WSL2 ones to watch 2025/26
Birmingham City FC
Lucy Thomas
Lucy Thomas was one of the best keepers in the division last season and ended with the 2nd most clean sheets (6), despite missing the last 7 games due to injury. A willing sweeper keeper who was not afraid of leaving her penalty area. Thomas also boasted an 82% save rate on decent volume of 3 saves per 90. She played the most accurate passes per 90 among goalkeepers (28) on good efficiency (88%). The overall quality around the league looks like it's continuing to improve, so Thomas will still have a massive role to play in Birmingham's push for promotion.
Honourable mention: Lily Crosthwaite
Birmingham really spread out the goals last season with Simone Magill being their top scorer on 5 league goals, despite finishing a narrow 2nd behind promoted London City Lionesses. Crosthwaite was primarily a right-sided winger for Durham last season, and with Birmingham's wing depth this season, I could see her potentially getting some minutes on the left as well, which could help round out her skillset on the ball. She is rapid in behind, a big off ball threat and a fairly creative passer. Her dribbling numbers are impressive on the surface at 4.7 per 90, although she doesn't look the most confident facing up an opponent, so this could be something she looks to add to her game this season.
Bristol City FC
Lexi Lloyd-Smith
Lexi Lloyd-Smith was Bristol's top scorer last season at just 22 years old, and will likely be their likely focal point again this coming season - especially since Ffion Morgan left in the summer. She's smooth on the ball and she can play as a 9, 10 or out wide for Bristol. Lloyd-Smith can get a goal from out of pretty much anything: she can get on the end of crosses, face up her defender and curl into far post, or clean up rebounds by coming in from the top of the box.
Honourable mention: Maria Farrugia
New signing Farrugia arrives after two straight relegations with Lewes and Sheffield United (before Blackburn opted to self relegate meaning Sheffield were allowed back into the 2nd tier). Farrugia can play as a 9, a 10 and on the left, although I think she's best utilised as a 10. When she's able to play centrally, she's not asked to take on her player in isolation quite so much which is something she needs to improve on. Regardless, Farrugia is arguably one of the cleanest ball strikers on either foot in the league. Her goal catalogue from last season was fantastic, and she even won goal of the season (if timestamp doesn't work go to 3:10) for her thunderbolt vs Bristol.
Charlton Athletic
Jodie Hutton
Jodie Hutton is usually the player that receives long passes on the left wing where she can cut inside or run down the line to curl in excellent crosses into the box. Hutton was Charlton's chief creator with 3 assists last season and she also was their dead-ball specialist. Last season she scored a frankly ridiculous 7 goals as a left wing-back. Her goal scoring frequency was helped by the fact that she was a keen box crasher, but she's also capable of scoring from outside the box.
Honourable mention: Kiera Skeels
The Addicks' club captain at just 23 years-old will be aiming to keep Charlton's defence as solid as it was for parts of last season, as they finished with the 3rd least goals conceded with 21. The former England u-23 international is an adept carrier on the ball, good in the air and can spray top quality long balls out to the channels from deep. There have even been times in recent seasons when Skeels has been tasked with playing in midfield to accommodate for injuries and she did a fairly solid job in those games. She's physically very strong and is a vocal presence in Charlton's defence.
Crystal Palace FC
Annabel Blanchard
I certainly found it surprising that Blanchard was let go at the end of the 24/25 season before she re-signed with Crystal Palace in early August. The attacking midfielder ripped up the WSL2 back in 23/24, scoring 11 times and setting up 7 goals, to help Palace get promoted. Although she didn't look overly secure on the ball in the WSL, she's able to pass and shoot on either foot to a high enough level that she can cause defences plenty of problems. Blanchard has a really good eye for finding space in the final 3rd and her 4 goal tally from last season feels low given some of the chances she had. That said, there's a lot more to come from her as a number 10 for Palace.
Honourable mention: Ashleigh Weerden
Earlier in her career she was often played as a lb, but last season for Palace she got the chance to play as a winger on both flanks, as a second striker next to Katie Stengel, and even as a lone forward, so she's certainly versatile. Weerden is quick off the mark and actually really good at arriving in the box for crosses/cut-backs. If she's allowed some positional consistency next season, she could really give opposing fullbacks problems this coming season.
Durham FC
Mollie Lambert
Lambert is something of a workhorse number 10 who is very hardworking on and off the ball. She can also play off the left flank which allows her excellent ball carrying and movement in behind to cause havoc when she faces up, or looks to run in behind defences. She also perfectly suits Durham's fast counter-attacking/transitional style (they averaged 47% possession in a 4th placed finish). She finished with 7 goals and 3 assists and was a real threat on second chance rebound shots in the box.
Honourable mention: Michaela Foster
I'll admit there might be a bit of aesthetics bias in my pick here(due to there not being many left-footed midfielders in the league), but that's not to discount what Foster brings to this Durham team. Primarily a number 8/6 that played in a double pivot last season, Foster has a good passing range, can fill in at left-back and has good set-piece delivery. On that theme of dead ball delivery, she even scored an olimpico (directly from a corner)against Sheffield United last season.
Ipswich Town FC
Rianna Dean
Despite a season-ending injury early in the season, Dean was still Southampton's top scorer in the league last season. The striker has plenty of experience at this level and had a spell in the top tier with Spurs. Like a few other players I've mentioned/am going to mention, if she can stay fit, I can see Dean having a decent season based on her scoring nearly a goal for every start in the past 2 seasons (10 goals in 10 starts and 18 total appearances across 23/24 and 24/25). She is quick and is a right-footed forward, but she can pretty cleanly finish on her left as well. Her long range goal away vs Sunderland (if timestamp doesn't work go to 2:55) is also well worth checking out.
