Three top-10 teams tumbled Thursday in a historic night for upsets in women’s college basketball.

No. 4 Indiana, No. 6 NC State and No. 7 Virginia Tech all lost to unranked opponents, tied for the most such upsets in one day since at least 1999, per ESPN. Top-10 teams have lost 22 games so far this season, tied for the most at this point in a season since at least 1999.

While Thursday’s losses signal increasing parity in the sport, they also provide reasons for concern for the ranked teams involved. Just Women’s Sports ranks the three top-10 upsets from most to least concerning.

Clemson 64, No. 7 Virginia Tech 59

With the upset loss to the Tigers (10-4), the Hokies (11-2) have lost two of their last three games heading into 2023. Their first loss of the season came against No. 5 Notre Dame, which eked out a 66-63 win Thursday against unranked Miami. Clemson, meanwhile, did not receive any votes in the latest AP Top 25 poll.

Virginia Tech is still without Ashley Owusu, who broke her pinkie finger on Dec. 1, but the team’s problems ran deeper Thursday.

Star center Elizabeth Kitley, who averages 18.7 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, was held without a rebound in the first half. The Tigers entered halftime with a double-digit lead and withstood a second-half comeback attempt from the Hokies.

After the game, Virginia Tech coach Kenny Brooks called on Kitley to play like the high-profile player she is. The senior, projected as a No. 2 draft pick in our 2023 WNBA mock draft, took just seven shots in the game.

“We just didn’t play well at all,” he said.

Top-10 feeling. pic.twitter.com/ODBEL248ht

— Clemson Women's Basketball (@ClemsonWBB) December 30, 2022

Michigan State 83, No. 4 Indiana 78

Turnovers sunk the Hoosiers (12-1) in their first loss of the season, which leaves just five unbeaten teams in Division I.

“They had 28 points off our turnovers,” Indiana coach Teri Moren said. “That’s the storyline right there.”

While Indiana did give up a season-high 21 turnovers, one sloppy game should not ring too many alarm bells, particularly when it comes against Michigan State (9-5), which had forced 29.3 turnovers per game entering Thursday.

Still, the Hoosiers will need to learn to handle defensive pressure, as the Spartans disrupted the flow of Indiana’s offense throughout the game.

Senior forward Mackenzie Holmes scored a career-high 32 points, but Indiana went 3-for-12 from 3-point range. The team is still missing senior point guard Grace Berger, who has been sidelined with a knee injury since late November.

UPSET 🚨

Michigan State hands No. 4 Indiana their first loss of the season with a 83-78 home win. pic.twitter.com/LhYfM1EMyY

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) December 29, 2022

Duke 72, No. 6 NC State 58

This in-state rivalry contest looked more like a coming-out party for Duke (12-1) than a crushing loss for NC State (11-2).

The Blue Devils led for 29 minutes, including the entire second half. They already received points in the most recent AP poll, and this win could be enough to put them in the rankings come Monday.

“We just stayed focused and locked in and didn’t allow the emotions of the game to overtake our execution,” Duke coach Kara Lawson said. “That’s big growth for us. We haven’t been in a lot of close games yet this year, so you never really know how your team is going to react in close-game situation or really important possessions in the fourth quarter. So I’m pleased with how we executed there.”

NC State shot just 34.4 percent from the field, and while they won the rebound battle 36-33, they finished with just five assists. Their offense is still adjusting to the absence of Diamond Johnson, who injured her ankle on Dec. 11.

✅ Top 10 road win
✅ Best start since 2016
✅ Closed 1H on a 22-2 run#KaraEra pic.twitter.com/POC0rnDJoP

— Duke Women’s Basketball (@DukeWBB) December 30, 2022

Just Women's Sports alongside Olympic gold medalist and two-time World Cup champion Kelley O'Hara are proud to announce the debut of Sports Are Fun!, a new studio show premiering February 4th.

Presented by Intuit TurboTax, Sports Are Fun! features O'Hara and co-host Greydy Diaz discussing anything and everything from the world of women's sports with help from a rotating cast of co-hosts and guests. Production runs through 2025.

