Report: NWSL to Add Sacramento Club, Expand League to 12 Teams

The NWSL is reportedly adding a new Sacramento-based franchise.

The NWSL is reportedly adding another expansion team in California. 

According to The Athletic, the league will be expanding to Sacramento, the second team to spring up in California in as many months. The NWSL announced the creation of a Los Angeles-based club in July with an ownership group full of celebrities, athletes and various industry leaders. That team will begin play in 2022. 

It remains unclear if the Sacramento club will join the league in 2021, doing so alongside Racing Louisville FC, or if it will join the league in 2022. If it's the former, Sacramento will the 11th team in the league. If it's the latter, Sacramento and L.A. will team to give the league 12 clubs.

The Sacramento team is reportedly expected to be run through the ownership group of Sacramento Republic FC, a men's pro team that currently plays in the USL Championship but will be moving to MLS as an expansion team in 2023. 

The NWSL became the first league across American professional sports to successfully start and complete its bubble tournament. The Houston Dash won the 2020 Challenge Cup, claiming the franchise's first-ever title.