traded to Angel City FC, where Press is competing for the Los Angeles expansion club in its debut season.

In exchange for Press, Louisville received ACFC’s first-round pick in the 2022 Draft, $75,000 in allocation money and full roster protection from ACFC in the NWSL expansion draft.

Whether or not Heath will receive a similar treatment to Press is still up in the air, with the 34-year-old yet to confirm a return to the NWSL.

Meg Linehan of the Athletic reported in July 2021 that Press and Heath had no intention of playing for Racing Louisville, with former Louisville coach Christy Holly seemingly confirming the news, telling reporters in July 2021 that he hadn’t spoken with the stars.

“The players that I would like to focus on are the players that are inside that building, and the players that actually opted to be at this club, and actually picked up the phone and talked to us,” the former coach said.

While circumstances have changed since the initial reporting on Health, on Press’s side at least that story has borne out.

OL Reign coach Laura Harvey has added fuel to rumors of Heath’s move to the Seattle club, neither confirming nor denying the possibility of acquiring her rights.

“I mean, I think Tobin is an excellent player, obviously, her rights are currently held by Louisville, so I think that’s something that I’m not sure if anything is going to happen there,” Harvey told reporters Friday. “I think right now it’s all up in the air a little bit. But I think Tobin could be a fantastic player and has shown she’s a fantastic player in this league, but as of right now, no big news to share on that.”

Candace Parker Headlines 2026 Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Class

Chicago Sky star Candace Parker smiles during a 2022 WNBA semifinals game.
Soon-to-be Hall of Famer Candace Parker retired in 2024 as a three-time WNBA champion. (Catalina Fragoso/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame is ushering in a blockbuster new class, announcing a list of its 2026 inductees this week with honorees spanning four players, two coaches, an ESPN contributor, and a posthumous veteran standout.

Two-time WNBA MVP Candace Parker (LA Sparks, Chicago Sky, Las Vegas Aces) headlines the player lineup, with the three-time WNBA champion joined by 2019 WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne (Chicago Sky, Washington Mystics) and French standout Isabelle Fijalkowski (Cleveland Rockers), as well as three-time WNBA champ with the Houston Comets Amaya Valdemoro.

Minnesota Lynx manager and four-time WNBA Coach of the Year Cheryl Reeve also received a nod alongside nine-time national championship-winning Kirkwood Community College head coach Kim Muhl and former Clemson great Barbara Kennedy-Dixon, while ESPN analyst Doris Burke snagged an honor for her decades-long coverage.

Calling the Class of 2026 "eight distinguished legends of this exceptional sport," Hall of Fame president Dana Hart said in Friday’s release that "They exemplify the highest standards in women's basketball and have made substantial contributions to the sport, along with shaping the game's historical trajectory."

The formal induction ceremony of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will take place at Knoxville's Tennessee Theatre on June 27th.

Unrivaled 3×3 Finalizes 2026 Roster as Big Name Players Drop Out

Team Collier's Angel Reese and Team Clark's Sabrina Ionescu eye the ball during the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game.
WNBA stars Angel Reese and Sabrina Ionescu will not participate in the second season of Unrivaled. (Mike Lawrence/NBAE via Getty Images)

The season two roster for Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball is officially complete, with the offseason league announcing its final three players on Thursday — and revealing that some big names from the venture's inaugural campaign will not feature on the 2026 court.

New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese will not return for Unrivaled's second season, though league EVP and GM Clare Duwelius told The Athletic this week that they had "lots of conversations" with the players.

DiJonai Carrington will miss the 2026 campaign as well, as a mid-foot sprain suffered during September's WNBA Playoffs forced the Minnesota Lynx guard to withdraw from next year's competition.

With Carrington leaving the eight-team league's final open roster spots at three, Unrivaled rounded out their 2026 numbers with Chicago Sky guard Rebecca Allen, Indiana Fever guard Aari McDonald, and Seattle Storm center and 2025 WNBA Draft overall No. 2 pick Dominique Malonga.