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Everything you love about women's sports — with a little extra fun

"This is a show that will remind fans why they fell in love with sports," O'Hara said ahead of the show's launch. "That means tapping into all the stories, big or small, that get the group chat going. You'll feel like you’re there with us, talking about your favorite games, teams, and athletes."

O'Hara retired from professional soccer in 2024 after a legendary career that included winning two World Cups, an Olympic gold medal, and two NWSL Championships. She also helped secure equal pay for the US women's national soccer team. 

"The next step in the evolution of women’s sports is building out a media ecosystem that can keep fans connected around-the-clock," said Just Women's Sports founder and CEO Haley Rosen. "This show closes the gap when it comes to innovative, personality-driven coverage, and we're thrilled to be partnering with Intuit TurboTax as they make a splash in the women’s sports space."

O'Hara takes to the screen in her post-retirement era

O'Hara and JWS have worked extensively together over the years. They first launching the Just Women's Podcast with Kelley O’Hara back in 2020. Later shows included The Players Pod, 2024 Paris Olympics favorite The Gold Standard, Fast Friends with Kelley O'Hara and Lisa Leslie, as well as digital hits Kelley on the Street and 1v1 with Kelley O'Hara. 

Sports Are Fun! is by no means O’Hara's first foray into media. But it does mark the official beginning of her second career as a full-time on-air personality and content creator. 

The first episode of Sports Are Fun! will debut February 4th, 2025. Catch every episode via Just Women’s Sports' YouTube page, as well as across all audio podcast platforms. 

Angel City officially cut the ribbon on their new training facility on Tuesday, showing off their expanded performance center as NWSL preseason gets underway.

The nine-acre Thousand Oaks site boasts 1.5 full-sized pitches and 50,000 square feet of indoor space, making it the league's largest NWSL-specific practice ground.

The center also houses a 5,400-square-foot gym, multiple locker rooms, medical offices, an outdoor lounge, an onsite content studio, a children's playroom, and rehab, hydrotherapy, and nutrition areas.

Having practiced at Cal Lutheran University since the expansion franchise's 2022 debut, ACFC later relocated across campus to the former home of the NFL's LA Rams. They then transformed the site into their record-setting performance center after completing a multi-million dollar remodel.

"Today we get to celebrate an extraordinary milestone for Angel City. Our new performance center reflects our commitment to the future of ACFC to its sustained excellence, and to providing our players with the best possible environment to train, to recover, and to thrive," said ACFC controlling owner Willow Bay in a statement. "My husband Bob Iger and I know how important it is, and how essential it is to ensure that our players have everything they need to be successful both on and off the pitch. This state-of-the-art performance center, let's be clear — it sets the bar, but it really should be the norm."

An unmatched tool for the new NWSL recruitment era

Offering a record-setting performance center to Angel City players could have the unexpected benefit of attracting and retaining future talent for LA.

With the abolishment of NWSL college and expansion drafts and the requirement to gain player permission for all trades taking effect under the league's new CBA, clubs now face a new era of athlete recruitment.

Rather than benefitting from the previous and arguably more passive system, NWSL franchises must now take a decidedly more active approach to roster-building by wooing potential players and impressing those currently on their squads. Adding top-tier facilities is a major way to sweeten the deal, giving Angel City a potential leg up over other clubs.

"This facility, when people have been here and seen this, I don't know how you're going to want to leave," incoming Angel City sporting director Mark Parsons told reporters at yesterday's unveiling event.

"My job has just got much, much more easy with this facility," Parsons continued. "This is unlike nowhere else. I’m excited to be a part of an organization that cares that much. But I’m also excited that my skill set just got a bit easier, because everyone’s going to want to be here."

USWNT star Naomi Girma will reportedly become the first women's soccer player to garner a transfer fee of over $1 million, as the decorated young center back narrows her overseas suitors down to WSL side Chelsea FC.

