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Western Ultimate League

Western Ultimate League
SportUltimate
Founded2020
First season2022
No. of teams7
CountryUnited States
Most recent
champion(s)		San Diego Super Bloom
Most titlesSeattle Tempest (2 titles)
Official websitewesternultimateleague.com

The Western Ultimate League (WUL) is a women's professional ultimate league in the Western United States. It was founded in 2020. The WUL's stated mission is to "promote visibility, opportunity, and equity within women's ultimate".[1]

The WUL was formed to parallel the Premier Ultimate League (PUL), another women's ultimate league established in 2019, with an eye toward a future merger.[2][3] The WUL was established to provide professional opportunities for women and non-binary athletes in the Western United States, building on the success of showcase games that began in 2019 along the West Coast.[1] The league is committed to creating equitable and accessible pathways for participation while showcasing the abilities of women and non-binary players through professional-level games that are broadcast globally.[1] The WUL also focuses on developing future generations of players through clinics and community outreach programs.

History

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The WUL started with a 2017 and 2018 series of women's and mixed showcase games affiliated with the American Ultimate Disc League (now the Ultimate Frisbee Association), and a 2019 series of professional women's showcase games along the west coast including games between Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver-based teams and between Los Angeles and San Diego–based teams.[4][5]

The inaugural 2020 Western Ultimate League season began with tryouts in January and February 2020 with seven teams.[6] Competition, which had been set to begin in March 2020 and continue through May, was postponed[7] and then canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[8][9]

In January 2021, the Portland Swifts announced they were withdrawing from the WUL.[10] The six remaining WUL teams first competed in December 2021 at the Winter Cup in San Diego.[11] The Utah Wild emerged victorious,[12][13] and two plays from the Winter Cup were featured on SportsCenter.[14] After the Winter Cup, the league announced the addition of a seventh team, the Oregon Onyx.[14]

The first regular season was conducted in 2022, with the Seattle Tempest emerging as champions.[15] In October 2022, the league announced the addition of an eighth team, the Colorado Alpenglow,[16] and in March 2023 they announced the creation of two conferences, Northwest and Southwest.[17]

The Oregon Onyx[18] and Los Angeles Astra[19] departed the league after the 2023 season.

The Oregon Soar joined the league after the 2024 season.[20]

With the addition of the Oregon Soar for the 2025 season, the league restructured its format from the two-conference system that had been in place since 2023. The league moved away from the Northwest and Southwest conferences, which had previously consisted of three teams each following the departure of the Los Angeles Astra and Oregon Onyx after the 2023 season, to operate as a single seven-team table for the 2025 season.

2025 All-Star Game

The first-ever WUL vs PUL All-Star Game took place on August 23, 2025, in Madison, Wisconsin, during the UFA's Championship Weekend. This historic matchup brought together the top players from both professional women's and non-binary ultimate leagues, with rosters selected through a combination of fan voting and coach selection. The game was scheduled during UFA Championship Weekend to maximize visibility and energy, featuring high-quality live streaming and benefiting from the national championship audience atmosphere.

This inaugural All-Star Game represented a significant milestone for women's and non-binary ultimate, showcasing the talent from both leagues on a premier stage. The event was included with Saturday UFA title game tickets, making it accessible to championship weekend attendees and marking a new chapter in professional women's ultimate competition.

Season Date Champion Final Score Runner-up Venue Location
2025 August 23, 205 PUL 15-9 WUL Breese Stevens Field Madison, WI

Teams

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The WUL consists of seven teams as of the 2025 season.

Western Ultimate League is located in the United States
Arizona Sidewinders
Arizona Sidewinders
Colorado Alpenglow
Colorado Alpenglow
San Diego Super Bloom
San Diego Super Bloom
Bay Area Falcons
Bay Area Falcons
Seattle Tempest
Seattle Tempest
Utah Wild
Utah Wild
Oregon Soar
Oregon Soar
class=notpageimage|
WUL team locations
Team Location First Season
Colorado Alpenglow Denver, CO 2023
Oregon Soar Portland, OR 2025
Seattle Tempest Seattle, WA 2021
Utah Wild Salt Lake City, UT 2021
Arizona Sidewinders Phoenix, AZ 2021
Bay Area Falcons San Francisco, CA 2021
San Diego Super Bloom San Diego, CA 2021

Former teams

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Team Location First season Last season
Los Angeles Astra Los Angeles, CA 2021 2023
Oregon Onyx Portland, OR 2022 2023

Champions

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WUL champions
Season Date Champion Final score Runner-up Venue Location
2022 May 15, 2022 Seattle Tempest 18-15 San Diego Super Bloom Mira Mesa Senior High School San Diego, CA
2023 June 4, 2023 Seattle Tempest 13-11 San Diego Super Bloom Memorial Stadium Seattle, WA
2024 June 2, 2024 Colorado Alpenglow 20-12 Utah Wild Pinnacle Athletic Complex Thornton, CO
2025 June 8, 2025 San Diego Super Bloom 12-10 Bay Area Falcons Fremont High School Oakland, CA

Awards

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Most Valuable Player Award
Season Winner Nominees
2023 Kaela Helton Kaela Helton, Abby Thorpe, Jade McLaughlin, Kaitlyn Weaver, Paige Kercher
2024 Abby Thorpe Abby Thorpe, Brooke Stanislawski, Chip Chang, Kaela Helton, Kelli Iwamoto
2025 Kaela Helton (2) Kaela Helton, Dena Elimelech, Robyn Fennig, Abby Thorpe, Rory Veldman

