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My wishes for the NWSL in 2022, a defining year for the league

(Jane Gershovich/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

With 2021 blessedly behind us, it’s time for the world of women’s soccer to turn toward the new year with high hopes and lessons learned. The NWSL is moving into its tenth anniversary season (despite the lost 2020 regular season), and the stakes for a new start have never been higher.

The new year on the NWSL calendar will bring exciting soccer, fresh faces and a wealth of competition the now 12-team league has never seen before. But my NWSL New Year’s wishes are a bit bigger than what happens on the field, so let’s dive in.

Ratify the league’s first CBA

The NWSL’s success in 2022 likely begins and ends with solidifying the league’s first Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NWSL Players Association. The negotiating process gained some clarity when the U.S. Soccer Federation ended its allocation funding at the end of 2021, meaning players contracted with the U.S. women’s national team could officially join the NWSLPA for the first time.

The CBA is going to be important in all elements of player experience. In order for the NWSL to maintain a functioning workplace, one has to think the league will need to finalize the CBA — or be making significant progress in negotiations — before players report to preseason camp on Feb. 1. The agreement is going to set minimum and maximum wages, define the terms of a free agency period and set other standards such as maternity protections and salary cap flexibility.

All of these matters must be sorted so that players don’t have questions about the league’s future going into the 2022 season. More importantly, for the sustainability of the league, owners need to provide the players with the confidence that they can internalize as a group. It could be some time before the NWSL releases the findings of the investigations it launched into the league’s and teams’ handling of abuse claims, and players need to feel like their voices are being heard by their employers. That comes from good-faith negotiating leading to real changes that benefit the league’s labor force.

Searching for basic levels of safety, a number of players have taken a chance on fresh starts within the league rather than leaving the country or the sport. It is now up to the NWSL to reward that faith, and they need to start by putting it in writing.

Resolve ownership conflict

It’s a bit obvious that this wish is in reference to the ongoing saga of the Washington Spirit, now that the calendar has turned and Steve Baldwin has yet to commit to sell the team to minority owner Y. Michele Kang. As of this writing, Kang has the highest bid for Baldwin’s shares at $35 million, 40 percent more than the $25 million offer by billionaire Todd Boehly, Baldwin’s preferred buyer. Now, Baldwin’s fellow investors are pushing back, backing Kang (who also has the support of the players) and pressuring Baldwin to do his fiduciary duty and sell to the highest bidder.

Getting the Baldwin mess out of the league is paramount to both Spirit and league leadership, but it also speaks to a larger conflict the NWSL has to resolve: owners gripping tightly to situations that don’t serve players and fans. Baldwin is attempting to sell the Spirit to an outside buyer against the wishes of his players, and there are similar conflicts simmering elsewhere in the league.

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Spirit minority owner Y. Michele Kang and Kelley O'Hara celebrate the team's championship in November. (Jesse Louie/Just Women's Sports)

Chicago Red Stars supporters group Chicago Local 134 has extended its ultimatum for majority owner Arnim Whisler to sell his shares in the club past the end of the year. Controversial signings by the Portland Thorns and North Carolina Courage have also led to discord between the clubs and their fans. The league hasn’t even begun to touch the sexual assault lawsuit in which new San Diego Wave FC owner Ron Burkle was named as a defendant. Burkle, who is also part owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins, is being investigated for violating Pennsylvania whistle-blower laws after the wife of a former team employee accused former head coach Clark Donatelli of groping her.

The NWSL cannot handle another year of scandal, and the first place to establish stability is with the same owners who allowed abuse to continue under their watch for years. From this vantage point, allowing Baldwin to hold the Spirit hostage and Burkle to operate without investigation feels like more of the same. The league can mitigate unequal power dynamics by creating the strong CBA proposed above, but it also has to commit to turning over a new leaf at the ownership level or these problems will continue.

