The Orlando Pride have signed draftee Messiah Bright to a three-year deal. 

The Pride selected the forward at No. 21 overall, in the second round of the 2023 NWSL draft. She stood out as a high-value pick for the Pride, as many draft boards had Bright going earlier in the night, by the middle of the second round at the latest.

“Messiah has the potential to be one of the most dangerous attackers in the NWSL, something the Club knew when we drafted her this year,” Pride general manager Haley Carter said. “She has had a great preseason, showcasing the skills she possesses and becoming a great fit for the culture we are building in our locker room. 

“We know she still has so much untapped potential and we are excited that Orlando will be where she develops and grows as an athlete and person. We’re really looking forward to the important role she is going to play in achieving our goals, this year and in the future.”

Bright comes to Orlando from TCU, where she finished her five-year college career with 50 goals and 17 assists through 102 games played. She leaves as the program’s all-time leader in goals and points (118).

On the international stage, Bright played for the U-23 U.S. women’s national team in 2022.

“I am beyond excited to be able to stay in purple and call Orlando home for the next few years. It’s always been a dream of mine to play professional soccer, and I finally get to do that with such an amazing team,” Bright said. “The experience thus far is something I have been truly grateful for. The team as well as the coaching staff have welcomed me with open arms, and they drive me to be the best person I can be on and off the pitch. I can’t wait to see my development and give it my all for the Club and our fans!”

The Orlando Pride have switched from white to black shorts to make their kits more comfortable for players during their periods.

While the Pride wore white shorts with their away kits throughout the 2022 season, they will wear black shorts with the lunar-inspired white-and-gray jerseys for the upcoming season. Orlando becomes the first NWSL team to make such a change due to period concerns, the team announced Tuesday.

“We must remove the stigma involved in discussing the health issues impacting women and menstruating non-binary and trans athletes if we want to maximize performance and increase accessibility to sport,” Pride general manager Haley Carter said.

The new kit will see its first action in the Pride’s season opener on March 25, when the team heads on the road to face the defending champion Portland Thorns.

The change also will be made for the girls’ teams in the club’s youth system, with dark shorts for practices and for games.

“The reasons behind not wanting to wear white shorts are clear, but it is unfortunately something that hasn’t been addressed until recently,” Pride midfielder Erika Tymrak said. “I think it’s a big step for us as a club to make players feel comfortable and allow us to focus solely on competing.”

Women’s Super League club Manchester United already has made such a change. The team is no longer wearing white shorts, instead working with kit sponsor Puma to switch to burgundy shorts for all their matches.

The England women’s national team has discussed ditching its white shorts over players’ concerns about wearing white while on their periods, The Telegraph reported last July ahead of the Euros.

“It’s very nice to have an all-white kit but sometimes it’s not practical when it’s the time of the month,” Lionesses star Beth Mead said. “We deal with it as best we can.”

It’s rare for any NWSL team to come out of draft day without improving, but the questions following the chaos remain the same: Who got better immediately, who opted for slow, high-value growth, and who took too many risks?

Drafts are best analyzed at least a year after they occur, and hindsight is 20/20. But with one of the strongest draft classes in years, each team carved out a path for the 2023 season. Armed with picks, trades and team quotes, let’s evaluate how they did.

Big winners

Kansas City Current – A

  • No. 2 Michelle Cooper, F; No. 10 Alexa Spaanstra, F; No. 15 Gabby Robinson, D; No. 18 Jordan Silkowitz, GK; No. 35 Mykiaa Minniss, D; No. 38 Ella Shamburger, D; No. 42 Rylan Childers, M; No. 47 Ashley Orkus, GK
  • Traded forward Lynn Williams to Gotham FC for the No. 2 overall pick

In both volume and impact, the Current cleaned up. Kansas City made a steep choice in sending Williams to Gotham to pick up Michelle Cooper, but general manager Cami Levin Ashton and head coach Matt Potter were adamant that they wanted Cooper as their cornerstone going forward.

Selecting Spaanstra at No. 10 was perhaps the team’s biggest steal. It was a bit of a surprise that she was still on the board at that point, and the winger is going to bring dynamism to the team’s wide attack. From there, the Current drafted solid players in positions of need, particularly at defense and goalkeeper. With eight total picks entering training camp, competition for contracts is going to be fierce in Kansas City in February.

Team says: “​​Michelle is somebody that we’ve obviously watched over the course of the last couple of years. And she’s somebody that we really wanted to be part of this organization. She’s an incredible talent and has showcased that at the collegiate level, and we’re very excited to have her with us in Kansas City.” — GM Cami Levin Ashton

Orlando Pride – A

  • No. 3 Emily Madril, D; No. 21 Messiah Bright, F; No. 25 Tori Hansen, D; No. 39 Summer Yates, M; No. 41 Kristen Scott, F
  • Traded the No. 24 and No. 34 picks to Washington Spirit for $75,000 in allocation money

The Pride made the right strategic pick at pretty much every point in the draft. Madril already has professional experience in Sweden and will be a crucial piece to Orlando’s backline rebuild. Messiah Bright is a fantastic pick-up at No. 21, since many (myself included) thought she’d be off the board by the middle of the second round.

