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NWSL expansion in 2026: Breaking down potential locations

Minnesota Aurora FC fans cheer on their team, which submitted a bid for the NWSL’s 2024 round of expansion. (Jeremy Olson/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

The NWSL plans to add two more expansion teams in 2026, but where?

When commissioner Jessica Berman revealed the league’s plans, she did not offer any clue as to possible destinations. The two new teams in 2026 will bring the league total to 16, double the number of the inaugural season in 2013.

While the 2023 season features 12 teams, two are set to debut in 2024 in Utah and in the Bay Area. And the league reportedly has a deal in place for Boston for the 2026 round of expansion, as the Wall Street Journal reported in January.

So who are the other potential frontrunners for 2026? Just Women’s Sports takes a look, from Minnesota to Miami.

Minnesota

The Minnesota Aurora FC ownership group submitted a bid for expansion last time around and could be a contender once again. The USL W League club, founded in 2022, already has a large following – averaging 5,000 fans per game, which is better than some NWSL clubs – and in March announced a local television deal for home games.

It’s a community-owned club, however, and the lack of a significant financial backer stood in Aurora FC’s way in their first NWSL push. In a statement in December, club leaders acknowledged that “the timeline proved too short for us to secure the necessary investments to join a professional league for 2024.” Expansion fees for the Bay Area club set a record with a $53 million price tag, with the club planning a $125 million total investment. But that doesn’t mean Aurora FC couldn’t find those investments for a 2026 expansion.

One option could be Minnesota Vikings owners Mark and Zygi Wilf. Aurora FC already play their home games at the Vikings’ practice facility, TCO Stadium. But there is one problem: the Wilfs already own the Orlando Pride (and MLS’s Orlando City) and would not be able to own two NWSL teams. So to make this happen, the Vikings owners would have to either move the Pride to Minnesota or sell their stake in the Orlando clubs.

Of course, the Aurora have options outside of the Vikings. Another possibility would be to join forces with MLS club Minnesota United FC (as well as owner Bill McGuire). If Aurora FC can solve their funding issue, they would be a no-brainer addition to the NWSL.

Nashville

Home to MLS club Nashville SC and a brand-new stadium in GEODIS Park, Nashville could be a natural city for expansion as the facilities already exist. Already the city is home to the Nashville Rhythm, an amateur team that plays in the Women’s Premier Soccer League, and the NWSL could represent a natural evolution for the city.

“I think that it would be nice to see an NWSL team here,” U.S. women’s national team head coach Vlatko Andonovski said in February. “I think that there will be a good stadium, a good environment and it’s very obvious that Nashville supports soccer.”

Certainly Nashville has proved it can draw a women’s soccer crowd. The USWNT’s SheBelieves Cup match at GEODIS Park in February drew a crowd of 25,471. While the USWNT traditionally draw great numbers anyway, it proved Nashville as a contender for NWSL expansion.

“We’ve been here [in Nashville] a couple of times and obviously playing in a soccer-specific stadium is the best-case scenario, having 25,000 [fans] like this where the crowd is energetic and it’s fun,” USWNT forward Alex Morgan said. “The pitch is perfect. It was actually a great game for us. So hopefully there are more NWSL teams and Nashville would be a great candidate for that.”

Philadelphia

The City of Brotherly Love hosted this year’s NWSL draft, and while no formal bids from Philadelphia materialized in the 2024 round of expansion bids, that doesn’t mean there couldn’t be in the future.

Philadelphia has previously hosted a professional women’s soccer team in the WPS, and while it does not have an NWSL club, that doesn’t mean it’s not a soccer city. In August 2019, the USWNT drew 49,504 fans at Lincoln Financial Field, making it the most-attended USWNT friendly game in history.

But there could be some issues, as Philadelphia is within the market of NJ/NY Gotham FC. Already Gotham has played some matches at Subaru Park, home of the MLS’s Philadelphia Union.

Atlanta

Like Philadelphia, Atlanta is no stranger to women’s professional soccer. Home to the Atlanta Beat in the days of the WPS, there have been talks of an NWSL expansion team for a long time. Back in 2019, then-Atlanta United FC president Darren Eales noted that while the MLS club hadn’t considered adding a women’s team, it seemed inevitable.

“From our perspective, we haven’t considered a women’s team – yet,” he said. “As we look to the future, given the continued growth of the women’s game and women’s soccer, it clearly is going to be on our radar. It probably will be sooner rather than later.”

