Kansas City

Kansas City Members

Membership

Postcard with an image of a city landscape of Kansas City’s skyline on a transparent background

blue

Axios Kansas City Partners

Kansas City Alerts

Alert

A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Kansas City.

Axios Kansas City Thought Bubble

Thought Bubble

Get smarter, faster on what matters in Kansas City with Travis Meier and Abbey Higginbotham.

Axios Kansas City

Standard

Indianapolis

Axios Indianapolis

Data: Axios research; Note: USLS is officially known as the Gainbridge Super League; Map: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals

While the battle for women's sports supremacy wages on, a growing list of professional leagues are rapidly adding teams across the country.

The big picture: Dozens of women's pro teams have played inaugural seasons over the past two years as new leagues for soccer, hockey, rugby and lacrosse launch.

There is also momentum for growing the Athletes Unlimited Softball League — including in and around Kansas City — and the upcoming Women's Pro Baseball League, which is having tryouts this month to launch six teams next year predominantly in the Northeast.

The largest women's leagues in North America, the WNBA and NWSL, are also expanding.

Driving the news: On Tuesday, the Pro Volleyball Federation announced a league restructuring and rebranding to become Major League Volleyball (MLV) moving forward.

It will start with eight teams and expand with teams in Washington, D.C. and northern California in 2027.

Kansas City was set to have a PVF expansion team, but that fell through earlier this year.

What we're watching: The KC Current's second team and announcement of a smaller stadium in Riverside is paving the way for NWSL expansion.

The bottom line: If the fans keep showing up, women's sports will keep growing.

Women's pro sports leagues are growing across the U.S.

Dozens of teams have recently played inaugural seasons, and new leagues have launched.

A map of the U.S. and Canada showing professional women's sports teams as of August 2025. There are 60 teams in total: 23 soccer teams, 13 basketball, 8 volleyball, 6 hockey, 6 rugby and 4 lacrosse.

While the battle for women&#x27;s sports supremacy wages on, a growing list of professional leagues are rapidly adding teams across the country.The big picture: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Dozens of women&#x27;s pro teams" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/27/women-sports-teams-us-growth" data-vars-content-id="31b41832-20ea-460c-9bf0-653111ce787a" data-vars-headline="Women&#x27;s pro sports leagues are growing across the U.S." data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/27/women-sports-teams-us-growth" target="_self">Dozens of women&#x27;s pro teams</a> have played inaugural seasons over the past two years as new leagues for <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="soccer" data-vars-click-url="https://www.gainbridgesuperleague.com/" data-vars-content-id="31b41832-20ea-460c-9bf0-653111ce787a" data-vars-headline="Women&#x27;s pro sports leagues are growing across the U.S." data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.gainbridgesuperleague.com/" target="_blank">soccer</a>, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="hockey" data-vars-click-url="https://www.thepwhl.com/en/news/2025/january/1/inaugural-season-reflections" data-vars-content-id="31b41832-20ea-460c-9bf0-653111ce787a" data-vars-headline="Women&#x27;s pro sports leagues are growing across the U.S." data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.thepwhl.com/en/news/2025/january/1/inaugural-season-reflections" target="_blank">hockey</a>, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="rugby" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2025/01/29/bay-breakers-women-pro-rugby-team-new-name" data-vars-content-id="31b41832-20ea-460c-9bf0-653111ce787a" data-vars-headline="Women&#x27;s pro sports leagues are growing across the U.S." data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2025/01/29/bay-breakers-women-pro-rugby-team-new-name" target="_self">rugby</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="lacrosse" data-vars-click-url="https://thewll.com/" data-vars-content-id="31b41832-20ea-460c-9bf0-653111ce787a" data-vars-headline="Women&#x27;s pro sports leagues are growing across the U.S." data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://thewll.com/" target="_blank">lacrosse</a> launch.

Sports

News

Kansas City wants to be known as the capital of women's sports.

Yes, but: So does Indianapolis. And Dallas. And Columbus. And Seattle.

Why it matters: Surging viewership and engagement around women's sports have local leaders eager to capture the excitement and investment that comes with it.

Context: Mayor Quinton Lucas called KC the "global capital of women's professional sports" in a Facebook post celebrating the night the U.S. women's rugby team shattered their attendance record while playing at CPKC Stadium.

State of play: Kansas City is home to one professional women's sports team, the KC Current. The team plays at the first and only stadium built solely for women's sports and recently became the first NWSL team to launch a second team.

KC is also home to the nonprofit Women Leaders in Sports and the Women's Intersport Network for KC, and the city hosts several women's D1 collegiate championships each year.

And as professional softball revs up, the city is positioned as a powerhouse.

