USL W League

The USL W League, also known as the USLW, is a U.S. women’s soccer league established in 2022. It is administered by the United Soccer League (USL) but is not sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), rendering it a pre-professional league for amateur players.

Since its inception, the league has expanded significantly, starting with 44 teams in its inaugural season and growing to 80 by 2024. The championship follows a spring-to-summer schedule, with the regular season running from May to June/July and playoffs in July.

USL W League teams are divided into Eastern, Central, Western, and Southern conferences, each containing several divisions. Clubs compete against divisional opponents during the regular season, with the top 1-2 teams from each group advancing to the playoffs depending on their size. The USL W League playoffs consist of four rounds: conference semifinals, conference finals, national semifinals, and the USL W League Championship Game, which determines the overall champion. All playoff matches follow a single-elimination format.

South Georgia Tormenta FC won the inaugural USL W League title in 2022, defeating Minnesota Aurora FC 2-1 in extra time. North Carolina Courage U23 reached the Championship Game in the following two seasons but fell short in its first try, losing to Indy Eleven in 2023 before claiming the title in 2024.