NWSL

The Houston Dash have indefinitely suspended general manager and head coach James Clarkson pending the conclusion of the NWSL and NWSLPA's Joint Investigative Team's review of "alleged violations of the NWSL Policy to Prevent and Eliminate Workplace Discrimination, Harassment, and Bullying."

The investigative team recommended the suspension, and the Dash accepted the decision. An interim leader has not been announced.

The investigation is part of the team's ongoing look into "discrimination, harassment, abuse, and bullying within the NWSL," which began last October.

The Dash named Clarkson as their head coach on Dec. 11, 2018. Before his tenure, Clarkson worked as the Houston Dynamo FC's academy director as well as the MLS club's head coach for their USL League Two affiliate, Brazos Valley Cavalry FC.

As for the Dash's season, Houston just completed its participation in the Challenge Cup, where it had two wins and four losses.

The Dash will begin the 2022 NWSL season with a home match against the expansion San Diego Wave on Sunday in PNC Stadium.

The NWSL's Orlando Pride said Tuesday the club made a mistake when it told members of the Black Swans supporters group they couldn't hang a banner with "GAY" written on it for Saturday's Challenge Cup match against the Washington Spirit.

A prior statement from the Black Swans said the banner was removed for "political reasons."

Anne M. Peterson of the Associated Press reported the banner was created in opposition to Florida's Parental Rights in Education bill, which opponents have labeled the "Don't Say Gay" bill.

The legislation, which has been passed by the state House and Senate, would prohibit "classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity" in primary schools, per NBC News. It would become law if signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

In February, the Pride released a statement saying they oppose the legislation:

Other prominent members of the Florida business community, including Disney CEO Bob Chapek, have also spoken out against the bill.

Meanwhile, the Pride continue the preseason Challenge Cup on Saturday when they visit WakeMed Soccer Park to take on the North Carolina Courage.

The 2022 NWSL season kicks off April 29. Orlando's first match is on May 1, when it hosts the NJ/NY Gotham.

A number of USWNT players, including Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan and Crystal Dunn, wrote a letter to the U.S. Soccer Federation on Wednesday accusing the organizing body of failing to protect its female players, per Molly Hensley-Clancy of the Washington Post.

"U.S. Soccer had the obligation to protect its players—yet it stood by as abuse continued to occur unchecked," the players wrote in the letter to federation president Cindy Parlow Cone and former president Carlos Cordeiro.

They added that the federation "failed to do the bare minimum—to keep us and the young girls who play in the youth leagues safe."

"Over the years, while we played on the USWNT and in the National Women's Soccer League, many of us reported to USSF instances where, as adults, we experienced abusive conduct by our coaches," the letter continued. "Now we have learned that this abusive treatment also was repeatedly reported by minors and that USSF failed to respond to protect these young players. That is utterly disheartening."

The letter comes in the wake of Hensley-Clancy reporting Tuesday that former players of coach Rory Dames—who resigned in November right before allegations of emotional abuse surfaced against him, one of a number of NSWL coaches to resign or be fired amid similar accusations—had raised concerns about him with police as far back as 1998.

Per that report, one woman said Dames "cultivated an inappropriate relationship with her from age 14—conduct she now sees as 'grooming.' Once she turned 18, the woman said, he used his power over her soccer career, and the control he had long exerted in her life, to have sex with her as she was still playing for him at Eclipse in the early 2000s."

In a 1998 police report, one girl said he "touched her inappropriately on her upper thigh," another girl said he pinched her when she refused to massage him and a boy said Dames punched him in the stomach.

And Megan Cnota told the Washington Post that she told police Dames made "degrading sexual jokes" about her. Other players reportedly made similar complaints to police.

The authorities, however, dropped the investigation after Dames' accusers didn't file formal complaints and prosecutors didn't further pursue the case.

Dames kept his job, and per Hensley-Clancy, 14 of his former youth players said he was "verbally and emotionally abusive toward them as teenagers, for many in ways that they say left lasting psychological damage."

