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US Soccer report: Ex-Thorns GM blamed abuse victim for Paul Riley’s firing

Paul Riley was fired by the Courage in October 2021 after abuse allegations against him emerged. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

After a Portland Thorns player accused then-coach Paul Riley of abuse, then-general manager Gavin Wilkinson blamed the player for Riley’s exit from the team, the U.S. Soccer Federation found in its investigation into coach misconduct in the NWSL.

After Riley was fired by the Thorns in 2015 as a result of the allegations, the club kept the reason for his exit under wraps. And when another NWSL team spoke with Wilkinson about hiring Riley, the general manager said he felt Riley “was put in a bad position by the player” and he “would hire him in a heartbeat,” per the U.S. Soccer report.

The Thorns’ front office features prominently in the wide-ranging report on the abuse scandal that shook the NWSL in 2021 and has continued to reverberate through the league.

Thorns player Mana Shim first accused Riley of sexual harassment and coercion in 2015, which led to his dismissal. But her account, corroborated by then-teammate Sinead Farrelly, only became public in October 2021 via a report published in The Athletic.

Because the Thorns kept the claims made against Riley quiet, the coach was able to continue his NWSL coaching career with the Western New York Flash, the franchise that later became the North Carolina Courage — and indeed received a positive recommendation from Wilkinson, who is no longer general manager of the Thorns but remains in that position for the Timbers of MLS, as the new U.S. Soccer report has revealed.

The report also details that Riley’s hiring by the Flash was not met with enthusiasm by the league. Then-NWSL Commissioner Jeff Plush, in an email to then-U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati, then-U.S. Soccer CEO Dan Flynn and then-NWSL general counsel Lisa Levine, wrote that it was “not good news” that the club would be announcing Riley as head coach.

The NWSL and USSF both refrained from influencing the hiring decision.

Following the hire, Thorns and Timbers owner Merritt Paulson emailed the Flash’s president, wishing them luck on the season and congratulating them on hiring Riley, writing that he has “a lot of affection for him.”

The U.S. Soccer investigation also found that Paulson knew of the alleged abuses by Riley but did not act upon the information. He also knew of other alleged, non-sexual abuses as early as 2014 but did nothing.

This comes after ESPN reported in early September that Paulson discouraged Riley from pursuing the head coaching job for the U.S. women’s national team in 2019. Paulson warned North Carolina’s Steve Malik that Riley should withdraw his name from consideration because he was fired for cause.

Former Thorns player and USWNT star Alex Morgan also spoke out about the former Thorns coach in an upcoming ESPN documentary, saying she warned U.S. Soccer against hiring Riley.

“I did my part in stopping him from becoming head coach,” Morgan said. “And that was sharing as much information as I could with the people who were in charge of selecting the next head coach.”

As a player for the Thorns in 2015, Morgan helped Shim email her complaint about Riley to Paulson, according to The Athletic.

According to the U.S. Soccer report, after “at least fourteen conversations among 11 people at the Federation, the League, the Portland Thorns and the North Carolina Courage, Riley publicly withdrew himself from consideration” for the USWNT job.

Other transgressions from the Thorns front office also are included in the report. One Thorns player recalled Wilkinson jokingly asking her, “Why can’t you just stop being a b—?” Players also remembered Paulson making inappropriate comments, including attempting to talk with a player about former USWNT goalkeeper Hope Solo’s nude photographs.

When current U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone was head coach of the Thorns in 2013, she reports that team president of business Mike Golub asked her, “What’s on your bucket list besides sleeping with me?”

Upon her departure from the Thorns seven months later, Cone told Paulson about the incident. According to the report, the owner “told her he wished she had told him about the remark at the time it happened.”

According to the Thorns, as quoted in the U.S. Soccer report, “there was no formal complaint made, and the concerns were addressed with Golub at the time.”

