training camps, their union ratified its first collective
bargaining agreement, which ushered in important
changes such as the introduction of free agency.
Yet that progress has not been able to stand out as the
biggest recent story in the NWSL. Instead, the league
is still navigating the fallout from last year, when play-
ers from multiple teams spoke out about verbal abuse,
sexual harassment and unsafe training environments.
A few had tried to voice complaints years before—only
to realize their words had apparently been allowed to
fall through the cracks and, in some cases, been actively
covered up. But the moment quickly grew too big for
anyone to ignore any longer. It was not just the Spirit, or
the North Carolina Courage or the Portland Thorns or any
other single club. The situation was not the work of a few
isolated bad actors. It was something rooted far deeper.
After player demonstrations and canceled games, the
U.S. Soccer Federation launched an independent probe
of the league led by former U.S. deputy attorney gen-
eral Sally Yates. The investigation is ongoing. Five head
coaches who were credibly accused of abuse last season
either resigned or were fired and replaced. Commissioner
Lisa Baird and league general counsel Lisa Levine have
been ousted after refusing to reopen an investigation into
one such coach. Yet as players returned to training camp
this spring, a question lingered: What does it mean for a
league to really change?T
HERE’S PERHAPS NO club that captures the
league’s status better than the Spirit. In addition to
being the reigning champions, they’re one of the found-
ing teams, and they’ve played under conditions and in
environments that have varied wildly over the last decade.
Their last season showcased the best of what the NWSL
had to offer on the field and forced them through some
of the worst circumstances off it. And now, under new
ownership, their players finally have a chance to figure
out what it means to look ahead.
But it’s hard to appreciate what that entails withoutAfter a roller-coaster playoff run, the club won the
NWSL championship in November, securing victory
with a header in extra time from U.S. women’s national
team fixture Kelley O’Hara. A deep roster racked up
awards: Forward Ashley Hatch led the league in scor-
ing to win the Golden Boot, first-round draft pick
Trinity Rodman became Rookie of the Year and vet-
eran Aubrey Kingsbury (né Bledsoe) was named
Goalkeeper of the Year. Their core talent jelled over the
course of the season, and, with most of the group back,
Washington is hopeful it can defend the title in 2022.
But that’s the part that’s easy to cover. It’s the rest
that’s so difficult to describe.
The championship’s backdrop was a reckoning with
abuse and harassment from leadership figures across the
league. The Spirit’s coach was reassigned and ultimately
fired after a Washington Post investigation shared accounts
that he had verbally and emotionally abused players.
The front office was accused of fostering a toxic culture.
The players called for the team to be sold. Their most
dedicated fans felt that they had no choice but to boycott.
The season was a storybook journey for a championship,
and it was also a prolonged, deeply painful mess.
“It was hard,” says midfielder Andi Sullivan. “Because
it was such an exciting season, an amazing year, and it
had to be overshadowed by a lot of negativity—well, not
negativity, I’d say.. .”
The team captain searches for the right word.
“Truth,” she says, finally. “It was just the truth. And
it was necessary to create change.”
It’s a swirl of emotion that is fitting not just for the
team but for the league as a whole.
The NWSL has plenty to be excited about: This will
be its 10th year—a milestone that none of its predecessor
leagues ever got close to celebrating—and it’s courting
new sponsors and expanding to fresh markets. The
level of competition has risen as careers have become
more sustainable and the experience has become more
professional. In January, just before players reported toIt’s hard for the Washington Spirit
to find the language for what
they experienced last season.
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