The Beginning of a Reckoning: An Application of Situational Crisis Communication Theory and Image Repair to the National Women's Soccer League.

This article examines the systemic crisis of sexual abuse, harassment, and misconduct within the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) through the lenses of Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) and Image-Repair Theory (IRT). Using the Yates Report—which details team-specific allegations—alongside official team statements and social media responses, the study categorizes the Portland Thorns, Chicago Red Stars, Racing Louisville, the NWSL, and the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) within the preventable crisis cluster, indicating organizational misconduct and management failures. The analysis finds that teams predominantly employed SCCT strategies such as ingratiation and apology, and IRT strategies including corrective action, bolstering, and mortification, with corrective action being most frequent. Social media engagement was highest for statements involving scapegoating and shifting blame combined with corrective action, suggesting stakeholders sought accountability amid the crisis. The study highlights the applicability of SCCT and IRT frameworks in understanding organizational crisis communication in sport contexts, especially during complex, systemic crises.