Hansen and Yates were two other players projected to go higher than they ultimately landed. The Pride had the benefit of selecting not only the best players available, but also players at positions where they could use good, young talent. Yates is a little less proven against strong competition, and Hansen likely suffered positionally with few teams going all-in on defense, but both can make an impact in Orlando.

Team says: “[We gained] variety. We highlighted key players in key positions and you look at the picks that we got, they can come in and make an immediate impact to the team. I spoke about having a competitive environment in our training, and I think we have that in our draft picks.” — head coach Seb Hines

Gotham FC – A-

  • No. 4 Jenna Nighswonger, M; No. 44 Iliana Hocking, M
  • Traded the No. 2 pick for forward Lynn Williams; traded forward Paige Monaghan, an international slot and $150,000 to Racing Louisville for the No. 4 pick; also traded the No. 13 pick to the San Diego Wave for $100,000

It almost feels like you have to take a deep breath before even coming close to analyzing Gotham’s furious amount of activity this offseason, but with the dust mostly settled, things are looking good in New Jersey. Williams should be back to full fitness, and the cost of selecting Nighswonger seems reasonable considering the talent Gotham has picked up in other trades. Nighswonger has the ability to be the creative playmaker in the attacking midfield that Gotham has long wanted.

The only questions remaining from Gotham’s draft day are mostly in the “what if” category. What if Gotham had held onto the No. 1 pick? What if they had selected Michelle Cooper at No. 2? How do young players fit into the team’s vision, with the choice of a proven forward in Williams over the potential of a rookie? We’ll see how it plays out over time, but for now general manager Yael Averbuch West should be proud of her work.

Team says: “All of today was the culmination of thousands of conversations, and every decision we made was not taken in a vacuum. It’s part of a holistic look at how we, from yesterday to now, become a significantly better team.” — GM Yael Averbuch West

Portland Thorns – A-

  • No. 5 Reyna Reyes, D; No. 12 Izzy D’Aquila, F; No. 24 Lauren Debeau, F; No. 32 Lauren Kozal, GK
  • Traded No. 36 pick and $20,000 to Houston for the No. 32 pick, as well as the No. 48 pick for Houston’s 2024 third-round pick and $10,000

The Thorns didn’t need much, and yet the players they picked up could have a lasting impact on the club. Reyes can play outside back as well as midfield, and D’Aquila is an excellent addition to the team’s attacking depth, especially with a number of players likely out for the World Cup this summer. The only question mark following the Thorns’ draft is what the long-term plan is at center back, but that’s simply now a position to watch for other moves.

Anytime Thorns goalkeeper coach and former Germany international Nadine Angerer selects a goalkeeper, you can feel good about that player not only having an impact in Portland but also on the league at large in a few years’ time. Angerer has developed a number of players who currently start at other NWSL clubs, and if she thinks Lauren Kozal has what it takes, expect big things.

Team says: “For us, we wanted to keep our group together. As you’ve seen we haven’t had too much turnover in the offseason, and we wanted to know where can we add to our roster to make us better” — GM Karina Leblanc

img
Diana Ordoñez set an NWSL rookie goal-scoring record with the Courage last season. (Andy Mead/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Houston Dash – A-

  • No. 20 Sophie Hirst, M; No. 22 Jylissa Harris, D; No. 36 Lindsi Jennings, D; No. 48 Madelyn Desiano, D
  • Traded the No. 8 pick, their 2024 first-round pick, an international slot and $100,000 to North Carolina for forward Diana Ordoñez; sent the No. 30 pick to Washington for the No. 32 pick and $30,000; sent the No. 32 pick to Portland for No. 36 and $20,000, and their 2024 third-round pick and $10,000 to the Thorns for the No. 48 pick.

The Dash benefited from player wishes and a North Carolina team in flux with their trade for Ordoñez, who set a rookie goal-scoring record last year with 11 goals. They will pay for the opportunity next year, trading out of the 2024 first round, but when a player of Ordoñez’s caliber becomes available, you jump at the chance to take her.

The Dash’s other picks fill positional needs, with Harvard product Hirst giving cover in the midfield and arguably the second-best center back on the board in Harris. Houston has to feel like they can get more out of the players they currently have while the additions give the whole team balance.

Team says: “One of the reasons to bring Ordoñez in was to get more out of María Sánchez, because she’s going to beat the player 1v1 on the dribble, she’s got an incredible delivery in the box, and one of the assessments that I had was that we need to get on the end of those deliveries.” — head coach Sam Laity

Perfectly good draft days

Chicago Red Stars – B+

  • No. 7 Penelope Hocking, F; No. 14 Grace Yochum, M; No. 23 Allison Schlegel, F; No. 43 Sophie Jones, M
  • Traded No. 19 to OL Reign for No. 23, an international spot, and a 2024 third round pick

This was a sneaky good draft from the Red Stars, a team where this year’s rookies will have the opportunity for a lot of playing time. Hocking was one of the best players still available at No. 7. The Penn State grad will be a good center-point to combine with Mallory Swanson up top and pick up attacking steam while the USWNT forward is away at the World Cup.

