Shaking Up Our Women's League with Sibling Synchronicity

Hi, we’re back! And I should let you know right now, I have the Sister, Sister theme song in my head, so if this edition has a 90s bend, blame that. Anyway, I appreciate everyone who understood that last week just wasn’t going to happen. I am, in fact, a real person, despite what I tell myself at times, and I needed a break. I, we, never want to deliver a subpar product, so it was better to wait. But I’m feeling better and we’re ramping up for our Shea Butter Summer.

The NWSL Chaos League label is back! We think we know, but we have no idea. Players stopped being polite and started getting real, and now we have the Real NWSL back. It’s fantastic as a neutral and awful if your team is on the losing end, but it is never boring, and that’s a win for us all. Barclays is winding down and Chelsea have already been crowned champions. The Top 3 has also been decided with a draw in the Manchester Derby ending all hopes for City to sneak into the Top 3. Relegation has also been settled and we know that Crystal Palace will get relegated, while the London City Lionesses will be promoted to the first division as the first independent English women’s club in Barclays. This summer should be a wild ride with three major tournaments and an active transfer window in the midst of play. I expect some big names to make some big moves and change the landscape of women’s football next season. Get excited, the game is growing!

We have merch!

What’s up Squad! We still have classic merch for sale, particularly the fan favorite “Don’t Play Out The Back” shirts. Pick one up in your favorite color. And keep an eye out for this section, as we have some new merch dropping this month that we’ll hope you’ll enjoy. Bookmark the space and be prepared for the next drop!

Match Recaps and Notable Goal Scorers

*_{note, all names listed in italics are players that scored, the number beside their name indicates the minute they scored their goal. (P) = goal scored was a penalty kick}

Since we skipped a week, so all Shea Butter Bombs and Booms from the past two weeks of the WSL and NWSL are listed below. Any type of goal you like, you are sure to find among this list. Go give them a watch if you have some downtime.

Barclays Women’s Super League (Matchday 20)

West Ham United 7, Crystal Palace 1 - Shekiera Martinez 18, 42, 45, 62, Viviane Asseyi 70

Brighton & Hove Albion 3, Everton 2 - Michelle Agyemang 21, Nikita Parris 90+3

Aston Villa 5, Arsenal 2 - Chasity Grant 46, 73

National Women’s Soccer League (Matchday 6)

Orlando Pride 3, Angel City FC 2 - Barbra Banda 76

Bay FC 1, Seattle Reign 1 - Rachel Kundananji 32

Portland Thorns 3, Racing Louisville 3 - Reilyn Turner 17

Barclays Women’s Super League (Matchday 21)

Manchester United 2, Manchester City 2 - Melvine Malard 68

Chelsea 1, Tottenham 0 - Cat Macario 35 (P)

Aston Villa 3, West Ham United 2 - Ebony Salmon 5, Shekiera Martinez 18, Chasity Grant 54

National Women’s Soccer League (Matchday 7)

Angel City FC 4, Washington Spirit 3 - Gisele Thompson 22, Gift Monday 40

Seattle Reign 1, Kansas City Current 0 - Lynn Biyendolo 37

San Diego Wave 2, Bay FC 1 - Kennedy Wesley 8, Karlie Lema 18, Trinity Armstrong 90 + 5

Black In Action: Gisele Thompson

You probably guessed what was gonna happen by the title of this edition, but it’s a piece of history, and we’d be remiss not to talk about it. With the number of goals over the past two weeks, I decided not to do an anatomy of any of the goals this go round, but I want to celebrate the pure joy on both their faces. This play happens in 4 passes, Anderson to King, King to Kennedy, Kennedy to A. Thompson, and the finish from Gisele. While the finish from Gisele is a mature and cheeky redirect, she should not be able to get to that ball before the defenders in the box. The truth is, there was a lot of optional defense in this match from both teams, but it made for a thrilling ride befitting of the NWSL After Dark moniker. We all suspect this will be the first of many sister, sister goals for the Thompsons, for club and country, but it’s always cool to watch a bit of history. Now, we have to come up with a cool nickname for them. I believe in you dear readers, let’s start to think on it.

Hidden Figures: Shekiera Martinez

I’m being very sincere when I say I just closed my eyes and chose a clip of a Shekiera Martinez goal, because there were so many to choose from. She had a four goal match in the month of April, as well as a brace against Chelsea and another goal in a loss to Aston Villa last weekend. The 23 year-old German international (who can also claim Angola, the United States, and Mexico) has been on an absolute tear in the league, and has made herself one of the most desired number 9s in women’s football. Martinez has scored with her feet, particularly on break away goals, but she is a lethal header of the football, as noted in this clip. It’s been a while since Barclays has had a Shea Butter baller breakout like this. The fact that West Ham has two legitimate Player of the Season candidates in Martinez and Viviane Asseyi (who we’ve highlighted in a previous edition) speaks to the growth potential of West Ham in the coming seasons. Along with Chasity Grant, they have the makings of one of the better attacks in England. However, with the way Martinez is playing, the temptation to listen to offers from other clubs may prove too good to pass up. But if West Ham can hold the line and hold onto her, expect them to be a fun side next season. Shekiera has proven she can lead a line and a team, and I cannot wait to see her get better.

