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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.”

Report: WSL Champs Chelsea Target Angel City Star Alyssa Thompson

Angel City forward Alyssa Thompson eyes play across the pitch during a 2025 NWSL match.
WSL titan Chelsea FC is reportedly interested in signing USWNT and Angel City winger Alyssa Thompson as soon as possible. (Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)

Chelsea FC is once again looking across the pond to bolster their roster, with the six-time reigning WSL champions reportedly aiming to make a deal with NWSL side Angel City to acquire ACFC and USWNT forward Alyssa Thompson, per The Guardian this week.

Though the two clubs have yet to reach terms, Chelsea would need to have the deal signed before the WSL transfer window closes next Thursday.

Any agreement for Chelsea to snag Thompson from Angel City will likely feature yet another historic transfer fee, with cost projections topping former Tigres UANL star Lizbeth Ovalle's record $1.5 million transfer to the Orlando Pride earlier this month.

The 20-year-old phenom is currently under contract with ACFC through the 2028 season after inking a three-year extension this past January.

With six goals and two assists in her 16 regular-season appearances in 2025 so far, the 2023 NWSL Draft No. 1 pick is trailing only rookie Riley Tiernan's seven goals on this year's Angel City scoresheet.

Should the transfer go through, Thompson would be the third ACFC player in a week to be moving to the UK, with the NWSL club transferring defender Alanna Kennedy and midfielder Katie Zelem to the newly WSL-promoted London City Lionesses on Wednesday.

As for Chelsea, the Blues have been a major player in recruiting US players over the last few seasons, with Thompson potentially joining her USWNT teammates Catarina Macario and Naomi Girma in suiting up for the WSL side's upcoming 2025/26 season.

Four-Time Grand Slam Champ Naomi Osaka Extends US Open Comeback Run

Tennis star Naomi Osaka reacts to her second-round victory at the 2025 US Open.
World No. 24 Naomi Osaka is through to the third round of the US Open for the first time since 2021. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)

Two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka is looking like her old self this week, as the world No. 24 advanced to the 2025 New York Grand Slam's third round for the first time since 2021 with a straight-set win over the US's No. 47 Hailey Baptiste on Thursday.

"I don't make it my business to know anymore, I kind of just leave it up in the air," said the fan favorite following questions about a possible fifth Grand Slam title run. "I've trained really hard. I practiced really hard. If it happens, it happens."

After taking her lumps on the WTA Tour since returning from pregnancy in 2024, the 2025 US Open marks Osaka's first seeded entry into a major tournament since 2022 — and she appears to be embracing her competitive boost in style, complete with eye-catching outfits and a matching Labubu.

The 27-year-old Japanese national next faces No. 18 Daria Kasatkina in the pair's third career meeting, with Osaka getting the best of the Australian in both previous matchups — most recently at the 2024 Italian Open.

Should Osaka advance to Sunday's Round of 16, she could be on a collision course toward a date with No. 3 Coco Gauff, after the US star advanced past her own emotionally challenging second-round battle on Thursday.

How to watch Naomi Osaka at the 2025 US Open

With times still to be announced, Osaka will next battle Kasatkina during the second day of 2025 US Open third-round play on Saturday.

Live coverage of the New York Grand Slam airs across ESPN platforms.

Kansas City Current Rides 10-Match Unbeaten Streak Toward Team-First NWSL Shield

Kansas City Current players embrace forward Temwa Chawinga after her goal during a 2025 NWSL match.
The No. 1 Kansas City Current enter the weekend on a 10-match unbeaten streak. (Amanda Loman/NWSL via Getty Images)

The No. 1 Kansas City Current have been unstoppable this season, riding a 10-match unbeaten streak into Saturday's game against the No. 9 North Carolina Courage and inching closer to claiming a franchise-first NWSL Shield.

The Current's dominant 12-point advantage over the No. 2 Washington Spirit marks the league's largest top-table margin since the Courage finished 15 points ahead in 2018.

Even more, Kansas City tops the NWSL in goals scored (34) while also registering the fewest goals allowed (10), entering the league's 18th weekend of play with a record-tying five consecutive shutouts.

After coming in fourth in 2024, the Current's defense has continued to improve under manager Vlatko Andonovski, while another MVP-level year from star forward Temwa Chawinga has bolstered Kansas City's offense.

Chawinga currently leads the 2025 NWSL Golden Boot race with 11 goals through 17 games, while sitting in the league's Top 3 for both shots and shots on goal.

"I think because we have such a powerful offense, the defensive things, maybe people don't notice as much," Kansas City forward Michelle Cooper said earlier this week. "I think something absolutely important to us is our entire back line and the commitment to get little touches in, to take [advantage] of angles, and block shots."

How to watch the Kansas City Current this weekend

No. 1 Kansas City will host No. 9 North Carolina — one of just two teams to defeat the Current all season — at 7:30 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage airing on ION.

Injury-laden New York Liberty Strive to Maintain WNBA Standings Foothold

New York Liberty forward Isabelle Harrison celebrates a play with her teammates during a 2025 WNBA game.
The New York Liberty will continue their hunt to secure a 2025 WNBA Playoffs spot against the Phoenix Mercury on Saturday. (Catalina Fragoso/NBAE via Getty Images)

The No. 5 New York Liberty are creeping back up the ladder, as the defending WNBA champions continued reversing their recent skid with Thursday's 89-63 win over the No. 10 Washington Mystics — all while the race to the 2025 WNBA Playoffs reaches its boiling point.

While Washington rookie Sonia Citron's 18 points led the game, New York pulled together a true team effort to secure Thursday's victory, with five Liberty players scoring double-digits — including a season-high 16 points off the bench from forward Isabelle Harrison in her return from concussion protocol.

"We're not looking at the other teams at this point," Liberty forward Emma Meesseman said after the game. "We're just looking at ourselves, to maybe send a message to ourselves."

Despite that focus, New York is still contending with injury woes that have overshadowed much of the Liberty's season, taking Thursday's court without starters Sabrina Ionescu (toe), Jonquel Jones (illness), and Natasha Cloud (nose), while leaning on recently returned forward Breanna Stewart.

"We need to win the rest of our games," acknowledged Stewart, with the team gearing up for visits to the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury, No. 8 Golden State Valkyries, and No. 7 Seattle Storm over the next week. "We need to go and be road warriors."

The Liberty will have their hands full against the Mercury this weekend, with Phoenix coming in hot off a three-game winning streak with postseason-clinching top-of-mind.

"It's like a playoff matchup," Stewart added. "It's a big game, big implications, and [we're] not shying away from that."

How to watch the New York Liberty this weekend

No. 4 Phoenix will host No. 5 New York at 10 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage airing on NBA TV.

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