Chicago Stars Football Club is an American professional soccer team based in the Chicago metropolitan area that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). A founding member of the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) league, they have played in the NWSL since 2013. The Stars play their home games at SeatGeek Stadium.
The Western New York Flash was an American women's soccer club based in Elma, New York, that most recently competed in the United Women's Soccer league in 2018. They won league championships in four different leagues: the USL W-League in 2010, Women's Professional Soccer in 2011, Women's Premier Soccer League Elite in 2012, and the National Women's Soccer League in 2016.
Elizabeth Ely Bogus is an American soccer coach and retired player who played as a midfielder and forward. She played semi-professionally with Chicago Cobras, Arizona Heatwave, Ajax America Women, Mile High Edge, Pali Blues, and Boston Aztec; at the professional level, she appeared for Los Angeles Sol, Boston Breakers, PK-35 Vantaa, Seattle Reign, and FC Kansas City.
Jennifer Rose Buczkowski is an American former soccer midfielder. She played for FC Kansas City in the NWSL. She previously played for the Philadelphia Independence and New Jersey Sky Blue of Women's Professional Soccer.
Julianne Marie Sitch is an American former professional soccer defender. She is currently head coach of the University of Denver women's soccer team. She was previously a coach for the Chicago Red Stars and head coach of the University of Chicago men's soccer team. In 2022, she became the first woman in NCAA history to lead a men's team to a national championship.
The Boston Breakers were an American professional women's soccer club based in the Boston neighborhood of Allston. The team competed in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). They replaced the original Breakers, who competed in the defunct Women's United Soccer Association, as the Boston area's professional women's soccer team. Boston would eventually be awarded BOS Nation FC in 2023 that would begin play in 2026.
Alexandra Linsley Long is an American soccer player who plays as a midfielder. She played for Portland Thorns FC, Seattle Reign FC, and NJ/NY Gotham FC in the National Women's Soccer League, and represented the United States national team. She made her debut for the national team on May 8, 2014, in a friendly against Canada. She has since made 45 total appearances for the team.
Elli Kayla Burris is an American professional soccer player who last played as a defender for OL Reign of the NWSL. She previously played for FCR 2001 Duisburg in the Frauen-Bundesliga, Melbourne Victory in the Australian W-League as well as the Boston Breakers in the WPS and the WPSL Elite.
New York Fury was a semi-professional American women's soccer club playing in the Women's Premier Soccer League Elite, the top tier of women's soccer in the United States in 2012. It was part of the Fury Soccer Organization which also supports the Long Island Fury. The club, founded in 2011, was a member of Women's Premier Soccer League and in 2012 joined the newly formed Women's Premier Soccer League Elite.
The Women's Premier Soccer League Elite (WPSL Elite) was a women's semi-professional soccer league created by the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) to support the sport in the United States, both from continued interest by WPSL teams in professionalism and as a response to the suspension (and ultimate demise) of the WPS.
Jessica Marie McDonald is an American soccer commentator and former professional player. She played for National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) clubs including the Chicago Red Stars, Seattle Reign, Portland Thorns, Houston Dash, Western New York Flash, North Carolina Courage, and Racing Louisville. During her time with the Flash / Courage, she won three NWSL Shields and three NWSL Championships. She made 19 appearances for the United States national team and was part of the team that won the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Women's soccer in the United States has developed quite differently from men's soccer. Until the 1970s, organized women's soccer matches in the U.S. existed only on a limited basis.
Taryn Elizabeth Hemmings is an American former professional soccer defender.
The 2012 Chicago Red Stars season was the fourth season of the soccer club. It was their only season in the Women's Premier Soccer League Elite.
Alyssa Lee Mautz is an American former professional soccer forward and midfielder. She played for the Chicago Red Stars of the NWSL from 2013 to 2022, and played on loan to Australian club Perth Glory for the 2018–19 W-League season. She previously played for Sky Blue FC in Women's Professional Soccer (WPS), Zorky in the Russian Women's Football Championship and has represented the United States at the U-23 level. She retired from the Chicago Red Stars in 2022 to accept a job as an assistant coach at Texas A&M University.
Victoria Lauren Huster is an American retired soccer player who spent most of her career with Washington Spirit of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). In 2020, she was elected president of the National Women's Soccer League Players Association.
Carissa Xenia Miller is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) club Seattle Reign.
Michele Weissenhofer Fumagalli is a retired American professional soccer player who last played as a striker for the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She is currently the performance dietitian for Chicago Fire FC in the MLS.
Meghan Jeanne Lenczyk is an American professional soccer player who was last played for the New York Fury of the Women's Premier Soccer League Elite. She also played for Atlanta Beat, New York Fury, Washington Freedom Reserves, and F.C. Virginia.
