The NWSL is in its 11th year of existence, and a lot has changed for the league in that time.

Rose Lavelle and Emily Sonnett reflected on those changes in the most recent episode of Just Women’s Sports‘ “Snacks” podcast. Lavelle joined the league in 2017 as a member of the Boston Breakers, while Sonnett started in 2016 as a member of the Portland Thorns. Both are now teammates on the OL Reign and the U.S. women’s national team.

The first thing that came to mind for Sonnett in speaking about the improvements for NWSL players? The hotels. Lavelle offered a more pointed take, calling out the field conditions in her first season, when the Breakers played at Harvard University’s field.

“No disrespect, it was like concrete,” she said.

As Sonnett told “Snacks” co-hosts (and fellow NWSL players) Sam Mewis and Lynn Williams, players can now tell which clubs want to “make the jump” to compete. With the introduction of free agency, players and teams are able to align on their priorities. Each free agent is able to consider a team’s style of play and can join a club that best suits them or gives them a challenge.

“Now these clubs can be like, ‘We want to build a dynasty,’” Sonnett said. “And you see how much they want to put in and that makes the competitiveness of other owners to come in, and now you have to be competitive and I think that’s where it’s heading, just like Europe. For me to understand where the league’s going is really, really fun. … I think the process is going to be really good for the NWSL.”

The league also has separated from U.S. Soccer, which gives USWNT players more autonomy over where they want to play.

“You get to pick where you want to go. It’s not like before, where it’d be like national team players or internationals were designated to certain teams,” Lavelle said. “And so then maybe all of the league had the same style because there’s not the ability to go and, like, really pick and buy the players that you want.”

Set to take the pitch as the NWSL's 15th franchise in 2026, Boston's expansion team unveiled their official branding and promotional materials to markedly mixed reviews on Tuesday.

The team name, BOS Nation FC, is an anagram ​of Bostonian, a nickname the team describes as "worn proudly by millions across 23 neighborhoods and 48.4 square miles." 

The city's previous pro women's soccer team, the Boston Breakers, played in the folded WUSA and WPS before competing in the NWSL from 2013 through 2017. Boston was officially awarded an NWSL expansion team in September 2023.

"Too Many Balls" campaign spurs backlash from NWSL players and fans

While enthusiasm for NWSL expansion continues, the team's "Too Many Balls" campaign drew wide criticism from fans and players alike. Many took to social media to post their concerns about the slogan's exclusionary gender-focused undertones, as well as the message's erasure of other Boston-based women's sports teams.

"As a Massachusetts native, I really want @NWSLBoston to succeed. I also want to shout out @PWHL_Boston, @BeantownRFC, and @GoRenegades as existing women's pro sports teams here to support!" posted former USWNT star Sam Mewis in response.

"The town and the players who will represent them deserve so much more," NWSL Players Association director Meghann Burke told The Athletic. "With the work that has gone into laying a strong foundation for Boston’s 2026 launch, I honestly did not perceive this team to be so unserious."

The overwhelming criticism was apparently unanticipated by the new franchise, as the team's branding release included a statement from Jennifer Epstein, the controlling owner of BOS Nation FC and a minority owner of the NBA's Boston Celtics.

"This is an important moment for women's sports in Boston — and for Bostonians to see that they are fully represented in the team name, brand identity, and even in the tongue-in-cheek tone of the unveil campaign," Epstein said in the release.

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Boston team acknowledges campaign missteps

The swift critiques prompted the incoming franchise to release a statement of apology on Wednesday.

Acknowledging that the campaign "missed the mark," the team apologized to the LGBTQ+ community and, more specifically, the trans community "for the hurt we caused."

"Thank you to all who have held us accountable by calling for us to do better," the statement continued. "We hear you and we will, together."

In addition to the apology, the club removed their "Too Many Balls" campaign and merchandise from their website, as well as deleted it from most social media channels.

Welcome back to Fast Friends with Kelley O'Hara and Lisa Leslie!

In today's episode, our hosts chat through the all-tied-up WNBA Finals, including the Liberty's Game 1 collapse, Game 2's response, and what the Lynx can do to snag a win at home.

Calling Game 1 "silk slipping through the fingers," Leslie said much of New York's implosion came because "the Liberty have some really silly turnovers."