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Caitlin Clark Player Edition Kobe 5 Sneakers Fly Off Nike’s Shelves

An image of the Nike Kobe V Protro sneakers designed by WNBA star Caitlin Clark.
The Nike Player Edition Kobe V Protros designed by Caitlin Clark sold out in minutes on Monday. (Nike)

The first Nike Player Edition sneakers designed by WNBA star Caitlin Clark sold out almost immediately on Monday morning, with fans snapping up the limited run of the Fever guard's Kobe 5 Protros within minutes of the 10 AM ET online drop.

Inspired by the Indiana Fever's colors, Clark's high-gloss Kobe shoes come in Midnight Blue with a tongue and additional accents in Bright Crimson, as well as "vibrant hits of University Gold."

Though Nike did not disclose actual stock numbers, multiple sneaker insiders estimated that Monday's release included just 13,000 pairs of Clark's edition.

Originally on sale for $190 through Nike's website, the Kobe 5 Protro PE is already topping $350 on the resale market.

Clark has been a Nike athlete since inking an NIL deal with the sportswear giant just before her junior NCAA season at the University of Iowa in October 2022, with the WNBA sophomore later signing a reported eight-year, $28 million endorsement contract just after finishing her collegiate career.

That current deal, inked just after the Indiana Fever selected Clark as the 2024 WNBA Draft's overall No. 1 pick, includes the release of a signature shoe.

While Nike still plans to add Clark to its signature shoe roster, the brand appears to be testing the market's waters using the guard's preferred on-court Kobe sneakers — to a sellout success.

How to buy the Caitlin Clark x Nike Kobe 5 Protro PE

Plans looking to pay retail prices for Clark's latest sneaker design will have to wait for Nike to restock, with online resellers like StockX, GOAT, and Flight Club currently selling the shoes at a significant markup.

Waivers, Trades Rattle WNBA Standings as Teams Hunt Midseason Boosts

Dallas Wings forward NaLyssa Smith looks down during a 2025 WNBA game.
Former Dallas Wings forward NaLyssa Smith was abruptly traded to the Las Vegas Aces on Monday. (Cooper Neill/NBAE via Getty Images)

With the 2025 WNBA All-Star break looming later this month, teams across the league aren't waiting for the August 7th deadline to pull the trigger on trades and waivers, significantly shaking up league rosters.

On Monday, Dallas abruptly traded forward NaLyssa Smith to the Las Vegas Aces in exchange for a 2027 first-round draft pick, surprising Smith and her Wings teammates — including girlfriend DiJonai Carrington.

"Sick to my stomach dawg, never seen this coming," Smith posted to X after the WNBA announced the trades, adding "if I could've chose anywhere to go it would've been Vegas, so hella excited [for] this new opportunity."

WNBA trades target future prospects

The recent WNBA trades both reflect the depth of options Dallas has in their frontcourt — most recently boosted by the Wings acquiring center Li Yueru from Seattle last month — and indicates the team's early play at a talented WNBA Draft class, with NCAA stars like USC's JuJu Watkins and Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo going pro in 2027.

At the same time, Smith's trade extends Las Vegas's first-round draft drought, with the Aces — who last added a first-round selection in 2022 — currently without an early draft pick until 2028.

As the Las Vegas focuses on leveling up this season, hoping Smith helps boost their current seventh-place league standing, the Aces also added roster cuts to their Monday trade.

Las Vegas handed out waivers to guard Tiffany Mitchell and second-year forward Elizabeth Kitley, who was selected 24th overall by the Aces in the 2024 WNBA Draft despite tearing her ACL at the end of her NCAA career.

Golden State Valkyries guard Julie Vanloo looks on during a 2025 WNBA game.
Golden State waived Belgian guard Julie Vanloo as she returned from winning the 2025 EuroBasket. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Golden State waives 2025 EuroBasket champ Vanloo

Making their own controversial Monday move was 2025 expansion side Golden State, as the Valkyries cut Belgian guard Julie Vanloo shortly after the 2025 EuroBasket champion rushed to return to California, skipping her national team's title-winning celebrations.