Cultural Cuts: A Riss Recap

_{Below is a recap from Shea Butter Writer Riss Willett, a Washington Spirit Supporter and co-founder of Rose Room Collective, an Intersectional Spirit Supporter’s Group for PoC}

Washington Spirit vs Angel City FC - 05-02-25

by Riss Willett

While the Spirit were looking for a bit of redemption after coming off a 3-0 loss last week to Gotham, the Spirit had Angel City visiting the District. With a noticeable change in coaching because Jona received a red card in extra time last match, Adrián Gonzalez was in charge against Angel City. One major change we saw in the lineup was in goal, with Aubrey Kinsgbury listed as an available sub on the bench, and Sandy McIver making her NWSL debut. She was also playing her first match since coming back from her ACL injury. Right off the bat, Angel City scored in the 7th and 21st minutes giving the Spirit flashbacks of their match against Gotham. This time they were able to bounce back in the 29th minute with a goal from defender Esme Morgan who was assisted via a header by none other than Ashley Hatch, who seems to scoring and assisting with her head this season, so far! They were able to tie up the game by halftime with another goal from newcomer Gift Monday who was making her first start since arriving in DC. The Spirit seemed to have a different mindset this game, but that didn’t stop Angel City from possessing the ball for most of the game. The Spirit held off Angel City for a good portion of the second half, but ultimately ended up falling to them 4-3. Washington may still be working out the kinks with all their injuries and a small bench rotation. This game did see some positives, with Kouassi and Gift making some magic up top. We will see Adrián Gonzalez coaching again this weekend as the Spirit travel to Chicago. Jona Giraldez received an additional match ban from the Disciplinary Committee for his red card against Gotham. The Spirit have faired better on the road this season, and we’ll see if that holds true this Saturday against the Chicago Stars.

About The Table: Mic Check One Two, One Two

Alright, we are halfway through the halfway point of the NWSL season, and suffice it to say, those preseason predictions have been sitting, collecting dust as we waited to see how the league would shake out. The consensus early on was that the league would be more like last season, with a clear Top 4 and a few other teams good enough to beat those Top 4 teams on the right day. Many of us were at least intrigued by the moves Utah and Houston made, and confused by the moves San Diego did, and didn’t. Well, seven matchdays in (with two teams having played eight matches), we’re realizing that parity isn’t dead! The NWSL this season feels a bit closer to the chaos of 2023, where on any given weekend, any team can beat any other team. We are going into a Matchday 8 where every team in the league has at least two losses and at least one major flaw. I feel good about some of musings (I was right about LA and Seattle) and not so great about others (NCC, Houston, Utah, girl). I was wrong about Utah, though health has not been on their side, and I was wronger about San Diego, who I will now call La Vague because that’s how much the French are carrying them right now. At this time, I would like to trade San Diego’s 🎤.5 a with Utah’s 🎤🎤🎤.5. I would also like to downgrade North Carolina from 🎤🎤🎤🎤 to a 🎤🎤🎤 album rating. They’re like Nas, great lyrics, awful production. I still believe in them purely on talent, but some other things need to click. I wanted this in writing, but I plan to do a midseason review, complete with comparisons and all the other fun stuff that we hope you enjoy. There’s still another “quarter” of the season to go and many ratings can change. Stay tuned in June for more.

Final Thoughts: I’m Very Well, Thanks So Much

So, timing is everything, and before this newsletter dropped, the news that the NWSL is going through with the UnWell FC Supporters Group hit the timeline today. As you can imagine, no fan seems big on a corporate supporter’s group, and many SGs have said as much to the league and the media. The insistence from the league to continue with the partnership would lead us to believe that the check for this partnership has already cleared, therefore we are getting something no one asked for. This, coupled with the news that the Women’s World Cup is expanding in 2031 from 32 to 48 teams, shows further proof that the decisions makers know little to nothing about women’s football, soccer, and everything in-between. I will echo what I’ve said online, that growth for the sake of growth is the mentality of the cancer cell. The league and the sport needs to pause and truly look its infrastructure that currently exist. Let’s work on improving and investing in what is before we dream beyond what we can execute. There is so much room for growth within the sport, with fans you have yet to engage in a meaningful way. At the very least, reach out to existing SGs and ask for their input, even if the feedback isn’t what you want to hear. The league needs to hear criticism, or they risk reverting right back to 2021, but with a CBA. The league isn’t at risk of dissolving like its predecessors, but it is losing its way and becoming less safe by the day. All money ain’t good money and bad money don’t last. The league should sit with that more often over the coming years as it determines exactly how it wishes to grow. Your players and your fans are more well than ever (with plenty of work left to do), why isn’t the league?