| | | | | | | | | | | Axios Sports | | By Kendall Baker ·Feb 25, 2022 | | 🎉 Happy Friday! You made it. 📆 Come hang out: We're co-hosting a virtual event about the future of college sports with the Aspen Institute today (12–1pm ET). Join us! Today's word count: 1,868 words (7 minutes). Let's sports... | | | | | | 1 big thing: ⚽️ Settling the suit |  | | | Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios | | | | The USWNT settled its equal pay lawsuit against U.S. Soccer on Tuesday, ending a six-year legal battle, Axios' Jeff Tracy writes. Why it matters: This is a watershed moment for women's sports, helping set the precedent that they deserve to be on equal footing with men. Yes, but: The fight's not over yet. The settlement, which includes $24 million in back pay and a commitment from U.S. Soccer to provide "an equal rate of pay going forward," is contingent on the ratification of a new CBA, which both the men and women are currently working toward. - The best way to accomplish equal pay is through even distribution of World Cup bonus money, which is paid out by FIFA to its member associations like U.S. Soccer.
- But those funds are decidedly not equal (the men's last FIFA bonus pool was $400 million; the women's was $30 million), so it's on U.S. Soccer to redistribute it equally, and the men to agree to such a split.
What they're saying: "To be at this point in the life of my career, and to be able to know the next generation will be in such a better place than we were when we started, is incredible," Rapinoe told ESPN. - "This is such a monumental step forward in feeling valued [and] respected," Morgan told Good Morning America.
- "I'm so glad we got this done," U.S. Soccer president and former USWNT player Cindy Parlow Cone told AP. "And I'm so looking forward to working together and turning the page."
The USWNT after winning the 2019 Women's World Cup. Photo: Alex Grimm/Getty Images Timeline: Though this was the settlement of a 2019 lawsuit, the push for equal pay began in earnest three years prior. - March 2016: Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan and three other USWNT players file a wage discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
- Feb.–April 2017: In the midst of a labor standoff, the USWNT restructures its union. Weeks later, a new CBA is ratified, but it doesn't achieve equal pay.
- March 8, 2019: The USWNT sues U.S. Soccer for gender discrimination, arguing their salaries and playing conditions are worse than the men.
- July 7, 2019: The USWNT wins its second straight World Cup, hoisting the trophy in France as the crowd chants, "Equal pay! Equal pay!"
- March 2020: U.S. Soccer argues in a court filing that the men's game requires "a higher level of skill," sparking outrage. Then-president Carlos Cordeiro resigns amid the fallout.
- May 1, 2020: The presiding judge rejects the women's claim that they're underpaid — a crushing blow to their lawsuit.
- Feb. 22, 2022: The two sides agree to a settlement.
Looking ahead: Aside from ratifying two CBAs, U.S. Soccer is also preparing for its upcoming presidential election between Cordeiro and Parlow Cone on March 5. |     | | | | | | 2. 🎾 A new era: Medvedev to No. 1 |  | | | Photo: Hector Vivas/Getty Images | | | | Daniil Medvedev has moved to No. 1 in the ATP rankings following Novak Djokovic's loss to Czech qualifier Jiří Veselý in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Championships. Wild stat: Medvedev, 26, is the first man other than Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Andy Murray to be ranked No. 1 since February 2004, when "Yeah!" by Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris was the No. 1 song. By the numbers: Federer took the top spot from Andy Roddick on Feb. 2, 2004, and the Big Four has held it ever since — until now. Weeks spent at No. 1: - Djokovic: 361
- Federer: 310
- Nadal: 209
- Murray: 41
- Medvedev: 1
The big picture: This all happened on the same day that Russia, Medvedev's home country, invaded Ukraine. He said it "was not easy" watching from Mexico, where he's competing. "I want to promote peace all over the world. We play in so many different countries. I've been in so many countries as a junior and as a pro. It's just not easy to hear all this news. ... I'm all for peace." — Medvedev What's next: Medvedev plays world No. 4 Nadal in the Mexican Open semifinals tonight (11pm ET, Tennis Channel), one month removed from their thrilling five-set Australian Open final. | | | | | | | | 3. 🏀 DeMar DeGod: Master of the mid-range |  | | | Courtesy: Chicago Bulls | | | | The All-Star Break couldn't cool off DeMar DeRozan, who scored 37 points on Thursday — including five in the final minute — to lead the Bulls past the Hawks, 112-108. Why it matters: DeRozan is the seventh player in NBA history to score 35+ points in eight straight games, joining quite the list: - Wilt Chamberlain
