The NWSL officially sealed the deal with Denver early Thursday, granting the league's 16th expansion team to the Mile High City for a planned 2026 debut.

To welcome the city's first-ever major league women's team, NWSL Denver is finalizing plans for a new purpose-built stadium and dedicated performance facility designed specifically for women athletes. 

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Controlled by Denver Sports Commission founder Rob Cohen, the ownership group behind Denver's $110 million expansion fee — the largest in US women's sports history — includes prominent Vail snow sports advocates the Borgen family as well as David and Molly Coors of brewing giant Molson Coors.

"As the NWSL continues its rapid growth, we knew it was critical to launch our 16th team in a city with a passionate sports culture and vibrant fan base," said NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman in a league statement. "With this ownership group's vision and dedication, we are confident that Denver NWSL will set new standards for excellence on and off the pitch."

Alyssa Thompson and Gisele Thompson of Angel City FC hold up their NWSL jerseys.
Sisters Alyssa Thompson and Gisele Thompson have both re-signed with NWSL side Angel City. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

NWSL stars double down

Existing NWSL teams also flexed their investment prowess this week, with multiple top athletes signing contract extensions across the league on Wednesday.

KC Current striker Temwa Chawinga, who record-breaking 2024 debut spanned 20 goals, the 2024 Golden Boot, and the NWSL MVP award, inked a deal that will keep her in Kansas City for the next three years.

"This year, we hope to bring the trophy home for the fans, for KC," Chawinga said in the club's statement. "My KC community has been incredible. All the support, it feels like home here."

On the West Coast, Angel City sister duo of 20-year-old forward Alyssa and 19-year-old defender Gisele Thompson also put pen to paper, with the young LA-born stars committing to ACFC through 2028.

With European clubs drawing top players away from the US, there's never been a more important time for the NWSL to put its money where its mouth is when it comes to player development and on-field success. 

Denver has officially won the bid to host the 16th NWSL team, Sportico reported Thursday.

The Colorado city put up a record $110 million expansion fee to join the surging league, with the team set to kick off in 2026.

Denver beat out bids by Cincinnati and Cleveland to secure the final spot in the NWSL's most recent expansion round. The league has not yet released a timeline for future growth.

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Denver NWSL campaign led by local investment group

More than double the $53 million paid by fellow NWSL entrant Boston, the steep price tag represents the largest expansion fee in US professional women's sports history.

IMA Financial Group CEO Robert Cohen serves as the Denver group's lead investor, with Sportico noting that the initial payment arrived on Tuesday. A longtime supporter of Denver-area athletics, Cohen currently sits on the board of the Denver Sports Advisory Committee as well as the Colorado Springs-based US Olympic and Paralympic Foundation.

The broader investment group subsequently includes For Denver FC, a campaign formed to support bringing the NWSL to Denver. Members span multiple backgrounds, with ex-USL executive Tom Dunmore and former NWSL player, soccer broadcaster, and host of JWS show The 91st Jordan Angeli representing the sports professionals.

According to The Athletic, the new team has discussed building its own stadium. However, they plan to launch in a temporary stadium until they're able to construct the new venue.

As of Tuesday, the NWSL is reportedly in exclusive talks to make Denver the home of the league's 16th team, with the Colorado city beating out bids from Cincinnati and Cleveland, the other two finalists previously announced by the league.

While the NWSL has yet to offer any details or timeline or even confirm the move, if true, Denver will join fellow expansion franchise Boston in making a 2026 season debut.

Led by IMA Financial Group CEO Robert Cohen, who will function as the team's control owner, the Denver NWSL bid group intends to build a soccer-specific stadium for their club. But with the runway to 2026 shortening, the group intends to secure temporary facilities while planning, designing, and constructing a permanent home.

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NWSL growth leads to ballooning expansion fees

The growing league is also expected to claim a record expansion fee from its 16th team, with insiders reporting that Denver's buy-in will likely come at a $105 million to $120 million price-tag.

That sum doubles the $53 million fees that 2024 expansion team Bay FC and the incoming Boston franchise shelled out in the last round of NWSL bids from new markets.

The swelling of expansion fees also mirrors the league's exploding valuations in recent years. According to Sportico, the average NWSL club is now worth $104 million, an increase of 57% over the 2023 average. Plus, this fall's sales of both Angel City FC and the San Diego Wave saw the clubs garner purchase prices of $250 million and $113 million, respectively.

Though further expansion is not currently on the books, the NWSL's increasing value and the additional markets hungry to enter the league signal that, sooner or later, even more cities will boast NWSL clubs of their own.

