Latest news with #NWSLChallengeCup
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Portland Thorns' Bella Bixby on returning to play after motherhood: ‘It changes your body'
Bella Bixby entered Snapdragon Stadium Saturday night the same way she has entered every stadium for weeks — not just as Portland Thorns' starting goalkeeper but also mom to toddler Ruby, who was perched happily between her right arm and hip. For the 29-year-old, the 2025 NWSL season has been more than just returning to the field after the offseason. It has been a balancing act between being an elite athlete and a new mother — a transformation she does not sugarcoat. Advertisement 'It changes your body,' she tells . 'I think I underestimated how much pregnancy was gonna change my body.' Planning for a family was not a simple process for Bixby, especially with limited guarantees in her sport. That uncertainty lingered through the entire 2023 season, even before she started trying to get pregnant. After 14 years with her husband, Elliot, she knew it was time, but making the decision was hard. Her teammate Crystal Dunn just returned to play after having her son, Marcel. Another former teammate, Iceland's Dagny Brindisdóttir, who had a son at the time, was also able to come back to the team. Despite these role models, she was still unsure. 'I was anxious about what it might mean for my career,' she explains. 'Will I come back? Can I even do it? Is this going to be my last season?' A Portland native and an Oregon State alumnus, Bixby was drafted by the Thorns in 2017. After loan spells in Germany and Israel, she made her NWSL debut for the Thorns in the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup – only to suffer an ACL injury and be sidelined for the rest of the tournament. Advertisement She returned in 2021 with a statement, setting an NWSL record for most consecutive shutout minutes (269) across her first three games, and earned a spot as one of three finalists for Goalkeeper of the Year that same year. In 2022, she helped lead the Thorns to an NWSL championship. The Thorns offered her a contract extension through 2025 (with an option for 2026), signaling the club's belief in her continued impact, especially following her return from maternity leave in 2024. The NWSL's new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which included protections for mothers and extended support for families, gave Bixby more confidence that having a family earlier in her career was possible. 'The new CBA changed everything,' Bixby says. 'It's not just about me — it allows my husband to travel with us, so we don't have to be apart during these early years with Ruby.' But physically returning to play wasn't as simple for Bixby. Advertisement 'People think it's nine months and then you're done. But it is a much longer commitment on your body,' she says. 'My center of gravity changed, my hips are different, everything is different.' Before pregnancy, as an elite athlete, she felt there was nothing her body could not overcome with some rehab, hard work and time. But pregnancy and nursing affected her ligaments and joints, crucial parts of her body as a goalkeeper. 'There's a hormone that is in your body in high amounts when you're pregnant, it's called relaxin,' Bixby explains. While it prepares the body for childbirth by relaxing ligaments, especially in the pelvis, it's not ideal for a goalkeeper's body. Relaxin does not immediately go away after childbirth either, especially if the mother decides to nurse. 'By the time we get to October of this year, it'll have been two years since my body really has reset hormonally, which is insane to think about,' Bixby says. 'You really only think about pregnancy as a nine-month commitment to your body, but it's not.' Advertisement Since Ruby's arrival, it's not just her body that's changed; her entire routine has, too. 'I don't know what I did with all my time before,' Bixby laughs. While she calls Ruby the greatest gift, she doesn't downplay the reality of how motherhood has transformed her life. 'I used to sleep in till 10,' she says with a smirk. 'Now I'm up at six or seven —whenever Ruby is. I used to come home from training and just… decompress. Now I'm chasing a toddler.' Even with the upheaval, she still carves out time for recovery, nutrition, and sleep, all the non-negotiables of an elite athlete. Bixby is one of several NWSL players who have recently become mothers or are currently expecting. In February, Washington Spirit and U.S. women's national team midfielder Andi Sullivan announced that she and husband Drew Skundrich are expecting a baby girl. Bixby's teammate and U.S. forward Sophia Wilson announced she is having a baby with her husband, Arizona Cardinals' Michael Wilson. And last week, Chicago Stars and USWNT forward Mallory Swanson announced she is expecting a child. Advertisement While there might not officially be a best window of time for an athlete to get pregnant, this year has its perks, especially for the national team players between major tournaments. Bixby thinks that if there is a sweet spot, it is different for every player. She says the best is to come back in time to be cleared for preseason. 'That'll dictate when you want to get pregnant,' she explains. As more players announce pregnancies, Bixby sees the ripple effects of the league's evolving support for mothers. It's not just about what happens on the field anymore, it's about who's standing beside it. For her, this dual identity is a badge of honor, but she is still getting used to being the mom on the team. 'There is a misconception that motherhood changes you so much that you have to give up what you're passionate about,' she says. ' But this is our passion, and our dream. Some people, I'm sure, motherhood changes things for them. In my case, the moment I was pregnant, I was already picturing what it was going to look like to come back.' Advertisement This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Portland Thorns, Soccer, NWSL 2025 The Athletic Media Company