California dreaming

It’s not necessarily written in the history of the NWSL to send best wishes to expansion sides, but what is 2022 if not a year for something new? Angel City FC and San Diego Wave FC are coming into the league carrying responsibilities greater than how many goals they score on the pitch, and it will be good for everybody if they hit the ground running in their first seasons.

The California teams have provided the NWSL with good press to close out a rough year and have clearly become a haven for players in need of fresh starts. Both clubs are women-led, and Angel City is women-owned, presenting a new way forward for a league struggling to reconcile its past.

They also have the potential to field two very exciting soccer teams, jumpstart a new regional rivalry, shake up the standings and provide a brilliant showcase for the league. Angel City’s first game at Banc of America Stadium is going to be the event of the season. One has to hope that CBS has the game circled in pen for a network television slot.

I’m not one for bold predictions, but I’d love (and expect) to see at least one of the California clubs in playoff contention by the end of the season. With a number of clubs entering new eras in 2022, the postseason race promises to be competitive and exhilarating.

Let televised games tell the story

Washington’s meeting with Chicago in the NWSL championship game was the culmination of a wild playoff race: The Houston Dash were eliminated in the last game of the season, the NWSL Shield-winning Thorns were dealt a massive upset and OL Reign were bounced on their home field. While the final was televised on CBS, the momentous games preceding it were relegated to cable at best (CBS Sports) and streaming services at worst (Twitch).

As advocates for women’s sports have been saying for years, putting games on national television not only provides the platform that elite play deserves but also helps tell the stories of the league to a wide audience. Imagine if the 525,000 people who tuned into the championship game had had weeks to learn about what makes Trinity Rodman special, or how Chicago’s midfield kept the team alive when injuries made their run seem impossible. It takes time and repetition to ingrain these narratives into the lives of casual sports fans, and that process goes hand-in-hand with TV coverage.

My wish is for CBS to air more NWSL games on the flagship network, but also to weave women’s stories into their Champions League coverage, Serie A coverage and beyond. Midge Purce did a brilliant job talking about the NWSL Championship during men’s Concacaf World Cup qualifying, and she’s not the only player with the ability to represent the league in that capacity. The league’s partnership with CBS has already paid dividends with strong viewership returns on TV and on Paramount+. Now, the network has the ability to take the ubiquity of the league in the soccer landscape to the next level, and it should take that responsibility seriously.

CBS should also work with the league to invest in and possibly even take over production responsibilities from Vista Worldlink, which has been handling game broadcasts for a number of years. Make the CBS deal a partnership in practice, not just in name, and people will watch.

Peace of mind for NWSL fans

It feels like this goal might be too lofty considering some of the larger issues the NWSL needs to resolve. But my genuine wish for longtime NWSL fans this year is that the league gets to a place where they can be content to support it again. I don’t want supporters to feel like they have to turn off parts of their brain in order to cheer for their team, or that they have to ignore issues that are important to them. Teams should not be asking their fans to betray causes they hold dear in order to find solace in the joy of sports.

Soccer — like all sports — is a capitalistic effort, and that effort isn’t going to align with the values of every fan who wants to buy a ticket to a game. But teams should be joining their fans in a commitment against racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia in the locker room rather than resisting them. The NWSL has a minor miracle on its hands in a fan base that truly cares about these values, and leaning into them isn’t as difficult as those in positions of influence might lead you to believe.

So when I say I wish for peace of mind for the fan base, I say it knowing that not all sides are going to get what they want. But fewer unforced errors from the top, more success stories of supporting players and true accountability for wrongdoing would go a long way toward making sure the NWSL thrives, and doesn’t simply replace the fans who got the league here in the first place.

Claire Watkins is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering soccer and the NWSL. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

Valkyries Coach Natalie Nakase Tells ‘The Late Sub’ How to Build a WNBA Team

Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase chats to Golden State's expansion draft party crowd.
Golden State head coach Natalie Nakase is helping build the Valkyries roster from scratch. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

On today's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins wades through a few big women’s sports headlines before sitting down with Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase.