Three players exited Gotham FC in NWSL free agency last week, putting the NJ/NY club's superteam status in question as the early offseason brings a slew of roster shakeups.

Headlining the Gotham defectors is starting midfielder Delanie Sheehan, who notched two goals and logged the third-most minutes for the NWSL semifinalists last season. Sheehan will join the Houston Dash, inking a two-year contract with an addition option for the 2027 season last Wednesday.

Joining Sheehan in signing contracts with new clubs are defenders Maitane López, who joined the newly rebranded Chicago Stars FC on a two-year deal last Thursday, and Sam Hiatt, who inked a two-season contract with a 2027 option with the Portland Thorns on Friday.

Though Gotham has seen the biggest exodus since the end of the 2024 NWSL season, they're not the only club suffering losses. Last Wednesday, defender Madison Curry, who led Angel City in tackles by a mile with 45 in her 2024 rookie season, signed a three-year deal with the Seattle Reign.

Angel City rookie Madison Curry looks to dispossess Bay FC's Savy King during a 2024 NWSL game.
ACFC tackle specialist and new free agent Madison Curry signed a three-year contract with Seattle. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

NWSL salary cap, new CBA fuel player movement

Under the NWSL's new CBA, all players out of contract automatically become unrestricted free agents, giving athletes greater control over their professional and geographical futures as their careers progress.

Pay hikes, more playing time, and other personal and professional considerations influence player movement, encouraging league parity in light of the college draft's dissolution.

Along with individual athlete preferences and an exploding pool of free agents, NWSL front offices must still contend with the league's current salary cap. Illustrated by Sheehan's choice to join 2024 last-place Houston rather than stay with a Gotham side that won the 2023 championship and finished third last season, it can be difficult to maintain such hyper-talented rosters under the current salary cap.

This lineup reshuffling will only accelerate under the NWSL's planned two-team 2026 expansion, further burgeoning this new era of league-wide change.

Prior to Saturday's 2024 NWSL Championship game, commissioner Jessica Berman updated the media on the league's 2026 expansion plan.

With Boston already set to field the league's 15th team when the 2026 season kick off, the NWSL spent much of 2024 whittling applicant cities down to three finalists, with either Denver, Cleveland, or Cincinnati to be awarded the league's 16th franchise.

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Clark joins Cincinnati expansion group

One of the final trio of markets added a big name to their roster last week, with Cincinnati confirming that 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark has bought into the ownership group vying to bring the NWSL to southwest Ohio.

"Her passion for the sport, commitment to elevating women’s sports in and around the Greater Cincinnati region, and influence as an athlete and role model for women and girls around the world make her a vital part of our compelling bid to become the 16th team in the NWSL," the group said of its latest investor.

An NWSL game ball rests on top of a pedestal before a match.
Cincinnati and Cleveland's existing or upcoming infrastructure may sweeten their NWSL bids. (Ira L. Black - Corbis/Getty Images)

Ohio cities lead 2026 NWSL expansion bids

Besides their new superstar investor, Cincinnati has a leg up on the competition due to the city's existing soccer infrastructure. With MLS team FC Cincinnati's ownership leading the bid for an NWSL team, the market has both soccer ownership experience and a stadium built for the sport, all ready to welcome a women's club.

Meanwhile, the ownership groups in Cleveland and Denver both aim to construct soccer stadiums while their team would initially compete in temporary venues.

Of the two, Cleveland likely has the best shot at challenging fellow Ohio city Cincinnati. The state's northeast stronghold has already procured prime downtown land with the intention of breaking ground on an NWSL stadium.

Whichever market ultimately snags the league's 16th team must prepare to ante up top dollar, as the next expansion fee could near $100 million. Boston, along with 2024 expansion club Bay FC, both cut $53 million checks to enter the league, and the NWSL has continued to see soaring valuations since the pair's 2023 invitations.

This episode of 'The Late Sub' is presented in partnership with Visa.

In the latest episode of The Late Sub, podcast host and JWS staff writer Claire Watkins invites Bay FC center defensive midfielder Kiki Pickett into the studio to chat through the 2024 NWSL expansion's side banner first season — one, as Pickett reveals, where local support made all the difference.

"That love for women's sports is huge," the Santa Barbara native and Stanford grad says of her team's Northern California home. "And then we have the Valkyries coming in as well, so I think that's only just going to increase."

Throughout the conversation, Pickett looks back on other sources of support, including hands-on backing from team staff as well as a unique partnership with founding partner Visa that sees direct investment in current Bay FC players. In addition to investing in enhanced player benefits such as dedicated mental health support, Visa's partnership enables players to more efficiently earn the maximum amount of appearance fee compensation available under the NWSL's current CBA.

