The Women’s Super League season begins Friday after delaying kickoff by a week to honor Queen Elizabeth II after her death on Sept. 8.

Tabbed by Arsenal star Leah Williamson as “the best league in the world” in terms of competitiveness, the WSL has seen a wave of attention (and ticket sales) after England’s triumph in the UEFA Women’s EURO in July.

While the league has seen some key departures in Georgia Stanway and Keira Walsh, others such as Rachel Daly are sure to wow fans.

Just Women’s Sports has five players to watch as the action kicks off.

Sam Kerr

Club: Chelsea
Key Stats from 2021-22: 23 goals

Kerr spent last season atop the Super League, winning the Golden Boot as the league’s top scorer for the second straight season and helping Chelsea take the WSL title for the third straight season.

She notched a brace in last year’s FA Cup final against Arsenal, winning Player of the Match as she helped the club secure the domestic quadruple – the first English women’s club to do so.

Her efforts earned her third place in the 2021 Ballon d’Or standings, behind Barcelona’s Jennifer Hermoso and winner Alexia Putellas.

Beth Mead

Club: Arsenal
Key Stats: 72 chances created, 11 goals, 8 assists

One of the top players in WSL history, Beth Mead is coming off a season in which she led the league in assists and became the all-time assists leader.

She also was named Player of the Season for Arsenal after breaking the record for most chances created in a season (72) – a number that was more than double the second-place total (48).

The 27-year-old also led the league in most big chances created (13), most key passes (65) and most goal-creating actions (18).

😮‍💨 @bmeado9 pic.twitter.com/nJsG5zCIpa

— Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) September 6, 2022

Vivianne Miedema

Club: Arsenal
Key Stats: 14 goals, 8 assists

While many thought a departure from Arsenal could be in Vivianne Miedema’s future after the 2021-22 season, she opted to re-sign with the club on a one-year deal, which made her the highest-paid women’s player in England.

The top goalscorer in Women’s Super League history, Miedema is the only player to score against every team she’s faced in the league. Twice she’s won the Golden Boot, and she has finished as the runner-up to Kerr in the past two seasons.

She’s good on the assist as well, tying with teammate Beth Mead and Manchester United’s Ella Toone for the most assists last season with eight.

Rachel Daly

Club: Aston Villa
Key Stats: 9 regular-season goals in NWSL

Rachel Daly arrives back in the WSL after spending the summer with the Lionesses. She opted to leave the NWSL and remain in England in order to be closer to family.

Daly spent the past seven years with the Houston Dash, where she served as captain and scored a franchise-high 33 regular season goals during her tenure. She’s no stranger to the WSL, having spent time with Leeds United, Lincoln Ladies and West Ham United.

Her move should have no small impact on Aston Villa, as USWNT and Portland Thorns defender Becky Sauerbrunn called her transfer “such a loss” to the NWSL.

“She’s definitely one of those players that I know I hate going up against because she is that good and some players think they’re that good and that’s also super irritating to me, but she is actually that good,” Sauerbrunn said. “So, in a weird way, I am gonna miss her.”

Love it, @RachelDaly3! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/XB7ePfcELy

— Aston Villa Women (@AVWFCOfficial) September 6, 2022

Mary Earps

Club: Manchester United
Key Stats: 10 clean sheets

Fresh off a stellar summer with the England national team, Mary Earps will step back into net for Manchester United. She had the second-most clean sheets last season and was one of the league’s best goaltenders all season long, only allowing 21 goals through 21 games.

While Ann-Katrin Berger earned WSL Goalkeeper of the Year honors, Earps certainly deserved to be on the shortlist. And her stellar summer, which only cemented her place as one of England’s top goalkeepers, puts her on this list as one to watch as the WSL season gets underway.

This is a Mary Earps appreciation post ❤️

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #Lionesses #MUWomen || #WEURO2022 pic.twitter.com/Pon5Coei95

— Manchester United Women (@ManUtdWomen) July 27, 2022

The host of the 2022 Men's World Cup is back in the headlines, with Middle East nation Qatar reportedly in talks with FIFA to house the inaugural Women's Club World Cup in January 2028.

Despite recent gains on the men's side, the Qatar women’s national team is currently unranked due to a lack of official matches — founded in 2009, the squad has not competed in any official capacity in 12 years.

The lack of support for the nation's women's team is unsurprising given Qatar's concerning human rights record — one that the soccer world has long called into question, particularly concerning the treatment of women, migrants, and the LGBTQIA+ population.

The reported aim to host the 2028 Women's Club World Cup would constitute another example of Qatar sportswashing those international human rights concerns using the country's close relationship with the international soccer governing body — one bolstered by the fact that FIFA president Gianni Infantino resides in the Qatari capital, Doha.

