All Scores

NWSL, Players Association ratify first-ever CBA

DANIEL BARTEL/ISI Photos/Getty Images

The NWSL Players Association announced Monday that the union, in conjunction with the NWSL, has ratified the league’s first collective bargaining agreement. The news comes on the eve of NWSL preseason, with players expected to report to camps on Tuesday.

The CBA is still “subject to approval by the NWSL Board of Governors,” according to the statement released by the PA. A source told The Athletic that the final terms would likely be approved during the day on Tuesday. Additionally, the source said that the terms of the CBA have previously been agreed to. The final vote that takes place will be centered around the final language of the document.

Players had threatened a work stoppage if there was not a CBA in place by the time preseason began on Feb. 1. In a statement, the NWSLPA said that “players will report to preseason camp tomorrow with the safety, security, and protections” of the new CBA.

“From our inception, the Players Association has put players first,” said NWSL President Tori Huster. “Our mission in this historic CBA was to put this same philosophy at the center of NWSL’s future.”

Included in the CBA is a 160% increase in the league’s minimum salary to $35,000. Year over year, the minimum salary will increase by 4%. Players making above the league minimum will see step-ladder increases.

Additionally, a 401K plan will be implemented in 2023 with the league matching contributions. There will also be minimum standards for housing stipends.

A major point of contention was free agency. In their statement, the NWSLPA said that free agency will begin in 2023, starting with players who have been in the league for at least six years. From there, in 2024, those with three years in the league will become eligible for restricted free agency and those with five years in the league will receive full free agency.

Waived players will receive four weeks of severance pay and 30 days of housing and health insurance.

According to the NWSL, the league will commit between $255,000 and $300,000 to group licensing, another sticking point in negotiations.

Other major points of the CBA include up to six months of paid mental health leave, eight weeks of paid parental leave for birth or adoption and “no more playing on fields that require substantial conversion to the dimensions of a soccer field.”

“The strength, resilience, and solidarity of this extraordinary group of players and people is what secured this landmark agreement,” said NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke. “Players drove every decision in this process. Over more than 40 bargaining sessions, these players stood strong and stood together, right up to the moment of ratification.”

According to the league, the CBA will last for five years and run through the 2026 season.

“This historic agreement formalizes a partnership between owners, front offices and players that is absolutely critical for our league’s long-term growth and success,” said Ed Nalbandian, NJ/NY Gotham FC Owner and Vice-Chair. “I want to thank the players and NWSLPA Executive Director Meghann Burke for the partnership they’ve exhibited in negotiating an agreement that prioritizes player safety, club accountability, and the financial well-being of our players and league. We’re all in this together, and I want to thank my fellow owners for committing the resources that our players so richly deserve.”

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver Addresses WNBA Leadership Concerns, CBA Talks

NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks to media at a 2025 press conference.
NBA team owners collectively control 42% of the WNBA. (David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)

NBA commissioner Adam Silver was in the hot seat this week, addressing the growing rift between WNBA players and commissioner Cathy Engelbert while urging the league to come together on a new CBA agreement.

"Cathy Engelbert has presided over historic growth in the league, but there's no question that there's issues that we need to address with our players, not just economic," Silver said on Monday while acknowledging the significant power the NBA holds over WNBA operations. "I'm confident we can fix those over time and this league can continue to be on the rocket trajectory that it's on right now."

The viral exit interview from Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier blasting WNBA leadership has placed serious pressure on Engelbert, but the NBA's outsized stake in the league also plays into increasingly heated collective bargaining negotiations.

NBA team owners collectively control 42% of the women's league, though WNBA players receive a much smaller revenue share than NBA players.

Under the current CBA, the WNBA must hit certain financial benchmarks before that revenue even becomes available — with players also reporting they're not given access to the data tracking those benchmarks.

Lisa Leslie, Kelley O'Hara break down WNBA leadership issues

Big names are continuing to speak out on the issues, from Engelbert's future to the WNBA's precarious relationship with the NBA.

"Cathy, yes, has done a really good job of helping raise capital, of helping administer the television deal… but you're only able to do that because of those players that are on the floor," retired WNBA icon Lisa Leslie said on Between the Lines late last week. "Listen, the wolf is only as strong as the pack and the pack is only as strong as the wolf. But just know, when the wolf doesn't lead the pack properly, the pack will eat the wolf."

"The bigger issue is the structure of the league, NBA being the ones who essentially make the decisions, and that's really who the Players Association is negotiating with," said USWNT legend Kelley O'Hara on this week's episode of Sports Are Fun! "Cathy's in the negotiation, but Cathy has to go back and get a sign-off from the NBA…. That's the bigger issue that Phee's trying to get to the heart of."

