Megan Feringa

Wrexham Women have Champions League ambitions. Owning their own stadium is the first step Wrexham Women played their first match at their new home on Sunday. A first step in an ambitious project

“When we’re in the Champions League.”

An ambition that’d be filed under delusional if Wrexham weren’t so deft at these kinds of grand plans. Next up: Wrexham Women in Europe. The first big step - owning their own ground - has been taken. @theathleticfc.bsky.social

www.nytimes.com/athletic/685...

A farcical League Cup draw: the latest example of why a blind obsession for women’s sports’ growth at all costs is abandoning the very audience and soul that built it.

But hey, at least we can all eat footlongs. @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/683...

Everton Women CEO Hannah Forshaw to step down at end of season Hannah Forshaw only officially began work at the club in September but will exit at the end of the 2025-26 campaign.

Excl: Hannah Forshaw to step down as Everton Women CEO at end of 2025/26 season, despite starting in Sept. Exit is mutual + amicable. Review ongoing on what leadership will look like for future.

Details below @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/683...

Signe Gaupset.

Tottenham Hotspur Women have completed the signing of Norway international Signe Gaupset for a club-record fee of £378,000.

More from @meganferinga.bsky.social ⤵️

🔗 www.nytimes.com/athletic/682...

Glad you enjoyed! It was about time I got something together on them😅

Thanks yall🙏

After last season's tears, Tottenham are enjoying a WSL revival

Fantastic piece. Full of background detail. By @meganferinga.bsky.social who is always excellent on Spurs Women.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/679...

Tottenham vs Arsenal: How last season’s tears were followed by Spurs’ WSL revival In what has historically been a lopsided rivalry, Arsenal face a very different Spurs side in Sunday's WSL north London derby

5th in WSL. Level on pts w Arsenal. 2nd from bottom last season.

Inside Tottenham's revival:
▪️Last season's toil
▪️Ex-Arsenal chief Venkatesham appt
▪️Martin Ho's 4-day recruitment
▪️Casey Stoney’s phone call
▪️Koga Hail Mary
▪️Ho's reset

@theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/679...

Wout van Aert interview: Dropping Tadej Pogacar, recovering from injury and what cycling can learn from the NBA The Belgian star on a season of recovery and redemption: 'I just wanted to show that I’m still there, that I can be among the best riders'

Wout van Aert is one of cycling’s superstars; his win over Montmartre one of the year’s top moments.

We spoke about post-injury doubts, managing his own demanding nature, and his big offseason adventure in the USA.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/679...

The saga of Mary Earps and Hannah Hampton proves our heroes are human An extract of Mary Earps’ new autobiography was published at the weekend and there's a temptation to reach for the big, obvious take

Choose your avatar. #TeamHannah. #TeamMary. Community Note: There’s only one right answer. But maybe this can also be sad, a reminder of how easily we exalt humans to heroes + how precipitous the inevitable crash down is. @theathleticfc.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/athletic/677...

Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite to undergo surgery after hamstring injury rehab ‘complication’ Everton are now likely to be without the defender, a key player and one of their highest earners, for an extended period of time.

Jarrad Branthwaite is set to undergo surgery on Tuesday after suffering what Everton described as a “complication” in his return from a hamstring injury.

More from @paddyboyland.bsky.social and @meganferinga.bsky.social ⤵️

Jess Park’s sparkling cameo proves she is already integral to Manchester United The brace against Everton from the bench was emblematic of Park’s transformation into one of the league’s most valuable attacking threats

Jess Park is very good at football. Apparently the only way to stop her is by kicking a football into her face, That’s after coming off the bench + scoring two goals. Given the freedom to invert, to carry the ball, to roam, Park is thriving. Man Utd are better for it. www.nytimes.com/athletic/671...

