Six former Pitt women's basketball players came forward last week, filing a lawsuit against the University of Pittsburgh and the team's current head coach Tory Verdi on Friday.
The suit claims Verdi — who led Pitt to a 29-60 record since taking over the Panthers' sideline in April 2023 — employed abusive coaching practices, including making harassing remarks and threatening student-athlete careers on and off the court.
Additionally, the filing alleges that Verdi pressured players he no longer wanted on the team to enter the transfer portal, endangered their scholarships.
Players describe incidents including a practice session where Verdi reportedly split athletes based on their race, as well as alleged comments the coach made to the team including telling them, "Every night I lay in bed I want to kill myself because of you."
Some of the athletes reportedly contacted Pitt athletic department supervisors, with Friday's lawsuit claiming that the school ignored their complaints.
"These players aren’t soft," lawyer Keenan D. Holmes told the Associated Press this week. "But this went beyond basketball. It went beyond the bounds of common decency."
Arguing that Pitt violated their Title IX-protected civil rights, the players are seeking acknowledgment, academic record restoration, compensation, and punitive damages.
"The university is aware of these lawsuits and their allegations, which are without merit and will be vigorously defended," Pitt responded in a statement.
The Chicago Sky is under legal fire, as minority partner Steven Rogers filed a lawsuit last week alleging majority owner Michael Alter "breached his fiduciary duty to the minority investors" by devaluing the WNBA team for his own benefit.
The complaint claims that in 2022 — months after Chicago won their lone WNBA championship — Alter engaged in "opportunistic self-dealing," diluting minority shares in the lead-up to a 2023 funding round that saw MLB's Cubs owner Laura Ricketts buy into the team at an $85 million valuation.
In late 2025, Forbes ranked the Sky as the world's 12th most valuable women's sports franchise at $240 million — a significant turnaround from that 2023 valuation despite three consecutive losing seasons.
The current lawsuit also puts Alter's Chicago Sky leadership in the hot seat, accusing the commercial real estate developer of going rogue without a board of directors.
"As a business, Alter's operation has been a mess," reads the filing. "Throughout his tenure, Alter flouted the agreement's basic requirements and minimal standards for business operations."
Alter's legal representation countered with their own statement. "We are aware of the lawsuit filed last week by an early Chicago Sky investor. The lawsuit is completely meritless. We look forward to defending our case through the appropriate legal channels and believe this matter will be disposed of quickly. This matter will not affect the Sky's operations. Because this is active litigation, neither Mr. Alter nor the Chicago Sky will be commenting further."
The Chicago Sky will open their 2026 season by visiting incoming expansion side Portland Fire on Saturday, May 9th.
However, as the season nears and CBA negotiations stall, internal issues continue to overshadow what promises to be a pivotal year for the WNBA.
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.
Former San Diego Wave president Jill Ellis is back in the headlines, with the NWSL club's owners — private equity billionaire couple Lauren Leichtman and Arthur Levine — filing a lawsuit against Ellis on Monday for allegedly promising to stay on after the team's 2024 sale, only to resign days later in order to accept a new job as FIFA's Chief Football Officer.
According to the lawsuit, Ellis leveraged her longstanding friendship with Leichtman and Levine to convince them to purchase the San Diego Wave at a then-record price of $120 million, with the Levine Leichtman Family Office calling Ellis "a very attractive asset" that helped push the deal — and its nine-figure sticker price — across the line.
Though Ellis and other negotiators allegedly assured Leichtman and Levine that she would helm the NWSL club "for many years to come," Ellis resigned just two days after the sale closed, reportedly telling the new owners that she had "no intention of continuing any involvement with Wave FC."
Monday's court filing claims that Ellis and other unnamed defendants committed intentional misrepresentation, negligent misrepresentation, concealment, and false promise, and requests damages as Ellis's departure allegedly resulted in an estimated $40 million in lost revenue.
Ellis's attorney deemed the suit "meritless," calling it retaliation for the former USWNT manager's ongoing pursuit of $1.2 million in deferred payments reportedly guaranteed by her original contract with the San Diego Wave.
As for the team, the NWSL club is staying out of it, releasing a statement saying, "This is a legal matter between the Levine Leichtman Family Office and Jill Ellis. San Diego Wave FC is not a party to this lawsuit."