"Literally just touched down in the bay," Vanloo wrote on an Instagram story littered with broken heart emojis. "I need some time to process all of this man and put my feels into words. I can't right now."

While Golden State faces backlash for the timing of the cut, waiving Vanloo ultimately opens up a contract for the Valkyries, with rumors swirling that either guard Kaitlyn Chen or forward Laeticia Amihere will earn the roster spot after impressing as replacement players during European absences.

All in all, with WNBA roster space remaining at a premium, teams are making big swings in an effort to shore up their ranks as they push toward the 2025 season's halfway point.

Indiana Fever Face Minnesota Lynx at 2025 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Final

The Indiana Fever huddle during a 2025 WNBA game.
The Indiana Fever will play in their first-ever Commissioner's Cup final on Tuesday night. (Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images)

The 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup final tips off on Tuesday night, when first-time finalist Indiana will look to upset reigning Cup champs Minnesota in a winner-take-all showdown for both bragging rights and the lion's share of the in-season tournament's prize pool.

With the total purse set at $500,000, athletes on the winning team will earn around $30,000 each — plus an additional $5,000 for the Commissioner's Cup final MVP — while losing players will take home $10,000.

While Tuesday's final won't count toward the regular-season WNBA standings, the battle will be the first meeting between the Lynx and Fever this year, adding first-clash drama to the already-high stakes.

"I think it's going to feel like a playoff game. It's going to be really fun," Lynx star Napheesa Collier told reporters, noting Minnesota's home-court advantage in the matchup. "Our fans show up for us every game, but especially in that environment ... it's going to be electrifying."

Despite the excitement, player availability could tip the scales in Tuesday's outcome, as both Collier and Fever guard Caitlin Clark contend with recent injuries.

While Collier returned from a lingering back issue without missing a beat last weekend, Clark missed Indiana's last two games due to a groin issue and is currently "questionable" to play for the Commissioner's Cup.

"I'm going to be day-to-day," Clark said on Sunday. "Doing everything I can to put myself in position to play the next game. That's always my goal."

How to watch tonight's WNBA Commissioner's Cup final

The Minnesota Lynx and Indiana Fever will take the court for the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup final at 8 PM ET on Tuesday.

Live coverage of the in-season tournament's championship game will air on Prime.

WNBA Drops All-Star Game Starters, Taps Rookie Paige Bueckers

Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers celebrates a play during a 2025 WNBA game against the Indiana Fever.
Paige Bueckers is the only rookie to make the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game starting lineup. (Mercedes Oliver/NBAE via Getty Images)

The WNBA dropped its All-Star Game starters list on Monday, with just one rookie earning enough votes to feature on the star-studded 10-player lineup.

In addition to being the lone rookie, Dallas's No. 1 overall draft pick Paige Bueckers will be the only All-Star debutant playing in the game's first minutes, as the Wings guard joins nine previous All-Stars to tip off the July 19th matchup — giving her a presumptive edge in this year's Rookie of the Year race.

Joining Bueckers as WNBA All-Star starters will be team captains Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx) and Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever), as well as Aliyah Boston (Indiana Fever), Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream), Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty), Nneka Ogwumike (Seattle Storm), Satou Sabally (Phoenix Mercury), Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty), and A'ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces).

A mix of 50% fan voting, 25% player voting, and 25% media voting determined the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game starting lineup — though the three groups did not necessarily come to a consensus.

For example, players ranked Clark ninth among guards, while the media put her in third. A record-setting 1.29 million fan votes boosted the Fever star into a captain's role.

As for players who fell just short of a starting position, like Indiana guard Kelsey Mitchell and Chicago forward Angel Reese fell just short of starting at their positions, their All-Star dreams aren't over yet.

Head coaches across the league will now vote to select 12 reserve players, likely adding both fan favorites and stat-sheet stars to the July 6th final All-Star player pool, with Collier and Clark building their teams from that list on July 8th.

Though reputation, skill, and popularity all factor into All-Star nods, this year's group is also underlining the depth of the WNBA's talent base.

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