Athletes Unlimited is teaming up with Aspiration on a historic, multi-year partnership that will help the league become the first carbon-neutral sports league based in the United States.

The partnership, which runs through 2023, will begin with the inaugural Athletes Unlimited Basketball season in January and continue through AU’s volleyball, lacrosse and softball seasons. Aspiration, a sustainability service solution for consumers and companies, had previously sponsored AU Softball in 2020 and 2021.

“Aspiration is a perfect partner for Athletes Unlimited and we couldn’t be more pleased to expand their presence in our community,” Athletes Unlimited CEO Jon Patricof said in a release. “Our innovative mindsets and core values are precisely aligned, highlighted by a deep-seated commitment to growing our leagues, investing in our athletes and bettering the world around us. Social responsibility is one of the foundations on which Athletes Unlimited was built, and Aspiration’s expertise will help advise and guide us on how we can minimize our environmental impact.”

The goal of the partnership is to implement sustainability into the day-to-day operations of the league and different athlete and fan experiences.

For the first time in Athletes Unlimited history, jersey sponsorship is included in the partnership. For the next two seasons, basketball and volleyball uniforms will feature Aspiration patches. AU will also feature physical and digital signage elements and activations to help promote sustainability across AU’s four leagues.

In collaboration with the league’s media partners, Aspiration will become the presenting partner of five national broadcasts for each of the four leagues every season.

“This partnership is a testament to the continued growth and traction of the fast-growing sector of women’s pro sports, as well as the power of building complementary leagues across four sports, a network of national TV and digital partners, and robust fan engagement platforms,” Patricof said. “Aspiration is joining a growing group of like-minded partners that see the incredible opportunity ahead of us, and know we are just getting started.”

AU will also introduce new campaigns in 2022, alongside The Aspiration Difference programming, that will be unique to every sports league. For example, AU Basketball will incorporate “Trees for Threes,” committing to plant 10 trees for every successful 3-pointer. As part of the “Round the Bases” campaign in softball, 100 trees will be planted for every run scored. The partners are still developing campaigns for volleyball and lacrosse.

Athletes Unlimited will also incorporate Aspiration’s “Planet Protection” program into every ticket sold, contributing to funding carbon removal projects around the world.

Currently, Aspiration is evaluating Athletes Unlimited’s carbon footprint through a comprehensive assessment. Upon its conclusion, AU will work with the company to outline goals for long-term sustainability as well as adequate vision and strategies.

“Teaming up with Athletes Unlimited, a game changer in the sports industry, feels like the perfect fit,” said Aspiration CEO Andre Cherny. “We both are founded on values of conscience and concern for people and the planet. We couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity to share the deep understanding we have when it comes to sustainability, and how we can continue expanding this partnership with Athletes Unlimited.”

More NWSL stars are jumping ship, as both the San Diego Wave and North Carolina Courage saw respective key players Delphine Cascarino and Denise O'Sullivan sign with WSL clubs over the last few days.

Former Wave forward Cascarino inked a deal through the 2029/30 season with the London City Lionesses on Monday, one day after San Diego announced they had mutually parted ways with the French international despite her contract running through 2026 with an option for the 2027 NWSL season.

"I'm really happy to be here," said the 28-year-old in a statement. "London City is the only independent women's club in the WSL, which excites me."

North Carolina midfielder and captain O'Sullivan made a similar move on Saturday, as the Ireland international signed with Liverpool following more than eight seasons and a club-record 186 appearances for the Courage.

The last-place WSL team reportedly shelled out a club-record transfer fee of approximately £300,000 to roster the 31-year-old two-time NWSL champion and three-time Shield-winner, who called Liverpool "a new challenge" that will see her "only a 40-minute flight away" from her family in Cork, Ireland.

Though the NWSL departures of Cascarino and O'Sullivan mark a kind of homecoming for the European standouts, they are just the latest to exit the US league, after USWNT star Sam Coffey joined WSL-leaders Manchester City last week.

