 | |
| Founded | November 21, 2012; 12 years ago (2012-11-21) |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Confederation | CONCACAF (North America) |
| Number of clubs | 14 (16 in 2026) |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| League cup | |
| International cup | |
| Current champions | Orlando Pride (1st title) (2024) |
| CurrentNWSL Shield | Kansas City Current (1st shield) (2025) |
| Most championships | Portland Thorns FC (3 titles) |
| MostNWSL Shields | North Carolina Courage Seattle Reign FC (3 shields each) |
| Most appearances | Lauren Barnes (233) (as of March 28, 2025) |
| Top scorer | Lynn Biyendolo (80) (as of March 28, 2025) |
| Broadcaster(s) | CBS Sports ESPN/ABC Prime Video Scripps Sports Victory+ (starting in 2026) |
| Website | nwslsoccer |
| Current:2025 NWSL season | |
TheNational Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is a women's professionalsoccer league and the highest level of theUnited States soccer league system (alongside theUSL Super League).[1] The league comprises 14 teams (16 in 2026).[2] It is owned by the teams and sanctioned by theUnited States Soccer Federation.[3] The NWSL is headquartered inMidtown Manhattan.[4]
The NWSL was established in 2012 as the successor toWomen's Professional Soccer (WPS; 2007–2012), which was itself the successor to theWomen's United Soccer Association (WUSA; 2000–2003). The league began play in 2013 with eight teams, four of which were former members of WPS (Boston Breakers,Chicago Red Stars,Sky Blue FC, andWestern New York Flash).[5][6][7]
Through the 2024 season, seven teams (one now defunct) have been crownedNWSL Champions, awarded to the playoff winner, and six teams (one defunct) have claimed theNWSL Shield, awarded to the team in first place at the end of the regular season. The current (2024) NWSL champions are theOrlando Pride.[8] The current (2025) NWSL Shield winners are theKansas City Current.[9]
As of 2024,[update] the NWSL regular season runs from March to November, after which the team with the highest point total is awarded theNWSL Shield. Each team is scheduled for 26 regular-season games, 13 home and 13 away;[10] in 2026 this will become 30 games to accommodate the expanded 16-team league.[11] This is followed by aplayoff tournament culminating in theNWSL championship game in late November to crown the league champion. In 2024 a full quarterfinal round was introduced, so that the eight teams with the most points from the regular season qualify for the playoffs.[10]
From 2021 to 2023, the playoffs included six teams, with the top two teams receiving byes to the semi-finals.[12] Prior to 2021, the playoffs included only four teams.[13] The number of regular-season matches also fluctuated between 20 and 24 in past seasons.[14]
The league also plays theNWSL Challenge Cup, which since2024 is a single-gamesuper cup between the current NWSL Shield holder and current NWSL Champion. The Challenge Cup originated in2020 as a way for all teams to return to play after the halt from theCOVID-19 pandemic (though one team had to drop out because of COVID). It continued featuring all teams, occurring in2021 and2022 as a preseason tournament and in2023 running concurrently with the season, until 2024.[15]
Since the2023 season, three teams qualify for theCONCACAF W Champions Cup. These spots are the playoff champions, the Shield winners, and Shield runners-up.Gotham FC won the inaugural2024–25 CONCACAF W Champions Cup.
In 2024 NWSL teams also competed in theNWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup.Kansas City Current won the tournament.
AfterWomen's Professional Soccer (WPS) officially folded in April 2012, theUnited States Soccer Federation (US Soccer) announced a roundtable for discussion of the future of women's professional soccer in the United States. The meeting, which included representatives from US Soccer, WPS teams, theW-League (ceased operation in 2015), and theWomen's Premier Soccer League (WPSL), was held in June. By November, after much discussion, owners from the Chicago Red Stars, Boston Breakers and US Soccer recruited an additional six teams. Compared to WPS, the teams would intentionally operate at a lower cost structure and manage growth in a sustainable way.[17][18]
In November 2012, it was announced that there would be eight teams in a new women's professional soccer league that was yet to be named at the time of the announcement, with national team players subsidized byUS Soccer, theCanadian Soccer Association (CSA) and theMexican Football Federation (FMF). The three federations would pay for the salaries of their national team players (24 from the US, 16 from Canada, and 12 to 16 from Mexico) to aid the teams in creating world-class rosters while staying under the salary cap. The players would be distributed evenly (as possible) among the eight teams in anallocation process. The teams would own the league, and the league would contract US Soccer to manage league operations.[19] After the 2020 season, the league terminated its management contract with US Soccer.[3]
On November 29, 2012, it was announced thatCheryl Bailey had been named executive director in the new league. Bailey had previously served as general manager of theUnited States women's national soccer team from 2007 to 2011, which included leading the support staff for the U.S. team during the2007 and2011 FIFA Women's World Cups, as well as the2008 Summer Olympics. During her tenure with the women's national team, she was in charge of all areas of administration including interfacing with clubs, team travel, payroll, and working with FIFA, CONCACAF, and other federations.[20]
