NWSL settlement is an overdue win for players. Plus, latest on the Sam Kerr trial
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Whether you watch or not, today should be a federal day off. Emily Olsen here with Meg Linehan — welcome to Full Time!
Super Bowl Wins: The actual biggest moments of the weekend
Congrats to Kendrick Lamar and the Philadelphia Eagles, but these are our top moments from the Super Bowl festivities:
🩰 Serena Williams’ halftime show cameo (and all the layers that came with that).
🎤 Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts’ mic-drop answer about his all-women management team: “It is something that happened very organically. (I was) really just seeking out for the best and that’s how it happened.”
🏆 And of course, Nike’s first Super Bowl ad in 27 years, featuring all female athletes, including U.S. Olympic gold medalist Sophia Wilson (née Smith) and World Cup champion Alexia Putellas. The message, voiced by Grammy Award winner Doechii: “You can’t win. So win.”
Now, on to another win:
Restitution for Players
Settlement requires NWSL to set up $5M fund
Players who suffered abuse and harassment in the NWSL will finally earn compensation for what they went through. Last week, the league agreed to a settlement with the attorneys general of D.C., New York and Illinois as part of another investigation into misconduct across the league.
The settlement follows the pivotal reporting in 2021 that uncovered several allegations of abuse dating back to the formation of the league. Those revelations included the league’s lack of policies to protect players from abusers.
No new reports from players turned up in this investigation, but the settlement is important for two reasons:
The NWSL must set up a $5 million restitution fund for players.
For the next three years, the attorneys general will oversee that the league properly distributes the funds and continues to implement policies that promote player safety.
It’s not exactly justice, though. As former NWSL player Tori Huster said during a news conference:
What does the settlement mean for players?
While the league has changed drastically over the past few years since the abuse scandal, with exponential growth and many player safety reforms put in place, Wednesday’s settlement feels like real accountability from the NWSL for failing to protect its own players. Here’s how it benefits players:
Two players with settled claims against the league may be paid $1 million from the fund.
The remaining $4 million will be distributed to other players who file claims during a set 180-day window and are approved by a third-party administrator, former U.S. district judge Barbara Jones.
The NWSL will have to establish a policy that requires teams to consult the league’s players association during the hiring process of any head coach to “ensure they have an adequate opportunity to raise any concerns about the prospective hire’s history or reputation as it relates to player or staff safety and wellbeing.”
🎧 Listen to last week’s “Full Time” episode that breaks down what this news means for the NWSL and players.
Meg’s Corner: Kerr’s testimony feels unfortunately familiar
Last week I wrote about how the Luis Rubiales trial was a chance for a moment of public accountability. This week, it’s another trial: this one over Australia captain Sam Kerr calling a police officer “stupid and white” following an incident in a taxi after a 2023 night out with her fiancée Kristie Mewis.
I’ll be the first to admit there have been some solid memes coming out of this trial, thanks to the line of questioning. Did I have Kerr having to explain what sliding into someone’s DMs means to a judge on my 2025 bingo card? Absolutely not.
It’s hard to keep laughing, though, when you read Kerr and Mewis’ testimony about how afraid they were that night. I remember a few of my own experiences alone in a taxi or Uber late at night, just trying to get home or back to a hotel. I think about the safety tools I regularly use while traveling for work, sharing my location with my wife, or how Uber now automatically records audio of your ride just in case.
Kerr has pleaded not guilty to one count of racially aggravated harassment and does not deny her words. Instead, her legal team is trying to reframe them into a conversation around power and privilege. I can’t speak to the potential of a successful outcome when it comes to the trial, but there’s so much about that ride in the taxi, in which Kerr said she was “terrified for (her) life,” that will feel achingly familiar to a lot of people.
Notables
Rubiales trial continues
The first week of testimony in Spanish court for the trial of Rubiales (and three others) is complete. Spain MNT head coach Luis de la Fuente spoke on day two — and was reminded on the stand he was obligated to tell the truth by the judge. On day three, Jenni Hermoso’s brother said former Spain WNT head coach Jorge Vilda had told him his sister would face “personal and professional consequences” if she didn’t agree to cooperate following the 2023 World Cup.
On day four, friends and teammates of Hermoso — including Alexia Putellas and others — testified about what they had seen and been told by Hermoso in the days following the World Cup win. They detailed the alleged acts of coercion from Rubiales and former Spain sporting director Albert Luque.
Just like last week, will be at the trial each day to bring you the latest.
Hayes’ vision for U.S. Soccer
Somehow, it’s already the 10th edition of the SheBelieves Cup (the passage of time is cruel to us all), with the USWNT set to face Colombia, Australia and Japan for their first games of 2025 later this month. While head coach Emma Hayes will name her roster tomorrow, last week she presented her strategic vision for the program to a select number of reporters. Meg’s takeaway:
Full Time First Looks
Crossover time: Portland is finally getting a WNBA team again, and it’ll be sharing a brand-new training facility with the Portland Thorns. RAJ Sports — the sports investment firm owned by the Bhathal family, which owns both teams — is going big: a $150 million investment into a 12-acre campus with two full-size basketball courts and two-full size soccer pitches (plus a whole lot more). Exciting stuff from the PNW.
Calming voice: Naomi Girma’s move to Chelsea has been the talk of the offseason, meanwhile U.S. teammate Jenna Nighswonger made her debut for Arsenal this weekend. Amid all the chatter, Jeff Rueter brings calm to the initial panic over what these moves mean for the NWSL.
Midge Purce is back: It’s good news for Gotham, who have been in the public eye as their roster has changed following the 2024 season (with an emphasis on the departures of multiple 2023 championship winners). Purce re-signed on a one year deal and is already with the team in Spain for preseason — though she’s not quite fully back from injury yet.
We hope you like Chelsea vs. Man City: Because you’re going to see so much of them, as these teams are set for four games against each other across all competitions in 12 days in March — including in the Champions League. It’s also the tastiest quarterfinal pairing, if you ask me (Meg).
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This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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