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Red Stars’ free-agent exodus leaves future even murkier

Danny Colaprico was the second longest-tenured Red Stars player before she formally entered free agency Thursday. (EM Dash/USA TODAY Sports)

When the Chicago Red Stars announced on Thursday that free agents Morgan Gautrat, Danny Colaprico and Rachel Hill had opted not to return to the club in 2023, the news came as a surprise to many.

Colaprico was one of the longest-tenured players on Chicago’s roster, having played for the Red Stars since being drafted in 2015. Only captain Vanessa DiBernardo has been with the team longer, and by just one year. Colaprico started for the team in two NWSL Finals, crossed the 100-cap mark and became a fan favorite as a defensive midfielder. Despite her small stature at 5-foot-3, she was known for always coming up big on aerial duels.

Gautrat, a two-time world champion with the U.S. women’s national team, transformed the Red Stars’ midfield when she joined the club full-time in the middle of 2018. The way the Red Stars dictated tempo and moved the ball was their calling card through 2019. In 2021, as the team made a second run to the NWSL Finals in as many regular seasons, Gautrat helped hold the midfield together with a very different style of play. Hill carried out important utility roles, playing winger and wingback in her three years with the team and scoring their lone goal in the 2021 NWSL Championship.

But with all the information that’s come out about the club in the last two years, it almost would have been more surprising if all three players had decided to stay. Former head coach Rory Dames was allowed to resign following the 2021 season after years of complaints about his coaching, including from USWNT star Christen Press, who played for the team from 2014-18.

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Morgan Gautrat had been a key player for the Red Stars since 2018. (Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)

Longtime owner Arnim Whisler was named in the recent Sally Q. Yates report on systemic abuse in the NWSL and accused of dismissing player complaints as “Rory being Rory.” In an interview with Defector Media this year, former Red Stars player Brooke Elby said that Whisler would “defend Rory to anybody. He knew everything Rory did. And if he didn’t know firsthand by seeing it, he knew because every player was in that office at some point telling him.”

Beyond Dames, Red Stars players under Whisler also endured what Elby described as sub-par conditions, including living in apartments that Whisler himself owned.

“For what you expect as a professional athlete, it was a joke,” Elby said. “To already come in knowing your team is the poorest team out there isn’t a great feeling. Because we already know everything we’re going to get is going to be like a downgraded version of what everybody else has.”

After Chicago advanced to the NWSL quarterfinals in 2022 under new head coach Chris Petrucelli, Red Stars minority ownership removed Whisler as head of the club’s board of directors in the wake of the Yates report. According to a Sportico report on Thursday, Whisler has “formally engaged a third-party advisor to facilitate the sale” of the Red Stars, but a sale could still take time. Rising club evaluations throughout the league — most notably the reported $60 million that Merritt Paulson is seeking for the Portland Thorns — could play a factor in slowing things down.

Sales don’t always mean a team stays in its home market, as seen by FC Kansas City’s relocation to Utah for the 2018 season and subsequent return in 2021. The bank reportedly leading Whisler’s sale is also currently leading the sales of two new NWSL expansion teams.

In the meantime, Chicago’s governance appears in limbo, and it’s costing them talent. As reported by Defector Media, some of the Red Stars players’ salaries have not remained consistent with veteran industry standards, and in a new free agency market, that’s going to cost a team that historically has struggled with player support. The Red Stars did re-sign defender Arin Wright and midfielder Yuki Nagasato to new contracts, but it appears that instead of retaining their core, they will have to commit to a bigger rebuild.

Also significant is the fact that Gautrat, Colaprico and Hill achieved free-agency status only after an independent arbitrator ruled that six-year veterans are not bound to team-first options signed before the ratification of the league’s CBA. Had the Players Association not pushed for that ruling, all three players would have had no recourse if Chicago had decided to extend their options for 2023.

The ripple effects of NWSL free agency won’t come only in the form of splashy new signings — though those are expected as Hill, Colaprico, and Gautrat begin to negotiate with new teams. Perhaps the most significant outcome is that players now have the chance to pursue better opportunities for themselves.

