NWSL UPdates
Read all the latest NWSL news and 2026 season updates, including the 2026 NWSL expansion teams, NWSL Division II launch, and season framework announcements
Summits sells out Season Tickets; Announces First Home Game
November 2025
Denver Summit FC announced its inaugural home game for the 2026 NWSL season at Empower Field at Mile High on March 28.
In an email to its Club 5280 members on November 3, Denver Summit FC noted that season tickets have sold out. Tickets went on sale to early deposit holders on October 14.
Boston Legacy Announces Inaugural Home Game
November 2025
Boston Legacy FC announced its inaugural home match for the 2026 NWSL season on March 14 at Gillette Stadium.
Denver Summit Announces First Game, Launches Season Ticket Sales
October 2025
Denver Summit FC announced the team will make its first pre-season appearance at the Coachella Valley Invitational in February 2026.
The Summit began selling season tickets for its inaugural 2026 season on October 14.
Boston Legacy GRows Team, Launches Season Ticket Sales
October 2025
Boston Legacy FC signed forward Amanda Gutierres through the 2029 season. Gutierres currently plays for Palmeiras in Brazil, has eight caps with the Brazil national team, and was nominated for the 2025 Ballon d’Or Féminin.
The Legacy signed 18-year-old Chloe Ricketts through the 2028 season with a mutual option for 2029. Ricketts recently transferred from the Washington Spirit to the Houston Dash on a short-term deal.
Boston also appointed Rachel Duranwood as the club’s Soccer Engagement Lead. Duranwood previously played for the Boston Breakers in the NWSL.
The Legacy launched its season ticket sales for its debut NWSL season on October 15.
Current and Wave Participate in World Sevens
October 2025
The Kansas City Current and the San Diego Wave FC will participate in the inaugural North America World Sevens Football (W7F) competition December 5-7, 2025. W7F is a seven-versus-seven competition with a $5 million purse. The event will take place in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
NWSL Teams Announce Coachella Valley Invitational
October 2025
Six NWSL teams announced their participation in the 2026 Coachella Valley Invitational, a preseason competition, training session, and organizational event taking place from February 7 to 21, 2026. The NWSL teams that will be joining the Invitational include
Angel City FC
Denver Summit FC
Houston Dash
Portland Thorns FC
San Diego Wave FC
Seattle Reign FC
Washington Spirit Break Attendance Record
October 2025
The Washington Spirit broke its single-season home-attendance record after the 12th game hosted at Audi Field. A total of 181,324 attended the club’s first 12 home games compared to the 181,226 spectators that showed up for the franchise’s 13 matches in the 2024 NWSL season.
Chicago Stars Launch 2026 Season Tickets
October 2025
The Chicago Stars FC will launch season ticket memberships for its new 2026 home stadium, Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium, on November 3.
NC Courage Eyes State Women’s Attendance Record
October 2025
The North Carolina Courage anticipates breaking a statewide professional women’s sports attendance record at NWSL Decision Day on November 2, with over 11,000 tickets sold by October 31. The state’s previous record of 10,782 fans was held by the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) this past March.
Boston Legacy Appoints Team President
September 2025
Boston Legacy FC appointed Jennifer van Dijk as Team President. Van Dijk’s previous experience includes serving as CEO of Superplastic, as well as working on partnerships and digital innovations for IMG, Wasserman, and the NBA.
Summit signs García, reaches deposit milestone
September 2025
Denver Summit FC continues to build its roster with the signing of Spanish international Nahikari García. García signed with the Summit through the 2027 NWSL season and is on loan with Nottingham Forest Women FC in the WSL 2 until the 2026 NWSL preseason.
The Summit reached an NWSL milestone by surpassing 15,000 season ticket holder deposits by mid-month. Denver also launched Club 5280 in September, a membership program offering perks to its supporters that includes early access tickets, exclusive merchandise, and more.
NWSL Announces Formation of Combines
September 2025
The NWSL announced the formation of Combines, slated to launch during the 2025 pre-season in December. The Combines will be a three-day showcase of prospective players aged 13-23, providing a platform for NWSL clubs to evaluate new talent.
Chicago Stars Relocate in 2026
September 2025
Chicago Stars FC announced its relocation for the 2026 season to Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium on Lake Michigan. The new stadium will seat up to 12,000 fans while providing a skyline view of the city.
Boston Legacy Signs Gambone and Olivieri
August 2025
Boston Legacy FC announced the foundation of its Athlete Advisory Board, which includes Sam Mewis, Kristine Lilly, Allison Feaster, and Aliyah Boston. The board is structured to help guide the club on player initiatives and to enhance the player experience.
