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Courage coach Paul Riley accused of sexual coercion in bombshell report

(Howard Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

North Carolina Courage head coach Paul Riley has been accused of sexual coercion and emotional abuse in an extensive and disturbing report by The Athletic’s Meg Linehan.

The Athletic talked to over a dozen players representing every team Riley has coached since 2010, as well as 10 other sources in the women’s game, detailing Riley’s history of alleged sexual coercion and emotional abuse. Members of each of the three teams he coached described several evenings in which Riley went out and drank heavily with his players.

“It’s almost like an abusive relationship, even when it’s not crossing the line of sexual, because he gives and takes,” one former Thorns player told The Athletic. “The girls just want to please their coaches, they want to do the right thing. Paul said he’ll invest in you, then he takes it away.”

One of Riley’s longtime player, Sinead Farrelly, spoke to The Athletic about the coach’s alleged grooming tactics. Farrelly said he would pay special attention to her at times, and at other times he could be harsh to the point where Farrelly longed for his approval.

Farrelly joined Riley at each of his coaching stops — the Philadelphia Independence, the New York Fury and the Portland Thorns. She said she gave up the final spot on the United States women’s national team’s roster for the 2011 World Cup because Riley told her she was being “disloyal” to him and their team, which at the time was the Independence of the former Women’s Professional Soccer league.

After the Independence lost the WPS final in August 2011, Farrelly described an incident at the team hotel that “changed my whole life.” Her and Riley went back to Riley’s hotel room, where she said Riley coerced her into having sex with him. The next morning, Riley allegedly told Farrelly that she had followed him into his room and that “we’re taking this to our graves.”

But rather than keep silent, Farrelly said Riley kept bringing it up.

Eventually Riley made his way to Portland, where he helped Meleana “Mana” Shim return to the team after the Thorns had initially traded her to Houston as part of the 2014 expansion draft.

“I felt from the beginning like I owed him something because he worked to get me back,” Shim said.

As one of the team’s fringe players, Shim said Riley targeted her, belittling her in her first season before, in her second season, treating her differently in ways that helped build her confidence. She said Riley began to ask to meet with her one-on-one, with requests for coffee meet-ups turning into dinner invitations. That included film sessions allegedly moving from the office at his stadium to his apartment after hours. Shim described one instance in which Riley invited her to a film session in his hotel room. When she arrived, he was in his underwear, according to the report.

During the 2015 season, Shim and Farrelly roomed together on road trips and grew closer. They told The Athletic that, after a night out with the team in Portland in May, Riley invited them back to his apartment and said, if they kissed, the team wouldn’t have to run a suicide mile that week. They briefly obliged, they said, and Riley kept his promise.

In 2015, with the help of Thorns teammate Alex Morgan, Shim reported Riley’s behavior to the Thorns and Jeff Plush, the NWSL commissioner at the time. Based on Farrelly and Shim’s accounts, the Thorns investigated the incidents and decided not to renew Riley’s contract after the 2015 season. At the time, most thought Riley’s exit had to do with the team’s on-field results, a reason Riley endorsed in an email response to The Athletic.

On Wednesday, Thorns owner Merritt Paulson told The Athletic that the findings of the investigation factored into the team’s decision not to renew Riley’s contract in 2015 and that “everything was shared with the league.”

“Immediately when we became aware of these allegations at the end of our 2015 season, Paul Riley was placed on administrative leave and a thorough investigation advised by outside counsel was conducted, working closely with the NWSL league office,” the team said in a statement provided to The Athletic. “The investigation found no unlawful activity, but that Mr. Riley had violated our policies. As a result, we chose not to renew his contract. The findings of the investigation were shared with the NWSL league office.”

Riley was hired by the Western New York Flash five months later.

When the league adopted a new Anti-Harassment Policy earlier this year, Farrelly and Shim tried to renew the investigation with the NWSL and current league commissioner Lisa Baird. According to the report, Baird indicated to the players that the files had been reviewed, the investigation was closed and she could not share any details of the findings.

In a response to questions about his alleged conduct from The Athletic, Riley called the majority of the allegations “completely untrue.”

“I have never had sex with, or made sexual advances towards these players,” he wrote.

The accusations against Riley are the latest in a long list of scandals to hit the NWSL over the past year. Back in July, Gotham FC dismissed Alyse LaHue following a league investigation related to the league’s anti-harassment policy. In August, reports in the Washington Post detailed numerous accounts of verbal and emotional abuse by head coach Richie Burke, whom the Washington Spirit then fired. And in September, Racing Louisville fired Christy Holly “for cause.”

Last year, Dell Loy Hansen sold Utah Royals FC following reports of racist comments and a sexist culture in the club’s front office. Head coach Craig Harrington was also placed on administrative leave amid allegations of inappropriate conduct.

