Women's Professional Lacrosse: Leagues, Teams & Pay
On this page5
The flagship women’s professional lacrosse league is now the Women’s Lacrosse League (WLL), created by the Premier Lacrosse League. It debuted at the PLL’s Championship Series in February 2025 with four teams playing the Olympic sixes format. It stepped into the space left by Athletes Unlimited, which suspended its women’s lacrosse league after the 2024 season. Neither pays a full-time salary yet, but the WLL gives elite women a permanent professional stage for the first time in years.
Here is how the women’s pro game actually looks in 2026.
What is the Women’s Lacrosse League (WLL)?
The WLL is a four-team professional property launched by the PLL, the same organisation behind the men’s Premier Lacrosse League. It debuted at the 2025 PLL Championship Series in February and, crucially, it plays the six-a-side sixes format rather than the traditional 12-a-side women’s field game.
That choice is deliberate. Sixes is the version World Lacrosse built for the Olympics, and the sport returns to the Games in sixes at Los Angeles 2028. Building the flagship women’s league in the Olympic format means its players are already competing in the discipline that will decide medals. Two-time Tewaaraton winner Charlotte North, who has been clocked shooting at 92 mph, joined as an ambassador, alongside scoring stars such as Izzy Scane and Taylor Cummings.
What happened to Athletes Unlimited?
For several years, the main professional home for women’s lacrosse was Athletes Unlimited, which ran from 2021 through a fourth season in summer 2024 at USA Lacrosse Headquarters in Maryland. AU used an unusual model: no permanent teams, an individual points leaderboard, and a weekly draft where the top four players picked new sides. The individual champion was whoever scored the most points across the season.
After the 2024 season, AU suspended its lacrosse league. That left a gap the WLL was already positioned to fill, and it is why the professional conversation in 2026 centres on the WLL rather than AU.
Women’s pro lacrosse leagues at a glance
The two properties took very different approaches to format and structure. This is how they compare.
| Women’s Lacrosse League (WLL) | Athletes Unlimited (AU) | |
|---|---|---|
| Launched | 2025 | 2021 |
| Status (2026) | Active flagship | Suspended after 2024 |
| Format | Sixes (6-a-side, Olympic) | Traditional field, individual scoring |
| Teams | 4 fixed teams | No fixed teams (weekly draft) |
| Backed by | Premier Lacrosse League | Athletes Unlimited |
| Season | Debuts at PLL Championship Series | Four-week summer season |
| Olympic alignment | Yes (LA28 format) | No |
If you are new to the six-a-side game the WLL plays, the men’s side runs the same discipline at its winter event, and the format overlaps heavily with what you will see across the pro game. Our comparison of the PLL and NLL pro leagues is the fastest way to get the professional structure straight.
Do women’s pro players actually make a living?
Not from lacrosse alone, and it would be dishonest to pretend otherwise. Both the WLL and the former AU league leaned on stipends, prize pools and performance bonuses rather than the large guaranteed contracts you see in established men’s leagues. Public salary figures are thin, and where a league has not disclosed numbers, we are not going to invent them.
What is clear is the direction. A permanent, Olympic-format flagship backed by the PLL is a firmer foundation than the sport has had, and it arrives just as lacrosse heads back to the Games. For the players, pro pay still sits alongside coaching, camps, endorsements and other careers, the same reality that shapes the men’s game.
The bottom line
Women’s professional lacrosse in 2026 runs through the WLL: four teams, sixes format, PLL backing, and a straight line to the 2028 Olympics. Athletes Unlimited built the audience and proved pro women’s lacrosse could work, then paused after 2024. The pay is not yet a full-time salary, but the platform is the most durable the women’s game has had. To see the athletes whose careers made this moment possible, read our list of the greatest lacrosse players of all time.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a professional women's lacrosse league?+
Yes. The Women's Lacrosse League (WLL), launched by the Premier Lacrosse League, is the current flagship. It debuted at the PLL's February 2025 Championship Series with four teams playing the Olympic sixes format. It replaced Athletes Unlimited as the sport's main women's professional property after AU suspended its lacrosse league.
What is the WLL in lacrosse?+
The WLL is the Women's Lacrosse League, a professional property created by the PLL that debuted in early 2025. It uses the six-a-side 'sixes' format that will feature at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, with four teams and rosters drawn from the top college and international players in the women's game.
What happened to Athletes Unlimited lacrosse?+
Athletes Unlimited suspended its women's lacrosse league after its fourth season, played in summer 2024 at USA Lacrosse Headquarters in Maryland. AU used a unique individual-scoring format with weekly team drafts. Its suspension left the newer WLL as the main professional home for elite women's players.
Do professional women's lacrosse players get paid?+
They are paid, but not a full-time living wage. Both the WLL and the former Athletes Unlimited league offered stipends, prize pools and bonuses rather than large guaranteed salaries. Most elite women's players supplement pro pay with coaching, camps, endorsements and separate careers, much like the men's game.
What is sixes lacrosse?+
Sixes is a fast, six-a-side version of lacrosse played on a smaller field with a shot clock, designed for a quicker, more TV-friendly game. World Lacrosse created it as the Olympic format, and lacrosse returns to the Games in sixes at Los Angeles 2028. The WLL adopted it from the start.
Sources
Play & tools
Free browser games and tools — no account, no download.
- Play today's Sports Connections — Today's Sports Connections — daily hints, answers, and play the grid.
- Play Guess the NFL Player — A new mystery NFL player every day. Eight guesses, with a clue on each — plus free unlimited mode.
- Explore all our games →
Related guides
PLL vs NLL: The Two Pro Lacrosse Leagues, Compared
PLL vs NLL compared: field vs box lacrosse, teams, seasons, rules and player pay — the two pro lacrosse leagues in one side-by-side table.
Best Lacrosse Mesh: Types, Brands and How to Choose
The best lacrosse mesh for most players is a semi-soft performance mesh. How the mesh types compare, the top brands, and how to pick the right pocket feel.
Cross-Checking in Lacrosse: Legal or Penalty?
Is cross-checking legal in lacrosse? It's a penalty in men's field but a core tool in box lacrosse. Learn the rule, penalty, and difference by version.
Faceoff Lacrosse Heads: What Makes Them Different
Faceoff lacrosse heads use flexible plastic and an aggressive scoop for the clamp. What separates them, the legal rules, and the top heads compared.
What Is a D-Pole? Long Poles vs Short Sticks
A lacrosse d-pole is the long defensive stick, 52 to 72 inches. How long poles differ from short sticks, who carries one, and the four-pole rule.
Lacrosse Defenseman Guide: Role, Skills and Stick Setup
A lacrosse defenseman uses a 52-72 inch long pole to stop attackmen. Learn the role, the checks, the stick rules, and how many long poles a team can field.