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itsmeglinehan

@itsmeglinehan

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Welcome to the first USWNT squad ladder, a new series on The Athletic, which will provide a periodic assessment of the senior national team roster from window to window.

Necessary disclaimer: this isn’t how U.S. coach Emma Hayes and her technical staff are thinking about the roster for World Cup qualifiers ahead of Brazil 2027. Rather, this is an exercise where we compiled our own individual rankings of our top 30 players, then compiled a final order together through much debate. We considered USWNT playing time and form, historical performances on the international stage and NWSL club form — plus the intangible value we think they provide to the team.

✍️ @itsmeglinehan and @tamerra_nikol

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After months of work, and nearly 300 names considered, welcome to the USL W League, Maine Wildness ⛰️🌲

The crest features Mount Katahdin, the waters and wild flora of Maine, and — carried over from the Hearts of Pine crest — the Dirigo Heart, modeled on Maine’s state flag.

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@dalikenza 🪄

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Is Adrián González’s job on the line if the Washington Spirit don’t win the NWSL Championship this season?

The Full Time team discusses.

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Trinity Rodman was at Arthur Ashe Stadium until 3:33 a.m. celebrating Ben Shelton’s quarterfinal win.

She was at Washington Spirit training seven hours later.

Now Shelton is in the U.S. Open final, but Rodman won’t miss her team’s crucial match Sunday.

And why would she?

Rodman cannot stop ESPN commentators from speculating if she would miss a regular-season match that has the chance to lift her team to No. 1 in the standings to attend the U.S. Open men’s final.

This is the friction that keeps popping up and, more often than not, in Rodman’s direction rather than Shelton’s.

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What does Vlatko Andonovski's departure mean for the Kansas City Current moving forward?

@itsmeglinehan and @tamerra_nikol discuss.

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The Full Time crew reacts to the Kansas City Current's press release announcing Vlatko Andonovski's departure.

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Bay FC is in the final stages of adding Paul Green as their head of football, sources tell The Athletic’s Meg Linehan.

Green was a key piece of Chelsea Women’s front office for 13 years alongside former head coach Emma Hayes. The team won 19 trophies, including eight league titles and six FA Cups.

Link in bio for more details.

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“Shut up and watch the game!”

Disrespectfully, no.

This #throwbackthursday here are some of the things we’re reading and watching about sports, politics, activism and the fight for justice. What should we add to the list?

Articles:

Explaining the Washington Spirit: How the Club’s History led to Current Turmoil by Meg Linehan and Steph Yang for the Athletic

Washington Spirit games provide a field for Trump resistance: Women’s soccer fans have taken to the stands with banners, flags, and pro-D.C. chants. By Martin Austermuhle for The 51st

How the WNBA’s Unrelenting Activism Changed Women’s Basketball By Shamira Ibrahim  Behind the scenes of the investor push to change Washington’s football team name by
Tisha Thompson

Books:

Good for a Girl: A Woman Running in a Man’s World by Lauren Fleshman

Waford Forever: How Graham Taylor and Elton John Saved a Football Club, a Town and Each Other by John Preston and Elton John

Let Us Play: Winning the Battle for Gender Diverse Athletes by Harrison Browne and Rachel Browne

VICTORY. STAND! Raising My Fist for Justice, written by Tommie Smith and Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile

Soccer Vs. the State: Tackling Football and Radical Politics by Gabriel Kuhn

Call him Jack: The Story of Jackie Robinson, Black Freedom Fighter, by Yohuru Williams and Michael G. Long

All Things Being Equal: The Genesis, Costs and Aftermath of the USWNT’s Equal Pay Battle by Rich Nichols with Sam Yip

Movies & TV:

Save: The Katie Meyer Story (ESPN, 2025)

Copa 71 (2023)

The League (2023)

Ali (2001)

Fists of Freedom: The Story of the ’68 Olympic Games (1999)

Shut up and Dribble (2018)

Give Me the Ball! (2026)

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The energy in Portland towards women's sports is tough to beat.

As leagues such as the WNBA and NWSL continue to grow at an extraordinary rate, how can ownership keep up?

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From the way-back machine. The old @wildcatmountain bubble gondola. Slide I scanned this from is undated. but likely mid-70’s. #linehanphotography

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The NWSL has proven that results are possible within a year.

With that in mind, @itsmeglinehan and @jilliansakovits dive into organizational efforts around the league.

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