NWSL

The NWSL is planning to add two expansion teams to its 12-club roster by the 2024 season, and there is reportedly a surplus of interested investors.

According to Abigail Gentrup of Front Office Sports, NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said recently that she expects to receive "five-to-10 official bids" prior to the Nov. 4 deadline following interest from "82 groups."

Gentrup noted that a frontrunner appears to have already emerged.

"When David Blitzer and Ryan Smith purchased MLS’ Real Salt Lake earlier this year—reportedly for nearly $400 million—the deal included a reported $2 million option to revive the Utah Royals, which dissolved in 2020," Gentrup wrote.

An official decision on expansion franchises is expected to be announced in early 2023. Per Gentrup, Kansas City Current owner Angie Long recently said the next owners to join the NWSL could end up paying "upwards of $50 million" in expansion fees.

The NWSL is as popular as it's ever been, as the league's 10th season in 2022 saw multiple attendance records throughout the year. This past Saturday's championship match between the Current and the Portland Thorns was the league's first prime-time title game, and it drew a record 915,000 viewers, which was a 71 percent increase from last year.

Earlier in October, an independent investigation found that the NWSL was a league "in which abuse and misconduct—verbal and emotional abuse and sexual misconduct—had become systemic, spanning multiple teams, coaches, and victims." However, Berman said that the findings from the investigation have not affected interest from investors for potential expansion teams.

"We need people around the table who are willing to face down the challenges that women face in society and are willing to do the hard work to solve those challenges in the NWSL," she said.

Portland Thorns owner Merritt Paulson announced Tuesday he's stepping down as the NWSL club's CEO following the release of the findings of Sally Yates' investigation into sexual, emotional and verbal abuse in the league.

"As you know, I removed myself from Thorns decision-making, yet, in order for the organization to move forward and unite, I feel that another step is necessary," Paulson said. "Effective immediately, I am removing myself as CEO of the Portland Thorns and Portland Timbers, and announcing a global search for a CEO of the organization."

Last week, he stepped away from the team's day-to-day operations after describing the release of the Yates report as the "darkest day" he's experienced.

"I apologize to our players, the organization and the Portland community for the mistakes we made, including not being publicly transparent about Paul Riley's termination," Paulson said Tuesday. "Our organization's failures and mistakes were ultimately my responsibility, and my responsibility alone. It is devastating to me that my goal of creating the shining example of what a women's sports team could be, has now become synonymous with abhorrent and predatory behavior."

Paulson, who's owned the NWSL franchise since it was founded in 2012, made no mention of plans to put the club up for sale. He also owns the Portland Timbers and has stepped down as CEO of the MLS side.

His future with the Thorns has "yet to be determined," per Paul Tenorio and Meg Linehan of The Athletic.

"His primary objective is to ensure the Thorns are viable, successful and remain in Portland," a team source told The Athletic.

Yates found Paulson "minimized, obscured and failed to tell the whole truth" about allegations against Riley, who was accused of sexual coercion and manipulative behavior during his time as the team's head coach (2014-15), per Tenorio and Linehan.

Paulson also failed to provide information about Riley's tenure and departure during discussions with North Carolina Courage owner Steve Malik, who ultimately hired the coach to lead his franchise from 2017 through 2021, according to the report.

Portland fired President of Soccer Gavin Wilkinson and President of Business Mike Golub last week.

Heather Davis is serving as the Thorns' interim president and interim CEO, while interim COO Sarah Keane will lead the search for a full-time CEO.

"Given the complexities involved on several levels, finalizing the correct path forward will take time," Paulson said. "I love this organization as if it was part of my family, and to me, what is most important is getting it right."

The NWSL hasn't announced any punishments on the heels of the Yates report, but Commissioner Jessica Berman said last week the league remains "committed to implementing reform and disciplinary action."

In the aftermath of allegations against Riley and a number of other coaches in the league initially going public in September 2021, half of the teams in the NWSL parted ways with their head coaches as a result of player complaints about their behavior.

Portland has qualified for the 2022 NWSL playoffs, receiving a bye to the semifinals after finishing second in the regular-season standings. The Thorns' next match will be Oct. 23.

