Western Ultimate League
SportUltimate
Founded2020
Inaugural season2020
CommissionerFelicia Yang
No. of teams8
CountryUnited States
Official websitewesternultimateleague.com

The Western Ultimate League (WUL) is a professional women's ultimate league in the western United States founded in 2020. The WUL's stated mission is to "promote visibility, opportunity, and equity within women's ultimate."[1]

The WUL was formed to parallel the Premier Ultimate League (PUL), another women's ultimate league established in 2019, with an eye toward a future merger.[2][3] The WUL shares resources and communicates closely with the PUL.[2]

History

The WUL started with a 2017 and 2018 series of women's and mixed showcase games affiliated with the American Ultimate Disc League, and a 2019 series of professional women's showcase games along the west coast including games between Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver-based teams and between Los Angeles and San Diego-based teams.[4][5]

The inaugural 2020 Western Ultimate League season began with tryouts in January and February 2020 with seven teams.[6] Competition, which had been set to begin in March 2020 and continue through May, was postponed[7] and then canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[8][9]

In January 2021, the Portland Swifts announced they were withdrawing from the WUL.[10] The six remaining WUL teams first competed in December 2021 at the Winter Cup in San Diego.[11] The Utah Wild emerged victorious,[12][13] and two plays from the Winter Cup were featured by ESPN SportsCenter.[14] After the Winter Cup, the league announced the addition of a seventh team, the Oregon Onyx.[14]

The first regular season was conducted in 2022, with the Seattle Tempest emerging as champions.[15] In October 2022, the league announced the addition an eighth team, the Colorado Alpenglow.[16]

Teams

The WUL currently consists of eight teams.

Western Ultimate League is located in the United States
Arizona Sidewinders
Arizona Sidewinders
Colorado Alpenglow
Colorado Alpenglow
Los Angeles Astra
Los Angeles Astra
Oregon Onyx
Oregon Onyx
San Diego Super Bloom
San Diego Super Bloom
San Francisco Falcons
San Francisco Falcons
Seattle Tempest
Seattle Tempest
Utah Wild
Utah Wild
WUL teams in the United States


Team City/Area First Season
Arizona Sidewinders[17] Phoenix, AZ 2021
Colorado Alpenglow Denver, CO 2023
Los Angeles Astra Los Angeles, CA 2021
Oregon Onyx Portland, OR 2022
San Diego Super Bloom San Diego, CA 2021
San Francisco Falcons San Francisco, CA 2021
Seattle Tempest[18] Seattle, WA 2021
Utah Wild[5] Salt Lake City, UT 2021

References

  1. ↑ "About". WESTERN ULTIMATE LEAGUE. Retrieved 2020-05-19.
  2. 1 2 comments, Charlie Eisenhood in News with 0 (2019-12-05). "Western Ultimate League To Spotlight Women's Competition With Eye Towards PUL Merger". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2020-05-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ↑ comments, Charlie Eisenhood in News with 0 (2019-12-03). "Premier Ultimate League Adding Four Teams For 2020 Season". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2020-05-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ↑ "WestCoast Women's Pro Ultimate takes off running". SAVAGE, The Ultimate Apparel Company. Retrieved 2020-05-19.
  5. 1 2 Zagoria, Adam. "Women's Professional Ultimate Frisbee League Announces Expansion". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-05-19.
  6. ↑ comments, Kelsey Hayden in News with 0 (2020-02-28). "Inside The Premier Ultimate League, Western Ultimate League Tryouts". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2020-05-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ↑ Vondersmith, Jason. "Update: Portland Swifts were set to soar - before coronavirus forced season postponement". Portland Tribune. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
  8. ↑ comments, Charlie Eisenhood in News with 0 (2020-03-12). "Western Ultimate League Postpones Start of Season Due to Coronavirus Outbreak". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2020-05-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ↑ comments, Keith Raynor in News with 0 (2020-03-16). "Opening Pull: Ultimate Halted By Global Viral Pandemic". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2020-05-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ↑ "Statement regarding the Portland Swifts— WESTERN ULTIMATE LEAGUE- Women's Professional Frisbee". WESTERN ULTIMATE LEAGUE. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  11. ↑ "Western Ultimate League - Women's Professional Ultimate". WESTERN ULTIMATE LEAGUE. Retrieved 2022-03-22.
  12. ↑ Hayden, Kelsey; Colvett, Mags; comments, Jenna Weiner in Recap with 0 (2021-12-13). "WUL Winter Cup 2021: Day One Recap". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2022-03-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. ↑ Stephens, Edward; Rubin, Alex; Hayden, Kelsey; comments, Mags Colvett in Recap with 0 (2021-12-13). "WUL Winter Cup 2021: Day Two Recap". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2022-03-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  14. 1 2 Hayden, Kelsey; Rubin, Alex; comments, Keith Raynor in Preview with 0 (2022-03-11). "Western Ultimate League 2022: Season Preview". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2022-03-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. ↑ Weiner, Jenna (2022-05-24). "Western Ultimate League 2022: Championship Weekend Recap". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
  16. ↑ "Western Ultimate League – Women's Professional Ultimate". WESTERN ULTIMATE LEAGUE. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
  17. ↑ Hopkins, William. "NAU Frisbee stars find home with AZ Sidewinders". The Lumberjack. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
  18. ↑ Hayden, Kelsey (2020-12-15). "Seattle Cascades Women's Team Changing Name to Seattle Tempest". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2022-01-21.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.