After an eight-year hiatus, women’s football is back in Chicago.
The Chicago Winds launched their inaugural season in March, joining the Women’s National Football Conference (WNFC).
The Winds have the former Chicago Force Women’s Tackle Football in their DNA: President and Owner Angelique Smith is a former Force player.
“After women’s football in Chicago ended in 2017, I felt the absence of that empowering community of female athletes. As an athlete then, I intimately understood the value and importance of being part of a team, and I couldn’t bear to let that spirit fade away,” Smith says on the Winds’ website. “Bringing a team back to Chicago isn’t just about the game—it’s about reigniting that sense of empowerment and community for female athletes across the city. “
Over the team’s 15 years, the Chicago Force had an 81 percent winning percentage, reached the playoffs 14 times, won 10 division titles, three conferences titles and a national championship. In announcing the team’s finale in 2018, Owner and General Manager Linda Bache said she was “extremely proud of its many achievements, contributions, and the enduring legacy it created in Chicago and the world of women’s football.”
The Women’s National Football Conference entered its sixth season in 2025, with 17 teams across the United States and players from more than 20 countries. The Chicago Winds 2025 full roster came after action-packed national tryouts and signing day.
The Winds join the Chicago Tempest Women’s Rugby team as the latest additions to the city’s women’s sports community.
The Winds next play May 3 against the Atlanta Truth, and the next home game is May 17 against the Kansas City Glory; the location is TBD. The league’s conference playoffs and championship cup games are in June.
Fans can catch games online at Victory+ TV streaming platform and follow along on Instagram.