The NWSL announced Monday that Orlando Pride head coach Amanda Cromwell and assistant coach Sam Greene have been relieved of their duties following an investigation into allegations of workplace misconduct.

The league said it opened an inquiry into allegations of "verbal abuse and improper favoritism towards players" by Cromwell and "improper favoritism towards players" by Greene.

The two allegedly retaliated against players who supported and took part in the investigation:

Based on a thorough investigation conducted by the NWSL/NWSLPA Joint Investigative Team, these allegations were substantiated. The NWSL/NWSLPA Joint Investigative Team found that Cromwell and Greene engaged in retaliation and attempted retaliation against Pride players whom Cromwell and Greene believed had made or supported earlier misconduct allegations against them, in violation of League policy. 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.

Orlando issued a statement saying it "supports the actions taken by the National Women's Soccer League":

Cromwell addressed the announcement and said she was "saddened and disappointed by the results of the NWSL's investigation. She added her "character and integrity have been mischaracterized":

The NWSL also cited Orlando goalkeeping coach Aline Reis for attempting to impede the investigation and "pressuring players to share favorable information with investigators." The league placed Reis on unpaid administrative leave.

Monday's announcement noted Cromwell, Greene, Reis and Pride assistant Michelle Akers during the investigation "raised complaints that they were subjected to various forms of misconduct." Per the league, a third-party investigator was unable to substantiate the claims.

In addition to their firings, Cromwell and Greene will be unable to take another job within the NWSL without the commissioner's approval. They have to complete training on "retaliation, discrimination, harassment and bullying" before the commissioner can decide on their status.

The Pride hired Cromwell in December 2021. Seb Hines took over as interim coach when she and Greene were placed on administrative leave in June with the investigation ongoing.

This comes amid a wider reckoning across the league.

The United States Soccer Federation commissioned a report from former U.S. deputy attorney general Sally Q. Yates, which was released Oct. 3. Yates wrote that "abuse and misconduct—verbal and emotional abuse and sexual misconduct—had become systemic, spanning multiple teams, coaches, and victims" within the NWSL.

U.S. Soccer announced a number of steps have been put in place to address the structural issues moving forward.

More allegations of abuse within women's professional soccer have come to light since the Yates report was released on Oct. 3.

Appearing on CNN's New Day with Brianna Keilar, United States Soccer Federation president Cindy Parlow Cone revealed at least three new allegations of misconduct have emerged.

Cone didn't provide any details of the new cases, but she did note the release of the Yates report has been "encouraging more people to come forward."

U.S. Soccer announced in October 2021 it retained Sally Yates, former U.S. attorney general, to lead an independent investigation into allegations of abusive behavior and sexual misconduct throughout women's professional soccer in the United States.

In the final report released this week, Yates' investigation found abuse and misconduct in the NWSL had become "systemic, spanning multiple teams, coaches, and victims."

Other key takeaways from Yates' report include structural issues within the NWSL since it launched in 2012 without "the most basic of workplace protections" and ruled the U.S. Soccer Federation "gave little thought or attention to basic player protections" in order to maintain the league's existence.

Responding to the report, U.S. Soccer announced next steps that include creating a committee of the board of directors to develop a plan of action based on Yates' recommendations and establish an office of participant safety to oversee the organization's conduct policies and reporting mechanisms.

Parlow Cone told Keilar she has forwarded the new reports of misconduct to the U.S. Center for SafeSport and other authorities.

Prior to their friendly on Friday, the U.S. and England women's national teams stood together with a banner reading "protect the players."

In November 2021, U.S. women's national team star Christen Press told Molly Hensley-Clancy of the Washington Post she approached then-U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati about a "toxic environment" generated by Rory Dames, her coach with the Chicago Red Stars, in 2018.

According to Press, Gulati "dismissed her concerns" and made attempts to normalize Dames' behavior. Dames resigned his position with Chicago amid multiple allegations of emotional and verbal abuse.

In addition to multiple allegations against of abusive behavior against Dames, Yates' report also focused on similar allegations against former Portland Thorns coach Paul Riley and former Racing Louisville head coach Christy Holly, who were both also accused of sexual coercion and misconduct.

