
Report: NWSL will expand to San Francisco, Utah and Boston
Utah will be rejoining the league.
The ACL injury bug continues to hit the NWSL, with the Chicago Red Stars announcing Wednesday that defender Kayla Sharples will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL.
An update on Kayla Sharples’ injury 💪❤️
— Chicago Red Stars (@chicagoredstars) June 15, 2022
Sharples went down with the injury during the Red Stars’ match against the Orlando Pride. A key defender on the backline, Sharples had played in every minute of the regular season up until sustaining her injury.
On defense, she had made 41 clearances so far this season, with an 80 percent success rate on her tackles. She’s also made eight interceptions and succeeded on 83.7 percent of her passes.
Sharples made 12 appearances in the A-League while on loan to Adelaide United starting in December.
On Twitter, Sharples said she is “devastated.”
“Thank u to everyone who has reached out, you’ve helped me remain hopeful during this tough time,” she wrote. “If u know me, I love a good comeback story. This injury will fuel me to come back stronger & hungrier than ever.”
Unfortunately, in Sunday’s game I tore my ACL & MCL. I am devastated. Thank u to everyone who has reached out, you’ve helped me remain hopeful during this tough time💞 If u know me, I love a good comeback story. This injury will fuel me to come back stronger & hungrier than ever.
— Kayla Sharples (@kaysharps) June 15, 2022
ACL injuries have been a storyline this season in the NWSL. Christen Press had been the most recent player to go down with a torn ACL. Before that, Tierna Davidson, Marta, Annika Schmidt, and Mallory Weber all tore their ACLs prior to or at the beginning of the season. Sharples marks the sixth NWSL player this season to have torn their ACL.
Utah will be rejoining the league.
What do we know about the road to the World Cup?
The Thorns fired Soubrier for improper administration of medication.
The NWSL will become the first women's pro league to do so
Get a rundown of the top highlights, stories, and events in women’s sports, including can’t-miss games and exclusive features.