The 2020 NWSL board of directors meeting, held in a Baltimore hotel conference room on Tuesday, emptied out well after their scheduled end time of four p.m. By the time Chicago Red Stars owner Arnim Whisler, who had essentially been elected by the rest of the board to speak to the media, answered questions on the work that had been accomplished during the day, NWSL staff were already waiting in the hotel lobby for the league’s social mixer to begin.



Whisler was positive about the state of the league on Tuesday night, even as there were still multiple projects up in the air, including the commissioner search and 2020 media rights agreements. Compared to the state of the league at last year’s college draft, that positive outlook is understandable, as Sky Blue FC’s operating standards had become a prime area of concern. Season ticket memberships are up and sponsorship interest is up across all nine markets.



Whisler echoed the belief that the...