Ambition is defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as “a strong wish to achieve something.” Merriam-Webster more explicitly defines it as “an ardent desire for rank, fame, or power.”
Women’s sports have become a battleground for ambitious businesspeople looking to get involved at the ground level, and that has led to a transformational few years of business for the National Women’s Soccer League, which recently added a Denver franchise for a $110 million expansion fee — 50 times higher than from about five years ago.
Soaring valuations have led to rapid investment across the NWSL, but the growth isn’t uniform. Some teams are spending more and — of equal importance — have clear visions of where that growth will take them. Others are spending less or toiling in uncertainty as they risk getting left behind.
– Stream LIVE: Kansas City Current vs. Portland Thorns, Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Which teams are leading the NWSL to its big and bright future? Which teams are just trying to keep up? Introducing the second annual edition of our NWSL Ambition Rankings, an idea originally inspired by the late Grant Wahl’s work in MLS.
What’s new this year: We reached out to all 14 active NWSL teams to ask them to tell us something we don’t know and provide real…
