MESA, Ariz. (April 19, 2023) - The Women’s Premier Soccer League announced today that Royals AZ will officially play its inaugural season this summer. With the announcement, Royals AZ has been aligned in the Desert Conference of the West Region while becoming the league’s fourth member in Arizona.

“We are excited to be a part of the 2023 WPSL Season,” Tiffany Roberts, Royals AZ academy director, said. “We see this as an extension of our mission to create multiple pathways for our players to compete, develop, and succeed on and off the field.”

Established in 2018, Royals AZ was born from a collaboration of youth clubs in the Phoenix metro with the aspiration to create a direct pathway from the youth’s game to the collegiate and professional levels. This harmony paved way for an inter-connected working relationship with the ownership of Real Salt Lake (Major League Soccer) and Utah Royals FC (National Women’s Soccer League) – making Royals AZ the official youth academy of Utah Royals FC.

Royals AZ has youth teams competing in the Southwest Division of the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL). The club sees the WPSL platform as an opportunity for its alumnae to return to the organization during their collegiate off-season.

Tiffany Roberts has been chosen to lead the Royals AZ WPSL squad as head coach this season. The team will open its inaugural season at home on June 2 against reigning Desert Conference Champions, SC del Sol. This season’s conference champion will host the West Region Playoffs.

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For more information about Royals AZ visit its official website. The complete WPSL 2023 schedule may be found at wpslsoccer.com/wpsl-schedule   

About the Women’s Premier Soccer League

Celebrating its 25th season of play in 2023, the Women’s Premier Soccer League is the most tenured and largest women’s soccer league in the world – with an all-time high 130 teams competing in 33 U.S. states and 73 metro areas. Team rosters feature current and former collegiate players, the nation’s top prep prospects, and international standouts. The amateur summer league produced more than 70 percent of the selections in the 2023 NWSL College Draft and WPSL alumnae represent 50 percent of the members of the United States women’s national team.