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While it might not be the flashiest way to chart the rapid growth of women鈥檚 professional sports, a building boom is showing that investors are paying attention.

There鈥檚 already a dedicated women鈥檚 soccer stadium for a National Women鈥檚 Soccer League team and another one is planned. The WNBA has seen a jump in new practice facilities 鈥� including a purpose-built training center for the Indiana Fever.

These new facilities, often designed specifically for women, help teams attract and retain elite talent while also allowing for possible new revenue streams, like sponsorship opportunities.

鈥淚 would argue in the last two and a half years we鈥檝e made more progress than anyone thought would be possible,鈥� NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said. 鈥淎nd our work is not done.鈥�

The NWSL鈥檚 Portland Thorns and the city鈥檚 yet-unnamed WNBA team for 2026 are among the teams that have benefited. The Bhathal family, which owns both teams, is building a $150 million training facility to be used by both teams 鈥� a unique partnership between the two leagues.

Just 10 years ago, stories about the lack of proper NWSL facilities began to surface. Former players for Sky Blue, which later rebranded as Gotham FC, practiced on a field with a portable toilet for a restroom. Former U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo blogged in 2016 about some of the dismal conditions she experienced while playing in the league.

Last year, the NWSL鈥檚 Chicago Stars were left scrambling after a music festival was booked for the parking lot of their home venue 鈥� SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview. While the music festival later moved, the incident highlighted the issues some teams have with stadiums that are not their own. Many pro women鈥檚 teams must share facilities with men鈥檚 teams or other entities.

The arrival of phenom Caitlin Clark supercharged the WNBA last year, with league attendance nearly doubling from 2023. The Fever in January announced plans to open in 2027 a new $78 million training facility that will give the team its own space apart from the NBA鈥檚 Pacers.

The Chicago Sky, which has practiced at a public recreation center, will move into its own training facility ahead of the 2026 season.

The NWSL鈥檚 Kansas City Current last year opened CPKC Stadium 鈥� the first venue built exclusively for a pro women鈥檚 team. Denver, which was awarded the league鈥檚 16th team (set to debut in 2026), pledged in its expansion bid to build a privately financed stadium.

Bay FC is building a training center on Treasure Island, a former military base in the San Francisco Bay. Earlier this year, Angel City FC opened the NWSL鈥檚 largest practice facility at Cal Lutheran University. It includes a 5,400-square-foot gym and even a children鈥檚 playroom.

鈥淭here鈥檚 not too many players, but for those of us that have been in the NWSL since its inception, we鈥檝e played through a lot,鈥� Angel City FC forward Christen Press said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e played through understaffed teams, inadequate facilities, turf so hot it melted the bottom of my cleats. We鈥檝e played through investigations and abuse. We鈥檝e played without a players association, without the opportunity to collectively bargain. We鈥檝e played without respect and dignity, and we did it because we believed in a day like today.鈥�

Infrastructure is a natural outgrowth of the investment pouring into women鈥檚 sports as interest rises. Athletes are even joining in: New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu recently joined the ownership group of Bay FC, and tennis star Serena Williams bought a stake in the WNBA鈥檚 new Toronto-based team.

Karina LeBlanc, who went from goalkeeper to general manager of the Portland Thorns and now works for the Bhathal family鈥檚 RAJ Sports, said increased visibility attracts more fans who then generate more interest, which translates to investment.

鈥淓verybody plays a role,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hether you鈥檙e a fan who鈥檚 buying a ticket, whether you鈥檙e turning on the TV, everyone can have impact on the investment of women鈥檚 sports. And investment doesn鈥檛 just have to be financially, it鈥檚 the energy, it鈥檚 the time, it鈥檚 all of it. And in this time and moment right now, if we all lean into the little part that we can do, just watch it in 10 years.鈥�

Such investment is reflected in team valuations. After the Bhathals acquired Portland鈥檚 WNBA expansion team for $125 million, bids for a 16th franchise were expected to reach $200 million and beyond. Disney CEO Bob Iger and his wife, Willow Bay, dean of USC鈥檚 journalism and communications school, acquired a controlling interest in Angel City FC last year at a $250 million valuation.

While in the past women鈥檚 sports have been championed to promote equity and representation, the conversation has shifted as revenue projections have surpassed $1 billion globally. It鈥檚 now big business.

鈥淚n order to maintain the recent growth and investment, those in and around women鈥檚 sports must continue to move it beyond using sports as an advocacy tool and far more toward treating their assets as compelling businesses with economic upside,鈥� said David M. Carter, founder of the Sports Business Group and adjunct professor of sports business at USC.