The league name was announced in December 2012.[21]Nike, Inc. was selected as league sponsor, providing apparel to all teams as well as the game ball.[22]
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The first NWSL game was held on April 13, 2013, as thePortland Thorns visitedFC Kansas City, playing to a 1–1 draw in front of a crowd of 6,784 fans atShawnee Mission District Stadium.Renae Cuellar scored the first goal in league history.[23][24] The 2013 season saw regular-season attendance average of 4,270, with a high of 17,619 on August 4 for Kansas City at Portland.[25][26]
The NWSL became the first U.S. professional women's soccer league to reach nine teams with the addition ofHouston Dash, backed byMajor League Soccer (MLS) teamHouston Dynamo, in2014; expansion interest, particularly from MLS and USL teams, has continued.[27][28] Thethird season saw a shortened schedule and some early-season roster instability due to the2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada, but the World Cup also provided exposure to the NWSL, which was credited with boosting attendance numbers across the league.[27]
The league also became the first professional women's league in the US to play more than three seasons when the league kicked off its fourth season in 2016.[29]
The 2020 season was initially postponed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic and later canceled. Instead the league played the2020 NWSL Challenge Cup, a special competition hosted in theSalt Lake City region with no spectators. The cup began in late June, making the NWSL the first major U.S. team sports league to return to play.[30] The league was the recipient of a federal loan through thePaycheck Protection Program, which it used to compensate players before the competition was able to begin.[31] Later that year the league also played theNWSL Fall Series, a set of 18 games between teams within geographically restricted regions.
The NWSL teams are spread across the United States. Each club is allowed a minimum of 20 players on their roster, with a maximum of 22 players (26 when including supplemental players) allowed at any time during the season.[32]
Originally, each team's roster included up to three allocatedAmerican national team players, up to two allocatedMexico women's national team players, and up to two allocatedCanadian national team players via theNWSL Player Allocation and subsequent trades.[33] In addition, each team had four spots each season available for international players; these spots could be traded to other teams.[34] The remaining roster spots were required to be filled by domestic players from the United States. Teams filled their rosters via a number ofdrafts and 4–6 discovery player signings.[32] Mexico stopped allocating players to the NWSL, having establishedits own women's league in 2017, and the numbers of allocated players and international players on each team varied each year due to trades. Effective with the 2022 season, the player allocation system has been fully abolished.[35]
Of the 14 teams contesting the2025 season, six are affiliated with men'sMajor League Soccer teams, two are affiliated with men's teams of theUnited Soccer League, one is part of a global portfolio of women's soccer clubs owned byMichele Kang,[36] and seven are independent.
| Team | Location | Stadium | Founded | Joining | Head coach | Men's affiliate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Legacy FC | Foxborough, Massachusetts | Gillette Stadium | 2023 | 2026 | Filipa Patão | — |
| Denver Summit FC | Denver, Colorado | Santa Fe Yards Stadium | 2025 | 2026 | Nick Cushing | — |
| Team | Location | Stadium[a] | Founded | Joined | Last NWSL season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Breakers | Boston, Massachusetts | Jordan Field | 2007 | 2013 | 2017[38] |
| FC Kansas City | Kansas City, Missouri | Swope Soccer Village | 2012 | 2013 | 2017[39] |
| Western New York Flash | Rochester, New York | Sahlen's Stadium | 2008 | 2013 | 2016[40] |
Current teamDefunct teamFormer teamFuture team
Soon after launch, the league reportedly planned to expand to ten teams for 2014.[41] Potential candidates included groups not accepted as part of the original eight; groups from the Los Angeles area (joint effort from theLA Strikers andPali Blues)[42] and fromHartford, Connecticut,[43] were confirmed failed bids, as was one from theSeattle Sounders Women. There was speculation that theVancouver Whitecaps Women could be logical candidates especially given the2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada; however, the Whitecaps shuttered their women's program (except for one U-18 academy team) in December 2012.
During the inaugural season, there were rumors of expansion interest fromMLS teamsToronto FC,[44]Vancouver Whitecaps FC,[45] and theNew York Red Bulls,[46] as well as confirmed interest fromWPSL side theHouston Aces.[47] NWSL team owners hinted that expansion for 2014 was not a question of "if" but "how many".[48][49] Despite this, it was announced during the playoffs that there would be no expansion for the league's second season,[50] though the Red Bulls and Sky Blue FC confirmed that they were in discussions for cooperation.[48][51]
During the first offseason, theHouston Dynamo added their name to the list of MLS teams interested in fielding a women's side, stating that they were "exploring the opportunity" of starting an NWSL side in 2014 or '15,[52] and in 2013 they announced the Houston Dash with 2014 as their inaugural season.[53] By early December, NWSL approved anew team run by the Dynamo organization for expansion in 2014,[54] despite their earlier statement that there would be no expansion for the league's second season.
