Serena Williams’ Husband Alexis Ohanian Calls on NWSL for Action Against ACL Problems Following Midge Purce’s Season-Ending Injury

“I’m heartbroken to no longer be available for my season with Gotham FC or for Olympic selection with the USWNT.” These words from Midge Purce recently crushed all ardent fans around the world. The USWNT star unfortunately got caught in a season-ending injury after tearing her ACL. While there’s nothing the forward can do at the moment but recover from it, Serena Williams‘ husband, Alexis Ohanian, has come forward by urging NWSL to ‘fix‘ and address the persistent ACL problems.

The Reddit founder took to Instagram stories and shared a reel that was posted by @offseasonfc, a venture that was earlier started by both Ohanian and Purce together, and @soccergrlprobs in collaboration. The meme had a small clip from Saved by the Bell’s ‘Iconic Bayside Drug Commercial.’ It was captioned “Women playing with knees,” with the dialogues including “dumb, stupid, crazy, dangerous.” Ohanian wrote a caption below the story, saying, “We gotta fix this ACL situation.” 

It seems the internet entrepreneur is eager to do something regarding soccer’s most-feared injury, especially after his ‘The Offseason’ venture partner’s season ended with the very same knock. Notably, Purce suffered the injury during Gotham’s NWSL victory against the Portland Thorns on Sunday, causing her to leave the game in between. Not only did she confirm the diagnosis of her ACL, but the forward revealed that she would miss the impending Paris Olympics this summer.  

Subsequently, Gotham has stated that the 28-year-old will undergo surgery for the injury. Her absence in the summer games would force USWNT boss Emma Hayes to look somewhere else. Likewise, Gotham would also have to cope with their star player’s absence. Until Alexis Ohanian finds any solution to the ACL injuries, Purce will look to recover from her season-ending injury, just like other NWSL stars. 

Alexis Ohanian finding a solution for ACL can help other NWSL stars’ season-ending injury

Alexis Ohanian and Serena Williams’ Angel City FC also saw a few of their players struggle a lot with ACL injuries. The latest to make the recuperation room is Jun Endo, who sustained the exact knock during the club’s 2024 preseason camp in Melbourne. Luckily, their star veteran, Christen Press, recently made a return to training. The USWNT star was also sidelined for two years with an ACL tear. 

Speaking for the rivals, North Carolina Courage standout Kerolin Nicoli suffered a ruptured ACL in late October 2023 and is anticipated to make a comeback just before the season concludes in November 2024. It’s clear that ACL injuries are quite serious and continue to hinder the careers of star players. If there’s indeed a solution that Alexis Ohanian or the NWSL has, it will undoubtedly benefit everyone.

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