Angel City Falls to Kansas City Current, Loses Grasp on 2025 NWSL Playoffs

Kansas City Current midfielder Claire Hutton controls the ball with Angel City defenders in pursuit during a 2025 NWSL match.
Angel City is facing a second straight year missing the NWSL Playoffs. (Kiyoshi Mio/Imagn Images)

Angel City FC is on the brink of elimination from making the 2025 NWSL Playoffs, with the No. 11 LA club sitting seven points below the postseason cutoff line after falling to 2025 Shield-winners Kansas City 1-0 on Monday.

"There's no more losses at this point," Angel City center back and captain Sarah Gorden said postgame. "It's win or go home. We're going to have to put that into training this week, and come out and find something in us next weekend."

With only three games left in the regular season, Angel City will face the No. 10 Houston Dash, No. 4 Portland Thorns, and No. 14 Chicago Stars to close out their 2025 campaign.

"I know that if we can perform like this going forward, we will win a lot of football games," LA head coach Alexander Straus said after Monday's hard-fought loss.

In a season headlined by high-profile departures, Angel City now faces their second straight season missing the NWSL Playoffs, having reached the postseason just once since their 2022 debut.

However, that lone run to the playoffs could give this year's squad some hope — the LA club clinched their first and only postseason berth on the final day of the 2023 regular season.

As for the Current, the spoils keep coming for No. 1 Kansas City, who set a new NWSL single-season record with their 19th win on Monday — all while continuing the club's second-longest unbeaten run of 16 games.

"We believe so much in the process that we know if we execute everything at some point, we are going to be successful," said Kansas City head coach Vlatko Andonovski.

Naomi Osaka Finds Her Form at 2025 Wuhan Open in China

Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka preps a return during her Round of 64 match at the 2025 Wuhan Open.
Tennis star Naomi Osaka advanced to the Round of 32 of the 2025 Wuhan Open this week. (WUHAN OPEN OFFICIAL 2025/VCG via Getty Images)

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka keeps pushing, as the world No. 16 tennis star followed up her blockbuster comeback run at the 2025 US Open with a first-round win at the Wuhan Open this week.

The Japanese fan favorite battled back from a first-set loss to defeat 2021 US Open finalist and current world No. 27 Leylah Fernandez 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 late Monday night, just weeks after suffering an unexpected exit in the first-round of the 2025 China Open.

Monday's Round of 64 win marked Osaka's seventh come-from-behind victory this year, tying her own single-season comeback record.

Osaka still has hills to climb against other top players in Wuhan, including the likes of No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who will return to action early Wednesday morning in her first competitive match since her successful US Open title defense last month.

Also in the mix at the 2025 Wuhan Open are No. 2 Iga Świątek, No. 3 Coco Gauff, and No. 6 Jessica Pegula, with Świątek already cruising through her Round of 32 hurdle in straight sets early Tuesday morning.

Notably, after powering through a lingering calf injury to win the 2025 China Open on Sunday, US star No. 4 Amanda Anisimova withdrew from the Wuhan tournament to recover and gear up for her first-ever WTA Finals next month.

How to watch the 2025 Wuhan Open

The 2025 Wuhan Open resumes at 11 PM ET on Tuesday, with Pegula, Gauff, Sabalenka, and Osaka all facing their Round of 32 opponents before dawn on Wednesday.

Live coverage of the WTA 1000 tournament airs on the Tennis Channel.

Juicy Couture Taps WNBA All-Star Angel Reese as Global Ambassador and Creative Collaborator

Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese poses in pink Juicy Couture as part of her new partnership with the fashion brand.
Chicago Sky star Angel Reese will serve as a global ambassador and creative collaborator for fashion brand Juicy Couture. (Juicy Couture)

Chicago Sky star Angel Reese is upping her partnership game once again, with US fashion brand Juicy Couture tapping the two-time WNBA All-Star as its global ambassador and creative collaborator earlier this week.

The deal sees the 23-year-old become the new face of the company's fragrance, Viva La Juicy, while also co-designing a limited-edition "Angel Couture" apparel line that includes the brand's signature velour track suits as well as T-shirts and other pieces.

"I grew up loving the brand, so representing Viva La Juicy and co-designing my own collection has been incredible," Reese said in Monday's statement. "Juicy Couture has always been about confidence and having fun with fashion. Now with Angel Couture, I wanted to bring that same energy forward with pieces that are fearless, fun, and make you feel unstoppable."

With her second WNBA season in the books, Reese has continued to be active off the court, launching her own signature sneaker with Reebok last month while also recently making her feature film debut, playing herself in a cameo in Netflix's upcoming political thriller A House of Dynamite.

How to buy the Angel Reese x Juicy Couture collection

The limited edition Angel Couture collection is currently available for purchase at juicycouture.com.

Start your morning off right with Just Women’s Sports’ free, 5x-a-week newsletter.