It’s been a busy, and at times hectic, offseason for the NWSL. But as a growing league, both should be expected and desired. The league courted controversy last year for substandard playing conditions, the WNY Flash vs. Seattle Reign playing on an undersized field and, as is course throughout professional sports, taking a stand in the tumultuous political situation of the country.
Prior to the start of the 2017 NWSL season, several key players will have the chance to represent their countries in the 2017 Cyprus Women’s Cup. The months of February and March mark a quiet period for some of the world’s biggest leagues, including the United States, England and Australia. This creates the perfect time for international friendly competitions to take place, including the SheBelieves Cup in the US and the Algarve Cup in Portugal.
The competition features 12 teams placed into three groups of four.
Group A
The signs have continued to add up for Hope Solo to miss the Seattle Reign season opener. Even with the regular season kick-off still two months away, it appears as though the team has moved on from the iconic keeper.
First, the club announced the acquisition and signing of Madalyn Schiffel from Europe. The club made moves with another NWSL club to be able to bring her in, signalling that she would, at a minimum, challenge for the starting spot.
Carli Lloyd has announced that she will join Manchester City Women’s Football Club on a short-term deal that could run as long as June 1, 2017. The captain of the USWNT will reportedly join the English club after participating in the SheBelieves Cup from March 1-7.
Last Thursday the NWSL announced a landmark television deal for the young league. A partnership with A+E Networks brings them on as a major sponsor of the league in general, and puts a game of the week each Saturday afternoon on their Lifetime network. Besides landing the league on a cable network on a regular basis, the deal brings a many other improvements.
League Stability
Even with the shadow of the collective bargaining agreement hanging over the United States Women’s National Team, the 2017 NWSL season is set to be the best one yet. Two new ownership groups and a new stadium in Orlando are positive achievements for the league, but Thursday’s announcement of an agreement between the NWSL and A+E Networks is the biggest news yet.
The 2016 NWSL season concluded on October 6th with the Western New York Flash winning the title on penalties. Meanwhile, on the men's side of the game, the Carolina RailHawks were sitting at home after missing the NASL playoffs and wondering how to rebound in 2017. Now, neither of those teams exist — well, not in their previous form.
The NWSL minimum salary will more than double for next season, from $7,200 to 15,000.
Woo.
Even if it is (more than) doubling, that's not much in the way of an increase It still all but guarantees players will have to work second and even third jobs to be able to afford their bills, especially in expensive markets like Seattle, Portland, Chicago and Boston.
Alex Morgan may have left the NWSL on a six-month loan to France’s Lyon, but she’s still the face of the women’s game in America. Recently speaking with British newspaper The Guardian, Morgan stated that a labor strike for the USWNT players is still a possibility in the weeks or months ahead.
If all of the Seattle Reign’s departures and questions this offseason left anyone thinking that perhaps they would settle for a rebuilding season, those assumptions have been proven incorrect. Manager Laura Harvey has kept Seattle in the hunt for titles ever since her arrival, and 2017 will be no different. On Monday, the club’s latest move confirmed their desire to win now.