San Diego Wave FC announced its 34-player training camp roster on Monday, with midfielder Mana Shim a surprise addition.
Shim, who last played in the NWSL in 2019, is listed as a non-roster invitee.
Mana Shim is in San Diego as a non-roster invitee LFG #NWSL pic.twitter.com/30yCa2Gnah
— Claire Watkins (@ScoutRipley) January 31, 2022
The 30-year-old has played six seasons in the league, most recently for the Houston Dash in 2019 before retiring to attend law school. She made headlines last year as one of two former players to come forward publicly with allegations of sexual assault against Paul Riley while he was coach of the Portland Thorns. Shim, who played for Portland from 2013-17, also accused Thorns GM Gavin Wilkinson of intimidating her to keep her sexual identity quiet.
In the wake of The Athletic’s initial report, the North Carolina Courage fired Riley and the Thorns placed Wilkinson on leave while they conducted an independent investigation into the allegations. He has since been reinstated as club president.
The NWSL and NWSLPA, meanwhile, are conducting a joint investigation into misconduct within the league. The ongoing investigation was the result of the Riley allegations and other abuse scandals that rocked the league during the 2021 season.
In late January, Shim was featured in one of Alex Morgan’s TikTok videos, suggesting that the two had been training together. Morgan, Shim’s teammate with the Thorns from 2013-15, was key in helping Shim tell her story and report the abuse to the league.
@alexmorgan13 uh-oh🙃 #ifykyk @meleanashim ♬ original sound - SheboyganSmileCenter
NWSL preseason begins Tuesday following the ratification of the league’s first-ever CBA.
Mana Shim wants the NWSL to pay for player’s therapy in the wake of abuse allegations against five of the league’s 10 coaches this season.
I meant free therapy, not feel therapy. And when I say free I mean the NWSL should pay our therapists their full rate for our sessions. This should apply to all current and former players who were abused by these coaches. https://t.co/j9atE1vR5P
— Mana Shim (@meleanashim) November 23, 2021
“Many people have asked me what players need to heal from this abuse/feel safe in the future,” she wrote. “Feel therapy has to be on the list. The kind where you get to choose any therapist you want and see them as many times as you need and it doesn’t get held up by insurance.”
Shim later offered up further clarification, stating that she meant “free therapy” and not “feel therapy.”
“And when I say free I mean the NWSL should pay our therapists their full rates for our sessions,” she continued. “This should apply to all current and former players who were abused by these coaches.”
Shim is one of the players that came forward publicly in September, detailing allegations of sexual coercion and verbal abuse against former North Carolina Courage head coach Paul Riley. In the wake of the allegations against Riley, the NWSL underwent a league-wide reckoning that continues to this day, with multiple independent investigations still being conducted.
Kaiya McCullough, who was one of the first players in the league to come forward with allegations of abuse against former Washington Spirit coach Richie Burke, echoed Shim’s statements.
“I’m lucky to have the resources to be able to go to her regularly,” McCullough wrote of her therapist, who she says is “amazing.”
“Like Mana Shim said, everybody in the NWSL should have access to free therapy services. They changed my life.”
I have an amazing therapist y’all, don’t worry. It took time to find her, and I’m grateful. I’m lucky to have the resources to be able to go to her regularly.
— Kai (@hiyakaiya) November 23, 2021
Like Mana Shim said, everybody in the NWSL should have access to free therapy services. They changed my life.
Former Chicago Red Stars’ coach Rory Dames is the latest to face allegations of verbal and emotional abuse by players, as detailed in the Post on Monday. At the center of the report is a 2018 formal complaint that was filed to U.S. Soccer — which is currently conducting an independent investigation of the league led by former acting attorney general Sally Q. Yates. According to players, U.S. Soccer failed to follow up with them regarding their claims.
The NWSL misidentified Mana Shim during the Orlando Pride broadcast on Saturday night, sparking outrage online.
Of all the mistakes to make on this #NWSL broadcast - are you kidding me, the utter disrespect to Mana and the complete lack of preparation is unacceptable https://t.co/3GCt2fwbve
— Steph Yang | Horrible Soccer Goose (@thrace) October 9, 2021
Along with Sinead Farrelly, Shim publicly accused former NWSL coach Paul Riley of sexual coercion and emotional abuse in The Athletic. Since the report’s publishing, Shim and Farrelly have called for “more justice” and systemic change inside the league.
Shim was in attendance for the Pride and NJ/NY Gotham FC matchup in Orlando on Saturday, joining the players during the game’s sixth minute to link arms at midfield in an act of solidarity and silence. The broadcast, however, misidentified Shim, zooming in and placing a name chyron on the wrong person.
