USWNT taps Santa Barbara for January clash with Chile

Trust the process.

USWNT sets January friendly against Chile

The USWNT is gearing up for the new year, set to take on Chile next month in the second of the two January friendlies, US Soccer announced this week.

• The US will kick off on January 27th at Harder Stadium in Santa Barbara, California, marking the city’s first-ever USWNT match.

• “Playing in a city for the first time is not a common occurrence at this point in our history, so I know our players will enjoy being in beautiful Santa Barbara,” manager Emma Hayes said in Tuesday’s press release.

Big picture: The team opens their 2026 campaign on January 24th against Paraguay in Los Angeles, before taking on Chile some 100 miles north.

• “Our staff are really looking forward to January camp and these matches against two tough South American countries,” Hayes continued. “This is the start of an important year for our team and as always, we’re focused on maximizing every minute we get with the players.”

• The pair most recently met at the 2019 World Cup in Paris, resulting in a 3-0 group-stage win for the US.

Be there: Presale for both January friendlies begins today at 1 PM ET, with general sales opening Friday at 11 AM ET via US Soccer.

Undefeated NCAA rivals Iowa and Iowa State face off

Stakes are sky-high for tonight’s Cy-Hawk Series clash, as undefeated No. 10 Iowa State welcomes unbeaten No. 11 Iowa to Ames for the highest-ranked matchup in cross-state rivalry history.

• “[If] you grew up in the state, just there’s nothing like it,” Iowa head coach Jan Jensen said of the historic series. “You’ve watched those big football matchups when you’re little, you watched the basketball games when you were little, and to get to be in one, boy, it doesn’t get much better.”

• “[It’s] one of those things where it truly is a rivalry, because teams [go] back and forth and have their streaks and wins and losses,” echoed Cyclones boss Bill Fennelly.

Big picture: The red-hot Hawkeyes enter tonight’s game with head-to-head advantage, having won three straight against Iowa State — and eight of the last nine in the series.

• But the Cyclones have the nation’s leading scorer on their side, with center Audi Crooks’s 27.6 points per game showcasing unmatched efficiency.

• “Audi’s tough,” Jensen said of the Iowa State star. “She’s just really, really incredible… When you let her get it, she’s pretty accurate.”

Tune in: Iowa State tips off against Iowa tonight at 7 PM ET, live on ESPN.

A'ja Wilson named TIME’s 2025 Athlete of the Year

2025 WNBA champion A’ja Wilson picked up another honor, as TIME crowned the four-time league MVP its 2025 Athlete of the Year on Tuesday.

• Wilson became the first player to win a league title, Finals MVP, WNBA MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season in 2025.

• “This year, I collected everything,” Wilson said in the interview. “I don’t really talk much sh-t — I mean crap. I kind of let my game do it.”

Big picture: Wilson described the Aces’ midseason slump as a focusing agent, launching the team toward their third championship win in four years.

• “I think 2025 was a wake-up call that I needed, to let me know that I can’t be satisfied with anything,” said Wilson. “There’s somebody out there that’s going to try to take your job. You need to make sure you’re great at it, every single day.”

Tense times: Wilson also spoke to the players’ strained relationship with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, whose leadership came under fire in October as CBA negotiations kicked into high gear.

• “I only know Cathy by when she hands me trophies,” Wilson said. “If that’s her true self, thank you for showing that. Thank you for saying those things. Because now we see you for who you are, and now we’re about to work even harder at this negotiation.”

Read more: Check out A’ja Wilson’s Athlete of the Year profile in TIME Magazine.

JWS and NBA 2K26 are teaming up to see who’s got next, inviting WNBA stars Nneka Ogwumike and Kiki Iriafen to hit the court and the console as they select their all-time top fives.

• Nneka and Kiki get down to business, putting together their fantasy lineups before competing head-to-head in the brand-new NBA 2K26.

Get yours: NBA 2K26 is available now on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

Tune in: Don’t miss the stars in action in Who’s Got Next? on JWS YouTube.

Bay FC makes moves as the NWSL coaching carousel spins

The NWSL hiring market is ramping up, with all 16 new and existing clubs busy bolstering their 2026 ranks just weeks into the offseason.

• Last week, Bay FC announced former England U-23 head coach Emma Coates as the club’s second-ever manager, while also bringing on assistant coach Gemma Davies.

• “I’m truly honored and super excited to build on the strong foundations that have already been established and to implement a clear identity both on and off the pitch,” Coates said in Thursday’s statement.

Big picture: Three teams remain without permanent sideline leaders, as the Kansas City Current, North Carolina Courage, and Portland Thorns continue to conduct coaching searches.

• The Thorns joined the bossless ranks in late November, after parting ways with manager Rob Gale following the team’s NWSL semifinals exit.

Spirit working “pretty much daily” to secure Rodman’s return

The Spirit are all in on Trinity Rodman, with Washington GM Nathan Minion telling reporters that they’re working “pretty much daily” to re-sign the star free agent despite salary cap concerns.

• “I think everyone’s trying to work together to get a deal in place,” said Minion. “The league is committed to working with us, and we’re committed to working with them.”

• “Our current salary cap structure, it was built for a different era of women’s soccer,” said recently hired president of soccer operations Haley Carter. “We’re going to need mechanisms that allow NWSL clubs to compete for not only players from overseas, but our own players.”

Big picture: The NWSL vetoed Washington’s multi-million dollar offer last week, leading the NWSLPA to file a grievance claiming the league violated Rodman’s free agency rights by blocking the deal.

• “I would love to just toss the salary cap out the window and pay the players,” said Carter. “But we also have to appreciate that, pragmatically, it isn’t always payroll that’s going to keep our athletes here. It’s investment in other things as well.”

Quote of the day

Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers
addressing the ongoing CBA negotiations with the Dallas Morning News this week.