Remember when you were going to tell your grandkids how the Super League led the way in women’s pro soccer by aligning to the European calendar? No worries - your grandkids are going to think you’re weird for many other reasons. After two seasons, the Gainbridge Super League has decided to align with the NWSL and the soon to be WPSL Pro (heck yeah, sister!), meaning that all of the women’s domestic pro leagues will be - gasp - on the same calendar. Is that even allowed?

Regardless, the shift in calendar has brought us here and now to the start of a shortened Season Three which will run from August to December. And then it’s back to full-time business with Season Four in Spring 2027. For those who like the all-out 100-meter sprint of a season that the USL W League gives you every summer, think of this fall season of the Super League as more like a 400-meter race. You can blink a few times and you won’t miss it all.

This past offseason saw lots of player movement. Many teams went shopping at the Spokane Zephyr closeout sale for deals. A number of short-term loans were issued by NWSL teams to lend their players out to play in the fall. Some friends are here from Europe and are giving it a go. And sprinkled in with all of this are some notable college players who will be making their professional debut.

This preview is going to break things down by the amount of roster changes each team made, grouping them in three different baskets. Some teams made massive changes to their roster makeup, some took a more balanced approach, and some liked their roster from last season and didn’t feel the need to tinker a whole lot, thankyouverymuch.

Part One: All Your Favorites Are Here!

Lexington SC
Hey - we did win it all last season, right? So why mess with a good thing? This was essentially the approach taken by the team in putting together their roster. And that includes keeping head coach Kosuke Kimura, who took over stewardship of the team at the mid-year break last season and guided the team to their championship.

The forwards are names we all know well from last season, including Golden Boot winner Catherine Barry, the steady and solid Sarah Griffith, and Mackenzie Weinert who blossomed right before our eyes last season and became that speedy, slashing threat we all hoped she would become. Also noteworthy here is Hannah White, the only player on the roster who has been with the club since the team’s beginning.

Lexington’s backline is also virtually intact, led by Allison Pantuso’s physical presence and skill in the middle. Alyssa Bourgeois at right back was a tireless worker, aggressive in defending and making runs down the right wing. Regan Steigleder and Ally Brown joined in midseason last year and played themselves into regulars on the backline. Gracie Falla, two-time SEC Defender of the Year out of South Carolina, will be making her pro debut.

The one big departure for Lexington SC was in goal as Kat Asman signed with NWSL’s Denver Summit, leaving a big hole to fill. Enter Marz Josephson and Ryan Campbell, both of whom had stellar careers in college. Campbell is currently on loan from Gotham FC where she made her professional debut and may give her the slight edge in competing for the starting job.

In the midfield, there is some intrigue. At first glance, we see the notable names such as all-time Super League goal scorer Addie McCain, the excellent Taylor Aylmer as your defensive mid and Tati Fung who also came into her own last season. After that, three new arrivals. Katie Murray, who before going down with an injury was a key part of Spokane’s near miss playoff run in the second half of Season One. From a brief stint at Juventus, Ally Perry returns home. Prior to joining Juve, Perry had earned SEC Midfielder of the Year honors with Mississippi State in 2025. And making her pro debut is Mac Midgely from Tennessee, where she and Ally Brown had been teammates. On paper the midfield looks deeper from where Lexington was after the departure of Emina Ekic to the NWSL. And clearly the club likes their midfield depth, so much so that they loaned out Nicole Vernis (again!) to Ft. Lauderdale and Darya Rajaee to Tampa Bay.

This is a playoff team, barring something out of the ordinary happening in the short season. Going a step further, this is a team that will be competing for the top spot in the regular season and hosting playoff games. Anything less than that would be a major disappointment.

Carolina Ascent
Talk about not wanting to shake things up. Here we are in Season Three, and Carolina still has eleven players on the roster who will have been with the club since Season One. The Ascent is the model for consistency. Philip Poole is back to lead this deep, talented squad to the final prize. Players’ Shield in Season One. Reached the finals in Season Two. All that’s left is winning the Championship.

