close
Jump to content

Women's Professional Fastpitch

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Texas Smoke)
Women's Professional Fastpitch
SportFastpitch softball
FoundedOctober 14, 2021; 4 years ago (2021-10-14)[1]
First season2022 (exhibition)
CountryUnited States
Headquarters4801 Gaillardia Parkway[2]
Oklahoma City
Most recent
champion
Atlanta Smoke[3]
Most titlesAtlanta Smoke
(3 titles)
Websitewprofastpitch.com

Women's Professional Fastpitch (WPF) is a professional women's fastpitch softball league in the United States. The new league began its promotional campaign in 2021[4] and launched its first official season in 2023.[5][6][7]

History

[edit]

Following the 2023 season, the Oklahoma City Spark announced their departure from the WPF in December 2023.[8] In April 2024, the Smash It Sports Vipers and USSSA Pride both announced they would not participate in the 2024 season.[9][10] Three new teams in Texas were added to replace the teams that left the league, the Coastal Bend Tidal Wave, Hub City Adelitas and Texas Monarchs.[11]

In April 2024, B4Real Enterprises was named the league's operations and management team.[12] On April 16, 2024, the WPF announced their intentions to expand internationally and add two teams from Mexico.[13] However, the league suspended operations due to severe financial and logistical hurdles, notably player contract disputes, missing paychecks, and a lack of revenue-generating broadcasting, so some of the teams moved to a new competing league called the Professional Softball League.[14]

Teams

[edit]
2024 Women's Professional Fastpitch teams
Team Location Venue Joined
Coastal Bend Tidal Wave Robstown, TexasFairgrounds Field2024
Hub City Adelitas Floydada, TexasLady Winds Field2024
Texas Monarchs San Marcos, Texas Bobcat Softball Stadium2024
Texas Smoke 2023
Former Women's Professional Fastpitch teams
Team Location Venue First Last Status
Smash it Sports Vipers Oxford, AlabamaChoccolocco Park20222023On hiatus[15]
USSSA Pride Viera, FloridaUSSSA Space Coast Complex20222023On hiatus[16]
Oklahoma City Spark Oklahoma City, OklahomaUSA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium
2023
AFP team

Championship Series

[edit]
Championship Series history
Season Winning team Coach Series Losing team Coach
2023 Texas Smoke Tori Tyson 2–0 USSSA Pride Kelly Kretschman
2024 Texas Smoke Tori Tyson 2–0 Coastal Bend Tidal Wave Blake Miller

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "New US professional softball league: Women's Professional Fastpitch (WPF)". World Baseball Softball Confederation. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  2. ↑ "Contact WPF". Women's Professional Fastpitch. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  3. ↑ "Atlanta Smoke". Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  4. ↑ "Protect Her Dream". youtube.com. Women's Professional Fastpitch. 29 September 2021.
  5. ↑ "Women's Professional Fastpitch Kicks Off In June 2022". National Fastpitch Coaches Association. 2021-09-30. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  6. ↑ "USSSA partners with USA Softball to launch new women's professional softball league". Florida Today. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  7. ↑ "FAQ". WPF. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  8. ↑ McAfee, Roger (December 22, 2023). "OKC Spark Announce Departure from Women's Professional Fastpitch (WPF)". extrainningsoftball.com. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
  9. ↑ Eady, Aurielle (April 4, 2024). "USSSA Pride, professional woman's softball team in Florida, will not operate in 2024: 'We are saddened'". fox35orlando.com. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
  10. ↑ Medley, Joe (April 24, 2024). "No Vipers in '24". easportstoday.com. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
  11. ↑ Liska, Larissa (June 13, 2024). "Women's Professional Fastpitch make South Texas splash with Coastal Bend Tidal Wave". kristv.com. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
  12. ↑ "WPF League Update". wprofastpitch.com. April 5, 2024. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
  13. ↑ "WPF Expands Internationally". wprofastpitch.com. April 16, 2024. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
  14. ↑ The Gist https://www.thegistsports.com/newsletter/sports-business/9b273f42-b791-4aae-aed3-63d9b52373ae/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. ↑ "Smash It Sports Vipers announce they won't participate in 2024 season". The Anniston Star. April 24, 2024. Archived from the original on July 6, 2024. Retrieved July 6, 2024. The team released a statement Wednesday saying it would not be participating in the 2024 season. However, the Vipers do plan to return to Oxford in 2025.
  16. ↑ Eady, Aurielle (April 4, 2024). "USSSA Pride, professional woman's softball team in Florida, will not operate in 2024: 'We are saddened'". Fox 35 Orlando. Archived from the original on April 4, 2024. Retrieved July 6, 2024. ["...] the USSSA Pride will not operate in 2024," the statement read.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Women%27s_Professional_Fastpitch&oldid=1360204469#Teams"