"I think that's been a huge advantage for us, knowing that they have our back on whatever it is — recovery, nutrition, mental balance," she says of Bay FC's Visa partnership. "Those are just the little details that get us above and beyond."

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Bay FC's rise from shaky start to 2024 NWSL Playoffs

Pickett then walks Watkins through the team's impressive mid-season turnaround, explaining how Bay FC became the perfect NWSL underdog before highlighting some of the most memorable moments from the team's record-breaking debut year.

"Every game has helped us learn and build our blocks," Pickett continues, reflecting on the team's journey from a shaky start to making last weekend's NWSL quarterfinals. "The mindset switch was, 'If we're so focused on defense, you've got to make sure the offense is correct. If we're so focused on offense, we've got to make sure our defense is correct.' We eventually put those two together, and it just clicked."

"Maybe people aren't talking about us in the beginning because we didn't have the best record," she adds. "Now people are talking about us."

Elsewhere in the episode, Watkins also takes time to recap this past weekend's NWSL quarterfinals, talking through blowouts, surprises, empty tanks, and why the league's top four teams continue to rule the pitch this year.

About The Late Sub with Claire Watkins

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.

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Set to take the pitch as the NWSL's 15th franchise in 2026, Boston's expansion team unveiled their official branding and promotional materials to markedly mixed reviews on Tuesday.

The team name, BOS Nation FC, is an anagram of Bostonian, a nickname the team describes as "worn proudly by millions across 23 neighborhoods and 48.4 square miles." 

The city's previous pro women's soccer team, the Boston Breakers, played in the folded WUSA and WPS before competing in the NWSL from 2013 through 2017. Boston was officially awarded an NWSL expansion team in September 2023.

Former NWSL star Alex Morgan runs in front of an NWSL LGBTQ+ Pride logo
BOS Nation's branding campaign drew criticism for being exclusionary and transphobic. (Ira L. Black - Corbis/Getty Images)

"Too Many Balls" campaign spurs backlash from NWSL players and fans

While enthusiasm for NWSL expansion continues, the team's "Too Many Balls" campaign drew wide criticism from fans and players alike. Many took to social media to post their concerns about the slogan's exclusionary gender-focused undertones, as well as the message's erasure of other Boston-based women's sports teams.

"As a Massachusetts native, I really want @NWSLBoston to succeed. I also want to shout out @PWHL_Boston, @BeantownRFC, and @GoRenegades as existing women's pro sports teams here to support!" posted former USWNT star Sam Mewis in response.

"The town and the players who will represent them deserve so much more," NWSL Players Association director Meghann Burke told The Athletic. "With the work that has gone into laying a strong foundation for Boston’s 2026 launch, I honestly did not perceive this team to be so unserious."

The overwhelming criticism was apparently unanticipated by the new franchise, as the team's branding release included a statement from Jennifer Epstein, the controlling owner of BOS Nation FC and a minority owner of the NBA's Boston Celtics.

"This is an important moment for women's sports in Boston — and for Bostonians to see that they are fully represented in the team name, brand identity, and even in the tongue-in-cheek tone of the unveil campaign," Epstein said in the release.

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Boston team acknowledges campaign missteps

The swift critiques prompted the incoming franchise to release a statement of apology on Wednesday.

Acknowledging that the campaign "missed the mark," the team apologized to the LGBTQ+ community and, more specifically, the trans community "for the hurt we caused."

"Thank you to all who have held us accountable by calling for us to do better," the statement continued. "We hear you and we will, together."

In addition to the apology, the club removed their "Too Many Balls" campaign and merchandise from their website, as well as deleted it from most social media channels.

On Thursday, Sportico reported​ that former Milwaukee Bucks owner Marc Lasry is close to finalizing a deal to buy a controlling stake in the NC Courage from the NWSL club's current owner, Steve Malik. The sale reportedly values the team at $108 million, with Lasry eyeing 60% of the club's ownership.

That valuation is more than double Sportico's 2023 assessment of the North Carolina club at $52 million, reflecting NWSL franchises's skyrocketing values.

The NWSL logo appears on a field video board.
Cleveland is making moves to host a future NWSL expansion club. (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Cleveland makes NWSL expansion moves

NWSL expansion also made Thursday headlines as Cleveland Metroparks and franchise bid-leaders Cleveland Soccer Group announced their intention to build a women's soccer-specific stadium downtown, with the express purpose of bringing a new NWSL franchise to the city.

The newly purchased 13.6 acres slated to house the stadium is directly across the street from the Cleveland Guardians's Progressive Field, surrounded by businesses and infrastructure already set up to support thousands of fans.

