Washington Spirit W

Establishment

The foundation of the National Women's Soccer League was announced on November 21, 2012, with Washington selected as a host for one of the eight teams selected for the inaugural season. In December 2012, the team's name was announced as the Washington Spirit. D.C. United Women head coach Mike Jorden was kept on as well as assistant coach Cindi Harkes. Bill Lynch was the Spirit's inaugural owner for the National Women's Soccer League launch in 2013.

Inaugural season

On January 11, 2013, as part of the NWSL player allocation, goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris (USA), defender Ali Krieger (USA), midfielder Lori Lindsey (USA), defender Robyn Gayle (CAN), midfielder Diana Matheson (CAN), defender Alina Garciamendez (MEX) and midfielder Teresa Worbis (MEX) were named to the team. During the February 7, 2013 NWSL Supplemental Draft, the team selected Stephanie Ochs, Tori Huster, Jordan Angeli, Natasha Kai, Megan Mischler and Heather Cooke.

The Spirit played their first competitive match on April 14, 2013, drawing Boston Breakers 1–1 with Tiffany McCarty scoring the team's first goal assisted by Stephanie Ochs.

The inaugural season saw the Spirit stumble out of the gate under Mike Jorden, who was fired after the first eleven games having won only once in that time. Jorden was replaced by Mark Parsons, who finished the season in 8th (last) place registering only 2 more wins over the season.

2014–2016 successes

After a poor inaugural season, the Spirit would much improve in the 2014 season by making some key acquisitions, including Jodie Taylor and Christine Nairn who would both finish as the team's top scorers with 11 and 8 goals respectively. Finishing 4th, the Spirit made their first NWSL Playoff appearance. They would lose to Seattle Reign.

The Spirit finished the 2015 season with a record of 8–6–6 and repeating their 4th place league position. The playoff result, again, ended in an away loss to Seattle in the semifinals. The season would be the breakout year for Crystal Dunn, who was awarded the 2015 NWSL Golden Boot Award, scoring 15 goals during the campaign. At the conclusion of the season, Mark Parsons stepped down as head coach and general manager to take over as coach of Portland Thorns FC.

Building off the successes of the 2014 and 2015 seasons, the Spirit hired former Sky Blue FC head coach Jim Gabarra ahead of the 2016 season. The Spirit had their most successful season to date in 2016, being league leaders in the standings throughout most of the season. Only in the final week would the Spirit's loss finalize them as league runners-up. Earning their first post-season victory against Chicago Red Stars, the Spirit would lose the 2016 NWSL Final in penalties to Western New York Flash.

2017–2021

In the aftermath of finishing 2016 runners-up, the Spirit saw a series of key departures including captain Ali Krieger (traded to Orlando Pride), Christine Nairn and Diana Matheson (both traded to Seattle Reign), and Crystal Dunn leaving for Chelsea, while retaining her contracting rights. Unable to adequately replace these players, the Spirit struggled to compete throughout the 2017 season ultimately finishing last (10th) for the first time since the inaugural season. However, building for the future, Gabarra was able to recruit U.S. national team prospect Mallory Pugh mid-season. Pugh would go on to lead the team in scoring, registering 6 goals in 16 games.

The 2018 season continued the Spirit's pursuit of young talent, but also continued the struggle for results. On August 21, after eight straight losses and being eliminated from playoff contention, the Spirit fired head coach Jim Gabarra and appointed assistant coach Tom Torres as interim head coach. Torres led the Spirit through the final three matches of the season at home, including the Spirit's debut at the newly opened Audi Field against Portland Thorns FC on August 25. The match set a new club record for home attendance with 7,976 fans. The season ended with the Spirit finishing in 8th place, just ahead of Sky Blue FC. During the offseason, the Spirit appointed Richie Burke as the new head coach while retaining Torres on the technical staff. The announcement also noted local tech executive Steve Baldwin had become the Spirit's new majority owner.

The 2019 Washington Spirit season marked several changes for the Spirit organization. Owner Steve Baldwin outlined several planned improvements including theme nights for fans, pride night, a gear store in the stadium, and a mascot. The 2019 season also featured major changes on the field; fifteen new players were added to the Spirit roster including Australian national team members Chloe Logarzo and Amy Harrison. The Spirit surpassed their point total from the previous season on May 18 after the 5th game of the season against Portland Thorns FC. They would go on to surpass their past season's point total the next week against the Chicago Red Stars. They ultimately finished 5th in the 2019 NWSL standings.

In September 2021, Burke was fired as head coach following an investigation into allegations of harassment and abusive behavior toward players. CEO Steve Baldwin was also accused of nepotism and retaliatory behavior, leading to fellow co-owner Michele Kang to call for him to step down and sell his ownership interest in the team. Fans and Spirit players alike echoed this sentiment. On October 14, 2021, the Washington Post reported that Steve Baldwin had announced to club investors that he intended to sell the club. Kang officially became majority owner of the Spirit on March 30, 2022.

The Spirit won their first NWSL Championship on Saturday November 20, 2021, when they defeated the Chicago Red Stars 2–1 in extra-time at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky.

2022–present, Kang ownership

On December 20, 2021, the Spirit announced that interim head coach Kris Ward would become the team's permanent head coach. On August 22, 2022, the Spirit fired Ward after a 1–6–9 record to start the 2022 season. Assistant coach Angela Salem managed the team's match in Houston on August 27 before the club hired Albertin Montoya as interim head coach for the remainder of the season. The Spirit posted a 2–3–0 record in its final five matches under Montoya.

On November 21, 2022, the Spirit announced Mark Parsons as the club's next head coach. Parsons previously served in the role for the Spirit's first three seasons of existence from 2013 through 2015.