The NWSL is reportedly adding a new Sacramento-based franchise that will begin play in 2021.
The NWSL is adding a new Sacramento, Calif.-based franchise to begin play in 2021, according to The Athletic's Meg Linehan and Paul Tenorio.
The expansion to Sacramento marks the league's second California-based expansion club in as many months. The NWSL announced the creation of a Los Angeles club in July.
Sacramento will be one of two clubs to join the league in 2021, doing so alongside Racing Louisville FC. In 2021, the NWSL will have 11 teams, while in 2022, the league will hold 12 teams as a result of its Los Angeles club joining gameplay.
The Sacramento team is reportedly expected to be run through the ownership group of Republic FC, a professional soccer team that currently plays for the USL Championship but will be moving to MLS starting 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.