Why San Diego Wave’s Coach, Casey Stoney, Was Fined Three Times by the NWSL

Like any sports league, the NWSL has regulations and fineable offenses to keep teams, coaches, and players safe and fair. Recently, San Diego Wave’s Coach Casey Stoney has racked up fines for speaking her mind on social media and publicly after games. The NWSL claims these posts and statements are detrimental to the league and violate Section 12.2.5(e) of the League Operations Manual, which covers “Prejudicial Statements and Public Criticism.”

Three Fines This Season

First Fine

Stoney’s first fine came on June 9 after a press conference following Wave FC’s away game in Louisville. She was fined with the same offense as her other fines, which was making comments that the NWSL deemed detrimental to the league. It is not completely clear what specific statement during the conference earned the penalty, but it is speculated that her negative comments about Louisville’s pitch could have done her in.

Casey Stoney has been fined “for comments detrimental to the league made during a post-match press conference on June 9, 2023”, in violation of the “Prejudicial Statements and Public Criticism” of the League Manual. Which I’m guessing was calling Louisville’s pitch a poor surface

— Claire Watkins (@ScoutRipley) June 20, 2023

Second Fine

Stoney’s second fine of the season was a result of Wave FC’s tie of 2-2 to Washington Spirit on July 8.

Investment in technology. You decide 🤷🏻‍♀️ pic.twitter.com/6aqxtaqaRU

— Casey Stoney MBE 💙 (@CaseyStoney) July 9, 2023

Her tweet confronted the seemingly aggressive interaction between Spirit’s defender Sam Staab and Wave FC’s Rachel Hill. Hill initially had possession until Staab took a slide tackle near the ball, causing Hill to tumble down inside the box. There was no penalty called by the referees, which led to coach Stoney’s comment about “investment in technology” on social media.

Third Fine

The NWSL announced the latest fine given to Stoney this season on August 5. The fine was issued in response to her comments about the San Diego Waves’ loss against Seattle’s OL Reign, where her team lost 1-0 on July 28. Stoney responded to injuries taken on by some of her players during the game, like Taylor Kornieck and Danny Colaprico.

#RGNvSD #VamosWave Casey Stoney on whether she thinks the Taylor Kornieck broken nose or Danny Colaprico ankle are long term injuries pic.twitter.com/4BpoZxOZcO

— Taylor Vincent (@tayvincent6) July 29, 2023

Kornieck, one of the team’s midfielders, ended up with a broken nose, and Stoney was quick to defend her player and claim that she was not being adequately protected because of her “size” at 6-foot-1. It is unclear whether she is blaming referees, but she later calls upon the league, saying that someone needs to “keep looking and saying, well, what’s going on here?”. She also claims an unjust ruling of calls on the field, claiming that whenever Kornieck touches anyone, she receives a foul, but when Kornieck gets knocked around game after game, the calls are not there.

Colaprico, San Diego Wave’s center midfielder, was also injured in the first five minutes of the game and was pulled out. Stoney explains in her statement that although she was tackled, she had been slightly injured for weeks prior, so it was a “sensible decision to take her off.”

Impact on NWSL

Regulation within the NWSL seems to be an issue of clarity and intention. WWomen’sen’s soccer and the NWSL itself rising in popularity around the United States, and conflicts within ordinance need to be solved in order to progress. What will happen if Stoney continues to be fined? Will she get fired by the league? Can she be? Or will they sit down and listen to issues at hand within the league in order to move forward?

At first glance, Stoney’s offenses seem just to her wanting good playing fields and for her players to be protected by the league that they represent. Moving forward, the league, coaches, and players alike will need to work together and listen to one another to keep games safe, fair, and fun. 

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