Fear of positional imbalances also fell away with Chicago’s selections of Yochum and Jones, both of whom have a chance for serious playing time in the midfield. Questions about Jones’ defensive capabilities were likely the reason she fell to the fourth round, but she is a first-round level passer. If the Red Stars can stay patient and give her support, she might be the steal of the draft.

Team says: “I think that you’d be a little bit naive to think that we don’t have good players, because we do have some very good players. We got some building blocks that we’ll build around, and we’ve got some players that I think a lot of people would like to have. So we’re not walking around with our tail between our legs. We do feel like we’re gonna have a good team.” — head coach Chris Petrucelli

img
Angel City traded up to select Alyssa Thompson with the No. 1 pick. (Courtesy of Angel City Football Club)

Angel City FC – B+

  • No. 1 Alyssa Thompson, F; No. 27 Angelina Anderson, GK

Angel City had the most significant selection of the night, picking up the youngest draft pick in NWSL history in 18-year-old Alyssa Thompson. Thompson already has experience with the USWNT first team, and her potential to be L.A.’s next superstar is sky high. The team went all-in on an expensive top choice, and it could pay off for years to come.

When looking at the draft holistically, however, the $450,000 ACFC spent to select Thompson was noticeable. Angel City has worked with a deficit of assets in both of the drafts they’ve participated in so far. On Thursday, they had only one other pick after Thompson, which they used on goalkeeping depth. They’re going to have to use other transfer opportunities to fill positions of need, and it will be interesting to see how they move money around to have the depth they need to make it through the season.

Team says: “I think it shows a massive intent by the club, in terms of being aggressive to trade up and get the No. 1 pick. And we couldn’t be happier with getting a talented player who’s got a massive ceiling and who’s going to be able to make a difference. And then obviously getting someone so young and then being able to develop the person is huge.” — head coach Freya Coombe

Washington Spirit – B

  • No. 26 Nicole Douglas F; No. 28 Lyza Bosselman, GK; No. 30 Riley Tanner, F; No. 34 Lena Silano, F; No. 37 Civana Kuhlmann, F; No. 40 Delaney Graham, D
  • Traded defender Emily Sonnett to OL Reign for No. 32 and a 2024 first-round pick; sent No. 32 and $30,000 to the Dash in exchange for No. 30; sent $75,000 to Orlando for No. 29 and No. 34; sent No. 29 and a total of $55,000 to Racing Louisville for No. 28 and No. 40

The Spirit came into the draft with only two picks and came out with six, wheeling and dealing in the later rounds to buy in. Head coach Mark Parsons said at the draft that he had 2024 league expansion in mind with the moves the team made, and their late-round picks could pay dividends in the future.

Washington’s biggest move was the trade that sent Emily Sonnett to Seattle, marking the second time Parsons has traded the defender in their careers. The Spirit’s decision not to carry as many national players in order to maintain roster consistency has some logic to it, but Sonnett has been very good for Washington and was a big part of their 2021 championship season.

Team says: “We have a structural problem that we had to rebalance. If five players go to the World Cup, if five players — with expansion potentially coming — and also looking at how many of those players are going to play consistent minutes in the World Cup and how they will return, we’ve been open about the direction we feel that we’re gonna have to go.” — head coach Mark Parsons

San Diego Wave – B

  • No. 13 Sierra Enge, F; No. 33 Lauren Brzykcy, GK; No. 45: Giovanna DeMarco, M
  • Traded $100,000 to Gotham FC for the No. 13 pick

The Wave went with known properties over positions of need after making some strong free-agency moves. Enge, out of Stanford, should provide depth to the attacking line, as San Diego looks for consistent scorers outside of 2022 Golden Boot winner Alex Morgan.

The Wave will also need another backup keeper when Kailen Sheridan is out for the World Cup, and Brzykcy is fresh off a national championship with UCLA. Overall, San Diego has set itself up well through strong drafts last year and smart transfer pick-ups. Their rookies are coming into a good situation without a ton of pressure to carry the load.

Team says: “Sierra was a big target for us, we’re really pleased we got her. The fact that she can play multiple positions gives us a bit of versatility. Lauren has been in training with us anyway, so we know her character and we know what she’s like. And then Giovanna, I can’t believe she dropped so low down the order, because that is one really talented player. So we’re really, really happy with our picks.” — head coach Casey Stoney

OL Reign – B

  • No. 19 Shae Holmes, D; No. 46 Natalie Viggiano, M
  • Traded No. 32 and their 2024 first-round pick for defender Emily Sonnett; sent the No. 23 pick, a 2023 international spot and a 2024 third-round pick to Chicago for the No. 19 pick

Laura Harvey has never been a manager who prefers to build through the draft, and her team got better mostly through other moves this week. The Reign picked up Elyse Bennett from Kansas City on Wednesday, acquired Emily Sonnett in a late-round trade with the Spirit and re-signed Megan Rapinoe to a one-year deal.

