On the podium with U.S. national team head coach Jill Ellis at the World Cup final press conference on Saturday, Megan Rapinoe didn’t even want to wait for the question about the NWSL to be finished.



“Shout-out to the Seattle Reign!” she crowed, referencing Friday night’s Reign FC 1-0 victory over Cascadia rivals Portland Thorns FC. “Me and Allie (Long) were talking so much shit this morning, it was so good. Very quiet from the Portland players, by the way.”



It was another delightful moment in the Rapinoe media availability show that’s been the theme through the last month in France, but it was also a reminder that the USWNT players are still deeply invested in the domestic results happening back home in the NWSL. They’ve also been paying attention to all the news coming out of the league.



On Thursday, the league announced a 14-game television deal with ESPN, which will include the entire postseason being...