Merritt Paulson, owner of the Thorns, and Arnim Whisler, owner of the Red Stars, announced they were relinquishing control of their clubs. Neither one has given an indication they will sell the teams.

OL Reign midfielder Megan Rapinoe called for ownership changes following the release of the Yates report detailing systemic sexual misconduct, verbal abuse and emotional abuse in the National Women's Soccer League.

"I don't think Merritt Paulson is fit to be the owner in Portland," Rapinoe told reporters Thursday. "I don't think Arnim [Whisler] is fit to be the owner in Chicago."

Both Paulson and Whisler released statements following the Yates report saying they'd remove themselves from the clubs' day-to-day operations.

"Yesterday's Yates report unveiling was the darkest day I have experienced, and I know the same is true for everyone else who loves our team and our league," Portland Thorns owner Paulson said Tuesday. "I know it was even harder and darker for those whose stories were shared publicly. I cannot apologize enough for our role in a gross systemic failure to protect player safety and the missteps we made in 2015. I am truly sorry."

The Thorns fired President of Soccer Gavin Wilkinson and President of Business Mike Golub on Wednesday.

Whisler, owner of the Chicago Red Stars, said Tuesday his organization is "committed to rebuilding trust and respect among players."

"There are few things in life that I have as much love and admiration for than our Chicago Red Stars," Whisler's statement read. "That's why after reviewing yesterday's report, I am filled with sorrow upon reading the many stories and experiences shared by so many incredibly brave individuals who have played in the NWSL, including our beloved club. I am so deeply sorry for what our players experienced during their time spent in Chicago."

The Red Stars board of directors voted Wednesday to remove Whisler as chairman.

The Yates report was released Monday and focused predominantly on the behavior—including allegations of verbal and emotional abuse as well as sexual misconduct—of three former NWSL coaches: Racing Louisville's Christy Holly, Portland's Paul Riley and Chicago's Rory Dames. The report also highlighted organizational failures among clubs, including the Thorns and Red Stars.

In 2014, USWNT players told national team coach Jill Ellis and then-United States Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati that Riley was abusive toward players. The information was eventually shared with Paulson, but no action was taken. Riley continued to coach in the NWSL until 2021.

He was fired by the North Carolina Courage following the publication of an article by The Athletic's Meg Linehan in which he was accused of using emotionally coercive behavior to establish sexual relationships with players Sinead Farrelly and Mana Shim in a pattern of abusive actions over several years.

Dames was the subject of a series of Washington Post articles in 2021 containing allegations of abuse from as far back as 1998 that led one former player for the Chicago Eclipse, a youth club with teams for boys and girls, to file a police report.

He was accused of fostering a "sexualized team environment" with the Eclipse in the Yates report but was hired in 2013 as the Red Stars head coach. In 2014, USWNT players expressed concerns about Dames when they made complaints about Riley, but Whisler ignored the information. It was also reported that Dames offered to resign over the players' concerns, but Whisler rejected his offer and turned a blind eye to further complaints about Dames' behavior in the following years.

Dames resigned from his position as Red Stars head coach in November 2021.

NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said Wednesday that the league is "supportive of the important steps taken by the Portland Thorns and Chicago Red Stars."

"As the League continues to evaluate the Yates report, I want to assure you that we remain committed to implementing reform and disciplinary action, both as a result of the Yates report and the NWSL/NWSLPA's Joint Investigative Team's findings," Berman said.

Rapinoe is currently representing the United States women's national team for road friendlies against England and Spain.

USWNT captain Becky Sauerbrunn also pushed for change in the wake of the Yates report.

"Every owner and executive and U.S. Soccer official who has repeatedly failed the players and failed to protect the players who have hidden behind legalities and have not participated in these investigations should be gone," Sauerbrunn told reporters Tuesday. "At the bare minimum, the recommendations that are in the Sally Yates report should be immediately implemented by U.S. Soccer and by the league."

So far, the NWSL hasn't indicated whether it'll attempt to force any owners to sell their respective clubs based on the findings in the Yates report.