"England — for men and women — is the country of football," noted Cascarino. "It's always been a goal of mine to play in this league."

New York Sirens forward Taylor Girard made PWHL history this week, earning a record four-game suspension for leaving the bench to join a line skirmish at the end of Sunday's 2-1 win over the Montréal Victoire.

The brawl occurred at the the final buzzer of the PWHL's record-breaking Takeover Tour stop in Washington, DC, with eight players — four Sirens and four from the Victoire — subsequently issued 10-minute misconducts in addition to Girard's infraction.

As the sole player not originally on the ice to join the skirmish, Girard was the only player to receive an additional 20-minute charge.

Even more, Girard's actions immediately triggered a four-game suspension, as the PWHL Rulebook dictates that exact punishment for "the first player to leave the players' bench illegally during an altercation or for the purpose of starting an altercation from either or both Teams."

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The four-game ban marks the longest punishment in PWHL history, doubling the two-game suspension that Seattle Torrent defender Aneta Tejralová received for an illegal check to the head last month.

With the PWHL on break after January 28th as 30% of the league's rosters compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics, the four-game suspension means that Girard — who sits second on New York's scoring sheet with five goals on the season — will not be available for the No. 2 Sirens until March 5th.

The WTGL is stocking up on golf stars, as TMRW Sports' newly announced offseason league begins to build its debut roster in partnership with the LPGA.

World No. 1 golfer Jeeno Thitikul (Thailand) signed on to participate in WTGL's inaugural season this week, alongside No. 5 Charley Hull (England), No. 6 Lydia Ko (New Zealand), No. 25 Brooke Henderson (Canada), and No. 79 Lexi Thompson (USA).

"WTGL will be a global stage to showcase LPGA stars, and this first wave of committed players represents that opportunity with some of the world's best," said TMRW Sports founder and CEO Mike McCarley in Monday's press release.

Set to launch next winter, the WTGL looks to build off the popular, second-year men's Tomorrow's Golf League (TGL), with the competition integrating both a physical and virtual golf environment inside Palm Beach Gardens at Florida's SoFi Center.

"These players will thrive in WTGL's competitive environment as fans will witness their skill and connect more deeply with their personalities through the unprecedented access the league delivers," said McCarley, noting that TGL golfers remain mic'd up throughout the team event.

The WTGL is also earning stamps of approval from several women's sports greats, as the Alex Morgan co-founded Trybe Ventures — an investment group that includes Morgan's fellow former USWNT stars Mia Hamm and Abby Wambach — became the new league's lead capital partner last week.

The WSL is cashing in on the women's game, with two UK clubs surpassing €25 million in annual revenue for the first time, according to the Deloitte Football Money League report on the 2024/25 season that dropped this week.

Reigning UWCL champions Arsenal topped the list for the first time after taking in €25.6 million last season, followed closely by WSL title-holders Chelsea FC's €25.4 million.

Meanwhile, Perennial European contender FC Barcelona (€22 million) dropped to third after leading the group in 2023/24, outpacing WSL titans No. 4 Manchester City (€12.9 million) and No. 5 Manchester United (€12.8 million).

Due to a lack of revenue data, the yearly study did not include major women's leagues in the US, Sweden, or Australia, giving the rankings a European bent as the total sum crossed the €150 million mark for the first time — a 35% increase over the previous season's Top-15 Money League clubs.

Commercial income was the biggest revenue driver for many top clubs, with sponsorship deals and brand partnerships leading the charge.

Arsenal also benefitted from increased revenue on the men's side, allowing the women's team to up its investment while avoiding running at a loss.

How to watch the top Deloitte Football Money League clubs in action

Deloitte Football Money League leader Arsenal will take on No. 5 Man United while revenue runners-up Chelsea will face the WSL-leading Man City in the 2025/26 Women's League Cup semifinals on Wednesday.

The concurrent clashes will kick off at 2 PM ET, streaming live on YouTube.