One way to vault up the rankings: beat the top-ranked team.

That’s exactly what Valor Christian (Colo.) did Saturday, coming back from a halftime deficit to defeat Broomfield (Colo.) 2-1 and deal the Eagles their first loss in three years.

After Broomfield opened the scoring with a first-half tally, Valor Christian responded with two second-half goals. Oregon commit Ajanae Respass continued her hot start to the season with an equalizing goal and an assist on Peyton Parsons’ game-winning score.

Both Respass and Parsons have led the Eagles’ explosive offense, which is averaging over five goals per game. Respass has a team-high 11 goals in nine games plus five assists, while Parsons is second on the team with eight goals and leads the way with seven assists.

With their statement win over Broomfield, Valor Christian has climbed from fifth in last week’s JWS high school soccer rankings to No. 1 this week.

(Note that these rankings do not include teams from Georgia, Alabama and North Carolina, as those states are already in or close to their postseasons.)

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1. Valor Christian (Colo.), 10-0

Valor Christian went undefeated in the regular season last year before losing in the 5A semifinals. The Eagles hope to avoid that fate this spring.

2. Triad (Ill.), 15-0

The Knights just keep winning, extending their unbeaten streak to 41 games (40 wins, one draw) and their winning streak to 39 matches.

3. Naperville Central (Ill.), 11-0-1

The Redhawks’ defense continues to shut down opponents. The offense just couldn’t find the back of the net in a scoreless tie with Naperville North on Monday.

4. South County (Va.), 8-0-1

The Stallions have not lost since 2019 and appear primed for another deep postseason run.

5. Broomfield (Colo.), 11-1

The Eagles rebounded from their loss to Valor Christian, their first defeat since 2019, with a resounding 8-0 win Monday.

6. Bentonville (Ark.), 14-0-2

The Tigers tied defending 6A state champions Fayetteville 2-2 on Tuesday.

7. Legacy (Colo.), 12-1

A loss to Broomfield is the only blemish on the schedule for Legacy, which has reeled off three consecutive wins since that defeat.

8. Gretna (Neb.), 16-0

The Dragons capped an undefeated regular-season with another shutout win, their 14th of the season. Gretna hasn’t allowed a goal since March 29.

9. Colonial Forge (Va.), 9-0

The Eagles tied last year’s Class 6A runners-up Patriot in a preseason scrimmage. Since then, Colonial Forge has won nine straight and outscored opponents 51-3.

10. Valley (Iowa), 10-0

The Tigers are averaging 3.6 goals per game and squeaked out a 1-0 win Tuesday over Dowling Catholic.

11. Broken Arrow (Okla.), 11-1

Broken Arrow won a district championship with a 1-0 win Tuesday, handing Owasso, No. 24 in last week’s rankings, its first loss of the season.

12. Colgan (Va.) 10-1-1

The Sharks have won six consecutive games since a scoreless draw with South County on March 31.

13. St. Thomas Aquinas (Kan.), 11-0

The Saints defeated Blue Valley Southwest 3-1 on Tuesday in a rematch of last year’s Class 5A state championship game, which St. Thomas Aquinas also won.

Girls soccer final score against BVSW. @stasaints_GSCR pic.twitter.com/zL954yLXVP

— GoAquinasSaints (@GoAquinasSaints) April 27, 2022

14. O’Fallon (Ill.), 13-1

Since losing to Triad, O’Fallon has outscored its opponents 23-4 in five consecutive wins.

15. James Island (S.C.), 15-0-2

The Trojans, who have not lost in over a year, have four players who have scored 10 goals or more, led by senior Lilli Ray’s 17 goals.

16. Yorktown (Va.), 9-1

The Patriots have won their last two games by a combined score of 16-0.

17. Bloomfield Hills Marian (Mich.), 5-0

A 13-day break did not slow down the Mustangs, who recorded an 8-2 win Tuesday.

18. Chapin (S.C.), 18-1

Goalkeeper Peyton Henderson stopped a penalty kick to preserve the shutout, and the Eagles recorded a 2-0 win Friday to claim a region championship.

19. Lyons Township (Ill.), 12-0

Runners-up to O’Fallon in 3A last season, the Lions are gearing up for another postseason run.

20. Blue Valley West (Kan.), 7-1

It was an eventful week for the Jaguars, who won the Blue Springs South High School Tournament in Missouri but lost to sub-.500 Blue Valley Northwest on Tuesday.

21. Grandview (Colo.), 11-1-2

Grandview’s 1-0 loss to Valor Christian earlier in the season doesn’t look so bad anymore. Incredibly, that was just one of two goals the Eagles have given up this season.

22. St. Dominic (Mo.), 12-2

The Crusaders were shut out Tuesday in a 2-0 defeat to Liberty (Wentzville) but have outscored opponents 41-2 in their 12 wins.

23. Fort Zumwalt South (Mo.), 15-1

Since a 2-1 loss to Eureka, the Bulldogs have won four straight games by a combined margin of 18-3.

24. Pine Creek (Colo.), 12-0

The Eagles have outscored opponents 75-3 this season.

25. Wade Hampton (S.C.), 16-1

The Generals won their first region championship since 1989 last week and then followed that with two more shutout victories.

