The NWSL has survived longer than any other professional women’s soccer league in the United States, in part, because of how it handles that growth — slow and steady. There is a plan for expansion, but anyone who expected new teams to join the league immediately will have to wait. Duffy said the timeline for expansion is 2020.

When asked if there’s a possibility new teams join the league this year, Duffy said, “In 2019? Our efforts are really focused on 2020. We feel like the timeline for any group that’s going to launch a team, launch a new brand, even if it’s within an existing professional organization, the time that it takes to get all the pieces in place and to do it right and to build up to that inaugural season — we’re planning and preparing for expansion to be in 2020 right now.”

Now, she said the league is focused on finding smart expansion markets with the infrastructure to support and lift the quality of the league.

“We’re really concentrating on the quality of the ownership, the quality of the market, the quality of existing facilities – both the match venue, training facilities — staff, infrastructure and the support in that market for soccer and women’s soccer, in particular,” Duffy said. “So, the past year, we’ve been really trying to refine that process and refine what it is that we’re looking for and what is the pace that we want to grow as a league? Because we’re a strong league. We were strong at 10, we’re strong at nine.

“If we all of sudden next year end up at 16 teams, how does that impact the quality of our competition and is that a pace that is sustainable and that we can still continue to operate with on a broader scale? Our efforts are very focused and specific to certain areas that we want to be strong for any team that’s does come into the league that’s going to help propel us at the top and help to elevate the league.”