Mayor Lisa Brown declared Saturday “Women’s Soccer Day in Spokane” and expected a “truly historic” event for the sport in the city.
It will be the inaugural game for Spokane Zephyr FC, the newly formed professional women’s soccer club, the first of its kind in Spokane.
“When we look back, I think this will be a huge moment … this launch of women’s professional sports at the highest level,” Brown said Tuesday during a preseason celebration at ONE Spokane Stadium. “Now we have this pinnacle of opportunity with women’s professional soccer starting right here.”
The Zephyrs are one of eight founding members of the new USL Super League – a top-level professional women’s soccer league that will stream its games nationally on Peacock, competing with the National Women’s Soccer League for exposure. The USL Super League, which is set to expand in the near future, will officially begin play on Saturday afternoon.
The last USLS game of the evening will be played by the Zephyr, who will host Fort Lauderdale United FC at 6 p.m. at One Spokane Stadium.
“The emotions are exciting and tense,” Zephyr coach Jo Johnson said. “We want to give back to the game and respect it. We have a lot of people from the community here, the mayor is here today. The whole city of Spokane – we feel that (energy) as a staff, as an organization, as players.”
“We play for much more than just results on the field. It’s about the whole city, the people who got us where we are, the community, the football community. That encompasses a lot of emotions.”
From a broader perspective, Saturday will be a significant day for the continued growth of soccer in America and an important chapter for women’s sports in terms of opportunity and recognition.
“It’s a testament to the growth of women’s sports,” said Johnson, the former Tulsa assistant who was hired to lead Spokane in late June. “It’s just a culmination of things that people have fought for and doors have been opened for. We’re not going to take that lightly. We also want to be intentional about what we’re going to leave as our legacy and our standard and what that’s going to look like going forward. We’re excited to tackle that.”
The potential impact of the USLS has not been lost on Zephyr players, several of whom spoke to the media on Tuesday and expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to put Spokane on the map as a soccer town.
“It’s special to be a part of it,” said striker Jenny Vetter, a former top professional player in Portugal. “When I was growing up, there weren’t always the most accessible leagues to watch. … Just seeing how football has evolved in the last 10, five years is so special. The fact that we get to be a part of it on Saturday, we’re all grateful for that.”
The Zephyr roster is a diverse group that includes former Division I college stars, well-known NWSL players and top international players. Many of the players competed for professional clubs overseas and several continue to play for their home countries in international FIFA tournaments.
“22 brand new players, and (Johnson) brought them all together,” said club president and co-owner Katie Harnetiaux. “These women come from all different backgrounds and they are the most amazing women.”
The Zephyrs boast former first-round picks from the NWSL Draft, including former All-Pac-12 and All-Big Ten honorees, and fans can look forward to elite competition, including players who have performed well at the highest levels in Spain, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and Australia, to name a few. They have been training together for nearly two months – some arrived late due to international events.
“I’ve been here for about three weeks and not from the beginning, just because of the international games, but it’s so easy to fit into this group,” said Bosnian-American forward Emina Ekic, a former first-round pick in the NWSL draft from Louisville. “It’s been so well organized and it’s been easy to fit in. What sets us apart is how close we are and how good we are in the locker room. I think that will show on the field. … We all have something to prove and the level in training is high and I think we’re ready to prove it this weekend.”
There’s a bit of local flavor, too. Forward Taryn Ries prepared at Ridgefield High in southwest Washington and then spent time as a professional in Sweden and Germany. Center back Sophia Braun played for Gonzaga and is on the Argentine national team. Forward Jodi Ulkekul also played for the Zags before playing professionally in the NWSL, Spain and Italy. Defender Haley Thomas, a former professional player in Iceland, is from Kennewick.
“The USL was not even on my radar,” Ries said. “When I was overseas, that was all I was focused on. But when I got the call, had more conversations and learned more about their vision, I realized this is a special place. Plus, as a Washingtonian, I thought it was so cool to be part of a new League 1 and a new inaugural team in my home state to help promote women’s soccer for future girls and myself.”
It’s been a long process to get this league and this club up and running. Harnetiaux said she’s been involved in planning with the USL for the past two and a half years and “helped shape what this league looks like.” Spokane was awarded a franchise in May 2023, and since then Harnetiaux has been hard at work putting the pieces together. Now the Zephyrs are finally ready to make history.
“I think I’ll breathe a sigh of relief on Sunday for the first time in nine months,” Harnetiaux said. “We accomplished what we wanted to accomplish… ultimately, we turned Spokane into a soccer town, right?”
