The NWSL announced late Thursday that it would award Angel City FC three points in the 2024 standings, fine the club $200,000 and limit the roles of two executives after finding it had circumvented salary cap rules.
Club co-founder and CEO Julie Uhrman and general manager Angela Hucles Mangano are banned from “carrying out duties related to player transactions” for the remainder of the calendar year.
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According to the NWSL, Angel City has signed five side deals with players, which were not disclosed to the league, allowing it to spend money and provide benefits beyond the reported expenses going toward the salary cap. As a result, the NWSL wrote in a statement that the team went over the salary cap by approximately $50,000 for four weeks in 2024 – an amount that totaled $200,000.
A representative for Angel City has so far declined to comment.
The conclusion of the NWSL investigation came shortly after two financial deals were made for shares in the club.
Willow Bay and Disney CEO husband Bob Iger recently became the controlling owners of Angel City FC in a purchase that valued the club at an NWSL record $250 million. Separately, MLS team Los Angeles FC acquired a small stake in the women’s soccer franchise.
Based in Los Angeles, Angel City is in only its third season in the NWSL. But he says it is already worth more than any other club in the competition Sportico‘s ratings, and has made clear from the start its determination to become a powerhouse for women’s football at a time of rapid growth for the sport.
Angel City also received a $20,000 cash fine, plus a $20,000 loss of unfunded allocation money, in 2021 for violating the NWSL’s tampering policy against then-Gotham player Allie Long.
With women’s sports experiencing tremendous growth in the US, pushing boundaries has become increasingly common.
In the WNBA, for example, the 2022 and 2023 Las Vegas Aces champions are under investigation for salary evasion. He was previously punished for handing out “impermissible player benefits,” which resulted in him losing a 2025 first-round draft pick. A newer investigation into their 2024 partnership with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has not yielded a public conclusion.
At Angel City, Uhrman and Hucles Mangano will be allowed to return to full duties in two months, while the team faced an uphill battle to reach the 2024 NWSL postseason regardless of the points lost.
It was outside the play-off position before the sanctions and with the points deduction has now fallen to 12th place, nine points behind Bay FC for the final post-season qualifying spot.
With help from Eben Novy-Williams.
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