Five years ago, the NWSL was in crisis. Thanks to its players, it’s flourishing‎

On a cool Wednesday night in early October, the players of Gotham FC and the Washington Spirit took the pitch for the first minutes of live game action in 10 days. The National Women’s Soccer League had slammed to a halt in the aftermath of former players Sinead Farrelly and Mana Shim sharing their stories with The Athletic, detailing their experiences of sexual coercion from a prominent NWSL coach and the league’s failure to investigate. Their story, published exactly five years ago on Sept. 30