Ambition is defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as “a strong wish to achieve something.” Merriam-Webster more explicitly defines it as “an ardent desire for rank, fame, or power.”
Women’s sports have become a battleground for ambitious businesspeople looking to get involved at the ground level, and that has led to a transformational few years of business for the National Women’s Soccer League, which recently added a Denver franchise for a $110 million expansion fee — 50 times higher than from about five years ago.
Soaring valuations have led to rapid investment across the NWSL, but the growth isn’t uniform. Some teams are spending more and — of equal importance — have clear visions of where that growth will take them. Others are spending less or toiling in uncertainty as they risk getting left behind.
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Which teams are leading the NWSL to its big and bright future? Which teams are just trying to keep up? Introducing the second annual edition of our NWSL Ambition Rankings, an idea originally inspired by the late Grant Wahl’s work in MLS.
What’s new this year: We reached out to all 14 active NWSL teams to ask them to tell us something we don’t know and provide real numbers and facts around their ambitions. Some replied, some didn’t. There is news in these rankings.
The categories are the same as last year, although we’ve introduced half-points to account for nuance. Each category is scored from 1-5, with 1 being poor, 3 being average and 5 representing best in class.
1. Willingness to spend on players
2. Willingness to spend on stadium and training facilities
3. Creativity, innovation and willingness to try something new
4. Clear long-term vision for club
5. Staffing investment, on and off field
6. Local media market relevance and attendance
Everything is relative, too: Though a club might be good in one area of business and ambition, other clubs might set a higher standard. And though some clubs have stated ambitions, others have gone out and gotten things done since last year.
How much has changed since last year? Let’s get to it.
Last year was an unmitigated disaster for a Dash franchise that already had issues, and now the team is being publicly shopped for a new investor. The team maintains that conclusions could range from a full sale to additional investors or even no sale at all, but the succinct reality is that the team is for sale, and it’s fair to speculate what its future in the market even looks like given Houston’s historical struggles and the uptick in interest from groups wanting to join the NWSL.
Yes, the Dash had a relatively encouraging offseason, headlined by the additions of forward Yazmeen Ryan, head coach Fabrice Guatrat and president Angela Hucles Mangano. But we’re talking about ambition and long-term vision around the club at large here, and a franchise being on the market only compounds the air of uncertainty.
Player spend: 4
Facilities: 4
Creativity: 3
Long-term vision: 1
Staffing: 3
Local relevance: 2
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TOTAL: 17/30
Chicago has moved out of last place, where it was in last year’s rankings, and the Stars might have the most potential for growth in the coming year if they can find solutions to key issues.
The stadium is the major one. Majority owner Laura Ricketts has openly discussed the team’s desire to build its own stadium, scoring the Stars high marks for long-term vision and is accounted for with facilities. Still, the team’s lease in suburban Bridgeview expires at the end of the year. And will a new stadium happen especially at a time when the Bears, White Sox and Fire are also looking for their own solutions?
The Stars have added dedicated team spaces in the stadium and expanded staffing as a sign of upward momentum. Their desire to distance themselves from the past makes sense,Oh but the recent rebrand was a big step backward in creativity, something that was once considered a strength of the franchise.
Player spend: 3
Facilities: 3.5
Creativity: 3
Long-term vision: 4
Staffing: 3.5
Local relevance: 2.5
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TOTAL: 19.5/30
The Royals got off to a rough start in their return to the league in 2024, but the late-season turnaround came in part thanks to increased spending on high-quality players. The trend continued into the offseason even though it should have taken place ahead of their relaunch.
Utah has its own dedicated training space (with an unbeatable mountain view) amid the club’s larger base camp, which is a big plus. The team’s stadium was built in the earlier days of the MLS facilities boom, but it’s right in the mix as a solid, soccer-specific venue.
On and off the field, the grand vision is still more of a work in progress after some lost time in 2024. Is this a team that wants to be a world-beater, a model NWSL franchise, or just a solid franchise within its market?
Player spend: 3
Facilities: 4
Creativity: 3
Long-term vision: 3
Staffing: 3.5
Local relevance: 3.5
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TOTAL: 20/30
The Courage pulled off the most shocking acquisition of the offseason by trading for United States star Jaedyn Shaw. The move both improves the team on the field and shows that North Carolina is a destination, despite the perception that it’s a small market.