Bennett and Sonnett will both have to compete for playing time, but the Reign’s strength has long been their level of depth. In a World Cup year, they’ve set themselves up to make another run at the NWSL Shield and maybe even the elusive NWSL championship.

Team says: “I think we all knew that there wasn’t going to be a ton of business this offseason for our team with where we’re at … I think that might be something that happens throughout the year is we we tend to do a little bit of business here and there just to tweak and make our team as good as it possibly can be to get over the hump at the end of the season, and try and get what our ultimate goal is, which is to win a championship” — head coach Laura Harvey

Lingering question marks

North Carolina Courage – B-

  • No. 6 Olivia Wingate, F; No. 8 Sydney Collins, D; No. 9 Clara Robbins, M; No. 11 Haley Hopkins, F
  • Traded forward Diana Ordoñez and the No. 30 pick to Houston for the No. 8 pick, Houston’s 2024 first-round pick and $100,000

North Carolina’s draft night felt somewhat odd to the outside viewer, and not for the first time. The unexpected trade of Diana Ordoñez set the tone early, though it was later explained that the forward had requested a trade.

From there, the Courage seemed to get more value out of their late-round picks than the swings they took on their early selections. Robbins is ready for pro-level games, having anchored a strong Florida State midfield for five years, and head coach Sean Nahas said he sees Hopkins as a possible replacement for Ordoñez up top.

Team says: “I think the realistic situation is that players are in a situation now where they want to make decisions that best suit them as well. And from the business side of things, you have to make sure you’re doing the right thing for your business. I think at the end of the day, we wanted to make sure [Ordoñez] was happy.” — head coach Sean Nahas

Racing Louisville – B-

  • No. 16 Kayla Fischer, F; Brianna Martinez, D; No. 29 Jadyn Edwards, M; No. 31 Riley Mattingly Parker, F;
  • Traded the No. 4 pick for forward Paige Monaghan, $150,000 and an international slot; traded No. 28 and No. 40 to Washington for No. 29 and a total of $55,000

Racing Louisville’s draft day started with a player they weren’t going to get rather than one they were. Emily Madril is a player Louisville knows well, and it seems that when they heard Orlando was picking her at No. 3, they started looking for exit strategies out of the first round.

Monaghan is a hard-working winger who can get in behind a defense and will do the defensive work from an attacking position that Louisville can use. Martinez will likely start at right back, opposite Emily Fox on the left, and Mattingly Parker is a great pick-up late in the draft. The biggest mark against Louisville’s draft is that they missed out on a key center back, which is a huge area of need for the club.

Team says: “In our preparation leading up to today, there was only one center back we wanted, but on draft day it became clear we weren’t going to have that chance at No. 4. We sought the best value for our pick, and we moved for a player in Paige Monaghan who has league experience, a great personality and positional versatility. She will be a great addition to our team.” — head coach Kim Bjorkegren

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

The Orlando Pride have promoted interim manager Seb Hines to a permanent head coaching role, signing him to a multi-year contract to lead the club into the 2023 season.

Formerly an assistant coach with the Pride, Hines took over as interim head coach for 15 games in 2022 after Amanda Cromwell was suspended and placed under investigation for allegations of workplace misconduct. At the time of his interim appointment, Hines became the first Black head coach in the NWSL, and now he makes more history as the league’s first-ever Black full-time head coach.

“After evaluating what we want the future for the Pride to be, listening to player feedback and discussing with Seb, it became very clear that he has earned the opportunity to continue leading our Club,” said Pride chairman Mark Wilf.

Orlando announced other infrastructural changes on Friday, including expanding the General Manager position to become Vice President and General Manager of Soccer Operations and committing more resources to player development, analytics, scouting and medical services. As part of the restructuring, the club parted ways with GM Ian Fleming. The changes come one month after the NWSL terminated the contracts of Cromwell and Pride assistant coach Sam Greene after an investigation substantiated claims of retaliatory behavior.

Prior to the announcement, Just Women’s Sports spoke with Hines about the appointment, charting a new team culture and his vision for a revamped Orlando Pride.

(Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.)

Let’s start with your opening thoughts on the incoming coaching announcement.

I’m just super grateful for the opportunity to lead this team in the next couple of years. I’m really, really grateful for Mark and the board and ownership to trust me in this process. I know it comes with a great responsibility, and I’m just really, really excited to get going and just really want to make the city proud. Now we can create something where the public can be excited about coming and watching the Orlando Pride.

Can you describe what your journey has been like from joining the squad as an assistant coach to taking this next step?

Yeah, so I retired [from Orlando City] at the end of 2017. And as it worked out, the Orlando Pride were training at the same facility as we were playing, so I was very close to [former Pride coach] Tom Sermanni. A lot of credit goes to Tom because he took a chance on me, coming out and watching training and being a part of training. My first year I volunteered, and then Marc Skinner came in and I asked him if I could still volunteer just to be a part of it. The third year, Mark took me on as a second assistant. From that moment, I was in it. Marc moved on, Becky Burleigh came in, and then obviously Amanda Cromwell came in last year. So, this would be my fifth year with the club.