Like the Ascent offense from last year? Good, because you’re going to get more of the same this season. With the exception of the departure of Tyler Lussi, the forwards from last season are back. Mackenzie George being fast and furious. Riley Parker being skillful and physical. Audrey Coleman striking from distance. Rylee Baisden finding the spaces. And Mia Corbin providing the steady presence and goal scoring touch.

The midfield has got an attitude, and they’re not concerned with your opinions. Shea Groom and Lily Nabet will mix it up with anyone and still provide excellent distribution of the ball. Emily Morris has had moments of brilliance that makes you hope there’s more to come. The one question here is whether this be the season that B Hylton becomes a bigger contributor.

Back on defense is a group of talented veterans who have played together for Carolina since the beginning. It’s becoming hard to say anything new about Jill Aguilera that hasn’t already been said: top notch defender, league-leading assist machine, and she’ll even throw in an olympico if you need it. Addisyn Merrick defends hard and fears no shot heading her way. Sydney Studer should be back from injury and ready to reclaim her spot in the backline.

And…in the offseason, the defense got deeper. And the goalkeeping? Just keep reading.

Carolina Ascent picked up a total of two players this offseason, by far the smallest amount of any team in the league. But wow, did they make those pickups count. Shopping at the Spokane Zephyr closing sale, Ascent arguably came away with the two best deals. They signed defender Reese Tappan, who will most likely end up starting on the back line even with all the talent there. The other name? Oh nobody special, just goalkeeper Hope Hisey! Yes - that Hope Hisey. Goalkeeper of the Year Hope Hisey. All-time shot stopper Hope Hisey. That defense, now with that keeper? Goodness gracious.

Is this the part where ‘third time’s a charm’ should be said? Maybe. It would be hard to have a discussion about which team is going to win this season and not mention Carolina. And with the season being so short, a roster of players who know each other well might be an added advantage. Oh, and having a kit game as sharp as Carolina has doesn’t hurt either.

Sporting JAX
Your humble writer was so sure last season that Sporting JAX was going to have a tough time with a roster full of players who had never played professionally before. And it was a tough time - for their opponents! Clearly the front office and head coach Stacey Balaam had a pretty good idea of what they were doing, and for much of last season Sporting JAX were nearly unbeatable. Then they ran into Carolina at the end of the season and the playoffs and were beatable. One season under their collective belts, what now?

First off, don’t look for much change up top. Paige Kenton went from playing the backline to becoming a star at forward using her strength, skill and smarts. Baylee DeSmit joined during the season break and was soon scoring goals left and right. And of course, there’s Ashlyn Puerta. We knew she was going to be good, but she was really good. Taking a page from Addie McCain, Puerta started the season like she was going to run away with the scoring title, only to become a deft facilitator later in the season.

But there’s more! Meg Hughes and Sophia Bowman were major contributors to the offense as well, piling up the assists which allowed Kenton and DeSmith to cook. And holding things down in the middle was Sophie Jones who never looked panicked or out of her depth. And they’re all back!

Back as well are key parts of last season’s defense, starting with center back Georgia Brown who presents size and skill. Joining her again is Grace Phillpotts and Maggie Illig who formed a formidable group. Veteran Parker Roberts, who was injured most of the season but gave it her all when she returned late, is also returning. The net will be minded again by Kaitlyn Parks, who by the end of last season was seen as one of the best keepers in the league.

Not shying away from their strategy of bringing in rookie players, four of the seven new additions to Sporting JAX will be making their professional debut. AJ Hennessey adds scoring depth to their forwards. Defensive mid Melina Descary and offensive mid Mya Swinton (former West Florida Argonaut) join Sporting’s midfield. And rookie Amanda Poorbaugh will serve as the third goalkeeper. Ginger Fontenot finds herself on her third team in three seasons, and it will be interesting to see if she is used on the wing or on the backline.

Sporting JAX played with a collective fire and intelligence that made for attractive attacking soccer in their first season. We should have every reason to believe that they can duplicate that in Season Two. And now they have two more things: the experience of last season, and added motivation. A spot in the playoffs is theirs for the taking. Will their experience and added motivation push Sporting JAX to a title shot?