The NWSL Players Association is in the midst of negotiations with the league for the NWSL’s first collective bargaining agreement. The PA is fighting for player protections that extend beyond the league’s anti-harassment policy. They spoke out on Thursday, demanding action in the wake of the accusations against Riley.

UPDATE: The North Carolina Courage have fired Paul Riley.

Amanda Anisimova Advances to 2025 Wimbledon Final by Ousting No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka

US tennis star Amanda Anisimova reacts to her 2025 Wimbledon semifinal win over Aryna Sabalenka.
With her 2025 Wimbledon semifinal win, Anisimova reached her first career Grand Slam final. (Tim Clayton/Getty Images)

US tennis star and world No. 12 Amanda Anisimova continued her breakthrough 2025 Wimbledon run on Thursday, taking down No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to punch a ticket to her first career Grand Slam final.

"This doesn't feel real right now," Anisimova said after winning the 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 semifinal thriller. "I don't know how I pulled it out."

"It was such a rollercoaster match," the 23-year-old told ESPN. "[Sabalenka] is such a tough competitor, and I really had to give it my all to fight there to get the win."

As the first US player to reach a Wimbledon final since Serena Williams in 2019 — and the youngest from the US since Williams' 2004 run — Anisimova's meteoric 2025 rise comes just 18 months after she took an extended mental health break from tennis.

"A lot of people told me that you would never make it to the top again if you take so much time away from the game," she said. "So just me being able to prove that you can get back to the top if you prioritize yourself, that's been incredibly special to me."

Anisimova's semifinal win also continues a unique pattern for her home country, as Saturday's championship match is now the fourth straight Grand Slam final to feature a US player — a streak dating back to No. 3 Jessica Pegula's 2024 US Open championship appearance.

Even more, should Anisimova emerge victorious on Saturday, she'll join 2025 Australian Open champion No. 8 Madison Keys and 2025 French Open winner No. 2 Coco Gauff in continuing a US sweep of this year's Grand Slams.

Anisimova to face Świątek in 2025 Wimbledon final

To do so, however, Anisimova will have to defeat five-time Grand Slam winner and world No. 4 Iga Świątek in what will be the pair's first-ever senior-level match on Saturday.

Like Anisimova, the 24-year-old Polish phenom is on an unexpected Wimbledon run, as the London Slam's grass courts have historically hampered the clay-court specialist.

That said, Świątek dominated her Thursday semifinal against Switzerland's No. 35 Belinda Bencic, booking her spot in Saturday's title match in two quick 6-2, 6-0 sets.

"Tennis keeps surprising me," she said after the match. "I thought I had experienced everything on the court, but I hadn't experienced playing well on grass. That's the first time."

"Honestly, I never even dreamt that it was possible for me to play the [Wimbledon] finals, so I'm just super excited and proud of myself," Świątek added.

As for Anisimova, she's taking her championship match against the decorated Świątek in stride.

"I'm sure it'll be an amazing match. Getting to compete against an unbelievable player again is going to be super special," said the rising US star.

"Obviously I haven't been in a Grand Slam final before, but I've experienced a lot of moments similar and a lot of high-stakes matches," Anisimova noted. "I'm just gonna go out and enjoy every moment and try to not think about what’s on the line."

How to watch the 2025 Wimbledon championship match

With this year's tournament guaranteed to crown a first-time Wimbledon champion, Anisimova will battle Świątek for the London Slam's trophy at 11 AM ET on Saturday.

The final will air live on ESPN.

USWNT Legend Tobin Heath Hangs Up Her Boots, Officially Announces Retirement

USWNT star Tobin Heath triumphantly yells while holding the 2019 World Cup after winning the final.
Heath retires as a two-time World Cup champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist. (Daniela Porcelli/Getty Images)

Legendary USWNT attacker Tobin Heath officially announced her retirement from soccer on Thursday, nearly three years after playing her final professional match.

"Over New Year's, I actually came to the full acceptance that I wasn't going to be playing," the 37-year-old explained on her podcast, The RE-CAP Show.

In her 13 years with the senior national team, Heath — widely regarded as one of the most technical players in US history — earned two World Cup titles (2015, 2019) and three Olympic medals (gold in 2008 and 2012, and bronze in 2021).

Across her 181 USWNT caps, the 2016 US Soccer Athlete of the Year logged 36 goals and 42 assists, making her final appearance for the States on October 26th, 2021.

At the club level, Heath spent seven seasons with the Portland Thorns, helping the team to NWSL Championships in 2013 and 2017, as well as the 2016 NWSL Shield.

While her career also included European stints with the Première Ligue's PSG as well as WSL sides Manchester United and Arsenal, Heath ended her pro run with the 2022 NWSL Shield-winning Seattle Reign, playing what would be her final soccer match on August 14th of that year.

Injury ends Heath's soccer career

The end of Heath's career is not what the creative, nutmegging winger anticipated.

"I thought I was literally going to be peeled off the field," Heath told The Athletic on Wednesday.

