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Washington, D.C. (03/17/2025) – The Washington Spirit has been named one of seven finalists for Sports Business Journal’s 2026 Sports Team of the Year Award, marking the first time the organization has been a nominee for the illustrious annual award.
Sports Team of the Year honors a best-in-class organization that demonstrates excellence, influence, innovation and creativity in the business practices of operating a sports franchise across all American professional sports. Other finalists for the 2026 award include 23XI Racing, Golden State Valkyries, Inter Miami CF, Los Angeles Dodgers, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Toronto Blue Jays. The Spirit is the first NWSL team to be a finalist since Angel City FC won the high honor in 2023.
“We are incredibly honored to be a nominee for the 2026 Sports Team of the Year Award, a testament to everyone in our organization, and our fanbase, who has worked tirelessly to build something that everyone in the DC community can be proud of,” said Washington Spirit CEO Kim Stone. “We combined competitive excellence, innovative commercial execution, and authentic community leadership to raise expectations for what an NWSL organization can achieve this past year, and I cannot wait to see the heights we reach in the future.”
Washington had a transcendent last calendar year on and off the pitch. On the pitch, the club captured the NWSL Challenge Cup, tied the NWSL record for most consecutive road wins to start a season, secured home-field advantage for the playoffs for the second-consecutive year, and advanced to its second-straight NWSL Championship. Off the pitch, the Spirit led the league in season ticket growth, set a club record for single-season home attendance, and became one of only four women’s clubs in the world to average more than 15,000 fans per match.
The Spirit made the biggest splash of the winter by re-signing franchise cornerstone and global superstar Trinity Rodman to the largest contract in NWSL history, succeeding in the club’s offseason priority of keeping Rodman in DC. Owner Michele Kang accelerated league-wide dialogue that led to the creation of the High Impact Player rule which was used to retain Rodman, prompting discussion across league stakeholders about implementation and long-term structure, reflecting the pace and complexity of growth in a rapidly evolving league.
In 2025, the Spirit strengthened its bond with Washington, D.C. by stepping up when the region needed it most. The club answered economic disruption with free tickets for furloughed federal workers, a SNAP-focused food drive, and the nationally acclaimed “Love Letter to DC” campaign — deepening trust and pride across the region and community.
The awards recognize excellence during the judging period from March 1, 2025, through Feb. 28, 2026. The Sports Team of the Year winner will be announced at the 19th Annual Sports Business Awards ceremony Wednesday, May 20 in New York City.
Visit sports-business-awards.com/2026 for more information about the 2026 Sports Business Awards.
ABOUT THE WASHINGTON SPIRIT
The Washington Spirit is the premier professional women’s soccer team based in Washington, D.C. and plays at Audi Field in Buzzard Point. The Spirit was founded on November 21, 2012, and is an inaugural member of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) the fastest growing sports league in the US. The club is home to some of the best players in the world who have won championships for both club and country. For more information about the Spirit, visit WashingtonSpirit.com and follow the club on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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