When the NWSL and NWSL Players’ Association ratified their first-ever collective bargaining agreement on Jan. 31, one of the last pieces to come together in the final days of negotiations was Article 20: “Group Licensing of Player Name, Image and Likeness.”

The section states that the NWSL and its clubs recognize the NWSLPA as the players’ agent in executing commercial rights toward the use of their names, such as trading cards, video games, clothing and toys. Group licensing enables a revenue stream for players and the NWSLPA so that the union can continue to negotiate CBAs and be a presence in the NWSL ecosystem.

The measure was a sticking point for players during the final rounds of discussions with the league. The U.S. women’s national team players, especially Alex Morgan, were adamant about the importance of those rights after having gone through similar negotiations with U.S. Soccer.

While some sections of the CBA required more compromising in the end, the NWSLPA felt that Article 20 was a big win.

“I credit the NWSL for staying in there with us and coming to an agreement on an issue that is of high importance to players,” NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke told Just Women’s Sports. “This is a recognition of the control and autonomy that players should have over their own name, image and likeness, which is inherent to the person.”

On Wednesday, the NWSLPA built on the progress from the CBA with the announcement of a new exclusive, multi-year partnership with OneTeam Partners, a leader in commercializing collective licensing rights of professional athletes. Under the NWSLPA’s agreement, OneTeam will provide NWSL players and the NWSLPA with group licensing representation to maximize the value of group player rights.

OneTeam has already partnered with other athlete groups, like the USWNTPA, WNBPA, NFLPA, MLBPA, MLSPA and U.S. Rugby Players’ Association. The NWSLPA is confident OneTeam has the experience and tools to pull the them forward at a faster rate while making players’ needs the top priority.

“I found that maybe among the most compelling features of OneTeam is that they get it,” Burke said. “They know what a labor union is. They know that our fundamental mission is to serve the athletes we represent … The commercial opportunity stems from that, but we’ve got to serve and protect our members first and foremost.”

Burke also appreciates how much OneTeam has contributed to the NWSLPA’s evolution as a players’ association.

“They’ve really helped us learn, kind of get smart on group licensing, if you will. But they’ve never lost sight of the fact that we’re a labor union,” she said.

“We think there’s so much growth to be had in women’s soccer and in women’s sports,” said OneTeam spokesperson Eric Winston. “To be working with the NWSLPA and grow it from the beginning, we’re really excited about it … I can’t understate the magnitude of them now having a CBA and us helping in any way we could there.”

Working alongside OneTeam’s other major professional sports partners also gives the NWSL a seat at the table.

“[Women’s sports] is something we believe in,” Winston said. “Quite frankly, to be completely blunt with you, it’s good business.”

One request the players have is to give every fan the option to purchase a name-and-number replica jersey of their favorite player. There has historically been a shortage of jerseys and merchandise in women’s sports, and through OneTeam, the NWSLPA is eager to get those products out into the marketplace and create revenue streams back to the players.

“I think the CBA speaks to who we are, and group licensing speaks to where we want to go,” Burke said. “We’re really, really excited about launching something that I think is just full of potential, it’s full of promise. There’s a lot of unrealized potential in this space, and as players, we said throughout CBA negotiations we want to bet on ourselves. Group licensing is a way of us betting on ourselves.”

Jessa Braun is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering the NWSL and USWNT. Follow her on Twitter @jessabraun.

Cameron Brink already has her rookie of the year pick for the upcoming WNBA season, and it’s Indiana-bound star Caitlin Clark. 

In the latest edition of Kelley on the Street, host Kelley O'Hara caught up with Brink in New York hours before the Stanford phenom went No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks at the 2024 WNBA Draft. When O’Hara asked who would win the WNBA's rookie of the year, she answered without pause.

"Caitlin Clark," she said, while a fan commented that she thought Brink would take home the award. Brink later added that the extra foul granted to WNBA players will be "good for me."

"I hope it’s me," Charisma Osborne, who was later drafted by the Phoenix Mercury, said when asked her ROY prediction. "But, I don’t know — we’ll see."

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Maria Sanchez issued a statement on Thursday, confirming recent reports that she has requested a trade from the Houston Dash. 

In it, she revealed that the club has been aware of the request "since late March."