However, a 2022 serious left knee injury left Heath unable to play soccer — even at a casual level — ultimately forcing her retirement.

"I tried f---ing everything to get back, I spent tens of thousands of dollars and [had] two surgeries, one crazy surgery," Heath said on her podcast. "And the whole time I believed I was going to get back."

"Football is a 360-degree sport, and I can't do it," she told The Athletic. "So that part is the hardest part. The actual playing of soccer is gone."

USWNT icon Tobin Heath speaks at a 2024 Grassroot Soccer event.
In her three years off the pitch, Heath is still elevating women's soccer. (Valerie Terranova/Getty Images)

Heath still working to lift up women's soccer in retirement

Despite coming to terms with the end of her on-pitch career, Heath isn't leaving the world of soccer anytime soon, helping lead the newly launched World Sevens Football and joining FIFA's technical study group for the men's Club World Cup.

Elevating football — particularly the women's game — is a pursuit that began for Heath with the Portland Thorns.

"[Portland] showed what women's sports could be," she explained. "I was dreaming of the world that I wanted to create."

The 2019 World Cup run then solidified that mission, with the USWNT adding a fourth star to their crest while also facing a pressure-cooker of expectations amid political tension and a contentious fight for equal pay.

"You can't feel what we felt...and not believe that you're doing something so f---ing important for the world," said Heath.

"You feel that responsibility — and that's what it is — and you want to keep carrying that responsibility as far forward as you can."

Rising USWNT Star Mia Fishel Inks Record NWSL Contract with Seattle Reign

Forward Mia Fishel poses in a Seattle Reign jersey after signing with the NWSL club.
Fishel's multi-year deal with the Seattle Reign runs through 2029. (Seattle Reign FC/Jane Gershovich)

USWNT and Chelsea FC forward Mia Fishel is officially heading back to the States, with the Seattle Reign announcing that the 24-year-old signed with the NWSL club on Thursday.

The multi-year deal will see Fishel join Seattle through the 2029 season on a contract reportedly worth nearly $2.5 million — the largest cumulative deal in NWSL history.

"We're absolutely thrilled to bring Mia into our squad," said Seattle head coach Laura Harvey in a club statement. "Mia's ability to disrupt defenses, finish in different ways makes her a dangerous addition to our group."

"Mia is a player with tremendous upside — a goal-scorer with presence, creativity, and a drive to keep growing," added Reign GM Lesle Gallimore.

Notably, though the Orlando Pride originally drafted the San Diego product and UCLA alum in 2022, this week's move will see Fishel make her domestic debut, with the young talent opting to start her pro career in Mexico.

In her single season with powerhouse Tigres UANL, Fishel notched 17 goals in 17 games to become the first foreign athlete to win the Liga MX Golden Boot, all while leading the team to a league championship.

Following her Liga MX success, Fishel signed with Chelsea, spending two seasons with the WSL champions — though a February 2024 ACL tear limited the young attacker's impact on both club and country over the last 16 months.

Nicknamed "Big Fish," the NWSL debutant has big plans for her upcoming lengthy tenure with Seattle.

"I knew coming to the States, I'm gonna be on a team for the long run," Fishel told reporters. "I wasn't expecting to just hop from team to team. Like, no, I want to put stakes in the ground. I want to eventually lead this team."

Indiana Fever Looks to Bounce Back Before 2025 WNBA All-Star Break

Indiana Fever center Aliyah Boston and Golden State Valkyries center Temi Fagbenle jump for the ball to start a 2025 WNBA game.
The Indiana Fever enter the weekend on a two-game losing streak. (Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

This weekend's WNBA slate will see the No. 8 Indiana Fever aiming to right the ship, as the once-projected postseason contenders try to make a push prior to next weekend's 2025 All-Star break.

Despite seeing Caitlin Clark return from injury on Wednesday, the Fever will enter the weekend on a two-game losing streak.

"You should look yourself in the mirror and find ways you can get better, and then come back to practice tomorrow, and play again on Friday," Clark said after Indiana's 80-61 Wednesday loss to Golden State.

There's no immediate assist in the Fever's upcoming schedule, however, as they kick off the weekend against an Atlanta side that feeds on mismatches in the paint:

  • No. 4 Atlanta Dream vs. No. 8 Indiana Fever, Friday at 7:30 PM ET (ION): The Dream can put any team in a blender with their size and stretch capabilities, and Indiana will need solid three-point shooting to upend Atlanta.
  • No. 6 Golden State Valkyries vs. No. 9 Las Vegas Aces, Saturday at 4 PM ET (CBS): The short-handed Aces will hope to pounce on Golden State's mercurial road form, as Las Vegas tries to keep climbing the standings following a middling season start.
  • No. 4 Atlanta Dream vs. No. 3 New York Liberty, Sunday at 3 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): An injury-hampered New York will try to hold on against the formidable Dream, as the reigning champion Liberty keep battling while waiting for starters to return.

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