PLL to debut women's pro lacrosse league in February with teams in 4 cities

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NEW YORK (AP) — The Premier Lacrosse League will begin a women’s professional league in February during its championship series in Washington, D.C., and feature the world’s top players.

The Women’s Lacrosse League will debut in four cities to be announced by the end of the year along with initial rosters. A Wednesday release did not state a length for the inaugural season but said play will follow the Olympic Sixes format and award a championship trophy.

Lacrosse will return for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

PLL co-founder Paul Rabil called the new league “a groundbreaking step forward for the sport” in the release and added that it will provide athletes a world-class experience alongside the PLL.

Charlotte North — a star attacker and Team USA veteran who led Boston College to the 2021 NCAA women’s title and held the collegiate record with 358 career goals before Northwestern’s Izzy Scane broke it in May — will play in the league and expressed belief it will begin “a monumental movement” in the women’s pro game around the world.

North added, “We are determined to work tirelessly to grow the game and inspire the next generation of young girls, while ultimately competing for championships each season. It’s our time.”

The PLL release stated that the league is its largest investment in women’s lacrosse. It follows the 2020 creation of Unleashed, a content and training platform designed to increase the growth and visibility of girls and women in the sport.

The PLL staged an exhibition all-star game earlier this year featuring North, who fired a record 92-mph shot during a skills competition that included Scane and other standout players.

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