The Legacy signed two more players in August. Aleigh Gambone signed with the club through the 2027 season and currently plays for FC Nürnberg Frauen in Germany. Barbara Olivieri signed with the Legacy through the 2029 season in an acquisition from the Houston Dash. Olivieri will play on loan to Club Tigres UANL in Mexico and join the Legacy for its inaugural season next year.
BAY FC Breaks NWSL Attendance REcord
August 2025
The NWSL achieved a new record-breaking attendance milestone with 40,091 fans attending the Bay FC versus Washington Spirit match at Oracle Park in San Francisco on August 23. The event was dubbed The Show at Oracle Park and featured pre-match and half-time entertainment, gate giveaways, and limited edition merchandise.
The previous NWSL attendance record occurred on June 8, 2024, when 35,038 fans showed up for Chicago’s Red Stars Take Over Wrigley Field game against Bay FC.
KC Current Launch Division II Team
August 2025
On August 4, the Kansas City Current announced the launch of its second team, Kansas City Current II. The franchise is the first of the eight inaugural NWSL Division II teams expected to launch for the 2026 season. The NWSL is moving to have a Division II team for all franchises within four years.
In April, the NWSL submitted a bid to the US Soccer Federation in April to form a Division II of the league. The first eight clubs targeted include Bay FC, Kansas City Current, North Carolina Courage, NJ/NY Gotham FC, Orlando Pride, Racing Louisville FC, Seattle Reign FC, and Washington Spirit.
Denver Summit FC Builds Team, Gains Supporters’ Group
August 2025
Denver Summit FC made more announcements this month as the franchise continues to build. The club named Nick Cushing as head coach on August 6. Cushing previously coached for Manchester City Women in the WSL and New York City FC in the MLS.
The Summit signed its first player, Colorado native Ally Watt, to its roster in early August. Watt currently plays for the Orlando Pride and will be joining the Summit for its inaugural season in 2026. Her contract with the Summit extends through 2028.
Lourdes Bosch will also be joining the Summit for an undisclosed transfer fee from Melbourne City FC in Australia. Bosch is contracted with the Summit through the 2027 NWSL season.
Denver Summit FC’s official supporters’ group announced its name this month - the 14ers.
Boston Legacy FC Signs First PLayers, announces new facility
July 2025
Boston Legacy FC signed its first player to the roster: midfielder Annie Karich. Karich’s contract with the Legacy extends through the 2027 season with the option to renew for the 2028 season. Karich is from California and was previously with SC Freiburg in Germany.
Forward Aïssata Traoré signed with the Legacy through the 2028 season, making Traoré the first-ever Mali player to sign with an NWSL team. Traoré is from Bamako, the capital of Mali, and currently plays with FC Fleury 91 in France.
Defender Emerson Elgin signed a two-year contract with the Legacy. Elgin is from New Jersey and was most recently contracted with NJ/NY Gotham FC as an injury replacement player.
Laurel Ansbrow, another defender, also signed a two-year contract with the Legacy and has a team-held extension option for the 2028 season. Ansbrow is from North Carolina and currently plays in the USL Super League with Fort Lauderdale United.
Midfielder Alba Caño contracted with the Legacy through the end of the 2027 season with a team-held extension option for the 2028 season. Caño is from Puiggròs, Spain, and currently plays for FC Barcelona.
These players, along with the rest of the future roster, will be under the guidance of head coach Filipa Patão.
In addition to player signings, the Legacy also announced plans for a $27 million performance center that is expected to open prior to the 2026 season. The center will serve as the club’s training facility and will include a bubble down for weather condition training, lighted fields (which will also be made available for use by the youth community), a 30,000 square foot training building, and six total fields, two of which will be natural grass surfaces and one that will be heated.
Boston released the club’s official crest in June.
Denver NWSL Launches Brand
July 2025
Denver NWSL hosted a brand launch party for fans shortly after the club dropped the name, color palette, and crest for the team.
Denver Summit FC was the name chosen by the fans for the 16th NWSL expansion team. The club released its official crest and color palette, drawing inspiration from the red sky of local sunsets, the multitude of sunny days in the city, and the mountain peaks surrounding the area.
NWSL ANnounces 2026 Season Framework
July 2025
The framework for the 2026 NWSL season was announced earlier this month, with the season kicking off on February 20 with the NWSL Challenge Cup.
Regular season play is scheduled to begin on March 13. The 2026 season will comprise 248 matches across the 16 teams, including an eight-team playoff tournament and the Challenge Cup match.
The 27-week regular season will conclude on November 1, and the playoffs begin on November 6.
The 2026 NWSL Championship game will be held on November 21.
KC Current Earns Highest League Revenue
June 2025
The Kansas City Current’s 2024 NWSL revenue was released at $36 million, marking the highest annual revenue in the league. Forbes gave the Current the second-highest league valuation at $ 275 million. Angel City FC earned the highest valuation at $280 million.
