From new signings and coaching appointments to a landmark labour agreement, the league is preparing to move to a spring-to-fall calendar in 2027.
With eight teams competing in a 14-game campaign that began on August 15, the transitional season offers clubs a chance to strengthen their squads and establish momentum ahead of the new schedule. Carolina Ascent, D.C. Power and Sporting JAX have made promising starts, while several sides are working to recover from difficult previous campaigns.
The league has also experienced a significant change off the pitch, with president Amanda Vandervort resigning in August after five years overseeing its development.
A changing league faces its next test
Vandervort was instrumental in establishing the competition and securing approval from U.S. Soccer to operate as a Division I league, rather than the Division II competition originally envisaged.
Despite that status, the Super League continues to face comparisons with the NWSL, particularly because of its presence in smaller markets, reliance on NWSL loan players, more limited recruitment from overseas and comparatively low attendances.
Average crowds reached 2,634 during the 2025-26 season, when nine teams participated, up from 2,487 in the inaugural 2024-25 campaign. The NWSL, meanwhile, was averaging 10,859 spectators as of September 11.
Vandervort brought considerable experience to the role, having previously worked at FIFPRO, Major League Soccer and United Soccer Coaches. She had also represented the USL on U.S. Soccer’s Board of Directors since 2024.
Another important development came in July, when the league and the USL Players Association agreed on the Super League’s first collective bargaining agreement, covering a 5½-year period through the end of the 2031 season.
The agreement establishes a minimum salary of $37,200, housing benefits and fully covered health, vision and dental insurance premiums. It also includes provisions for two athletic trainers per team, standardised in-season breaks, parental leave, family emergency leave and mental health leave, alongside group licensing rights for players’ names, images and likenesses.
The starting salary was higher than the $35,000 minimum in the NWSL’s first collective bargaining agreement, ratified in 2022. The NWSL’s current minimum has since risen to $50,000.
The Super League’s agreement is a significant step in establishing more consistent employment conditions, although the league has not disclosed when or by how much its minimum salary will increase.
Carolina Ascent lead the way
Carolina Ascent reached last season’s championship final, losing 3-1 to Lexington SC after extra time, and have made another strong start. They were top of the standings with 16 points from seven matches at the September 27 cut-off.
England youth international B Hylton, 19, was selected for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland, where she appeared in all four of England’s matches. She started the 6-0 group-stage victory over Tanzania and made substitute appearances in the other games.
Her involvement in Poland has yet to translate into regular minutes at Carolina, where she had played just 29 minutes in one appearance by late September.
Head coach Philip Poole welcomed the opportunity for the young player, who grew up in Charlotte and became the first professional footballer from the club’s roster to receive a World Cup call-up.
Carolina also recruited goalkeeper Hope Hisey and defender Reese Tappan after Spokane Zephyr ceased operations. Hisey had been named the Super League’s Goalkeeper of the Year and selected for the All-League First Team in both of the competition’s first two seasons.
Puerto Rican international Sydney Martinez has started Carolina’s matches this fall, however, recording four clean sheets, while Tappan has started all six games and scored once.
Forward Luana Grabias, a Brazilian youth international who previously played for Fort Lauderdale United and Brooklyn FC, is also on the roster, although she had yet to feature during the fall campaign.
Lily Nabet, meanwhile, has started all six matches after joining from Angel City on loan last season before making the move to Carolina. The midfielder has also discussed her potential international future with Iran.
D.C. Power find attacking options
D.C. Power narrowly missed the playoffs in each of the Super League’s first two seasons but were tied for second place on 11 points after seven matches.
Ethiopian international Loza Abera Gineora, now in her third season with the club, led the team with three goals at the end of September.
One of the more intriguing additions is American youth international Mak Whitham, 16, who joined on loan from NWSL champions Gotham FC for the remainder of 2026. Gotham does not have a second team, and the teenager had made only one regular-season appearance for the senior side before the move.
Whitham has featured in four games for D.C., providing an assist, and the opportunity should offer valuable professional experience at an important stage of her development.
Attacking midfielder Tatum Thomason has also made an immediate impression after joining from Arizona State University. She scored twice against Fort Lauderdale United on September 22, including an 89th-minute winner, to secure a 2-1 victory.
Forward Kayla Colbert, who previously played for the Utah Royals and Kansas City Current in the NWSL, has appeared in all seven matches. American U-23 international Tyler Lussi arrived from Carolina Ascent, bringing more than 120 NWSL appearances with Portland, Angel City and North Carolina to the squad.
