New Toronto Six owner and hockey Hall of Fame member Angela James is hitting back at the PWHPA, accusing the league of stunting the development of women’s hockey over its refusal to combine forces.

The comments were originally posted on Facebook but later shared on Twitter by Toronto Six player Saroya Tinker.

A note from the Goat…
Angela James’ thoughts on the @PHF & @PWHPA #food4thought #BetterTogether #facts pic.twitter.com/HSjx1tYPAh

— Saroya Tinker (@saroyatinker71) March 6, 2022

“I do not have a political agenda here nor have I been a part of either league for the past 10 years,” James wrote. “I do know I coach in a professional pro competitive hockey league. Right now, I’m so disappointed in the PWHPA. Whose interest are you protecting? It isn’t the interest of the non-national team players that have supported your association for 3 years now without playing a league game.”

After highlighting the PHF’s recent $25 million investment by league owners and salary cap increases, James called out the PWHPA for their seeming lack of planning.

“I have yet to see a plan from the PWHPA or I would have included it,” she continued. “Why can’t you work out these differences instead of suppressing and handcuffing the elite athletes in the progress of the pro game already made.

“Women’s hockey is bigger than the PHF and the PWHPA, together we can make history. The best women players in the game deserve to be competing at the pro level in ONE league.”

James, who was the first and remains the only Black player to captain Canada’s National Women’s Team, has also been serving as an assistant coach for the Six during the current PHF season.

The PHF and PWHPA have been at odds since the PWHPA was formed in May of 2019. PWHPA members at the time did not like former commissioner and founder Dani Rylan Kearney’s management style. There were also concerns over the league’s financial shortfalls, with the league cutting players’ salaries by more than half just a month into its second season.

In forming the PWHPA, players hoped to create a more sustainable economic model that held more player support.

Over the past two weeks, that objective has come into greater focus as the league has reportedly been in talks with NHL teams and major corporate sponsors to form a new league within the next year.

As the PHF has gained increasing support and revamped itself, further questions have been raised after commissioner Tyler Tumminia resigned, citing personal reasons. The PHFPA also parted ways with its executive director after just three weeks.

According to James, the PHF has met all of the PWHPA’s demands to come together as one league.

“They have already agreed to everything on the PWHPA’s wish list to my knowledge and still not good enough,” James wrote. “How about combining your resources for the better of the game, and everyone set aside their egos?”

PWHPA advisor Liz Knox seemed to hit back at James’ comments on Twitter, writing: “Management, coaches, front office, (etc.) speaking on behalf of players’ experience instead of supporting the true voice of the players is exactly why the PWHPA was formed.”

The comments came days before the PHF officially announced on Monday the sale of the Toronto Six to a new ownership group. James is included amongst the group, which is led by retired NHL forward Anthony Stewart. Bernice Carnegie and Ted Nolan are also members of the ownership group.

They are the first BIPOC and Canadian investors in PHF history. Nolan is a member of the First Nation’s Ojibwe tribe and was the NHL’s coach of the year in the late ‘90s while Stewart, whose father is from Jamaica, is the chair of Hockey Equality.

“Together with my partners, we know how much representation matters and how important role models are for young hockey players,” said Stewart. “It brings me great joy to be part of something special and help strengthen a platform that will make the game better for the next generation and grow the game in the community that I love. We believe the PHF is well-positioned to become a leader in professional sports and look forward to continuing to build the Toronto Six into a winner on and off the ice.”

The WNBA is back in action on Tuesday night, as the Indiana Fever and Seattle Storm headline a series of games that could make or break the current trajectories of several 2025 title contenders.

Seeking an especially strong Tuesday performance is the Fever, as Indiana tries to snap a two-game losing streak against the increasingly confident Storm.

"There are going to be stretches that are really good and there's going to be stretches that aren't as good," Fever guard Caitlin Clark said on Sunday, addressing her recent shooting slump.

While the Indiana and Seattle clash will lead the Tuesday charge, the night will also see young squads sizing up WNBA juggernauts as bottom-table teams look for a leg up:

• No. 8 Indiana Fever vs. No. 5 Seattle Storm, 10 PM ET (NBA TV): The Fever need a win against a Storm side that can't seem to lose, as both teams eye the postseason.

• No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 9 Washington Mystics, 8 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The up-and-coming Mystics will attempt to hand the Lynx a second season loss, as Minnesota star Napheesa Collier remains day-to-day with lower back stiffness.