USWNT forward Christen Press told the Washington Post last year that she raised concerns about Dames to U.S. Soccer on two separate occasions. The federation reportedly investigated Dames but didn't take any action against him.

He also didn't have his coaching license suspended by U.S. Soccer when the allegations of emotional and verbal abuse were first levied against him in November. Instead, the federation only took that action after the Washington Post questioned it about the accusations.

"USSF should have immediately removed coaching licenses from abusers," the players wrote. "Instead, USSF allowed those individuals to coach while saying it would investigate."

Multiple women accused Rory Dames—who resigned as head coach of the NWSL's Chicago Red Stars in November following allegations of emotional abuse—of verbal abuse and sexual misconduct during his time as a youth coach in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Molly Hensley-Clancy of the Washington Post reported Tuesday the Arlington Heights Police Department in Illinois launched an investigation into Dames' conduct in 1998 after a female player said he "touched her inappropriately on her upper thigh" and was "very verbally inappropriate."

The player who made that allegation decided against lodging a formal complaint against Dames at the time, saying she only wanted to "protect other players from [Dames'] advances," and she declined to comment to the Washington Post about Dames.

Hensley-Clancy obtained documents from the 150 interviews conducted as part of the 1998 investigation, which came when Dames was 25 and a key figure in the Chicago-area soccer scene as founder of the Eclipse Select Soccer Club and head coach St. Viator High School.

Megan Cnota, one of the players interviewed 24 years ago, told the Post that Dames made "degrading sexual jokes" about her and several teammates provided similar stories, while others raised concerns about time he spent alone with young players.

"We tried to make it come to light 25 years ago and nobody believed those teenagers," Cnota said.

Another woman alleged Dames began "grooming" her at the age of 14 and started a sexual relationship with her once she turned 18. She told Hensley-Clancy the way the relationship formed made her feel there was no way out.

"But I always thought to myself, 'This isn't a choice for me,'" she said. "If he says come over, then yes, in some other reality of life, maybe I could make the choice not to. But in my life, I felt like, there wasn't that choice with him. If he [instant messaged] me, 'Come over,' it was, 'Come over.'"

Other players recounted a wide range of verbal insults he used: "p--sies," "donkeys," "f--king idiots," "retarded," "fat f--k," "fat c--t" and "fat ass."

Hensley-Clancy spoke to "five women who played for Dames at St. Viator and Eclipse in the 1990s and early 2000s" who "recounted similar stories to those that girls told police in 1998, including that they were uncomfortable with the amount of time Dames spent with girls outside of soccer."

"Looking back on it, you think, 'What the hell is that guy doing hanging out with teenagers?'" Cnota said. "It was grooming behavior. It's sickening."

Dames yielded immense power as he worked to make himself the sole connection point between his players and college programs, "chiding coaches who reached out directly to parents or players without going through him," per Hensley-Clancy.

In turn, players and parents became afraid to speak up out of fear of losing college scholarship opportunities.

"He could single-handedly take your future in soccer away if he wanted to," former player Haley Leanna told the Washington Post. "No one wanted to risk that."

Susan Bogart, Dames' attorney, said no charges were ever brought against her client based on the 1998 investigation and described the claims made in the Washington Post report as "unfounded." She said the reviews by a sex crimes prosecutor and a social worker also found her client had "not acted abusively toward players."

Bogart added the former coach "did not and has not called players names" and argued the Post was "damaging and destroying" his reputation by moving forward with "false allegations of sexual misconduct for which there are no facts and relying on anonymous sources."

She also referenced a 2018 investigation by U.S. Soccer, which investigated claims brought by NWSL players but levied no sanctions against him and allowed him to keep coaching.

U.S. Soccer has since suspended Dames' coaching license, a decision Bogart said came only after the Washington Post approached the governing body with previously unreported details from the 1998 investigation.

Eclipse Select didn't respond to inquiries from Hensley-Clancy about whether Dames continued to hold a position of power within the program, though the club's current president, Mike Nesci, confirmed Dames "voluntarily ceased" coaching at the club in October.

Dames, a former college player at Saint Louis University, had coached the Red Stars for 11 years before his resignation.