"This has all taken a toll and isn’t an easy thing to talk about, but I want to confirm that I’ve requested an immediate trade," she wrote. "My expectations and reasons have been clear. I trust that my current club’s management will honor my decision in a timely manner and proceed with accepting a trade."

"I’m eager to refocus and dive back into what I love most: playing football," she concluded.

Thank you, everyone, for the outpouring of kindness and support. pic.twitter.com/gcnN7dhCJU

— Maria Sanchez (@Maria17_7) April 19, 2024

Reports of Sanchez's trade request first surfaced on ESPN last week, and were later confirmed by multiple sources. 

In December of last year, Sanchez signed a three-year contract with the Dash valued at $1.5 million including bonuses and an option year. It was the largest contract in NWSL history at the time — a figure that would be eclipsed by multiple contracts in the following months. 

Sanchez spent the offseason as a restricted free agent, meaning that Houston could match any other team's offer to retain her rights. Should the Dash trade Sanchez, her current contract terms would remain intact, limiting potential buyers to teams able to afford to take on an inking of that size.

The Dash has yet to address the trade, instead reiterating to ESPN that Sanchez is "under contract, a choice she made in free agency at the end of 2023." 

Both the NWSL trade window and transfer window close tonight, April 19th, at 12 a.m. ET. The window will stay closed through the next 11 regular season games, reopening on August 1st, 2024.

The four-time league champion Seattle Storm unveiled their new practice facility on Thursday, with Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel dubbing Interbay's Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance the team’s "new home."

"It's just such a special space," Brummel told Fox 13 Seattle. "I think when the players get here, it's gonna be overwhelming."

The sprawling 50,000-square-foot, $64 million property is just the second designated practice facility to be designed and built expressly for a WNBA team, with the Storm further noting that 85% of all design and engineering team members involved in the project's construction were women and people of color. The finished product holds two professional indoor courts, two 3x3 outdoor courts, a state-of-the-art locker room, and players' lounge, plus designated areas for strength and conditioning, kitchen, dining, and nutrition, and recovery. 

"This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance," said Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder in an official team release. "It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports."

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For their part, the team can't wait to make the faciilty their own.

"It's amazing," Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Fox 13. "Not having to drive everywhere around, knowing you have access anytime of the day to get into the gym, to workout." 

Head coach Noelle Quinn said she predicts the team is "never going to leave this building."

"Which is a good thing for me," she continued. "You talk about having an edge in performance. We want our athletes to not only perform on the court, but get whatever they need."

All of the Storm's staff and operations will now live under one roof, and the team also has plans to launch a youth basketball program operating out of the building.

The Caitlin Clark effect is quickly making its mark on the big leagues, as WNBA host teams around the country rush to upgrade their Fever games to larger arenas in order to accommodate surging ticket sales.

With Clark mere weeks away from her Indiana Fever debut, both the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have officially relocated their scheduled home games with head coach Christie Sides' squad. On Thursday, the Mystics became the latest to adjust their plans, moving their June 7th matchup from Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southwest DC to the more centrally located — and much larger — Capital One Arena "due to unprecedented demand."

The Mystics home court's capacity taps out at 4,200, while Capital One Arena — home to the Wizards, Capitals, and Georgetown Hoya's Men's Basketball — can fit nearly five times that crowd at some 20,000 spectators.

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"The move to Capital One Arena will allow for additional fans in the stands as well as premium hospitality options, including Suites and the all-new all-inclusive courtside Hennessy Lofts," the team announced via Thursday's press release.

The Aces were one of the first teams to switch venues, aiming to take on the Indiana Fever in front of as many as 20,000 fans inside T-Mobile Arena on July 2nd. That’s a sizable a boost from their home venue, which holds just 12,000.

For those still planning to face the Fever in their home arenas, ticket prices have skyrocketed. Previously scheduled construction has already forced the LA Sparks to relocate their first five games — including their May 24th clash with the Fever — to Long Beach State's Walter Pyramid. The temporary venue is quite the downsize, holding just 4,000 in comparison to Crypto.com Arena's near-19,000. As of Friday, the get-in price for that game started around $400.

Despite fans launching a Change.org petition urging relocation, the Chicago Sky say they're unable to move their June 23rd Fever meeting from Wintrust Arena's 10,000-seat facility to the 23,500-seat United Center due to a concert. Tickets for that game start around $325 as of Friday.