In women’s sports, athletes losing their periods was long considered normal. Not anymore A byproduct of wider issues, periods continue to be missed, ignored or misunderstood in elite sports

“You don’t have a period but that’s fine. You’re an athlete.” A caveat accompanying countless medical results, despite inevitable danger, lines being drawn between sacrifices periods + sporting success. A piece for my sister + those challenging the system. www.nytimes.com/athletic/658...

sacrificing periods*

In women’s sports, athletes losing their periods was long considered normal. Not anymore A byproduct of wider issues, periods continue to be missed, ignored or misunderstood in elite sports

“You don’t have a period but that’s fine. You’re an athlete.” A caveat accompanying countless medical results, despite inevitable danger, lines being drawn between sacrifices periods + sporting success. A piece for my sister + those challenging the system. www.nytimes.com/athletic/658...

👌

I think there's a lot of impatience for women's football to have all the answers now but like you say - just listen to fans, see what they want. No one moves all their furniture into a house before they know where the plug sockets are.

thanks yall!

Great article.👍🏻

A very good article. A critical part of this is listening to the fans. I have a good feeling about this. Everton can be the next Arsenal.

Haha glad you enjoyed the opening! 😊

Good read, tremendous opening.

Everton Women at Goodison Park: Patience and ambition are not mutually exclusive A key theme to take from Everton Women's first game at Goodison Park is that the women's game is still a work in progress

6,473 at Goodison Park for Everton Women yesterday. Nearly 6x average of WPH. Some expect Everton (& the wider game) to have all the answers now or it's a hoax. Goodison is a reminder that ambition & patience are not mutually exclusive. This is a work in progress.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/662...

Martina Fernandez left for Barcelona for Everton for one reason: ‘A need to win’ The 20-year-old is tipped for big things in the WSL - in joining Everton she says she's signed for a club on the up

Pre-season vs Juve, Everton’s Hayashi advised Rion Ishikawa in Japanese. Martina Fernandez assumed it was words of encouragement. “I ask, ‘Hono, what did you say?’ She says, ‘We need to f***ing win’.”

Fernandez on leaving Barca + Everton’s new mentality. www.nytimes.com/athletic/661...

Olivia Smith: Her wonder Arsenal goal, record-breaking fee and crying on leaving Liverpool Drawing a line between stunning debuts and success is a dangerous game, but it is clear that Smith has captured something special at Arsenal

Olivia Smith interview. On that goal. On Renee Slegers. On Arsenal being her first long-time home. On being glad Beth Mead didn’t leave. On being scared to say hi to Katie McCabe - then becoming bffs. On being the first £1m women's player. On not caring about that.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/661...

Everton’s WSL evolution: Debutant makes history, squad depth crucial Everton's strength in depth was crucial to an opening-day victory at Anfield

'We already made Anfield our training pitch,' Brian Sorensen told 40k at Goodison Park in May. There's cheek + there's having faith in circumstances. Everton W are 6/6 at Anfield, Sunday's win the result of planned, meaningful investment. @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/660...

Chelsea’s fine-tuning gives them every chance of dominating the WSL once again Last season's domestic treble-winners have few weak spots but they look to have plugged those gaps nonetheless

Reigning Women’s Super League champions Chelsea beat Manchester City 2-1 on Friday — and offered a timely reminder that their domestic hegemony has never boiled down to just one facet.

@meganferinga.bsky.social

The Totally Football Show with James Richardson: Deadline day chaos, World Cup qualifiers and the WSL returns Jimbo is joined by Duncan Alexander, Natalie Gedra and Daniel Storey to discuss a busy transfer deadline day as well as the upcoming internationals.Isak to Liverpool but no Marc Guehi, Muani to Spu...

🚨 THURSDAY POD! 🚨

@acjimbo.bsky.social's got @oilysailor.bsky.social, @danielstorey85.bsky.social & Natalie Gedra with him for...

✅ Deadline day chaos
✅ World Cup qualifiers
✅ A brand new WSL season w/ @meganferinga.bsky.social
✅ High altitude in La Paz/ West Bromwich

pod.fo/e/324da0

Alyssa Thompson

🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Chelsea have reached a verbal agreement with Angel City to sign United States international Alyssa Thompson, sources with knowledge of the deal told The Athletic.

📝 @david-ornstein.bsky.social, @meganferinga.bsky.social and @charpur.bsky.social

🔗 www.nytimes.com/athletic/659...