

Is the NWSL in crisis mode? This season saw the likes of Naomi Girma, Crystal Dunn, and Kerolin hopping across the pond to sign with European clubs. If the league is unable to retain its star players, what does that mean for the future of the league? Well, the reception that the new unnamed NWSL franchise in Denver has received may go a long way to alleviate the concerns of women’s soccer fans in America.
The Denver NWSL franchise may be in its nascent stage, but their future fanbase is anything but. After the announcement of season ticket sales, a record-breaking 5,280 people rushed to pay the deposit for a season ticket within 3 days. All for a team that doesn’t have a name, players, or official colors and won’t debut until 2026. Crisis? What crisis?
Rob Cohen, who leads the ownership group IMA Financial, was pleased with the support that they had already received. “We are thrilled to see the early support for Denver NWSL,” he said. “Our expansion announcement and celebration with the Denver community was a special moment for our club. We are grateful for the warm welcome and are excited to get to work on building the best soccer club for Denver and all of the Rocky Mountain region.”
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An expansion team on its own is a sign of league health. The fact that one has received such a positive reception is even more so. Another positive indicator is the expansion fee. IMA Financial paid a whopping $110 million to secure their ownership of the franchise. In comparison, the BUSC group paid a $53 million expansion fee in 2023 for their franchise in Boston. The fact that IMA financial paid double that just over a year later shows the growth in and demand for women’s soccer in the U.S.
But ultimately, sports are all about the players. Will the future continue to look bright if the NWSL keeps losing its stars to the glitz and glamor of European soccer?
The NWSL is going strong, but can it continue?
The NWSL is rapidly growing, but so is the women’s game in Europe. The league record for single-game attendance in 2024 was 35,038, in the game between the Chicago Red Stars and Bay FC. Over in Europe, the British Women’s Super League attendance record was 45,860 in 2024 in the match between Arsenal and Chelsea. If fan demand is a metric to make judgments, then evidently there is no shortage of it in Europe.
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Furthermore, Europe has the Champions League advantage. The Champions League is highly sought after in the women’s game, even among American players. For instance, former USWNT star Alex Morgan cited French club Lyon’s Champions League success as one reason behind her move to the club in 2016. Similarly, the iconic Megan Rapinoe made the move to Lyon in 2013, saying, “And to be able to play in the Champions League is something that is huge for me; we don’t have that back home; we didn’t really grow up with that dream. Obviously, I’m a huge fan of it, and to be able to come in and play in the big games and have that experience has been unbelievable.”

via Imago
18 May 2019: Fußball, Frauen, UEFA Women’s Champions League, Olympique Lyonnais – FC Barcelona; der UWCL-Pokal; Symbolbild. Mandatory Credit: Steffen Prößdorf-Self-photographed
This is in addition to UEFA’s Unstoppable initiative (2024-2030), aimed at making Europe the premier destination for women’s soccer, with a €1 billion backing. So, what chance does the NWSL have? A fairly good one, actually. For starters, the women’s game in the U.S. is not secondary to the men’s as in Europe. It is in fact wholly independent from the men’s side. As noted by Rowena Samarsinhe in Forbes magazine, “Being the little sister to a Premier League team can actually stop teams growing in their own way.”
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Furthermore, the NWSL has taken steps in 2024 to make their footballing model more similar to Europe. In a landmark CBA, the NWSL abolished the draft and gave players the option to veto any trades, which will only improve player retention. And speaking of player retention, although there were several departures, the NWSL still has star power. The USWNT’s attacking trio of Sophia Smith, Mal Swanson, and Trinity Rodman, dubbed ‘Triple Espresso,’ are very much still playing in the league.
Lastly, the transfer fees that signings like Naomi Girma’s bring can be reinvested into the league, further developing it. So yes, the NWSL has said goodbye to several big names over the course of the last 12 months. But by no means does this indicate that the league is undergoing a crisis. In fact, these transfers, coupled with the hype surrounding the new Denver franchise, only point to a league that is flourishing and will continue to as women’s soccer reaches even greater heights.
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Can the NWSL thrive despite losing stars to Europe, or is it a sign of trouble?
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Can the NWSL thrive despite losing stars to Europe, or is it a sign of trouble?
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