OLYMPIA, WA – The FC Olympia “Artesians” signed a USL Women’s Soccer Franchise (USL W) agreement in the fall of 2022 mere months after the club had won its first ever league cup trophy in the Northwest Premier League (NWPL). That cup win was the first outdoor league competition that the Artesian women had been a part of in club history and the first of three league titles that the women’s outdoor soccer program would win since. Today we catch up with USL Sporting Director Chris Wells and take a look at the upcoming summer of USL women’s soccer in Olympia.
Fast forward to 2025 and two Northwest USL W League division titles later Sporting Director Chris Wells finds himself in a relatively new stage of the clubs USL existence. Year three has FC Olympia experiencing changes in early commits, new staff and a new division that has several new teams. Bigfoot FC out of Maple Valley, WA announced its inaugural season along with two Seattle-based clubs Salmon Bay (Ballard FC) and The Rhodies (West Seattle Junction).
“The division this year will be a great one” said FC Olympia’s USL Sporting Director Chris Wells. “Although losing some Oregon teams we had built rivalries with was unfortunate, I’m excited to see how the future rivalries develop.”
FC Olympia had two years of top seeded USL W League clinching matches with United PDX from Portland, Oregon who exited the USL W in 2025 to focus on youth soccer field expansion. United PDX was the only team to find match draws against FC Olympia but a part of a great regional rivalry across state borders.
The Artesian women have seen 16 players that have played USL W sign pro contracts since 2022. The incredible stat and feat however comes with replenishing a roster that has yielded some of the top soccer talent from around the United States including international Olympic Athletes and World Cup players.
“We’re very excited with the group coming in” said Wells. “Over the years we’ve found success finding players who want to play professionally and being a part of their journey to do so. I have no doubt this group will be the same and we will be celebrating their achievements for years to come.”
FC Olympia announced on Saturday another round of professional contract signings with Bre Norris to Angel City FC (NWSL), Anne-Valerie Soto to Halifax (NSL) and Mariah Lee continuing her pro soccer journey at Vancouver Rise (NSL). Artesian USL scoring legend McKenna Martinez also signed a pro contract in the division one pro league of Portugal and is currently playing there. Martinez had spent the last two summer in Olympia, WA racking up goal records and making the USL W League all-nation rosters at forward.
2023 USL W | 8 Wins 0 Losses 2 Draws | Nat’l Playoff 1-0 Loss vs California Storm
2024 USL W | 9 Wins 0 Losses 1 Draw | Nat’l Playoff 2-1 *Win vs Oakland, 1-0 Loss vs Colorado
“This summer team will feature both a mix of players who’ve already played professionally and ones playing at the top college programs” said Wells. “Every year I feel it gets a tick better and this will be the same. Personally, having grown up in a smaller soccer community, I’m very excited with what we get to bring to Olympia and Thurston County as a whole each year. Hopefully it’ll contribute in inspiring the next generation of soccer players from the region.”
Here we take a look at FC Olympia’s early USL W signings and alum that have signed pro contracts.
Brooklyn Lee | Louisville (NCAA DI) Stadium HS – Tacoma, WA
Lee comes back to the reigning USL W Northwest champs after her first year of division one competition at the University of Louisville. A standout at Stadium High School and Tacoma News Tribune MVP her senior year, the Artesians look to Lee for commanding the back line this summer in the USL W.
Eleanor Morrisey | USC (NCAA DI) Lakeside HS – Seattle, WA
Morrisey is a newcomer to the USL W and FC Olympia having posted a great USC Trojan NCAA Cup Tournament run in 2024. Playing with the Reign Academy and winning a 3A WIAA State Title for Lakeside are just some of the accolades for Morrisey as she looks to make her mark on the USL W League.
Lexi Lerwick | Oregon (NCAA DI) Ridgefield HS – Ridgefield, WA
Lexi Lerwick had the record for most minutes played by any player for the Oregon Ducks in 2024. This defender was a standout ECNL athlete for PacNW and was even invited to the United State Youth National Team virtual camps.
Ari Brothers | Texas (NCAA DI) Tahoma HS – Maple Valley, WA
This Big 12 Rookie of the year is ready to make waves with FC Olympia in 2025. Brothers grew up playing for PacNW in the ECNL and also has experience playing with the United States Youth National Team. She was a Big 12 Champion in 2023 with Texas and has 42 division one matches played in her collegiate career.
View complete list of year to date player commits click here.
FC Olympia Pro Signings | 2025
The women’s schedule for 2025 was released in February and features some great home matches in Lacey, Washington. Tickets are available at fcoly.com.
Support the Artesians for the 4th Annual Oly Soccer Foundation Fundraiser. With the loss of local indoor soccer and title partner sponsor Dancing Goats Coffee leaving Olympia, WA the need for support is needed more than ever.
Proceeds go towards field rentals, scholarship discounts for kid’s camps and clinics, free ticketing for kid’s at USL matches and more!
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