It's reigning conference queens vs. a new rising power.

Following the first-ever public NWSL valuations released last October, Sportico crunched the numbers again to determine updated 2024 values for the league’s 14 teams. The latest data not only show that the entire league is skyrocketing in value, but also that certain clubs have climbed the rankings thanks to dedicated owner investment.

This week, the European Union’s (EU) top court ruled that some of FIFA’s rules around player transfer fees violate EU law following a successful suit by former Chelsea and Real Madrid men’s player Lassana Diarra. The decision is expected to have far-reaching implications, but one overlooked aspect is its potential effect on the new and improved NWSL market.

Shortly after Sportico confirmed ACFC as the hottest NWSL club on the market, the publication exclusively revealed that a top MLS team also wants in. Los Angeles FC (LAFC) — the league’s highest-valued franchise at $1.15B — activated a tenet of its stadium-sharing agreement with ACFC to acquire a small stake in the women’s side.

Billionaire investor Marc Lasry has put his hat in the ring for NWSL ownership in the past, and he seems to finally have an in. An exclusive Sportico report indicates the former Milwaukee Bucks owner is close to finalizing a deal for a control stake of the NWSL’s NC Courage, which is currently valued at about $108M — more than double the team’s $52M valuation in 2023.

For Soccer, a North American leader in soccer marketing, media, and experiences, released its annual fan insights report on U.S. soccer fans yesterday. Its numbers illustrate that the beautiful game’s American fanbase is becoming more diverse, especially when it comes to women and people of color.

Each of the Power Four conferences faces important questions

USWNT striker Alex Morgan (aka, the bane of CanWNT’s 2012 Olympic dreams) is hanging up her boots, retiring as one of the most dangerous goal scorers in American women’s soccer history and leaving the women’s game in a stronger, more equal place than she found it.

Who's hot and who's not in college sports this week

Two of the season’s most compelling women’s soccer squads hit the pitch tomorrow.

Just ahead of the regular season resuming post-Olympics, the NWSL and its players association announced a historic new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), effective immediately, that grants players more agency, compensation, and benefits than ever before. HYFR.

We finally have the deets on the NWSL’s new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) signed on August 9th, and they’re even better than expected. The league has granted unprecedented player autonomy through several concessions, including the elimination of its draft. Here’s more on how the NWSL just became arguably the most player-forward league in sports.