Not a partridge in a pear tree

The GIST: In a report released on Monday, FIFPRO (the global soccer players’ union) found that one in five players at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup (WWC) were targets of online discrimination and threats, with the USWNT subjected to the most abuse of the 32 teams. Disgraceful.

The findings: Players at the most recent WWC were 29% more likely to be harassed online than players at the men’s World Cup in 2022. Nearly half of the abusive messages were homophobic, sexual, or sexist in nature, and 67% of the authors were traced back to North and Central America.

• The report also noted that two unnamed players (one on the USWNT and the other on Argentina) were targeted with more threats than any other athlete at the tournament.

• Notably, the biggest spike in abuse throughout the entire tournament came in response to the USWNT’s loss to Sweden in the Round of 16, in which now-retired forward Megan Rapinoe uncharacteristically missed a penalty kick.

Zooming out: While we celebrate the remarkable growth in the women’s game, that increased exposure (and in the USWNT’s case, the unrelenting expectation to win) has subjected female footballers to unprecedented levels of online abuse — evidently far more than their male counterparts.

• It should go without saying that these players are people first and, as the USWNT Players Association said, should be treated with “kindness, compassion, and dignity” regardless of what happens on the pitch.

The GIST: The women’s volleyball national semifinalists take the court in Tampa, FL, tomorrow night, hoping to make Santa’s nice victorious list for the opportunity to wrap their season with a championship bow on Sunday.

No. 1 Nebraska Cornhuskers (32-1) vs. No. 1 Pittsburgh Panthers (29-4), 7 p.m. ET (ESPN): No ACC team has ever won the natty, and Pitt — who’ve never made the final — are hungry to change that stat. The Panthers face an uphill battle though: They’ve never defeated Nebraska.

• On the flip side, the overall No. 1–seed Huskers are no strangers to success. This will be the five-time champs’ 17th (!!!) Final Four berth and they’ve won all but one set all tourney.

No. 1 Wisconsin Badgers (30-3) vs. No. 2 Texas Longhorns (26-4), 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN): This is defending champ Texas’ 15th NCAA semi, and with stars like middle blocker Asjia O’Neal, these Longhorns could swim to a fourth ’ship.

• But not if the Badgers have anything to say about it. With junior outside hitter Anna Smrek back and healthy, Wisconsin’s lone 2021 trophy could soon have company.