Washington Spirit star Trinity Rodman will be the highest-paid player in the history of the National Women's Soccer League after signing a new four-year deal worth $1.1 million, per Caitlin Murray of ESPN.

The club announced the extension Wednesday, keeping the forward under team control through 2024 with an option for 2025. Though terms of the deal were not disclosed, her agency, Octagon Soccer, noted the new record:

The 19-year-old is set to make $281,000 annually, per Emily Caron of Sportico, topping the $250,000 salary of United States women's national team stars Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe.

Rodman accepted her first call-up with the USWNT in January and could get her first cap at the SheBelieves Cup later this month.

The daughter of Basketball Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman was the No. 2 pick in the 2021 NWSL draft. She exceeded expectations with seven goals and seven assists in 25 games (22 starts), earning the league's Rookie of the Year award. She also helped the Spirit win their first championship with a win over the Chicago Red Stars in the title game.

With the NWSL agreeing to its first-ever collective bargaining agreement on Monday, teams are now allowed to increase certain salaries using allocation money, moving beyond the max salary of $75,000.

Rodman becomes the biggest beneficiary of the change as she looks to become one of the league's brightest stars.

"We're incredibly excited to have Trin as a part of the Spirit family for at least the next three seasons," Spirit head coach Kris Ward said in the release. "She has a truly special career ahead of her and makes us a better club on all fronts."

The Spirit will be back in action for the 2022 Challenge Cup in March before the start of the NWSL regular season.    

The National Women's Soccer League announced Monday that it had agreed to the first collective bargaining agreement in league history with the players' association.

The CBA will be in place through the 2026 season and sets the stage for players to report to the first day of preseason on Tuesday.

"The NWSLPA is grateful to our brothers and sisters in the labor movement who paved the way for us to get here and to our fans and partners for their unwavering support," the NWSLPA said in a statement. "... To the players who came before us: We stand on your shoulders. We hope we made you proud."

NWSLPA President Tori Huster also commented on the CBA:

The league's announcement highlighted an "increased total investment in players" that includes raising salaries for all players and increasing the minimum salary by nearly 60 percent to $35,000. There will also be housing, transportation, insurance, retirement contributions, higher bonuses, more compensation for promotional purposes and revenue sharing.

Additionally, the CBA provides 42 days of vacation, a seven-day summer break during the season, parental leave and mental health leave to go along with "improved health and wellness benefits" such as team physicians, sports psychologists and sports scientists.

Perhaps most notably, it sets in place a free agency system after Meg Linehan of The Athletic reported earlier this month it was "one of the major issues that must be addressed" even after there was "tentative agreements between the players and the league in place on a number of fronts thanks to more than 35 bargaining sessions."

Full free agency will start in 2023 for those with six years of service, while those with three years of service can become restricted free agents starting in 2024. Those with five years of service can become full free agents in 2024.

NWSL interim CEO Marla Messing released a statement:

This is a historic moment for women's soccer in the United States. This transformative agreement represents deserved advancements for our players, including significantly stronger compensation packages and benefits, enhanced training and playing environments, and a long-term commitment to continually improve the standards we all regard as essential to securing our position as the best women's soccer league in the world. Our owners are committed to providing the significant and unprecedented investment required to build and sustain a professional women's soccer league that properly supports our players, both as professional soccer players and as individuals. We thank the NWSLPA leadership and the players for their thoughtful approach on the CBA and look forward to continuing to collaborate with them to create the best environment for our players to succeed.

Linehan noted the league and players started negotiations in 2020, although NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke said ownership first started attending sessions in October 2021.

The National Women's Soccer League held its 2022 expansion draft Thursday for the two new clubs being added to the league: Angel City FC and San Diego Wave FC.

The clubs were allowed to "select one player from each NWSL team, and no more than one U.S.-allocated player in total from all teams," according to an NWSL release.

Four clubs had full protection from the expansion draft: the Chicago Red Stars, the Kansas City Current, Gotham FC and the North Carolina Courage. Caitlin Murray of ESPN explained that these teams earned full immunity "through a series of trades before last week's roster freeze."