Midfielder Emma Jaskaniec, who spent the previous two seasons with Spokane, has also contributed two goals in seven appearances.
Sporting JAX retain their core
Sporting JAX have retained the bulk of the squad that performed so well last season, including all six of their All-League selections.
Ashlyn Puerta, who won the Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year and Golden Playmaker awards, remains the centrepiece of the team. Former U.S. youth international Baylee DeSmit has also started strongly, leading the league with five goals and one assist in seven matches at the September 27 cut-off.
The club has made relatively few additions, but Ginger Fontenot is a notable arrival from Spokane Zephyr. The defender contributed two goals and two assists in 24 appearances last season and has already featured in six matches for her new side.
American defender Keeley Dockter has joined from Seattle Reign after progressing through the club’s academy and making a short-term appearance agreement with the NWSL team. She also brings experience from the University of Portland, where she played 69 games.
Spanish forward Andrea Fernandez returns for a second season with Sporting JAX. Her college record at Flagler was exceptional: 75 goals and 45 assists in 77 matches, including 22 goals during her senior season in 2024. She was named the Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association National Player of the Year.
Midfielder Maci Teater, who played collegiately at Vanderbilt and North Carolina before moving to Iceland, has also joined the squad.
Dallas Trinity appoint Nguyen
Dallas Trinity have appointed Lee Nguyen as head coach and technical director, with the former United States international returning to his hometown after working with Seattle Reign.
Nguyen helped Seattle reach the NWSL playoffs in 2025 after the club missed out the previous year. His coaching experience also includes assistant roles at Angel City, Kansas City Current and Washington Spirit, where he was part of the staff that won the 2021 NWSL Championship.
As a player, Nguyen spent 17 years in professional football, including more than 250 MLS appearances for New England Revolution, LAFC and Inter Miami. He also earned nine caps for the United States and played in the Netherlands, Denmark and Vietnam.
Dallas have strengthened their squad with two players on loan from Seattle, midfielder Sofia Cedeño and goalkeeper Neeku Purcell, both of whom previously worked with Nguyen.
Forward Seven Castain is another interesting addition. She won the USL W League Golden Boot and Player of the Year awards while helping Utah United capture the 2025 championship. After signing her first professional contract with Orlando Pride, she moved to Dallas on loan and scored twice in seven matches.
Argentinian international Sophia Braun and American midfielder Felicia Knox also arrived from Spokane. Braun has earned 55 caps for Argentina and scored twice internationally, including at the 2023 Women's World Cup.
Off the pitch, the Dallas Trinity franchise was purchased by Atlético Dallas, the USL Championship expansion club scheduled to begin play in 2027. The move could help strengthen the connection between the men's and women's professional pathways in the city.
Dallas have played at the Cotton Bowl, which has a capacity of 92,100, but their average attendance fell from 3,546 in their inaugural season to 3,050 in 2025-26.
Lexington look to defend their title
Lexington SC won both the regular-season title and championship last season but have faced a different challenge in the shortened fall campaign.
The club retained 17 of 21 players, although goalkeeper Kat Asman departed after her loan from Orlando Pride ended. She subsequently joined NWSL expansion side Denver Summit.
Ryan Campbell has arrived after playing college football at Stanford and UCLA. During her final season at UCLA in 2024, she led the nation with 16 shutouts and recorded an 82.1 per cent save rate. She had registered three clean sheets in five appearances for Lexington by late September.
Marz Josephson, who came through a trial after playing at the University of Kentucky, provides another goalkeeping option.
Midfielder Katie Murray has also joined after two seasons with Spokane, where she missed a substantial part of the previous campaign through injury. She has started all five of Lexington’s matches in the fall season.
Forward McKenzie Weinert, who scored the opening goal in the championship final against Carolina, has remained with the club. She previously played for Seattle Reign and Melbourne Victory in Australia’s A-League Women, scoring five goals in 17 appearances during the 2023-24 season.
Head coach Kosuke Kimura, appointed in December 2025, helped Lexington win the Players’ Shield and championship after taking over from Masaki Hemmi. Kimura previously worked at Nashville SC in MLS and played professionally for Colorado Rapids, Portland Timbers and New York Red Bulls, winning the MLS Cup with Colorado in 2010.
Midfielder Darya Rajaee has returned after a brief loan at Tampa Bay Sun, where she provided the assist for Sydny Nasello’s winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Carolina.
Tampa Bay rebuild after title defence
Tampa Bay Sun FC have started the season in sixth place after a difficult defence of the championship they won in 2024-25.
The club has brought in several players to strengthen its squad, including forward Kennedy White, who scored eight goals for Melbourne Victory in the A-League Women during 2025-26.