Then, Kelley and Lisa talk all things NWSL, from the Portland Thorns getting back on track to Temwa Chawinga's record-setting goal to Bay FC's playoff chances and much more!

Coming off the success of JWS's Olympic commentary show The Gold Standard, Fast Friends features two legendary athletes serving up insider insights and unique takes on the biggest stories in women's sports every week.

Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.

The Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) released its expanded 90-game 2024/25 schedule on Tuesday, with the puck dropping on the league's second season on November 30th.

The PWHL's six teams — all featuring fresh branding including new names and logos — will play 30 games each, up from 24 last hockey season.

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"Our teams and players are so eager to bring their new identities to life, and the schedule announcement elevates that sense of anticipation," stated Senior VP of Hockey Operations Jayna Hefford in an official league release.

"We have more games, new uniforms, a talented rookie class, and so much more for the PWHL community to look forward to. For our players and our fans, the season ahead will be intense, competitive, and fun."

PWHL teams to face each other six times

PWHL teams will play each other six times across the season, with three home and three road matchups on the schedule.

Opening day will see the Boston Fleet visit the Toronto Sceptres at 2 PM ET, with the Montréal Victoire hosting the Ottawa Charge at 5 PM ET. Last year's champions, the Minnesota Frost, will open their 2024/25 title defense at home against the New York Sirens at 6 PM ET on December 1st.

Speaking of the defending Walter Cup Champions, the Frost's second game will be a rematch of last season's deciding Game 5, as Minnesota visits 2023/24 runners-up Boston on December 4th.

PWHL regular season play will run through May 3rd, 2025, with three international breaks on the docket. They start with one-week gaps in December and February for the Women's Euro Hockey Tour and the Canada-USA Rivalry Series, followed by a 22-day pause in April for the 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship.

Record-breaking inaugural season shifts some PWHL venues

With the first-year league seemingly breaking attendance records every few days last season, some PWHL teams moved into larger venues during the offseason to accommodate demand.

The Sceptres home ice is now Toronto's Coca-Cola Coliseum, which seats 8,140 fans — more than double the 3,850 capacity of their previous home, the Mattamy Athletic Centre. Toronto already sold out their new arena during last season's playoffs, packing 8,500 into the Coliseum.

Similarly, Quebec's Place Bell will now permanently house the Victoire, increasing Montreal's fan capacity from Verdun Auditorium's 3,795-seats to more than 10,000.

After two successful games at New Jersey's Prudential Center last season, the New York Sirens will call the NHL venue home throughout their 2024/25 campaign.

The newly released schedule also includes 14 games without a listed venue, as the PWHL solidifies plans to stage those tilts at either neutral sites or larger arenas in home markets.

It's a tactic that paid off last season, which saw Toronto and Montreal draw the sport's largest crowd on record when 21,105 packed Montreal's Bell Centre. The league also saw success in drawing hockey fans from non-PWHL cities, including Detroit and Pittsburgh.

Camps and contract negotiations impact PWHL rosters

While all six teams released their training camps rosters on October 11th, final lists aren't due to the league until November 27th, after training camps and scrimmages.

Each franchise can roster a maximum of 23 players, plus an additional three reserves.

Contract negotiations can continue through the training camp period, with fans most anxiously awaiting news of Princeton University alum Sarah Fillier. The PWHL's 2024 overall No. 1 draft pick remains the league's only first-round selectee still without a signed contract.

While she features on the Sirens's training-camp list, Fillier is reportedly seeking a shorter two-year deal in order to enter negotiations in 2026 — one season earlier than the three-year contract on the table.

2024/25 PWHL season ticket packages now on sale

While the league is still finalizing broadcast details for the upcoming season, fans will be able to buy season ticket packages starting as early as Thursday, October 17th, depending on their local team's roll-out schedule.

Canadian teams are set to release single-game tickets on October 30th, with US franchises dropping theirs on November 1st.

In today’s episode, host Claire Watkins talks through whether she needs to amend her 2024 WNBA Finals prediction, and notes both the resiliency of the Lynx and the mentality of the Liberty.

She then hits all the major storylines of the NWSL weekend action, including broken individual NWSL records, streaks both snapped and saved, playoff spots clinched and lost, and off the field happenings that shape the larger NWSL conversation.

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.

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