Here's each pick made Thursday, along with a deeper look at the notable selections.

2022 NWSL Expansion Draft Results

1. Angel City FC - Dani Weatherholt, Midfield (OL Reign)

2. San Diego Wave FC - Kristie Mewis, Midfield (Houston Dash); traded to NJ/NY Gotham FC

3. Angel City FC - Claire Emslie, Forward (Orlando Pride)

4. San Diego Wave FC - Kristen McNabb, Defender (OL Reign)

5. Angel City FC - Jasmyne Spencer, Forward (Houston Dash)

6. San Diego Wave FC - Passed

7. Angel City FC - Paige Nielsen, Defender (Washington Spirit)

8. San Diego Wave FC - Passed

9. San Diego Wave FC - Kaleigh Riehl, Defender (Racing Louisville)

Dani Weatherholt is a defensive midfielder known for her steadiness and composure on the pitch. She will be a key in helping organize Angel City's back line. Depending on which international players land with Angel City, Weatherholt can also be used as a depth piece coming off the bench.

Weatherholt joins a team that already includes Christen Press and Julie Ertz.

San Diego made a splash with United States women's national team member Kristie Mewis. She was set to join USWNT teammate Alex Morgan, who signed with the team Monday. But Mewis' time with the Wave was short-lived, as she was traded to Gotham FC after the draft.

There has been some speculation that Mewis will join Tottenham Hotspur on loan, but that remains to be seen.

The Wave also did a good job of solidifying its back line by selecting defender Kristen McNabb with its next pick.

Angel City made some sneaky-good moves with its next two selections, landing speedy forward Jasmyne Spencer and versatile defender Paige Nielsen. Spencer is a strong attacker and could fit as a starter or a spark off the bench.

Nielsen can emerge as a key player on Angel City thanks to her ability to play multiple positions on the back end.

San Diego was apparently satisfied with the players it already landed and passed on back-to-back picks before adding a depth piece in defender Kaleigh Riehl.

OL Reign and United States women's national team star Megan Rapinoe was not selected in the 2021 National Women's Soccer League expansion draft. She will remain in Seattle. 

Here are the picks Angel City FC and San Diego Wave FC made Thursday night:

1. Angel City: Dani Weatherholt, OL Reign midfielder
2. San Diego Wave: Kristie Mewis, Houston Dash midfielder
3. Angel City: Claire Emslie, Orlando Pride forward
4. San Diego Wave: Kristen McNabb, OL Reign defender
5. Angel City: Jasmyne Spencer, Houston Dash forward
6. San Diego Wave passed
7. Angel City: Paige Nielsen, Washington Spirit defender
8. San Diego Wave passed
9. San Diego Wave: Kaleigh Riehl, Racing Louisville defender 

The Reign protected Rose Lavelle, Bethany Balcer, Alana Cook, Angelina, Jessica Fishlock, Sofia Huerta, Quinn, Phallon Tullis-Joyce and Ally Watt for this year's expansion draft. 

Rapinoe was also left unprotected in last year's expansion draft, when she went unselected by Racing Louisville FC. Teams were allowed to protect nine players for the upcoming draft, including a maximum of one United States Federation player. Lavelle, who also stars for the USWNT, was the U.S. federation player the Reign opted to protect over Rapinoe. 

Rapinoe has spent her entire eight-year NWSL career with the Reign, who were formerly known as the Seattle Reign. She began playing in the NWSL in 2013 and has appeared in 86 matches (72 starts). The 36-year-old has notched 40 goals and 17 assists in that span.

During the 2021 campaign, she tallied six goals and two assists in 11 games (eight starts). 

Rapinoe has also made 187 appearances for the USWNT, tallying 62 goals and 71 assists. In addition to being named the 2019 Ballon d'Or Feminin winner, she has also won two Women's World Cups, won the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup Golden Ball and was also named the best FIFA women's player in 2019.

USWNT stars Kelley O'Hara (Washington Spirit), Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit) and Emily Sonnett (Washington Spirit) were also left unprotected by their respective clubs. None were selected. 

