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Multiple PHF stars break $50K salary mark under increased cap

(Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

Several Premier Hockey Federation stars will earn at least $50,000 for the upcoming season under the newly expanded salary cap, the league announced Thursday.

The salary details were revealed as part of a new salary disclosure policy agreed upon by the PHF and the PHF Players’ Association as part of the league’s “ongoing commitment to supporting its players and providing greater transparency,” the PHF said in its news release.

Players have the option to allow the public disclosure of their salary for the 2022-23 season. A total of 71 players have signed with teams in the PHF to date, and 18 players have agreed to disclose their salaries publicly.

Of those 18 players, Buffalo Beauts defender Dominique Kremer sets the benchmark for highest salary with a $65,000 AAV on a two-year contract. Beauts defender Jess Healey, Connecticut Whale defender Allie Munroe and Minnesota Whitecaps forward Jonna Curtis also will earn at least $50,000 for the upcoming season.

“This is another important step forward in the PHF’s growth and development and reflects the collaboration we value between league leadership, our athletes, the Players’ Association, the Board of Governors and general managers,” PHF commissioner Reagan Carey said in a statement. “The PHF’s new era is driven by our commitment to provide enhanced professional opportunities for women’s hockey players that includes historic salary cap increases. We are excited to add another layer of growth and transparency to our league operations and to continue to prioritize player autonomy.

“This policy supports all athletes equally and without any pressure or influence towards those who may choose to disclose their salaries, or anybody who may feel that confidentiality is in their best interest.”

The salary cap for the 2022-23 season is a record $750,000 per team. Back in May, Mikyla Grant-Mentis signed the largest professional contract for a women’s hockey player at a record $80,000 for the upcoming season, though the salary was not confirmed by the PHF.

Under the new salary disclosure policy, players also can opt to disclose the length of their contracts, estimated annual values and signing bonuses. This marks the first year in which players can sign two-year contracts with the PHF.

“We thoroughly discussed this issue among our player reps to canvas all potential benefits and drawbacks from the player’s perspective, and are encouraged by the collaborative process with Reagan and the League that led to this outcome,” PHFPA executive director Nicole Corriero said in a statement.

“Transparency of salaries can help set industry benchmarks and assist others with their own negotiation process, however every player’s experience and circumstance is unique, and it is understood and appreciated that not everyone wants nor benefits from disclosing personal information,” Corriero continued. “We wanted to work with the League on a policy that encourages and respects both of these mutually important considerations, and we’re pleased that the result of our collaboration provides options that may benefit all.”

The players who have agreed to disclose their salaries so far include:

  • Hannah Bates (CTW) — $25,000
  • Ashleigh Brykaliuk (MIN) — $45,000
  • Amanda Conway (CTW) — $40,000, includes $4,000 signing bonus
  • Jonna Curtis (MIN) — $50,000
  • Taylor Davison (TOR) — $23,360
  • Emilie Harley (MET) — $28,000
  • Jess Healey (BUF) — $57,000 AAV, includes $6,000 signing bonus
  • Tori Howran (CTW) — $49,500 AAV
  • Carly Jackson (TOR) — $29,375
  • Dominique Kremer (BUF) — $65,000 AAV, includes $6,500 signing bonus
  • Antonia Matzka (BUF) — $22,000
  • Allie Munroe (CTW) — $52,800 AAV, includes $10,560 signing bonus
  • Madi Nichols (BUF) — $13,500
  • Liz Schepers (MIN) — $45,000
  • Emma Vlasic (CTW) — $36,000
  • Alyssa Wohlfeiler (CTW) — $42,500
  • Emma Woods (TOR) — $44,340
  • Taylor Woods (TOR) — $31,145

“As the league continues to grow and move forward, I think it’s important that we take steps to emulate other professional sports leagues to show that the PHF is here to stay,” said Kremer, who also serves as the players’ association rep for the Beauts. “One way to do that is by disclosing the monumental increases in salaries for PHF players.

“Not only does it prove to people that the PHF is striding towards making professional women’s hockey a full time career, but also gives that younger generation of girls something to work towards for their future.”

Tour de France Femmes Sets 2026 Course as Record Viewership Fuels New Dates

The 2026 iteration of the cycling race will be the longest in Tour de France Femmes history. (Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift)

The Tour de France Femmes confirmed its course for 2026 this week, setting up next year's event as the longest iteration of the race in the women's tour history.

The 2026 course will run in nine stages starting in Lausanne, Switzerland, on August 1st and continuing through the finish line in Nice, France, on August 9th.

Cyclists will cover a total of 1,175 kilometers, with 18,795 meters of climbing.

The course will feature three flat stages and three hilly stages as well as two mountain stages and one individual time trial, with riders tackling Mont Ventoux — an iconic climb from the men's event — for the first time.