The 24-year-old defender is currently under contract with the San Diego Wave until 2026, and reported to the NWSL club's first day of preseason training as expected on Tuesday.

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While Girma's contract is still in negotiations, San Diego and the UK titans have agreed upon the deal's $1.1 million terms — by far the highest sum in the history of pro women's football. The previous record is held by Rachael Kundananji, for whom Bay FC shelled out $860,000 to Spain's Madrid CFF to roster the Zambian forward in February 2024.

Chelsea, who currently stands unbeaten in the WSL halfway through the league's 2024/25 season, is keen to bolster their back line after losing star Canadian center back Kadeisha Buchanan to an ACL injury last November.

France's Olympique Lyonnais also threw their hat in the the million-dollar ring for Girma, only to fall out of contention alongside Chelsea rival Arsenal.

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San Diego's Wave of roster turnovers

Assuming the transfer goes through, Girma will be one of several high-profile players exiting the 2023 NWSL Shield-winning San Diego club ahead of the 2025 season. Girma joins the NC Courage-bound attacker Jaedyn Shaw in making a SoCal departure.

In response, the Wave has been actively filling roster spots, signing 17-year-old defender Trinity Armstrong off of her 2024 College Cup-winning freshman season with UNC last week before adding seasoned goalkeeper and free agent Didi Haračić as well as Nigerian midfielder Favour Emmanuel on Monday. 

Inking Armstrong to a three-year deal seems particularly strategic in the wake of Girma's likely departure. It signals that the Wave are again looking to young defensive talent to replace the 2022 NWSL Draft No. 1 pick.

Ultimately, a transfer fee of this magnitude solidifies Girma's reputation as one of the world's top defenders. While still accounting for less than 1% of spending in the men's game, her historic fee is further proof that the global women's market is growing at breakneck speeds.

The NWSL released its full 2025 schedule on Wednesday morning, locking in 190 league contests across all competitions.

The 2025 Challenge Cup will set the stage on Friday, March 7th with a 2024 NWSL Championship rematch between the title-winning Orlando Pride and runners-up Washington Spirit.

One week later, the official 2025 NWSL Kickoff weekend will see all 14 teams in action as the 182-game regular season gets underway. Each club will play a total of 26 regular-season matches, split equally between home and away contests, before the league's eight top teams will battle through seven playoff games in November.

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A mid-summer break begins in late June with a CBA-mandated week-off. The pause extends one month through July to allow for international play. That's when certain national team players will compete for their countries in confederation tournaments while clubs will be free to schedule friendlies. No additional NWSL tournaments will occur during that window.

In one minor adjustment from the league's earlier calendar announcement, the 2025 regular season will be played over 26 weeks (rather than 25) to mitigate the need for midweek games.

The shift also accommodates for the return of Decision Day, which is making a comeback for the first time since 2023. In the popular format, all teams will compete simultaneously to close out the regular season on Sunday, November 2nd.

Moves up season excitement

With playoff positioning often coming down to the wire, capping the regular season with a Decision Day can dramatically up the stakes and increase excitement for the impending playoffs.

In another move to capitalize on fandom enthusiasm, the NWSL has added a dedicated rivalry weekend to its 2025 calendar. From August 8th through 10th, old feuds like the Portland Thorns and Seattle Reign's Cascadia Clash will share the spotlight with newer grudges like Angel City and San Diego's SoCal Classic.

How to watch the 2025 NWSL season

Entering the second year of the league's blockbuster broadcast deal, 160 total games will air across Prime Video, ION, ESPN, and CBS platforms this season, with the remaining 30 matches streaming on NWSL+. International distribution is still in negotiations.

Starting the NWSL's 2025 action is the Challenge Cup between Orlando and Washington, which begins at 8 PM ET on Friday, March 7th, streaming live on Prime Video.

Two concurrent matches will kick off the 2025 regular season at 8 PM ET on Friday, March 14th: Houston will face Washington on NWSL+, while Orlando takes on the newly branded Chicago Stars FC on Prime Video.