It was clear after this season that the Red Stars were going to have to keep up with rising standards. Thursday’s news will leave fans wondering if they have a plan.

Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

Upsets Rule as College Basketball Preps for NCAA Weekend Showcase

JuJu Watkins leads USC basketball onto the court for a game.
Watkins set a USC single-game three-point record with nine made shots. (Andy Abeyta/The Desert Sun/USA TODAY NETWORK/Imagn Images)

The 2024/25 NCAA basketball season continues to impress, as stunning upsets took over college courts this week.

Kicking off the drama was Trojan superstar JuJu Watkins, who set a new USC three-point record​ in Tuesday's 94-52 win over Cal Baptist, going 9-11 from behind the arc en route to a 40-point performance that led the Big Ten newcomer to a 7-1 season record.

"The goal is to have fun always," Watkins said after the game. "I shoot my best when I'm not really thinking."

Hannah Hidalgo celebrates No. 10 Notre Dame's overtime upset women's college basketball win against No. 4 Texas.
Hannah Hidalgo scored 30 points in No. 10 Notre Dame's upset win over No. 4 Texas. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Chaos reigns on Thursday's NCAA basketball courts

Watkins's big night set the stage for a stellar week of college hoops, with Thursday's slate serving up Top-10 matchups, upsets, and overtime thrillers.

While No. 3 South Carolina dispatched No. 8 Duke 81-70 behind Chloe Kitts' career-high tying 21 points, No. 10 Notre Dame snapped their two-game losing streak by handing No. 4 Texas their season's first defeat.

Even more impressive about the 80-70 overtime victory is that the Fighting Irish clinched it with an injury-hampered roster. Only six Notre Dame players took the court, battling 11 total Longhorns.

Sophomore star Hannah Hidalgo, who competed all 45 minutes, led the Irish with 30 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Guards Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron also contributed 18 points apiece. That said, defense clinched the upset win by holding Texas to just two overtime points while Notre Dame drained 12.

"They played with their hearts," Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey noted after the win. "They played with passion and fire. I'm just really proud of this group."

Also shaking up higher ranked teams on Thursday was NC State and No. 16 UNC, who downed No. 18 Ole Miss and No. 14 Kentucky, respectively. On the West Coast, Cal humbled No. 19 Alabama 69-65, sending the Tide home with their first season loss to end Bama's first 9-0 start in 24 years.

Narrowly escaping Thursday's upset party was No. 5 LSU, who needed overtime to take down unranked Stanford 94-88. Cardinal sophomore Nunu Agara impressed with a 29-point, 13-rebound double-double, but the Tigers bit back with Mikaylah Williams, Kailyn Gilbert, and Flau'jae Johnson combining for an astounding 78 points to keep LSU undefeated on the season.

UConn's Paige Bueckers dribbles past Louisville's Eylia Love in a 2023 women's college basketball game.
UConn will play Louisville in the first-ever Women's Champions Classic. (M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images)

Top NCAA teams take over Barclays in new Champions Classic

The madness continues on Saturday with the first-ever Women’s Champions Classic. Four college basketball powerhouses will hit the court at Brooklyn's Barclays Center — home to the 2024 WNBA champion NY Liberty.

Saturday's doubleheader sees eight-time NCAA champs Tennessee take on No. 17 Iowa in their first clash since 1993, when the Hawkeyes registered their only win over three matchups with the Vols.

The nightcap between 11-time title-winners No. 2 UConn and No. 22 Louisville has an even deeper history, with legendary coach Geno Auriemma's Huskies holding a 19-3 all-time record over the Cardinals.

Unlike the 13-year-old men's Champions Classic, which features the same four teams (Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, and Michigan State) each year, the new annual women's edition will always include UConn alongside three other rotating teams.

"There's never been a higher level of interest in women's basketball," Auriemma said ahead of the games. "The Champions Classic will give fans exciting, marquee matchups early in the season."

