Vivianne Miedema is on a hot streak, scoring four times in four games to help move Arsenal into second place in the Women’s Super League standings.

In Sunday’s game against Aston Villa, Miedema scored the team’s second goal in a 4-1 win. Arsenal has 24 points on the season, three behind first-place Chelsea.

The Dutch forward also helped Arsenal beat Juventus last Wednesday, scoring the lone goal of the game. That victory moved Arsenal into first place in Group C of the Champions League standings and one win closer to the knockout rounds of the WCL.

Miedema credits her recent barrage to the extended break she took from the sport in November, which included a trip to Australia. Before her sojourn, she had lost her starting spot to teammate Frida Maanum and hadn’t scored in six appearances.

Since her return, the 26-year-old has been vocal about the need for rest — for herself and for all athletes.

Last Tuesday, Miedema spoke once again about her recovery from COVID-19, which kept her out of several matches at this summer’s Euros tournament and in bed for 10 days with a high fever. She returned for the Netherlands’ final game, playing the full 120 minutes.

After the Euros, training for the WSL season began almost immediately. For Miedema, the schedule meant little rest or recovery.

She spent the beginning of the season “almost on autopilot,” she said, before missing the October international window with an illness.

“I just didn’t feel mentally and physically ready to actually play,” she said ahead of Arsenal’s game against Juventus. “I think you could see that in the way that I was playing. I didn’t enjoy my football at that moment. And I think the moment you start not enjoying it, and start waking up in the morning not wanting to go in, I think that’s the moment that you need to make a switch.”

🗣️ “I just didn’t feel mentally and physically ready to play. I didn’t enjoy my football at that moment.”

Vivianne Miedema on why she took an extended break away from football recently. 🇳🇱

pic.twitter.com/1N8fVYZ0mR

— TheAFCnewsroom (@TheAFCnewsroom) December 6, 2022

While in Australia, Miedema was able to get herself fit – something she had been unable to do ahead of the season as she recovered from her bout with COVID-19, she said. The game has once again become “easy” for her, she added.

“I feel physically a lot fitter now, and you have seen that in the recent games,” she said.

Miedema hopes that, by prioritizing her health, she can help encourage other players to take breaks. The recent women’s soccer schedule has not allowed for much time off. And an increase in player injuries – particularly torn ACLs – has been a point of concern for many.

Miedema called the injuries a “worrying pattern” in a column for Dutch newspaper AD. Both Leah Williamson and Rafaelle Souza have just returned from injuries for Arsenal.

Meanwhile, Miedema said in her column that her Arsenal teammate and partner Beth Mead likely will miss next summer’s World Cup for England with a torn ACL. Others who have suffered torn ACLs in 2022 include Alexia Putellas, Christen Press and Catarina Macario.

An increase in the number of international windows, leaving club teams with a limited number of players, also has increased player workloads, Miedema said. Women’s national teams have six international windows, while men’s teams play just four.

“As a player you want to play in the big tournaments, the biggest difference is we have more international windows than the men have,” Miedema said. “We also play the Olympics with our A team instead of the U23s. I think that’s something FIFA and UEFA need to start looking at.

“In women’s football, we also don’t have the same sorts of numbers within a squad. Man City’s men’s team probably has 22, 23 full-time, amazing players. This year, I think we’ve got 18,19 players that are capable of being in the squad for us.”

Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall also has spoken about the issue.

“There is always the balance between freshness and having continuity in the training and playing,” he said in November. “We need to strike that balance.”

The rise in popularity of the women’s game has also shed light on the lack of depth in the player pool. More needs to be done to develop talent and increasing the number of “very good football players,” Eidevall said, including the development of better player academies.

“We cannot only focus on the top of the pyramid,” he continued. “We can have more players that are able to play more games and have a better foundation when they step up to be a professional to handle the demands.”

Amid her historic summer on the links, English amateur and rising Florida State senior Charlotte "Lottie" Woad is officially turning pro, accepting LPGA membership two days after nearly topping the 2025 Evian Championship leaderboard.

One week after becoming the first amateur to win a European Tour tournament since 2022 — with the 21-year-old taking the 2025 Irish Open title by a massive six-stroke margin — Woad came within one stroke of becoming the first amateur to win an LPGA major in 58 years.

Sunday's finale saw world No. 25 Grace Kim emerge as the 2025 Evian Champion, with the Australian taking the title following a playoff with Thailand's No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul.

Both Kim and Thitikul finished the tournament at 14-under-par, while Woad trailed a single stroke behind to tie 2021 Evian winner and Australia's No. 5 Minjee Lee for third-place in the LPGA Grand Slam.

Unlike Lee, who banked $547,200 for her efforts, Woad's amateur status means she had to forgo what would have been her share of the $8 million purse.

"I did have a look after and was like, 'oh no,'" joked Woad about Lee's check.

Woad to make pro debut next week

That all changes now, though, as Woad's finish made her the first player eligible to join the LPGA through the governing body's new lite Amateur Pathway (LEAP) program, in which top young golfers amass points to earn pro membership.

While the world's highest-ranking amateur initially said she would take the week to weigh turning pro with returning to Florida State for her final NCAA year, Woad made her decision to turn pro Tuesday morning.

