Historically, it has only been contested by amateur and semi-pro teams, as teams from professional leagues (WUSA, WPS, and the NWSL) are not allowed to enter the competition. In 2012 though, the Chicago Red Stars, a professional club in the WPSL Elite, entered and won the competition. Similarly, the professional[1]Houston Aces of WPSL won in 2013.
The defending Women's Cup champion is Olympic Club, who won the title in back-to-back tournaments in 2015 and 2016.[2][3] The last open was held in 2016.[4]
Tournament structure
2009–2012
In the regional phase of the competition, four to sixteen teams per region compete in a round-robin (or partial round-robin) tournament, playing at least three games.[5]
The national finals feature the four regional winners in a two-round knockout tournament.
2013–2016
Teams apply to take part in the national championships, which is contested as an initial round-robin group, followed by a championship game if there are more than four teams participating.