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SAN FRANCISCO - Women's Professional Soccer announced Friday it was dissolving the U.S. league, ending its three-year run after suspending operations in January over organizational issues and a dispute with club owner Dan Borislow.
"We sincerely regret having to take this course of action," said T. Fitz Johnson, chairman of the WPS Board of Governors and owner of the Atlanta Beat, one of five teams that remained at the end. The statement came in a release posted on the league's Facebook page.
The decision by the WPS board marks the second time a professional women's league in the United States has folded after three seasons. The Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), which began in the wake of the Americans' title at the 1999 Women's World Cup, lasted from 2001-2003.
It leaves the WPSL Elite League and the W League, two pro-am organizations, as the highest level for women's play in the United States.
The WPS had been the home of many of the world's top women's players, including FIFA Women's Player of the Year honorees Homare Sawa of Japan and Marta of Brazil, in addition to nearly the entire U.S. women's national team and several top Canadians.
Many of the U.S. and Canadian players moved to teams in the WPSL or W League after WPS announced it was suspending operations on January 30, two days after the United States won the CONCACAC Olympic qualifying tournament.
Financial losses led to the folding of three teams and forced founding member club the Chicago Red Stars to withdraw to join the WSPL.
WPS was reduced to five teams when it terminated the Boca Raton, Florida-based magicJack in October. The action was the latest in a series of conflicts between the league and Borislow - who invented the magicJack computer-telephone device. He purchased the Washington Freedom, renamed the club and moved it to Florida.
After being repeatedly disciplined through the 2011 season for not meeting league standards, Borislow sued the league in August. The league subsequently accused Borislow of "unprofessional and disparaging treatment of his players" and not paying the team's bills.
In addition to announcing that the league was folding, WPS also announced it had reached a confidential settlement in the case with Borislow.
After the WUSA launched amid great fanfare but folded after heavy losses, WPS was started with more modest expectations and budgets.
"We are proud of what WPS has accomplished, having attracted the highest quality players in the world to play in the best women's league, as well as the progress women's soccer has enjoyed over the past three years," CEO and president of the New Jersey-based Sky Blue club Thomas Hofstetter said. "We are extremely grateful to our sponsors, the talented players and dedicated fans that made this league so special."
