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Thorns players felt ‘unsettled and unsafe’ after voicing concern over Wilkinson

Rhian Wilkinson led the Thorns to the 2022 NWSL championship but resigned weeks later. (Soobum Im/Getty Images)

Portland Thorns players felt “unsettled and unsafe” after voicing their concerns over coach Rhian Wilkinson’s relationship with one of their teammates, The Athletic reported Friday.

Wilkinson, 40, resigned Friday just weeks after the Thorns won the NWSL championship, the team announced Friday.

The coach had exchanged a series of messages with Thorns defender Emily Menges in October, in which the two expressed their feelings for one another, though they did not act on those feelings, she told The Athletic. Wilkinson self-reported the messages to human resources, and the NWSL and NWSLPA conducted an investigation but cleared the coach of any wrongdoing.

Still, Wilkinson decided to resign, saying she had “lost the confidence of the team as a whole.”

After the conclusion of the investigation, a group of unnamed players sent a letter to NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman and NWSL chief legal officer Bill Ordower on Nov. 20 in which they expressed their continued concern regarding the relationship between Wilkinson and Menges, The Athletic reported.

The players had met with interim Thorns CEO Heather Davis to discuss the situation, but they were left “feeling unsettled and unsafe,” they wrote in the letter, which was seen by The Athletic.

“As you know, there are several potential power imbalances that are created when a coach fraternizes with a player, not only due to the impact of the relationship on the player’s professional status, but also because of the potential age difference between coach and player, as well as the coach’s status as an authority figure,” the letter states. “And, we also know that these power imbalances exist regardless of gender or sexual orientation.”

The players questioned the thoroughness of the investigation, writing that they do not believe all the facts “were sufficiently gathered by the investigators.”

“For example, in our meetings with LeBlanc and Davis we were led to believe that there was no relationship to speak of and that any further contact between the parties would be entirely professional,” they continued. “However, based on subsequent conversations with the player involved that does not appear to be true.”

They also voiced worries over potential retaliation from Wilkinson if she remained in her role as coach. An ethical standard had been breached, they wrote, and trust in the locker room was “irrevocably broken.”

Wilkinson had intended to stay with the club with “no threat of retaliation,” she told The Athletic, though she did tell staff members they were free to look for jobs elsewhere if they felt they could no longer work with her. But in the end, she decided to resign despite being cleared of wrongdoing.

Menges, though, pushed back at the questioning of the investigation. The 30-year-old defender is on the board of the NWSLPA and has been a large part of the ongoing investigations into systemic abuse in the league.

“I’m very conscious of the fact that I’ve been involved in conversations in Portland where we’re trying to decide as players what stance we should take on certain things,” she said. “We’re pretty much basing our decisions on investigation reports. So if all of a sudden we’re not believing investigations, then where does that leave us for all the decisions we’ve made in the past about people’s lives and careers?”

One Thorns player told The Athletic that neither Wilkinson nor Menges initially wanted to self-report. Instead, they were “confronted and then they reported.” Wilkinson, however, told The Athletic that she nearly went to HR twice before she finally did.

The investigation found no evidence of potential power imbalances or coercion. Wilkinson told The Athletic that power imbalances should “always be the concern” and that players should be protected at all costs.

“It’s been a painful time,” she said. “The players have been through so much in two years, and I do feel like this is a huge consequence of the trauma that has been happening and the reaction. These players have had to clean up the league and they feel responsible for it, and I do get that part.”

But as more former players join the league as coaches, more issues could arise, Wilkinson said.

“If you want former players coaching in this league, which we do want, friendships don’t end as soon as you become a coach, they continue. My best friends are in this league. They’re in soccer, and I do my best to be professional,” Wilkinson said. “It’s not a clean line and it won’t ever be.”

Top Seeds Minnesota, Las Vegas Dominate Game 1 of the WNBA Playoffs

Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier lines up a free throw during the first game of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs.
The No. 1 Minnesota Lynx blew out the No. 8 Golden State Valkyries in Game 1 of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs on Sunday. (Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)

Game 1 of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs is in the books, with the top two seeds putting up more than 100 points each in blowout wins when the postseason tipped off on Sunday.

The No. 1 Minnesota Lynx opened the playoffs' eight-team first round with a 101-72 drubbing of the No. 8 Golden State Valkyries, as MVP frontrunner Napheesa Collier led scoring with 20 points while guard Natisha Hiedeman added 18 off the bench.

Elsewhere, the No. 2 Las Vegas Aces' 102-77 victory over the No. 7 Seattle Storm capped Sunday's slate, with reigning MVP A'ja Wilson leading the way with 29 points alongside double-digit performances off the bench from guards Jewell Loyd and Dana Evans.

The lower seeds walked away less unscathed, as Valkyries boss and Coach of the Year favorite Natalie Nakase picked up a technical foul for arguing a call in the game's second half.

"I want a fair fight, I really do. I want a clean fight, but I love the fact that both teams are playing their hearts out," she said afterwards, criticizing Sunday's officiating. "They're fighting. But I would like it to be fair."

"I understand it, but it's the playoffs," Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve said in response. "Obviously, we fouled a lot at the end. But I didn't think that was a factor in the game."

How to watch the top seeds in Game 2 of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs

Both Minnesota and Las Vegas are now one win away from advancing to the 2025 WNBA Playoffs semifinals.

