NWSL fines San Diego Wave FC manager Casey Stoney after ‘detrimental’ social media post

The NWSL fined San Diego Wave FC manager Casey Stoney after comments made on social media that the league deemed “detrimental.”

Stoney tweeted in the early hours of July 9, 2023. She said, “Investment in technology. You decide,” with a shrugging emoji capping it off. Stoney posted a video of Wave FC‘s match against the Washington Spirit.

In the video, Wave FC’s Rachel Hill went down. Spirit defender Sam Staab appeared to take Hill down with a tackle that came close to the ball. But NWSL referees didn’t call a penalty, despite the act appearing to happen in the box.

https://twitter.com/CaseyStoney/status/1677972538411081728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1679948816370348036%7Ctwgr%5Ec24de3e9a9ddee7b5f25c367adbb81327334ab5a%7Ctwcon%5Es3_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fawfulannouncing.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D480728action%3Dedit

As Alex Azzi pointed out, an issue is at play here. “Whenever I see this type of NWSL fine, I ask: Given all of the context and history, is this policy currently in the best interest of the league?”

https://twitter.com/ByAlexAzzi/status/1679948816370348036?t=PXz1Na7-xZsAniVllxzvhw&s=19

The context of the situation is cut and dry if you think about it. Whether you believe that Stoney was bashing NWSL officials or not, she tweeted, “Investment in Technology.” So in her mind, she thought that a lack of investment limited them. More accessible camera angles may have helped address a potentially blown call.

In that sense, is it in the league’s best interest to downplay concerns?

As women’s sports continue to rise in popularity and visibility, concerns do keep emerging. The WNBA has dealt with a feverish amount of them when it comes to both travel and, apparently, getting other players into All-Star Weekend, as one notable star noted this week.

[Alex Azzi]