San Diego Wave head coach Casey Stoney is not afraid to speak her mind. On Saturday the NWSL announced Stoney had been fined, for the third time this season, for comments “detrimental to the league,” the NWSL announced Friday.
The league cited the violation of Section 12.2.5 (e) “Prejudicial Statements and Public Criticism” of the League Operations Manual.
Stoney’s latest comments came after the Waves’ 1-0 loss to the OL Reign on July 28. Asked about the broken nose midfielder Taylor Kornieck sustained during the defeat, Stoney did not hold back. Kornieck was hit hard twice during the game, the second time triggering blood from her nose.
“How that girl goes through game after game after game with absolutely no protection. What’s it going to take, what is it going to take?” Stoney said. “How hurt does she have to get before somebody starts protecting her? Because I can’t keep watching this girl who goes out every week just because of her size.”
The #NWSL has issued a fine to San Diego Wave head coach Casey Stoney for comments detrimental to the league made during a post-match press conference on July 28, 2023, for “Prejudicial Statements and Public Criticism” of the League Operations Manual. #VamosWave https://t.co/nfovjos8rc
— Taylor Vincent (@tayvincent6) August 4, 2023
The 6-foot-1 Kornieck, who in 2022 became the tallest player in U.S. Women’s National Team history to earn a cap, has scored one goal this season. The Wave are 6-3-6 and are winless in their last eight games.
“She touches anybody and it’s a foul and she gets no protection,” Stoney said of Kornieck. “Every week she gets fouled, dangerously fouled. How many head injuries, how many knocks to the head is she going to take before somebody does something? Because at some point she’s going to stop playing the game because there’s only so much you can take. And somebody from the league has to keep looking and saying, ‘Well, what’s going on here?’ Because she needs some protection.
Stoney was last fined July 14 because of a tweet. Stoney had tweeted a clip of the Wave’s match against the Washington Spirit with the comment: “Investment in technology. You decide.”