Megan Rapinoe says NWSL final 'perfect way to go out' - ESPN

Retiring OL Reign star and two-time Women's World Cup-winner Megan Rapinoe said on Thursday that her final match in Saturday's NWSL championship game is «the perfect way to go out» with the backdrop of a possible record crowd for the final and a recent media deal for the league.

«I'm just so proud of my generation and all the players that have worked so hard to put us in this position. We obviously would've never had this a few years ago, so I feel like it is the perfect way to go out,» said the 38-year-old, who will play NJ/NY Gotham FC in the weekend's championship game at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California.

«To be able to be in the championship game, to see how much the league has grown, to see how much the sport has grown [and] obviously a historic media deal today is just absolutely incredible.»

On Thursday, the league announced a new media partnership deal with CBS Sports, ESPN, Prime Video and Scripps Sports that is worth $240 million, according to ESPN sources.

Regarding the improvements for the league and for women's soccer in the country, Rapinoe acknowledged the effort that she and others have put to help increase its development.

«I've always tried to leverage, in the most severe way possible, the platform that we have,» Rapinoe said. «Not only with the national team, but in the league as well to affect change and to move progress forward, to use the success that we've had to make things better.»

The league could continue making those steps forward through this weekend's highly anticipated championship, which will provide the Reign star with the possibility to end her professional career with an exclamation mark in front of a possible record crowd. In last weekend's win over the San Diego Wave, a