The Tacoma Stars will have a sister club in the USL’s W League, the team announced on Friday. The Tacoma Galaxy will launch in 2024, and like the Stars, will play home games at Bellarmine Prep.
“Expanding the Tacoma Galaxy to compete in the USL W League in Tacoma is a great opportunity for both players and fans,” U.S. Representative Marilyn Strickland said in a statement issued by the team. “Tacoma has shown continued support for our local sports teams – especially for women’s athletics."
Lane Smith, who will operate both the Stars and Galaxy outdoor teams, had previously been the CEO of Sounders Women, which competed in a previous iteration of the W League and once boasted a roster that included national teamers Hope Solo, Alex Morgan, Sydney Leroux, Keelin Winters, Stephanie Cox and Megan Rapinoe. The Sounders Women were first launched in 2000, played through 2019 before rebranding as Sound FC, and won a WPSL championship in 2018.
Like USL League 2, the W League is mostly amateur players, made up of primarily college athletes on summer vacation. Oly Town FC in Olympia also fields a team in the league, while the remainder of the Northwest Division consists of teams based in Oregon.