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Gotham fans allegedly hurl transphobic abuse at star previously targeted by JK Rowling
Barbra Banda Orlando Pride's Barbra Banda has once again become the target of transphobic vitriol among fans, despite not being trans herself. "I attended the Gotham-Pride game in NJ last night and was shocked and disgusted by the fan conduct in my section (107)," Redditor u/mitzibitsy alleged via a post in the National Women's Soccer League subreddit. "Multiple Gotham season ticket holders expressed bigotry towards Barbra Banda that stemmed from the racist, transphobic conspiracies that were spread about her after she earned the BBC Women's Footballer of the Year award last year." Advertisement The 25-year-old soccer star signed with Orlando last March. Since then, she's made one hell of an impact, even scoring the goal that led her team to victory in the 2024 NWSL Challenge Cup. She was named the Most Valuable Player and, as u/mitzibitsy said, was crowned the Women's Footballer of the Year by the BBC. That honor drew unwanted attention from the type of transphobes who believe they can tell when somebody is trans simply by looking at them. And they decided Banda fit the bill, despite the fact that she is a cisgender woman. Conspiracy theories insisting otherwise began to spread, spurred on by the likes of ultra-loud anti-trans activist J.K. Rowling . Advertisement The NWSL and Gotham FC said that the incident is under investigation and that they will "take additional action where appropriate under the league's Fan Code of Conduct." The Orlando Pride further added that "Barbra is an outstanding role model and an influential advocate for soccer both in Africa and here in the United States. We look forward to continuing to celebrate and support her on and off the pitch." Although the statements were appreciated, concerned fans are still uncertain as to how the league and individual clubs plan to address similar situations moving forward. Several questioned why any involved fans weren't ejected immediately, although it's unclear whether anyone with the authority to do so was made aware at the time. u/mitzibitsy, however, followed up their post alleging that Gotham's chief business officer reached out to them via phone to gather more details about what happened and the fans involved, leaving them with the impression that further action was indeed a possibility. Advertisement "He assured me that he understands WHY this rhetoric was racist and transphobic (a nuance I had worried might get missed), and he said flat out that this is the opposite of the culture they are trying to build at Gotham," the Redditor wrote. "I felt really reassure by this conversation." Unfortunately, it would appear this bigotry and derision has continued to be directed Banda's way into the new year. After the reddit post gained traction, the NWSL, Gotham FC, and Orlando Pride all issued seemingly coordinated statements acknowledging "an incident involving hateful language."
USA Today
14-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
NWSL games today: How to watch opening night as 2025 season begins
NWSL games today: How to watch opening night as 2025 season begins Show Caption Hide Caption Sydney Leroux gives her expectations for the future of the NWSL Angel City forward Sydney Leroux shares her thoughts on what the future of the National Women's Soccer League holds. Sports Seriously The NWSL is back, with the women's soccer league beginning its 2025 season Friday night with both of last year's championship finalists in action. The Orlando Pride may have fallen on penalties in last week's NWSL Challenge Cup (effectively a curtain-raising preseason showcase), but the defending champions are expected to contend once again in 2025. With arguably the best striker in the league in Zambia's Barbra Banda and a global icon in Brazilian playmaker Marta, the Pride will be favored as they host Chicago Stars FC, who will be without Mallory Swanson (personal reasons). The other major contender kicking the season off Friday is the Washington Spirit. Even with Trinity Rodman closing out recuperation from a long-standing back problem, a deep Spirit squad is being talked up as a threat to win it all by season's end. Washington begins 2025 on the road against a rebuilt Houston Dash side hoping that some big offseason additions (including emerging USWNT prospect Yazmeen Ryan) will make them a more formidable challenge after a rough 2024 campaign. Here's how to watch Friday's games as the NWSL embarks on another season: 2025 NWSL Season: How to watch the regular season kickoff weekend NWSL season begins: Opening weekend schedule, times All times Eastern. Home teams listed first. Friday, March 14 Orlando Pride vs. Chicago Stars FC: Prime Video, 8 p.m. Houston Dash vs. Washington Spirit: NWSL+, 8 p.m. Saturday, March 15 Kansas City Current vs. Portland Thorns: ABC/ESPN+, 12:45 p.m. Racing Louisville vs. North Carolina Courage: NWSL+, 5 p.m. Utah Royals vs. Bay FC: Ion, 7:30 p.m. Seattle Reign vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC: Ion, 10 p.m. Watch NWSL on Saturday with Fubo Sunday March 16 Angel City FC vs. San Diego Wave: ESPN2/ESPN+, 6:50 p.m. NWSL 2025 season: How to watch Friday games, TV channel, live stream The two NWSL matches on opening night see last year's championship finalists in action on Friday. The Orlando Pride will host the Chicago Stars, with the match broadcast on Prime Video at 8 p.m. ET. A few hundred miles west, a revamped Houston Dash welcome the Washington Spirit. That game also begins at 8 p.m. ET, with NWSL+ — the league's free direct-to-consumer platform — carrying the stream. Orlando Pride vs. Chicago Stars FC Date: Friday, March 14 Friday, March 14 Time: 8 p.m. ET 8 p.m. ET TV : None : None Stream: Prime Video Watch Orlando vs. Chicago on Prime Video Houston Dash vs. Washington Spirit Date: Friday, March 14 Friday, March 14 Time: 8 p.m. ET 8 p.m. ET TV: None None Stream: NWSL+ We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn't influence our coverage.
