The Portland Thorns are on the lookout for a basic supervisor after asserting Wednesday that Karina LeBlanc will depart her function with the staff following the conclusion of the 2024 season and transition to a brand new function with RAJ Sports activities. The funding agency is led by Thorns house owners Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal — who additionally simply turned the house owners of the latest WNBA franchise in Portland.
LeBlanc’s new function will span each the NWSL and WNBA groups for RAJ Sports activities and have some neighborhood angle centered on the Bhatha’s imaginative and prescient of Portland as an “epicenter” of girls’s sports activities, although no additional particulars have been supplied as of but.
“Karina supplied stability for the Thorns throughout a really tumultuous time, contributed to a NWSL Championship in 2022, and has been an integral a part of this membership’s work locally,” Bhathal Merage mentioned within the membership’s official launch: “We imagine now is an efficient time to make a change and set the membership, and Karina, up for future success.”
LeBlanc took over the final supervisor function in November 2021 after the membership’s earlier basic supervisor, Gavin Wilkinson, was positioned on administrative depart amidst a staff investigation into the way it dealt with a grievance towards Paul Riley.
The brand new function ought to swimsuit LeBlanc’s strengths excess of the final supervisor function ever did. Whereas she got here into the staff straight within the aftermath of the NWSL abuse scandal and will present precious perception as a former participant, the machinations of constructing a roster had been exterior of her consolation zone. This must be a win-win for the Thorns and LeBlanc.
It’s not the primary time the Bhathals have opted to maneuver Thorns technical workers into a task the house owners seen as higher suited to them, with former coach Mike Norris additionally having transitioned to his present function of technical director in April following the staff’s 0-1-3 begin to the season.
However even after the Thorns bounced again from that poor begin to the 2024 season with a string of outcomes below interim coach Rob Gale, who was then promoted to the function completely after 12 matches in July, they’ve struggled mightily following the Olympic break. They final received on July 5 towards the San Diego Wave; for the reason that common season resumed they’ve solely earned a single level with a 0-1-6 file.
The Thorns are nonetheless hanging on to a playoff spot, nevertheless, regardless of the momentum swing towards them. They’re in seventh place and can face the Orlando Delight — who simply clinched the NWSL Defend — at house this weekend.
(Picture: Craig Mitchelldyer / Imagn Photos)