Though 2026 will only by the fifth edition of the modern Tour de France Femmes, the race will make its debut in a standalone time slot one full week after the men’s race ends, with recent record viewership fueling the move to separate the races rather than continue the previous tactic of scheduling the two events back-to-back.

"We no longer need men for the Tour de France Femmes to exist,"  said race director Marion Rousse at Thursday's course unveiling. "There's no need to have the men's race as a platform to launch the women's race. Now people are waiting to see us."

"People have embraced us," Rousse continued. "The new dates, separate to the men, prove it."

England Takes On Brazil in Blockbuster Weekend for International Soccer

England players celebrate an extra-time goal from Chloe Kelly during their 2025 Euro semifinal.
England will host Brazil for a friendly in Manchester on Saturday. (Harriet Lander - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

This weekend's slate of international soccer features more than one blockbuster matchup, as some of the summer's top performers, including England and Brazil, begin the long process of preparing for the 2027 World Cup.

Reigning UEFA Women's Euro champions England will be hosting 2025 Copa América Femenina winners Brazil at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on Saturday, when the Lionesses officially kick off their four-game Homecoming Series to close out 2025 play.

The match between world No. 4 England and No. 7 Brazil will serve as the first of the series of friendlies that will span the final two international breaks of the year, with the Lionesses closing out the opening pair of games against No. 15 Australia on Tuesday.

Elsewhere, while England fans will be enjoying the team's victory lap after their second-straight Euro title, other top UEFA competition are honing in on 2025 Nations League play.

Behind a long-range goal from winger Klara Bühl, No. 5 Germany snagged a narrow 1-0 victory over No. 6 France on Friday morning, taking the lead in the pair's two-leg semifinal.

The second Nations League semifinal round kicks off at 2 PM ET on Friday, when No. 1 Spain faces No. 3 Sweden live on Prime.

How to watch England vs. Brazil this weekend

England takes on Brazil at 12:30 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage streaming on Prime.

Report: Dallas Wings hire USF coach Jose Fernandez

USF women's basketball head coach Jose Fernandez poses for a photo at the 2024 AAC Media Day.
Jose Fernandez served as the women's basketball head coach at USF for 25 years. (Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)

The Wings have found their next sideline leader, as multiple reports on Thursday linked longtime University of South Florida (USF) head coach Jose Fernandez to the open position in Dallas.

Fernandez is still finalizing his contract with the WNBA team, with the 53-year-old exiting USF having led the Bulls for 25 years, making 10 NCAA tournament appearances along the way.

Calling his impact "profound," USF athletics CEO Rob Higgins acknowledged that Fernandez is leaving for a WNBA position in a Thursday statement.

"While this is a bittersweet moment for our program, it is a well-deserved opportunity for Jose," said Higgins. "We are incredibly proud of him."

Replacing Chris Koclanes after one year, Fernandez will become the fifth Dallas head coach in seven seasons, with the Wings trying to build a title-contending roster around 2025 WNBA Draft overall No. 1 pick and reigning Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers.

Fernandez will also be the third WNBA hiring out of the college ranks in the last two years, joining Atlanta Dream boss Karl Smesko (FGCU) and LA Sparks manager Lynne Roberts (Utah).

Hoping to improve on a 13th-place 2025 finish — and make the WNBA Playoffs for the first time since 2023 — Dallas could claim a second straight No. 1 draftee next year, with the Wings entering 2026 with the highest odds to snag the top pick in the league's draft lottery.

WNBA, Players Association Spar Over Revenue Sharing Amid CBA Talks

A close-up of the WNBA logo on the court before a 2025 game.
The WNBA office and WNBPA have released differing statements about revenue sharing as CBA talks continue. (David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images)

The WNBA league office and the Players Association (WNBPA) exchanged escalating public statements this week, as both sides dispute terms surrounding a key issue in the ongoing CBA negotiations: revenue sharing.

"When the players opted out [of their CBA] a year ago, they made it clear they wanted a salary system that values their labor and allows them to grow with the business they are very clearly driving," WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson told ESPN in a statement this week, citing the vast disparity in revenue sharing percentages between the WNBA and the NBA.

Jackson continued by claiming that the WNBA intends to "run out the clock" and double down on a model that "intentionally undervalues the players."

Days ago, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said publicly that "[Revenue] share isn't the right way to look at it," pushing instead for salary increases in "absolute numbers."

WNBA leadership, however, denied that their current offer to players omits all revenue sharing, with the league calling the WNBPA's claim "incorrect and surprising," while indicating that an uncapped revenue sharing model "directly tied to the league's performance" is on the table.

"It is frustrating and counterproductive for the union to be making misrepresentations about our proposals while also accusing the league of engaging in delay," the WNBA's statement continued. "That is simply not true."

With both parties not seeing eye to eye, a resolution before the October 31st CBA deadline appears unlikely, though a formal request for an extension on negotiations is not currently in the cards.