Washington Post
08-03-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
In title game rematch, Spirit rallies to top Pride for Challenge Cup crown
ORLANDO — The NWSL Challenge Cup may have marked the dawn of a new campaign for the Washington Spirit, but much about the curtain-raising match felt eerily similar to how the club's 2024 season came to a close. Having faced the Orlando Pride in November's NWSL final in Kansas City, Missouri, the Spirit traveled to Inter&Co Stadium for a rematch Friday night. Washington, which was forced to navigate a slew of injuries last fall, kicked off its 2025 campaign shorthanded again. And after Orlando broke through in the 37th minute of the NWSL final, it opened the scoring in the 41st minute of the Challenge Cup. But that's where the scripts diverged. The Spirit rallied to force a shootout Friday when Leicy Santos curled in a second-half free kick. Once the match ended 1-1 after 90 minutes, Tara McKeown rifled home the decisive penalty kick, and the Spirit triumphed, 4-2, in a shootout to earn its first trophy since the 2021 NWSL championship. It was a markedly different result from last year, when the Spirit fell, 1-0, in the NWSL final. 'People externally, were like, 'Oh, this isn't a regular season game,'' Spirit midfielder Hal Hershfelt said. 'But to us, it's always been a fight because of the background and the story that we have with them.' Ashley Hatch, Rebeca Bernal and Narumi Miura also converted for Washington. After Summer Yates hooked Orlando's third shot wide, Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury stoned Ally Lemos to pave the way for McKeown's clincher. 'I haven't taken a penalty since last year when I scored in the semifinal [shootout],' McKeown said. 'So I was like, 'I probably should have been practicing a little bit, but if it comes down to it, I'm going to just try and score.' And it did, and I scored.' New silverware in hand, the Spirit will kick off its regular season next Friday at the Houston Dash. Previously staged as a pandemic bubble event, a preseason tournament and a midseason competition, the Challenge Cup has endured and evolved since its 2020 inception. Since last season, the Challenge Cup has been held as a single match that doesn't count toward the standings but does have a trophy on the line, in the fashion of England's Community Shield or the Spanish Super Cup. 'We were all really excited to start the season off this way,' McKeown said. 'People want to play for trophies all their life.' Although the contest was designed to pit the NWSL champion against the reigning regular season winner, it shifts to a title game rematch if the same team claims both crowns. Several of the Spirit's key absences from the NWSL final — midfielders Andi Sullivan (knee) and Croix Bethune (knee) and striker Ouleymata Sarr (back) — remained sidelined Friday. Joining those stalwarts on the injured list: defenders Paige Metayer (knee), Kysha Sylla (knee) and Kate Wiesner (hip); midfielders Courtney Brown (hip) and Heather Stainbrook (hip); and forward Rosemonde Kouassi (knee). The depleted squad led to a surprise start for Chloe Ricketts, a 17-year-old midfielder who made just four appearances last season. Washington dressed only seven substitutes — two shy of the limit — and three of those players were short-term injury replacements signed Wednesday. Star forward Trinity Rodman dressed for the match but never got off the bench. The NWSL MVP finalist sat out the past several U.S. national team camps and managed her workload during the preseason because of a lingering back issue. The Pride, meanwhile, deployed a largely full-strength squad spearheaded by imposing striker Barbra Banda, NWSL defender of the year Emily Sams and Marta, the 39-year-old Brazilian legend who continues to dazzle a quarter-century into her professional career. But it was Orlando winger Ally Watt who proved to be the biggest thorn in the Spirit's side. In the 14th minute, Kingsbury lunged to tip Watt's rising shot off the crossbar. Later, Watt's driven cross created a nervy moment in the goalmouth before Kingsbury pounced on the ball. Shortly before halftime, Watt's persistence got Orlando on the scoreboard. Initially, Watt appeared to earn the Pride a penalty when she took the ball off Miura and drew a foul on the Spirit newcomer. Although video review found the contact occurred outside the box, changing the penalty kick to a free kick, the reversal only delayed the inevitable. As Marta smashed the subsequent set piece into the Spirit wall, Brazilian defender Rafaelle lined up the loose ball and launched a half-volley in off the post. The Spirit's equalizer arrived in the 72nd minute. Orlando midfielder Angelina took down Miura just outside the box, and Santos struck a free kick that goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse could only parry off the bottom of the crossbar and in. Both teams flirted with a late winner. The Spirit appealed for a penalty when the ball ricocheted off the arm of Orlando forward Prisca Chilufya in the box, but referee Alex Billeter ruled the contact was incidental. And Pride defender Kylie Strom headed home an apparent 90th-minute winner that was ruled offside, setting the stage for the shootout. 'First game of the season, we're still figuring stuff out,' Hershfelt said. 'But to be able to come out still winning the cup — that was really sick. We were able to bring it all together in the end.'