Celebrating sports team in purple uniforms holding a large March Madness 2025 ticket sign amid falling multicolored confetti with crowd and photographers capturing the moment.

TCU celebrates winning the 2025 women's Big 12 basketball championship in KC. Photo: Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Yes, but: Kansas City was snubbed for a WNBA expansion team, and plans for a Professional Volleyball Federation team fell through earlier this year.

Reality check: Indianapolis — home to the Fever and Indy Ignite — also plans to become the global epicenter of women's sports, which was announced during the inaugural Indiana Women's Summit hosted in August by the Indiana Sports Corp, Axios Indianapolis reported.

What they're saying: "I respect what's happening in other cities, but one good WNBA draft pick does not a women's sports capital make," Lucas tells Axios Kansas City. "Kansas City has been about it for some time."

Patti Phillips, CEO at Women Leaders in Sports, says Kansas City "has a history of supporting women's sporting events, and women who work in sports." For years, she says, she has seen "firsthand how supportive the city is around women's sports."

Friction point: The increased attention still hasn't resulted in adequate pay for athletes. At the WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis, players vented their frustration over ongoing collective bargaining agreement negotiations.

Cities throwing their support behind the boom creates an environment where those fighting for equality on the court have a greater chance of success.

What we're watching: Lucas says he plans to invest in Municipal Auditorium, which used to house the Big 12 women's basketball championship, "to make sure that it can become a mecca in women's sports."

Kansas City wants to be the women's sports capital

Local leaders are eager to capture the surging excitement and investment surrounding women's sports.

Soccer match with players in red and dark teal uniforms on green grass field, large crowd in stadium seats, pink smoke flare in stands, city skyline in background.

Kansas City wants to be known as the capital of women&#x27;s sports.Yes, but: So does <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Indianapolis" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/indianapolis/2025/08/07/competition-womens-sports-capital" data-vars-content-id="4faea5bd-fdf6-429d-9acb-3ce132e75b2a" data-vars-headline="Kansas City wants to be the women&#x27;s sports capital" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/indianapolis/2025/08/07/competition-womens-sports-capital" target="_self">Indianapolis</a>. And <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Dallas" data-vars-click-url="https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-ceo/2024/september/what-dallas-stands-to-gain-from-its-big-bet-on-womens-sports/" data-vars-content-id="4faea5bd-fdf6-429d-9acb-3ce132e75b2a" data-vars-headline="Kansas City wants to be the women&#x27;s sports capital" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-ceo/2024/september/what-dallas-stands-to-gain-from-its-big-bet-on-womens-sports/" target="_blank">Dallas</a>. And <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Columbus" data-vars-click-url="https://www.instagram.com/p/DIhrROiyh5F/?hl=en" data-vars-content-id="4faea5bd-fdf6-429d-9acb-3ce132e75b2a" data-vars-headline="Kansas City wants to be the women&#x27;s sports capital" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DIhrROiyh5F/?hl=en" target="_blank">Columbus</a>. And <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Seattle" data-vars-click-url="https://sports.yahoo.com/article/pwhl-calls-seattle-capital-womens-183524686.html?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAMhlEFrHi8UX8A9cqZ2wqBTfVpdaiL2eVTlRlNv3p8SXnd04sXFaVbrBJK62OGOGkB2Eur-89lJKjThD1z6lKdW6P3MRmnJ2YfogdWU9vd9rZ70-YRMTPNzUKnqNLCLPXjegk_BIoBLDi8EuB3Ka_rBzp9F67iW11TWD8gnHKiiL" data-vars-content-id="4faea5bd-fdf6-429d-9acb-3ce132e75b2a" data-vars-headline="Kansas City wants to be the women&#x27;s sports capital" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://sports.yahoo.com/article/pwhl-calls-seattle-capital-womens-183524686.html?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAMhlEFrHi8UX8A9cqZ2wqBTfVpdaiL2eVTlRlNv3p8SXnd04sXFaVbrBJK62OGOGkB2Eur-89lJKjThD1z6lKdW6P3MRmnJ2YfogdWU9vd9rZ70-YRMTPNzUKnqNLCLPXjegk_BIoBLDi8EuB3Ka_rBzp9F67iW11TWD8gnHKiiL" target="_blank">Seattle</a>.Why it matters: Surging viewership and engagement around women&#x27;s sports have local leaders eager to capture the excitement and investment that comes with it.

Justin L. Mack

Featured stories

Old News: Elvis Presley plays his last show ever in Indianapolis

Here's what Indiana put in America's Time Capsule

AES rate hikes hit struggling Hoosiers

More than 100 concerts to catch in Indianapolis this summer

How to celebrate Juneteenth in Indianapolis