Dear Boston,

My partners and I are humbled and honored to announce that Boston has been chosen as the 15th team in the National Women’s Soccer League, the fastest-growing sports league in the country. The League includes many of the best soccer players in the world and we are excited to bring this world-class talent to Boston ready to take the pitch in the 2026 season. 

As a lifelong Bostonian, some of my fondest memories growing up when I wasn’t playing sports were watching our teams win (and of course sometimes lose). When I had to go to bed before the end of the game, my father would hand draw a newspaper and leave it on the floor of my bedroom so I would wake up to the play-by-play. He fulfilled a life-long dream of becoming a managing partner of the Boston Celtics in 2002, which in turn has allowed me the privilege of being part of one of our storied Boston legacies. Witnessing the Big Three lead the Celtics to a championship in 2008, holding our breath as we watched the Red Sox improbable comeback to win the World Series in 2004, exhaling with relief after Malcolm Butler’s Super Bowl-winning interception at the goal line in 2015: these are just some of the euphoric moments Boston sports fans live for and share collectively. While winning championships will be the goal, it’s more than just the wins that excite us, it’s how sports brings communities together and presents unique opportunities for both the athletes and the fans to forge meaningful connections across neighborhoods, race, gender and economics.

Sports teams at their heart are community-owned organizations and it’s our responsibility with the launch of our team to bring to our city of champions, not only another championship-caliber team but a team embedded in the fabric of our global and diverse city. Our team needs to represent you, and we will do that by investing in our players, our facilities, and our communities so that your experience as a fan is everything you want it to be, so that our team is yours.

It’s time we write the story of a new sports legacy about the greatest female athletes and the greatest sports fans. We play here, in Boston, we play to win and we play to make us all proud.

Let’s go! 
Jennifer Epstein, alongside Stephanie Connaughton, Ami Kuan Danoff, Anna Palmer, and the Boston Unity Soccer Partners

ABOUT NWSL BOSTON

We are Boston. The greatest sports city in the country. Our fans show up. We commit. We are a city of learning, diversity, innovation, perseverance— a city that shows up for women.

NWSLBoston is bringing the world’s game to the heart of our city.

NWSLBoston will create a home for the greatest female athletes of our time; build upon the supercharged legacy of our historic teams; cultivate a community of fans with impact at our core, and forge new connections across our city through sport.

When Boston plays, we play to win. #NSWLBoston See you on the pitch in 2026 ⚽️

JENNIFER EPSTEIN

Jennifer has had a front row seat to developing a beloved sports franchise- her family became co-owners and managing partners of the Boston Celtics in 2002. She is the co-founder of Wildlife Hospitality— the creator of award-winning Boston restaurant concepts like The Beehive. Jennifer is the founder of Juno Equity, a fund backing women-led companies, and a Trustee for the Institute of Contemporary Art where she created a fund for female artists.

STEPHANIE CONNAUGHTON

Stephanie is a strategic marketer, innovator and brand builder, having led the creation of over 7 brands including the Gillette Venus. She invented a yoga mat anchored by 4 utility patents and counts herself as one of Boston’s experts on early stage consumer start-ups advising dozens of companies in our city. She is an avid Patriots Fan, Harvard Collegiate Lacrosse Player, and her family is part of the investor/founder group and Board Member of the Boston Celtics.

AMI KUAN DANOFF

Ami is a philanthropic innovator and tech investor, co-founding the Women’s Foundation of Boston which funds high impact programs serving the women and girls of Greater Boston. Ami is the lead funder of Raxia, an AI-powered platform for revenue cycle management. A former Putnam portfolio manager and Fidelity equity analyst, Ami graduated from Harvard and holds dual MS degrees from MIT Sloan. She is a Harvard Quantum Founder and a member of the Harvard FAS Dean’s Council.

ANNA PALMER

Anna is an entrepreneur and experienced investor, investing in early stage companies as a General Partner at Flybridge Capital and co-founding XFactor Ventures— one of the most active seed funds backing female entrepreneurs. She is a Harvard Law graduate, passionate soccer fan, and a long-time member of the American Outlaws U.S. Soccer supporters group.