Arnim Whisler is no longer the chairman of the Chicago Red Stars.

Following the release of the findings from the independent investigation led by former United States deputy attorney general Sally Q. Yates that looked into allegations of abuse and sexual misconduct within women's professional soccer in the U.S., the NWSL team's board of directors announced it voted to remove Whisler from his position.

"The Board was deeply disappointed after reading the Yates report and believes the club cannot move forward in rebuilding trust with players, staff and the Red Stars community with his continued involvement," the statement said, in part.

Whisler released a statement on Tuesday revealing he was removing himself from his governance role with the NWSL board of governors and would no longer be in control of the Red Stars because he believed "current presence is a distraction."

He also said, "I am filled with sorrow upon reading the many stories and experiences shared by so many incredibly brave individuals who have played in the NWSL, including our beloved club. I am so deeply sorry for what our players experienced during their time spent in Chicago."

On Monday, the United States Soccer Federation released the findings of the investigation one year to the date it announced it retained Yates to conduct it after multiple reports of allegations of mistreatment toward players, sexual misconduct, and hostile workplaces.

The full report summarized the findings of abuse and misconduct within the sport at multiple levels:

"Our investigation has revealed a league in which abuse and misconduct—verbal and emotional abuse and sexual misconduct—had become systemic, spanning multiple teams, coaches, and victims. Abuse in the NWSL is rooted in a deeper culture in women's soccer, beginning in youth leagues, that normalizes verbally abusive coaching and blurs boundaries between coaches and players. The verbal and emotional abuse players describe in the NWSL is not merely 'tough' coaching."

Notably, U.S. women's national team star Christen Press told the Washington Post's Molly Hensley-Clancy last November that Rory Dames, who was her coach with the Red Stars, created a "toxic environment."

She said then-president Sunil Gulati "dismissed her concerns."

Whisler was mentioned a number of times in the Yates report, including when he suggested National Team players had an "axe to grind" with Dames and were motivated by their desire for "this league to shut down."

He also dismissed concerns about Dames as "Rory being Rory" and never completed a full background check or due diligence of the coach before hiring him, per Yates' report. Witnesses said Whisler was long aware of Dames' verbal and emotional abuse and even declined to accept the coach's resignation offer amid the complaints against him.

Following the release of the report's findings, U.S. Soccer announced it would undertake a number of recommendations in an effort to improve player safety.

Among those recommendations is a mandate to create a "uniform minimum standard for background checks for all U.S. Soccer members" and "the creation of a new player-driven Participant Safety Taskforce to convene leaders in soccer at all levels across the country – from professional leagues to youth and grassroots clubs."

The Red Stars are preparing to start their NWSL postseason run after clinching the sixth and final seed with a 2-0 victory over Angel City on Sunday. They will face the San Diego Wave in the first round on Oct. 16.

The Portland Timbers and Thorns FC fired president of soccer Gavin Wilkinson and president of business Mike Golub on Wednesday amid the ongoing fallout from an investigation that found widespread misconduct throughout women's soccer.

An investigation conducted by former U.S. deputy attorney general Sally Yates found Wilkinson gave a positive recommendation to former Thorns coach Paul Riley despite Riley being accused of sexual misconduct and abusive behavior toward players. The report alleged Riley engaged in sexual relationships with players and suggested players kiss one another to get out of drills in practice.

Wilkinson did not disclose any of Riley's behavior when recommending him for a job with the Western New York Flash (now the North Carolina Courage).

"In an email to [former U.S. Soccer president] Sunil Gulati, [former U.S. Soccer CEO] Dan Flynn, and [NWSL general counsel] Lisa Levine, [former NWSL commissioner] Jeff Plush conveyed his understanding that Gavin Wilkinson told the Flash that Riley was 'put in a bad position by the player,' and that Wilkinson would 'hire [Riley] in a heartbeat,'" the report read.

Golub is accused of making lewd comments in the report, including asking former coach Cindy Parlow Cone, "What's on your bucket list besides sleeping with me?"