Should Cleveland's bid be accepted, the project would become the first newly constructed professional women's sports stadium backed by a public-private partnership. 

NWSL MVP favorite Trinity Rodman on the field for the Washington Spirit.
Spirit star Trinity Rodman has eight goals and six assists on the season. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Top-table NWSL teams face off in weekend clash

As the 2024 MVP race tightens, two of the NWSL's most exciting forwards will square off in Friday's top-table clash. Trinity Rodman's Washington Spirit will travel to Kansas City to take on Temwa Chawinga's Current. Last month, the Spirit handed KC a 4-1 defeat.

Chawinga leads the Golden Boot race​ with 15 goals and six assists in regular-season play, while Rodman has been a post-OIympic break standout. Her eight goals and six assists have helped lead second-place Washington to their first postseason berth since 2021.

How to watch Kansas City Current vs. Washington Spirit

Fourth-place KC will look to clinch a trip to the playoffs against Washington Friday night at 8 PM ET, with live coverage on Prime Video.

International Soccer Summer isn’t over quite yet, with Bay FC hosting FC Barcelona tonight in the first of the storied Spanish side's two-match US friendly tour.

The reigning European champions will round out their trip against the just-launched USL Super League's Dallas Trinity DC in Texas on Friday.

Bay FC players Rachael Kundananj and Joelle Anderson celebrate a goal
Rachael Kundananji and Bay FC will take on Barcelona tonight. (Lyndsay Radnedge/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

NWSL expansion team Bay FC no stranger to bold moves

Inviting a club of Barça’s caliber for a midseason friendly is just the latest in a series of bold moves by the new NWSL franchise. The club has been all-in from the start, one-upping a record-setting expansion fee to bring the NWSL to the Bay Area before shelling out a world-record transfer fee for Zambian forward Rachael Kundananji in February.

At 10th-place in the standings with nine matches left, Bay FC is within striking distance of the NWSL's eight-team postseason cutoff. If they can close that gap, they'll become just the second expansion team to make the playoffs in their first season.

Bay FC striker Asisat Oshoala takes a shot
Barça-turned Bay FC striker Asisat Oshoala scored the NWSL expansion club's first-ever goal in the franchise's March debut. (Jose Moreno/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Ex-Barcelona standout Oshoala faces her former club

Tonight's match will likely feature Nigerian striker Asisat Oshoala, who joined Bay FC in February after five seasons with Barcelona. The six-time African Player of the Year helped the Spanish club to four Liga F trophies and two Champions League titles. She remains their fourth all-time leading scorer with 117 goals in 162 appearances.

When asked about playing her old team, Oshoala told reporters, "It will be weird. I hope I don’t pass it to the wrong team thinking this is my teammate. But it will be fun, I’m excited they will be here."

How to watch Bay FC play Barcelona on Thursday

Catch the international club friendly between Bay FC and Barcelona tonight at 10 PM ET, with live streaming coverage on ESPN+.

On Thursday, the NWSL Players Association (NWSLPA) and NWSL announced their new collective bargaining agreement (CBA)‌, with the agreement laying out major implications for the league, its growth, and its players.

Less than two years into the NWSL's first-ever CBA (ratified in 2022), the expanding league invited the NWSLPA to renegotiate last fall. The original CBA raised minimum salaries, introduced free agency, set safety and health standards, and provided player housing and transportation.

The new CBA runs through 2030, with a performance-based reopening trigger to ensure future revenue is equitably shared.

NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman speaks at the 2023 college draft.
The NWSL's new CBA immediately eliminates of entry and expansion drafts. (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

CBA makes NWSL the first pro US league to eliminate drafts

The most significant changes in today's agreement revolve around career choice, starting with the elimination of both college and expansion drafts.

The NWSL is the first pro US sports league to grant incoming athletes control over their placement, establishing a system more akin the college recruiting process. According to the terms, players will automatically become free agents once their current contracts expire and can no longer be traded without prior consent.

Workload management — including guaranteed breaks and new travel and scheduling models — was also addressed.

In addition to minimum base salary requirements, teams now must divert a percentage of their revenue toward player compensation.

Angel City NWSL team at a press conference
ACFC sold for a record $250 million in July. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

NWSL growth key to new NWSLPA bargaining agreement

Given the NWSL’s $240 million media rights deal and record-breaking team valuations, the NWSLPA is continuing to ensure the league passes along those gains, from doubling the salary cap last January to today’s renegotiated CBA.

The deal also offers the NWSL the ability to lead the pro sports charge when it comes to transparency and putting players first.