Part Two: Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, and Someone in Ocean Blue

DC Power
DC Power have come a long way from their days when the only offense they could manage was penalty kicks from Maddie Wolfbauer. In last season’s playoff chase until the next to last weekend, it seems like the team has turned a corner under head coach Omid Namazi. Even after losing Gianna Gourley late in the season due to injury, Loza Abera and Alyssa Walker were providing the goals. Can the positive momentum carry into the new season?

The good news for DC Power is Gianna Gourley is back and ready to go up top. With Gourley, Abera and Walker, the forward position has become a strength for DC. But the club did not stand pat, bringing in Tyler Lussi and her flexing from Carolina as well as two additional players with NWSL experience: Kayle Colbert from the Utah Royals and Mak Whitman on loan from Gotham FC.

Emily Colton is back leading the midfield group, and more and more she is starting to get the recognition for her excellent play. Anna Bagley and Ellie Gilbert return as well. The midfield has been bolstered by the acquisition of Emma Jaskaniec who had been a key part of Spokane’s offense. She brings the fire and tenacity every game. A newcomer to watch is Tatum Thomason, an attacking mid from Arizona State who will be making her professional regular season debut.

Susanna Fitch is thankfully back for DC Power, ready to do her end to end thing at outside back. She’ll be paired up again with Claire Constant and Paige Cummings who provide strong, steady coverage in the center. Paige Almendariz provides flexibility as she can play on the backline or in midfield. Once again, DC Power went to the Zephyr sale and added Sarah McCoy who was an essential part of Spokane’s backline. On loan from the Chicago Stars is Sam Angel, bringing some additional veteran presence. The second of DC’s two rookies is Haille Augustyn out of Baylor who scored nine goals as a defender, so she brings some offensive skill.

The Aussie Morgan Aquino is no longer in goal for DC Power, but her backup Makenna Gottschalk should be expected to see the bulk of starts in goal. Katie Cappelleti joins from KC Current in the NWSL where she did not make an appearance.

During the course of last season, the club made a commitment to its solid core of players by signing them to extended contracts. They have followed that up by adding a group of talented players to add to the Starting XI and provide depth. This is a team that could get into the playoffs if all goes well.

Ft Lauderdale United
At the start of last season, Ft. Lauderdale United was led by head coach Tyrone Mears. At the start of this season, they will be led by Tyrone Mears. Sounds like consistency, right? Sure - except for the part where Mears left the position to go upstairs shortly after the season started, one coach was let go, and an interim coach served as caretaker for a lost season. The hope is that with Mears back at the helm, United can get back to the playoffs.

If you start with the forwards, you start with Kiara Locklear. Speed, skill and spark. A starter since her arrival in the middle of Season One, Locklear had moments where she seemed lost or disconnected. She’s got to be fed the ball, something that did not happen as often as was needed. EmilyThompson showed signs in her half a season that there may be more to be revealed. The team has Sh’Nia Gordon listed as a forward for this season, which if so would be a sight for sore eyes. Gordon is a pro’s pro, but having her play on defense last season was just not using her talents properly. The club also has Abi Hugh at forward, which is intriguing since she was on defense last season. Grace Culter is back playing domestically after a few years in Europe - most recently scoring seven goals in ten games for her club in Croatia.

The midfield is mostly unchanged from last season. Taylor Smith is back for her third season at Ft Lauderdale, only one of four players who can say that. And she will only be turning 19 this October. Kelli Van Treeck was one of the few bright spots from last season, scoring four goals and making All-League Second Team. Shea Moyer gets a full season, erm, a full half-season to show her skills after coming from Lexington SC. Daniela Todd, another academy signing and only 18 years of age should see much more action this season. The midfield is rounded out by loanee Nicole Vernis coming over from Lexington SC.

Like just about every other team in the league, Ft. Lauderdale spent some time shopping the closeout sale in Spokane and came away with two players who will help the back line. Haley Thomas was a starter for both her seasons with Spokane, while Kelsey Oyler spent time between starting and backing up in her rookie campaign last season. Outside of Julia Grasso, this is a young group that really struggled at times last season.

