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Inside Angel City’s modern approach to building a NWSL contender

Eniola Aluko has been leading Angel City’s balance between off-field brand and on-field contender. (Karl Bridgeman/Getty Images for Angel City FC)

When the NWSL announced that both the 2022 Expansion and College Drafts would be held virtually due to concerns surrounding the ongoing pandemic, Angel City FC’s technical staff was ready to adapt.

The Los Angeles club has already been working remotely for months on multiple continents, identifying talent and making deals with other NWSL clubs in an attempt to put together the most exciting expansion side the league has ever seen. Ironically, they began the process by making the expansion draft as irrelevant as possible.

“I’ve had a lot of conviction about the players that I want, the strategy that we’re going with, and … you will have seen that we did pretty much most of our deals before the expansion draft,” Angel City Sporting Director Eniola Aluko told Just Women’s Sports a few days before the drafts.

“I wanted more certainty. I wanted to be able to say, ‘We have the players that we want,’ versus that uncertainty going into the expansion draft of not knowing who was going to be protected and unprotected. I think that way we’ve got a stronger team than we probably would have gotten if we’d waited.”

Like any NWSL expansion team, Angel City has limited assets with which to build a full roster. The team is flush with investor cash and has already sold more than 13,000 season ticket packages. Still, they have to adhere to the restrictive rights distribution and hard salary cap that have upheld the NWSL’s parity since its inception — though not without some friction.

The NWSL has already fined Angel City twice: once for announcing the signing of Christen Press before her contract had been approved, and once for communication with Gotham FC midfielder Allie Long that the league interpreted as tampering. There was a moment in time when one had to wonder if Angel City were building a very successful lifestyle brand with the soccer element yet to actually appear.

As on-field operations begin to take shape, however, the club’s approach has increasingly come into focus. Aluko’s background in European football as both a player and a general manager mixes well with head coach (and former Gotham FC manager) Freya Coombe’s knowledge of the NWSL, which comes with its own nuances.

“Freya has existing relationships in the league, which is one of the things that I thought was going to be really important when hiring a coach,” Aluko says. “I wanted somebody who had existing relationships in the NWSL and had coached and knew [of] the players that I didn’t necessarily know, so that it would make this process easier.”

Coombe shares that sentiment: “What’s great about Eni’s experience of coming from the European model is that she brings that element of, well, this is just football, right? It doesn’t need to be … some of the crazy rules that we have in the league. Her experience with the European game and just her sheer knowledge of players has been really, really helpful when looking to build a roster.”

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Coombe has gotten a head start with ACFC after leaving Gotham FC in August. (Howard Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

In practice, Angel City’s approach toward player acquisition meant months of research, phone calls and WhatsApp messages, all powered by many cups of coffee. But how does the highest-profile roster in NWSL history get built? For Aluko and Coombe, it’s all about balance. They evaluated each prospective player based on tactical fit, leadership qualities, talent ceiling and, perhaps most importantly after the year the NWSL has had, their own wishes.

A true free agency period is still a hope for the NWSL’s future, but more than ever, clubs have had good reasons to make sure players are where they want to be. After a watershed season in which multiple coaches were fired for emotional and verbal abuse, the league has progressed toward a long-overdue overhaul of its value systems.

It’s a change Aluko welcomes and hopes will ripple across the sport.

“It’s kind of simple, but intrinsically as a human being, if you want to be somewhere, you will do better, you will perform better,” she says. “If you want to be in a relationship, you will have a really good relationship. Like for me, it’s just kind of obvious. So what’s been nice, honestly, is seeing a change in mindset towards players on both sides.”

Expansion protection has only been a tradable asset since 2020, when the Chicago Red Stars sent Yuki Nagasato and Savannah McCaskill — along with other assets — to Racing Louisville FC in exchange for full roster protection. At the time, the price appeared overly steep, but it also presented a way forward in which teams could put their players’ wishes first.

Coombe, who went through that same expansion draft with Gotham, saw increased interest in those types of deals this year.

“Clubs were interested in getting [trades with Angel City] done to get protection so they didn’t have to divide their squad up in what’s quite a mean way of just being like, ‘OK, we don’t value you.’ I think that’s a little harsh,” she says. “I think there were a few clubs motivated to do that so that they didn’t have to do their lists.”

Consequently, Angel City ended up taking only four players in the expansion draft: midfielder Dani Weatherholt, defender Paige Nielsen, forward Jasmyne Spencer and midfielder Claire Emslie. While not every player might’ve known they were being selected on draft night, Aluko said she got confirmation from agents and general managers that everyone the team pursued was open to a change.

