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Where the USWNT could find their next head coach

Vlatko Andonovski’s USWNT tenure included disappointing finishes at the Tokyo Olympics and 2023 World Cup. (Bob Drebin/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

U.S. women’s national team head coach Vlatko Andonovski’s time with the USWNT might be nearing its end, as his four-year contract concluding at the end of the calendar year coincides with a disappointing Round of 16 exit from the 2023 World Cup.

Andonovski’s tenure has come under review as the U.S. prepares to regroup for the 2024 Olympics. Part of the conversation will include a necessary investigation into the circumstances in which he was hired. Andonovski was a standout coach in the NWSL before taking the U.S. job, succeeding Jill Ellis, who had experience in the NCAA and as an assistant coach within the USWNT system.

One of the greatest criticisms of Andonovski during his tenure has been that he ran the U.S. too much like one of his club teams, a trap that others could just as easily fall into when faced with player development and the high expectations of a winning culture. Despite the USWNT head coaching position being one of the premier jobs in the world of women’s soccer, it is also one of the most difficult.

Those tasked with finding a steady hand for the future will have to weigh the balance of knowledgeable leadership and the opportunity for a fresh start.

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OL Reign coach Laura Harvey came close to getting the USWNT job in 2019. (Michael Thomas Shroyer/USA TODAY Sports)

The NWSL

In light of Andonovski’s middling record at major tournaments with the USWNT, attention has turned to the league that produced him. At the time of his hiring, Andonovski seemed like a natural fit for the national team. He had seen many members of the upcoming player pool up close every day in the NWSL, and he had a track record of success when it came to roster growth and advancing in the knockout stages of league playoffs.

But following disappointing results at the international level, picking his successor from the same coaching pool might not make the most sense. OL Reign head coach Laura Harvey came close to getting the job in 2019 and is a popular choice to replace Andonovski. Mark Parsons and Casey Stoney are also well-respected in the NWSL, while few other candidates have the experience or successful track record to stand out.

Harvey, Parsons and Stoney aren’t quite home runs, however, for some of the same reasons Andonovski is no longer likely to retain his job. Harvey is beloved by her players and has had consistent regular season success at the NWSL level. But her squads are pulled from top talent she can compile as a manager rather than developed from a young age, and she has never had a particularly strong record in knockout matches. Her teams also play in a similarly pragmatic and suffocating style that Andonovski tried with the U.S., without much success.

Parsons, head coach of the Washington Spirit, already tried his hand as an international coach, in a run with the Netherlands that ended after a lackluster Euros campaign. He seemed to fall victim to similar issues as Andonovski, confusing players with overly complex messaging and leaving them without clear roles in his system. Stoney is progressing toward a strong coaching resume, but her time with the San Diego Wave has not been definitive, as the team has sputtered slightly in their second year.

Ultimately, what makes a good club coach does not necessarily mean that person is right for a national team position. There’s no one who understands that lesson better than Andonovski himself.

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After leading to Canada to an Olympic gold medal, Bev Priestman has dealt with federation dysfunction. (Alex Grimm - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

Other national teams

As with the end of any World Cup cycle, there will be other international coaches looking for new jobs. U.S. Soccer could decide that the best fit for the four-time World Champions is someone with experience at the highest international level. A number of possible candidates, however, might present more of a lateral move than a step forward.

Pia Sundhage is reported to be on the outs in Brazil, but the U.S. already moved on from her management once, and she never led Sweden or Brazil to a major tournament win in the years since leaving the USWNT. Other national team coaches have either had mercurial tenures or have yet to experience a full cycle with their squads.

So, does the USWNT try to poach a top name? Maybe. Sarina Wiegman has no outside reason to step away from her wildly successful tenure with the England national team, and Germany’s Martina Voss-Tecklenburg would not be a good personality fit for the American group (Germany also crashed out of the World Cup early). Herve Renard has just begun his work as the coach of France, and his commitment to the women’s game remains unclear.

Coaches who might be more attainable are Canada’s Bev Priestman, Jamaica’s Lorne Donaldson or even Australia’s Tony Gustavsson. Priestman is very committed to her current group, but dysfunction under Canada Soccer might prompt a change. Donaldson hasn’t committed to his future with Jamaica beyond Olympic qualifying, and he has Colorado club connections to several USWNT rising stars, including Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson. Gustavsson has experience as a U.S. assistant coach, and has shown his ability to lead as Australia has progressed through their home World Cup.

U.S. Soccer will have to balance the need for a fresh perspective on the team’s player pool and knowledge of talent rising through the ever-diversifying pipelines in the women’s game. Looking outside the insular NWSL or college system might be the best way to guarantee a bold change from the Andonovski era.

Outside the box

It’s possible, if unlikely, that U.S. Soccer will break the mold in other ways when pursuing a new manager. Top college coaches have long been considered for the job in the past, though the further away the professional game moves from the college system, the less relevant their experience becomes.

There’s also a desire to see former players take the reins, but the coaching pipeline is only just now opening up the requisite training and experience for new coaching demographics to emerge. Club coaches from overseas might provide the requisite new perspectives U.S. Soccer is looking for, but they could also fall prey to Andonovski’s issues with international management while also lacking familiarity with the USWNT player pool.

There is a tactic that would open up the pool considerably: Hiring a coach who, up until this point, has primarily coached on the men’s side. As the women’s coaching pipeline continues to grow, the USWNT might need to find someone who can produce results immediately. France’s appointment of Renard is a good example of the free-flowing exchange between sides, and that might be exactly what the U.S. needs.

Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

WTA to Protect Player Rankings During Fertility Treatments

US tennis player Sloane Stephens celebrates a point during a 2025 Australian Open match.
2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens has long advocated to protect the rankings of players undergoing fertility treatments. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)

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.

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."

Title IX Appeal Challenges Back Payments in House v. NCAA Settlement

Two students walk by the exterior of the NCAA National Office in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The House v. NCAA settlement appeal challenges gender inequities in the NIL back-pay plan. (C. Morgan Engel/Getty Images)

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."

USWNT Coach Emma Hayes Will Rest European Club Players for Summer Friendlies

USWNT head coach Emma Hayes claps during a June 2025 friendly against Jamaica.
USWNT boss Emma Hayes provided injury updates on Rose Lavelle and Trinity Rodman this week. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)

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.

NWSL Clubs Schedule July Friendlies Ahead of Regular-Season Break

A giant Angel City FC flag is held over the pitch before a 2025 NWSL match.
NWSL side Angel City FC will play a July friendlies against Bay FC and the USL's Carolina Ascent. (Harry How/NWSL via Getty Images)

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.

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