Despite being bombarded with shots last season, Haley Craig has made the heroic decision to play goal for Ft. Lauderdale again this season. All joking aside, Craig was called upon an awful lot and showed she is more than capable of handling the starting role in net.

Will all of the additions, along with Tyrone Mears back in charge, get United back to the playoffs? While the roster is improved, a spot in the playoffs may be too much to ask for this team. After last season, just being a more competitive side would be a good place to be.

Part Three: Hello, My Name Is ______________

Brooklyn FC
When Jess Garziano signed for another year this offseason, it made her the only remaining player from Brooklyn FC’s inaugural season. Many names that had become synonymous with this club - Scarpelli, Kroeger, Hill, Breslin - were now gone. Garziano is the last player who was part of that wonderful first half of Season One when Brooklyn FC played fun, attractive soccer. Since then there have been a few coaching changes, and now the team is being managed by Alex Smith who comes from managing Brisbane Roar in the A-League in Australia.

The good news is Rebecca Cooke is back! The bad news is she’s still recovering from an ACL injury and will not be playing in this shortened season. So the ask for Catherine Zimmerman to score more goals is that much bigger. She;s capable, but she will need help. The team has brought in some veteran assistance. From Tampa Bay Sun comes their all-time leading goal scorer Carlee Giammona. From Reading, Pennsylvania by way of Edinburgh, Scotland comes Jackie Richards who most recently played for Hearts. And from the NWSL’s Seattle Reign comes Tziarra King.

It’s going to take some time getting used to watching Brooklyn FC and not seeing Sam Kroeger in the midfield. She was such a fixture. Veterans Emma Loving and Jennifer Cudjoe are returning, along with Kiki Markovic (sister Ana Maria left and is playing in Croatia). A trio of new arrivals hope to help. Ashlyn Miller comes back to the US after playing with Coach Smith’s side Brisbane Roar last season. Jilly Shimkin joins her former fellow Sun teammate Carlee Giammona. And Sophia Lowenberg joins on loan from the Boston Legacy in the NWSL.

It’s going to take some time getting used to watching Brooklyn FC and not seeing Kelsey Hill at center back. She was such a fixture. Wait…never mind. Other than the departure of Hill and Leah Scarpelli (Scarps!!), it’s the same group of players on the back line from last season. South Korean international NaYeong Shin will be counted upon to be a stalwart, while Jordan Thompson, Annie Williams and Lauren Gogal will be playing more full time minutes. The one rookie to the squad, Laila Booker, brings size and good heading ability, so don’t be surprised to see her get lots of minutes. And in goal, Breanna Norris should get the bulk of the starts over Nicolette Pasquarella.

Is this roster better than the one that finished the past season? Right now, that’s hard to say. We will have to see this team in action to get a better idea. And considering the improvements other teams have made, this side is going to have to gel in a hurry.

Dallas Trinity
Just a quiet little offseason for Trinity, right? Sure - only the ownership group changed, the head coach changed (again), Amber Wisner said goodbye, and only eight players from last season are back. Other than that, not much happened.

With Wisner gone, along with Allie Thornton, it really felt like this season was going to be Lexi’s time - the time when Lexi Missimo would become the force on the field the Trinity faithful have wanted. And now we know, it is Lexi’s time…to move to France? On loan to Olympic Marseille for a year, we say bon voyage to Lexi and bon jour to a host of new players on Trinity’s roster.

Hope you like new forwards, because Dallas has brought on six (!!!) new forwards to this roster to pair with the dynamic Jasmine Hamid. The biggest get may have been Ally Cook, former Spokane Zephyr standout who came back from injury late last season. Keep your eye on Seven Castain, 2025 USL W League Golden Boot and Player of the Year winner who is on loan from Orlando Pride. (Players on loan to Dallas will be a running theme here, by the way.) Kalea Eichenberger gives the squad some size with her six-foot frame. And one more name to watch: Onyeka Gamero who is on loan from NWSL’s Bay FC after signing a multiyear contract.