How to watch UConn college basketball at the Women's Champions Classic college basketball event

Saturday's action starts with No. 17 Iowa vs. Tennessee at 7 PM ET. No. 22 Louisville vs. No. 2 UConn follows at 9 PM ET. Both games will air live on Fox.

2024 College Cup Makes NCAA History with All-ACC Final Four

Duke celebrates making their fifth College Cup after last weekend's NCAA quarterfinal.
Overall No. 1 seed Duke is seeking a program-first national title at the 2024 College Cup. (Duke Athletics)

The 2024 NCAA College Cup kicks off on Friday with four ACC semifinalists, making the newly realigned coast-to-coast league the first conference in the Cup's 43-year history to field every Final Four team.

Even more, with WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina hosting for the 12th year, three of the four squads will have a home-state advantage. Overall No. 1 seed Duke, No. 2 Wake Forest, and No. 2 UNC all hail from the Tar Heel State.

Joining that local trio of ACC veterans looking to book a spot in Monday's championship match is conference rookie No. 3 Stanford.

Alongside UNC, the Cardinal hold championship experience advantage over Duke and Wake Forest, who are both hunting first-ever national titles. The Tar Heels' historic dynasty leads the NCAA with 21 trophies, though they haven't lifted one since 2012. Stanford has three, the most recent from 2019 when a roster of future superstars including USWNT icons Sophia Smith, Naomi Girma, and Catarina Macario brought the Cup back to Palo Alto.

NCAA Stanford women's soccer players celebrate booking their ticket to the 2024 College Cup.
Three-time champs Stanford is seeking their first title as an ACC team. (Lyndsay Radnedge/ISIPhotos/Stanford Athletics)

Wake Forest kicks off 2024 College Cup against Stanford

The first of Friday's two semifinals will see Wake Forest fight to extend their record-setting season by logging a fourth all-time win over Stanford.

The Demon Deacons handed the former Pac-12 team losses in 2000 and 2006 before clashing for the first time as conference foes this September. In then-No. 1 ranked Stanford's first-ever ACC matchup, they fell 1-0 to Wake Forest, who earned their first win over a top-ranked team in program history in the process.

The road to the 2024 College Cup required grit and some penalty kick luck for both squads. The Cardinal needed a shootout to advance past No. 2 Arkansas in the tournament's third round before shutting out No. 4 Notre Dame 2-0 in their quarterfinal to punch their ticket to Cary.

As for Wake Forest, they narrowly defeated No. 3 Ohio State 1-0, then used PKs to oust No. 1 USC to secure entrance to their second-ever College Cup.

UNC's Kate Faasse celebrates her golden goal with her teammates in the NCAA soccer quarterfinal.
UNC attacker Kate Faasse is tied atop the NCAA with 19 goals so far this season. (Andy Mead/UNC Athletics)

Rivals Duke and UNC to square off in second semifinal

The nightcap sees rivals Duke and UNC battle for the fourth time this season, as the Blue Devils look to avenge their lone 2024 loss to the Tar Heels by ousting the 21-time champs en route to a first-ever national title.

The Tar Heels lead the series by a mile with a 44-6-5 record against the Blue Devils but, as the nation's top team, Duke has been the team to beat this season — something UNC has only done once.

After the Blue Devils took both of the pair's regular-season meetings — a program-first home win on September 5th and a Halloween season finale victory — UNC booted Duke 2-1 from the ACC tournament's semifinals on the WakeMed pitch.

In their NCAA-leading 32nd College Cup appearance on Friday, UNC will look to become the first team all tournament to break through Duke's brick-wall backline. Previously, the Blue Devils have yet to concede a goal in the NCAA bracket.

The two rivals are also currently standing on opposite sides of historic coaching legacies. The preseason departure of 45-season leader Anson Dorrance has UNC hungry to prove that their dominance is not Dorrance-dependent. On the other hand, Duke is hoping to gift a program-first national title to head coach Robbie Church, who will retire post-College Cup after 23 seasons at the helm.

How to watch the 2024 College Cup NCAA soccer tournament

The 2024 College Cup contenders begin battle on Friday. First, No. 2 Wake Forest takes on No. 3 Stanford at 5 PM ET, with No. 1 Duke vs. No. 2 UNC following at 7:30 PM ET.

