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USL W League Celebrates Addition of 30th Founding Member for the 2022 Season

By USLWLeague.com Staff, 12/02/21, 2:00PM EST

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30th club marks membership milestone for the women’s pre-professional league

TAMPA, Fla.- The United Soccer League today announced the addition of Chicago Dutch Lions FC to the USL W League, marking a league milestone of 30 founding members for the 2022 inaugural season. 

“When we launched the W League in June, our intention was to have a well-rounded membership of at least 30 clubs by May 2022,” said Betsy Haugh, USL Director of Women’s Soccer Operations. “Today, we celebrate that milestone and recognize the investment that each one of these clubs has made in growing the women’s game here in the United States. With an increase in interest from additional clubs across the U.S., we will continue to grow the league to its fullest potential in preparation for kickoff in 2022.” 

The W League’s founding membership includes five clubs from the USL Championship, three clubs from USL League One, 17 clubs from USL League Two and five new USL expansion clubs. The robust membership will bring pre-professional women’s soccer to 30 markets across the U.S. and expand the League’s footprint to major metros, including Charlotte, Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, New York City, St. Louis, Tampa and Washington D.C. 

“The momentum we have seen in the W League is a reflection of the increased investment in women’s soccer across the country and the world,” said Joel Nash, Vice President of Youth & Pre-Professional. “Communities are asking to see more women’s soccer in their backyards and players are asking for more opportunities to continue their careers. We are thrilled that the W League will be able to provide upwards of 750 playing opportunities to our players and bring more women’s soccer to communities that are passionate about the women’s game.”

As the W League prepares for kickoff in May 2022, fans can expect to see more news regarding the league’s career development program, partnership activations and operating policies in the coming months. 

For a full list of USL W League founding members visit, www.uslwleague.com/league-teams

For more information about the USL W League and to stay up to date with all forthcoming expansion announcements, visit uslwleague.com and follow the W League on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

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