• No. 4 Atlanta Dream vs. No. 12 Dallas Wings, 8 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The Dream are on a tear, surging up the standings as the struggling Wings attempt to take flight.

• No. 10 LA Sparks vs. No. 11 Chicago Sky, 8 PM ET (NBA TV): The Sparks have cooled after a hot start while the Sky has yet to rev up, with both teams aiming to end a three-game losing streak on Tuesday night.

Teams across the league are hoping to make the most of every minute while also managing injury concerns and absences as the WNBA All-Star break looms.

The WNBA Class of 2025 is already making its mark on the league, with first-year players stepping up and showing out while the Rookie of the Year race — and betting odds — heat up.

No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers has been just as good as advertised, with the Dallas Wings guard leading her class in both minutes played and points per game while also charting league-wide in assists per game, steals per game, and mid-range shots made.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

DraftKings currently has Bueckers as the clear WNBA Rookie of the Year race frontrunner at -1,000, though the dynamic DC duo of guard Sonia Citron (+1,500) and forward Kiki Iriafen (+1,000) are quickly gaining traction.

Iriafen won May's WNBA Rookie of the Month award after a series of career-opening double-doubles, while her Washington Mystics teammate Citron has continued to execute in the clutch — most recently posting a career-high double-double performance of 27 points and 11 rebounds in last Sunday's 91-88 overtime win over Dallas.

"Not only is [Iriafen] holding her own, she's excelling," Citron told JWS earlier this month. "And seeing that is just incredible."

"Soni just does all the little things," Iriafen added. "She doesn't shortcut anything, she's doing the fundamentals, she doesn't cheat the game at all."

Though the NWSL hit the pause button this week, players worldwide are still on the move, as both European and US soccer teams use the midseason break to sharpen their lineups with international signings.

The NWSL has already seen one major departure, with the San Diego Wave announcing Monday that forward María Sánchez will return to her former Liga MX club UANL Tigres after nearly five years in the NWSL, with the Wave set to receive an undisclosed transfer fee in return.

"When the opportunity came to return to Tigres, I had to do a lot of inner searching, and I ultimately decided that returning to Liga MX Femenil and Tigres specifically was the best course of action for my career," the 29-year-old dual citizen and Mexico international player said in the Wave's release.

NWSL clubs are also setting their sights on European free agents, with the Washington Spirit bringing in Juventus forward Sofia Cantore last week — the first Italian signing in league history.

Also hopping aboard the player transaction carousel is new WSL side London City, with the top-flight debutantes inking OL Lyonnes midfielder and Dutch international Daniëlle van de Donk on Friday.

Meanwhile, van de Donk's wife and club teammate Ellie Carpenter is also potentially WSL-bound, with the defender reportedly nearing a deal that would see the Australian join Chelsea FC in return for the Blues sending Canadian international Ashley Lawrence to OL Lyonnes.

For their part, OL Lyonnes picked up defender Ingrid Engen from Barcelona as a free agent last week, adding the Norwegian international after snagging French forward and PSG's all-time leading scorer Marie-Antoinette Katoto earlier this month.

With the most recent NWSL CBA abolishing traditional trade windows, expect even more international signings and roster reshufflings before the league resumes play on August 1st.

San Diego is paying tribute to one of their own, with the Wave announcing plans to retire the No. 13 jersey of NWSL and USWNT legend Alex Morgan on September 7th.

Still topping the team's all-time scoring leaderboard with 23 goals in just over two seasons with San Diego, the retired club captain will be the first-ever Wave player to receive the prestigious honor.

Morgan also led San Diego to the 2023 NWSL Shield as well as postseason appearances in the 2022 expansion club's first two seasons.

"Alex's legacy goes far beyond goals and accolades. She helped lay the foundation for this club and elevated the standard for what women's soccer is today," said Wave FC governor Lauren Leichtman in the team's Tuesday announcement.

"She made this city her home, inspired our fans and community, and helped define who we are," Leichtman continued. "Her impact will be felt for generations, and it's only fitting that her number becomes a permanent part of Wave FC history." 

Morgan joined the Southern California squad's ownership group just last month, saying "San Diego is where I've built my home, where I am raising my children, and found a purpose beyond my playing career."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

How to attend the San Diego jersey retirement of Alex Morgan

San Diego will officially retire Morgan's No. 13 jersey during their home match against the Houston Dash at 8 PM ET on September 7th.

Tickets to the game will go on sale to the general public online at 6 PM ET on Tuesday.