NWSL ANnounces Roster-Building Assets
June 2025
The NWSL announced roster-building assets for its two 2026 expansion teams, Boston Legacy FC and Denver NWSL, as well as the availability of intra-league player loans. The roster-building assets include $1.065 million in allocation money, transfer fee thresholds, and a temporary waiver of the player salary cap.
NWSL, theSkimm Enter Media PArtnership
June 2025
The NWSL entered into a new official media partnership with theSkimm on June 9. TheSkimm will provide regular coverage on all things NWSL, including player interviews, on-the-field coverage, rivalry commentary, and behind-the-scenes access to NWSL players.
NWSL ANnounces Roster-Building Assets
June 2025
Denver City Council approved the NWSL stadium agreement, allowing the $70 million project to move forward. In other Denver NWSL news, Mikaela Shiffrin, a professional alpine skier, joined the ownership group, and Curt Johnson was named General Manager.
NWSL Re-Evaluates Emergency PRotocol After ACFC Incident
May 2025
The NWSL re-evaluates its emergency protocol in the aftermath of a medical emergency during the Angel City FC versus Utah Royals FC match.
Angel City player Savy King collapsed on the field due to a heart abnormality and was treated by medical staff for ten minutes before being taken to a local hospital.
“In no world should that game have continued,” said Trinity Rodman in a post on Instagram. Rodman’s words represented the sentiments of other players and fans alike after the distressing event.
The NWSL announced that it is reviewing its current protocols and will make revisions to prioritize the well-being of the players, staff, and fans.
Denver Approves NWSL Stadium Agreement
May 2025
Denver City Council approved the NWSL stadium agreement, allowing the $70 million project to move forward. In other Denver NWSL news, Mikaela Shiffrin, a professional alpine skier, joined the ownership group, and Curt Johnson was named General Manager.
Alex Morgan Joins Wave Ownership Group
May 2025
Alex Morgan returned to the spotlight with the announcement of becoming the latest minority investor of her former team, San Diego Wave FC.
NWSL Submits Bid for Division II League
April 2025
The NWSL submitted a bid to the U.S. Soccer Federation to start an NWSL Division II league with a target launch date in 2026.
A second NWSL division would begin with eight clubs in the opening season and would scale up to all NWSL clubs attaining a Division II team by year four.
The first eight clubs targeted for a Division II team include Bay FC, Kansas City Current, North Carolina Courage, NJ/NY Gotham FC, Orlando Pride, Racing Louisville FC, Seattle Reign FC, and Washington Spirit.
NWSL Players Announce Major Life Updates
March 2025
Wedding bells and baby announcements rang out across social media during the off-season as players tied the knot and posted updates with sonograms and baby bumps.
With new nuptials comes new names for fans to know: Lindsey Horan is now wearing Heaps on the back of her jersey, Lynn Williams changed her last name to Biyendolo (the Congolese name that was gifted to her father-in-law), and Sophia Smith took the last name Wilson.
Ali Riley married former Swedish soccer player Lucas Nilsson in January, just mere days after a wildfire destroyed her childhood home. Riley shared on social media in March that she started a needle-free IVF treatment.
Kristie Mewis posted social media updates that showcase her growing baby bump of her first child with fiancée Sam Kerr.
Andi Sullivan shared with her Spirit teammates in mid-February that she and her husband, Drew, are expecting their first child in July.
Newlyweds Sophia and Michael Wilson posted pictures on social media in early March showing sonogram images and announcing Sophia’s pregnancy.
The latest pregnancy announcement came after the second week of NWSL play when Canada Women’s National Team and San Diego Wave goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan shared that she and wife Dominique were due in September.
Denver Wins Bid for NWSL Expansion Team
March 2025
Denver won its bid in January to become the NWSL's 16th team with a record $110 million expansion fee.
The NWSL Denver expansion fee is the league's highest yet, far surpassing Bay FC's and Boston Legacy FC's recent expansion fees of $53 million.
The franchise is scheduled to start playing in the league in the 2026 season, entering the same time as the NWSL's 15th franchise team, Boston Legacy FC.
Fans in the Mile High City shared their excitement and support for their new club by securing 5,280 season ticket deposits within days of the club's announcement, making the new Denver NWSL team the fastest in NWSL history to secure 5,000 season ticket deposits.
Just two weeks later, the club launched a campaign to allow its fans to help choose the Denver NWSL team name.
In March, Denver NWSL announced plans to construct a purpose-built stadium and recreational complex for professional women's soccer in Santa Fe Yards, just a few miles south of downtown.
The Denver NWSL stadium is scheduled to open in Spring 2028.
The club announced it is building a temporary stadium in Centennial, CO, to house the team's home games for the 2026 and 2027 seasons. The facility will also include a training complex.