Rapinoe will not face any consequences from the NWSL as a result of not playing in the tournamentgetty images
OL Reign coach Farid Benstiti said that MF Megan Rapinoe "will not be on the field" when the NWSL resumes competition later this month, as she decided to "sit out" the month-long tournament in Utah, according to Andrew Keh of the N.Y. TIMES. In unveiling plans for the competition after weeks of quiet negotiations, the league and the players' union "went out of their way to say that every player had the right to choose whether to take part and that there would be no consequences if they decided not to do so." The league said that either way all players' salaries and benefits "would be guaranteed through 2020." While some players might feel "pressured to participate to remain in the good graces of their teams, Rapinoe -- as one of the most popular and most marketable stars in the game -- is "presumably not at risk of losing her place in the pecking order at OL Reign." Still, the NWSL would "no doubt miss the presence of Rapinoe and any of the other top American women who are considering sitting out" (N.Y. TIMES, 6/5).