During the second offseason, expansion talk grew rapidly, with three established men's teams (Real Salt Lake of MLS, theIndy Eleven of NASL, and thePittsburgh Riverhounds of USL Pro) expressing interest in joining NWSL, as well as an unattached group from Atlanta. There was also rumored or suggested interest from three men's teams in California, though none of those groups made official statements. Despite this interest, it was announced in late April 2015 that there would be no expansion for the 2016 season.
However, after the well-publicized success of the US Women's National soccer team, renewed interest in NWSL expansion caused reports from the owners' meeting that "a new team in 2016 has not been ruled out", with potential expansion news to be revealed within a month.[55] Commissioner Jeff Plush said that over a dozen interested groups had contacted the league in the post-World-Cup weeks; MLS teamOrlando City SC was one of the first newly interested groups made public.[56][57][58] On October 20, 2015, it was announced that Orlando would be hosting the 10th NWSL team, theOrlando Pride, due to start the 2016 season.[59] At that announcement, the Pride announced that they had hired formerU.S. National Women's Team coachTom Sermanni.
On November 16, 2017, it was announced thatReal Salt Lake would expand into the NWSL beginning in the 2018 season. The Salt Lake City team, shortly thereafter unveiled asUtah Royals FC, is officially considered a new franchise that replaced FC Kansas City.
The NWSL announced on October 22, 2019, that a team inLouisville, Kentucky, affiliated with the city'sUSL Championship sideLouisville City FC, would join the league in 2021. The team was originally to be named Proof Louisville FC,[60] but after significant disapproval from fans it was announced that the Proof Louisville FC branding would not necessarily be the final selection, and that the process to determine the team's identity would be restarted.[61] On July 8, 2020, the Louisville team was rebranded asRacing Louisville FC,[62] and its associated visual identity was announced on the same day.[63] Racing plays inLynn Family Stadium, which opened in 2020 as the new home of Louisville City.[64]
On July 21, 2020, the NWSL announced that aLos Angeles–based team will begin play in 2022.[65] The team's ownership group, who call themselves "Angel City", is led by president and founder Julie Uhrman, a media and gaming entrepreneur; co-foundersNatalie Portman, anOscar-winning actress, and venture capitalistKara Nortman; venture capitalistAlexis Ohanian as lead founding investor;[66] and additional investors including fourteen former USWNT members, most with ties to Southern California; actressesUzo Aduba,Jessica Chastain,America Ferrera,Jennifer Garner, andEva Longoria; talk show hostLilly Singh; and Ohanian's wife, tennis greatSerena Williams.[65] In 2022, the Los Angeles NWSL team became the first American professional sports team founded by a majority-woman ownership group to begin play,[67] and co-founders Portman, Nortman, and Uhrman have publicly discussed their ownership stakes extensively as one way to address gender inequity in sports and to encourage additional investment by women into women's sports.[68][69][70] On October 21, 2020, the ownership group announced that the expansion club would be calledAngel City FC and announced more group members, among them tennis greatBillie Jean King,WNBA starCandace Parker, alpine skiing greatLindsey Vonn and her fiancé at the time,NHL starP. K. Subban, actress and activistSophia Bush, Latin music pop starBecky G, actor and TV hostJames Corden, and formerUS men's soccer internationalCobi Jones.[71]
On December 7, 2020, the NWSL announced that an expansion team in Kansas City would join the league in 2021 and take over player-related assets fromUtah Royals FC.[72] The Royals ceased operations at the same time, but the new owners of Utah Soccer LLC (afterDell Loy Hansen completes the sale) would have the option of re-establishing the Royals franchise in 2023.[73] The team played under the placeholder name of Kansas City NWSL in the 2021 season, announcing its permanent identity ofKansas City Current immediately before its final home game of that season on October 30.[74]
On January 12, 2021, then-NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird shared in a press conference that an expansion team in Sacramento would join the league in 2022, but that the team ownership would make the official announcement in due course.[75] A team announcement never materialized, however.[76] In May 2021, it was reported that the ownership group behind the Sacramento expansion would be seeking NWSL approval to move its expansion rights to San Diego instead.[77] On June 8, 2021, the NWSL officially announced a San Diego expansion team, ultimately namedSan Diego Wave FC, with formerUnited States women's national soccer team head coachJill Ellis as president.[78][79]
In late 2022, it was reported the likely 13th expansion club would be in Utah, as the new Real Salt Lake ownership had the rights to an approximately $2 million expansion franchise fee to bring back the Utah Royals to the Salt Lake City area. In addition the three finalists for the 14th expansion club were a group from the San Francisco Bay Area, Tampa, and Boston. It is thought these teams would join for the 2024 season. The highest bid was reported to be $40 million.[80] On January 27, 2023, it was reported that the NWSL would expand to Utah, San Francisco and Boston. The owners in Utah would pay $2–5 million, while the groups in San Francisco and Boston would pay $50 million. Utah and San Francisco would join the NWSL in 2024 and Boston would join the NWSL later.[81] On March 11, 2023, it was confirmed that the Utah team would join in 2024, inheriting the Utah Royals FC name and history.[82]
League commissionerJessica Berman announced on Nov. 22, 2024, that Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Denver were finalists for the 16th franchise, which is set to join the league in 2026 alongside Boston.[83] The league decided in January 2025 that Denver would receive the franchise.[84]
In the2025 season, every NWSL team will use one stadium as its primary home venue.