Phillip Suitts is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports. He has worked at a variety of outlets, including The Palm Beach Post and Southeast Missourian, and done a little bit of everything from reporting to editing to running social media accounts. He was born in Atlanta but currently lives in wintry Philadelphia. Follow Phillip on Twitter @PhillipSuitts.

The first round of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs ends on Friday night, when the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury and No. 5 New York Liberty return to Arizona for a winner-take-all Game 3 — with a trip to the semifinals on the line.

"The message is, 'Everybody keep our heads up. This is a series, and Phoenix is a tough team,'" Liberty star Breanna Stewart said ahead of Friday's matchup.

Still battling an MCL sprain in her left knee, Stewart hopes for more quality time on the court to help New York bounce back from the Mercury's Game 2 blowout win.

While neither team has successfully defended at home so far, Phoenix will look for a boost from the Mercury fans as they try to oust the defending WNBA champs.

"It's just nice for everyone to get a home game," said Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas. "[But] in order to win a series, you got to win on the road."

"You see how competitive, how balanced this is," said Stewart, commenting on the league's new home-away-home first-round format. "How important it is for these kind of series to be going back and forth."

How to watch the New York Liberty vs. Phoenix Mercury in Game 3

It's win-or-go-home for both the No. 5 New York Liberty and No. 4 Phoenix Mercury in Game 3 of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs on Friday.

The high-stakes matchup will tip off at 9 PM ET, with live coverage on ESPN2.

The 2025 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year race ended in a tie on Thursday, as dominant seasons at both ends of the court saw Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson and Minnesota Lynx forward Alanna Smith each receive 29 of the media panel's 72 total votes.

After finishing first this season in blocks per game (2.3), total rebounds (407), defensive rebounds (316), and combined steals and blocks (156), Wilson became just the fourth player in WNBA history named Defensive Player of the Year at least three times — adding this year's title to her previous 2022 and 2023 honors.

As for Smith, who picked up the award for the first time this year, the Lynx star ranked second overall in combined steals and blocks (135), third in both blocks per game (1.9) and total blocks (80), and tied for 10th in total steals (55) on the season.

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Also snagging votes were Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams, who came in second with nine votes, as well as Phoenix Mercury triple-double phenom Alyssa Thomas and fellow Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier, who received three and two votes, respectively.

The win by both Wilson and Smith marks the first time in history that the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year honor has ended in a tie, reflecting both the top-notch level of talent on display across the league as well as the hyper-competitive nature of the 2025 end-of-year awards race on display across multiple categories.

Next up on the league's awards docket is Saturday's Sixth Player of the Year announcement, followed by the highly anticipated reveal of the 2025 WNBA MVP on Sunday.

The NWSL promises a tense mid-table battle this weekend, as the No. 4 Portland Thorns take on the No. 5 San Diego Wave with both teams looking to keep late-season lags at bay.

After strong starts, the Thorns and Wave each have just one win in their last five games, with San Diego aiming to snap a two-game losing streak after falling to Gotham last weekend.

Even more, both clubs currently sit in a four-way tie for points on the NWSL table, giving Saturday's match extra weight in potentially shifting the standings this weekend.

"It's a really important moment for us as a team," said San Diego head coach Jonas Eidevall. "Because adversity will happen to people or teams at various points, and everything about now is how we respond."

Portland will also look to regain ground, perhaps drawing inspiration from the past after announcing Wednesday that the club plans to retire legendary forward Christine Sinclair's jersey in an October 4th ceremony.

Sinclair established herself as the Portland Thorns' all-time leading scorer, retiring last year with 79 goals across all NWSL competitions — the second-most ever scored by an NWSL player.

How to watch the Portland Thorns vs. San Diego Wave

The No. 4 Portland Thorns will host the No. 5 San Diego Wave at 10 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage of the NWSL match airing on ION.

No. 2 Las Vegas narrowly avoided a 2025 first-round postseason series upset on Thursday night, defeating the No. 7 Seattle Storm 74-73 in a deciding Game 3 to advance to the Aces' seventh-straight WNBA semifinals.

Aces star A'ja Wilson put her team on her back with another dominant performance, posting 38 points — including 25 in the second half — to outscore the rest of the Las Vegas lineup entirely.

"I am so proud of my team, we were resilient, that's what we need to be in these playoffs and I love each and every last one of them," Wilson said postgame.

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Las Vegas got off to a slow start this year, but a late-season surge fueled by a renewed focus on depth saw the 2023 WNBA champs take the No. 2 playoff seed — and book yet another trip to the WNBA semifinals.

"I remember Chelsea [Gray] saying in a timeout, 'There's no time for my-bads anymore,'" said Wilson. "We have to play perfect basketball."

How to watch the Las Vegas Aces in the 2025 WNBA semifinals

Up next for No. 2 Las Vegas is a No. 6 Indiana side punching above their weight.

That said, the Fever did score a 2-1 record against the Aces in the 2025 regular season — and Las Vegas's lone win over Indiana came back in June.

"They haven't seen the real Aces yet," Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon said of the Fever. "They caught us when we were a bit in turmoil."

The Aces will take aim at Indiana in Sunday's 3 PM ET semifinals opener, airing live on ABC.