Jeff Kassouf
Mar 11, 2025, 07:39 AM ET
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.
14. HOUSTON DASH (Last year: 13)
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
13. CHICAGO STARS FC (Last year: 14)
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
12. UTAH ROYALS (Last year: 10)
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
T-10. NORTH CAROLINA COURAGE (Last year: 12)
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
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T-7. NJ/NY GOTHAM FC (Last year: 9)
Gotham has the distinctive challenge of being a greater New York team, which makes success relative. Majority owner Carolyn Tisch Blodgett previously told ESPN that her goal is to make Gotham "one of the best global sports franchises, period," and Gotham has made incremental gains.
The team has leveraged more aggressive marketing in the New York area to improve attendance and secure some sponsorships that rank among the highest grossing in the NWSL. There has been noticeable staffing turnover, but there have been some creative positions added behind the scenes to improve operational departments like player travel.
New York is a saturated market, and Gotham is also still trying to appeal to New Jersey. Red Bull Arena is the best available venue right now -- but maybe not their forever home -- and there are long-term questions around a training facility.
Player spend: 4
Facilities: 3.5
Creativity: 4
Long-term vision: 4
Staffing: 4
Local relevance: 3
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TOTAL: 22.5/30
T-7. SAN DIEGO WAVE FC (Last year: 3)
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
5. ORLANDO PRIDE (Last year: 8)
Orlando's rise in the rankings is not simply about a historic double-trophy season in 2024. The Pride reached the NWSL summit through aggressive, expensive roster moves and good business that continued this offseason. The team had the highest payroll in the NWSL in 2024, with an average base salary of $120,000.
Winning also has paid off at the gate with a 40% year-over-year increase in season tickets. One Pride game drew a crowd of 17,087 fans last year, so there is progress. Those new fans are also getting a better experience after $6 million in recent stadium upgrades. Orlando also recently added 12 dedicated business roles to the Pride operation, an important distinction among teams that share ownership with men's teams.
After years of futility, Orlando finds itself setting a lot of bars in the NWSL.
Player spend: 5
Facilities: 3.5
Creativity: 5
Long-term vision: 4
Staffing: 4
Local relevance: 3
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TOTAL: 24.5/30
T-3. PORTLAND THORNS (Last year: 6)
In September, the Bhathal family (through RAJ Sports, primary owners) was awarded a WNBA expansion franchise to begin play in Portland in 2026. Last month, the group announced plans for a first-of-its-kind training center -- estimated to cost $150 million -- that the Thorns and the WNBA team will share, with their own dedicated spaces.
It's a unique NWSL-WNBA partnership in Portland, scoring major points for creativity, long-term vision and facilities -- all of which were a little murky this time last year during a transition from previous ownership.
Portland has long been one of the best markets in the NWSL, and the Thorns were third in average attendance in 2024 by a margin of nearly 5,000 fans per game. There's work to do on the field to meet those same standards.
Player spend: 4
Facilities: 4.5
Creativity: 4
Long-term vision: 4.5
Staffing: 3.5
Local relevance: 5
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TOTAL: 25.5/30
T-3. WASHINGTON SPIRIT (Last year: 4)
Last year was the Spirit's coming-out party amid growing investment. The team finished second in the league and made it to the NWSL Championship, tying Orlando's new wins record (18) after making the most high-profile coaching hire in league history.
Off the field, attendance increased dramatically, to just under 14,000 fans per game, making Audi Field one of the liveliest venues in the league. Washington aims to reach 16,000 fans per game in 2025, and its 71% year-over-year growth in full season tickets ranks highest in the league, the club says. The club has also tripled staffing since Michele Kang became majority owner in 2022.
Kang has put the Spirit at the center of a multiclub ownership model that includes European powerhouse Lyon. A Spirit spokesperson says that the club is "getting closer" to announcing plans for a dedicated training facility, something Kang has openly discussed.
There are still some questions as to the direction of the club's ongoing rebrand, but it hasn't hurt business.
Player spend: 4.5
Facilities: 3.5
Creativity: 4
Long-term vision: 4.5
Staffing: 5
Local relevance: 4
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TOTAL: 25.5/30
2. ANGEL CITY FC (Last year: 2)
Angel City FC is the most valuable club in the NWSL after its recent sale for a league-record $250 million valuation. Club leadership, now led by new majority owners Willow Bay and Bob Iger (CEO of Disney, the parent company of ESPN) has a stated ambition of becoming the first billion-dollar women's sports franchise in the world. That's billion, with a "b" -- a different stratosphere from just about every other team in the league.
Angel City's vision is to become a global brand (a buzzword term you'll hear across the league, but most tangibly in action in Los Angeles), and the team scores major creativity points for its sponsorship model that gives back to the local community ($3.3 million to date with $7 million committed to the next three years, according to the team).
The recent opening of a dedicated training center is also a boost to facilities, an area that needed improvement. It isn't a long-term solution, but the team says it's the largest in the league.
The franchise has also managed to crack the difficult L.A. market, drawing celebs and everyday people to make their games must-see. L.A. is a city that likes winners, and that on-field piece is the last one that needs improvement to make sure that continues.
Player spend: 4
Facilities: 4.5
Creativity: 5
Long-term vision: 5
Staffing: 5
Local relevance: 4
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TOTAL: 27.5/30
1. KANSAS CITY CURRENT (Last year: 1)
There is one other team in the NWSL talking about scale in the billions, and that is the Kansas City Current, repeat winners of ESPN's NWSL Ambition Rankings.
Last year, the Current opened the only stadium in the league built for an NWSL team. They proceeded to host an announced sellout crowd for every game, including the NWSL Championship, and they increased revenue exponentially. Walk or drive around Kansas City, and the Current branding -- including the team's inimitable teal color -- is omnipresent. It's on the streetcar and at the airport.
The Current, led by majority co-owners Angie and Chris Long, broke ground on phase two of the project, which is a $1 billion development of the waterfront district that surrounds the stadium. How many NWSL teams are reshaping the future of their entire city?
The Current also built a training center a few miles down the road, and expansion plans continue there with a $30 million Hilton Garden Inn that will play a role in the 2026 World Cup. The team also plans to build a 2,000-seat stadium on the grounds for an additional cost of around $20 million, with plans to increase player development pathways and launch a second team.
Now, the Longs have their eyes on building an empire beyond Kansas City and soccer. They recently bid on a WNBA expansion team, and they shared exclusively with ESPN that they plan to buy another women's soccer team as part of a new multiclub model.
Player spend: 4
Facilities: 5
Creativity: 5
Long-term vision: 5
Staffing: 4
Local relevance: 5
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TOTAL: 28/30
