A group of former Portland Timbers and Thorns employees detail allegations of a “toxic” work environment in a report published Sunday in The Oregonian.

The publication talked with two dozen former employees who spoke on workplace issues, primarily directed at Portland Timbers and Thorns executive Mike Golub. Allegations of Golub’s problematic behavior, including unwanted physical contact and hostile conduct.

Blair Neelands, who used to work for the Portland club, recalls an instance in 2019 when she went to shake Golub’s hand ahead of a meeting.

“He steps on the toe of my left foot and pushes me back with his shoulder,” Neelands told The Oregonian. “I stumble backwards and fall. And he’s laughing. It’s just completely childish behavior from a grown man, just to ensure his subordinates know where they stand with him.”

Per the organization, Golub has not been the subject of a formal human resources complaint. An internal review conducted by law firm DLA Piper, however, uncovered several issues in need of addressing.

The firm found no concerns on the soccer operations side of the organization but did find issues on the business side. The investigation revealed problems with how women employees were treated in the workplace, consistent with The Oregonian’s findings.

Golub responded to the claims made against him, denying any inappropriate behavior.

“My entire career, it’s never been raised as an issue,” Golub told The Oregonian. “That said, we’re in different times now. If how I conducted myself, with truly the best intentions, made anyone feel uncomfortable, I take that really seriously. I’m really good at what I do, and I’m a really good person, but I can be better.”

Golub has committed to continued sensitivity training in the wake of the internal report.

“It’s coaching, learning about organizational bias, changing workplace, generational issues that emerge in the workplace, unconscious bias,” Golub said. “It’s important stuff that all of us, anybody, can get better at. I certainly can. It doesn’t mean I’m a bad person. It means I can do better. And I think it’s really healthy and good.”

Owner Merritt Paulson was also the subject of criticism, though no specific issues were found involving Paulson in the internal investigation. The Oregonian story also included claims of a pervasively hostile environment toward women, detailing subpar accommodations for lactating mothers.

A former employee recounted her experience returning to work in 2018 postpartum and having to pump breastmilk in the suite where Paulson watches home Portland games. On game days, however, she said she had nowhere to pump but the bathroom.

Soon after, a room with a nameplate reading “electrical room” was converted to a lactation room. “A large piece of electrical equipment” took up most of the room, per The Oregonian.

“I could not be a mom at that organization,” the former employee said. “It was degrading and horrific, and the experience of even being in that room was embarrassing and mortifying.”

The team has said there is now a new space for nursing employees to pump. According to Sharia Mayfield, an attorney with the Portland-based law firm Meyer Stephenson, the club’s actions could have violated federal and state law. Oregon law “requires employers to ‘make reasonable efforts to provide a location, other than a public restroom or toilet stall, in close proximity to the employee’s work area for the employee to express milk in private,’” Mayfield told The Oregonian.

The internal review and claims brought forth via The Oregonian come after the club came under fire for its handling of allegations of sexual coercion by former coach Paul Riley.

On Monday, the NWSL released a statement addressing the alleged culture issues.

“There is nothing more important than the culture of the league,” the statement said. “Every person — players and employees included — deserve a respectful and professional workplace where people are supported and empowered to do their job.”

The league was made aware of a culture study conducted in 2021, per the statement, and is “supportive” of the changes that have been implemented as a result.

“We expect everyone associated with the NWSL to conduct themselves in a manner that creates a healthy and positive environment and we will continue to work tirelessly to achieve that objective,” the league said in its statement.

Women's tennis got a boost on Wednesday, as the WTA announced it would institute rankings pauses for players who step away from competition to undergo fertility protection treatments like egg or embryo freezing.

Players returning from a procedure can opt to receive a Special Entry Ranking, calculated using their 12-week average ranking starting from eight weeks before taking leave.

Players can use that unique ranking to enter up to three tournaments at the WTA 500, 250, or 125 levels before the governing body will again institute traditional calculations.

The protection extends to any player ranked among the world's top 750 who spends more than 10 weeks out of competition.

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These latest rankings protection further secures the careers of tennis pro parents, who first earned special rankings in the 2019 WTA season after Serena Willams and Victoria Azarenka saw their seedings plummet simply from stepping away from competition to give birth.

