Good morning! There is no greater statement of the explosion of interest in women’s soccer than what’s happening at the amateur level. There were more than 250 teams entered this year in the three women’s summer leagues. Some are starting to draw impressive crowds. Last year, we wrote about Minnesota Aurora, the women-led, community-owned USL W League team. In 2024, Richmond Ivy tapped into the new market for fans of women’s sports. SA’s newest contributor, Protagonist Soccer editor and founder Dan Vaughn, examines what’s behind the success of the USL W League team, which averaged 4,811 fans in its first season.

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Paul Kennedy edited Soccer America for 41 years (1985-2026). He began writing for SA in 1974. He started writing for France Football in 1978 and has served on in Ballon d'Or jury since 2007.