2023 - Kaela Helton was the only player in the league to record at least 20 goals and 20 assists, and she finished third in the league in total yards while recording 13 blocks. Helton finished third in the league in goals per game, third in assists per game, eighth in blocks per game, 15th in throwing yards per game, and fifth in receiving yards per game - the only player to finish in the top 25 in each category.[21]

2024 - Abby Thorpe lead the league in goals with 23 goals — 10 more than any other player. Thorpe’s 23 goals not only led the league by 10, they were the second most in a single season. On her team, she was 5th in assists, 2nd in blocks, and 1st in receiving yards. Thorpe's +/- of 28.5 led the league by 5. Her 32.4 Offensive Impact Score (OIS) was 1st in the league and she had the highest block rate in the league, averaging nearly 1 block every 11 defensive possessions. Thorpe was also nominated for Player of the Week 3 times, and won the award in Week 5 while tying the single-game record for goals with 7 and setting the single-game record for receiving yards with 406.[22]

2025 - The league’s most decorated player, Helton delivered yet another electric season with San Diego Super Bloom. In 2025, she tallied over 1,100 receiving yards without a single receiving error—a feat unmatched by anyone else in the league, with the next closest player under 700 yards. Helton was one of only three athletes to rank top five on her team in goals, assists, blocks, throwing yards, and receiving yards—a testament to her dominance on every inch of the field. An opponent put it best: “Helton has reached another level this year.” A two-time MVP in 2022 and 2023 and a finalist in 2024, Helton now earns her third league MVP title, further solidifying her legendary status. Her Week 1 performance—11 combined goals and assists, 300+ throwing yards, 300+ receiving yards—marked her second career game with that stat line, something no other player has ever achieved even once. With career totals of 56 goals, 77 assists, and 55 blocks, Kaela Helton remains simply unstoppable.[23]

Offensive Player of the Year
Season Winner Nominees
2023 Paige Kercher Paige Kercher, Alex Diaz, Chip Chang, Maggie O'Connor, Paige Applegate
2024 Ari Nelson Ari Nelson, Cheryl Hsu, Han Chen, LP Aragon, Paige Applegate
2025 Ari Nelson (2) Ari Nelson, Paige Applegate, Melissa Dunn, Kelli Iwamoto, Kat Songer

References

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  1. ^ a b c "About". WESTERN ULTIMATE LEAGUE. Retrieved 2020-05-19.
  2. ^ comments, Charlie Eisenhood in News with 0 (2019-12-05). "Western Ultimate League To Spotlight Women's Competition With Eye Towards PUL Merger". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2020-05-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ comments, Charlie Eisenhood in News with 0 (2019-12-03). "Premier Ultimate League Adding Four Teams For 2020 Season". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2020-05-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ "WestCoast Women's Pro Ultimate takes off running". SAVAGE, The Ultimate Apparel Company. Retrieved 2020-05-19.
  5. ^ Zagoria, Adam. "Women's Professional Ultimate Frisbee League Announces Expansion". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-05-19.
  6. ^ comments, Kelsey Hayden in News with 0 (2020-02-28). "Inside The Premier Ultimate League, Western Ultimate League Tryouts". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2020-05-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ Vondersmith, Jason. "Update: Portland Swifts were set to soar - before coronavirus forced season postponement". Portland Tribune. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
  8. ^ comments, Charlie Eisenhood in News with 0 (2020-03-12). "Western Ultimate League Postpones Start of Season Due to Coronavirus Outbreak". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2020-05-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ comments, Keith Raynor in News with 0 (2020-03-16). "Opening Pull: Ultimate Halted By Global Viral Pandemic". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2020-05-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ "Statement regarding the Portland Swifts— WESTERN ULTIMATE LEAGUE- Women's Professional Frisbee". WESTERN ULTIMATE LEAGUE. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  11. ^ "Western Ultimate League - Women's Professional Ultimate". WESTERN ULTIMATE LEAGUE. Retrieved 2022-03-22.
  12. ^ Hayden, Kelsey; Colvett, Mags; comments, Jenna Weiner in Recap with 0 (2021-12-13). "WUL Winter Cup 2021: Day One Recap". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2022-03-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ Stephens, Edward; Rubin, Alex; Hayden, Kelsey; comments, Mags Colvett in Recap with 0 (2021-12-13). "WUL Winter Cup 2021: Day Two Recap". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2022-03-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ a b Hayden, Kelsey; Rubin, Alex; comments, Keith Raynor in Preview with 0 (2022-03-11). "Western Ultimate League 2022: Season Preview". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2022-03-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ Weiner, Jenna (2022-05-24). "Western Ultimate League 2022: Championship Weekend Recap". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
  16. ^ "Western Ultimate League – Women's Professional Ultimate". WESTERN ULTIMATE LEAGUE. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
  17. ^ "2023 Standings Tiebreakers Announced". westernultimateleague.com. 2023-03-10. Archived from the original on 2023-10-21. Retrieved 2025-03-26.
  18. ^ "Western Ultimate League – Women's Professional Ultimate". WESTERN ULTIMATE LEAGUE. 2023-10-27. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
  19. ^ "Western Ultimate League – Women's Professional Ultimate". WESTERN ULTIMATE LEAGUE. 2023-12-05. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
  20. ^ "Western Ultimate League – Women's Professional Ultimate". WESTERN ULTIMATE LEAGUE. 2024-09-15. Retrieved 2024-11-11.
  21. ^ "2023 League Award Winners Announced". June 3, 2023.
  22. ^ "2024 Western Ultimate League Awards Winners". June 4, 2024.
  23. ^ "2025 Western Ultimate League Awards Winners". June 10, 2025.
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