Commending and congratulating the Portland Thorns Football Club on winning the 2022 National Women's Soccer League championship.

Whereas, on October 29, 2022, the Portland Thorns FC (referred to in this preamble as the Thorns NWSL Whereas the Thorns defeated the Kansas City Current by 2 to 0 in the NWSL championship, which was played in the District of Columbia; Whereas the 2022 championship is the third for the Thorns franchise, making the Thorns the first NWSL team with 3 championships; Whereas the Thorns are the first team in NWSL history to qualify for 4 NWSL championship games; Whereas the enthusiastic fan support of the Thorns once again placed the benchmark franchise among the NWSL leaders in attendance; Whereas, in 2022, the Thorns scored the most team goals in the entire NWSL with 49 goals; Whereas Rhian Wilkinson, head coach of the Thorns who was also a former player for the Thorns in 2015, led the Thorns to the championship in her first year as head coach, becoming the second woman head coach to win the NWSL championship; Whereas Karina LeBlanc, general manager of the Thorns who was also a former player for the Thorns during the championship season of the Thorns in 2013, became the first person to win a NWSL championship as a player and general manager; Whereas Thorns player Sophia Smith— (1) was named NWSL 2022 Most Valuable Player (referred to in this preamble as MVP (2) was named NWSL championship MVP, becoming the first player in NWSL history to win the league MVP and championship MVP in the same season; (3) became the youngest NWSL championship goalscorer and the highest single-season scorer in Thorns franchise history by scoring her 15th goal of the season in the championship game; and (4) became the youngest NWSL player to score more than 10 goals in a season; Whereas Thorns player, and former University of Portland standout, Christine Sinclair— (1) is the first player to win 3 NWSL championships with the same club; (2) is the most prolific player in the NWSL, charting the most playoff minutes of any player in league history with 1,022 minutes played; and (3) is the all-time leader of the Thorns in games played and goals scored; Whereas Thorns players Bella Bixby, Natalia Kuikka, Kelli Hubly, Sam Coffey, Rocky Rodríguez, Hina Sugita, Olivia Moultrie, Morgan Weaver, Sophia Smith, Yazmeen Ryan, and Janine Beckie made their NWSL championship debut in the game on October 29, 2022; Whereas Thorns players Sam Coffey and Sophia Smith were named to the NWSL Best XI First Team for the 2022 season; Whereas Thorns players Kelli Hubly and Becky Sauerbrunn were named to the NWSL Best XI Second Team for the 2022 season; Whereas, at 17 years old, Olivia Moultrie became the youngest player in NWSL history to play in the championship game; Whereas the entire Thorns squad should be congratulated for its dedication, the resilience of its players in the face of hardship, its teamwork, and its impressive display of athletic talent; Whereas the ongoing success, camaraderie, sportsmanship, and joy demonstrated by the Thorns has inspired young women to dedicate themselves to soccer and to pursue sports; Whereas the Thorns donated $140,000 of ticket profits from the NWSL semifinal game on October 23, 2022, to 4 different charities, including— (1) Girls on the Run, which helps young girls learn life skills through physical education; (2) Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest, which mentors girls and supports lifelong education; (3) SHE FLIES, an initiative of the Sport Oregon Foundation to connect women and girls to sports in Oregon; and (4) Street Soccer USA, which brings soccer to low income communities nationwide; Whereas the donation by the Thorns was only 1 example of the tradition of philanthropy of the Thorns, which was celebrated by the Portland Business Journal as one of the top philanthropic businesses in Portland in 2022; Whereas the Thorns, in association with the Portland Timbers, have donated more than $550,000 to Oregon charities in 2022; Whereas the Thorns, in association with the Portland Timbers, raised more than $600,000 for humanitarian assistance in Ukraine in April of 2022; and Whereas the Thorns, its fans, and the Oregon soccer community came together in the wake of a devastating report by the NWSL and NWSL Players’ Association condemning former team management and ownership for its treatment of allegations of abuse, demonstrating the resilience of the Thorns players, commitment to one another, and dedication to player welfare and safety: Now, therefore, be it That the House of Representatives— (1) commends and congratulates the Portland Thorns FC on winning the 2022 National Women’s Soccer League championship and completing a successful 2022 season; (2) recognizes the achievements of all players, coaches, and staff who contributed to the success of the Portland Thorns FC during the 2022 season; and (3) respectfully requests that the Speaker of the House transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to— (A) the interim president and general counsel of the Portland Thorns FC, Heather Davis; (B) the general manager of the Portland Thorns FC, Karina LeBlanc; and (C) the captain of the Portland Thorns FC, Christine Sinclair.

Summary: This resolution congratulates the Portland Thorns Football Club on winning the 2022 National Women's Soccer League championship and completing a successful 2022 season.