The move also comes three months after the WTA agreed to grant players paid maternity leave for the very first time.

"I'm incredibly proud of our sport in recognizing the importance of fertility treatments for female athletes," said 2017 US Open champ and longtime reproductive health support advocate Sloane Stephens. "For any woman, the conversation of family life versus a career is nuanced and complex."

"It's truly ground-breaking and will empower this generation, and future generations of players, to continue with the sport they love without having to compromise."

Last week's landmark $2.8 billion House v. NCAA settlement is back in the headlines, as eight women's college sports athletes filed an appeal on Wednesday claiming that the approved NIL back-payment plan violates Title IX, the federal law banning gender discrimination in schools.

On June 6th, a federal judge approved a settlement between the NCAA and former student-athletes, with the college sports governing body agreeing to have schools directly distribute billions of dollars in back pay to players barred from financially benefitting off their name, image, and likeness since 2016.

Wednesday's appeal to that back-pay plan calls out alleged payment inequities written into the settlement ruling, which could see up to 90% of the $2.8 billion distributed to former NCAA men's sports athletes.

"The calculation of past damages is based on an error that ignores Title IX and deprives female athletes of $1.1 billion," said Ashlyn Hare, one of the lawyers representing the appellants. "Paying out the money as proposed would be a massive error that would cause irreparable harm to women's sports."

"If Nike wants to [pay male athletes more], that is their choice. If the school, or a conference acting on the school's behalf tries to do that, they are violating the law," John Clune, another lawyer on the team, clarified.

"They can either pay the athletes proportionately, or they can return all of their federal funds," said Clune. "But they can't do both."

With the USWNT back in action for the next set of summer friendlies later this month, head coach Emma Hayes filled ESPN in on her roster strategy earlier this week.

Hayes will rest all Europe-based US players during the upcoming international window, instead relying on domestic talent following a jam-packed year for the team's European stars.

"We don't necessarily decide the international calendar, but this is one where we think it's in the best interest of the players," Hayes said, noting both past demands and the increasingly busy road to the 2027 World Cup.

With player welfare and recovery top-of-mind, the lone exception to Hayes's European omissions is Chelsea FC defender Naomi Girma, who made her 2025 USWNT debut on May 31st.

The US manager is seeking more minutes for the star center back after Girma spent much of the year recovering from a calf injury.

Hayes also revealed some key updates on other injured players, with fans eager to see midfielder Rose Lavelle and forward Trinity Rodman return to the USWNT fold.

After a lengthy recovery from ankle surgery, Lavelle — who made her first NWSL appearance of 2025 in Gotham FC's 2-1 loss to Kansas City last Saturday — could return to international play this month.

Rodman remains slightly further out from returning to the USWNT roster, with Hayes saying she expects the Spirit forward to begin seeing club minutes sometime next month.

The USWNT core is coming together, with Stateside players looking to seize the chance to prove their worth as club soccer approaches its summer hiatus.

The NWSL is locking in its summer calendar, as teams across the league announce special July friendlies ahead of the regular-season break for major global tournaments.

Without a planned league-wide tournament like 2024's NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, its up to individual clubs to fill their schedules until NWSL play resumes in August.

While there might not be a trophy at the end, the gap does provide an opportunity for some fresh friendly competition beyond the confines of the league.

The North Carolina Courage will welcome Liga MX titans and Concacaf W Champions Cup contenders Tigres UANL back to the States for a one-off exhibition match on July 9th.

Then on July 12th, Kansas City will kick off its Teal Rising Cup, a four-team friendly tournament pitting the NWSL's Current and Chicago Stars against Brazil's Série A1 clubs Corinthians and Palmeiras.

Late July will see both the Seattle Reign and Bay FC square off against Japan's WE League champions the Urawa Red Diamonds, with Bay tacking on an additional July 19th friendly against Angel City.

The USL Super League is also getting in on the summer interleague action, with the NWSL's Angel City facing the Carolina Ascent on July 26th after Racing Louisville hosts crosstown USL squad Lexington SC on July 13th — giving fans a glimpse at how the two US systems stack up against one another.

As teams juggle lineups in the wake of summer international departures, these July friendlies may feature decidedly different rosters than regular-season play — though hungry NWSL fans likely won't mind.