Is the NWSL ready to stand on its own without U.S. Soccer's management? (Getty)

The biggest storyline in the National Women's Soccer League isn't happening on the field, despite a flurry of playoff jostling over the weekend.

Rather, the NWSL is facing a pivotal change in the boardroom that could change the league's trajectory: U.S. Soccer, the founder and operator of the NWSL, is on the verge walking away from its manager role, allowing the NWSL to become a fully independent operation.

The ramifications of such a decision – which insiders at both the NWSL and the U.S. Soccer Federation mutually want – could be massive. While U.S. Soccer isn't expected to walk away completely and its financial support will continue, the league will attempt to stand on its own feet operationally.

The question is whether the league is ready for it – and there are signs that maybe it isn't.

After all, a team clinching the playoffs is one of the most important things that can happen in a sports league, the moment that months of games build toward. But the NWSL and the Portland Thorns didn't even know that the Thorns clinched a playoff spot on Saturday.

The league tweeted that the Thorns “moved closer” to the postseason after beating the Houston Dash, and both the Thorns’ players and communications reacted to the game as if the playoff hunt continued. Only the next day, after it was pointed out by fans and media, did the Thorns organization correct itself on social media, finally announcing the team earned a postseason berth, while the NWSL said nothing.

The Dash, by the way, got knocked out of playoff contention, but there would've been no way for fans to know that by following official communications.

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In years past – back when the NWSL had a communications director – the league would've announced well in advance of games which playoff scenarios were in play. But the league hasn't had anyone managing communications since January. The NWSL did hire a head of marketing who lacked experienced in sports, and she left less than four months on the job. The only apparent dedicated communications staffer in the front office at the moment is a college intern.

The league's struggles to market itself aren't new, but they've seemingly gotten worse at a time when the league is hoping to lean on U.S. Soccer for logistical support less and stand on its own.

Part these hiccups are due to the period of transition the NWSL finds itself in. The league dissolved its partnership with A&E Network, which had created a separate well-staffed marketing arm for the league that has winded down. But the result has been that many expected functions of the NWSL headquarters have slipped through the cracks.

Before the 2019 season began, there was no conference call with the league's president, Amanda Duffy, to generate some easy earned media. (The league hasn't had a commissioner since Jeff Plush left in 2017 but, by all accounts, the commissioner has actually been U.S. Soccer all along.)

When the league brought on Budweiser as a sponsor this year – a very positive development, to be sure – there was no press announcement from the NWSL. Budweiser's public relations handled getting the word out.

When Yahoo Sports requested attendance figures for a positive story about the growth of the NWSL, the league couldn't provide that data.

Issues closer to the players have also been affected by the league's lack of front office leadership. Houston Dash goalkeeper Jane Campbell tweeted that the league suggested players should sleep at an airport due to flooding affecting flights in Houston. That, luckily, did not end up happening, but concerns about accommodations for lodging and flights have been a frequent complaint from players.

To be clear, it's not as if the NWSL and its teams are alone in their challenges. FC Dallas, a team that has been in Major League Soccer since 1996, managed to misspell its own name during an on-field display on Sunday.

Ready for the FC Daalas game. 🤦‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/uIaUU6ASil — Jon Arnold (@ArnoldcommaJon) September 22, 2019

(FC Dallas, by the way, is averaging fewer than 15,000 fans per game, which is less than the Portland Thorns draw. The Thorns are averaging almost 20,000 fans.)

But these types of snafus are too prevalent in the NWSL. However, it's not as if keeping U.S. Soccer as league manager would solve these problems.

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