It has been quite a week for Rachel Corsie.

When the NWSL and the NWSL Players Association ratified the league’s first-ever CBA earlier this week, it signaled a new era for professional women’s soccer in the U.S. and an emotionally conflicting farewell for Corsie.

The former Kansas City Current defender concluded her run as the NWSLPA’s vice president on Tuesday after the long journey, through many tense rounds of negotiations, toward reaching the CBA. Corsie’s departure was the result of her unceremonious exit from the Current last month.

Kansas City agreed to transfer Corsie to Aston Villa after she was informed “the club no longer wanted me to play for them,” as she wrote in an op-ed for The Press and Journal on Jan. 28. The decision was made even more surprising by Kansas City’s announcement last August that it had extended Corsie’s contract through the 2023 season and named her captain.

“Last year was one of probably my worst experiences to a football capacity,” Corsie told Just Women’s Sports this week, adding that the club had let her down on more occasions than the contract reversal.

The easy option would have been to leave it all behind and start fresh with her new team in the Women’s Super League in Europe.

But Corsie stuck with the NWSLPA, a group that had spent hours and hours on the phone together over the last few months, pushing for their demands in CBA negotiations. This week, on the night of the player vote, she lay sick in bed in her new apartment across the ocean, staying awake into the ungodly hours of the night on the Zoom call.

“Never at any point, when I was going through everything with Kansas City, did I think, ‘Well, I’m just going to forget about the CBA now, because that’s not my issue anymore,’” Corsie said. “Like that was almost the polar opposite of how I felt. It was more, ‘I’m going to stick with the people who are in my corner, who are on my team, who I want.’

“I would do whatever needed to look out for them, and I know that they would do the same for me.”

If you were surprised at the news of the Rachel Corsie transfer yesterday (as I was), this sheds a bit of light, in Corsie’s words. ⬇️

Corsie had signed a 2-year extension with KC through 2023 in August. https://t.co/8ShAXPgN5J

— Cindy Lara (@cinderL9) January 28, 2022

To Corsie, who joined the NWSLPA three years ago, the experience was like being on a “mini team.” After the Scottish national team captain’s first year as a representative, NWSLPA founder Yael Averbuch West called her to ask if she would take on the role of vice president.

“I just remember feeling really grateful for that opportunity,” Corsie said.

This year, the way players treated her and one another served as motivation to stick with the CBA project, all the way through until the night they put it to a vote.

“[It was] a reminder to myself that this is absolutely something you’re passionate about and that’s absolutely something that you’re going to see through to the end,” she said. “It made you really feel the strength of the player pool, that unity and togetherness, and I think that’s the type of feeling that you’ll remember forever.

“I’ll always remember 2021 as being the year that we worked through the CBA and that we got it through.”

The CBA, announced on Monday night, will usher in a 160 percent increase in minimum salary to $35,000 per year, free agency starting in 2023 for players with a minimum of six service years (2024 for players with five years), eight weeks paid parental leave and up to six months paid mental health leave.

“We know where this league started in 2013 and everything that we have been involved with and gone through,” said USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski. “So just the fact that we have such an agreement, historical agreement like this makes me happy.”

The players felt they came away with big wins on many components they considered high priorities in the CBA, such as free agency and player movement, Corsie said. That included guarantees like the maternity policy, which can make an impact beyond the soccer community.

When asked for her thoughts on what aspects of the CBA could have been taken further, Corsie pointed to the length of the agreement, which runs for five years through the 2026 season, and teams guaranteeing contract offers.

“I still think that’s a long time. I think that benefited the league, and the Board of Governors’ side of things more than ours,” she said. “I think a contract is a contract so if you sign a piece of paper and the other side signs a piece of paper, I think that should stand.”

pic.twitter.com/FyuTQC0E2y

— NWSLPA (@nwsl_players) February 1, 2022

Those two factors aside, Corsie and others in the NWSL this week celebrated the “incredible number of wins” in what is a historic moment for women’s soccer in this country.

“It shows that everybody is in it for the long haul and the league is now established — it’s going to be here, ideally, forever,” Houston Dash head coach James Clarkson said on a media call this week. “It’s just going to get stronger and stronger. As the league expands, more teams come in, the quality is just going to go through the roof, and it will be the best league in the world.”

“I’m just really excited for all the players carrying that future,” Corsie said. “I think it’s amazing to have been a part of it.”

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

Stanford University reached a settlement with the parents of Katie Meyer, ending a wrongful death lawsuit filed after the former Cardinal soccer star’s death by suicide in March 2022. The agreement caps more than three years of legal proceedings regarding the university’s disciplinary actions.

Steven and Gina Meyer filed suit in late 2022, alleging that Stanford’s actions "negligently and recklessly" contributed their daughter’s distress. The legal challenge focused a late-night disciplinary notice sent to the 22-year-old goalkeeper that "contained threatening language regarding sanctions and potential 'removal from the university.'"

The notice was addressing an incident in which Meyer allegedly spilled coffee on a football player accused of sexually assaulting her teammate.

