Marla Messing has been appointed the interim CEO of the NWSL, the league announced Monday.

Soccer fans will likely recognize her as the president and CEO of the 1999 Women’s World Cup. More recently, Messing served as the CEO of United States Tennis Association Southern California from 2019-21, as vice president and executive director of the 2024/2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Bid Committee and as consultant to Los Angeles FC and Barcelona in 2018.

Messing met with reporters on Wednesday to talk about her role, how she got to the NWSL and what kind of league she plans to build in the aftermath of a widespread reckoning over abuses of power and player protections and rights. What follows are her responses to several important questions about the league’s future.

What inspired Messing to return to the soccer scene

I was part of an inflection point in the sport of women’s soccer, and since the 1999 World Cup, the growth in popularity of the game — certainly at the national team level — has been even beyond what I expected. To see the various leagues, including the NWSL, and also the leagues around the world, really begin to invest in women’s soccer has been incredibly rewarding to me.

So, when the events or the disclosure of the events that happened recently came to light, I was very interested in stepping in to help. This is something I care deeply about, and if I can help be a catalyst for change, then you know that’s something that means a lot to me.

How she became the interim CEO

Given my history in the sport of soccer … Cindy Cone of U.S. soccer reached out to me and I believe reached out to the executive committee of the NWSL … to put my hat in the ring for the position. So it was suggested by her and then I met with the executive committee, and I know they met with other people and considered other ways of handling this, but ultimately they selected me.

What her role looks like as interim CEO

In some respect, I will be acting in the same way a commissioner would. I will be part of the board of governor meetings and I would be working closely in collaboration with the board of governors too achieve the things we want to achieve and I will be managing the league office … establishing policies for clubs and our teams to be following. That will be my responsibility, as well.

On the possibility of her role becoming permanent

We have a lot of issues, a lot of challenges, but right now my mandate is to move over the investigations, to make sure institutional change happens, and to run the day-to-day operations of the league. Frankly, that is what I’m focused on. I want to be successful at accomplishing those things on behalf of the players in the league, and everything else, time will tell.

Why she is the best candidate for the position

I don’t know that I was the best candidate for the position. I was the candidate that was selected for the position But look, I think that my history in the sport of soccer and, in particular, around the Women’s World Cup, my legal background, my willingness to jump in right away and work tirelessly to try to accomplish what we need to accomplish, and probably my relationship with some of the players, mostly from 1999 – people like Cindy Cone and Julie Foudy and Kate Markgraf, all of whom I’ve spoken with … I guess ultimately what I was able to convey to them, to the executive committee in the several phone calls and video calls I had with them, they must have found me compelling and someone who could achieve the goals that they would like to achieve.

Her communication style with players

There have been some issues around transparency and I feel really good about the relationship Meghann [Burke] and I have started to build. I’ve known Becca [Roux] for a while now, so I feel really good about that relationship, too. It’s my plan to be transparent with them and honest and direct and I expect the same coming back to us at the league, so I’m committed to that. I know it’s something that perhaps hasn’t happened in the past, but I look forward to making that change.

How diversity and inclusion fit into her plans

Absolutely that has to be a priority. We want the league to reflect the makeup of our players and, frankly, the makeup of the community we live in, so absolutely it’s a priority and we have to start thinking about what types of policies we put in place to make sure that we’re making progress in that area.

Whether she’s had any dialogue with the Black Women Players Collective

I have not had any dialogue with them candidly. My dialogue’s been primarily with Meghann and the NWSLPA, with Becca Roux and the U.S. women’s national team, and I’ve been trying to meet my staff, meet the owners and the members of the board of governors and talk to people I know in the soccer community who I think have a good perspective on what’s happened and and how it can be remedied. But, for sure, I am committed to speaking with the Collective and starting to get out and actually talk to current players as much as possible.

What she would say to players during this transition

I think our players deserve as much or more support from the fans today as they did a couple months ago. I’m not trying to make any pitches, but I think our players are just incredibly deserving of the support they receive from their fans and I hope that the events or the disclosure of the events that happened don’t diminish that at all. I think actually it would be acting almost in the opposite direction of what the players really deserve and need right now.