Having seen a number of coaches go in and out, what do you think the value is to having someone who knows the club so well leading the team?

I think it’s not just me knowing the club; it’s knowing the organization, knowing the people. I’ve been here eight years now, so I’m in and around people constantly with my son playing youth soccer and my kids going to school. I get to get a feel for the city and the people. One thing I want to do is create an environment and a team that people are proud of and they know what they’re gonna get — an identity and a philosophy that everyone knows, when they see an Orlando Pride player, team, they know exactly what they’re gonna get.

So, I think like you said, I’ve been through a lot. I’ve seen multiple coaches come in and leave. And I think it’s just going in there and doing it my way and seeing if it progresses and gets better. We got a little taste of it towards the end of the season. It’ll be nice to start day one and hit the ground running straightaway.

In the second half of the 2022 season, the Pride turned into a gritty team that became difficult to play against. What further principles are you hoping to implement with the squad now that you’ll have a full preseason with them?

Like you said, we were harder to beat. I think we had to build a foundation to get results in games. Now, there’s no hiding place — we conceded too many goals and we didn’t score enough goals. So everything in the two boxes wasn’t good enough. I felt like when we did take over, we tried to control the middle. We tried to control with possession. I think we got more passes than we usually get and we weren’t as transitional. And some of our goals were beautiful, like they were really good goals.

I think what you’re gonna find next year is we’re building on what we created — have more grit, more determination, play with no fear, just go out there and give everything right from the start, and ultimately put the ball in the back of the net. Because we do create good goal-scoring opportunities, but ultimately we are going to get judged on goals and results.

img
Orlando finished the season 10th in the NWSL standings but rebounded from a 2-2-5 start. (Courtesy of the Orlando Pride)

Are there any particular players you view as part of that core, whether young players or players you brought in last season?

We did a big revamp toward the end of 2021. It allowed us to have younger players come in and get minutes and get that experience under their belts, playing against some top teams, against top individuals. So for them now to have that experience to then go into next year knowing that, “This is what the league is about, this is what I need to step up to,” you can’t replace that.

Some of our younger players are getting full 90-minute games and coming off the bench and making an impact, so we had to rely on them a lot in this last year. I think it will only help us moving forward. Obviously we’ll look to add more players to our roster and become a real competitive team in 2023.

There’s been a lot of conversation in recent years about how off-the-field culture shows up on the field. Where would you say the locker-room culture was at the beginning of last year and what changed between the beginning and end of last year? And what sort of cultural principles would you like the team to have that carry over to the on-field performance?

I think one thing that we want to do right from the start within the first week is define our core values, define our culture. I think we did a little bit of it when we took over to try and define who we were, but I think that can be done in preseason. And that’s going to be a very important piece of it. As we move forward and as we look at 2023, it’s making sure that everyone’s on the right page. Everyone’s going in the right direction. And we saw bits of that last year, but I feel like that can be a real collective effort from everyone within the coaching staff to the players, and everyone’s just bought into what we’re going to try and do next year.

That was the most encouraging thing for us, because we recognized that we weren’t a team of individuals. We were a team that had to stick together to grind out results, and we did that. We worked hard together. There were periods last year in training that I pushed the players. Like, we were doing double days, we were doing afternoon sessions in the sun. And it was ruthless. It was relentless. But it brought them together, and when you go through those sort of tough times, and then you get the results on a Saturday, it only spurs them on to do more.

As you mentioned, the big rebuild started at the end of 2021 and there was even more coaching turnover in 2022. The Pride have been a project of patience, having not made the playoffs since 2017. What made you excited to take on this role full-time, and what would you say to the people who are waiting for the fruits of that labor?

I think you’re absolutely right. It has been a club that’s had a lot of change throughout the years. And I think in my position now, I feel like we can have stability. I feel like with my vision going forward, we can create something that everyone can be proud of, everyone can be excited about, the city can be excited about, ownership can be excited about what is going to be coming from this team. So everyone’s bought in, everyone’s invested in it.

One last question: Next year, is it playoffs or bust?

[Laughs] That is our goal — playoffs, for sure. We’re not a million miles away. We can really make a good run up for it. Obviously it’s not going to be easy. No one’s giving you three points on a Saturday or Sunday. So we know we’ve got to do the work, and that is our expectation. Nothing less than that is acceptable, really.

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

Amanda Cromwell blasted the NWSL and NWSL Players Association’s joint investigation into misconduct in the league after she was terminated from her position as Orlando Pride coach Monday.

The NWSL terminated her contract after investigators found that she and her first assistant Sam Greene engaged in retaliatory behavior against Pride players who they believed had backed misconduct allegations against them.

Cromwell and Greene both had been on administrative leave since June at the recommendation of the investigative team.

“I believe the investigation lacked transparency, professionalism, and thoroughness, and as a result my character and integrity have been mischaracterized,” she said in a statement published to her Twitter account.