Newcastle United FC
For Newcastle I asked the owner of Howay the lasses on Bluesky, Amy Devlin, which players she believes will play big parts in their push for promotion.
Elysia Boddy
"1 is obvious and it is Elysia Boddy. She had her debut WSL2 season cut short with a knee injury just as she was about to make her first England U23 start but is back this year and has had a full pre-season with us. She is a physical specimen, tremendous athlete - just check out any of her training photos - who dictates play in the middle of the park. Strong, difficult to get off the ball, very tidy passer and with an eye for a golazo. A future star in my opinion."
Honourable mention: Beth Lumsden
"2 is more difficult as we have a lot of players around the same sort of level but if forced to pick I'll go for Beth Lumsden. Good season last year but went under the radar given the performances of Shania Hayles, she has the potential to get even better. Two footed forward with great technique and composure who knows where the goal is and isn't afraid to have a pop. She could surprise this year for sure."
Nottingham Forest FC
Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah
The Ghanian forward actually scored the most important goal in London City Lionesses history when she scored the 2nd goal vs Birmingham in the last game of the 24/25 season. Capable of playing up front, she's also very willing to drop deep to help in progressing the ball. Boye-Hlorkah's work rate off the ball is a big asset to any team as she put up 6.2 ball recoveries a game last season. Her pinpoint assist for Issy Goodwin (if timestamp doesn't work go to 1:36) vs Southampton last season also showed off her creative vision.
Portsmouth FC
Meg Hornby
Meg Hornby was a big part of Portsmouth turning around their form in the 2nd half of last season as 5 out of her 6 goal contributions (2 goals and 4 assists) came after the new year. Portsmouth's recruitment has looked impressive from an attacking standpoint this summer, but Hornby will still be an important part of their attack, as she will look to use her killer left foot and ability to cut inside or go down the line to secure Portsmouth's position in the WSL2 for another season.
Honourable mention: Jemima Dahou
If there's one player that I've got really high hopes for this season, it's Jemima Dahou. A former Man City academy graduate who spent the last 2 seasons with Blackburn (the first on a dual registration and the second as a permanent first team player). The 19 year-old English creative midfielder is an incredibly smooth ball carrier, incredibly press-resistant - being able to turn in a phone box - and has top quality vision. My hope for this season is that most of Portsmouth's play in midfield will go through Dahou, as she can be a real creative game changer when she's got time to play a killer pass.
Sheffield United FC
For this section I asked Ben Meakin of BladesPod and the Women Of Steel newsletter for who he thinks can help Sheffield this season.
Amy Andrews
"United’s first signing of the summer is the one I’m most excited to see: striker Amy Andrews. I’d been casting my eye over other clubs’ released lists while I waited for United’s own, and of all the free agents Andrews was the one that I most wanted us to go for following her release by Newcastle. She’s been an excellent second-tier forward for the last few years, and ranked second out of all forwards last season (minimum 10 appearances) for chances created per game. United scored a pathetic 12 goals total last season; I’m hoping her arrival will see that number jump up significantly."
Honourable mention: Joy Ralph
"The other player I’m excited to see is Andrews’ probable strike partner, Irish U19 striker Joy Ralph. Ralph is, by my reckoning, the first player United have ever spent money on, arriving for an undisclosed fee from Shamrock Rovers this summer. She was immediately handed the number 9 shirt in what looks to be a pretty big indicator of the role she’ll have in the team. I got to see her first-hand in an U21 game last week and her movement and touch look well ahead of anything we had last season. Potentially, a very exciting player for the season ahead and beyond."
Southampton FC
Fran Stenson
There are flashier names at Southampton, but I think Fran Stenson will be really called upon again this season. Stenson is 24 now and has 2 full seasons as a starter at this level. She's not the most proactive keeper off her line, but her rangy arms and tall frame play a big part in her shot stopping quality, which is something that could be key for Southampton improving this season. Her 6.2 accurate long balls (62% of which were accurate) is also pretty impressive for a goalkeeper.
Honourable mention: Ellie Brazil
If there's one thing that Southampton lacked last season, it was a consistent goalscorer. Yes, they were absolutely ravaged by injuries, but in Ellie Brazil (unfortunately she's also had a rough injury history) they have a number 9 that's athletic, tall and loves to run onto passes in behind. Like many others I've mentioned, she can do a decent job across the front line and was part of an attacking pair at times with Charlton last season, so I wouldn't be surprised if she lines up next to Emma Harries as a front 2 at times.
Sunderland AFC
Eleanor Dale
A former Everton academy player, Eleanor Dale finished her first full season as a Sunderland player with 8 goals and 2 assists in the league. Not to mention her 4 goal haul against Exeter City in the FA Cup. She shows great composure in the box and can out-muscle her defenders to create space for herself. Dale moves really well for someone who is very tall and she doesn't play an especially gangly style. Her 17% shot conversion rate last season was pretty good, but this can still improve and her goal frequency of 1 goal every 160 minutes put her 3rd for number 9's, behind only top scorers Shania Hayles and Isobel Goodwin.
Honourable mention: Katie Kitching
A 5 goal and 5 assists season saw the New Zealand international put up a productive season for the Black Cats. Her deadly set-piece delivery to set up teammates, and even to go for goal herself, made up for her low touch volume in a possession shy Sunderland team that only averaged 42% possession in 2024/25. Her open play crosses also created chaos in the box, and she was arguably unlucky not to notch more assists last season as her 1.7 key passes was enough to put her 4th in the league in that metric, behind Kosovare Asllani in first with 3.4. She can score from outside the box and can finish on either foot in the box. Her off-ball movement is smart enough to get her in behind defences to make the most of Sunderland's fairly direct play.