The highest single-game attendance in the league's history was on August 23, 2025, for a game betweenBay FC and theWashington Spirit atOracle Park which drew 40,091.[85] This broke the league previous single-game attendance record of 35,038 from a June 8, 2024 game between theChicago Red Stars andBay FC atWrigley Field.[86][87]
On June 3, 2023, a double-header featuring Seattle Reign FC andPortland Thorns FC alongside aMajor League Soccer matchup between theSeattle Sounders andPortland Timbers drew an announced attendance of 42,054.[88]
In 2024, the NWSL reached a historic milestone of 2 million match attendees for the first time in league history.[89]
In 2025, multiple teams set attendance records for their home openers, including the NC Courage.[90]
In each season, teams receive asalary cap that limits their total spending on players. Before the 2022 season, salaries offederation players were paid for completely or mostly by their respective national federations, and they counted against the salary cap at a pre-determined amount—$33,000 for U.S. players, and $27,500 or the actual salary for Canadian players, whichever is lower.[91] Non-federation players are subject to minimum and maximum salary limits.[92]
Each team provides fully paid healthcare for its players, and also provides housing, either directly or through a stipend of no more than $3,000 per month. In addition, teams are allowed to provide their players with the use of a car valued at no more than $50,000. These expenses are specifically excluded from cap calculations.[92]
In 2019, the maximum senior roster size was expanded to 22 and the minimum to 20, with an additional four supplemental spots for players earning minimum salary that do not count against the salary cap.[93] As of 2021,[update] the minimum senior roster size is 22 and the maximum 24, so each team could carry a maximum total of 28 players on its active roster.[92]
The NWSL introduced significant changes to its compensation guidelines before the 2020 season.[94] In addition to a sizable increase in the salary cap and the salary limits for unallocated players, teams now can purchase up to $300,000 in "allocation money" in excess of the salary cap to invest in qualified current or future players; allocation money can be traded.[95] Multi-year contracts (up to three years plus one option year) are now permitted, year-round housing becomes mandatory, and the cap for permitted team assistance has been removed. When originally announced, allocation money could not be used to supplement the salaries of U.S. or Canadian federation players, and players could not refuse federation status to access allocation money. The allocation rules were quietly changed in advance of the 2020 season to allow players to refuse federation status, but this change did not become public knowledge until after the end of the abbreviated season. In the 2021 season, clubs were explicitly allowed to use allocation money to sign federation players.[96] In 2021, salary for unallocated players and the team salary cap both increased between 5 and 10 percent.[91]
On December 13, 2021, as part of negotiations between U.S. Soccer and the union representing USWNT players, both agreed to end the allocation system for USWNT members, effective with the 2022 season. Starting in that season, the club salaries of all USWNT players will be paid directly by their NWSL clubs, and these players will be represented in their club employment by theNWSL Players Association (NWSLPA).[97]
The NWSL and the NWSLPA, the union representing all players in the NWSL, jointly announced on January 31, 2022, that they had entered into the league's first official collective bargaining agreement, which was intended to run through the 2026 season. Under this agreement, the minimum player salary increased to $35,000 in the 2022 season. Free agency will formally be added; players with six seasons of NWSL service will become unrestricted free agents in 2023, with the required service time reduced to five seasons from 2024. Additionally, starting in 2024, players with three seasons of NWSL service will receive restricted free agency. Also, should the league become profitable in any season from 2024 to 2026, the players will receive 10 percent of the league's broadcast revenues in the applicable season.[98][99]
On August 25, 2022, the NWSLPA filed a grievance against the NWSL after the league announced the omission of 22 players from a list of 26 who would become eligible to negotiate free-agent contracts for the 2023 season. The league contended that the contracts of the 22 omitted players included one or more option years that each player's club must first decline to exercise by the deadline of November 15 before the player would be eligible for free agency. The players association contended that the contracts expired on their expiration date, and not the option exercise deadline. The players association expected the league to deny the grievance, and for the dispute to enter arbitration.[100][101]
In March 2024 Sophia Smith, nowSophia Wilson, was signed by thePortland Thorns to a two-year contract extension that made her the highest-paid player in the NWSL, but her salary was not disclosed.[102]
Later in 2024, the league and the NWSLPA entered into a new CBA, running through the 2030 season, that ESPN journalist Jeff Kassouf called "radical by American sports standards". The new CBA eliminated all forms of player drafts—both entry drafts and expansion drafts—thus setting the NWSL apart from all of themajor men's leagues and theWNBA. Also, once a player's contract expires, she is free to sign with any team worldwide, regardless of years of service. The league's "discovery rule", which allowed teams to claim NWSL "rights" to negotiate with players at random, was also eliminated. Minimum player salaries were increased to $48,500 for 2025 (more than $9,000 above what the 2021 CBA would have allowed) and will further increase to $82,500 by 2030. The new CBA fixes team salary caps for each year in advance, replacing the old system of announcing each season's cap during the prior offseason. The cap will be $3.3 million in 2025, increasing to $5.1 million by 2030. The largest cap increase in this period will be between 2026 and 2027 ($3.5 million to $4.4 million), coinciding with the U.S. cohosting the2026 FIFA World Cup. Depending on league media and sponsorship revenue, the figures set forth in the CBA may be increased. The use of charter flights for team travel was modestly increased, and player health benefits were significantly expanded. Perhaps most significantly, the new CBA removed language that effectively enshrined the NWSL's current spring-to-fall calendar, giving the league the option to change to the fall-to-spring calendar used by most European leagues. Any change to the season calendar will require one year's notice.[103]