She contends in her statement that the investigation’s findings spring from a decision to waive a player based on “performance and conduct that was detrimental to the team culture,” a decision made by the coaching staff and other team leaders in concert.

“Throughout this process, I have remained silent as I have fully cooperated with a biased and incomplete investigation in an effort to clear my name and protect the reputation I have built as both a professional player and a coach for nearly 40 years,” she said in her statement.

Cromwell and Greene can no longer work in the NWSL in any capacity unless approved for reinstatement by the commissioner of the league.

To do so would require participation in mandatory training regarding retaliation, discrimination, harassment and bullying, as well as in mandatory executive coaching. The coaches would also have to acknowledge wrongdoing and demonstrate a sincere commitment to correcting their behavior.

Cromwell concluded her statement by saying she “will be reviewing all legal options.” And while she acknowledged “a culture of abuse in the NWSL,” she denied playing a part in it – and in fact, she noted that abuse can impact coaches as well, and that women on her staff “have raised serious concerns” about the issue.

The NWSL has terminated the contracts of Orlando Pride head coach Amanda Cromwell and first assistant coach Sam Greene based on the findings of the NWSL and NWSL Players Association’s joint investigation into allegations of workplace misconduct, the league announced Monday.

The investigative team substantiated claims that Cromwell and Greene engaged in retaliatory behavior against Pride players who they believed had backed misconduct allegations against them. The coaches had been placed on temporary administrative leave in June at the recommendation of the joint investigation.

“Specifically, Cromwell and Greene were found to have engaged in conduct that discouraged reporting and fostered a general fear of retaliation, and to have taken negative actions against certain players, including by seeking to waive or trade them,” the NWSL said in a statement.

As a result of the discipline, Cromwell and Greene are not permitted to work in the NWSL in any capacity unless they are approved for reinstatement by the Commissioner. To do that, they must participate in mandatory training regarding retaliation, discrimination, harassment and bullying as well as in mandatory executive coaching, as determined by the Commissioner. They must also acknowledge wrongdoing and demonstrate a sincere commitment to correcting their behavior.

Pride goalkeeper coach Aline Reis has also been placed on unpaid administrative leave after the investigative team found that Reis did not cooperate fully with the investigation,”including by pressuring players to share favorable information with investigators,” the statement read. Reis must complete the mandatory training, acknowledge wrongdoing and demonstrate a commitment to behavioral reform before she can return to work.

Cromwell and Greene first came under investigation in March 2022 based on allegations of verbal abuse and improper favoritism toward players. Counsel to the Pride conducted the probe with the consent of the NWSL and NWSLPA joint investigative team and founds some of the allegations to be substantiated.

In May, the NWSL and NWSLPA received complaints that Cromwell and Greene were retaliating against players who they believed had participated in and supported the March investigation.

Cromwell, Greene, Reis and Pride assistant coach Michelle Akers reported in June that they were subject to various forms of misconduct. After a third-party investigation into the coaches’ complaints, their claims were found to be unsubstantiated.

Cromwell called the investigation “biased and incomplete” and said she would explore legal options in a statement of her own Monday night.

“As we continue to build a league as elite as the players on the pitch, it is critically important that we foster a culture where individuals can safely come forward with concerns without fear of reprisal,” NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said. “These retaliation concerns were identified during the NWSL/NWSLPA Joint Investigation and interim measures were put in place due to the ongoing nature of the misconduct.”

The decisions come a week after the release of U.S. Soccer’s findings from a year-long investigation into systemic abuse in the NWSL, as conducted by former U.S. attorney general Sally Yates. The report outlined a pattern of verbal abuse, emotional abuse and sexual misconduct by coaches and a failure by team and league executives to respond appropriately to incidents of misconduct.

The NWSL and NWSLPA’s joint investigation, which spans cases of misconduct since the league’s inception in 2013, is expected to completed by the end of the year.

At the Orlando Pride these days, everyone is working for each other. That’s how midfielder Erika Tymrak describes the atmosphere during another rebuilding year that’s featured many unexpected hurdles along the way.

Over the last couple of months, the Pride have focused on creating a competitive environment and nurturing culture that’s inclusive of everybody. The approach has translated into results on the field, with Orlando taking a seven-game unbeaten streak into Friday’s match with OL Reign after starting the season 2-2-5.

“I’ve won two championships in this league and I’ve learned on both of those teams that everyone has to be committed and understanding of their role and everyone has to be working for each other,” said Tymrak, a 10-year NWSL veteran. “Whether you’re a 90-minute player or a sub, someone who’s not getting playing time, rookie, veteran, you have to be committed.”

She credits interim coach Seb Hines for fostering an an environment where everyone wants to play their best for each other. Hines is filling in for head coach Amanda Cromwell and assistant coach Sam Greene, who were placed on administrative leave in June due to an ongoing investigation by the NWSL and NWSL Players Association into allegations of workplace misconduct.

“He’s been really direct about how he wants us to play, what his expectations are, what his standards are, what our standards should be as players,” Tymrak said of Hines. “As an athlete, I think it’s sometimes tough to live in that gray area where you’re not really sure. The more black and white you can make it, the easier it is to understand, especially for younger players and rookies.

