IMMEDIATE CHALLENGE: Lisa Baird became the NWSL’s commissioner a few days before the coronavirus pandemic shut down the league. (Courtesy NWSL ) National Women’s Soccer League Commissioner Lisa Baird talks about the challenges of leading the way back On July 26, the National Women ‘s Soccer League crowned the Houston Dash as the champions of the Challenge Cup, a monthlong tournament organized and held after the coronavirus pandemic forced officials to call off the start of the league’s 2020 season. With the Challenge Cup, contested in a bubble at Utah’s Zions Bank and Rio Tinto stadiums, the NWSL became the first team sports league in the U.S. to successfully return to play, albeit without fans present, since COVID-19 forced a nationwide sports and entertainment shut down in mid-March. A number of positive coronavirus cases had prompted the league’s Orlando Pride to drop out of the tournament before traveling to Utah,… Continue Reading ‘We’re Really Proud of What We Did’

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