Overall guide to new Women's Sports Leagues

A new era has begun.

The world of sports has changed and women's sports are at its peak. According to the United Nations, by age 14 girls drop sports twice as much as boys. This statistic is highly likely to be changed as, now, women have a path in the future to continue playing professionally.

Currently, seven out of ten people watch women in sports. So, here’s a guide to getting even more involved with the different sports leagues, ranging from basketball to rugby:

Women’s Elite Rugby

Starting strong, the WER is set to begin less than a month from now on March 22nd. In its inaugural season, the league will consist of six teams from coast to coast of the U.S.

The teams are: Bay Breakers, Boston Banshees, Chicago Tempest, Denver Onyx, New York Exiles and T.C. Gemini. Each of the teams announced their rosters on Feb 18th, with each having 26 players.

Athletes Unlimited Softball League

This league will feature a 24-game season format. The league will have four teams: The Talons, Bandits, Blaze and Volts.

Its inaugural draft took place at the end of January, with each team selecting 12 players. The first overall pick of the draft was Lexi Kilfoyl, a Pitcher from Oklahoma State, chosen by the Bandits.

Women’s Lacrosse League

The WLL took off on Feb 11th. In its inaugural season, the league consists of four teams: New York Charging, Maryland Charm, California Palms and the Boston Guard.

The league is connected to the Premier Lacrosse League and gives opportunities to athletes to continue their lacrosse career in the United States.

If you want a more in-depth article on the WLL, I got you! Here is more on what you need to know about the new lacrosse league: https://bellisariostudentmedia.psu.edu/story/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-wll

Unrivaled Basketball League

The Unrivaled Basketball League brings basketball icons to play in a different format: the 3x3. Names like Kate Martin, Cameron Brink, Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu participate in the league during the WNBA off-season.

The league holds six teams: Laces, Lunar Owls, Mist, Rose, Phantom and Vinyl.

League One Volleyball

These are pioneer leagues in U.S. women’s volleyball history. Because of that, in the early years, the lack of women’s volleyball professional leagues made a diversity of athletes find their means to continue playing the sport in other countries (especially European ones).

The league consists of six teams: Atlanta, Austin, Houston, Madison, Omaha and Salt Lake. One of the stars of the league is Penn State alumna Haleigh Washington, who plays for LOVB Salt Lake.

Professional Women’s Hockey League

The PWHL started last year, taking off with a Toronto vs New York on January 1st, 2024. Since then, the league has established itself, gaining a lot of support. One of the creators of the league is Billie Jean King, a tennis legend.

The league currently has six teams, however, that seems about to change. Rumors of two teams being added for the 2025-26 season have arisen and the fans couldn’t be more excited.

The league has been doing a Canada and United States tour, having gathered more than 19 thousand people in arenas to watch the exciting game of hockey.

The PWHL version of the “Original Six” are: Toronto Sceptres, Montreal Victoire, New York Sirens, Ottawa Charge, Boston Fleet and Minnesota Frost.

Women's Pro Baseball League (2026)

Looking more into the future, in 2026 the Women’s Pro Baseball League is set to hold its inaugural season. Not much is known about it, however, the league is, for now, working on gathering its players.

Sofia Miranda is a first-year majoring in journalism. To contact her, email szc6483@psu.edu.