San Diego and Angel City are set to begin play in 2022, increasing the number of teams in the NWSL to 12 from 10.  

The National Women's Soccer League will hold an expansion draft on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET for the two new clubs being added to the league: Angel City FC and San Diego Wave FC.

The event will be televised on the CBS Sports Network and available to stream on Paramount+, CBS Sports HQ, its corresponding Twitch and YouTube channels and on the NWSL YouTube channel.

Per an NWSL release, the two clubs "may select one player from each NWSL team, and no more than one U.S. allocated player in total from all teams."

Caitlin Murray of ESPN outlined other restrictions for the two expansion teams:

Four NWSL teams earned full immunity in the expansion draft through a series of trades before last week's roster freeze: the Chicago Red Stars, the Kansas City Current, NJ/NY Gotham and the North Carolina Courage. Due to pre-draft trades, Angel City can't select any of OL Reign's forwards, including Megan Rapinoe, but San Diego can. The Portland Thorns and Racing Louisville are protected from Angel City while the Spirit are protected from San Diego. The Kansas City Current, which joined the NWSL this year, are exempt from the expansion draft.

The Wave have already made an enormous splash by signing United States women's national team superstar forward Alex Morgan. 

"As a Southern California native, I am excited to be making a long-term commitment to Wave FC and the city of San Diego," the 32-year-old said in a statement. "I am coming home to partner with this ambitious new club and to push the league forward for generations of soccer players to come. I cannot wait to get started and I will do everything I can to help bring a championship to this great city."

Angel City, meanwhile, has already landed Christen Press and Julie Ertz. 

But other star players still available include the USWNT's Rapinoe, Becky Sauerbrunn and Kristie Mewis and and Canada international Christine Sinclair. The playing rights to Tobin Heath will also be up for grabs, though she is currently playing for Arsenal in England. 

Mewis, 30, seems an absolute lock to be one of the players selected in the expansion draft, though there has been buzz that she might join Tottenham Hotspur on loan. Regardless, she's the most talented midfielder available and still in her prime. 

Jordan DiBiasi and Marisa Viggiano would be excellent consolation prizes in the midfield behind Mewis. 

Rapinoe, on the other hand, is 36. While still obviously talented, the Wave and Angel City may choose to prioritize younger players as they build for the future. And the USWNT icon played in just 11 games for the OL Reign this past year.

Yes, she scored six goals in those games. She's still a huge threat and one of the faces of the sport. But don't be shocked if she isn't selected and remains in Seattle next season. 

United States women's national team star Alex Morgan has been traded from the Orlando Pride to NWSL expansion team San Diego Wave FC, the club announced Monday:

Morgan has been with Orlando since 2015, but she will return to her home state of California for San Diego's inaugural season in 2022. Terms of the deal have not been announced.

"As a Southern California native, I am excited to be making a long-term commitment to Wave FC and the city of San Diego," Morgan said in a statement. "I am coming home to partner with this ambitious new club and to push the league forward for generations of soccer players to come. I cannot wait to get started and I will do everything I can to help bring a championship to this great city."

The 32-year-old is best known for her success at the international level, scoring 115 goals across 190 caps for the United States. She helped the team win the World Cup in 2015 and 2019, adding an Olympic gold medal in 2012.

Morgan has also had a successful club career, including an NWSL title with the Portland Thorns in 2013. She helped Lyon win a UEFA Champions League title in 2017 and spent part of the 2020-21 season with Tottenham in the Women's Super League.

The forward tallied five goals with two assists in 13 matches for Orlando in 2021, although the squad managed just an eighth-place finish out of 10 teams.

Moving to San Diego gives Morgan a chance at a fresh start while providing the new club a legitimate superstar to build excitement ahead of the inaugural season.

The move also reunites Morgan with team president Jill Ellis, who coached the USWNT in the last two World Cups.

"This is an incredibly special moment for our club, our fans, and our community to welcome Alex and her family to San Diego," Ellis said. "She is an extraordinary person, a great talent and a leader on and off the field."