Sports
NWSL commish on new contract: ‘Intend’ to stay
NEW YORK — National Women’s Soccer League commissioner Jessica Berman said she plans to continue in her role, but she did not offer a tangible update on the potential renewal of her contract, which ends in the coming months.
“What I can say is that I intend to be here,” Berman told reporters from the league’s headquarters on Thursday. “I joined this league because I believe in the future of women’s sports and professional women’s soccer, and that’s all I can say.”
Berman signed a four-year contract to become commissioner of the league in early 2022.
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She addressed reporters on Thursday following two days of in-person meetings in New York among the league’s board of governors. Among the board’s most important topics in recent months has been Berman’s future and the potential renewal of her contract.
The NWSL board meetings in New York happened in the weeks after the league lost one of its most high-profile players, 20-year-old United States forward Alyssa Thompson, to Chelsea in a transfer on England’s deadline day. The move sparked further debate across the league about the NWSL’s ability to compete in a global market while maintaining a salary cap, which is currently set at $3.5 million per team.
“While I could understand the focus on the salary cap, the way that players make decisions about where to play is a complex set of considerations, and we will always look at that not in a myopic way, but holistically,” Berman said.
“We are quite confident that the value proposition that we offer to players is compelling and we’ll continue to attract and retain the best players.”
Player safety was a major topic of concern once again in Berman’s press briefing following several high-profile incidents at games this season.
The NWSL had its second major medical emergency of the season occur on Sunday when Racing Louisville FC midfielder Savannah DeMelo collapsed on the field at the halftime whistle in a game against Seattle Reign FC.
The match was suspended and completed two days later — in stark contrast to May, when Angel City FC defender Savy King was treated on the field for over 10 minutes for what turned out to be a heart abnormality. That game resumed after King was taken to the hospital in an ambulance and players were visibly upset.
Berman said on Thursday that the decision to suspend Sunday’s game was ultimately hers, and any similar situation is ultimately her call, but there are others in a “decision tree” empowered to make the call in her absence.
“Just to state the obvious, the decision to not continue the game was a no-brainer and did not require contemplation,” Berman said. “We at least now know how to manage those situations and are confident that hopefully we will never have to do them again.”
On Thursday, Berman also announced that the process to expand beyond 16 teams is now open, but she defined it as a “rolling process” rather than a bid with deadlines, as was the case in recent years.
“We’ve made the decision to shift to a rolling process mostly because we’ve been through this, two rounds, and so, we pretty much know the universe of who’s interested. There’s more than a dozen of them.
“Those conversations are ongoing. Each of them has a different perspective on how much time they need to launch, the investments they need to make to be successful, including potentially around infrastructure, and we want to not force a square peg into a round hole.”
The NWSL will expand to 16 teams next year with the introduction of Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC. Berman has said several times that there is “no reason” the NWSL cannot be as big as the 32-team NFL, although on Thursday she appeared to walk back the number of teams as more of an idea than a target or hard cap.
Berman also confirmed that the second division that the NWSL plans to operate will not launch next year, which the league initially indicated as a timeline. The league is now focused on launching a second division in 2027, she said.
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Denver Broncos wide receiver Pat Bryant was carted off the field in the loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars after a vicious hit that was scary to look at.
Bryant was attempting to make a catch with just seconds left at Empower Field when Jaguars cornerback Montaric Brown came flying in and crashed into him to break it up.
One could hear how hard Bryant was hit with the broadcast picking up the cracking of helmet and pads as he went to the turf.
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Pat Bryant of the Denver Broncos is carted off the field during the fourth quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Empower Field At Mile High on Dec. 21, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
Bryant stayed down on the field after the play, and he wasn’t moving much as Broncos trainers came running out to look at him on the turf.
After several minutes of evaluation, Bryant was loaded onto a stretcher and carted off the field. There was obvious concern throughout the stadium for Bryant, and it was later reported that he was taken to the hospital as a precaution.
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Broncos head coach Sean Payton, speaking after his first loss in 12 games, gave an update on Bryant, saying that he “had movement” in his extremities, and it was “encouraging” to see, per 9News’ Mike Klis.
Of course, any time a player is loaded onto a stretcher, thoughts of the worst immediately enter the mind. Luckily, Bryant’s hospital visit was only to ensure everything was fine.
Pat Bryant of the Denver Broncos is carted off the field during the fourth quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Empower Field At Mile High on Dec. 21, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
The Broncos moved to 12-3 after the loss at home, a 34-20 defeat at the hands of a red-hot Jaguars squad who have now won six straight games.
At 11-4, the Jaguars remain one win above the Houston Texans for the AFC South lead, though they are likely headed to the playoffs one way or another.
Meanwhile, the Broncos have already clinched their shot at a Vince Lombardi Trophy, having won 12 games this season for the best record in the AFC to date. Only the New England Patriots could reach 12 wins this week if they defeat the Baltimore Ravens on “Sunday Night Football.”
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Bryant finished the game with five catches for 42 yards. He has totaled 27 catches for 347 yards and a touchdown this season in a loaded Broncos receiving room.
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Blake Griffin, Candace Parker, Jamal Crawford, the 1996 U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team, Bruce Pearl and Kelvin Sampson were among the first-time nominees announced Friday to be considered for enshrinement into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame next year.
Also among the notable first-time nominees: Elena Delle Donne and Joe Johnson as players and Mike D’Antoni as a contributor.
Nearly 200 players and teams were on the list unveiled by the Hall on ESPN’s “NBA Today,” including some finalists who fell short of enshrinement in the 2025 class, including Jennifer Azzi, who was a member of that 1996 U.S. women’s team that won gold at the Atlanta Games. Azzi is a nominee again as an individual.
“The candidates for the class of 2026 have each left an indelible impact on the game of basketball,” said John L. Doleva, president and CEO of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. “Through defining performances, influential leadership and achievements that helped elevate the sport on the national and international stage, this year’s ballot recognizes those whose legacy continues to shape how the game is played, coached, and celebrated.”
Finalists are typically announced at NBA All-Star Weekend in February. The 2026 class will be unveiled April 4 at the NCAA Final Four, with enshrinement weekend Aug. 14 and 15 at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, and at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Other finalists a year ago who are back on the ballot include Gonzaga coach Mark Few; NBA legends Marques Johnson and Buck Williams; and Jerry Welsh, who coached Potsdam in upstate New York to NCAA Division III titles in 1981 and 1986.
Molly Bolin, the first player signed by the Women’s Professional Basketball League, is back as well, as is former Serbian professional player and longtime coach Dusan Ivkovic, who is already a FIBA Hall of Famer.
Doc Rivers, the only NBA coach with more than 1,000 wins who isn’t yet in the Hall of Fame, is a nominee again, as are Amar’e Stoudemire and legendary broadcaster Marv Albert.
Some teams that will be considered include the 1936, 1972 and 1976 U.S. Olympic men’s teams; the 1982 Cheyney State team coached by C. Vivian Stringer that lost to Louisiana Tech in the inaugural NCAA Division I women’s national championship game; the Kentucky Wesleyan men’s teams that won three Division II national titles in a four-year span of the late 1960s; and the 1963 Loyola Chicago men’s team that won the NCAA title and broke racial barriers in the sport by using as many as four Black starters.
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