Chicago Stars FC, FOX Chicago Name Cassie Carlson and Jessica McDonald to Local Broadcast Team
Chicago Stars FC and FOX Chicago today named Cassie Carlson and Jessica McDonald as the club’s local broadcasters for the 2025 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) season. Carlson is a sports anchor and reporter for FOX Chicago with play-by-play experience, and McDonald is a former Chicago Stars player and three-time NWSL Champion.
“We are very excited to welcome Cassie and Jessica to our team,” said Chicago Stars FC chief marketing officer, Kay Bradley. “Cassie’s experience calling games across multiple sports and Jessica’s history with the NWSL and national team makes them a dynamic combination. This is just another step forward in aligning our club with best-in-class talent across sports and entertainment. We are confident this team will contribute to an entertaining and exciting viewing experience for loyal fans and those tuning in for the first time.”
“The Stars are phenomenal partners, and we are delighted to stretch our skills into live sports commentary” said Sheila Oliver, SVP and General Manager of FOX 32 Chicago and FOX Chicago Plus. “We invite all Chicago soccer fans to start match day with our incredible pregame show and enjoy rooting on the Stars on FOX Chicago Plus.”
Cassie Carlson joined FOX Chicago in April of 2022 and has served as a sports anchor and reporter while also hosting Bears Blitz and sideline reporting at Bears games. Carlson’s broadcasting experience includes play-by-play experience covering college athletics in multiple conferences for the Big Ten Network, Fox Sports and ESPN+. Prior to joining Fox Chicago, Carlson spent two years at WMC in Memphis, Tennessee where she covered the Memphis Grizzlies from Ja Morant's rookie of the year campaign to the 2022 season. The Palatine, Illinois native started her career as a sports reporter in Lubbock, Texas, where she followed Texas Tech football during the Kliff Kingsbury era.
“I’m so excited to be part of the partnership between the Chicago Stars and Fox 32 Chicago,” said Carlson. “As someone who grew up looking up to the likes of Mia Hamm, Shannon Boxx, Kristine Lilly and Brandi Chastain, it’s a dream to call professional women’s soccer. With the growth of the NWSL, there’s no better time to bring our viewers and Stars fans closer to the game.”
Jessica McDonald is a three-time NWSL Champion – once with Western New York Flash (2016) and twice with the North Carolina Courage (2018, 2019) – and a FIFA Women’s World Cup Champion as part of the 2019 United States Women’s National Team. McDonald started her professional career as a part of the Chicago Stars (then Red Stars), when the club drafted the Arizona native in the 2010 WPS Draft. Following her career as a player, McDonald has jumped into the sports media space, making appearances across NWSL broadcasts as a decorated expert on the sport and the league.
“I am very excited to be joining the local broadcast team for the Chicago Stars this year. It is a full circle moment to be returning to the Club who drafted me all the way back in 2010, to contribute in this way to give the fans of Chicago a great experience watching matches and hearing my perspective,” said McDonald. “I have been lucky enough to continue to be involved in the game since retiring, from covering a World Cup in Australia, to helping grow NWSL and women's soccer at the national and local level, and I'm looking forward to a fun season in Chicago.”
FOX Chicago Plus is the Stars’ local English-language broadcaster partner for the 2025 season. FOX Chicago Plus will air eight Chicago Stars matches including the club’s home opener this past weekend, and the upcoming match against Racing Louisville FC Sunday, March 30, at 3 p.m. CT. Fans can view the Chicago Stars’ full broadcast schedule at chicagostars.com/schedule. For ticket information, fans can visit chicagostars.com/tickets.
About the Chicago Stars FC
Established in 2007 as the Chicago Red Stars, Chicago Stars FC is the premier women’s soccer franchise in the city of Chicago and one of the original eight clubs to form the National Women’s Soccer League in 2013. The Chicago Stars have made the NWSL playoffs eight times, seven consecutive, for the second highest playoff appearances in the league, and appeared in the NWSL Championship in 2019 and 2021, finishing as the runners-up both times. The club also made it to the inaugural Challenge Cup final in 2020.
About WFLD and WPWR
WFLD FOX 32 and WPWR FOX Chicago Plus are part of the FOX Television Stations, which owns and operates 29 full power broadcast television stations in the U.S. These include stations located in nine of the top ten largest designated market areas (DMAs), and duopolies in 11 DMAs, including the three largest DMAs (New York, Los Angeles and Chicago). Of these stations, 18 are affiliated with the FOX Network. In addition to distributing sports, entertainment and syndicated content, our television stations collectively produce over 1,200 hours of local news every week. These stations leverage viewer, distributor and advertiser demand for the FOX Network’s national content.
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