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NWSL and NWSLPA joint abuse investigation: What to know

(Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The NWSL season has come to an end, but the league’s investigation into alleged abuse and misconduct has not.

While U.S. Soccer’s investigation concluded in early October with the release of a bombshell report, the joint investigation from the NWSL and the NWSL Players Association is ongoing. Here’s what you need to know as we await the results.

When did the investigation start?

The investigation began in October 2021, after two former NWSL players leveled accusations of sexual harassment and coercion against coach Paul Riley.

The players’ voices proved a tipping point. Riley was fired as head coach of the North Carolina Courage, Lisa Baird stepped down as NWSL commissioner, and the league and its players association started a joint investigation into abuse and misconduct.

Who is conducting the investigation?

The investigative team includes members from the NWSL and the NWSLPA.

The oversight committee for the investigation includes two members chosen by the league, two chosen by the NWSLPA and an independent member agreed upon by both sides.

The NWSL’s committee members are commissioner Jessica Berman and Djenaba Parker, while the NWSLPA’s members are NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke and WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson. Retired federal judge Barbara Jones was selected as the independent committee member.

Amanda Kramer of Covington & Burling is representing the NWSL, while Arianna Scavetti of Weil, Gotshal & Burling is representing the NWSLPA.

As of Sept. 30, almost 200 interviews had been conducted and nearly 200,000 documents reviewed, according to The Athletic.

What is the investigation about?

The joint investigation is designed to “broadly review any instances of inappropriate conduct and seek to identify systemic failures,” with the objective of developing “evidence-based practices” that will help the league put player safety first.

As part of the NSWSLPA’s demands, every coach, general manager, representative on the Board of Governors and owner was required to voluntarily submit to the investigation. Each of the league’s 12 clubs are being investigated to determine whether any abuse “has occurred at any point in time.”

Riley was one of five NWSL coaches to be dismissed or step down during the 2021 season: Farid Benstiti resigned from OL Reign; Richie Burke was fired by the Washington Spirit; Christy Holly was terminated “for cause” by Racing Louisville; and Rory Dames resigned from the Chicago Red Stars.

And more coaches were fired or suspended during the 2022 season: Kris Ward of the Washington Spirit was fired in August; James Clarkson of the Houston Dash was suspended in April; and Amanda Cromwell of the Orlando Pride was suspended in June and has since been fired.

Sally Yates’ report detailing the findings from the U.S. Soccer-commissioned investigation focused most heavily on Riley, Holly and Dames, but the focus of the NWSL and NWSLPA joint investigation remains to be seen.

How does the Yates investigation impact this investigation?

U.S. Soccer isn’t fully cooperating with the NWSL’s investigation, NWSL and NWSLPA officials indicated to The Athletic.

“U.S. Soccer has hired a different law firm to hold documents and witnesses back from the investigation where players do have an oversight role, and are in the room with direct access to evidence,” Burke told The Athletic last month. “It is my hope that U.S. Soccer, after they release their findings, will ramp up their cooperation.”

On the heels of the Yates investigation, pressure has increased for U.S. Soccer to cooperate with the league’s investigation. Last Tuesday, 44 members of Congress issued an open letter to U.S. Soccer on the findings of the Yates report, urging the federation to continue to implement change.

“As you know, the NWSL and the NWSL Players Association (NWSLPA) are conducting a separate joint investigation that will examine the working environments of all 12 of the teams in the NWSL,” the letter reads. “We ask that USSF cooperate fully with the joint NWSL-NWSLPA investigation and produce all documents for investigators that were provided to the Yates team.”

In response, U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone said the league has been “meeting regularly” with leaders of both the NWSL and NWSLPA.

“We will continue to support and cooperate with their ongoing investigation as we all seek to enact systemic change across our game,” she said.

But according to The Athletic, the joint investigation still is awaiting documents from the national federation despite issuing requests as far back as January 2022. Recent discussions with U.S. Soccer were encouraging to the joint investigative team, but frustration over lack of cooperation and lost time was still evident.

When will the joint investigation release its findings?

No firm timeline has been provided, but the joint investigation is expected to be completed by the end of 2022, Berman said in October.

Top Tennis Stars Crash Out of Wimbledon in the First Round

US tennis star Coco Gauff reacts to her 2025 Wimbledon first-round loss to Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska.
World No. 2 Coco Gauff fell to Ukraine's unseeded Dayana Yastremska in the first round of 2025 Wimbledon on Tuesday. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)

The grass court chaos of Wimbledon didn't disappoint this week, as the unpredictable surface claimed more than one surprise victim in the 2025 Grand Slam's first round.

A full 10 of the London tournament's 32 seeded players fell in the competition's first round, including four of the WTA's Top 10: World No. 2 Coco Gauff, No. 3 Jessica Pegula, No. 6 Qinwen Zheng, and No. 9 Paula Badosa.

"I should just play no tournaments, get no wins, then roll into Wimbledon, and maybe I'll have better results," US star Pegula joked after her two-set Tuesday loss to Italy's No. 116 Elisabetta Cocciaretto, referencing her recent wins.

Gauff's short Wimbledon outing also represented a new challenge for the 21-year-old standout, as the top-ranked US tennis player struggled to bounce back after winning the 2025 French Open last month.

"I feel like mentally I was a little bit overwhelmed with everything that came afterwards," Gauff told ESPN. "So I didn’t feel like I had enough time to celebrate and also get back into it."

