PRESS STORIES
September, 9 2023
WISL SANCTIONING Q&A
Feature Story
The Women's Independent Soccer League has formally submitted its sanctioning application to the United States Soccer Federation to play as a professional Division 2 league with six community clubs for the 2024 season and five additional clubs already committed for the full 2025 season.
Managing director Lynn Berling-Manuel explains the vision behind this new league and it's place in the American soccer hierarchy.
September, 7 2023
WOMEN’S INDEPENDENT SOCCER LEAGUE APPLIES FOR SANCTIONING WITH U.S. SOCCER FEDERATION
Feature Story
The Women’s Independent Soccer League (WISL) today announced it submitted its application to the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) for sanctioning as a Division II women’s professional league. The application is for the inaugural 2024 season which will launch with six community clubs with five additional already committed for the full 2025 season.
June, 22 2023
WISL WELCOMES EIGHT STRONG VOICES AS FOUNDATION OF CULTURAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Feature Story
The Women’s Independent Soccer League (WISL) – a new women’s professional soccer league gearing up for Division II sanctioning by the U.S. Soccer Federation – today announced the first eight members of its Cultural Advisory Committee. The group will meet a couple times a year and will be in constant connection with WISL leadership as it drives toward play in 2024.
Mar, 30 2023
WOMEN’S INDEPENDENT SOCCER LEAGUE SEES DILIGENCE WORTH THE DELAY IN SANCTIONING APPLICATION
Feature Story
The Women’s Independent Soccer League (WISL) today announced a delay in its application to the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) for sanctioning as a Division II women’s professional league. The league still will apply for sanctioning to start play in 2024, but it believes diligence is critical to confirming a strong and stable set of inaugural clubs.
Jan, 27 2023
LOWER-DIVISION WOMEN’S SOCCER EYES INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT, RAISED STANDARDS
Feature Story
WPSL. UWS. USL W. WISL. It’s easy to get lost in the scattered acronyms of the lower leagues of women’s soccer in the United States, leagues that have existed in various states off and on for decades now. Some of them resemble loose confederations of regional rivals, like WPSL. Some of them, like WISL, don’t even exist yet. What they all have in common is a desire to strengthen the footholds women’s soccer has in the U.S., and all on comparatively meager budgets.
Dec, 1 2022
WISL LAUNCHES “CULTURE IN ACTION” WEB SERIES
Feature Story
Interview-Driven Content Focuses on Culture Pillars League Strives to Make Foundational in Women’s Sport
Women’s Independent Soccer League (WISL) – a new women’s professional soccer league targeting play in 2024 – today announces the launch of a monthly, web-based interview series called “Culture In Action.” The first episode of debuts Wednesday, Dec 7, at https://wisleague.com/culture-in-action/ and features WISL Managing Director Lynn Berling-Manuel discussing the league’s foundational culture pillars introduced last month.
Nov, 9 2022
WISL RELEASES FOUNDATIONAL CULTURE STATEMENT
Feature Story
Women’s Independent Soccer League (WISL), the recently announced Division II women’s professional league today released the vision, mission and pillars that will serve as the cultural foundation of the new league. The league is applying for U.S. Soccer sanctioning in spring 2023 and launching play in spring of 2024.
Oct, 3 2022
WISL STATEMENT ON U.S. SOCCER FEDERATION INVESTIGATION INTO ABUSE AND MISCONDUCT WITHIN THE NWSL
Feature Story
The Women’s Independent Soccer League released the following statement in response to the findings from the independent investigation commissioned by the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) into alleged abuse and misconduct in women’s professional soccer. Former acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Q. Yates of King & Spalding has led the investigation.
Sept, 22 2022
WISL NAMES BERLING-MANUEL MANAGING DIRECTOR
Feature Story
AMERICAN SOCCER VET TO FUEL NEW WOMEN’S DIV. II PRO LEAGUE
The Women’s Independent Soccer League (WISL), the women’s professional league that soft-launched in 2021, today announced the appointment of soccer industry veteran Lynn Berling-Manuel as managing director. She will lead the league’s sanctioning application to play its inaugural professional season.
April, 16 2021
WISL INTRODUCES FIRST-EVER MEMBER CLUB – L.A. FORCE
Feature Story
The Los Angeles Force is the first club to officially join the newly-named Women’s Independent Soccer League (WISL). The club, led by President Bob Friedland, has a men’s side that currently plays in the National Independent Soccer Association. WISL expects to announce more club applications in the coming weeks ahead of WISL’s application to the United States Soccer Federation for Division II sanctioning. It targets play to begin in 2022.
April, 14 2021
WISL aims to fill the Division 2 women’s pro league void in the US
Feature Story
The huge gap under the top flight of the U.S. women’s professional soccer pyramid might soon be filled. The Women’s Independent Soccer League (WISL) announced itself to the world last week as a new organization aiming to be a sanctioned Division 2 pro league, with a stated goal of kicking off in 2022.
April, 8 2021
INTRODUCING WOMEN’S INDEPENDENT SOCCER LEAGUE WISL
Soccer Today
DIVISION II PRO: New Second Tier Pro League to Fill Gap in Women’s Game. This is the day that marks the birth of a new women’s professional soccer league – the Women’s Independent Soccer League, or WISL.
April, 8 2021
Becoming WISL: The Meaning Behind Our Name and Mark
Feature Story
How do you name a new league? We started by defining the essence of the league and let the name emerge in the process. Learn more about the backstory of our name and the mark that represents our new league.
April, 8 2021
INTRODUCING WISL – THE WOMEN’S INDEPENDENT SOCCER LEAGUE
Feature Story
Today marks the birth of a new women’s professional soccer league – the Women’s Independent Soccer League, or WISL. It is a league created by women for women. The league’s ownership group unveiled its name, branding, and symbolism across its varied social channels.
April, 2 2021
A TIME TO RISE: THE REASONS WE NEED A SECOND LEVEL WOMEN’S PRO SOCCER LEAGUE
SOCCER TODAY
A country as large as the USA — how can there be only ten professional women’s soccer teams? Especially when that country is the only 4X FIFA World Cup Champion. These are are the often unasked questions that clearly show the need for more professional soccer in America.