“Having that clarity and directness and confidence in us and how he wants us to play has been huge.”

The players are enjoying each other’s company in a way that general manager Ian Fleming has never seen during his year and a half with the club.

“I think the team is responding really well to just a much more pleasant place to be right now than it has been for some time,” he said. “It’s energizing. I think everyone’s feeling really good about the direction that we’re heading.”

Hines has worked the team so hard in training over the last seven weeks that games feel like the easy days and the players hardly have to think about what they’re doing on the field. Since the beginning of July, the Pride have tied or beaten three teams in the top four of the standings — the Houston Dash, Kansas City Current and San Diego Wave — and risen to eighth place with six regular-season games remaining.

One of the youngest teams in the league a year after being the oldest team, weighted by minutes played, the Pride (5-5-6) are sitting in the bottom half of the standings for a fifth straight season, but they’re also on track to finish in their best position in five years. The top six teams make the NWSL playoffs beginning in October.

Coming into 2022, the Pride knew it would be a challenging year. In preseason, the club returned 15 players from the 2021 season after trading away longtime club staples Alex Morgan, Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris.

Since then, they’ve lost four key veterans — Marta, Sydney Leroux, Amy Turner and Angharad James — to a season-ending injury, a trade, a contract buyout and a contract termination.

Orlando bought out Turner’s contract 10 days after Cromwell and Greene were put on leave, and both Pride teammates and NWSL players were quick to show support for the defender. A month later, James joined Turner, her fiancée, in signing with Tottenham.

Sydney Leroux, who was traded to Angel City FC shortly after Turner’s departure, told the media upon her arrival in Los Angeles, “It’s not a secret that things are going on in Orlando, that things need to be looked at and taken care of. I had five years there and Orlando will always hold a special place in my heart.”

The club has focused on rebuilding its trust with players through transparent discussions and providing support on and off the field, Fleming explained. The Pride are also committed to giving their players the physical and psychological medical care they need. When Tymrak was asked what has stood out most about her experience with the Pride this year, she cited the coaching and medical staff as well as the benefits of having ice baths, chiropractic care, physiotherapy, sports psychologist and other resources are all available under one roof.

“I know that doesn’t sound like a big deal, but I’ve been at clubs where it’s not like that,” she said. “It makes such a difference because at the end of the day, the athlete just wants to step on the field and perform. And if they’re given every opportunity to do that, they’re going to be more successful.”

Tymrak, who played for FC Kansas City from 2013-17 and returned to the NWSL with the Utah Royals from 2018-19, came out of retirement to join the Pride for the 2021 season after a random phone call from Leroux. The nine-year NWSL veteran encouraged Tymrak to come train with Orlando during the offseason.

The offseason turned into a year and a half of the longtime friends playing together before Leroux was traded to Angel City.

“It was tough,” Tymrak said of Leroux leaving. “But I’m really happy for her and I think it’ll be good for her being closer to home. Sometimes you’re at a club for a while and there’s nothing wrong, but you just outgrow it. Syd’s one of those types of people who wants to be challenged, and sometimes being in the same environment can get stagnant.”

Fleming felt it was best at this point in Leroux’s career to put her in a position where she felt like she was competing for championships now. A member of the Pride since 2018, Leroux never had a winning season or made a playoff appearance in Orlando.

Fleming said the circumstances surrounding Turner and James’ unexpected departures were similar.

“I was trying to do the best job we can to put our players in a place to succeed, and for those players, in particular, to help them get to a place that was better for them where they can continue their careers,” he said. “For me, it was allowing [Turner] to go back home in an environment, to find an environment in which she can thrive and continue to play at the highest level.”

The gaps in the roster have created opportunities for younger players to take on bigger roles. For example, 23-year-old midfielder Viviana Villacorta has been consistently playing full matches since the beginning of July, just as Orlando began its unbeaten streak, and 22-year-old defender Kerry Abello has become a regular starter.

“They’ve thrived in that environment,” Fleming said. “We’re seeing the payoff from that right now. We’re seeing the growth and development of young players … in a way that I think will help them in the early stages of their career, but also help our club moving forward.”

Following the departures of multiple veterans this season, Orlando recently acquired Ally Watt from OL Reign and Haley Hanson from the Houston Dash before the transfer window closed this week. When it comes to trades, the Pride have targeted experienced NWSL players in the prime of their careers who have been on winning teams and are willing to take on a leadership role on a rebuilding team.

The Pride have seen that vision materialize in the last seven weeks, as the players have bought into the mission, competed for each other and gotten a taste of success.

“I think Seb has done such a good job with this group. He’s created this environment that’s super competitive,” Tymrak said. “Every time we go to practice, everyone’s so excited to compete.

“I think that is a really special environment.”

Jessa Braun is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering the NWSL and USWNT. Follow her on Twitter @jessabraun.

Ally Watt made an impression in her Orlando Pride debut, while Ebony Salmon and Diana Ordóñez surged in the Golden Boot race.