The upsets continued as Wimbledon entered its second round on Wednesday morning, claiming several more seeded players like world No. 5 Jasmine Paolini and No. 15 Diana Shnaider, though both No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and unseeded fan favorite Naomi Osaka cruised into the Slam's third round on two-set wins.

No. 8 Madison Keys now leads the US contingent, with fellow US contender No. 12 Amanda Anisimova joining the 2025 Australian Open champion in snagging their own two-set, second-round victories on Wednesday.

How to watch the 2025 Wimbledon Championships

Second-round play at the 2025 Wimbledon women's singles tournament continues on Thursday, as seven US players — including No. 10 Emma Navarro and No. 28 Sofia Kenin — look to advance to the competition's third round.

Live continuous coverage of the London Grand Slam airs on ESPN.

USWNT Faces Rivals Canada in Final Summer Friendly

USWNT players Alyssa Thompson and Sam Meza eye the ball during a June 2025 training camp.
The USWNT will face Canada in their final summer friendly on Wednesday. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

The world No. 1 USWNT will close out their summer international break against a familiar foe on Wednesday night, facing North American rival No. 8 Canada for the first time this year.

"It's never friendly, you know? It's always like a final," US midfielder Sam Coffey told media earlier this week. "We all know each other super well."

"I'm really excited to be a part of it again for our younger, newer players," she continued. "I think it's going to be a huge learning opportunity on what representing this crest means."

The Northern neighbors are the USWNT's most frequent opponent, with the US entering the pair's 67th meeting with a 53-4-9 all-time record against Canada.

Wednesday's matchup will also mark Canada's first US clash under new head coach Casey Stoney, who joined the team in January following her abrupt June 2024 dismissal by the NWSL's San Diego Wave FC.

As for US boss Emma Hayes, she'll be looking for yet another refreshed set of starters on Wednesday after swapping out all 11 players between the team's two friendlies against Ireland last week.

"It's a testament to players and staff alike that we can rotate to different groups like we did last game, and everybody's understanding [the tactics] to varying degrees," Hayes said on Tuesday.

With months to go before the next USWNT camp in October, Wednesday's showdown serves as the last chance for bubble players to prove their worth, all while the team aims to cap the summer window with a big win over their longtime rivals.

How to watch the USWNT vs. Canada on Wednesday

The USWNT will cap their three-friendly summer break against Canada at 7:30 PM ET in Washington, DC.

Live coverage of the clash will air on TNT.

Indiana Upsets Minnesota, Wins WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Without Clark

The Indiana Fever celebrate and lift the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup trophy.
The Indiana Fever upset the Minnesota Lynx to win the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup. (David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Indiana Fever lifted their first trophy since 2012 on Tuesday night, winning the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup with a 74-59 upset victory over reigning Cup champs Minnesota — all while injured star guard Caitlin Clark watched from the sidelines.

To snag the win, Indiana leaned on balanced scoring, with forward Natasha Howard's 16-point, 12-rebound double-double leading the Fever's five double-digit shooters.

At the same time, the Fever employed a shutdown defense, limiting the Lynx to their lowest point total of the season.

Beyond the $500,000 payout, Tuesday's win gives the 8-8 Fever a momentum boost as the team continues contending with both high-profile departures and the limited availability of their floor general.

"We have a resilient group, you know?" Indiana head coach Stephanie White said after the game. "They're tough, mentally and physically, they pull for one another. I'm just really proud."

"It felt good to get a win under gut-check circumstances," echoed guard Kelsey Mitchell. "To have so much going on and still stay consistently for each other, it was beautiful. It felt really amazing."

As for the league-leading Lynx, the Commissioner's Cup loss won't impact Minnesota's regular-season WNBA standings — and they’ll hope to build on the learnings from last night's ego blow.

Minnesota also has a bit of history one their side, as the last two Commissioner's Cup runners-up went on to win the WNBA Championship in the same year.

"We have to take this game to heart and learn from the mistakes we made, the way we showed up, the way we prepared, and make sure we don't do it again," said Lynx center Alanna Smith.

How to watch the Indiana Fever, Minnesota Lynx this week

Neither 2025 Commissioner's Cup contender will have much time to reflect on Tuesday's game, as both Indiana and Minnesota will dive back into regular-season WNBA play on Thursday.

The Fever will host the Las Vegas Aces at 7 PM ET, airing on Prime, before the Washington Mystics visit the Lynx at 8 PM ET, with live coverage on WNBA League Pass.

Indiana Fever Guard Sophie Cunningham Sounds Off on WNBA Expansion

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham speaks to reporters before the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup final.
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham expressed concern about the new WNBA expansion cities. (David Dow /NBAE via Getty Images)

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham turned heads on Tuesday, criticizing the latest WNBA expansion plans in light of ongoing WNBPA CBA negotiations.

Cunningham drew ire from some fans after expressing skepticism about the WNBA awarding expansion teams to Detroit and Cleveland over other possible cities, while also suggesting that the league might be growing too quickly.

"You want to listen to your players, too. Where do they want to play?" she told reporters ahead of Indiana's Commissioner's Cup win. "I'm not so sure what the thought process is there, but at the end of the day, you want to make sure that you're not expanding our league too fast."

"It's kind of a hard decision-making situation. But man, I don't know how excited people are to be going to Detroit or [Cleveland]."

Elsewhere, Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally also voiced her expansion concerns on Tuesday, calling on the WNBA to keep player support at the forefront when adding expansion teams.

"We really have to put an emphasis on the players that are in our league right now," she told reporters. "Maybe focus on the teams that find excuses continuously to lack investment in their players before we focus on adding more to the grain of people that can't really be sustained."

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