Thorns owner Merritt Paulson is accused of knowing about the rampant inappropriate behavior in the organization but failing to take action. As noted by Sam Stejskal, Paul Tenorio and Meg Linehan of The Athletic, Wilkinson signed a contract extension earlier this year despite Yates' investigation being well underway. However, a club spokesperson told The Athletic that Wilkinson's extension was effective Jan. 1, 2023, because the Thorns were "cognizant that new information may be discovered in the course of these investigations, and ensured that it could address those concerns prior to the extension taking effect."

Paulson has stepped away from the team amid the fallout of the investigation. He maintains ownership control but is not handling any day-to-day operations.

Heather Davis has been interim president of Peregrine Sports, the company that operates both teams.

United States women's national team star Alex Morgan believes former Portland Thorns teammate Mana Shim "was failed by the system" after being subjected to sexual misconduct by then-coach Paul Riley.

Morgan opened up about sexual and verbal abuse across the NWSL as a whole in an interview with ESPN:

It was really difficult to see that the Thorns 'parted ways' with Paul Riley rather than firing him — I don't even know if it was released that they were letting him go, I think it was that they parted ways. And at that time it was really devastating because I had helped Mana do the right thing, which was reporting Paul to the league and hoping that they would take action and hold him accountable, and she went through all the right steps to report someone who was sexually harassing her, to stop what was being done that was incredibly wrong, and she was failed.

She was failed by the system, and I think that was the hardest thing at the time was: What do we do now? Does Mana just move on? How do you move on from this? And Paul just soon after got picked up by ... Western New York as the head coach and at that point, like, is Mana supposed to continue to play against this coach in the league, and see this coach possibly do the same thing to players on a new team? It was devastating. We didn't know what to do.

The Athletic's Meg Linehan and Katie Strang first reported on the allegations against Riley last September.

Shim told The Athletic that one night in 2015 Riley took her and Thorns teammate Sinead Farrelly to his apartment and "pressured them to kiss each other as he watched." He also allegedly sent Shim a lurid picture unsolicited and invited her to a "film session" in his room and was wearing only his underwear when she arrived.

In addition to the allegations against Riley, how the necessary parties handled the allegations when alerted became part of the story as well.

The Thorns let Riley go in September 2015 but didn't disclose why. Fans were left to assume he was gone for reasons solely related to the team's performance.

The Western New York Flash, which later became the North Carolina Courage, then hired Riley ahead of the 2016 season. The Courage fired him last September amid the fallout from Linehan and Strang's reporting.

Morgan told ESPN seeing The Athletic's story get published brought a "sigh of relief" because it would expose a number of issues that went beyond Riley:

So when this article was finally released and there's a sigh of relief on our side and just utter shock from the rest of the soccer community -- we had already known everything. We tried to give the league a chance and time again to do the right thing. I wanted so deeply for Lisa Baird to just stand up and say, 'I'm sorry. I didn't do enough. I didn't look into enough. I trusted our general counsel, Lisa Levine, too much. We were too understaffed. We didn't have enough people in the room to really make calculated decisions,' but she didn't. She said she was shocked and disgusted, and that was surprising because that was a lie.

In the wake of the scandal, the United States Soccer Federation launched an independent investigation helmed by former Acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates. Yates published her findings Monday.

"Our investigation has revealed a league in which abuse and misconduct—verbal and emotional abuse and sexual misconduct—had become systemic, spanning multiple teams, coaches, and victims," she wrote. "Abuse in the NWSL is rooted in a deeper culture in women’s soccer, beginning in youth leagues, that normalizes verbally abusive coaching and blurs boundaries between coaches and players."

Riley's conduct was one of the focus points of Yates' investigation.

"Paul Riley’s abuse was prolonged and wide-ranging," she wrote. "It spanned multiple leagues, teams, and players. It included emotional misconduct, abuse of power, and sexual misconduct."

U.S. Soccer has adopted multiple policies to remedy the problems that were exposed within the last year. Among them is the formation of a new Office of Participant Safety to enforce the association's conduct policies. It will also be publicly disclosed through SafeSport's Centralized Disciplinary Database when someone receives a formal punishment including a suspension or ban.

