This list is also aggressively lacks folks from outside the U.S., Europe and Australia. Where are the folks closely covering African and South American (and frankly non NWSL North American) football

Bay FC is one of the teams that has expressed interest in signing U.S. national team striker and former Stanford star Catarina Macario | @sfchronicle.com www.sfchronicle.com/sports/artic...

This, my friends, is backdoor union-busting by the NWSL. HIP basically strips agency and gains because players will feel pressure to perform through injury/health/personal matters so they don’t lose a spot on an arbitrary list. #nwsl

An expert panel without a single Black voice on it? I knew y'all thought we weren't smart. I didn't think you'd be so blatant. I didn't even see CAF representation despite having CAF players listed. Before you get mad at me for pointing it out, look within.

The ESPN FC top 50 is here and we need to talk about the sudden conflict of interest the league has created with the high-impact player rule. With coaches and GMs weighing in on these lists, they can influence whether or not their players can get a bag. www.espn.com/soccer/story...

99 players qualify for NWSL's new HIP money. Only 16 aren't American or European. I made a list of all the players who are eligible to take advantage of the league's new rule that the NWSLPA seems to hate. (I also made a list of players who don't qualify, but probably, definitely should):

NWSL has a type, huh?

No experience coaching Pro women's soccer, but he's bald which seems to be a qualification to coach in the NWSL

....the solution seems simple, and the NWSLPA has said as much. whack $1m on the cap and move on. if certain teams don't want to spend $4.5m in 2026, they won't. it seems strange to me for the NWSL to do everything in their power to prevent what seems like an obvious solution.

I don’t know how to say this except to say it: I’m a Guardian top 100 voter and have been invited in the past to vote in ESPN FC’s ranking. There’s no reason why that, or certainly any “most marketable” ranking that’s even more subjective, should determine if a #NWSL player gets a big salary.

The NWSL announced the high impact player rule, and the NWSLPA is prepared to take legal action.

NWSL Players Association Statement on League’s Unilateral Implementation of the High Impact Player Rule:

Allocation by any other name. Making marketability a requirement is a dangerous game to play in a racist sport. But that's my little ol opinion.

The NWSL find new ways to embarrass themselves on an international platform while also finding new ways to underpay the players who single handedly put this league in a conversation for the best league in the world.

THIS PART! Baby, we fought a whole war to be free of European rule. I do not understand this.

I’m not about to lose a vacation day to write a column on this but please know one part of my brain is trying to figure out where this goes on the power ranking of dumb NWSL decisions. The eligibility criteria is somehow worse even though we sort of knew it.

this is so stupid

The HIP rule is such an insult to so many of the players that make the NWSL great to watch. I just can’t believe they think this is an adequate response to the very real problem of top talent leaving for Europe. This will weaken the league. Such a massive bummer.

Taking the ability to determine who a High Impact Player is out of the hands of teams, GMs, front offices, etc. and into the hands of the *checks notes* SportsPro Media Top 150 Most Marketable Athletes … man, I don’t know.

one thing that’s become very obvious about jessica berman’s nwsl is that owners would still much rather pay lawyers than players

NEWS: Statement from the NWSLPA on the NWSL's intended High Impact Player rule:

It’s almost like the Black players are about to miss out on the money because of this new rubric.

#USWNT forward Cat Macario is drawing interest from several #NWSL teams, sources tell ESPN. She's out of contract this summer. The NWSL's potential rule change for star players could play a role in how competitive NWSL teams will be. www.espn.com/soccer/story...

i know kang is a different breed of owner but this is insane. your team is wsl 2 players and 30 year olds and you’re at 6th place whereas every other promoted team is lucky to not be last at christmas

AFCON is in session 👀 And what a better way to start the tournament than with an overhead GOLAZO by #Morocco attacker Ayoub El Kaabi 🤩

BREAKING: The NWSLPA opposes the #NWSL's proposed "High Impact Player" rule. PA exec. dir. Meghann Burke tells @espn.com that the NWSL is controlling and interfering with which players can access a certain pot of funds. The PA's proposal is to raise the cap by $1M, the proposed "HIP" amount. MORE:

As we talk about the top end of women's soccer players and speak in millions, another FIFPRO study reminds of the realities of global minimum standards: 66% of players make <$20K 25% have outside jobs 33% have contract of <1 year 22% have no contract The study: www.fifpro.org/en/articles/...

Reread that again. 1000 (one thousand) tickets PER game

the only plausible winner, this is prime marta'ing, elite marta'ing, doing something so outrageous that even exceptional, world cup-winning players fall to their knees in disbelief

Requirements: Play for Chelsea, Arsenal, Barca, Champions League final or Euros final

qwhite the list

player salaries should definitely be influenced by award lists, what could go wrong

Someone needs a geography lesson

RIP Jägermeister Cup

The defenders for both teams decided to clock out after the 40th minute.

congratulations on a history full of lawsuits, firing casey stoney while she was out of the country, hiring jill ellis, landon donovan, and rebecca lowe's husband, losing naomi girma and jaedyn shaw, forfeiting a home game due to a poor pitch that also tore megan rapinoe's achilles, and so much more

nothin just tearin up at player reactions to ella masar leaving and her responses on a quiet saturday morning

Chicago Stars FC today announced the departure of assistant coach, Ella Masar. Masar departs the organization having spent three years with the Chicago Stars serving as an assistant coach and interim head coach.

The Democratic Women’s Caucus is asking the NWSL to work in good faith with Trinity Rodman and the NWSLPA to uphold the terms of the collective bargaining agreement. Congress doesn’t ask twice.

Yeah, man. Marketability is directly affected by our biases. Especially racism/colorism/featurism. We gotta be honest about these things even when a higher potential salary isn't tied to it. The fact that a higher salary is tied to it isn't great. That 2020 work folks were supposed to do, get to it.

39 members of Congress penned a letter to Jessica Berman “We urge the NWSL to work in good faith with the NWSLPA and Ms. Rodman to resolve this matter in a timely and transparent manner consistent with federal labor law requiring that the terms of collectively bargained agreements be honored”

MAGAZINER: How many veterans have you deported? NOEM: We haven't deported veterans MAGAZINER: We are now joined on Zoom by a combat veteran you deported to Korea

Can't keep up with all the back and forth in the Trinity Rodman contract negotiations? I got you on @cbssports.bsky.social Here's a deep timeline on how everything got here, including an upcoming proposed new mechanism vote #NWSL www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/...

So NC has no GK's now???

NEWS: The #NWSL board is voting on a proposal that would allow teams to pay top players beyond the current salary cap but with limits, w/the hope that it's a solution for Trinity Rodman and other stars. Proposal still needs to pass. Details (so far) on @espn.com 👇

I love when she reminds people of this because it’s a clear “don’t fuck with me”

linda caicedo, hooper

The NWSL says the proposed new contract for Trinity Rodman violates the “spirit of the league” The spirit of the league is not a part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement!