WPSL CHAMPIONSHIPS SHOWCASE FEMALE REFEREES 

 

Since its first season in 1998, the mission of the Women’s Premier Soccer League has been to develop women’s soccer. What started out as a six-team league in California now has more than 200 pre-professional teams spanning two division—with a professional division on the way. Some of the biggest names in women’s soccer developed in the WPSL. 

 

“The WPSL has always been about developing female players,” Karen Swanner, WPSL director of match officials, said. “In keeping with the mission of the league, it should also be a place where female officials can grow and develop, too.”

 

Now it is. Under Swanner’s guidance, the WPSL launched a female refereeing initiative designed to give qualified female referees the opportunity to develop skills right alongside the players in the league. 

 

Referee Alexa Ligouri conducts the coin toss in the semifinal match between California Storm and Chattanooga FC. Photo by Cody Roper

 

“Because we have an all-female league, qualified females who are trying to go to the next level should have the opportunity to develop right along with the players in the league,” Swanner said.

 

This initiative culminated at this year’s WPSL Championships which featured all-female crews. 

 

Paige Bell, Olivia FernFlores, Ava Flores, Rebecca Greenberg, Alexa Ligouri, and Anna Warzniak were hand-picked to officiate the WPSL Championships from a pool of more than 50 female referees from across the country.

 

It was the first time in the league’s 27-year history all-female refereeing crews were featured in the semifinals and final. 

 

“The first semifinal, as we were going out onto the pitch, the teams were so excited that it was an all-female crew close to their age,” Bell said.

 

Of the six women brought to Stillwater, only one was over the age of 30. Along with the three matches the interchanging officiating crews shared a house allowing them stay engaged with each other over the course of the four days together. 

 

“I feel like we’re able to build a sense of community and learn from each other,” said Greenburg, who served as the center referee for the weekend’s first semifinal match and as an assistant referee in the final. “Having us in a house instead of hotel rooms allows us to have open conversations with each other. We’ve developed a lot as a group while we were here.” 

 

Alexa Ligouri, the center referee for the second semifinal—a contentious, physical battle played in a compact midfield—said the bond the group formed helped with the many volatile moments in the match. 

 

Semifinal match officials Ava Flores (AR2), Alexa Ligouri (Fourth Official), Rebecca Greenberg (Referee) and Paige Bell (AR1). Photo by Cody Roper

 

“We all went into it on the same page,” Ligouri said. “We spent the last three days talking about our strengths and weaknesses. We were able to support each other on and off the field, which reflected in our ability to be successful on the field.” 

 

Swanner, a ceiling-shattering referee herself, said the six-woman crew selected for this year’s WPSL Championships far exceeded her expectations. From the beginning, Swanner didn’t just want female referees in as many WPSL matches as possible. But at no point did she want to sacrifice the quality of refereeing. Throughout the season, Swanner and her sub-assigners put both known and up-and-coming female referees on as many league games as possible. From there she asked sub-assigners to nominate the best female referees from their geographical area. That initial list of 58 female referees was whittled down to 10 candidates for the WPSL Championships semifinals and final. 

 

Swanner said the initiative really took root after feedback she received at the league’s annual general meeting in January. In 2024, less than 20 percent of WPSL games had at least one female official on the four-person crew, which was slightly below the 22 percent of USSF certified female referees. 

 

“People were coming up to me and talking about how great it would be if we had more female crews,” Swanner said. 

 

The initiative took root from there, including referee seminars specifically designed for female referees. Swanner said the initiative was supported across the board but would not have been possible without the generous support of the league’s official apparel provider, Capelli Sport, which helped pick up the travel and accommodation costs, and provided warm-up and match refereeing gear for the crew. 

 

“I really feel like the WPSL is a special league for allowing us to come together from all across the country in a centralized location,” Greenberg said. “It shows that the league is really interested in developing female referees.” 

 

As the WPSL moves into its 28th season, Swanner said the visibility of this year’s all-female crew in the WPSL Championships will attract more female referees to officiate in the league. 

 

"Young female officals wanting to do college and professional games are going to recognize there are additional opportunities," Swanner said. "The more we feature female referees, the more will see the WPSL as a developmental pathway." 

 

“I love that these women are getting the opportunity to referee these games,” Jamie Levoy, California Storm coach and executive director, said. Levoy is no stranger to the WPSL Championships. The Storm have won two out of the last four WPSL titles, and were runners up in 2025. “More female referees need this kind of exposure. I’m glad they are getting it here.” 

 

Top Photo: WPSL President, Sean Jones, Referee, Paige Bell, Assistant Referee, Rebecca Greenberg, Assistant Referee, Anna Warzniak, Fourth Official, Olivia FernFlores, and WPSL Director of Match Officials, Karen Swanner following the 2025 WPSL Champoinships Final. Photo by Cody Roper