| Season | Salary cap | Salary limits (for players ineligible for allocation money) | Allocation money | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Maximum | |||
| 2013 | $200,000 | $6,000 | $30,000 | N/A |
| 2014 | $265,000 | $6,600 | $31,500 | |
| 2015 | $6,842 | $37,800 | ||
| 2016 | $278,000 | $7,200 | $39,700 | |
| 2017 | $315,000 | $15,000 | $41,700 | |
| 2018 | $350,000 | $15,750 | $44,000 | |
| 2019 | $421,500 | $16,538 | $46,200 | |
| 2020 | $650,000 | $20,000 | $50,000 | $300,000 |
| 2021 | $682,500 | $22,000 | $52,500 | $400,000 |
| 2022 | $1,100,000 | $35,000 | $75,000 | $500,000 |
| 2023[104] | $1,375,000 | $36,400 | $200,000[a] | $600,000 |
| 2024 | $2,750,000 | $37,856 | none | N/A |
| 2025 | $3,300,000 | $48,500 | none | N/A |
Active non-United Statesfederation players, including unpaid amateur players, announced their formation of theNWSL Players Association (NWSLPA) on May 15, 2017, as the first step toward forming a union. The NWSL recognized the NWSLPA as the players' union on November 15, 2018.[105] As of February 2022,[update] the NWSLPA is led by civil rights attorney and formerWPS players' union organizerMeghann Burke.[106]
Prior to the 2022 season, the NWSLPA membership did not include United States federation players because those players were contracted to theUS Soccer Federation for their NWSL play.[107][108][109] With the abolition of thefederation player system for 2022 and beyond, the NWSLPA now represents all players in the NWSL. The league and the NWSLPA entered into their first collective bargaining agreement in advance of that season.[98]
The winner of theNWSL Championship, the final match of theNWSL playoffs, determines that season's NWSL champion. In addition to receiving the championship trophy, the champion gets to add a star to the crest on its jersey. The playoffs, a single-elimination knockout tournament, are organized by the league in a format similar to other North American professional sports leagues. At the conclusion of the regular season, the top eight teams in the standings earn a berth to the tournament;[10] from 2021 to 2024, the top six teams qualified for the playoffs,[12] and prior to 2021 the top four teams qualified. The league also awards theNWSL Shield to the team with the best record (most points) at the end of the regular season. Like the playoff championship, it is recognized as a major trophy by the league.
Thefirst NWSL Championship was played on September 1, 2013.[110] As of November 2024[update], six teams have been crowned NWSL Champions: Portland Thorns FC (3), FC Kansas City (2), North Carolina Courage (2), NJ/NY Gotham FC (1), Washington Spirit (1), and Western New York Flash (1). Six teams have claimed the NWSL Shield: North Carolina Courage (3), Seattle Reign FC (3), Portland Thorns FC (2), Orlando Pride (1), San Diego Wave FC (1), and Western New York Flash (1). The Reign was the first team to repeat as Shield winners in 2014 and 2015. FC Kansas City was the first team to win consecutive championships, also in 2014–15, both times defeating the Reign.[111] In 2018, the North Carolina Courage became the first team to win both the NWSL Shield and the NWSL Championship in the same season, a feat they repeated in 2019[112] and the Orlando Pride achieved in 2024.[113]
The trophies won by FC Kansas City and Western New York officially remain with those teams and were not transferred to the expansion or successor teams in Utah and North Carolina that were assigned their player-related assets. This was a non-issue for Utah Royals FC, which won no trophies before folding and having its player-related assets transferred to the franchise now known as the Kansas City Current.[114][115]
| Season | NWSL Champions Playoff winners | NWSL Shield Regular-season winners | Championship location | Championship attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013[116] | Portland Thorns FC | Western New York Flash | Sahlen's Stadium, Rochester, New York | 9,129 |
| 2014[117] | FC Kansas City | Seattle Reign FC | Starfire Sports Complex, Tukwila, Washington | 4,252 |
| 2015[118] | FC Kansas City (2) | Seattle Reign FC (2) | Providence Park, Portland, Oregon | 13,264 |
| 2016[119] | Western New York Flash | Portland Thorns FC | BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, Texas | 8,255 |
| 2017[120] | Portland Thorns FC (2) | North Carolina Courage | Orlando City Stadium, Orlando, Florida | 8,124 |
| 2018[121] | North Carolina Courage | North Carolina Courage (2) | Providence Park, Portland, Oregon | 21,144 |
| 2019[122] | North Carolina Courage (2) | North Carolina Courage (3) | Sahlen's Stadium, Cary, North Carolina | 10,227 |
| 2020[123] | Canceled | |||
| 2021[124] | Washington Spirit | Portland Thorns FC (2) | Lynn Family Stadium, Louisville, Kentucky | 10,360 |
| 2022[125] | Portland Thorns FC (3) | OL Reign (3) | Audi Field, Washington, D.C. | 17,624 |
| 2023[126] | NJ/NY Gotham FC | San Diego Wave FC | Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, California | 25,011 |
| 2024[127] | Orlando Pride | Orlando Pride | CPKC Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri | 11,500 |
| 2025[128] | TBD | Kansas City Current | PayPal Park, San Jose, California | TBD |
Italics indicates a defunct team.