Despite this week's reports, FIFA said they have yet to receive a formal bid for its first-ever women's club competition.

With 16 teams expected to compete from January 5th through 30th, 2028, European clubs are already bracing for calendar disruptions thanks to the Women's Club World Cup's winter kick-off.

At least five teams from Europe and two each from Asia, Africa, South America, and North America will compete, with the remaining three clubs determined by a 2027 qualifying tournament.

US Figure Skating is hoping to make Olympic history this year, naming powerhouse trio Alysa Liu, Amber Glenn, and Isabeau Levito to the official 2026 Winter Games roster on Sunday as Team USA aims to end a 20-year medal drought in Milan next month.

Glenn earned her spot after winning her third-straight national title on Friday, with reigning world champion Liu and 18-year-old 2024 Worlds runner-up Levito chasing her onto the 2026 US Figure Skating Championships podium.

"Just so grateful. That was terrifying," Glenn said after her win. "And I had to skate after two incredible ladies brought down the house."

Liu is the only US women's singles skater returning with Olympic experience — at just 16 years old, she took sixth place in Beijing — but the group's national podium tally adds to Team USA's renewed confidence.

"All we've got to do, is do our job," said 26-year-old Glenn. "I think the US ladies have come so, so far in the last two decades that if all three of us do our jobs in Milan, then more than likely someone's going to be up there [on the Olympic podium]."

How to watch the 2026 Olympic figure skating competition

While the US women will first take the ice in the team competition on February 6th and 8th, the trio will begin contending for individual glory by skating their short programs at 12:45 PM ET on February 17th, airing live on USA Network.

The 2026 Olympic podium will then be finalized in the free skate competition at 1 PM ET on February 19th, with live coverage on NBC.

Incoming Denver Summit FC rookie Jasmine Aikey capped her Stanford career by earning the top honor in NCAA women's soccer, lifting the 2025 MAC Hermann Trophy last Friday.

Aikey is now the sixth Cardinal to win the award, joining fellow alums and USWNT standouts like Kelley O'Hara (2009), Christen Press (2010), Catarina Macario (2018, 2019), and Andi Sullivan (2017).

"I am so happy that Jasmine's hard work and dedication paid off, as she is one of the most talented and competitive student-athletes I have ever coached," said Stanford head coach Paul Ratcliffe in the school's Friday announcement.

The 20-year-old topped both Stanford and the ACC in goals scored this season with 21, tallying 11 assists as she led the Cardinal to both the 2025 ACC Championship and last month's College Cup Final.

Even more, her dominant season saw Aikey claim the 2025 MAC Hermann Award over fellow finalists and ACC stars Jordynn Dudley, a junior forward for reigning NCAA champion Florida State, and Izzy Engle, a Notre Dame sophomore attacker and the 2025 ACC Offensive Player of the Year.

With her Friday win, Aikey also made history as just the second student-athlete to win both the Hermann Trophy and the Academic All-America Team Member of the Year, joining Portland alum and international soccer's all-time leading scorer, Canada legend Christine Sinclair.

The forward won't be resting on her laurels for long, however, with Aikey now gearing up for next month's NWSL preseason after signing a two-year deal to join 2026 expansion side Denver Summit last Thursday.

"I'm ready to get to work and help set the standard in Denver," remarked the newly minted pro in a club statement.

As top tennis talents turn toward the 2026 Australian Open, this week's WTA rankings refresh hints at the drama to come as the year's first Grand Slam nears.

Following her strong 2026 United Cup showing against world No. 2 Iga Świątek, Team USA favorite Coco Gauff jumped to No. 3, leapfrogging fellow US star No. 4 Amanda Anisimova along the way.

Meanwhile, reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys hit a slight skid, falling two spots to No. 9 after unwavering No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka ousted her from last week's Brisbane Open quarterfinals.

Sabalenka aside, Switzerland's No. 10 Belinda Bencic might have the hottest hand heading into Melbourne, busting into the Top 10 after winning all five of her 2026 United Cup singles matches — including a dominant three-set victory over Poland's Świątek.

Bencic also made history in this week's rankings update, becoming the first returning mother to crack the WTA's top tier since US tennis icon Serena Williams did so in 2021.

"I think it's been a huge goal, maybe a huge ride after the whole comeback, to come back and prove this to myself, that it's possible," Bencic said this week.

How to watch top WTA ranked tennis players this week

Next up for the WTA rankings' elite will be the record-breaking 2026 Australian Open, with the main draw of the season's first Slam kicking off down under on Sunday.

Live coverage from the Melbourne hardcourt will air across ESPN platforms beginning at 7 PM ET on Saturday.