“It is a decision,” Aluko says. “I’ve been offered players and trades that I have no idea whether they want to come to Angel City. Another club will do that trade; I won’t.”

Fortunately for the club, many players have been excited about the prospect of a fresh start in California, to the point where Angel City hasn’t been able to facilitate every request. The team has gone to work picking up players they believe will make an immediate impact. Aluko has leaned into a philosophy that values versatility, with the understanding that a brand new team can evolve very quickly.

“One of the things that I made very clear when we were recruiting coaches was that I don’t necessarily want coaches who are married to a fixed philosophy, because that’s predictable,” Aluko says. “What you want is a coach and players who have a degree of versatility so that the level of risk is lower.”

The vision for Angel City’s final form prioritizes a beautiful, possession-style of soccer with a defensive edge. But, with that versatility in mind, the club has also acquired players who have experience in many different roles. Press can play on either wing or at the No. 9, and she even spent time as the No. 10 for the Red Stars in 2017. Sarah Gorden, another former Red Star, can play center and outside back and has been a part of both a four-back and three-back formation. Recent signing Allyson Swaby brings her own backline versatility, and Nielsen has three-back experience. Spencer, a forward, also held her own at outside back in Houston in 2021, and the list goes on.

“From a playing-style standpoint, we want to be a little bit more unpredictable than probably other NWSL clubs, and we want to be a headache when teams are preparing against us,” Aluko says. “It’s like, ‘Oh my god, who are they going to play? Where are they going to play?’ We want that.”

“There is an element of risk, as well,” Coombe says. “We can pull in two great players, but can they play together? That’s very much a gamble until we start kicking a ball around.”

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Angel City has built their roster around Christen Press, the club's first signing on Aug. 23. (Rob Gray/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Angel City has invested in data scouting to ensure their decisions, while risky, are informed. The team’s data analyst, Kim McCauley, has spent months watching tape and pulling stats on players both at home and abroad, providing a modern counterbalance to the more traditional evaluation style of the coaching staff.

One collaborative project was what Aluko described as the “Americans Abroad” list. McCauley would pass along relevant tape and compare the data of players in lower-profile European leagues to their counterparts in NWSL. If the stats and the eye test suggested the player could be competitive, Aluko would then look into offering that player a contract.

That analysis led to the early signings of MA Vignola and Katie Cousins, both former University of Tennessee standouts. It also helped uncover other players abroad like Japanese WNT prospect Jun Endo, whom the club acquired from Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza of the Japanese WE League. The same process also informed Angel City’s strategy in the college draft, where they only had a few picks in the later rounds.

Angel City’s resources off the field may have made them a desirable location for players, but it’s this extra step in soccer staffing that could make all the difference on the field.

“The combination of experience, knowledge, Freya’s knowledge and Kim’s knowledge together really helps us make informed decisions,” Aluko says. “It also helps us challenge each other. If I say, ‘This player’s amazing,’ and Kim says, ‘Data doesn’t say so,’ that’s the conversation that we have. And then we have to figure out whether it’s a recruitment decision that we make.”

“It’s like, I really like this player,” Coombe adds. “Well, is that what the stats say? And then, OK, do I have a bias towards this player for whatever reason? So I think that part’s always really interesting, and it certainly helped with the legwork of the sheer number of players we needed to look at.”

What Coombe, McCauley and Aluko can’t quite project is whether all the best-made plans will work right away. Their tactical plans seem tricky and building team chemistry is going to take time, but with the eyes of the soccer world firmly on the L.A. expansion club, their goal is to make one of the league’s six playoff spots in 2022.

“I think we all recognize how difficult that is; the NWSL is the most competitive league in the world,” Aluko said in a post-draft press conference. “All we can do is bring in players that are exposed to [NWSL play] and give our best on the field, but there are no guarantees in football.”

With draft week behind them, Angel City’s football operations staff is ready to turn an already successful club into an actual soccer team, and one Aluko hopes the city can take pride in.

“I hope fans will be excited about seeing themselves in the team — a diverse range of people, a diverse group of people, incredible characters, players who really care about the community, players who are from L.A., and exciting football, winning football,” she says. “That’s what we want.”

