Snacks is back, with Lynn Williams opening up about her trade to NJ/NY Gotham FC in the first episode of the new season of the podcast from Just Women’s Sports.

Speaking with her fellow co-host Sam Mewis, Williams described how she learned of the potential trade. The 29-year-old forward was in New Zealand with the U.S. women’s nation national team, in her first camp and her first time playing soccer in almost a year.

“It was an emotional time,” she said. “It was the day of the draft, and I was so oblivious that it was that day. I feel like normally when it’s draft day you’re like, don’t look at your phone. If you get news, especially when you’re in camp, you’ll get it later on in the day so you can focus.”

But Williams was on the treatment table when her agent messaged her about “time-sensitive information.” She thought she was getting a new deal with the Kansas City Current. Instead, her agent informed her that the Current were pushing for a trade.

“My heart sunk, my face dropped. My initial reaction was, ‘No, I’m not going,’” Williams said, noting that she had “veto power” over the trade. Gotham, she said, didn’t want her if she didn’t want to be there.

Still, she was worried about what would happen in Kansas City if she said no: Would it be awkward? Would she play? She talked with USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski, and she also spoke with Gotham FC head coach Juan Carlos Amorós, who made it clear just how much the team wanted her.

“Basically the decision I had come down to was: I don’t want to be at a place that doesn’t want me. And if Gotham really wants me, then I wanna go there,” Williams said.

With three minutes to spare before the deadline for the trade, she agreed to the deal. The trade was announced announced minutes later, giving her just enough time to call her mom and let her know before her new teammate Kelley O’Hara was blowing up her phone in excitement.

“She was like, ‘Let’s go!’ And I was just distraught,” Williams said. “It was pretty devastating at the time. Not necessarily because I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I don’t wanna go to Gotham.’ It was more like, my life was, in a moment, flipped on its head.”

Throughout the entire trade process, Williams felt unsettled, she said on Snacks. She would have to move, again, during a World Cup year, as she was still trying to rehab the hamstring injury that kept her out through almost all of 2022. That, she said, was the most stressful part.

“I feel like every trade is unique in its own way. It’s hard,” she said. “You would like to think that teams would know a little bit more in advance that they’re going to trade you or not. And maybe they do.”

Of course, Williams hasn’t wasted time in getting acclimated on the field. She scored in Gotham’s season opener, which also marked her debut for the club, and is off to a good start to the year with the USWNT.

Both Williams’ and Mewis’ journeys will be documented through Snacks, as well as more in-depth insight into what’s going on around the league in this new season. Mewis remains under contract with the Current, but she is not expected to play in 2023 as she continues to work her way back from a knee injury.

Of course, there will be special guests – including O’Hara in this week’s premiere episode – and more discussion about not just the U.S. league but about women’s soccer as a whole.

“I can’t wait for this new season. This league is constantly moving and shifting, and giving fans an inside look at it all that they can’t get anywhere else is our secret sauce,” Mewis said. “Even with everything we’ve accomplished on the field, Snacks is one of our greatest joys because it provides us with such a unique opportunity for us to share our experiences around the game we love and provide a platform for others to talk about women’s soccer in a way that hasn’t been done before.”

And in a new partnership with iHeartPodcasts, Snacks has an opportunity to reach more people than ever for and drive larger conversations that transcend sports.

“We’re excited to bring ‘Snacks’ back for another season as it’s one of the most important platforms in women’s sports right now,” said Haley Rosen, the founder and CEO of Just Women’s Sports. “Women’s soccer has been on such an incredible growth trajectory over the past decade, and on this show, two of the game’s most decorated and accomplished players are not only providing their authentic perspective every week as professionals but also as burgeoning media personalities adding to the almost non existent conversations happening about women’s soccer games week to week.”

Earlier this week, ESPN released the results of an anonymous study surveying all 14 NWSL general managers, providing key insights into the growing league.

While nearly all respondents agreed that depth of competition sets the NWSL apart on a global level, they hold differing opinions about the league’s inner workings.

NWSL budgets and entry draft elimination are key concerns

Budgetary practices were a common concern of GMs across the board, while the loss of the entry draft — ushered in by the league's new CBA — presented similar issues.

Some GMs pointed out that many teams aren't yet profitable enough to justify current costs, while others pushed for more spending in order to draw top players away from leagues that don't impose a hard salary cap, like the UK's WSL.

Similarly, because the US lacks any true professional development infrastructure, GMs worry that dropping the college draft will divert young US talent overseas, ultimately softening the NWSL’s competitive edge.