USA Curling CEO Jeff Plush is under fire after a United States Soccer Federation independent investigation into "allegations of past abusive behavior and sexual misconduct in women’s professional soccer" found that the former NWSL commissioner did not take appropriate action when confronted with player reports of abuse during his tenure running the league.

In light of the report, the USA Curling Board of Directors released a statement backing its CEO, saying that he "acted in accordance with prioritizing the safety of athletes" when he oversaw the NWSL from 2014-2017.

The statement read, in part:

"Through internal and external review procedures, the Board conducted an independent investigation to ensure that former commissioner of the National Women’s Soccer League and current Chief Executive Officer of USA Curling, Jeff Plush, acted in accordance with prioritizing the safety of athletes—which was found to be the case.

"The Board called a special session on October 3, 2022, following the release of US Soccer’s independent investigation. This convening was called for the sole purpose of thorough review and discussion regarding the current investigative report. The Board will navigate forward in a way that reviews fact and prioritizes safety for all."

Former U.S. deputy attorney general Sally Q. Yates led the investigation, and she summarized her conclusions as follows in the report:

"Our investigation has revealed a league in which abuse and misconduct—verbal and emotional abuse and sexual misconduct—had become systemic, spanning multiple teams, coaches, and victims. Abuse in the NWSL is rooted in a deeper culture in women’s soccer, beginning in youth leagues, that normalizes verbally abusive coaching and blurs boundaries between coaches and players."

Nancy Armour of USA Today summarized the findings against Plush, who did not respond to requests for an interview as part of the U.S. Soccer Federation investigation:

"USA Curling’s CEO is Jeff Plush, who was the NWSL’s commissioner from 2014 to 2017. During that time, several players alerted the league and U.S. Soccer to abuse by their coaches, including verbal tirades, retaliation, sexual harassment and sexual coercion. There often was no punishment and, in the instances where there were repercussions, coaches were allowed to move to other teams without anyone at the league or federation raising an alarm."

Most specifically, the report alleges that Plush was made aware of allegations of sexual harassment and coercion against then-Portland Thorns coach Paul Riley. Portland Thorns player Mana Shim notably reported her allegations directly to Plush, who forwarded an email to U.S. Soccer about the matter.

However, the league never took action against Riley, who eventually landed another head coaching job in the league with the Western New York Flash (now North Carolina Courage) from 2016-21. Riley was fired in 2021 shortly after Meg Linehan of The Athletic released a report detailing allegations against the coach from multiple players on different teams.

Plush was named USA Curling's CEO on Feb. 5, 2020.

Portland Thorns owner and CEO Merritt Paulson announced he will remove himself from all team-related decisions amid an investigation by the National Women's Soccer League:

General manager Gavin Wilkinson and team president Mike Golub have also stepped away from their roles, leaving the organization in the hands of general counsel Heather Davis.

A year-long investigation led by former U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates was released Monday, accusing both Wilkinson and Paulson of enabling former Thorns coach Paul Riley despite allegations of abuse and misconduct.

"I cannot apologize enough for our role in a gross systemic failure to protect player safety and the missteps we made in 2015," Paulson said in Tuesday's statement. "I am truly sorry."

A 2021 report by Meg Linehan of The Athletic first detailed accusations of emotional abuse and sexual coercion against Riley that took place in 2014. After leaving the Thorns in 2015, he spent five years with the North Carolina Courage.

Wilkinson, who was allegedly alerted of Riley's actions, was also placed on administrative leave at the time following the results of an investigation.

The latest report by Yates revealed that the Thorns front office was notified multiple times about potential abuse by Riley, including an anonymous player survey by the NWSL and feedback given to national team head coach Jill Ellis. Not only did they not take action at the time, Paulson even vouched for the coach when he received another job opportunity in women's professional soccer.

Golub was also recently accused by two dozen former employees of creating a toxic work environment, per Ryan Clarke of the Oregonian.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown has called for "systemic change" after the latest investigation.

Despite the conduct from the front office, the Thorns have thrived on the field. They sit in second place in the 2022 NWSL standings behind only OL Reign after finishing in first place during the regular season last year.