- Elgin Baylor
- Michael Jordan
- Kobe Bryant
- LeBron James
- James Harden
Of note: DeRozan has been the most efficient of the bunch, shooting 62% from the field during this stretch. Even Wilt, who spent most of his time near the rim, never did that. "What we are witnessing right now is something people are going to remember for a long time." — Bulls teammate Ayo Dosunmu The big picture: DeRozan's performance helped the Bulls extend their winning streak to six straight games and move a half-game ahead of the Heat for the No.1 seed in the East. Go deeper: Numbers show DeRozan is the best one-on-one scorer in the NBA ... and has been for a while (The Athletic) | | | | | | | | A message from Axios | | Win the race for (remote) talent | | |  | | | | Reach over 750,000 smart professionals in the fastest growing cities in America. Post your job opportunities on Axios Local. | | | | | | 4. ⚡️ Lightning round |  | | | Photo: Elsa/Getty Images | | | | 🏀 Bueckers is back: UConn superstar Paige Bueckers, who hasn't played since Dec. 5 (knee), will return to the starting lineup tonight. ⚽️ UEFA moves final: The Champions League final (May 28) has been moved from St. Petersburg to Paris in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 🏈 Briles hired: Art Briles, who was fired by Baylor in 2016 after a sexual assault scandal, has been controversially hired as Grambling State's OC. 🏀 Good read: You really should know Connie Kunzmann (Chris Ballard, SI) "Long before the WNBA, there was the WBL. And there was Kunzmann, who scraped and hustled her way to relative fame. You might know her name today, if not for a horrific act 40 years ago." | | | | | | | | 5. ⚽️ MLS season preview |  | | | NYC FC hoisting the 2021 MLS Cup. Photo: Steph Chambers/Getty Images | | | | The 2022 MLS season kicks off Saturday, just 10 weeks after NYC FC hoisted its first MLS Cup, Jeff writes. What to know: - Teams: 28 (Charlotte FC debut season)
- 2021 champion: NYC FC
- Realignment: Nashville, a 2020 expansion club, moves to the West, while Charlotte joins the East, giving each conference 14 teams.
Storylines: - Expansion: Charlotte FC is the 10th expansion team to debut since 2012, with St. Louis City SC set to join next year and a 30th franchise — likely in Las Vegas — coming soon.
- World Cup impact: Qatar 2022 is in November, so MLS is starting the season earlier and will go straight from the regular season into the playoffs (there's normally a break).
- New stadium: Nashville SC's new home, set to open on May 1, will be the biggest soccer-specific stadium in the country (30,000 capacity).
- Selling league: A record 16 MLS players were sold to foreign clubs this winter, the latest example of the league becoming a bigger player on the global transfer market.
- USA-Mexico ties: MLS and Liga MX will compete in a revamped version of the Leagues Cup and go head-to-head during the All-Star Break. It's a step forward in North American collaboration.
Title odds, per DraftKings: LAFC (+650), NYC FC (+700), Seattle Sounders (+750), New England Revolution (+800), Philadelphia Union (+1000), Nashville SC (+1200), Colorado Rapids (+1400), Columbus Crew (+1400), Atlanta United (+1400). Go deeper: Jersey power rankings (ESPN) | | | | | | | | 6. 🏒 Catch up quick: College hockey |  | | | Matty Beniers, playing for Michigan and Team USA. Photos: Getty Images | | | | The college hockey regular season is wrapping up, with conference tournaments starting next week ahead of the NCAA tournament selection show on March 20, Jeff writes. Where it stands: The nation's top 10 teams, per USCHO's rankings: - Minnesota State (29-5-0)
- Michigan (25-7-1)
- Denver (22-7-1)
- Minnesota (21-11-0)
- Quinnipiac (26-4-3)
- Western Michigan (20-8-1)
- North Dakota (19-11-1)
- Minnesota Duluth (15-13-3)
- Notre Dame (23-9-0)
- UMass (17-10-2)
State of play: 19 players from 10 schools returned from their unexpected Olympic break this week. 15 competed for Team USA in Beijing, while four represented Canada. - Michigan (4): Matty Beniers and Brendan Brisson (USA); Kent Johnson and Owen Power (Canada)
- Boston College (3): Drew Helleson and Marc McLaughlin (USA); Jack McBain (Canada)
- Minnesota (3): Matthew Knies, Ben Meyers and Brock Faber (USA)