Some GMs claim NWSL player protections have "gone too far"

When asked about recent cultural reforms in the wake of sexual misconduct and abuse allegations, multiple GMs claimed that efforts to protect players have "gone too far," spreading fear and confusion among staff.

Yesterday, retired NWSL star Ali Krieger took to ESPN's Futbol W to respond, saying she didn't "have a lot of sympathy for those few GMs that might be a little bit more disgruntled on this topic."

"You have to, in those positions of power, be respectful and do your job and do it well," she continued. "You shouldn’t have any worry about what you say, how you say it, what you do, how you do it, if you’re just doing the right thing and you’re being respectful and you’re doing your job appropriately."

This weekend's NWSL headliner is by far Friday's highly anticipated rematch between Orlando and Kansas City.​ Fresh off of clinching a playoff berth, the still-undefeated Pride will host a third-place KC squad hungry to hand Orlando their first loss of the season.

The Current have a particular axe to grind: When the pair first met on July 6th, Orlando snapped KC's own 17-match unbeaten run — one that dated back to 2023.

Current to lean on NWSL leading goal-scorer Chawinga

Seemingly on the rebound, Kansas City followed three straight losses with a 1-0 win over 13th-place Utah last weekend.

To contend with Pride sharpshooter Barbra Banda, however, the Current will rely on NWSL top-scorer Temwa Chawinga​, who's now just four goals shy of breaking the league's Golden Boot record. 

Bay FC on the rise in NWSL standings

While KC and Orlando strive to maintain their grip on the NWSL standings, newcomer Bay FC is climbing the table with impressive pace.

The 2024 expansion club started the season at 2-0-6, but a slate of wins against higher-table teams has rocketed them to seventh place — thanks in no small part to recent addition Abby Dahlkemper, who helped San Diego​ become the first expansion team to make the playoffs in their 2022 inaugural season.

However, the San Jose side's end-of-season schedule is a gauntlet, with five of seven remaining games against top-table clubs, including tomorrow's attempt to break the fifth-place Courage’s 18-match home unbeaten streak in North Carolina. 

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NWSL sets new single-season attendance record

Breakout talent and cutthroat clashes have led the NWSL to a new single-season attendance record, surpassing a total of 1.5 million fans last weekend. And with seven matchdays left, the league is on track to break the 2 million mark by the end of the regular season.

The 2024 Solheim Cup tees off on Friday, with US golf stars looking to topple three-time defending champs Europe in the team tournament's 19th iteration.

Alternating between European and US host courses each edition, teams compete in three days of match play, collecting one point for every win and a half-point for every tie. The US needs a total of 14.5 points to take this year's Cup outright, while Europe needs just 14 to retain it. 

Team USA spans 12 of the sport's top-ranked and most decorated athletes, including Nelly Korda, Allisen Corpuz, Lauren Coughlin, Megan Khang, Ally Ewing, Lilia Vu, Rose Zhang, and the soon-to-retire Lexi Thompson.

US golfers on a mission to reclaim Solheim Cup dominance

Team Europe​ has held the Cup since 2019, but the margins have been razor thin. The 2023 event actually ended in a 14-14 tie, but as reigning champions, Europe retained the title in what the team considers their eighth victory over the US.

While the US holds the advantage over Europe in overall Solheim Cup wins, they haven't raised the trophy in seven years. And unlike other competitions with continuously swelling prize purses, only international bragging rights are on the line here.

Neither team has ever won four consecutive titles, and the US will aim to keep Europe from claiming that historic victory on home soil in Gainesville, Virginia, this weekend.

Star US golfer Nelly Korda sees Solheim Cup as "unfinished business"

All eyes are now on Team USA's Korda, who's coming off a banner 2024 after winning six different LPGA Tour events, including her second major.

"Whenever you get to wear the red, white, and blue and stars and stripes, there's a different meaning to it," the world No. 1 golfer told the BBC earlier this week. "You're playing not just for yourself, but for your captains, for your teammates, and your country, and there's just nothing like it. We have got some unfinished business."

How to watch the 2024 Solheim Cup women's golf tournament

The Solheim Cup starts Friday, September 13th, at 7:05 AM, with live coverage across NBC, the Golf Channel, and Peacock.

In this week's episode of The Late Sub, Claire takes a moment to talk about the final few days of Alex Morgan’s professional career, how the soccer world has changed since Morgan’s debut, and how the star herself spoke about what’s next.

Then, she discusses what Angel Reese’s season-ending injury means for the WNBA playoff race, salutes the US Open, reflects on the 2024 Paralympic Games, and more.

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.

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