Confession: I put off making this list of women’s sports teams in Chicago because I figured that it must already exist elsewhere and I didn’t want to duplicate efforts.
Yeah, not so much.
I don’t know why I’m surprised: Female athletes make less money, get less exposure and are less likely to get lucrative sponsorship deals than their male counterparts. Even when they’re winning more games and doing more in their communities. In fact, of the 100 highest paid athletes in the world in 2023, none were women. None. So, yeah, no list.
Until now.
It’s up to all of us to turn this runaway train around, and I hope to see y’all at an upcoming match (I’ll be the one yelling “Go Sports!” at the top of my lungs).
Let the games begin!
Chicago Red Stars
Sport: Soccer
League: Women’s Professional Soccer League (WPSL)
Where they play: Toyota Park
Season starts: March 16, 2024, at Utah; home opener is at 3 p.m. on March 23
Chicago Sky
Sport: Basketball
League: Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Where they play: Wintrust Arena
Season starts: May 15, 2024, at Dallas; home opener is at 7 p.m. on May 25
Don’t miss: The 2024 WNBA Draft will air at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, April 15 on ESPN. Chicago will have the third pick after the Indiana Fever and Los Angeles Sparks.
Chicago-Style Roller Derby: a merger of The Chicago Outfit and DuPage Derby Dames
Sport: Flat track roller derby
League: Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA)
Where they play: Coachlite Skate Center in Roselle
Season opener: April 6, 2024
Windy City Rollers
Sport: Flat track roller derby
League: Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA)
Where they play: UIC Pavilion
Next up: Ivy King Cup Roller Derby Championship at 5 p.m. on March 2, 2024
Don’t miss our ode to roller derby here.
Teams no longer with us:
Chicago Bandits
Sport: Fastpitch Softball
League: National Pro Fastpitch (NPF)
Where they played: Chicago Bandits Stadium in Rosemont
NPF Champions 2008, 2011, 2015, 2016
The team folded in 2021 when the NPF disbanded.
Chicago Force
Sport: Women’s Tackle Football
League: Women’s Football Alliance
Where they played: Lazier Field in Evanston
The team ended operations in 2018 with an overall record of 123-29.
Chicago League of Lady Arm Wrestlers
Sport: Arm Wrestling
Where they played: Logan Square Auditorium
Curious about CLLAW? Check out our feature story.
The league held its final bout online in 2020.
Is there a team out there that we’re missing? Let us know!
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