Brewers place Brandon Woodruff on IL with shoulder inflammation following Thursdayâs early exit
Brandon Woodruff placed on 15-day IL due to shoulder inflammation.
Wolves Women aim for a historic achievement a year after facing a crisis that nearly dismantled the team. Under head coach Dan McNamara, they seek to solidify their position among the domestic elite.
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Wolves Women target history a year on from the decision that threatened to rip the team apart
Wolves Women could make the biggest leap in their 51-year history on Monday.
Twelve months ago, they were a club in danger of imploding. There has been quite the turnaround from head coach Dan McNamara and his players in the period since, but it will count for even more if they can now take this huge step closer to the domestic elite.
In early May 2025, Wolves were reeling from missing out narrowly on claiming their divisional championship but, even more painfully, the discovery that even landing the trophy would not have delivered on their ultimate dream.
Wolverhampton Wanderers, the broader club under whose umbrella they fall, and former chairman Jeff Shi had declined to apply for the licence the team needed to join the second tier of the womenâs game in England â then called the Womenâs Championship, now the Womenâs Super League 2 (WSL2) â even if they had pipped Nottingham Forest to the FA Womenâs National League Northern Division title.
Ultimately, they fell short of top spot, and the only available promotion place, but the feeling of betrayal led McNamara and several of his players to question their futures.
Now, they are one win away from reaching WSL2 and in doing so taking Wolves Women to full-time status for the first time since they were founded in 1975.
âNine months ago, I donât think we even had a team with everything that was going on,â McNamara told a press conference ahead of their single-leg promotion play-off against Plymouth Argyle Women, which will be played on a neutral ground at Burton Albionâs Pirelli Stadium. âNow weâre heading into Monday full of confidence.
Wolves Women experienced a turnaround under head coach Dan McNamara, moving from a crisis situation to targeting a historic achievement.
A year ago, Wolves Women were at risk of imploding after narrowly missing out on their divisional championship and facing setbacks regarding promotion.
The head coach of Wolves Women is Dan McNamara.
Wolves Women are aiming to take a significant step closer to joining the domestic elite in women's soccer.
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âI think the pressureâs a little bit more off us this time round because of the adversity we came through last summer. Who expected us to be where we are now? Iâm really, really fortunate to have such a fantastic group that have really pulled together, and hopefully on Monday we can finally achieve that ultimate dream.â
Last season, Wolves took their title race with Forest to the final weekend of the season. After beating Liverpool Feds 6-0 in their last game, the teamâs hierarchy had to inform the players that even finishing top would not have brought promotion because of Shiâs decision not to apply for entry to the Womenâs Championship.
âLast summer, a lot went on,â said McNamara. âI was probably close to leaving myself, but having spoken to some of the big players within the group, we decided the journey wasnât over.
âLast summer was a turning point for the club. We could have disappeared. But we decided to stick together. Some of the opportunities that arose for me personally didnât feel right, and I have fallen in love with this club.â
This season, Wolves again missed out on the title on the final day, this time to Burnley, despite winning 20 of their 22 matches.
But a restructuring of the womenâs football pyramid means an extra promotion spot is available and will go to either them or Plymouth, who finished as runners-up in the parallel FA Womenâs National League Southern Division.
Jeff Shi has since left his role, to be replaced as interim chairman by Nathan Shi â no relation. And prior to that change, Wolves had already decided to apply for a licence to the rebranded WSL2.
Promotion on Monday would mean a commitment to the womenâs team going full-time â a status already enjoyed by many of their rivals at third-tier level.
At the same press conference, McNamara refused to be drawn on whether Mondayâs game might be his final one in charge after eight years but if the result goes against them, the Wolves hierarchy will have some big calls to make.
With the relegation of their menâs team from the Premier League bringing an inevitable drop in income for the club as a whole, the new chairman, along with sporting director Matt Jackson, will need to decide whether to continue the recent uptick in investment in the womenâs team.
But beating Plymouth, who won 16 of their 22 games, would take many of the decisions out of their hands as WSL2 status comes with that commitment to adopt full-time status and other regulations regarding training facilities and infrastructure.
âThere have been plenty of times over the last eight years where I have questioned whether we can do it, but I donât think that feeling comes from within the womenâs section,â added McNamara. âIf we get what we need to keep competing, then I believe that the squad will compete. Weâre looking ahead to next season and what that might look like, either in WSL2 or still in tier three, and thereâll be another opportunity.
âWhether thatâs (with) myself or somebody else, I do believe good things happen to good people. I just hope we do get to share that moment together on Monday. It would mean the absolute world to me. I donât think itâs the time to really discuss what next season would look like. Letâs see if we can do something special on Monday, and then weâll look beyond that.â
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Wolverhampton Wanderers, Women's Soccer
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