Watkins chats with Nakase about leading a brand-new WNBA franchise, including building a roster from scratch and the front office team's goals and tactics in navigating Golden State's expansion draft.

Finally, Nakase discusses how she’d like her team to play, plus the fundamentals that she thinks will create a lasting locker room culture of winning as the Valkyries embark on their inaugural 2025 season.

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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Notre Dame Comes Up Big With Third Straight Win Over UConn

Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo celebrates a three-pointer.
Hannah Hidalgo scored a near-triple-double in Notre Dame's win over UConn. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Behind a huge performance from sophomore Hannah Hidalgo, No. 8 Notre Dame handed No. 2 UConn their season’s first loss, defeating their third Top-5 team 79-68 on Thursday.

Even with injuries limiting Notre Dame’s depth, it was all gas, no brakes for the Irish, who spent nearly all of the game’s 40 minutes in the lead.

The Irish defense held the Huskies to an abysmal 18.8% three-point shooting rate, with UConn making just three out of 16 attempts from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Notre Dame did the opposite, sinking 55% of their 18 three-point attempts.

UConn superstar Paige Bueckers led the Huskies with 25 points in a game where guard Azzi Fudd, who’s nursing a minor knee injury, was sorely missed. While freshman forward Sarah Strong added 14 points despite getting into early foul trouble, UConn’s roster simply couldn’t put together enough clutch plays to overcome the Irish.

“Going forward, we need more contributions from more people [other than Bueckers],” assessed UConn head coach Geno Auriemma following the loss. “If you're playing at Connecticut, you have to be the kind of kid who can make an impact in a game like this."

Notre Dame has now taken three games in a row from UConn, something the Irish haven’t done since 2012-13. 

"This is a major win for us," Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey said after the game. "Obviously, it's just one win, but I'm really grateful for this group and really proud of our effort and the way that we showed up today with such toughness and discipline."

Red-hot Hidalgo fuels Notre Dame win

Star guard Hidalgo played menace to the visiting Huskies on Thursday, putting together a near-triple-double with 29 points, 20 rebounds, and eight assists, plus draining a career-high six three-pointers. In total, the preseason All-American played a role in 48 of Notre Dame’s 79 points.

"Hidalgo is the head of the snake," UConn’s Bueckers said about her opponent. "She does a lot of great things offensively, defensively. She's a pest. I think the best thing that she does is her energy and her attitude and the way she leads that team with that and the fire that she brings."

Forward Liatu King added a 16-point, 12-rebound double-double of her own to the Irish’s total, with guard Olivia Miles also sinking 16 points.

The backcourt duo of Miles and Hidalgo continues to lift Notre Dame into this season’s top echelon, with Auriemma, the winningest NCAA basketball coach in history, commenting "I don't know if there's a better combination of guards than those two with how many different things they can hurt you with."

"Those guys are attacking you for the entire 40 minutes. And I don't know that I've seen anybody up close yet that can do that."

Ultimately, the Irish look as formidable as ever. Despite an uncharacteristic two-loss skid, Notre Dame boasts wins over then-No. 3 USC, then-No. 4 Texas, and now No. 2 UConn, becoming just the third team with a trio of Top-5 wins before January in 25 years.

"I'm hoping that the lesson [is], when we play with heart, we play with discipline, we play focused, we can be just as elite as everybody else in the country," remarked Ivey.

UNC's Indya Nivar drives to the basket during a game.
No. 14 UNC will battle an undefeated No. 25 Georgia Tech on Sunday. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

How to watch Sunday’s Top-25 NCAA basketball

Though both UConn and Notre Dame will face decidedly overmatched opponents in Georgetown and Eastern Michigan, respectively, there are two Top-25 tilts on deck.

First on Sunday, WNBA star Caitlin Clark’s alma mater, No. 21 Iowa, will visit an undefeated No. 17 Michigan State side off to their best start in program history. The Big Ten foes will tip off at 12 PM ET, with live coverage on BTN.

