The Washington Spirit have a new look.
The NWSL club unveiled its kits for the 2023 season, revealing a fresh black and white colorway in place of its traditional red, white and blue. And the kits could be just the start of the changes for the club, which is in the midst of a rebrand.
“Everything is on the table” during the rebrand, team owner Y. Michele Kang said, including the team colors and even the team name.
“We’re trying to get input from the fans, the community, the players and so forth,” Kang said Wednesday at a season premiere event. “So I can’t predict, we’ve got a lot of experts working with us so we’re gonna be very careful, the fans’ input is very important. At the end of the day they identify with us, it’s not just the name but overall the kind of vision and philosophy behind us.”
Making a new statement 🖤 pic.twitter.com/Ue8khTkVpl
— Washington Spirit (@WashSpirit) March 1, 2023
The 2023 kits represent the first step in the rebrand, according to Kang, although it’s unclear if that means the black and white are here to stay. The kits also feature a chrome version of the team logo.
“When the Spirit takes the pitch this season at Audi Field, the new kits and crest reflect our unmistakable posture – we play to win,” Kang stated in a team release. “The same attitude will be apparent to our fans in the stadium as we deliver great excitement from start to finish.”
The Spirit will wear an all-black look at home. For road games, the team will wear white jerseys, though whether the Spirit will wear white or black shorts with those jerseys remains up in the air. The team has made a request to the league to wear black shorts, in line with the Orlando Pride’s recent change to make players more comfortable while on their periods.
“Our message to fans is as clear as our new kit colors. We are here to play world-class soccer,” midfielder Tori Huster said. “In addition to the tremendous investment that has gone into the team, our players are working tirelessly in training to prepare for the season. We can’t wait to take the field in the home opener this month.”