Just to be clear — Mana Shim is at the Orlando Pride game and was standing with Alex Morgan in the circle at the sixth minute. The broadcast just zoomed in on the wrong person (Brittany Wilson) which is the cause for the confusion. https://t.co/VgTco3HJya
— Julia Poe 🎃👻 (@byjuliapoe) October 9, 2021
After the game, Alex Morgan spoke about the importance of Shim’s presence during the game’s demonstration.
“That moment was heavy. I think the whole match was heavy and obviously it was just amazing to have Mana here and just be able to be here with her during this time and show our support for her.”
The NWSL returned to action Wednesday night for the first time since a report of a coach’s abuse rocked the league.
For each of the NWSL’s three games, teams paused play at the sixth minute to meet in the center circle and link arms in a moment of silence. The demonstrations were in support of Mana Shim and Sinead Farrelly, who came forward with allegations of sexual coercion and emotional abuse against former coach Paul Riley in The Athletic.
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) October 6, 2021
🎩🎩🎩 #NoMoreSilence pic.twitter.com/iicSUvjscp
— NWSLPA (@nwsl_players) October 7, 2021
The NWSL Players Association said that the players paused at the sixth minute “in recognition of the six years it took for Mana, Sinead, and all those who fought for too long to be heard.”
Shim and Farelly addressed the demonstrations on Twitter, with Shim saying “no words, only tears.”
No words, only tears. Thank you @nwsl_players ❤️ https://t.co/en5ooUXzCF
— Mana Shim (@meleanashim) October 7, 2021
Absolutely blown away 😭. Tears and chills watching this happen. My heart goes out to every single player-former and current- who has lived through this culture of silence. We are demanding change and we are not going away. https://t.co/0dm9UDbb2Y
— Sinead Farrelly (@lord__shin) October 7, 2021
“Tears and chills watching this happen,” Farrelly wrote. “My heart goes out to every single player-former and current- who has lived through this culture of silence.
“We are demanding change and we are not going away.”
Change has been at the crux of the NWSL since the allegations against Riley surfaced, forcing a response from the league in a season rampant with controversies. NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird resigned from her position on Friday, while the Portland Thorns placed GM Gavin Wilkinson was on administrative leave after the team’s players released a list of demands.
Meanwhile, the NWSL, FIFA and US Soccer have each launched investigations into the cases of misconduct in the league.
Mana Shim, Sinead Farrelly and Alex Morgan spoke on The Today Show on Tuesday in their first public interview since Shim and Farrelly came forward with their accounts of abuse under former NWSL coach Paul Riley.
The Athletic released a report last week in which the former players accused Riley of sexual coercion and harassment and emotional abuse. The North Carolina Courage fired Riley hours after the story was published.
“It’s bigger than the sport. This is about safety in our own lives ... the players deserve that.”
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) October 5, 2021
Watch @SavannahGuthrie’s full interview with soccer stars Mana Shim, Sinead Farrelly and Alex Morgan on the sexual abuse allegations rocking the National Women's Soccer League. pic.twitter.com/2RD98k7lWp
“It is the whole spectrum of emotions,” Farrelly said about how she’s felt since The Athletic article came out. “The support and the validation of this story by everyone globally has just been … it has blown me away and really has felt like it has given my pain purpose. That has been a liberation for me that I have not been able to feel for almost 10 years.”
Shim echoed Farrelly’s comments and added that there is still work to be done.
“I want more,” Shim said. “I want more justice. I want policies. I want players to be protected. At the same time, I feel like we’re on the right path.”
The support, both said, has been critical.
“I just feel speechless about it,” Farrelly said. “I don’t have words. They have truly amplified our voices and just made this what it should be. Which is a huge deal.”
Morgan addressed the league’s inaction, which allowed for another NWSL team to hire Riley five months after the Portland Thorns investigated his conduct and terminated his contract in 2015. The Orlando Pride and U.S. women’s national team star called the sequence of events a “systemic failure.”
“Something we ask is for the league to start being proactive and not reactive,” Morgan said. “We ask for transparency.”
In the days following the initial report, Lisa Baird resigned as NWSL commissioner and no games were played over the weekend while the league addressed the situation. In addition to Riley’s NWSL firing, U.S. Soccer suspended his Pro Level coaching license in response.
Both U.S. Soccer and FIFA have opened up investigations into the league and the NWSL has announced a “commitment to systemic transformation,” including reopening the 2015 investigation into Riley.
Shim said Tuesday that change will not happen immediately.
“I’m still damaged,” she said. “This isn’t something that just goes away overnight because we talk about it. It’s extremely vulnerable and detailed what we’ve gotten into this week. It brings up a lot.
“I’m just so grateful for this opportunity to get these bad people out of the league and really shine a light on this issue because it’s so prevalent. It’s not just this team. It’s not just this coach. It’s across the league, it’s across the sport, and we have to do something about it.”
“It’s bigger than the sport,” Farrelly added. “This is about safety in our own lives and our bodies. The players deserve that. We all deserve that. That’s something that we will fight for.”