Podcast Summary: "What’s Haunting the NWSL?"

Welcome to the Party (Hosted by Julie Foudy & Abby Wambach; Special Guest Haley Carter)
Release Date: October 30, 2025

Episode Overview

This lively Halloween-themed episode of "Welcome to the Party" dives deep into the salary cap crisis facing the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Hosts Julie Foudy and Abby Wambach, both former USWNT superstars and current Angel City co-owners, are joined by Orlando Pride’s VP of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director, Haley Carter. Together, they explore the challenges posed by the NWSL's salary structure, the recent exodus of American stars to European clubs, and what the league—and its community—must consider to remain a global destination for top talent. The discussion brings a mix of laughter, hard truths, and a call for both innovation and fan action.

Main Themes and Purpose

• Salary Cap Anxiety: The central "ghost" haunting the NWSL is its restrictive salary cap, which is making it difficult for clubs to retain and attract the best players, many of whom are being lured to more lucrative and resource-rich European leagues.
• Globalization and Player Movement: With international opportunities blossoming, how can the NWSL remain competitive?
• League Evolution and Solutions: The hosts and Haley Carter debate possible structural changes, including designated player spots, revenue sharing, and incentive pools for top performers.
• Fan and Community Impact: How party people (listeners/fans) can actively contribute to league strength and growth.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. NWSL Playoff Picture and League Update

[04:49 – 05:52]

• Julie sets the stage with a current playoff rundown and the league’s competitive state. Only one playoff spot remains open, with high stakes and tight point margins among top teams.
• Kansas City, Washington Spirit, Orlando Pride, Gotham FC, Portland Thorns, San Diego Wave, and Seattle Reign have clinched spots. Key "decision day" is November 2, with significant seeding implications.

2. The Mass Exodus: Why Top Talent Is Leaving

[05:52 – 07:09]

• Abby and Julie react to recent high-profile moves—Alyssa Thompson and Naomi Girma to Chelsea, Emily Fox and Jenna Nighswonger to Arsenal, Crystal Dunn to PSG—and fret about losing US stars.
• Abby:

“Is it the most important thing to have the best players in our league? … Yes. But there’s something interesting around the growth of the women’s game globally and how good that is for the game.” [06:21]

3. How Did We Get Here? A Brief History

[07:09 – 11:02]

• Reflection on their own early pro careers: Julie shares stories of playing in Sweden for expenses only. Abby points to how US Soccer once subsidized domestic league salaries to keep stars home.
• The explosion of women’s soccer leagues worldwide is contextualized as both a blessing (for global growth) and a threat (for US dominance).

4. Introducing Haley Carter: Her Story and Mission

[13:44 – 15:58]

• [14:16] Julie asks Haley about her experience evacuating Afghan women’s national team players after the Taliban’s return:

  “It was about two weeks, seven days straight of not sleeping...” —Haley Carter “It was a bit of a tactical operation actually… like, if your granny’s traveling with you, you put all of your important documents up her inner thigh, because ain’t no Taliban going up her inner thigh looking for your stuff.” —Haley Carter [15:14]

• Haley’s drive to lead in the NWSL is fueled by a determination to bring women with direct experience into decision-making roles.

5. Salary Cap 101: How It Works and Its Consequences

[21:22 – 24:34]

• Haley explains the NWSL salary cap for 2025: $3.3 million per team + ~$200K via revenue sharing (total ~$3.5M). Allocation money allows some flexibility but is not enough to match European wages.
• Average NWSL salary at Orlando Pride is ~$120K, with the league minimum at $48,500. By 2030, the minimum is projected to rise to $82,500.

“Technically they could pay [a star] a million a year, but then you would have to be paying everybody else peanuts, right? …You’ve got to be able to surround your best pieces with other strong pieces.” —Haley Carter [25:37]

6. Solutions on the Table: Designated Players, Performance Pools, and More

[26:23 – 50:26]

Designated Player (DP) Model

• Julie vouches for a Women's DP System modeled after MLS;
• Haley’s reservations:

  “Who decides Trinity Rodman is a DP but not Croy Bethune? ... You are 100% going to have a locker room nightmare that you’ve got to manage.” [27:03]

  • Complexity of selection criteria (national team status? Stats? Club choice?) could create resentment and imbalance.

Raising the Cap & Removing Agent Fees

• Haley's short-term fix:

  “Get the agent fees out of the cap … That’s $350,000 right there.” [31:36]

Performance-based Premium Pools

• Proposes a central bonus pool distributed to top 15–20 performers annually based on league-defined metrics (stats, awards, community impact, etc.), bypassing cap constraints and incentivizing excellence:

  “Recognize excellence and talent without really the permanence of a DP designation…You give an opportunity for a player to earn an extra 200, $500,000... they’re going to do everything that they can.” —Haley Carter [33:10]

Revenue Sharing and Long-Term Strategy

• Emphasis on growing league revenue as the route to increased player compensation and competitiveness.
• Patience urged: the CBA (collective bargaining agreement) runs to 2030, but can be reopened if revenue benchmarks are hit (likely in 2027).