While the financial terms remain confidential, the settlement closes a high-profile case that drew national attention to student-athlete mental health. The Meyer family argued that Stanford failed to provide adequate support or a safe environment after initiating the high-stakes case.

Before her death, Katie Meyer was a standout athlete who captained Stanford to the 2019 NCAA championship. Following her passing, her parents founded Katie’s Save, an initiative advocating for Katie Meyer’s Law supporting students facing university policy violation allegations. The policy allows students to designate a trusted adult to notify during any disciplinary or mental health crisis.

Stanford pens joint statement addressing Katie Meyer settlement

In Monday’s joint statement, Stanford agreed to "adopt the principles" of Katie Meyer’s Law. Additionally, they plan to launch a new initiative dedicated to student-athlete mental health and establish a scholarship in Meyer’s name. Sanford women's soccer will also retire Meyer's no. 19 jersey.

"While Katie’s passing remains devastating and tragic, the memory of her accomplishments and the uplifting influence she had on those who knew her lives on," the statement reads.

"Stanford and the Meyer family believe that working together on these initiatives will both honor Katie’s indelible legacy and help current and future students in meaningful ways."

While the university did not publicly admit liability, the case prompted widespread action regarding student disciplinary processes and mental health.

Team USA is coming in hot, releasing their full 232-player 2026 Olympic roster as the largest US contingent in history gears up for February's Winter Games in Italy.

"Right and left, we have just so many people able to get on the podium at these Games," said speed skater Erin Jackson, as she gears up to defend her 500-meter gold medal in her third Olympic appearance. "I'm really excited."

Between the men's and women's events, 98 of the participating US athletes are returning Olympians, including 33 previous podium finishers — 18 of them gold medalists.

Even more, seven members of Team USA are entering their fifth Winter Games, including decorated alpine skier Lindsey Vonn, hockey captain Hilary Knight, snowboarder Faye Thelen, and bobsled teammates Kaillie Armbruster Humphries and Elana Meyers Taylor.

"I think my age is a big advantage actually," Vonn told reporters. "I have been in that start gate more than anyone else that's in the starting gate."

Meanwhile, the 134 fresh faces will look to have an immediate impact on the Olympic medal table for Team USA, including athletes like 20-year-old Stanford soccer defender and US cross-country skiier Sammy Smith and 15-year-old halfpipe freestyle skiier Abby Winterberger — the youngest member of the 2026 US roster.

How to watch Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics

The 2026 Winter Olympics officially kick off in Italy on February 6th, though a few events — including curling and women's hockey — will get underway on February 4th and 5th.

Full live coverage of the 2026 Olympic Games will air in the US across NBC platforms.

The world No. 2 USWNT returns to action on Tuesday night, taking the pitch for the first time in Santa Barbara, California, to close out the team's January friendlies against No. 47 Chile.

Tuesday also marks the final match before US manager Emma Hayes begins narrowing her player pool ahead of the 2026 SheBelieves Cup in March, with competition mounting in the lead-up to the 2027 World Cup qualifiers in November.

"I have a really good idea of the pool," Hayes told reporters prior to Tuesday's friendly. "I know which group of players we're going to be building around."

With a roster comprised entirely of NWSL players, Hayes will also be managing fitness as the team gears up for their second game in four days.

"One thing I have almost agreed to do, knowing where the players are at this stage of the season with their NWSL club, is to not start a player for two games," Hayes said.

"I'm putting together a whole new lineup," she continued. "Which itself will bring another set of challenges, whether that be first caps, whether that will be inexperience, [or] collectively playing together."

Three January call-ups remain uncapped, as North Carolina Courage midfielder Riley Jackson, Denver Summit defender Ayo Oke, and Bay FC goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz look to make Tuesday night's starting XI.

How to watch the USWNT vs. Chile

The No. 2 USWNT will close out their January friendlies against No. 47 Chile at 10 PM ET on Tuesday, with live coverage airing on TBS.

WNBA star Breanna Stewart is making her voice heard, with the New York Liberty forward launching her Syracuse-focused Breanna Stewart Foundation one day after protesting Saturday's ICE shooting in Minneapolis on the Unrivaled 3×3 court.

First acknowledging the platform that basketball gave her, the Unrivaled co-founder said in her Monday social media post "my responsibility goes far beyond the game."

"This foundation starts where I'm from, Syracuse, and grows through New York because real impact has to begin at home," Stewart explained.

In partnership with Athletes for Impact, the Breanna Stewart Foundation aims to build "long-term, sustainable systems for women and youth in the community" to combat poverty through initiatives like healthcare services, education and mentoring opportunities, and sports programs.

The news came after Stewart held up a hand-written sign reading "Abolish ICE" during Sunday's Unrivaled introductions, with the Mist BC star calling attention to this month's fatal shootings at the hands of federal immigration agents in Minnesota.

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"I wanted to have a simple message of 'Abolish ICE,' which means having policies to uplift families and communities instead of fueling fear and violence," Stewart said after Mist BC's win.

"All day yesterday, I was just disgusted from everything that you see on Instagram and in the news," she added. "It's scary.... You see it splitting up families and dissecting communities.... It's the worst in all ways."

"We're so fueled by hate right now instead of love."