SAN DIEGO — Between the Wave's season finale Sept. 30 and the upcoming playoff game Sunday night in Mission Valley, a bombshell report was released that chronicled alleged abusive behavior, sexual misconduct and predation in the National Women's Soccer League before the San Diego team's arrival.
"Abuse in the NWSL is rooted in a deeper culture in women's soccer beginning in youth leagues, that normalizes verbally abusive coaching and blurs boundaries between coaches and players," investigators said in a statement Oct. 3.
Coming to grips with disturbing allegations against the NWSL, drawn from 2021 and earlier, wasn't what the Wave had in mind when they qualified for the 7 p.m. playoff home match against the Chicago Red Stars. Then again, nor did the Red Stars, whose players have called for the expulsion of majority owner Arnim Whisler stemming from reports of abuse by former coach Rory Dames.
"It's been a difficult couple of weeks, I won't shy away from that," Wave coach Casey Stoney said Friday before overseeing her team's practice session. "We have to acknowledge the history of the league and the experiences the players have had, especially some of the players in this environment."
Stoney added: "I will do everything I can to support them, give them space, talk to them, ask them how they are, ask what they need. We have enough support in our environment. Not just me."
Commissioned by U.S. Soccer and assembled by investigators led by former U.S. Deputy Atty. Gen. Sally Q. Yates, the report chronicles allegations against three former male coaches in the NWSL. Power was reportedly wielded to abuse athletes, most of whom until recently earned $31,000 per year. In graphic detail the report chronicles a wide spectrum of alleged abuse: coaches grooming players, coercing sex, bullying, retaliating for spurned advances and insulting players with expletives and other vulgar language.
"It's devastating," Wave star Alex Morgan said, "and it's a little overwhelming the information that was in the report. I feel for every NWSL player, current and former, that has either been a victim of this misconduct, abuse or harassment or has been on a team where they see this occur. There's really no way to sugarcoat things."
Morgan said the report "created a lot of conversation within our locker room, within the organization, within players all over the league."
Lately, Morgan and teammate Makenzy Doniak spoke often with NWLS players union representatives to discuss what to do next. Morgan said the NWSL's first collective bargaining agreement, reached two years ago, created long overdue avenues for players to report abusive behavior without fear of reprisal.
"Now," Morgan said, "we're looking at who was directly involved in this behavior and making sure that those (persons) are held accountable, including the owners that really tried to brush a lot of this abuse and harassment under the rug."
Stoney described the Wave's environment — praised often by Morgan and teammates — as safe but fun.
"I shouldn't even have to use the word safe," the coach added. "It's shocking that we even have to talk about protecting players and safety and stuff like that. Because it's not a world where I ever want to manage or be a head coach of. And I'm certainly not (having to do) that here."
Morgan has long spoken out in favor of protecting women athletes, not only in soccer, and she has talked with advocates in other countries.
Stoney said she experienced no verbal abuse, emotional abuse or sexual abuse during her playing career of two decades in England.
"But coaches having relationships with players? That's not new," she said.
Stoney added: "I don't agree with any staff having relationships with players on any level. It is a power dynamic that should not happen. That is not just an NWSL problem. It's a women's sports problem. It's a women's football problem. I've seen it in so many clubs I've been part of. ... I've moved staff away from my environments in previous jobs, because there's been boundaries crossed. I will not have it at all."
When the Wave opened their season May 1 at Houston, the opponent's head coach was elsewhere. He'd been suspended that week, following allegations of misbehavior toward players. The Wave went on to face other NWSL teams that were breaking in a new coach for similar reasons. So for the NWSL's disturbing recent past to come crashing down at season's end maintained a pattern to the Wave's first voyage.
"We're trying to all heal," said Morgan, "while at the same time look at the postseason and this playoff game, and it's a lot to digest in a short period of time. But, I think players are doing their best with that."
A mutual lift should arrive Sunday night when a large crowd gathers at Snapdragon Stadium. Tickets remain available with the Wave hoping to approach the NWSL-record of 32,000 they set Sept. 17.