  “...by then we’ll have two years of revenue sharing data we can analyze. We’ve got the World Cup in Brazil... Denver and Boston expansion markets... That’s really when we’ll have the data to make informed decisions…” —Haley Carter [41:04]

7. Beyond Money: Facilities, Staff, and Culture

[38:47 – 40:44]

• Keeping top players isn’t just about salary; top facilities, full stadiums, qualified support staff, and professional environments all matter:

  “They want best in class facilities. They want stadiums that are full. They want highly qualified staff…We have these really ambitious owners who want to invest in players, want to invest in the staff…” —Haley Carter [38:26]

8. The Stakes: Parity, Identity, and Global Competition

[50:26 – 53:14]

• Unique chaos and parity (“three points separating third from seventh”) is part of NWSL's appeal— but the risk is becoming a feeder for Europe, not a global destination.
• The biggest emerging threat is the English Women’s Super League leveraging the Premier League’s infrastructure:

  “We are different than other leagues. Right. We do have this crazy parity… fans love that shit… But to your point, Abby, we've got to innovate and get really creative around how we can afford the world's best players.” —Haley Carter [51:21, 53:23]

9. What Fans Can Do: The Power of “Party People”

[54:05 – 54:14]

• The crucial community call to action?

  “It’s all about the revenue share. So watch games, go to games, buy the merch. Do everything that you can to increase revenue share.” —Haley Carter [54:05]

Standout Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the current climate:

  “We’re opening the crypt of contracts and clauses. Math, money. And the fight to keep the top talent in the NWSL.” —Abby Wambach [01:42]

• On decision day drama:

  “There are only three points between third and seventh place right now. And they're all fighting for home playoff seed. So that's a huge game on November 2nd.” —Julie Foudy [05:29]

• On historical context:

  “[Back then] there was really no English league to go play in...they didn't pay me a salary. They basically said, hey, we'll fly you over and put you up. Is that cool? And I was like, hell yeah.” —Julie Foudy [08:10]

• On the bigger picture:

  "The frustrating part is, [players] are put in a position where they're seen as not wanting to develop and grow the league here. But as a woman athlete...there's all these psychological things, and if somebody's going to offer you a bunch of money, you might say yes." —Abby Wambach [09:31]

• On facilities & investment:

  “Kansas City...owners Chris and Angie Long...came in and said, look, we are going to invest in our own stadium, our own training facility...That makes a difference…” —Julie Foudy [39:09]

• On the club vs. country calculation:

  “Even if you talk to Alyssa on why she made the decision to go to Chelsea...it’s not just money. She wants the opportunity to play in Champions League...to train with Chelsea staff, in Chelsea’s environment.” —Haley Carter [37:19]

• On next steps and urgency:

  “We can’t be reactive in this. We’ve got to start taking some proactive approaches.” —Haley Carter [47:17]

• On fan power:

  “Watch games, go to games, buy the merch. Do everything that you can to increase revenue share.” —Haley Carter [54:05]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Playoff scenario & league update: [04:49–05:52]
• The “salary cap ghost” and star departures: [05:52–07:09]
• Historic pro league struggles and European rise: [07:09–11:02]
• Haley Carter’s background & Afghan evacuation: [13:44–15:58]
• Why salary cap matters, how it works: [21:22–24:34]
• “Designated Player” debate: [26:23–31:23]
• Incentive pool proposal: [33:10–34:05; revisited 50:04–50:26]
• Facilities vs. salary discussion: [38:47–40:44]
• Future scenarios, global threats: [50:26–53:14]
• Action item for fans (“party people”): [54:05–54:14]

Final Thoughts & Tone

With a playful, irreverent spirit (“Welcome to the Farty!”), the episode confronts the real and present challenges haunting women’s pro soccer in the US. The mood swings between anxiety, hope, and humor, but the underlying message is clear:

This is a pivotal moment. The NWSL must innovate and take proactive steps to keep stars, grow revenue, and stay globally relevant—while fans have concrete power through their engagement and commitment.

“Progress isn’t perfect, but it’s happening. It’s happening, folks.” —Abby Wambach [56:33]

Call to Action

What can you do?

• Attend games, watch broadcasts, buy merch—every dollar fuels league growth.
• Promote women’s soccer stories and champion the league within your communities.

The first Party Rule is: have a sh*t ton of fun—even while fighting for the soul of your league.