Malonga joins the 3×3 upstart after abruptly terminating her overseas contract with Turkish club Fenerbahçe following a post-WNBA season wrist surgery.

Unrivaled also dropped the list of their 2026 head coaches this week, with returning managers Nola Henry and Teresa Weatherspoon joined by fresh faces including ex-Storm boss Noelle Quinn.

How to watch Unrivaled in 2026

Unrivaled will tip off its expanded 2026 season on January 5th, with live coverage airing on TNT.

Racing Louisville Shoots for Franchise History on NWSL Decision Day

Racing Louisville forward Emma Sears warms up before a 2025 NWSL match.
Racing Louisville forward Emma Sears will play for a historic NWSL postseason berth on Decision Day. (Soobum Im/NWSL via Getty Images)

NWSL Decision Day is just around the corner, as the final 2025 regular-season weekend puts the last playoff slot — and perhaps a bit of Racing Louisville history — on the line.

With seven of the eight spots in the 2025 NWSL Playoffs secured, No. 8 Louisville can punch a franchise-first postseason ticket with a win over No. 13 Bay FC on Sunday.

"I think it's an incredible position that we're in," Racing manager Bev Yanez said last week. "It's a privilege to be in this position, and I think the reality is we still control our destiny, and that needs to be the focus for us."

If Racing's match ends in a loss or a draw, however, the No. 9 North Carolina Courage can sneak in with a win — leaving Louisville out of contention.

Louisville's playoff hopes could very well rest on the blazing form of USWNT rising star Emma Sears, after the 24-year-old forward registered a hat trick against New Zealand in a full 90-minute performance on Wednesday.

"She's got an instinct inside the box and a desire to score goals that you can't teach," USWNT manager Emma Hayes said of Sears.

Racing Louisville has finished the regular season in ninth place every year since the 2021 expansion team's exception, with Sunday offering the chance to change their fate.

How to watch Racing Louisville vs. Bay FC on NWSL Decision Day

No. 8 Racing Louisville will host No. 9 Bay FC in the 2025 NWSL season's playoff-clinching finale at 5 PM ET on Sunday, with live coverage airing on NWSL+.

NWSL Decision Day to Determine 2025 Playoffs Seeding

Gotham midfielder Rose Lavelle celebrates a goal with her teammates during a 2025 NWSL match.
Gotham could secure 2025 NWSL Playoffs seeding as high as No. 4 or as low as No. 8 on Decision Day. (Ira L. Black/NWSL via Getty Images)

Most NWSL teams have something to play for this weekend, as Sunday's Decision Day finale will determine crucial seeding going into the 2025 Playoffs.

Bucking the trend are the No. 1 Kansas City Current and No. 2 Washington Spirit, who have already locked in home-field advantage — leaving every other team above the cutoff line battling for seeding this weekend.

The No. 3 Orlando Pride and No. 4 Seattle Reign will face each other with the third seed on the line, while the No. 5 San Diego Wave, No. 6 Portland Thorns, and No. 7 Gotham FC could all contend for a home playoff match depending on the day's full results.

Gotham will take on the No. 9 North Carolina in their 2025 regular-season closer, as the Courage push to leap above the playoff line while the Bats aim to avoid a difficult path forward.

Whichever team clinches the No. 8 seed — likely either Gotham, Racing Louisville, or North Carolina — will travel to Kansas City to take on the record-breaking Shield-winners in next week's quarterfinal.

Boosting the Courage on NWSL Decision Day will be a sell-out crowd — North Carolina's second sell-out match of the 2025 season.

How to watch NWSL Decision Day 2025

No. 1 Kansas City and No. 5 San Diego will kick off the 2025 NWSL season's Decision Day at 3 PM ET on Sunday, airing live on ESPN.

The six remaining matches on the weekend's slate will start simultaneously at 5 PM ET, with live coverage on either ESPN or NWSL+.