There are plenty of new faces in the midfield as well. Let’s start with the familiar ones. Camryn Lancaster brings her speed and attack-minded approach, and it will be good to see Wayny Balata and Heather Stainbrook back from injury. Both were sorely missed down the stretch. Not satisfied with just getting Ally Cook from the Zephyr fire sale, Trinity picked up Sophia Braun and Felicia Knox as well. Carissa Boeckmann returns to her home state after a brief spell with Benfica in Portugal. And then there are the players on loan: Jamie Shepherd (from Bay FC), Aria Nagai (from Utah Royals) and Sofia Cedeno (from Seattle Reign). The one true rookie is Juliet Moore from University of Houston.

Dallas was 6th in goals allowed (40) last season. The question for this upcoming year is have they dammed up the leaky defense. Well, the only true addition to the back line is rookie Drew Coomans out of Princeton who was the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year in 2025. She joins Cyera Hintzen, Sydney Cheeseman and Lauren Flynn. Only four players listed as defenders, which means some of these midfielders will be playing on the back line. Neeku Purcell on loan from Seattle Reign is most likely to be the starter in goal. Purcell was recently called up to the USWNT U-23 team.

Dallas Trinity finished in 4th place last season, making it to the playoffs for the second year in a row. But this team always feels like they should be achieving more. For this season, the team has brought in a lot of new players - 16 to be exact, more than any other team. Out of the sheer volume, can Lee Nguyen conjure up a championship side? A short season is not conducive to a bunch of new players trying to find a rhythm together. This team will be intriguing to watch.

Tampa Bay Sun
After winning the championship in Season One, Tampa Bay Sun brought back most of its team for the next season. And that didn’t work out so well. The team struggled for goals, couldn’t win a game at home…in short, they had a ghastly mess. So for Season Three a major redux of the roster has been done. The one constant is the head coach, and Denise Schilte-Brown has been given a team that has a lot more options at her disposal.

Tampa could not find an adequate replacement for Cecilie Fløe Nielsen all of last season, which is understandable given the talent she is. But they couldn’t find anyone to pair up with Sydny Nasello and it was painful to watch. Too often the offense seemed to consist of giving the ball to Nasello and saying ‘good luck, we’re all counting on you.’ This season, Parker Goins returns from injury, which will help. From Spokane comes Tori Zierenberg who gives you that burst of speed. Eleanor Dale brings her scoring from Sunderland and her experience of playing in the US when she attended Nebraska. And Kennedy White comes back to the US from playing professionally in Australia.

Outside of Jordyn Listro, the midfield is a complete makeover. But what a makeover. Let’s start with Sam Kroeger, a box to box mid who is an excellent facilitator of the ball. Nasello is going to like having someone who can feed her the ball. Also good with passing is Darya Rajaee, on loan from Lexington SC. From DC Power come Alexis Theoret and Dasia Torbert who had good moments last season. Millie Ravening brings her attacking prowess from England where she last played for Burnley. And rookie Erika Zschuppe scored 46 goals in 78 games for Florida Gulf Coast.

The defense is rock solid, with returning players Brooke Hendrix, Vivianne Bessette, Sabrina McNeill and Taylor Chism anchoring the back line. However, Kelsey Hill from Brooklyn FC is an excellent acquisition and can certainly help any team in the middle of the back line. Also coming over from Brooklyn is Leah Scarpelli, who is listed as a defender but can play all over the field. By the way, her Tampa kit will say ‘SCARPS’ on the back, which is awesome. Rookie Jazmin Ferguson out of LSU rounds out the list. Emory Wegener and Liz Beardsley should both see time in goal as they did last season.

On paper, this is a better team than last season. There’s no debate about that. The question here, similar to Dallas Trinity, is will all of these new players be able to get it together in a short season. It will be fun to watch the process, and having fun watching Tampa Bay is something that could not be said much last year, if we’re being honest. Could they make the playoffs? Yes. Will they make the playoffs? Hard to say.

by John Howard-Fusco

Be sure to listen to the Super Show Season Preview with John HF & Dan Vaughn