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Emma Hruby

Sep 30, 2021

‘Get the idiots out’: NWSL players respond to Paul Riley allegations

@ORLPride

Amid allegations of sexual coercion and emotional abuse by North Carolina Courage coach Paul Riley, NWSL players are speaking out in reaction and support of their colleagues.

Alex Morgan, who is featured in The Athletic article and who originally helped Mana Shim report her experiences to the Portland Thorns and the league, tweeted out in support.

“I am sickened and have too many thoughts to share at this moment,” she wrote. “Bottom line: protect your players. Do the right thing NWSL.”

USWNT star Megan Rapinoe also called out the clubs and executives which have allowed coaches accused of misconduct to find new roles elsewhere.

Haley Carter also voiced her support for the players, calling for the Courage to suspend Riley immediately.

“Abuse of any kind has no place in the game,” she wrote. “Get him away from players. Get any staff who was aware of this behavior and failed to report it away from players. This is a zero tolerance matter.”

Nikki Stanton thanked those who shared their stories, telling them “it won’t be for nothing.”

Meanwhile, Nadia Nadim called the NWSL “such a joke.”

“Making their own bogus investigation, keeping it confidential, and then keep having the back of people that’s doing wrong have to stop,” she wrote.

“I’m back in this league to make a difference and to improve things. This league can be great, as we have the best players in the world. We just need to get the idiots out, gain power and make this league as great as it CAN be.”

Christine Sinclair called it “everyone’s responsibility to hold the standards and enforce accountability.”

Kealia Ohai Watt thanked Shim and Farrelly for their bravery.

“I am so sorry for what you have had to go through,” she wrote.

Janine Beckie also tweeted in support.

Becky Sauerbrunn thanked those who have spoken out in recent months for their “strength and courage.” She also thanked the NWSLPA for the leadership they’ve shown and asked players to make use of the resources the PA has made available.

“We’ve been doing this for almost a decade now, with two prior leagues’ worth of experience beforehand to inform and guide us,” she wrote. “To be where we are today is unacceptable. The league and every club have to do better.”

Angel City FC also tweeted out in response to the NWSLPA’s statement, saying, “we will not and are not ignoring this.”

They later issued a full statement, calling the allegations “absolutely horrific and unacceptable.”

Gotham FC issued a statement of their own, alongside GM Yael Averbuch West.

Didi Haracic tweeted “DO NOT IGNORE THIS.”

Crystal Dunn also responded, tweeting “Protect players! Protect women!”

Angela Salem expressed her sadness and dissapointment.

“Enough is enough!” she wrote. “Players should not have to suffer anymore. The last few weeks have been a shitshow. My heart is so heavy right now.”

Rachel Corsie echoed the NWSLPA, stating “WE WILL NOT LET THIS CONTINUE.”

Megan Rapinoe also responded to the allegations.

“Men, protecting men, who are abusing women,” she wrote. “I’ll say it again, men, protecting men, who are ABUSING WOMEN.

“Burn it all down. Let all their heads roll.”

Meghan Klingenberg added to statements she made in August at the International Champions Cup.

“It takes real courage to speak out about abuse and harassment in this league, especially when the perpetrators are often rehired and the very institutions that are supposed to protect us from them give them a free pass for abusive behavior,” she wrote. “It is enraging that the NWSL knew about this abuse and allowed the abuser to be rehired…A safe work environment is the lowest bar.

“This league won’t fold. But it sure as hell won’t ever be the same. And that’s a good thing.”

She then called out Lisa Baird in the NWSL’s statement, calling the accusations “not *new*”

“People need to stop blaming others for their feelings & saying ‘i’m sorry what i said/did made you feel that way,'” she wrote in a later tweet. “Own up to the fact that they were wrong. what hurts me most is that people are still failing to hold themselves accountable.”

Toni Deion Pressley also threw her support behind Shim and Farrelly.

Bella Bixby tweeted “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH”

“The bare minimum we ask is that we can show up and do our job in a safe environment,” she wrote in another tweet. “This abuse occurs at every level that I know of and it is horrifying. When will leadership stop falling on the players alone to protect each other? Protect players, protect women. Period.”

Sophia Smith responded to the allegations on Twitter, calling it “scary” as a young player.

“It’s a scary and intimidating feeling to never know who’s looking out for you or who you can trust,” she wrote. “the bare minimum is being asked of the league to protect its players, and they can’t even do that.”

San Diego NWSL also responded, calling players the “nucleus” of the NWSL.

Head coach Casey Stoney also responded, calling player welfare “paramount.”

“Creating an open, honest, caring & supportive environment is something I pride myself on & will continue in my new role,” she continued. “It is never easy to speak out but those players are brave & courageous.”

Rosie White called it “disturbing and disgusting.”

The Chicago Red Stars also issued a statement, saying they are “outraged to hear about another instance of player abuse and are devastated for the players involved.”

Kaiya McCullough, who has detailed her own accounts of abuse allegations to the Washington Post over former coach Richie Burke, said she “held back tears” as she read the article.

“How long does this need to go on?” she wrote.

“Every time I feel like I have found some sort of peace, I am re-traumatized with the fact that the same shit is happening to others, and nobody in positions of power are doing anything,” she continued.

Julie Foudy also responded.

“A league for women. Yet @NWSL fails to protect women,” she wrote.

Nicole Baxter also sounded off, saying she was “enraged.”

JWS Staff

Jul 2, 2025

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.

Claire Watkins

Jul 2, 2025

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.

Claire Watkins

Jul 2, 2025

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.

JWS Staff

Jul 2, 2025

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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