Olivia Moultrie just wants to play soccer.

But at age 15, the NWSL won’t allow her to, as current age restrictions prevent any player under the age of 18 from playing in the league.

According to The Oregonian’s Maxine Bernstein, Moultrie has filed a lawsuit against the NWSL, stating that the age requirement violates the Sherman Antitrust Act. The Sherman Antitrust Act is meant to prohibit activities that restrict competition in the marketplace. In not allowing Moultrie to play because of her age, the suit alleges, the NWSL is restricting such competition. 

According to the suit, Moultrie and her lawyers are arguing that age limits in sports leagues can’t hold up unless such a rule is agreed upon by a labor union — in this case, the NWSLPA — through collective bargaining.  

The suit alleges that players in the NWSL have never had a CBA.

Furthermore, the suit points out that Major League Soccer has no age limit and has had many players under the age of 18. Most recently, Alphonso Davies made his MLS debut in 2016 at the age of 15. 

Additionally, the suit asserts that Moultrie would be able to play overseas if she were European. 

“Ms. Moultrie would be eligible to play in MLS if she were male, would be able to play in France if she were French, etc., stretching throughout most of the international soccer world,” the suit says. “Ms. Moultrie is in the wrong country, and the wrong gender, to take advantage of her soccer precocity. And illegally so.”

The NWSL has argued that because they are a “single entity” the antitrust law does not apply. 

Included in the suit is a list of those who support Moultrie’s right to play, including Portland Thorns and U.S. women’s national team players Becky Sauerbrunn and Lindsey Horan. Horan has been vocal in her support on Twitter.

If you’re good enough, you’re old enough. Situations like this would not only benefit Olivia but women’s soccer in this country. https://t.co/0KHZ8xXCmt

— Lindsey Horan (@LindseyHoran) April 16, 2021

Sauerbrunn has pointed out how Moultrie “is a pro in all but match days,” referring to the fact that Moultrie currently practices with the Portland Thorns and plays in unofficial scrimmages and pre-season games. She even has her own locker in the Thorns’ locker room.

Just to be clear, Olivia is a pro in all but matchdays. She should be able to play in the @NWSL and we should be nurturing young talent—allowing them to develop by playing against the best. Let her play. https://t.co/61poKXp7an

— Becky Sauerbrunn (@beckysauerbrunn) April 14, 2021

Moultrie is one of the youngest soccer stars in recent memory, committing to the University of North Carolina at 11 and turning pro at 13 with a “nine-year, six-figure endorsement contract with Nike” that made her the youngest team player ever signed by the company. 

She moved to Oregon to play with the Thorns at 13, and she believes that, if allowed, the Thorns would sign her to a contract. She hopes to be able to play in the NWSL when the regular season begins on May 15. 

“Ms. Moultrie does not seek an order from this Court awarding her a contract or a roster slot,” her lawyers wrote in the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Portland. “Rather, she seeks removal of an unlawful barrier to her participation.”

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."

Watch more of Kelley on the Street:

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.