Washington Spirit Named Best Local Professional Sports Team by the Washington Blade

Local LGBTQ+ newspaper readers voted the Spirit as DC’s favorite professional sports team

Washington, D.C. (10/22/2024) – The Washington Spirit has been named DC’s “Best Local Professional Sports Team” by the Washington Blade, the local newspaper announced.

Per the outlet, “the incredible team is currently ranked second in the NWSL and has consistently supported local LGBTQ groups, like Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders (SMYAL). The Spirit understands the importance of playing hard and LGBTQ representation in sports.”

As part of the publication’s annual “Best of LGBTQ DC 2024” list, this award was recently presented to the Washington Capitals of the NHL and the Washington Mystics of the WNBA in 2023 and 2022, respectively.

In 2024, the Spirit built on its strong support of DC’s LGBTQ+ community. After the club’s annual Pride Night on June 29, the Spirit donated match-worn Pride kits to community partner SMYAL. The kits were then auctioned off, raising over $17,000 for the LGBTQ+ youth organization. The Spirit also donated a portion of all proceeds from Pride Month merchandise sales to The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center.

The club has made an impact more than just financially this year as well. During the planning process for this season’s Pride Night at Audi Field, the Spirit consulted with its LGBTQ+ fans, collaborating on merch designs, in-stadium entertainment and more. Away from the stadium, Spirit defender Anna Heilferty attended SMYAL’s Camp Free2Be, a camp for trans and non-binary youth, engaging with campers and encouraging community this summer.

Washington Blade is a DC-based LGBTQ+ publication that has been active since 1969, making it the oldest such newspaper in the United States. Behind only the Philadelphia Gay News and New York’s Gay City News, the Blade has the third-largest circulation among LGBTQ+ news outlets.

The Spirit will take the pitch at Audi Field next on Sunday, November 10 at 12:30 p.m. EST when the club hosts an NWSL quarterfinal match. As part of the 2024 NWSL Playoffs, presented by Google Pixel, this match will be the Spirit’s first home playoff contest since its 2021 championship season. Tickets are available here.

About The Washington Spirit

The Washington Spirit is the premier professional women’s soccer team based in Washington, D.C. and plays at Audi Field in Buzzard Point. The Spirit was founded on November 21, 2012 and is an inaugural member of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) the fastest growing sports league in the US. The club is home to some of the best players in the world who have won championships for both club and country. In 2024, the Spirit drafted an epic class of rookies who are already breaking records and wowing fans. For more information about the Spirit, visit WashingtonSpirit.com and follow the club on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.