Lisa Baird is an American businesswoman. [1]
Baird has worked for IBM and the National Football League. [2] She was described as "helped secure broadcast, sponsorship, and licensing deals during her decade with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee". [3] In 2020, she was appointed commissioner of the National Women's Soccer League. [4]
Lisa Marie De Vanna is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Perth Glory. She has previously played for Adelaide Sensation, Western Waves, Doncaster Rovers Belles, AIK, Perth Glory, Washington Freedom, Brisbane Roar, magicJack, Newcastle Jets, Linköping, Sky Blue FC, Melbourne Victory, Boston Breakers, Washington Spirit, Melbourne City, North Shore Mariners, Orlando Pride, Canberra United, South Melbourne, Sydney FC, and Fiorentina as well as representing the Australian national team 150 times. She is noted for her pace and dribbling skills. She has been regularly considered one of the greatest female footballers in the world; football analyst and former Socceroo Craig Foster stated that she "ran on jet-fuel; burning up twice as fast, but with incredible impact."
Meghann Kay Burke is an attorney and executive director of the National Women's Soccer League Players Association (NWSLPA), the trade union for players in the NWSL, the top division of women's soccer in the United States. Burke led the NWSLPA to its first collective bargaining agreement in 2022.
Paul Riley is an English former football player and coach.
The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is a professional women's soccer league at the top of the United States league system. Headquartered in New York City, it is owned by the teams and, until 2020, was under a management contract with the United States Soccer Federation.
Lisa Cole is an American women's soccer coach and former player, who is currently a technical advisor for the Zambia women's national football team. She was previously the head coach of the Fiji women's national football team and is most known for being the former head coach for the Boston Breakers in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
Débora Cristiane de Oliveira, known as Debinha Miri or simply Debinha, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for the Kansas City Current in the National Women's Soccer League and the Brazil women's national team.
The expansion of the National Women's Soccer League began with the league's sophomore season in 2014, when the league expanded to a ninth team in Houston, and is an ongoing process that currently has seen five expansions, three direct or indirect relocations, and one contraction. The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) was established as the top level of professional women's soccer in the United States in 2013 in the wake of the defunct Women's United Soccer Association and Women's Professional Soccer.
Stephen Malik is a Welsh-American businessman and sports owner who owns and is chairman of North Carolina FC of United Soccer League and North Carolina Courage of National Women's Soccer League. He also founded and was executive chairman of medical technology company Medfusion, and was a member of the United States Soccer Federation board of directors from March 2017 to March 2019 and February 2020 to February 2021.
Allyson Paige Haran is a professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Canberra United of A-League Women. Born in Canada, she has been called up to youth national team camps by both Canada and the United States.
Ryan Emilie Williams is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for the North Carolina Courage, a National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) club.
The 2020 Orlando Pride season was Orlando Pride's fifth season in the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States.
Kaiya June McCullough is an American professional soccer player who formerly played as a defender for Würzburger Kickers of the German 2. Frauen-Bundesliga. She also previously played for National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) club Washington Spirit.
Savanah Jayn Uveges is an American soccer coach and former player who serves as a volunteer assistant coach for Nebraska Cornhuskers. She played as a midfielder for Orlando Pride in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and for MSV Duisburg in the German 2. Bundesliga.
The 2021 National Women's Soccer League season was the ninth season of the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States. Including the NWSL's two professional predecessors, Women's Professional Soccer (2009–2011) and the Women's United Soccer Association (2001–2003), it is the 15th overall season of FIFA and USSF-sanctioned top division women's soccer in the United States.
Marla Messing is an American attorney and sports executive. She is known primarily for her work in soccer – first with the 1994 FIFA World Cup and as one of the first executives of Major League Soccer in 1995. In 1996, Messing became president and chief executive officer of the committee that organized the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup. Most recently, Messing served as the interim CEO of the National Women's Soccer League. From 2019 to 2021 she was the CEO of USTA Southern California.
Abigail Kofi Kim is a professional soccer player who plays as a forward for French Division 1 Féminine club Bordeaux. Born in Liberia, she has represented the United States internationally up to under-23 level.
San Diego Wave Fútbol Club, commonly referred to as Wave FC, or simply the Wave, is an American professional women's soccer team based in San Diego, California. The club competes in the National Women's Soccer League as an expansion team that began play in the 2022 season. Wave FC is owned by American businessman Ron Burkle.
Throughout the 2021 National Women's Soccer League season, allegations of abuse surfaced in multiple teams across the National Women's Soccer League in the United States. As a result, head coaches for five of the 10 teams then in the league resigned or were fired by the end of 2021, with league commissioner Lisa Baird also resigning due to the scandal. A later investigation led to four of these coaches receiving lifetime bans from league employment, and several other coaches and executives receiving lesser discipline.
The 2021 Portland Thorns FC season was the team's ninth season as a professional women's soccer team. Thorns FC plays in the National Women's Soccer League, the top tier of women's soccer in the United States.
Jessica Berman is an American lawyer who has served as the commissioner of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) since 2022.