| Club | Won | Runner-up | Years won | Years runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland Thorns FC | 3 | 1 | 2013,2017,2022 | 2018 |
| North Carolina Courage | 2 | 1 | 2018,2019 | 2017 |
| FC Kansas City | 2 | 0 | 2014,2015 | |
| Washington Spirit | 1 | 2 | 2021 | 2016,2024 |
| Western New York Flash | 1 | 1 | 2016 | 2013 |
| Gotham FC[a] | 1 | 0 | 2023 | |
| Orlando Pride | 1 | 0 | 2024 | |
| Seattle Reign FC[b] | 0 | 3 | 2014,2015,2023 | |
| Chicago Red Stars | 0 | 2 | 2019,2021 | |
| Kansas City Current | 0 | 1 | 2022 |
Italics indicates a defunct team.
In 2020, theCOVID-19 pandemic prevented the regular season from starting. Instead the league played the newly announcedChallenge Cup, a tournament-style competition starting in late June, with all teams in aprotective bubble inSalt Lake City. This made the NWSL the first professional team sport in the U.S. to restart during the pandemic.[129][130] TheHouston Dash won the inaugural Challenge Cup, topping theChicago Red Stars in the final.[131]
In November 2020, the NWSL announced that theChallenge Cup would become an annualleague cup competition.[12] The2021 Challenge Cup was played in April and May prior to the regular season, with the Portland Thorns FC emerging as victors over NJ/NY Gotham FC in the final.[132][133] The2022 Challenge Cup was played from March to May of that year and was won by the North Carolina Courage. The2023 NWSL Challenge Cup was played concurrently with the NWSL season,[134] and the North Carolina Courage won their second straight NWSL Challenge Cup.[135]
In 2024, the Challenge Cup became a single-gamesuper cup contested by the previous season's NWSL Shield holder and NWSL Champion. Should the same team win both trophies, the Challenge Cup would be a rematch of the previous season's championship game[10] (which happened for the first time in the2025 edition). The 2023 NWSL Shield winners San Diego Wave FC defeated the NWSL Champion's NJ/NY Gotham FC to win the2024 Challenge Cup, the first under the current format.[136]
| Season | Champions | Runners-up | Final location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020[131] | Houston Dash | Chicago Red Stars | Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, Utah |
| 2021[133] | Portland Thorns FC | NJ/NY Gotham FC | Providence Park, Portland, Oregon |
| 2022 | North Carolina Courage | Washington Spirit | Sahlen's Stadium, Cary, North Carolina |
| 2023 | North Carolina Courage (2) | Racing Louisville FC | WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, North Carolina |
| 2024[136] | San Diego Wave FC | NJ/NY Gotham FC (2) | Red Bull Arena, Harrison, New Jersey |
| 2025[136] | Washington Spirit | Orlando Pride | Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando, Florida |
On April 1, 2025, the NWSL applied to U.S. Soccer to create a new Division II league, confirming this to media outlets on April 25. At the time, the U.S. soccer system had no Division II women's league, but a separate organization has applied for Division II sanctioning forWPSL PRO, set to launch in 2026. If sanctioned, the as-of-yet unnamed second division intends to launch in 2026 with reserve sides of eight current NWSL teams—Bay FC, Kansas City Current, North Carolina Courage, NJ/NY Gotham FC, Orlando Pride, Racing Louisville FC, Seattle Reign FC, and the Washington Spirit. All 14 current NWSL sides, plus the two 2026 expansion teams, are expected to field reserve sides in the new second division within that league's first four years, and teams without NWSL affiliations will also be welcome at some point.[137]
In September and October 2020, the league played theFall Series, in which the nine teams were divided into three geographic "pods" to minimize travel during the COVID-19 pandemic; each team played a home-and-away round-robin within its pod.[138] ThePortland Thorns earned 12 points, the maximum possible, and won the Fall Series and the associated trophy, theCommunity Shield (namedVerizon Community Shield for sponsorship reasons).[139]
During the 2013–2016 seasons, the majority of league games were available for viewing via YouTube or via individual team's websites.[140] Of the eight teams in the league during the inaugural season, the Boston Breakers were the only team that charged a fee for access to their broadcasts.[141]
On April 18, 2013, NWSL signed a one-year agreement withFox Sports 2 to televise six regular season games, the semifinal, and championship games.[142] On May 28, 2014, the NWSL signed a one-year agreement withESPN to televise nine games of the2014 NWSL season. The matches included three regular season and three playoff matches on ESPN2, as well as 3 regular season gameslive-streamed onESPN3.[143] On June 30, 2015, the NWSL announced a one-year agreement with Fox Sports once more to cover ten matches. Three regular season and three playoff matches were televised onFS1, and four live-streamed onFox Sports Go.[144] The agreement was extended into 2016 under another one-year contract, covering three regular season matches and the three playoff matches, once again on FS1.[145]