Says Coombe: “I think what we’d like to do is just continue to work on building a team that’s a great environment for the league. Try and change the narrative around what we’ve seen in the NWSL from this year, and make it an attractive destination to come and play, raise the standard. I think we’re as much responsible for that as we are for [what’s] on the field.”

Claire Watkins is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering soccer and the NWSL. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

USC’s McKenzie Forbes: From Gap Year to the NCAA Tournament

As part of our 1-v-1 video series, USC’s India Otto sat down to interview her teammate McKenzie Forbes. 

Here are five things to know from our conversation with the graduate transfer from Folsom, California.

#1 Inspired by USC’s Head Coach, Lindsay Gottlieb, McKenzie wants to be a basketball coach or work in the front office in the future.

When weighing in on what makes a good coach, McKenzie said x’s and o’s are important but “Coaching is a lot of relationship managing and people managing. I think you have to be a good people person and be able to build those relationships, but also in that same breath, you can’t be afraid to have people dislike you in moments. I think that’s a big part of leadership.”

#2 McKenzie says the trajectory of her career changed when she made the decision to transfer from Cal to Harvard.

 In order to transfer, she was forced to take a gap year and spend a lot of time in the gym. “I completely transformed my body and, going into the Harvard season, felt like I was a completely different player. Going to Harvard and playing in a more mid-major conference, I had the ball in my hands a lot more than I might have if I transferred to another Power 5. It really developed other parts of my game.”

#3 How does McKenzie think USC will do in the Women’s College Basketball Tournament?

“I’m not going to give a typical interview answer. I want a Final Four. We have that potential and capability. Like why not? Why not us? I think we have all the pieces.”

#4 Her older brother, Marcus, was her biggest mentor growing up.

“He was basically my trainer from Elementary school on until he went to college.”

#5 Fun facts about Forbes:

She can juggle and she was the quarterback of her Pop Warner football team. “I was slow but I could throw it!”

Watch the full conversation on the Just Women’s Sports YouTube channel.

Christen Press back training with Angel City FC

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 15: Christen Press #23 of Angel City FC waves to fans following a game between the Portland Thorns and Angel City FC at BMO Stadium on October 15, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)

Christen Press continues to inch her way back to a return, having returned to training with her club team Angel City. 

Angel City FC coach Becki Tweed said on Wednesday that Press is back with the team full-time as she continues to make her way back from an ACL injury. While she’s still working on rehab, her being back with the team gives staff a better picture of her progress. 

"Christen [Press] is back with us full time which is amazing,” she said. “Having her in and around the team every day, continuing to work hard on rehab ... she's in a space where being in with the team is really important to her and her progression as well.”

The status update comes days after Press posted videos to social media that featured her doing lateral movement in cleats on grass. 

“Look out world she’s on the move !” Press captioned it. 

Press has been sidelined with an ACL injury since 2022, which caused her to miss the 2023 World Cup. She’s since had four separate surgeries to help repair her ACL.

Press told The Athletic a month ago that she’s been “relentless” in her optimism with her recovery despite it being a “slow process.”

“I have a bit of relentless optimism,” she told The Athletic. “I never, ever doubted that I would make it back on any of the timelines I’ve been on."

"Every single time I’ve heard, ‘You have to have surgery,’ I’m completely shocked,” she said. “When somebody asks me how it’s going, I’m like, ‘It’s going great. And it was going great every time. So I don’t know what to tell you anymore!’”

Sophia Smith re-signs with Portland on record deal

(Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports)

Sophia Smith is now the NWSL’s highest-paid player. 

The Portland Thorns announced on Wednesday that they have signed Smith to a new contract through the 2025 season, with an option for 2026. While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, the team did reveal that Smith is now the highest-paid player in the league on an annual basis.

It’s the latest in what has been a series of record-breaking contracts in the NWSL offseason. 

Chicago Red Stars forward Mallory Swanson, Bay FC forward Racheal Kundananji, and Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda all signed multi-year deals worth between $2 million and $2.5 million in total. While Smith’s contract is shorter and not worth as much over the long-term, the annual worth is higher. 

“We are over the moon to have Soph commit again to the Thorns. She is a proven, world-class talent and one that we are excited to have contribute to the team’s continued success,” said head coach Mike Norris in a statement. “We look forward to working with her in a Thorns jersey as she continues to shine as one of the top strikers in the world.”

In just four seasons in the NWSL, Smith has led the Thorns to five trophies – including the 2022 NWSL championship – while winning league and championship MVP in 2022. In 61 appearances with Portland, she has 34 goals – including a brace to start this season against Kansas City. 