While Eales is no longer president of the club, his words hold merit if Atlanta had a strong case in the 2024 expansion round, as reported last May. Atlanta United FC leaders did not make any public promises, simply stating that they had “several productive conversations with the league.” But if those conversations progress as the league prepares to expand once again, Atlanta could land a team.

Austin

Another MLS ownership group with interest in an NWSL team, as reported last year, Austin FC brought a brand new stadium to their city when they launched in 2021. The USWNT played in Austin in 2021 and again this April, and the city has garnered rave reviews from USWNT players.

“When we walked in, my first words were, ‘Is Austin getting a women’s team?’” defender Midge Purce said back in 2021. “I think it looks amazing. I think that it would raise the standard all across the league. If that’s the epitome of what we’re reaching for, I’m really fine with that.”

And Purce isn’t the only one.

“I think Austin would be a great fit for the NWSL,” USWNT goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher said in 2022 during a training camp in Austin. “I think the facilities here are great, they’ve done a phenomenal job with the resources that they have. I would love to see a women’s team here someday. I think they would be an ideal location.”

The city has yet to strike iron on an NWSL expansion bid. And while the city has merits, a progressive league like the NWSL also has to consider women’s rights and the safety of its players, so the Texas legislature could present an issue.

Miami

Miami might sound like an out-of-the-box expansion option, but it could just be a matter of time before the NWSL makes its move to the Florida city.

DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale could provide a home for a women’s pro soccer team, as it’s also home to MLS club Inter Miami FC. Miami is also no stranger to women’s soccer matches, having hosted the USWNT last November. And Inter Miami owner David Beckham has made known in the past that he would be open to women’s professional soccer coming to the area.

“At the moment, we have a blank canvas so we want to create a community with our club. It’s not just being a MLS team, which obviously we are. We want to be a global team,” Beckham said when announcing the launch of Inter Miami. “But we want to have other outlets and other reaches. And if that means we have a women’s academy and a women’s team, then that’s what we want to aim for.

“We are starting from the ground up. We are building a club and a community, so there’s many different things this team can do.”

While Inter Miami’s launch as an expansion team was a bit of a hot mess, one would hope that a NWSL expansion club could learn from past mistakes and bring another vibrant community and city into the league.

Atlanta Dream Face Seattle Storm in 1st Regular-Season WNBA Canada Game

Atlanta Dream center Brittney Griner defends as Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams drives to the basket during a 2025 WNBA game.
The Atlanta Dream and Seattle Storm head to Vancouver for the first-ever in-season WNBA Canada Game on Saturday. (Scott Eklund/NBAE via Getty Images)

The WNBA is taking a weekend road trip, as the No. 2 Atlanta Dream and No. 8 Seattle Storm head across the border to Vancouver, British Columbia, for the league's first-ever in-season Canada Game on Friday night.

The game features a rematch of Atlanta's 85-75 win over the Storm on Wednesday, with the win propelling the Dream up the WNBA standings — and threatening to drop Seattle out of postseason contention entirely.

"Time is running out, and the team knows it," Seattle head coach Noelle Quinn said earlier this week. "I didn't want to put so much pressure on them, but they know the situation, and they understand the urgency."

While Friday marks the first regular-season WNBA matchup played outside the US, the league has previously staged two preseason games in Canada, tipping off in Toronto in 2023 and Edmonton in 2024 — both in front of sold-out crowds.

Toronto's 2023 exhibition appeared to serve as a trial run for expansion, with the league awarding the Canadian city its first franchise — the 2026-incoming Toronto Tempo — earlier this year.

While plans for a formal move to Vancouver hasn't yet surfaced, the WNBA's explosive popularity and rapid growth outlook provide plenty of room for new markets to enter the conversation.

How to watch the 2025 WNBA Canada Game

The No. 8 Seattle Storm and No. 2 Atlanta Dream will square off inside Vancouver's Rogers Arena at 10 PM ET on Friday night.

Live coverage of the WNBA Canada Game clash will air on ION.

Washington Mystics Shift 2025 Season Strategy as WNBA Playoffs Near

The Washington Mystics huddle and celebrate a 2025 WNBA win.
The Washington Mystics have won just three of their last 10 games following a series of strategic trades. (Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

Coming off a series of strategic transactions, the No. 10 Washington Mystics will forge ahead on Friday night, taking on the short-staffed No. 6 Indiana Fever with a chance to play spoiler as they reshape their 2025 expectations from below the postseason cutoff line.

"There's just so many different success stories with this group," Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson said following Washington's 88-83 loss to the No. 7 Golden State Valkyries on Wednesday.

