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A whopping 75 percent of respondents to last week’s poll said Leicester City’s Ashleigh Neville should have been shown a red, not a yellow, for her tackle on Alyssa Thompson. Either way, it’s hard to deny the physicality popping up in the Women’s Super League.
On a softer note, read to the end to find out which former USWNT star shared a very special Mother’s Day announcement. But first:
🚐 An epic road trip
💸 Rising fanflation
⚽ A surprising first hat trick
Auntie Emma: On the road with USWNT’s head coach
We often talk about American players at home and abroad, but this week, the U.S. women’s head coach takes center stage.
Emma Hayes wrapped up her highly publicized NWSL road trip at Sports Illustrated Stadium in New Jersey over the weekend after spending two weeks crisscrossing the West Coast. What began as a scouting mission ahead of the 2027 Women’s World Cup evolved into something much bigger.
Between fan meet-and-greets, television appearances and stops at peak Americana landmarks like Disney World and the Coca-Cola Museum, Hayes used the tour to publicly shape the culture she wants around the USWNT: visible, approachable and deeply connected to supporters.
The tour also had one unexpected driver: menopause, as Hayes explained. She described how the realities of midlife shifted her perspective on leadership and visibility.
From jumping on drums with Angel City FC supporters to holding Sophia Wilson’s baby after a goal celebration in Portland, Hayes said she very intentionally embraced the role of soccer-obsessed auntie rather than distant executive.
The result was a rolling content machine that made the USWNT feel lighter, cooler and culturally relevant again heading into the next World Cup cycle.
NWSL Notables
Utah’s main character energy
The Utah Royals extended their unbeaten streak to seven games over the weekend with a scoreless draw against Bay FC. Considering it was Utah’s third match in nine days (and the hottest; during a play stoppage in the second half, several players were seen sprinting to the touchline for cool towels and water), it’s a result they can live with, and certainly a spot in the league table (fourth, with 17 points) they can be more than satisfied with. This time last season, they had earned a total of five points from nine games.
One key? Look to the spinal cord of the team up the middle, from goalkeepers Mia Justus (who picked up an injury in late April) and the USWNT’s Mandy McGlynn to center back Kate Del Fava, Narumi Miura and Mina Tanaka in the center of the park, and Paige Cronin up top.
Utah is on a mission, and though it’s a few weeks away, that May 30 clash with the top-seeded Portland Thorns is circled on our calendars.
Can you call it a rivalry?
The atmosphere inside Sports Illustrated Stadium for Gotham’s rematch with Boston on Saturday was electric. The final 1-1 scoreline does little to show how entertaining the fixture was, with Boston securing a draw despite the NWSL champions having far more chances on goal.
The teams’ proximity to one another had many wondering if an organic rivalry would quickly blossom, especially considering the historic spats between New York and Boston teams in other sports.
The match certainly offered some early signs of a budding feud: an intense battle on the pitch, controversial calls, a dynamic crowd acting as the home team’s 12th man. But what this feud noticeably lacks is history — the kind of history that sparked the original East Coast NWSL rivalry, Gotham versus the Washington Spirit.
While we won’t be calling this one a rivalry — yet — it’s a shame that the two sides won’t meet again until next year.
‘Fanflation’ could soon reach NWSL
Is the NWSL still the best deal in American sports? For now, yes.
While the WNBA is experiencing “fanflation” — or soaring demand driving ticket prices upward — NWSL clubs have largely resisted passing along rising costs, from higher player salaries to growing operational expenses, directly to supporters. Part of that is philosophical. Part of it is practical. Most clubs are still focused on filling seats and growing loyal fan bases.
To attract first-timers, several teams now offer “first match on us” promotions, while others keep supporter-section tickets under $10.
To wit: The Gotham-Legacy match brought 1,000 fans into the stadium for $5 each through a partnership with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has repeatedly criticized skyrocketing ticket prices ahead of this year’s men’s World Cup.
But with NWSL expansion fees now topping $200 million and franchise valuations climbing fast, the real question is not if the prices will rise, but when.
Asli has more on soaring ticket prices in the video below.
News to Know
Shaw completes dramatic City comeback
For the time being, Jamaican striker Bunny Shaw still plays for Manchester City. That much was clear yesterday when the 29-year-old displayed her latest set of heroics to dig two goals out of an FA Cup semifinal against Chelsea, the club that has reportedly made her an offer of £1 million ($1.36M) per year.
Shaw’s goals, an equalizer and a go-ahead winner to send City to the final at Wembley Stadium, crushed an already dismal Chelsea spirit.
Sources have told The Athletic that it’s still too soon to assume Shaw is headed for Chelsea, but they made enough references to “a mad week” with “lots of ups and downs” to project that something major is shifting.
It’s been a big week on the blue side of Manchester. City’s stunning FA Cup comeback came just four days after they claimed their first Women’s Super League title in a decade. Arsenal’s midweek draw with Brighton Hove and Albion sealed it for them.
But that other blue and white team, Brighton, is writing an interesting story of its own as it also reached the FA Cup final by way of a 3-2 comeback win against Liverpool.
🎧 The latest from the “Full Time” podcast: Dive deep into the FA Cup semifinals with our reporters who were there, Megan Feringa and Charlotte Harpur.
More news
Speaking of transfers, Beth Mead confirmed today that she’s leaving Arsenal at the end of this campaign after nine seasons, 86 goals, one WSL title, three League Cup titles, one FIFA Champions Cup and a Champions League win in 2025. The 31-year-old was the third departure announced by Arsenal today. Our reporting says City could be a potential landing spot for the England international.
Red cards and the unfortunate trend of players yanking their opponents’ ponytails are proliferating across women’s soccer, as evidenced by the NWSL’s increased punishments for two red cards given two weekends ago. Talk about a headache.
This is not fake news! The two-time MVP and Golden Boot Temwa Chawinga made her entrance into this year’s race in smashing style yesterday, surprisingly earning her first career hat trick — and the Kansas City Current’s first in club history during the regular season — in KC’s 3-0 win over the Chicago Stars. Check out the local report.
First Looks
Welcome home: The USWNT officially has a new home base, opening the $200 million Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center on May 7. The 200-acre complex just outside Atlanta will house all 27 national teams and features 17 outdoor fields, two indoor pitches, a high-performance gym, recovery centers and coaching education spaces designed to centralize player development, sports science and coach training under one roof. Dominance.
Devastating: The family of former WSL head coach Matt Beard raised concerns that his employment and departure from Burnley Football Club contributed to the decline in mental health, and ultimately, his death. During a pre-inquest hearing in Wales last week, Beard’s widow, Debbie, alleged the club “bullied him.” Read our full report.
A very happy Mother’s Day: To leave you on a lighter note, from Sophia Wilson sharing her love of daughter GiGi to Angel City welcoming back Claire Emslie, yesterday was all about moms. However, it was one special post from former USWNT and San Diego Wave forward Alex Morgan that stopped our scrolling. Congratulations to the whole family on baby No. 3.
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This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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