The possibility of an NWSL rebrand

Let me just be crystal clear: Our first objective is to get our house in order and to make sure that we are meeting the minimum standards of a professional league and addressing the issues that the players want and deserve us to address. If we can accomplish all those things and then take the opportunity with the 10th anniversary of the league coming around in January, to do some kind of rebrand to celebrate that 10th anniversary, we will. I just don’t want anyone to think I’m committing to that because we have higher priorities right now, but if we can do something, we will and it would be an amazing way to celebrate the league.

Whether she’s been actively involved with collective bargaining agreement negotiations

There is a committee of the board that has been engaged in the CBA negotiations. I am just starting to get sort of engaged in that process, but I haven’t been these past few days and I don’t really have a sense of the timing. I just think I don’t have enough information at this point.

How the NWSL’s investigations will correspond with FIFA and U.S. Soccer’s investigations

The NWSL and the NWSLPA will be collaborating on the single investigations, so instead of two there will be one. That certainly cuts down on some of these issues. The coming to them early will also coordinate with U.S. Soccer’s investigation.

In terms of FIFA and any other investigations, candidly we have not heard what their plans are.

In terms of timing, it’s going to take some time for these investigations to be completed and to be completed in the right manner. I think it’s going to be three, six, nine months and we don’t know exactly until they begin to uncover the facts, so that’s probably about all I can say about timing right now.

The current ownership situation with the Washington Spirit (who were given a two-week window to select a new owner but haven’t announced anything)

Steve Baldwin has publicly stated that he intends to sell the team and we have been involved in serious discussions about him selling the team. So even though we had given him 14 days to respond to us, we have laterally extended that period of time because we’re very hopeful that a sale will take place forthwith.

Thoughts on whether the team should be sold to Y. Michele Kang

I would say, generally, I have the goal to have an owner in Washington, D.C. that the players like and respect and that the players feel has their best interests at heart. Whether that’s Michele or somebody else, I can’t really say. Obviously, Steve Baldwin, it’s up to him to sell the team. The league does have approval over that sale, so we will be watching it closely.

Interim CEO Marla Messing shared a letter to fans.

Read more:

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) October 18, 2021

Jessa Braun is an editorial intern at Just Women’s Sports. She is also the Head of North American Content for the Women’s Sports Alliance. You can follow her on Twitter @jessabraun.

For the first time in the NWSL's 12-year history, fans can now buy their own goalkeeper jerseys. And while replica goalkeeper jerseys representing all 14 NWSL teams hit the market on Wednesday, some didn't stick around for long. 

Fans across women's soccer have long vocalized their discontent over the position's lack of availability on social media, often comparing the shortcoming to the widespread availability of men’s goalkeeper jerseys. And as the NWSL has grown, so has demand — and not just from those in the stands. 

"To have goalkeeper kits available for fans in the women’s game as they have been for so long in the men’s game is not only a long-awaited move in the right direction, it’s just good business," said Washington Spirit goalie Aubrey Kingsbury in an team press release. "I can’t wait to see fans representing me, Barnie [Barnhart], and Lyza in the stands at Audi!"

just went looking at #nwsl goalkeeper kit stock out of curiosity — Alyssa Naeher's $145 kit already sold out S-XL (league announced GK jerseys on sale 3 hours ago)https://t.co/8bYA7tlwcx

— Meg Linehan (@itsmeglinehan) April 17, 2024

Business does, in fact, appear to be booming. Alyssa Naeher’s Chicago Red Stars kit sold out less than three hours after the league's announcement. Jerseys for other keepers like DiDi Haračić, Abby Smith, Michelle Betos, Katelyn Rowland, and Bella Bixby aren’t currently available via the Official NWSL Shop, though blank goalkeeper jerseys can be customized through some individual team sites. Jerseys start at $110 each.

"This should be the benchmark," said Spirit Chief Operations Officer Theresa McDonnell. "The expectation is that all players’ jerseys are available to fans. Keepers are inspiring leaders and mentors with their own unique fan base who want to represent them... I can’t wait to see them all over the city."

Decorated gymnast Simone Biles took to the popular Call Her Daddy podcast this week to open up about her experience at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, revealing she thought she was going to be "banned from America" for her performance.

After Biles botched her vault routine due to a bout of the "twisties," she withdrew from the team final as well as the all-around final in order to focus on her mental health. She later reentered the competition to win bronze in the individual balance beam final.

In her interview with podcast host Alex Cooper, Biles admitted to feeling like she let the entire country down by failing her vault attempt.

"As soon as I landed I was like 'Oh, America hates me. The world is going to hate me. I can only see what they’re saying on Twitter right now,'" she recalled thinking. "I was like, ‘Holy s---, what are they gonna say about me?'"

"I thought I was going to be banned from America," she continued. "That’s what they tell you: Don’t come back if not gold. Gold or bust. Don’t come back."

Widely regarded as the greatest gymnast of all time, Biles has hinted at a desire to join her third Olympic team in Paris, though her participation won't be confirmed until after the gymnastics trials in late June. She holds over 30 medals from the Olympic Games and World Artistic Gymnastics Championships combined, and if qualified, would be a sure favorite heading into this summer’s games.

Caitlin Clark is reportedly close to cementing a hefty endorsement deal with Nike.

The Athletic was the first to break the news Wednesday evening, commenting that the deal would be worth "eight figures" and include her own signature shoe. On Thursday afternoon, the publication tweeted that the deal would top $20 million, according to lead NBA Insider Shams Charania. Both Under Armour and Adidas are said to have also made sizable offers to the college phenom and expected future WNBA star.

The new agreement comes after Clark's previous Nike partnership ended with the conclusion of the college basketball season. She was one of five NCAA athletes to sign an NIL deal with the brand back in October, 2022. 

Considering Clark's overwhelming popularity and Nike's deep pockets, the signing's purported value doesn't exactly come as a shock. New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu’s deal with the brand is reportedly worth $24 million, while NBA rookie and No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama’s deal is rumored to weigh in at $100 million. And in 2003, LeBron James famously earned $90 million off his own Nike deal. 

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Clark’s star power continues to skyrocket, with the NCAA championship averaging 18.9 million viewers and the 2024 WNBA Draft more than doubling its previous viewership record. Following the draft, Fanatics stated that Clark's Indiana Fever jersey — which sold out within an hour — was the top seller for any draft night pick in the company’s history, with droves of unlucky fans now being forced to wait until August to get their hands on some official No. 22 gear.

In Wednesday's Indiana Fever introductory press conference, the unfailingly cool, calm, and collected Clark said that turning pro hasn’t made a huge impact on how she’s conducting her deals.

"If I’m being completely honest, I feel like it doesn’t change a ton from how I lived my life over the course of the last year," she said. "Sponsorships stay the same. The people around me, agents and whatnot, have been able to help me and guide me through the course of the last year. I don’t know if I would be in this moment if it wasn’t for a lot of them."

Former Oklahoma slugger Jocelyn Alo has signed on with Athletes Unlimited and will compete in the AU Pro Softball AUX this June.

The NCAA record holder in career home runs (122), total bases (761), and slugging percentage (.987), Alo was originally drafted by the league in 2022 but opted instead to join the newly debuted Women’s Professional Fastpitch. 

Alo currently plays for independent pro softball team Oklahoma City Spark, with team owner Tina Floyd reportedly on board with her recent AUX signing. AUX games are scheduled for June 10-25, while the Spark's season will kick off June 19th. Alo will play for both. 

Among those joining Alo on the AUX roster are former James Madison ace pitcher Odicci Alexander and former Wichita State standout middle infielder Sydney McKinney.

According to Alo, the decision to play in the Athletes Unlimited league was fueled by her desire to propel women's sports forward as well as provide more exposure to a sport that's given her "so many opportunities."

"Not only to challenge myself more, but just for the growth of the game," Alo said, explaining her reasoning to The Oklahoman. "I genuinely believe that professional softball can be a career for girls."

Joining AUX is also one more step in her plan toward representing Team USA at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

"I’m constantly thinking about how can I do these little things right in these four years to prepare me for the biggest stage of softball," she told The Oklahoman. "I definitely want to play in the Olympics, for sure."

Alo further expressed enthusiasm in the hope that the rise of other women’s sports, like women’s basketball and the NWSL, will push softball’s professional viability even higher.

"We’re seeing the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League) get their stuff going, I see the WNBA starting to get hot," she continued. "I feel like the softball community is like, 'All right, it’s our turn and it’s our turn to just demand more.'"