Both semifinals as well as Monday's 7 PM ET championship match will be broadcast live on ESPNU.

‘The Late Sub’ Tackles NCAA Basketball, PWHL Hockey, and College Volleyball

Iowa State's Addy Brown tries to dribble past South Carolina's defense.
A massive win over No. 20 Iowa State helped put defending NCAA basketball champs No. 3 South Carolina back on track. (Kelly Gavin/Getty Images)

On today's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins takes a break from the soccer beat to catch up on other women's sports action, starting with the state of NCAA basketball, which has already seen big upsets this season, before moving onto look at some recent upheaval in the WNBA.

Later, Watkins chats about PWHL stars and how conference dominance is shaping the 2024 NCAA volleyball tournament.

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.

Subscribe to The Late Sub to never miss an episode.

Sportico Report Taps Highest-Paid Women’s Sports Athletes

Highest-paid women's sports athlete Caitlin Clark smiles during a game.
Clark is the only basketball player to make Sportico's highest-paid women's sports athletes list. (Jeff Bottari/NBAE via Getty Images)

Fever rookie Caitlin Clark rocketed to the upper tiers of Sportico's annual highest-paid women's sports athletes report on Wednesday, landing in 10th place with an estimated $11 million in yearly earnings.

With tournaments like the US Open guaranteeing equal purses across men's and women's events, tennis players dominated the findings, accounting for nine of the 15 entries. This includes first-place Coco Gauff, who, with $9.4 million in prizes plus $21 million in endorsements, tops the list for the second year in a row.

Skier Eileen Gu came in second, complementing her individual earnings with the list's highest-estimated endorsement profits at $22 million. Gymnast Simone Biles came in at No. 9 with an estimated $11.1 million in total income.

Golfers Nelly Korda and Lydia Ko also made the cut, mirroring the LPGA Tour's expanded purses.

Report highlights endorsements in women's sports

The report underlines the continued importance of endorsements in the women's game — particularly within team sports, where many athletes rely on supplemental income to boost relatively small pro salaries.

However, 2024's estimated $221 million in total earnings is up 27% over last year, with 11 athletes making at least $10 million compared to six in 2023.

Highest-paid female athlete US tennis star Coco Gauff poses with her 2024 WTA Finals trophy
Tennis star Coco Gauff is 2024's highest-paid women's sports athlete. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)

Sportico's 15 highest-paid women's sports athletes

1. Coco Gauff: $30.4 million
Prize money: $9.4 million | Endorsements: $21 million

2. Eileen Gu: $22.1 million
Prize money: $62,000 | Endorsements: $22 million

3. Iga Świątek: $21.4 million
Prize money: $8.4 million | Endorsements: $13 million

4. Zheng Qinwen: $20.6 million
Prize money: $5.6 million | Endorsements: $15 million

5. Aryna Sabalenka: $17.7 million
Prize money: $9.7 million | Endorsements: $8 million

6. Naomi Osaka: $15.9 million
Prize money: $870,000 | Endorsements: $15 million

7. Emma Raducanu: $14.7 million
Prize money: $671,000 | Endorsements: $14 million

8. Nelly Korda: $14.4 million
Prize money: $4.4 million | Endorsements: $10 million

9. Simone Biles: $11.1 million
Prize money: $135,000 | Endorsements: $11 million

10. Caitlin Clark: $11.1 million
Salary/bonus: $100,000 | Endorsements: $11 million

11. Jasmine Paolini: $10 million
Prize money: $6.5 million | Endorsements: $3.5 million

12. Jeeno Thitikul: $9.1 million
Prize money: $7.1 million | Endorsements: $2 million

13. Jessica Pegula: $8.2 million
Prize money: $4.2 million | Endorsements: $4 million

14. Elena Rybakina: $7.9 million
Prize money: $3.9 million | Endorsements: $4 million

15. Lydia Ko: $6.7 million
Prize money: $3.2 million | Endorsements: $3.5 million

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