On February 2, 2017, the NWSL announced three-year agreements withA&E Networks andVerizon Communications' streaming platformgo90. A&E's women's cable networkLifetime broadcast 22 regular-season matches as theNWSL Game of the Week at 4 p.m.ET on Saturday afternoons, as well as three post-season matches. This marked the first time that the NWSL had a weekly broadcast window throughout the entire season. As part of the deal, A&E Networks purchased a 25 percent equity stake in the NWSL and were granted two seats on the league's board. The company also formed a joint venture with the league known as NWSL Media to oversee the league's marketing and broadcast rights, and Lifetime became a league-wide kit sponsor for all players. This deal marked the first time Lifetime had broadcast sports since theWNBA in the late 1990s and early 2000s.[146][147][148][149][150] Lifetime also streamed the game of the week in the United States via its website, and internationally in the NWSL website andiOS app. The remaining games were initially streamed in the United States exclusively by go90, and through the NWSL website internationally.[146]
The quality of the streams on go90 faced criticism, with sportswriters, users, and players and team staff criticizing the service for its inconsistent quality and arguing that the NWSL's growth could be harmed by go90's relative lack of reach and prominence when compared to YouTube.[151][152]The Equalizer noted that the app was prone to crashing, did not have the same wide device support as YouTube,[153] and that the telecasts themselves suffered from their own technical problems (such as poor camera angles and glitches with graphics), but that the streams were good when they worked.[154] On May 19, 2017, the league announced that they would additionally stream games on the NWSL website and app in the U.S. until the technical issues with go90 were rectified.[155]
After Houston Dash playerRachel Daly collapsed on the pitch after a match inHouston, on May 27 – where theheat index was reportedly over 100 degreesFahrenheit – she was carried off on a stretcher and hospitalized for heat illness. League operations director Amanda Duffy subsequently announced that theNWSL Game of the Week matches, many of which were slated for the hottest parts of the day in humid cities such as Houston,Orlando, andCary, North Carolina, would be rescheduled to allow for longer hydration breaks. SomeGame of the Week matches changed to other venues, and teams not scheduled for television were granted more flexibility in rescheduling kickoffs for player safety. The league also adopted new procedures for addressing heat and rescheduling matches.[156][157]
On June 6, 2018, it was announced that sixGame of the Week matches through the remainder of the season would move to evening kickoffs and air onESPNews (which is owned by asister venture to A&E Networks), in an effort to ensure the safety of players, as well as improve attendance.[158] Go90 shut down in July 2018; the remaining games not aired on television were moved back to the NWSL website for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs.[159]
On February 20, 2019, the NWSL announced that A&E Networks had pulled out of its broadcasting agreement with the league one season early. A&E's stake in NWSL Media was given back to the league, but Lifetime remained a kit sponsor. NWSL president Amanda Duffy said the changes would give the league and its teams finer control over its media and sponsorship agreements, and expected to announce a new television rights deal soon.Verizon Media remained the U.S. digital rightsholder to the league, but the streams moved from go90 to theYahoo! Sports website and apps.[160]
The NWSL did not reach any national television deals before the start of the 2019 season,[161] but after their opening match, theChicago Red Stars reached their own television deal with theregional sports networkNBC Sports Chicago.[162] In July 2019, the NWSL announced that ESPN had acquired a 14-match package for the remainder of the season divided among ESPNews andESPN2, including the semifinals and championship match.[163]
In October 2019, the NWSL signed the agencyOctagon to market its media rights. It was reported that Octagon was pursuing multi-year agreements of at least three years and stronger broadcaster commitments, as to help build an audience and discourage broadcasters from acquiring NWSL rights toride the coattails of the U.S. national team and the FIFA Women's World Cup, but then "abandon" it afterward.[164]
On March 11, 2020, the NWSL entered into a three-year media agreement withCBS Sports andAmazon-owned streaming serviceTwitch.[165] For the2020 season, CBS Sports planned to broadcast 87 matches (including the playoffs) split betweenCBS,CBS Sports Network, and CBS All Access (nowParamount+) in Canada and the United States, with the exact distribution among the channels subject to change, while Twitch planned to stream an additional 24 matches for free. Twitch also became the NWSL's international media rightsholder and streamed all matches outside Canada and the United States for free.[166][167]