Then at 2 PM ET, undefeated No. 25 Georgia Tech will take on one-loss No. 14 UNC, airing on ACCN.

In between lies an intriguing bout between No. 22 NC State and Louisville, two teams who have suffered a slew of losses to ranked squads. The Wolfpack, who fell to No. 3 South Carolina, No. 4 LSU, and No. 12 TCU, will be hungry to keep their Top-25 spot. On the other hand, Louisville, who registered losses to No. 1 UCLA, No. 2 UConn, No. 10 Oklahoma, and No. 16 Kentucky, will be eager to bounce back into the AP poll after being ousted on Monday.

NC State’s battle with Louisville will air live at 1 PM ET on ABC.

Sweet 16 Takes the Court in NCAA Volleyball Regionals

Mimi Colyer spikes the ball in Oregon's NCAA volleyball second-round win over TCU.
Oregon will battle overall No. 1 seed Pitt in the NCAA volleyball Regionals. (Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard/USA TODAY NETWORK/Imagn Images)

Just 16 teams remain in the 2024 NCAA volleyball tournament after last week's opening rounds, setting the stage for this weekend's four Regional showdowns.

Hosted by the No. 1 seeds (Pitt, Nebraska, Penn State, and Louisville), each four-team mini-tournament will send one squad to next Thursday's national semifinals in Louisville.

Louisville's Anna DeBeer spikes the ball against ACC rival and fellow NCAA volleyball No. 1 seed Pitt.
Pitt and Louisville host two of the NCAA volleyball Regionals. (Jeff Faughender/Courier Journal & USA Today Network/Imagn Images)

Regional action kicks off in the ACC

The Pitt and Louisville Regionals will start the Sweet Sixteen action on Thursday, when the Panthers host No. 7 Missouri, No. 3 Kentucky, and No. 4 Oregon. Louisville helms the evening party, which includes No. 2 Stanford, No. 4 Purdue, and No. 6 Florida.

With Pittsburgh already in full swing, the Wildcats added a third defeat of Missouri to their 2024 tally on Thursday, ousting the Tigers 3-1 and extending their win streak to 14 matches in the process.

About to take the court are two of the nation's best blocking teams, with the overall No. 1 seed Panthers aiming for a repeat of their season-opening sweep of the Ducks.

Thursday night's action starts when Stanford, whose nine NCAA titles dwarf all other Division I programs, takes on a tough Florida side who upset No. 3 Kansas in a gritty five-set thriller last Saturday.

Finally, while no team is immune to upsets at this level, Thursday's closer between Purdue and Louisville is especially vulnerable after the Cardinals barely survived Northern Iowa on Saturday.

Penn State's Maggie Mendelson celebrates a kill during an NCAA volleyball match.
Friday's NCAA volleyball Regional action starts on Penn State's home court. (Dan Rainville/USA TODAY NETWORK/Imagn Images)

The Big Ten begins hosting on Friday

Big Ten courts will serve as the stage for Friday's Regional semifinals, with Penn State hosting No. 2 Creighton, No. 3 Texas, and No. 5 Marquette before Nebraska welcomes No. 2 Wisconsin, No. 5 Dayton, and No. 6 Texas A&M to Cornhusker country.

Friday's opener pits two offensive powerhouses who've swept their way through the NCAA bracket against each other. The Bluejays, who are riding a 24-match win streak, will try to harness that momentum to end the back-to-back defending champs Longhorns' hopes of a three-peat.

Soon after, the Nittany Lions will again defend home court — a feat they've accomplished in every 2024 home match — in Friday's second tilt against the Golden Eagles.

Like Penn State, fellow Big Ten behemoth Wisconsin is likely to emerge victorious from their Regional semifinal, a rematch of the Badgers's September sweep of Texas A&M.

