Washington, D.C. – Nov. 13, 2024 — A new professional women’s lacrosse league, the Women’s Lacrosse League (WLL), will make its debut in February 2025, featuring the fast-paced sixes format, which is set to be showcased when lacrosse returns to the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
This announcement, made on Wednesday, marks a major milestone in the sport’s growth, with WLL games to kick off at the 2025 Championship Series in Washington, D.C.
The WLL will bring a new level of exposure to women’s lacrosse, attracting top players and fostering the growth of the sixes version of the sport.
This variant—played on a smaller, 70-by-36-meter pitch with teams of six instead of the traditional ten—focuses on agility, swift transitions, and high-scoring play.
Goals are positioned 10 meters in from the end lines, creating a faster-paced game that some say draws exciting parallels to basketball.
Charlotte North, a prominent figure in women’s lacrosse and a star of Team USA, expressed her excitement about the sixes format, especially with the Olympics spotlight now set for Los Angeles.
“The Olympics is the pinnacle of everything as an athlete; it’s the highest performers in their craft,” North told Olympics.com.
“To have that Olympic dream in our sport is electrifying. You can feel it every field you step on.”
North, who recently led Team USA to a title at the World Box Lacrosse Championships (indoor), emphasized the unique opportunity the Olympic stage presents, particularly for young athletes.
“Every young girl I meet who is picking up a stick for the first time and hearing that the Olympics is in the conversation of where she can go is so inspired,” she shared.
Lacrosse joins four other sports recently approved for the 2028 Olympic Games: cricket (in its T20 format), baseball/softball, squash, and flag football.
The move has been seen as a significant gesture from the International Olympic Committee to include globally popular sports, boosting both viewership and engagement, particularly in the United States.
For North, who led Boston College to an NCAA title and continues to excel at the professional level, the announcement of lacrosse’s Olympic return was a “surreal experience.”
She recounts, “I’ll never forget that day… It’s a dream for every athlete who first picks up a stick and ball from a young age, because the Olympics is the pinnacle of sports.”
According to North, WLL’s launch is another stepping stone, linking the league’s success with Olympic aspirations and the sport’s development on a global scale.
In an interview with Olympics.com, North described the sixes format as comparable to modern basketball, in part because of the tempo and style of play.
“I know it’s crazy, but once you break it down and look at the details with a microscope, there’s a lot of crossover,” she said.
“It’s really fast-paced, has offensive and defensive schemes, and a transition game.”
North predicted that the sixes format would captivate new audiences, thanks to its high scoring potential and creative gameplay.
Lacrosse’s sixes format comes as part of a modernization effort to make the sport more accessible for new players and fans alike.
Traditionally played with ten players on a larger field, the sixes version trims down team size and field dimensions, creating a more dynamic game that showcases quick decision-making and speed.
With shorter, high-energy possessions and an emphasis on quick goals, fans can expect an intense viewing experience that is adaptable for different levels of competition, from grassroots to elite.
The new WLL is positioned to bring this style of play to fans in the United States and potentially abroad.
By embracing the sixes format, the league aims to align with the Olympic style of play, which will increase visibility for women’s lacrosse and draw parallels to Olympic basketball’s influence on global audiences.
North’s statements highlight this shift, as she noted that sixes lacrosse is designed to thrill with its pace and provide ample opportunities for skillful plays and tactical creativity.
Lacrosse has a long history with the Olympics, although it has only been included twice before, in 1904 and 1908.
Since then, the sport has grown in popularity, particularly in North America, where it has an established collegiate and professional presence.
The sixes format, which was first developed by World Lacrosse as part of its push to make the sport more universal, differs significantly from traditional field lacrosse.
The smaller teams and pitch allow for easier adaptability and greater inclusion of developing lacrosse nations.
North’s influence in women’s lacrosse has been significant, with her performances for Boston College and Team USA earning her a reputation as one of the sport’s most exciting players.
The U.S. women’s lacrosse team has also consistently excelled in international competition, setting the standard for teams worldwide.
North’s perspective on the Olympics echoes the sentiments of many in the lacrosse community who see Olympic inclusion as a gateway to greater recognition and opportunities.
The creation of the WLL and the adoption of the sixes format illustrate the sport’s responsiveness to evolving trends and its willingness to embrace new formats to reach wider audiences.
With the Olympic Games in 2028 on the horizon, the WLL will not only provide a professional platform for elite players but also serve as an entry point for fans to engage with the sport in a modernized format.
Lacrosse’s Olympic reintroduction, combined with WLL’s debut, represents a historic moment for women’s sports and lacrosse enthusiasts alike.
As North noted, the Olympic spotlight offers a rare chance for young players to dream big.
“To have that Olympic dream in our sport is electrifying,” she emphasized.
“I can’t say enough about what it means to be included in the Olympics in LA 2028.”
With this debut, the WLL is set to introduce new fans to women’s lacrosse in the same format they’ll see on the Olympic stage, adding to the excitement of the sport’s global resurgence.