- Harvard (2): Nick Abruzzese and Sean Farrell (USA)
- St. Cloud State (2): Nick Perbix and Sam Hentges (USA)
- Boston University: Drew Commesso (USA)
- Minnesota Duluth: Noah Cates (USA)
- Minnesota State: Nathan Smith (USA)
- Northeastern: Devon Levi (Canada)
- North Dakota: Jake Sanderson (USA)
Go deeper: Frozen Four contenders (ESPN) | | | | | | | | 7. 🌎 The world in photos | | Photo: Panayotis Tzamaros/AFP via Getty Images ATHENS — After scoring for Atalanta in the Europa League knockout stage on Thursday, Ukrainian midfielder Ruslan Malinovskyi revealed a shirt that read, "No war in Ukraine." Photo: Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images NASHVILLE — Pekka Rinne's No. 35 was hung in the rafters, the first jersey ever retired by the Predators. The legendary goaltender will get a bronze statue outside the arena next season. Louis Oosthuizen prepares a shot out of the rough at the Honda Classic. Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Now that's a relatable golf shot. Pros, they're just like us! (Until they land it three feet from the pin from there.) | | | | | | | | 8. 📺 Watchlist: College hoops marathon | | Source: Giphy The penultimate weekend of college basketball's regular season is stacked with nine top-25 matchups. - Men: No. 6 Kentucky at No. 18 Arkansas (Sat. 2pm ET, CBS); No. 3 Auburn at No. 17 Tennessee (Sat. 4pm, ESPN); No. 5 Kansas at No. 10 Baylor (Sat. 8pm, ESPN); No. 1 Gonzaga at No. 23 Saint Mary's (Sat. 10pm, ESPN)
- Women: No. 10 Indiana at No. 13 Maryland (Fri. 8pm, BTN); No. 4 Louisville at No. 14 Notre Dame (Sun. 12pm, ESPN2); No. 8 LSU at No. 16 Tennessee (Sun. 2pm, ESPN2); No. 6 Michigan at No. 21 Iowa (Sun, 4pm, ESPN2); No. 3 NC State at No. 23 Virginia Tech (Sun. 6pm, ACCN)
More to watch: - 🏀 NBA: Clippers at Lakers (Fri. 10pm, ESPN); Saturday: Nets at Bucks (Sat. 8:30pm, ABC); Jazz at Suns (Sun. 3:30pm, ABC); Mavericks at Warriors (Sun. 7:30pm, ESPN)
- 🏒 NHL: Rangers at Penguins (Sat. 3pm, ABC); Lightning at Predators (Sat. 7:30pm, TNT); Oilers at Hurricanes (Sun. 1pm, NHL)
- ⚽️ MLS: Portland at New England (Sat. 7:30pm, Fox); Sporting KC at Atlanta (Sun. 3pm, FS1); NYC FC at LA Galaxy (Sun. 5pm, ESPN) ... Full schedule
- ⛳️ PGA: Honda Classic (Fri.-Sun., Golf and ESPN+)
- 🎾 Mexican Open: No. 3 Tsitsipas vs. No. 6 Norrie (Fri. 9pm, Tennis); No. 1 Medvedev vs. No. 4 Nadal (Fri. 11pm, Tennis)
- ⚽️ Carabao Cup final: Liverpool vs. Chelsea (Sun. 11:30am, ESPN+)
- 🏁 IndyCar opener: Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (Sun. 12pm, NBC)
- 🏒 Men's hockey: No. 6 Western Michigan at No. 7 North Dakota (Fri. 8pm, CBSSN)
| | | | | | | | 9. ⚽️ MLS trivia |  | | | Landon Donovan and David Beckham after winning the 2011 MLS Cup. Photo: Jeff Gross/Getty Images | | | | The LA Galaxy have won the most MLS Cups (five) and are one of seven clubs with multiple titles. - Question: Name the other six.
- Hint: Four West, two East.
Answer at the bottom. | | | | | | | | 10. 🏀 1 fun thing: "Mike from Durham" |  | | | Jim Boeheim and Mike Krzyzewski pictured in 2017. Photo: Brett Carlsen/Getty Images | | | | "Mike from Durham" (aka Mike Krzyzewski) called into Jim Boeheim's radio show ahead of Saturday's Duke-Syracuse game (6pm ET, ESPN) - Mike: "I've been a fan of coach Boeheim's for almost five decades. I'm gonna have a chance to watch the Syracuse-Duke game this weekend, I was wondering if there's an opportunity to meet him and maybe get an autograph and picture?"
- Jim: "I'm gonna meet you, but I'm not gonna give you an autograph or picture. I'd have to charge you my rate, and I don't know if you can afford that."
- Mike: "Well, your NIL is probably the biggest of any college coach."
- Jim: "I'm very hot on Cameo."
Listen. | | | | | | | | A message from Axios | | Win the race for (remote) talent | | | | | | | | Reach over 750,000 smart professionals in the fastest growing cities in America. Post your job opportunities on Axios Local. | | | | Enjoy the weekend, Kendall "Not from Durham" Baker Trivia answer: D.C. United (4), Houston Dynamo (2), Seattle Sounders (2), Columbus Crew (2), Sporting Kansas City (2), San Jose Earthquakes (2) 🙏 Thanks for reading. Follow us on Twitter (@kendallbaker and @jeffreytracy) and tell friends to sign up here. |  | Bring the strength of Smart Brevity® to your team — more effective communications, powered by Axios HQ. | | | | | | Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. If you're interested in advertising, learn more here.
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