Capping the weekend's first matches is a battle of experience against this year's Cinderella squad. In their 40th Sweet Sixteen appearance, Nebraska's superstar-stacked roster will take on Regional debutants Dayton, who outlasted No. 4 Baylor in five gritty sets to earn the trip. The Flyers boast the fifth-best defense in the country, and they'll need every ounce of it to snap the Huskers' 43-match home win streak.

How to watch the 2024 NCAA volleyball Regionals

Thursday's action is in full swing, and No. 2 Creighton vs. No. 3 Texas will jumpstart Friday's slate at 1 PM ET before Saturday and Sunday each feature a pair of Regional finals.

The full schedule will stream live on ESPN+, with ESPN2 also airing all matches through Saturday.

Sunday's games received a broadcast bump, with the Nebraska Regional final airing at 3 PM ET on ABC and the Penn State-hosted finale taking the 8:30 PM ET slot on ESPN.

FIFA Drops 2027 World Cup Dates

Brazil is announced as the 2027 World Cup host at the 74th FIFA Congress.
Brazil will host the first-ever Women's World Cup in South America in 2027. (LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP via Getty Images)

The 2027 Women's World Cup has officially claimed its calendar spot, with FIFA announcing Tuesday that the tournament's Brazil-hosted 10th edition — the first-ever in South America — will run from June 24th through July 25th.

"The FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027 is already taking shape and we can’t wait for the opening match," said FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

Looking to break 2023's record-setting attendance and viewership numbers, Infantino also noted, "This historic tournament will have a massive impact not only in South America, but around the whole world, taking the women's game to the next level in terms of participation and popularity."

Prepping for the 2027 World Cup qualifiers

The international soccer governing body also allocated the competition's 32 available spots, with CONMEBOL's Brazil earning automatic entry as one of the three slots granted to the continental confederation.

UEFA leads the pool with 11 teams, followed by AFC with six, CAF and Concacaf with four each, and OFC's one.

The final three squads will be determined by a 10-team, two-round play-in tournament taking place in late 2026 and February 2027.

The USWNT celebrates a penalty goal  during the 2023 World Cup.
The No. 1 USWNT will look to avenge their worst-ever 2023 World Cup showing in 2027. (Carmen Mandato/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)

The road to Brazil kicks off in 2025

With details including host cities and venues still to come, the road to the 2027 World Cup is ramping up with qualifying matches looming just around the corner.

Next year's UEFA Nations League play will determine the 11 European teams bound for Brazil, including 2023 world champions Spain. Meanwhile, the path to a fifth star for the world No. 1 USWNT crest begins with Concacaf W Qualifiers in late 2025.

Similarly, 2025 qualifying matches for the 2026 AFC Asian Cup and 2026 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off World Cup entrances for teams in those federations. CONMEBOL will look to the 2025 Copa América tournament to determine the remaining two entrants that will compete alongside host Brazil, while OFC is likely to set their World Cup qualifying matches for next year.

Brazil legend Marta stands with her teammates before a 2023 World Cup match.
2027 will be Brazil's first World Cup without all-time tournament goalscorer Marta since 1999. (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Superstar exits pave the way for new World Cup stars

Both expected and surprise entrants will book their 2027 World Cup spots over the next two years, but the Brazil tournament's sidelines are already set to feature fresh faces after a flood of soccer greats called game in 2024.

The host nation will compete in their first World Cup since 1999 without legendary attacker Marta, whose 17 goals lead the tournament's all-time scoring list.

Canada is suffering the same fate with 2027 marking the first edition in 28 years without leading international goalscorer Christine Sinclair.

Two-time trophy-winners Germany — the only team other than the US with more than one world title — recently bid adieu to star Alexandra Popp, who retired as a four-time World Cup competitor.

As for the USWNT, they'll look to follow their 2024 Olympic gold medal with a 2027 World Cup title, but without star striker Alex Morgan, defender Kelley O'Hara, or goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, who followed 2023 retirees Megan Rapinoe and Julie Ertz out the door this year.

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