WPSL: Sporting CT wins first national title with dominating win over defending champion California Storm
- Dan Stickradt
- Jul 21
- 5 min read
NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com
WPSL: Sporting CT wins first national title with dominating win over defending champion California Storm
OKLAHOMA CITY – Despite just one loss during the regular season, Sporting CT plummeted from a No. 1 ranking in the Women’s Premier Soccer League Top 25 Power Rankings in late June all the way down to the No. 13 spot.
Perhaps those around the club from the coaches, players and front office took that lower ranking personally.
Sporting CT, which is based out of Middletown, Connecticut, has not lost since that mid-June defeat.
In fact, Sporting CT reeled off six straight wins – which included a 24-5 scoring edge – but most importantly Sunday’s 4-0 victory over defending national champion California Storm at Oklahoma State University’s Neal Patterson Stadium came in the 2025 National Championship match.
The one-beaten squad captured its first-ever crown in its first national title game appearance and finished off a dominating season where the side posted a 13-1-0 overall record and with that included a 68-12 scoring edge and seven shutouts in 14 games.
Sporting CT was dominant enough to go 4-0 in the postseason with a 19-2 scoring edge and two shutouts and no team scored more than a goal against the team in the national tournament.
The California Storm tasted defeat for just the second time and completes the year with an 8-2-0 record. The Storm just ran into a buzzsaw Sunday evening after winning its three previous tournament games via shutout and posting a 10-0 scoring edge in those matches.
Not this time.
Sporting CT came out and set the tone early, scoring twice in the first nine minutes of the contest and eventually led 4-0 at the half. Sporting CT continued to control play and did not allow the Storm to unleash any type of a comeback.
It was the record ninth national finals game appearance for the Storm, which slipped to 5-4 in those games dating back to the 1999 season. The Storm had won titles in 1999, 2002, 2004, 2022 and 2024 but clearly met their match on Sunday night.
Sporting CT picked up a goal and three assists from midfielder Cara Jordan, who had a foot in all four goals to clearly take the Finals MVP.
Jordan set up teammate Emily Senatore with a goal in just the fifth minute which later proved to be the game-winner. Sporting CT continued to press for much of the first half.
Imani Jenkins scored the second goal in the ninth minute off a feed from Jordan and a 2-0 lead.
Subbed into the game, Abbie Burgess netted the third goal in the 27th minute, collecting a pass from Jordan before sending home her shot.
Finally, Jordan scored her only goal in the 38th minute after Tiffany Weimer set the table for her. That tally capped the scoring.
In the second half, Sporting CT still controlled a lot of the play and picked up collective stout defense throughout the entire 90 minutes before claiming the title. Caitlin Daley notched the clean sheet for her team’s seventh shutout of the season.
Sporting CT ends with a .924 win percentage after losing to the Merrimack Valley Hawks FC (3-1) back on June 22. That set the course for the season-closing six-game win streak and the team’s national championship run.
Some of the impressive numbers this season for the club included 5.24 goals-per-game and a 0.86 goals-against-average along with being amongst the leaders with 68 goals scored in the season – 19 in the postseason.
WPSL ALL-TIME TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS
1998: Silicon Valley Red Devils
1999: California Storm
2000: San Diego SeaLions
2001: Ajax America Women
2002: California Storm 1,Ajax America Women 0
2003: Utah Spiders 2, California Storm 1
2004: California Storm 3, New England Mutiny 1
2005: FC Indiana 5, California Storm 4 (5-4 SO)
2006: Long Island Fury 1, River Cities FC 0
2007: FC Indiana 3, New England Mutiny 0
2008: Ajax America Women 1, Arizona Rush 0
2009: Long Island Fury 1, Ajax America Women 0
2010: Boston Aztec 2, Ajax America Women 1
2011: Orange County Waves 2, Chicago Red Stars Reserves 1 (2OT)
2012: Not listed.
2013: Not listed.
2014: Beach Futbol Club 1, Houston Aces 0
2015: Chicago Red Stars Reserves 2, So Cal FC 1
2016: Boston Breakers Reserves 3, San Diego SeaLions
2017: Fire & Ice FC 2, Pensacola FC 1
2018: Seattle Sounders Women FC 3, Pensacola FC 1
2019: Pensacola FC 3, Utah Royals FC Reserves 2
2020: No tournament contested due to Covid restrictions.
2021: No tournament contested due to Covid restrictions.
2022: California Storm 3, Colorado Rapids Women 1
2023: Charlotte Eagles FC 1, Salvo FC 0
2024: California Storm 1, Charlotte Eagles FC 0
2025: Sporting CT 4, California Storm 0
MOST WPSL CHAMPIONSHIPS
5 – California Storm
2 – Ajax America Women
2 – Long Island Fury
2 – FC Indiana
1 – Charlotte Eagles FC
1 – Pensacola FC
1 – Seattle Sounders Women
1 – Fire & Ice FC
1 – Boston Breakers Reserves
1 – San Diego SeaLions
1 – Chicago Red Stars Reserves
1 – Beach Futbol Club
1 – Orange County Waves
1 – Boston Aztec
1 – Utah Spiders
1 – Silicon Valley Red Devils
1 – Sporting CT
MOST WPSL RUNNERS-UP
3 – Ajax America Women
2 – Pensacola FC
2 – California Storm
2 – New England Mutiny
1 – River Cities FC
1 – Arizona Rush
1 – Houston Aces
1 – So Cal FC
1 – Chicago Red Stars Reserves
1 – San Diego SeaLions
1 – Utah Royals FC Reserves
1 – Colorado Rapids Women
1 – Salvo FC
1 – Charlotte Eagles FC
MOST FINALS APPEARANCES
9 – California Storm
5 – Ajax America Women
3 – Pensacola FC
2 – Charlotte Eagles FC
2 – San Diego SeaLions
2 – Chicago Red Stars Reserves
2 – Long Island Fury
2 – FC Indiana
2 – New England Mutiny
1 – Salvo FC
1 – Colorado Rapids Women
1 – Utah Royals FC Reserves
1 – Seattle Sounders Women
1 – Fire & Ice FC
1 – Boston Breakers Reserves
1 – So Cal FC
1 – Beach Futbol Club
1 – Houston Aces
1 – Orange County Waves
1 – Boston Aztec
1 – Arizona Rush
1 – River Cities FC
1 – Utah Spiders
1 – Silicon Valley Red Devils
1 – Sporting CT
MOST WPSL FINAL FOUR TEAMS
Not available.
Updates to this list can be emailed to National Soccer Network Director of News Dan Stickradt at dstickradt@thepremiermediagrp.com or news@nationalsoccernetwork.com.
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