The No. 2 Aces will look to sweep the No. 7 Storm at 9:30 PM ET on Tuesday, airing live on ESPN.

Then on Wednesday, the No. 1 Lynx will try to silence the No. 8 Valkyries at 10 PM ET, with live coverage also on ESPN.

New York Liberty Star Breanna Stewart Exits Game 1 Ahead of WNBA Playoffs OT Win

Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally tries to block a pass from New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart during Game 1 of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs.
New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart exited Sunday's 2025 WNBA Playoffs Game 1 with an apparent knee injury. (Aryanna Frank/Getty Images)

The No. 5 New York Liberty secured the sole upset in the Sunday tip-off of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs, topping the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury 76-69 following a tightly contested Game 1 overtime battle.

Liberty guard Natasha Cloud dropped a game-leading 23 points on her former team, while Mercury star Alyssa Thomas neared yet another triple-double with 14 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists on the night.

"I'm proud of the way we stuck together, we weathered the runs they went on, and ultimately found a way to win," New York guard Sabrina Ionescu said after the game.

The newly healthy Liberty will hope for full availability in Game 2, though forward Breanna Stewart went down with a knock to the knee in overtime after posting an 18-point performance on Sunday.

"We're just hoping that she will be okay," New York head coach Sandy Brondello said after the game.

Brondello also confirmed that it was Stewart who asked for a sub in overtime after coming down hard on her left knee.

Concerns about the health of the two-time WNBA MVP — who recently returned from missing 13 games with a bone bruise on her right knee — overshadowed the defending champions' comeback win.

How to watch Phoenix vs. New York in the 2025 WNBA Playoffs

The No. 5 Liberty now return to New York looking to knock the No. 4 Mercury out of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs with a Game 2 victory on Wednesday.

The matchup tips off at 8 PM ET, with live coverage airing on ESPN.

WNBA Playoffs Dark Horse Atlanta Dream Pushes Past Indiana Fever in Game 1 Win

The Atlanta Dream smile and huddle before their Game 1 matchup against the Indiana Fever in the first round of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs.
The Atlanta Dream beat the Indiana Fever on Sunday, earning their first playoff win in more than five years. (Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images)

The No. 3 Atlanta Dream won their first postseason game since 2018 on Sunday, downing the No. 6 Indiana Fever 80-68 in Game 1 of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs as they continue making a case for this season's dark horse.

The Dream's starters shouldered the bulk of Sunday's scoring, punctuated by 20-point performances from forward Rhyne Howard and guard Allisha Gray, while the Fever's Kelsey Mitchell put up 27 points to give her injury-laden team a chance.

"This is [this roster's] first home game, period, in the playoffs," Howard reminded reporters after the win. "So for us to even have accomplished that much to have the home-court advantage, we knew we had to make it a good one."

Atlanta hasn't made it past the first round since the 2016 playoffs, but a dominant regular season has the team eyeing a long-awaited return to the WNBA semifinals.

This year's Dream won a franchise-record 30 games under first-year head coach Karl Smesko, while also leading the league in rebounds per game.

"This wasn't going to be a year that we were going to be satisfied with everybody telling us, 'Wow, you really improved over last year,'" said Smesko. "That's not what we're trying to do. We're trying to be the best team in the league."

How to watch Atlanta vs. Indiana in the 2025 WNBA Playoffs

The short-staffed No. 6 Indiana will look to halt the No. 6 Atlanta Dream's momentum on Tuesday, when the first round's Game 2 takes over Gainbridge Fieldhouse in the Fever's first home playoff game since 2016.

The 2025 WNBA Playoffs will continue when the Dream visit the Fever at 7:30 PM ET on Tuesday, airing live on ESPN.

Jaedyn Shaw Scores Against Former NWSL Club San Diego in Gotham Debut

New Gotham FC addition Jaedyn Shaw walks across the pitch after her first NWSL match with the NJ/NY club.
Jaedyn Shaw scored in her Gotham debut to send her new NWSL club surging to No. 3 in the 2025 standings. (Gotham FC)

Jaedyn Shaw hit the ground running in her Gotham FC debut this weekend, as the NJ/NY club's recent $1.25 million-dollar signing scored against her former club in Friday's 2-0 win over the now-No. 5 San Diego Wave — helping boost the Bats to No. 3 in the 2025 NWSL standings.

"This year has been really difficult," an emotional Shaw said after the match. "I'm so grateful for this team and the opportunities I've gotten this year…. I'm extremely grateful for this moment."

The 20-year-old previously shattered scoring records during her time with San Diego, but struggled this year after her offseason transfer to the North Carolina Courage.

Already finding the back of the net for her new team, Shaw will look to put the past behind her as Gotham extends their climb up the table, having risen from No. 8 to No. 3 behind a four-game unbeaten streak that now includes three straight wins.

Gotham forward Esther González is also excelling, retaking the lead in the 2025 NWSL Golden Boot race by tallying her 13th goal of the season in the last minute of Friday's first half against the Wave.

With the club gaining momentum and the 2025 NWSL Playoffs looming, Gotham is looking to make a run to add a second championship trophy to their 2023 title.

"Even in the most difficult moments, they've stayed united, kept pushing together, and kept working hard. That's been our key," said head coach Juan Carlos Amorós after Friday's match.

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