NWSL offseason: 4 biggest questions that need to be answered

1. How can Karen Leetzow spark the change needed for Chicago?

The process of creating a new inclusive culture in Chicago just experienced a shot in the arm the other week. Though she does not start until December 4, the ex-chief legal officer of the U.S. Soccer Federation Karen Leetzow was announced by the club as the new president. Her resumé is one that speaks for itself. From the outside, it is a slam dunk. A Michael Jordan from the free-throw line type of dunk. Leetzow was instrumental in the equal pay fight for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team while battling against abuse and misconduct across the sport.

Since the day Laura Ricketts and her group bought the Red Stars, they have made it clear, the players deserve much better than what they've got in the past. Leetzow is a step toward that. Before anything was done on the player and coaching side, Ricketts wanted to create a solid foundation off the pitch. While the club was in the midst of its 2023 campaign, it let go of its head coach, and general manager while waiting on someone to swoop in to buy the team. It had to have been a lot for everyone fighting between the white lines.

It is a dawn of a new day in the Windy City. Ricketts and the Red Stars' front office will now turn their eyes to securing a manager to flip the script following a last-place finish. Headed by a new trailblazing woman in the front office, the mission to bring this club back to its consistent ways is underway. The way she plays a role in doing that is something that remains to be seen.