White also played in Hungary with Győri ETO FC and in the United States with Detroit City FC. Her arrival gives Tampa Bay another attacking option as the team attempts to return to playoff contention.
Forward Tori Zierenberg, who recorded four goals and three assists in 19 appearances for Spokane last season, has also joined. Defender Leah Scarpelli arrived from Brooklyn after playing in Portugal with Sporting CP and in Australia with Brisbane Roar.
Midfielder Jordyn Listro remains an important figure. She captained Tampa Bay to the 2024-25 title and has previously played in the NWSL with Orlando and Kansas City, as well as in Spain with Tenerife. She has also earned two caps for Canada.
The roster includes several players with international and overseas experience. Forward Shea Connors played for Sydney FC in Australia, scoring the winning goal in the 2023-24 A-League Women Grand Final against Melbourne City. Defender Brooke Hendricks has played in the NWSL and across Europe, as well as winning a league title with Melbourne Victory in 2021-22.
England-born forward Eleanor Dale is another significant addition. She scored 28 goals for the University of Nebraska in 2023, leading the NCAA, before moving through Sunderland, Everton and Durham. She has represented England from U-17 through U-23 level.
Fellow English forward Mille Ravening scored 12 goals in 19 appearances for Burnley last season after previously spending time at Stoke City and Manchester City.
Brooklyn FC appoint Smith
Brooklyn FC have had a difficult start, with one win and five defeats from their first six matches, while also dealing with the loss of leading scorer Rebecca Cooke to an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Cooke scored nine goals in 2025-26 and was named to the Super League All-League Second Team. Her absence is a considerable setback as the club attempts to improve on last season’s seventh-place finish.
American midfielder Sophia Lowenberg has joined on loan from Boston Legacy, the NWSL expansion side, after four seasons at Boston College. She has started all five of her appearances for Brooklyn.
Ghana international Jennifer Cudjoe has also continued with the club after previously playing for Gotham FC and winning the Danish league and cup double with Nordsjælland in 2023-24. Midfielder Emma Loving and defender NaYeong “Shinny” Shin are among the other returning players.
On October 7, Brooklyn signed goalkeeper Sophine Kevorkian to her first professional contract. She played at the University of San Diego and Louisiana State University, setting a season saves record at San Diego with 97 and helping LSU reach the SEC Championship match and NCAA Sweet 16 in her senior year.
Kevorkian also represents Armenia internationally, making her debut in February 2025 and earning six caps.
Brooklyn have appointed Alex Smith as head coach for the 2026-27 season. Smith previously worked with Brisbane Roar in Australia’s A-League Women, helping the club reach the finals after four consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance.
His playing career included FC Dallas in MLS, Wellington Phoenix and Gold Coast United in Australia, and spells in Malaysia with Negeri Sembilan and Johor Darul Ta’zim II.
Smith's appointment follows a summer coaching change at Brooklyn, where the club will hope his experience in rebuilding squads can help establish a clearer identity and improve results.
Fort Lauderdale seek a way back
Fort Lauderdale United finished bottom of the table last season and are trying to rebuild in the shortened fall campaign. Their early results have left them tied for seventh place.
Defender Jules Cagle has become the third player to earn a professional contract through the club’s academy. She made four appearances last season, becoming the youngest player to debut for Fort Lauderdale and the youngest to start a match. She had yet to feature in the fall season by late September.
Forward Grace Cutler brings a varied career, having played college football at West Virginia before spells with the Houston Dash and Washington Spirit in the NWSL. Her overseas experience includes Sassuolo in Italy, Omiya Ardija in Japan and ŽNK Međimurje Čakovec in Croatia.
Defenders Haley Thomas and Kelsey Oyler have both joined from Spokane Zephyr. Thomas previously played in Germany with MSV Duisburg and in Iceland, while Oyler played collegiately at Gonzaga and Arkansas.
Midfielder Nicole Vernis has also arrived from Lexington, where she played 22 matches last season. Her brief loan spell with Lazio in Italy ended amid a dispute: the club claimed she left without its knowledge, while her agent said she was injured and had gone unpaid for two months.
Vernis has scored once in four appearances for Fort Lauderdale, offering a contribution as the club looks to improve its results and return to contention.
The shortened fall schedule gives every club a limited window in which to find consistency, integrate new players and build towards the league’s next phase. The shift to a spring-to-fall calendar, alongside improved employment conditions for players, marks an important period in the Super League’s development. The challenge now is to turn those structural changes into stronger teams, larger crowds and a more established place in American women’s football.
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