NWSL agrees to $5 million settlement for mistreated players

NWSL settles for $5M in abuse scandal

The National Women’s Soccer League has agreed to a $5 million settlement with three attorneys general to provide financial compensation for mistreated athletes, according to a joint announcement on Wednesday.

The settlement will close investigations in Illinois, New York and Washington, D.C., that began following allegations of widespread, “systemic” abuse in the NWSL dating back a decade. Allegations of verbal and sexual misconduct and abuse, as well as enablement and improper reporting systems, were exposed in two extensive reports published in 2022.

“For too long, the hardworking and talented women of the National Women’s Soccer League were forced to endure an unacceptable culture of abuse, harassment, and retaliation,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James in a statement posted by the NWSL Players Association. “This settlement sends a clear message that such misconduct will not be tolerated and ensures players receive the compensation and protections they deserve.”

The fund will be administered by retired Judge Barbara S. Jones, who was an independent member of the committee overseeing the 2022 NWSL/NWSLPA joint investigation. Once the fund opens, players will have six months to apply.

The 2022 joint investigation ran simultaneously to a separate investigation commissioned by U.S. Soccer and led by former Attorney General Sally Q. Yates. Both investigations began following a September 2021 report that detailed alleged sexual misconduct with former players by Paul Riley, a head coach for multiple NWSL teams who won several championships. The report led to a work stoppage for the league the following weekend.

The two ensuing investigations led to widespread discoveries of misconduct within the NWSL through the years. Four former coaches were banned permanently, while eight more personnel were suspended or their future employment was conditional to her corrective action.

Nearly $3 million in total fines were issued to various clubs, and the league forced the sale of two teams – the Portland Thorns and Chicago Red Stars (now Chicago Stars FC) – due to their previous ownership’s alleged enabling of continued abusive behavior.

“We remain grateful to the many brave individuals who came forward to share their experiences, which has informed our approach to systemic reform,” NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said in a statement. “The NWSL is proud of the work we have done, in partnership with the NWSL Players Association, to set the standard for professional sports leagues.”

Berman became commissioner at the beginning of 2022, following the ousting of former commissioner Lisa Baird for her mishandling of the Riley situation.

Berman inherited a tense labor dynamic between players and the league and teams.

“We have worked collaboratively with the NWSLPA and the attorneys general to add greater strength to the programmatic changes we adopted in 2023 in light of the joint investigative reports, and we look forward to supporting the administrator in distributing the Players’ Restitution Fund,” she said. 

“We will continue to do the work necessary to maintain the trust of our players and build an ecosystem where the best in the world want to come.”

Berman has a legal background and worked at the NHL for over a decade. Since her arrival, the NWSL has grown exponentially. The league began a four-year, $240 million media rights deal last year, proactively signed a new collective bargaining agreement that runs through 2030, and has added four expansion teams – including Denver and Boston, to begin play in 2026 – with more expected to join in the coming years. Expansion fees have risen from around $2 million before Berman, to $110 million for Denver.