P R E S S  R E L E A S E

 

REIGNING WPSL CHAMPIONS CALIFORNIA STORM
TO COMPETE IN INAUGURAL BRANDI CHASTAIN CUP

Groundbreaking Competition Named After WPSL Alumna and USWNT Icon
Brings the Nation's Top Amateur Teams Together for the First Time

 

OKLAHOMA CITY (3/12/2025) — The Women's Premier Soccer League confirmed today the 2024 WPSL Champions, California Storm, will represent the league against the top amateur teams in the country in the inaugural Brandi Chastain Cup this summer. This groundbreaking tournament, organized and operated by members of the U.S. Soccer's Adult Council, features four of the top women's amateur teams. The tournament’s structure will include two semi-final matches and a final between May and June.

 

For WPSL Commissioner Kendra Halterman, the Brandi Chastain Cup is a huge step for women's soccer, for which she has tirelessly advocated for the last decade, lobbying for the reinstatement of the Women's U.S. Open Cup, which was last played in 2016. 

 

"This championship will allow players to showcase their skills, compete at a higher level, and continue to advance the women's game," Halterman said. "It's also a vital step towards creating a Women's Open Cup and expanding opportunities for female athletes."

 

The California Storm have competed in each WPSL season since the league was founded in 1998, winning a record five WPSL championships. The Storm went an unbeaten 10-3-0 in 2024, winning the Pac North Conference and West Region titles enroute to its second WPSL title in three years with a 1-0 over the Charlotte Eagles.

 

"We are thrilled to be part of this project with U.S. Soccer. The California Storm has been around since 1995, and we have hundreds of athletes go on to the pros,” Jamie Levoy, California Storm executive director, said. “This is a great opportunity to show the incredible talents that is in our leagues. 

 

TheStorm will face off against the Pan World Elite F.C, winners of the 2024 Women's National Amateur Cup, on May 24 in the first of two semifinal matches at a site yet to be determined. 

 

Along with her duties as WPSL Commissioner, Halterman enters the opening round contest as a player and manager of Pan World F.C. and readily acknowledges difficulties the reigning WPSL champions, California Storm, will present. 

 

"With players who have been together for over a decade, many of whom are moms still playing the sport they love, Pan World has a mix of All-American athletes, high school and state champions, and several players with experience in the WPSL," Halterman said. "Now, the team is ready to showcase their skill at the prestigious Brandi Chastain Cup, eager to prove they are a force to be reckoned with." 

 

All five matches of the inaugural Brandi Chastain Cup will be streamed live by the host teams. Ticketing information will also be provided by the host teams once match schedules are finalized. 

 

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For more information on the WPSL or the California Storm, visit wpslsoccer.com and calstormsoccer.com. 

 

About the Women’s Premier Soccer League
 

The WPSL is set to open its 27th season in May 2025, remaining 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.