She’s also a member of the USWNT, having scored 16 goals in 44 international appearances.  Set to become a free agent at the end of this season, she told ESPN she “thought of all the options” but ultimately Portland felt like the right decision.

"There is no place like Portland," Smith said in a small roundtable interview that included ESPN. "I don't believe there's an environment like Portland to play in and it's a city that's so special to me and a city that I feel like I've grown up in almost and become who I am."

She also told ESPN that the team’s new ownership “changes everything.” The club is now led by the Bhathal family, who bought the club after Merritt Paulson was forced to sell it following his part in the NWSL’s abuse scandal. 

"Since I've been here there has been a lot of things going on with this club -- a lot of not-great things going on with this club -- and I have just been waiting for some stability and some reassurance that this club is headed in the right direction, and the Bhathal family coming in is doing exactly that, if not more,” Smith said. 

"Their vision for this club is so exciting, and you can just tell how passionate they are about making this what it should be and continuing to push the standard in women's soccer globally.”

Caitlin Clark offered $5 million to compete in Ice Cube’s league

IOWA CITY, IOWA- MARCH 25: Guard Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates as time runs out in the second half against the West Virginia Mountaineers during their second round match-up in the 2024 NCAA Division 1 Women's Basketball Championship at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on March 25, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)

Caitlin Clark has been offered $5 million to play in Ice Cube's Big3 league, he confirmed on social media Wednesday after the offer leaked.

"We intended the offer to remain private while Caitlin Clark plays for the championship," Ice Cube wrote on social media. "But I won't deny what's now already out there: BIG3 made a historic offer to Caitlin Clark. Why wouldn't we? Caitlin is a generational athlete who can achieve tremendous success in the BIG3."

While there has yet to be a women's player in the league, both Nancy Lieberman and Lisa Leslie have been part of the league as coaches and won championships.

"The skeptics laughed when we made Nancy Lieberman the first female coach of a men's pro team, and she won the championship in her first year," Ice Cube continued. "Then Lisa Leslie won it all in year two. With our offer, Caitlin Clark can make history and break down even more barriers for women athletes."

Ice Cube, whose name is O’Shea Jackson, says that the offer was made with the intention that Clark be able to compete in the WNBA “offseason.” Clark is largely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft in April. But it’s unclear how the scheduling of the two leagues would work. 

The 2024 Big3 season is set to tip off on June 15, with 10 games spanning through mid-August. The WNBA regular season, meanwhile, begins on May 14 and ends on Sept. 19.

On “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday, Jackson said that the league has yet to hear back from Clark. 

“We just need an answer, as soon as they are ready to give it to us,” he said. “It’s always 50-50 till we get a no. At the end of the day, it’s a generous offer.”

The offer – as well as the confusion on Jackson’s part about the timing of the WNBA season – caused some current WNBA players to react. 

"It's funny cause I be seeing his son at W games.. they don't talk?" wrote former No. 1 pick Rhyne Howard

"So no other women's basketball player has came to mind in the last 7 years?" wrote Lexie Brown, adding that she'd support if Ice Cube wanted to build a women's iteration of the league. She later discussed it on the Gils Arena Show, noting that his reasoning of wanting to “uplift and support WNBA players and women athletes” is a “cop out.”

Kalani Brown, meanwhile, told Clark to "take that money" and start a women's Big3.

WNBA salaries has been a talking point in recent months as more collegiate stars declare for the league. WNBA stars have often made more money playing abroad than they have in the WNBA. Clark is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft on April 15, with a rookie salary of $76,535 for lottery draft picks (Nos. 1-4) that rises to $97,582 by her fourth season. But she also has an NIL valuation of almost $3.5 million.

Diana Taurasi famously skipped the 2015 WNBA season at the request of her Russian club, who paid her more to sit out than she would have made in the W. Her contract with the club was reportedly near $1.5 million per year.

Jackson also seemed to suggest that his league could be an alternative to going abroad

“America’s women athletes should not be forced to spend their off seasons playing in often dismal and dubious foreign countries just to make ends meet,” he wrote. Although it’s unclear whether or not the rapper intends to make offers to additional WNBA players. 

While the league does hold prioritization rules in its CBA, those typically apply only to players playing in overseas leagues. It’s unclear whether or not that would prevent Clark’s participation in the Big3 league.

WNBA players that don’t want to go overseas currently have the option of playing in Athletes Unlimited, which competes in the WNBA offseason.

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