In addition to accepting the LPGA membership, she will also join the European Tour in 2026 — an invite Woad earned with her Irish Open win.

"I have only reached this point in my career through the help and support that I've received from so many people and organisations over many years," Woad wrote in an Instagram post thanking her family and coaches. "I am very excited about this next chapter."

Woad's next chapter is imminent, as the world No. 64 announced her professional debut at the 2025 Scottish Open next week.

The field of established golf pros are already on notice, with Sweden's No. 30 Madelene Sagström warning that "[Woad is] going to take European and American golf by storm very soon."

Tuesday's WNBA tilts feature a season-first clash between two young pro cores, as the No. 11 LA Sparks host the No. 7 Washington Mystics in the teams' last tilt before the 2025 All-Star break.

While Washington is a consistent presence above the playoff line in this season's standings — thanks in large part to the Mystics' two All-Star rookies, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen — LA is still finding their way.

Led by champion veterans Kelsey Plum and Azurá Stevens, the Sparks' roster includes youthful talent like forward Rickea Jackson and rookie guard Sarah Ashlee Barker, with this month's return of guard Rae Burrell from injury also boosting the young LA lineup.

"She's just the energizer bunny," Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts said of Burrell. "She puts pressure on the defense. I feel like she's getting in a groove."

Even more, the Sparks are eyeing the return of their 2024 No. 2 overall draftee Cameron Brink, with the forward inching close to competitive play just over a year after an ACL tear ended her rookie campaign.

Currently sitting in a lottery position, LA will aim to dig out a win — and some much-needed midseason momentum — in their last game before the All-Star break:

• No. 7 Washington Mystics vs. No. 11 Los Angeles Sparks, Tuesday at 10 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): Fresh off a Sunday victory over the No. 13 Connecticut Sun, the Sparks will look to claim their first back-to-back home wins this season when they try to upend a Mystics side that's comfortable playing in the clutch.

• No. 6 Indiana Fever vs. No. 13 Connecticut Sun, Tuesday at 8 PM ET (ESPN): The Fever are on a roll, hoping to tack on a third-straight win as they eye a deep post-All-Star run.

The 2025 NWSL season is on summer international break, but many clubs aren't stopping play, with teams competing in strategic friendlies to test their depth and prowess during the long July window.

Last Tuesday, the Houston Dash hosted Liga MX side CF Monterrey, storming past Las Rayadas 4-0 behind goals from defender Avery Patterson and midfielders Delanie Sheehan, Maggie Graham, and Kiki Van Zanten.

The North Carolina Courage then played Liga MX titans Tigres UANL to a scoreless draw in a weather-shortened match on Wednesday.

On Sunday, Racing Louisville tested new and returning players — including star Bethany Balcer — in a domestic clash with regional USL Super League rivals Lexington SC, with the 1-1 draw serving as the NWSL side's tune-up to The Women's Cup, which kicks off this weekend in Brazil.

Meanwhile in Kansas City, the Current kicked off its inaugural four-team Teal Rising Cup tournament on Saturday, securing a 3-0 win over Brazil Série A1 club Palmeiras thanks in large part to forward Haley Hopkins's first-half brace.

The Current will next play in Tuesday's tournament final against Série A1's Corinthians, a team that defeated the Chicago Stars 1-0 in their Saturday semifinal with a last-gasp stoppage-time goal.

How to watch the Teal Rising Cup finale

The first-ever Teal Rising Cup will conclude on Tuesday, with the Chicago Stars and Palmeiras facing off in the mini-tournament's third-place match at 6 PM ET before the KC Current battles the Corinthians for the trophy at 9 PM ET.

Both matches will stream live on ESPN+.

Incoming 2026 NWSL expansion team Boston Legacy FC is making big moves, with two key Monday announcements shoring up the club's place in the larger New England sports ecosystem.

Buying into the Legacy on Monday was Indiana Fever center Aliyah Boston, with the 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year investing in the club after playing high school ball at Massachusetts's Worcester Academy.

"I'm proud to join the ownership group of the Boston Legacy. This city helped raise me, and the support I felt here shaped so much of who I am," the three-time WNBA All-Star said in a club statement. "And yes... Boston repping Boston just felt right!"

With her investment, Boston joins a growing roster of current and former WNBA stars buying into the NWSL, including Angel City investor Candace Parker, Bay FC advisor Sabrina Ionescu, and Gotham FC minority owner Sue Bird.

Along with their famous new investor, the Legacy also revealed plans on Monday to construct a privately funded, $27 million purpose-built team performance center in nearby Brockton, Massachusetts.

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Slated to open prior to the 2026 preseason, the center boasts a fully outfitted 30,000 square-foot training building, a bubble dome for year-round practice, and six fields of various surfaces — some of which will be available to youth teams in the community.

"Competing at the highest level demands an environment that elevates every aspect of performance — and this new facility is a major step forward in how we support our players every single day," said Legacy controlling owner Jennifer Epstein.

A couple of those incoming players were announced earlier this month, as the Legacy welcomed Bundesliga free agent and midfielder Annie Karich as the team's first signee before inking French Première Ligue forward Aïssata Traoré — the first-ever NWSL player from Mali — late last week.