Just Women’s Sports breaks down the top plays from the past week of NWSL action.

NWSL Plays of the Week

Ally Watt’s debut Pride goal

Ally Watt knows how to make an entrance. The 25-year-old forward scored less than 10 minutes into her first game with the Pride.

After receiving a ball from Meggie Dougherty-Howard, Watt surged past her defender before burying a low shot into the far post.

“We needed one percent more, and what you had seen with Meggie’s one percent more resulted in a goal for Ally Watt,” said Pride coach Seb Hines following Orlando’s 2-1 win Saturday over Gotham FC.

Watt joined the Pride via an August trade with OL Reign after starting in three of her 14 matches with the Seattle club this season.

Ebony Salmon’s rocket

Ebony Salmon is on a tear, scoring eight goals in her eight starts with the Houston Dash.

Saturday’s match against the San Diego Wave proved no different, with the English striker launching a crafty shot to put the Dash ahead early. Trapping a stray ball at the top of the box, Salmon let off a screamer to the far post, adding to her goals tally, though the Dash eventually fell 3-1 to the Wave.

In her brief tenure with Houston, Salmon has proven to be a clinical finisher with extraordinary talent on the ball and in space.

Diana Ordóñez’s Brace

Diana Ordóñez is unstoppable, racking up a staggering 10 goals through 11 games. She has shattered the NWSL’s rookie scoring record (7 goals) and is challenging Alex Morgan for the league’s Golden Boot trophy.

On Saturday, the 20-year-old helped the Courage to an empathic 4-0 shutout over the Chicago Red Stars, logging two goals in the contest.

Ordóñez’s first came in the 10th minute, as she nodded in a corner kick for the go-ahead goal.

Then, in the 74th minute, Ordóñez doubled her tally, expertly shaking off a defender before slotting home the finish with poise.

Racing Louisville FC and the Orlando Pride tied 2-2 on Sunday in the first-ever NWSL match at Daytona International Speedway.

Racing Louisville got out to an early lead behind goals from Emina Ekic in the 34th minute and Savannah DeMelo in the 51st minute, needing just under 40 minutes of regulation to seal the win in Daytona Beach.

But the Pride responded later in the second half. Kylie Strom struck first for Orlando in the 59th minute, bending a shot into the bottom corner to bury a second-chance opportunity and notch her first goal with the Pride.

“I almost don’t believe that still happened,” Strom said afterward.

The goal ended a 329-minute scoring drought and an onslaught of 14 unanswered goals by Pride opponents.

Darian Jenkins scored the Pride’s second goal in the 69th minute to tie the game.

Louisville later had a chance to win the game off of a free kick, but goalkeeper Erin McLeod denied it with a diving save.

“We just have to be better at communicating what’s in front and what’s behind us, filling in our roles and doing our jobs,” Ekic said.

Each team wound up with eight shots on goal, while the Pride earned their first points since May with the draw.

“It’s more or less just kicking the ball away if you need to do it, defend with 11 players and do everything you can to win three points,” Louisville head coach Kim Bjökegren said postgame. “Sometimes it’s a little too easy for opponents to create chances against us. We need to find a way to close these kinds of games because, in my opinion, we threw away two points today.”

Outside of the result, the teams relished the opportunity to make history at Daytona International Speedway.

“Honestly, it was better than I expected — and I expected good things,” Pride defender Celia Jiménez Delgado said of the playing conditions. “When you say, ‘We’re going to build a field overnight,’ and I have a background in engineering, that is challenging, let’s be honest. Today when I stepped on the field, I thought, ‘This is amazing.'”

The Orlando Pride have signed Maltese star Haley Bugeja through 2023, the NWSL club announced Friday.

Bugeja joins Orlando from US Sassuolo of Italy’s Serie A, where she finished the 2021-22 season with three goals and two assists after battling injury. The 18-year-old made her professional debut with the club in 2020, contributing a team-leading 12 goals and one assist as a rookie.

Buugeja has attracted a considerable amount of buzz at a young age, named No. 3 in GOAL.com’s “NXGN 2022: The 20 best wonderkids in women’s football” and No. 15 in “ESPN’s 21 Best Women Players 21 or Under.” She was also identified as one of UEFA’s top 10 women’s players to watch.

“Haley is one of the brightest young talents in the world and we are absolutely thrilled to have her join our Club. She has already shown her quality at a high level in Italy and at the international level with Malta, and she is still just scratching the surface of the player that she can become,” said Pride general manager Ian Fleming. “She is a constant threat to opposing defenses and will be a valuable addition to our group, both in the immediate and moving into the future, as we continue to build and bolster our roster. We are all very excited to see her in Orlando, as a member of our Pride, very soon.”

The acquisition comes after the Pride traded star forward Sydney Leroux to Angel City FC this week, capping a series of marquee exits from the team and prompting a response from the club’s main supporters group. In the Leroux deal, Orlando picked up ACFC’s 2024 natural first-round draft pick in another effort to stockpile young talent for the future.

Bugeja will join the Pride pending the receipt of a P-1 visa and International Transfer Certificate.