Facilities remain a big appeal for players. Though the team has invested $1 million in its stadium, the venue still lacks modern and luxurious amenities that most sports fans expect. The Courage are still trying to more consistently fill the stands of the smallest stadium in the league, and the idea of a downtown stadium hasn’t made tangible progress in years. They’ve since enlisted creative agencies to better spread the word locally.
The team was also on the brink of being sold last year before the deal collapsed. The Courage will continue to need more capital to keep up, meaning talks of a sale are probably far from over.
Player spend: 3.5
Facilities: 4
Creativity: 3
Long-term vision: 3
Staffing: 3.5
Local relevance: 3.5
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TOTAL: 20.5/30
T-10. RACING LOUISVILLE FC (Last year: 7)
Racing‘s year-over-year drop in these rankings isn’t about things drastically changing for the worse there; rather, it’s a reflection of how much is happening around the rest of the NWSL.
Facilities in Louisville are still top-notch and serve as a huge selling point for players. The club is still struggling at the gate, and a fourth consecutive ninth-place finish didn’t help. Racing’s player budget is closer to the cap than one might expect, but the looming question asked around the league is whether Louisville has a long-term future in the NWSL given how things are trending.
Player spend: 4
Facilities: 5
Creativity: 3.5
Long-term vision: 2
Staffing: 3
Local relevance: 3
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TOTAL: 20.5/30
9. SEATTLE REIGN FC (Last year: 11)
Last offseason, the Reign were stuck in neutral as a club in the process of being sold, and it hurt the team in the free agent market. This offseason, the picture was much clearer, and the addition of USWNT forward Lynn Biyendolo (nee Williams) proved it.
Also, their relationship with the Seattle Sounders is starting to take shape. The direct overlap in ownership and now, front office personnel should help stabilize a club that has long been part of the ethos of the NWSL but has too regularly faced some existential questions.
Sounders attendance dwarfs that of the Reign in the same building. As much as the Reign has long been uniquely Seattle, the team still needs to drastically boost its local relevance in tangible ways at the gate. This year will be a better litmus test.
Player spend: 3.5
Facilities: 3.5
Creativity: 4
Long-term vision: 4
Staffing: 4
Local relevance: 3
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TOTAL: 22/30
San Diego led the league in attendance last year and briefly held the record for highest team valuation. The Wave stormed onto the scene on and off the field as an expansion team in 2022 and, along with Angel City, ushered in a new era of ambition for the NWSL.
But last year was marred by problems, which has led to the club hitting a huge reset button this offseason. Six former employees are suing the Wave and the NWSL over workplace treatment. The Wave also lost their four highest-profile players in addition to the shocking firing of former coach Casey Stoney and recent departure of Jill Ellis as president. All of which leads to valid questions about the long-term vision.
The Wave recently made upgrades to their training facilities, although the hunt for a permanent training home is ongoing. (A club spokesperson said they aim to secure land by the end of the year.)
Snapdragon Stadium, which hosted the 2023 NWSL Championship, was also the source of embarrassment late last year because of field issues that might get worse with the arrival of an MLS team that claims to be the priority tenant. A new surface was recently installed at Snapdragon, but it’s a situation worth monitoring.
Player spend: 4
Facilities: 3.5
Creativity: 4
Long-term vision: 3.5
Staffing: 3.5
Local relevance: 4
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TOTAL: 22.5/30
6. BAY FC (Last year: 5)
Bay FC recently announced that it’s building a dedicated training facility on Treasure Island in San Francisco. The team notably secured the land and got the deal done ahead of several other clubs who have had more lead time — and in the most expensive real estate market in the country — which is a statement of intent.
Also new is the recent launch of a multiclub collective that will aim to buy up other global teams and leverage resources at scale, an in-vogue practice. But there are legitimate questions about staffing and culture, from the recent hiring (and resignation a week later) of scout Graeme Abel, who faced allegations of abuse in his former job, to a new investigation into head coach Albertin Montoya and the coaching staff for creating an allegedly “toxic” environment.
Player spend: 5
Facilities: 5
Creativity: 3.5
Long-term vision: 4
Staffing: 3
Local relevance: 3.5
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TOTAL: 24/30