The Mystics have lost five of their last six games, and will take the court on Friday without injured new addition Jacy Sheldon and starting center Shakira Austin.

While Washington exceeded this year's early-season projections — skyrocketing above the playoff line behind leading scorer Brittney Sykes and the dynamic rookie duo of Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron — the now-fading Mystics chose to shift gears at the trade deadline, sending Sykes to the No. 8 Seattle Storm and shipping second-year forward Aaliyah Edwards off to the No. 13 Connecticut Sun.

With their natural 2026 draft pick secured, Washington has a shot at adding a top first-round prospect should they play out the rest of the regular season at the bottom of the WNBA standings — in other words, by strategically tanking the final weeks of 2025 play.

On the other hand, the injury-laden Indiana enters Friday's action eyeing a win after falling to the No. 11 Dallas Wings by just one point on Tuesday.

How to watch the Washington Mystics vs. Indiana Fever on Friday

The No. 10 Mystics will take on the No. 6 Fever in Indianapolis at 7:30 PM ET on Friday, with live coverage airing on ION.

No. 1 Kansas City Current Battles No. 2 Orlando Pride in a Clash of the NWSL Titans

Orlando Pride forward Ally Watt slide tackles Kansas City Current forward Nichelle Prince during a 2025 NWSL match.
The No. 1 Kansas City Current will enter Saturday's match against No. 2 Orlando with a 12-point lead over the Pride. (Dustin Markland/NWSL via Getty Images)

A top-table battle headlines the NWSL this weekend, as the No. 1 Kansas City Current hosts the No. 2 Orlando Pride for a possible postseason rehearsal on Saturday.

Led by Golden Boot frontrunner Temwa Chawinga, the Current enter the weekend with a full 12-point lead over the rest of the league, as reigning NWSL Shield and Championship winners Orlando push to make a statement.

"We are resilient. That is part of our identity. We never give up and we are always playing to win, and we always believe in ourselves," Pride defender Kylie Nadaner said following last Saturday's 1-1 draw with Racing Louisville.

More than just a clash between the top two teams in the NWSL standings, history shows very little love lost between these perennial heavy-hitters.

Last season, Orlando snapped KC's NWSL-record 17-game unbeaten streak on the Current's home turf, then took Kansas City down again in the pair's 2024 semifinal playoff match.

"We will remember the way they acted after the cameras were off," Current forward Michelle Cooper posted to social media after their July 2024 loss.

Kansas City has already issued some regular-season revenge on their way up the table this year, defeating the Pride 1-0 back in May.

How to watch Kansas City vs. Orlando this NWSL weekend

The No. 1 Current will kick off against the No. 2 Pride at 4 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage airing on CBS.

NBA 2K26 Adds WNBA Players to MyTEAM Mode

Avatars of WNBA star Angel Reese and former NBA icon Shaq play together in the NBA2K video game.
Video game NBA2K incorporated WNBA players into MyTEAM mode for the first time this week. (NBA 2K26)

NBA 2K is going all in on the WNBA, with the popular video game expanding its MyTEAM mode this week to allow athletes from both leagues to star on the same team when the 2K26 edition drops next month.

"MyTEAM is where competition meets a basketball fan's wildest imagination," explained Visual Concepts VP of NBA development Erick Boenisch. "By integrating the WNBA into one of our most popular modes, we're not only giving players the opportunity to customize their all-time dream rosters but shining a spotlight on some of the game's most iconic hoopers. We're looking forward to giving our players a new and deeper way to engage with the WNBA."

"Players can now mix and match current superstars and legends from both leagues, and compete with more dream lineup combinations than ever before," NBA 2K said in Thursday's release.

"Pair Paige Bueckers with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, throw a lob from Sheryl Swoopes to Shaquille O'Neal, or run a pick-and-roll with Angel Reese and Carmelo Anthony," the franchise continued.

NBA 2K has ramped up its WNBA integration significantly since the league's debut in the 2K20 edition, expanding from Play Now and Season modes to the upcoming 2K26 version's virtual press conferences, pre-draft interviews, social media refreshes, and Top-10 player ratings.

How to buy the WNBA Edition of NBA 2K26

With Chicago Sky sophomore Angel Reese playing cover star, the WNBA Edition of NBA 2K26 will be sold exclusively in physical form at GameStop, dropping along with the other versions of the popular video game on September 5th.

Fans can purchase the WNBA version through the gaming retailer's presale now.

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