Caitlin Clark trying to bring NWSL team to Cincinnati
CINCINNATI, Ohio (WISH) — Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark’s impact continues to grow beyond the sport of basketball.
For instance, just last week, she took center stage in the world of golf as she played in a LPGA pro-am in Florida.
And on Thursday, it was revealed Clark had joined a group that is trying to bring a new soccer team to the Midwest.
The WNBA Rookie of the Year is now part of an ownership group hoping to bring a National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) expansion team to Cincinnati.
The NWSL Cincinnati bid team sent the following statement to News 8 Sports’ Andrew Chernoff on Thursday night:
“The NWSL Cincinnati bid team is thrilled that Caitlin Clark has joined our ownership group in pursuit of bringing a women’s professional soccer team to our city. Her passion for the sport, commitment to elevating women’s sports in and around the Greater Cincinnati region, and influence as an athlete and role model for women and girls around the world, make her a vital part of our compelling bid to become the 16th team in the NWSL.”
The city of Cincinnati is already home to a Major League Soccer club named FC Cincinnati.
A recent article in the Sports Business Journal said that the candidates for the new NWSL expansion team is “believed to be narrowed to bid groups in five cities: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Nashville and Philadelphia.”
The expansion team would become the NWSL’s 16th team. The new club will join the league for the 2026 season.
The NWSL previously announced the location of another expansion club which will begin play in the 2026 season. The new club, which is based in Boston, will be called BOS Nation FC.
The 2024 NWSL season featured 14 clubs.
This year’s NWSL Championship match will be played on Saturday between Orlando Pride and Washington Spirit.