2025 has brought about the rise of many new women’s sports teams, including the expansion of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), the WNBA, the creation of the Women’s Lacrosse League (WLL), and Women’s Elite Rugby (WER). The PWHL made its debut last year with six teams, one based in the NY/NJ area. The league plans to expand to a total of eight teams, with the potential for Detroit, Pittsburgh, Quebec City, Seattle, Vancouver, and Denver to have teams. 

Switching over to the court, the WNBA currently has 13 teams, but plans to expand to 15 for the 2026 season.  The 2024 WNBA champions, the NY Liberty, are starting their season on May 17th for those interested.

Probably the most publicized women’s league in the US is the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League), which will be expanding its league from 14 teams to 16 teams, featuring new teams in the Boston and Denver areas in 2026. 

Heading outdoors, let’s take a look at the new sports leagues popping up. The women’s lacrosse league’s tournament began on February 11th and ended on February 17th, crowning the Boston Guard as the winner. Along with Boston, the league featured three other teams – New York Charging, California Palms, and Maryland Charm. 

Rugby, especially the women’s side, has hit the media recently with the rise in popularity of Ilona Maher, Olympic bronze medalist in the women’s rugby 7s and fan favorite on Dancing With the Stars. Fans of rugby, new and old, should be delighted to hear about the WER’s inaugural season, which began on March 21st and ends on June 14th. This league will feature six teams, including the New York Exile.  All in all, if you love a specific sport or just watch whatever is on TV, be sure to check out these incredible athletes who finally have a platform for their sport.