WPBL Returns to US After 72-Year Women’s Baseball Gap

The return of a professional women’s baseball league to the United States has reopened a pathway that disappeared for more than seven decades. The WPBL began its inaugural season on August 1, 2026, marking the country’s first fully professional women’s league since the earlier AAGPBL ended in 1954.

The four-team competition features New York Heights, Boston Hunters, Los Angeles Queens and San Francisco Firebells. Every game in the opening campaign was staged at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois, rather than in the teams’ named cities. The regular season ran until September 6 and gave each club 15 games within a 30-game schedule.

San Francisco finished first with 10 wins and five losses, then reached the championship series by beating Boston 6-4 and 9-6. Los Angeles and New York split their opening two playoff games, leaving their series to be decided on September 14. The final begins two days later and will be played over a best-of-five series, with three victories required for the inaugural title.

The league also has an international base. More than 600 players from 10 countries entered the open tryouts, while 120 reached the November 2025 draft. The selections included players from the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Australia, France, England and Curaçao. San Francisco made Kelsey Whitmore the first choice in league history, while Los Angeles selected Japan’s Ayami Sato second.