P R E S S  R E L E A S E

 

 

WPSL ADDS SECOND ARIZONA-BASED EXPANSION CLUB AHEAD OF 2025 SEASON

 

 

OKLAHOMA CITY (1/16/2025) — The Women’s Premier Soccer League expands its footprint in the desert Southwest with the addition of PHX Heat FC. With the announcement, PHX Heat FC becomes the second 2025 expansion club from the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, joining soon-to-be-named WPSL Peoria.  

 

 

“The addition of a woman’s platform is vital for the future of women’s soccer in West Phoenix,” Jeff Kelly, PHX Heat FC owner and general manager, said. “There is an untapped wealth of resources and a huge women’s soccer community that is ready to prove what they are capable of and show the quality of players being produced.”

 

 

Founded in 2024 with the mission of developing and promoting women through soccer, the not-for-profit club will form competitive teams at the highest levels available. The 2025 WPSL season will be the club’s first on the field.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"We are excited to be a part of the WPSL and the competitive level that it brings,” Kelly said. 

 

 

PHX Heat FC will draw players from the more than dozen colleges and universities with women’s varsity programs, along with some of the top youth clubs in the country. The club will work closely with local youth clubs, colleges, and businesses in the West Phoenix community to develop, inspire, and achieve excellence in the region with a rich WPSL history. 

 

 

Brett Bentley will lead the club in its inaugural season as head coach. He brings more than 20 years coaching experience at the NCAA Division I, II, NAIA, and pre-professional levels. Most recently, Bently served as head coach of NAIA Ottawa University Arizona women’s side. 

 

 

The WPSL will unveil its official conference alignment for the 2025 season at its Annual General Meeting in Oklahoma City later this month. 

 

 

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For more information on PHX Heat FC, visit ​​PHXHeatFC.com, or follow its social media channels —Instagram, and Facebook.

 

For more information on the WPSL, visit wpslsoccer.com

 

 

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About the Women’s Premier Soccer League

The WPSL is set to open its 27th season in May 2025 to retain itself as the most tenured women’s league in North America. The WPSL continues to operate as the largest women’s soccer league in the world. An all-time high of 141 teams in 34 U.S. states competed in the league’s first division of the 2024 season. Team rosters feature elite collegiate, post-collegiate, international, and standout prep student-athletes. Many of the United States’ most accomplished women’s national team players have played in the WPSL since its inception in 1998, including household names such as Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Abby Wambach, and Brandi Chastain.