USA Today
07-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
NWSL Challenge Cup 2025: TV channel, live stream for Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit
NWSL Challenge Cup 2025: TV channel, live stream for Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit Show Caption Hide Caption Sydney Leroux gives her expectations for the future of the NWSL Angel City forward Sydney Leroux shares her thoughts on what the future of the National Women's Soccer League holds. Sports Seriously The NWSL Challenge Cup is back for 2025, with the Orlando Pride and Washington Spirit meeting in a rematch of last year's hard-fought championship final. Orlando enjoyed one of the great seasons in league history last year, losing just twice in 26 regular-season games. Iconic playmaker Marta, at age 38, had arguably the best season of her NWSL career, while striker Barbra Banda – "the best striker in the world,"according to U.S. women's national team coach Emma Hayes – proved unstoppable up top. At the back, head coach Seb Hines can now call on Spain's Oihane Hernández, a 2023 World Cup winner, to bolster what was already arguably the best defensive unit in the league. The Spirit have looked to build on a 2024 season that points towards Washington becoming a consistent power in the coming seasons. Trinity Rodman, after missing multiple USWNT call-ups while recuperating from a nagging back injury, is expected to play some part at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida. Washington fans are also eager to see how new signings like Japan national team midfielder Narumi Miura and Mexico captain Rebeca Bernal fit into a strong roster. Here's what to know about the NWSL Challenge Cup, including how to watch what is expected to be an exciting game between two title contenders: NWSL: League must pay $5M restitution to abuse victims in historic settlement NWSL: What is the Challenge Cup? Format details explained The NWSL Challenge Cup has existed under several guises over the years. The event was initially a Covid-19 bubble tournament in 2020, something the league invented on the fly to provide some kind of competition while sports had largely stopped taking place nationwide. In 2021 and 2022, the event transitioned to a round-robin, regional format with play taking place before the regular season. Ultimately, teams and fans regarded that version of the Challenge Cup as something between preseason experimentation and a noteworthy trophy to pursue, leaving few satisfied. A 2023 change saw the Challenge Cup peppered in throughout the regular season, but that too failed to catch fire. Starting in 2024, a stripped-down Challenge Cup took its place one week before the regular season, serving as a curtain-raiser akin to the Community Shield in English soccer. The NWSL champions host the winners of the NWSL Shield (a trophy given to the regular-season champion, reflecting global norms in a sport that features few leagues with playoffs). The 2024 Challenge Cup saw the San Diego Wave defeat NJ/NY Gotham FC 1-0 on a late Alex Morgan goal. The NWSL has kept that format for 2025, but that reveals a new issue: the Orlando Pride won the 2024 championship as well as the NWSL Shield. The league took the straightforward option, picking the Washington Spirit — who finished as runners-up in both the playoffs and regular season — as Orlando's opponent. Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit: How to stream NWSL Challenge Cup Friday's NWSL Challenge Cup, which will feature two star-studded teams in the Orlando Pride and Washington Spirit, is airing exclusively on Prime Video. Coverage from Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida, begins at 8 p.m. ET. Watch Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit on Prime Video NWSL Challenge Cup 2025: How to watch Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit Date: Friday, March 7 Friday, March 7 Time: 8 p.m. ET 8 p.m. ET TV : None : None Stream: Prime Video We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn't influence our coverage.