In September 2021, players publicly complained about the 2021 NWSL championship match's announced the 9 a.m.PDT kickoff time in the neutral-site host city of Portland, Oregon, which was required for the league's noonEDT broadcast slot provided by CBS.[168] The league responded by moving the match toLynn Family Stadium inLouisville, Kentucky, in the Eastern Time Zone.[169]
Following criticism of match broadcast quality,[170][171] the NWSL announced improvements to cameras, infrastructure, and staffing in August 2022, with additional improvements necessary to support the introduction ofvideo assistant referees in 2023.[172][173][174]
CBS Sports did not renew its rights beyond 2023 during its exclusive negotiating window. The league's contract with Twitch expired after the 2022 season, with the U.S. rights to the matches reverting to CBS.[175] The NWSL stated that matches would stream internationally on its website as part of an agreement withEndeavor Streaming, while also reaching agreements withTSN (Canada),DAZN (Brazil, Japan, UK, and 12 European territories), andTigo (Central America).[176][177][178]
On June 6, 2023, Tigo also added free Spanish-language streams of two regular-season NWSL matches per week, the NWSL Challenge Cup playoffs, and NWSL playoffs in the United States and Canada.[179]
On November 9, 2023, the NWSL announced multi-year deals with CBS Sports, ESPN,Amazon Prime Video, andScripps Sports, reported to be valued in total at around $60 million per-season (in comparison to the roughly $1.5 million paid by CBS under the previous agreement).[180]
On September 16, 2025, the NWSL announced revised agreements with ESPN and CBS Sports, and a new streaming agreement withVictory+. Agreements with Prime Video and ION are unchanged.[184]
Bold indicates active NWSL players.
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Throughout the season, the league awardsPlayer of the Month,Team of the Month, andPlayer of the Week awards to individual players, which are voted on by the media. At the end of each season, the league presents seven annual awards for outstanding achievements, six of which are voted on by players, owners, general managers, coaches, media, and fans.[188] The 2024 holders of the annual awards were as follows:
In addition, the league names an annual NWSL Best XI team and NWSL Second XI team, which are voted on by players, owners, general managers, coaches, media, and fans.[196]
| Name | Years | Title | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheryl Bailey | 2012–2014 | Commissioner | [197] |
| Jeff Plush | 2015–2017 | Commissioner | [198][199] |
| Amanda Duffy | 2017 | Managing director of operations | [200] |
| Amanda Duffy | 2018–2019 | Managing director | [200] |
| Amanda Duffy | 2019–2020 | President | [201] |
| Lisa Baird | 2020–2021 | Commissioner | [202] |
| Marla Messing | 2021–2022 | Interim CEO | [203] |
| Jessica Berman | 2022–present | Commissioner | [204] |
Former general manager of theUnited States women's national soccer teamCheryl Bailey was announced by US Soccer presidentSunil Gulati as the first commissioner of the NWSL on November 29, 2012.[205] On November 18, 2014, she resigned after overseeing two seasons and the launch of the new professional league in less than five months ahead of the inaugural season.[206]
On January 6, 2015,Jeff Plush, managing director ofColorado Rapids and a formerMLS board member, was named as Bailey's successor.[207] Plush oversaw the 2015 and 2016 seasons, including the Orlando Pride expansion, a broadcast partnership with A+E Networks (including the three-year broadcast deal with Lifetime television), and the sale of the Western New York Flash toNorth Carolina FC ownerStephen Malik and the team's relocation to North Carolina.[208] During his tenure, formerLouisville City FC presidentAmanda Duffy was hired in December 2016 as the NWSL's managing director of operations.[209]
Plush resigned as commissioner on March 2, 2017, and the position remained vacant until 2020, although Duffy served as the public face of league management.[210] On January 15, 2019, Duffy was promoted to president, the league's highest office.[211]
On January 7, 2020, Amanda Duffy announced that she would leave the NWSL for a leadership position at theOrlando Pride on February 15, 2020.[212] On February 27, 2020, the NWSL announced that Lisa Baird, chief marketing officer of theNew York Public Radio, would become the league's commissioner on March 10, 2020.[213] Baird resigned on October 1, 2021, during the NWSL abuse scandal(see§ Controversies, below). On October 18, 2021, the league hiredMarla Messing as its Interim CEO.[214] On April 20, 2022, Jessica Berman became commissioner, overlapping with CEO Messing, who continued work until May 31.[215]
The NWSL has undergone many allegations and reports of sexual harassment, misconduct, and emotional abuse by coaches and staff over the years, and has received a significant amount of criticism.[216][217][218]
The soccer match between the Chicago Red Stars and Bay FC Saturday night broke the National Women's Soccer League's attendance record, drawing in 35,038 soccer fans...
The match drew 35,038 fans, setting a National Women's Soccer League record.
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