NWSL Page 1 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
NWSL season to start earlier than ever in 2027
The NWSL will begin its 2027 schedule more than a month earlier than ever before, ESPN confirmed on Tuesday.,The regular season will kick off on Feb. 11 with Angel City FC hosting a match in Los Angeles, three days before the region hosts Super Bowl LXI in Inglewood, Calif.,Until now, the earliest l...
Gotham F Katie Lampson announces retirement at 34
Two-time NWSL champion Katie Lampson announced her retirement from professional soccer on Tuesday at age 34.,The Gotham FC forward also played professionally in Germany, Australia, Norway and England after a decorated career at Wake Forest. Her NWSL career also included stints with the Washington Sp...
Report: 2026 NWSL title game set for Nov. 21 at D.C.'s Audi Field
The 2026 NWSL Championship game will be played on Nov. 21 at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., The Athletic reported Tuesday.,It is the first time the title contest will be held in the nation's capital, at the home of the Washington Spirit, since the 2022 season. The Portland Thorns defeated the Kansa...
Report: Changing course, NWSL not expected to vote on schedule flip
A highly-anticipated vote this week by the NWSL Board of Governors on a calendar flip is now not expected to take place, according to a Monday report by CBS Sports.,On April 17, reports indicated that the board of governors would vote on the issue, but those went unconfirmed by the league.,Currently...
NWSL awards expansion franchise to Columbus
The NWSL awarded an expansion franchise to Columbus on Tuesday, making the Ohio capital home to the league's 18th member starting in 2028.,The team is owned by the Haslam Sports Group, the Columbus-based Nationwide insurance company and Drs. Christine and Pete Edwards.,"As the NWSL continues its rap...
Report: NWSL nearing vote on calendar shift
The NWSL reportedly is considering a switch to a fall-to-spring schedule to align with other top soccer leagues -- including MLS. ,ESPN reported on Friday that the NWSL's board of governors is expected to vote on the issue later this month.,Currently, the NWSL season runs from March to November. Top...
NWSL roundup: Denver Summit held to goalless draw with Spirit in front of record crowd
Denver Summit FC's home opener in the franchise's inaugural season came with plenty of fanfare but no goals in a scoreless draw with the Washington Spirit in front of an NWSL record crowd Saturday at Denver., ,A turnout of 63,004 spectators at Empower Field at Mile High never saw a goal. The teams c...
NWSL roundup: Denver Summit knock off defending champ Gotham for 1st win
Denver Summit FC won their first match in club history in dramatic fashion, stunning defending champion and host Gotham FC 2-0 on Wednesday in Harrison, N.J.,Melissa Kossler became the second player in league history to score in team's first three regular-season matches in its inaugural season.,Koss...
NWSL roundup: Gotham FC beats Legacy in historic opener
Boston Legacy FC set an NWSL attendance record for an inaugural game with 30,207 fans filling Gillette Stadium, but Gotham FC played spoiler by notching a 1-0 win over the expansion club Saturday afternoon in Foxborough, Mass., ,Esther Gonzalez broke a scoreless draw in the 55th minute when teammate...
Report: Atlanta NWSL club signs record $28M jersey deal
Two years before making its NWSL debut, the Atlanta expansion club has landed a record front-of-jersey sponsorship deal with the insurance company Aflac, Sportico reported Wednesday.,The reported seven-year, $28 million deal is believed to be the richest jersey contract in women's sports history.,Th...
ESPN replacing 'Sunday Night Baseball' with WNBA, NWSL games
With "Sunday Night Baseball" moving to NBC this season, ESPN revealed Thursday it has elected to fill its premium Sunday slot with WNBA and NWSL games and ancillary coverage.,"Women's Sports Sundays" will debut in prime time this summer. ESPN said 12 live games and accompanying studio segments will ...
NWSL schedule features record 248 matches; World Cup has impact
The 2026 National Women's Soccer League schedule, released on Thursday, includes a record 248 games and the debuts of expansion teams in Boston and Denver.,The now 16-team league launches its 14th season on March 13, with each club playing a balanced 30-game slate of 15 home and 15 away matches.,The...
NWSLPA: 'Rodman rule' violates CBA, grievance filed
The NWSL Players Association filed a grievance with the league to call for the revocation of the new "High Impact Player" rule, contending it breaches the collective bargaining agreement and federal labor law.,The HIP mechanism announced in December permits NWSL clubs to exceed the salary cap by as ...
Report: Denver Summit FC adding Ayo Oke for NWSL record fee
Ayo Oke, a defender for Mexico's Pachuca, is joining Denver Summit FC for what would be an NWSL record transfer fee for an American player, according to an ESPN report Monday.,Denver, a 2026 expansion squad, will pay Liga MX Femenil's Pachuca nearly $450,000 for Oke, per the report. By comparison, i...
NWSL teams can exceed cap by $1M for 'high-impact players'
The NWSL introduced a new "High Impact Player Rule" on Tuesday that allows teams to exceed the salary cap by up to $1 million to help attract and retain star players.,The rule goes into effect on July 1, 2026.,"Ensuring our teams can compete for the best players in the world is critical to the conti...
Report: NWSL board voting on higher salaries for stars
The NSWL Board of Governors is in "advanced discussions" on a proposal that would allow higher salaries for star players, ESPN reported.,Team owners and league commissioner Jessica Berman are deciding whether to install a new roster mechanism that would allow teams to pay their best players amounts ...
U.S. star Rose Lavelle finally wears NWSL crown as Gotham wins title
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Rose Lavelle already was a queen of international football.,Now she is finally an NWSL champion after leading Gotham FC to the title, scoring the lone goal in a 1-0 win over the Washington Spirit on Saturday.,The 30-year-old U.S. women's national team star fired home an 18-yard l...
US star Rose Lavelle scores late to give Gotham FC another NWSL title
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Rose Lavelle already was a queen of international football.,Now she is finally an NWSL champion after leading Gotham FC to the title, scoring the lone goal in a 1-0 win over the Washington Spirit on Saturday.,The 30-year-old U.S. women's national team star fired home an 18-yard l...
Commissioner promises to 'fight' to keep Trinity Rodman in NWSL
SAN JOSE, Calif. --- The NWSL won't let Trinity Rodman go without a fight.,Commissioner Jessica Berman, speaking Thursday ahead of the league's championship match on Saturday, acknowledged that the possible pending exit of the Washington Spirit star is a major focus.,"Specifically as it relates to T...
NWSL officially awards 17th franchise to Atlanta
The National Women's Soccer League officially awarded its 17th franchise to Atlanta on Wednesday.,The team will be owned by Arthur Blank and operated by AMB Sports and Entertainment. Blank's sports portfolio also includes the NFL's Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United FC of MLS and Atlanta Drive Golf Clu...