The NWSL has elevated women's soccer. Here's what to know about Saturday's championship game

The Orlando Pride and Washington Spirit, the best teams of the 2024 National Women's Soccer League regular season, will compete for the NWSL Championship on Saturday. The showdown caps off an exciting season and will be the third time that the Spirit competes for the NWSL championship and will be the first time for the Pride. 

The Pride are led by Brazilian legend Marta, the all-time leading scorer in Women's World Cup history, while the Spirit are powered by U.S. Olympic gold medalist Trinity Rodman.

How to watch the NWSL Championship

The NWSL Championship kicks off on Saturday, Nov. 23, at 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. local time). Fans can catch the action live on CBS and on Paramount+.

Where is the NWSL Championship taking place?

With the NWSL Championship set to take place in Kansas City, Mayor Quinton Lucas reflected on the city's growing enthusiasm for women's sports and the significance of hosting such a major event.

"This is an exciting day, but even a bigger time for Kansas City," Lucas said. "We opened up this stadium back in the spring. We have had great visitors, energy, sellouts again and again, and in the city that's known for our American football lately, I've been excited about women's soccer, women's sports, and how everybody has just supported it."

Lucas said Kansas City is prepared for what the game will bring to the city.

"You look at the energy already at the airport, they're selling the gear for the National Women's Soccer League. You're seeing a lot of activity and excitement," he said. "Kansas City has been vibing for this and feeling this for some time. When we heard about the announcement, we knew we would put our best foot forward, and I think you're seeing that now."

Lucas praised the privately funded CPKC Stadium, the first venue built specifically for a professional women's sports team.

"I think there is something very clear to say of what good private investment can do," he said. "In an era when the NFL, Major League Baseball, NBA, a lot of those teams are saying, 'We need a billion, two billion,' you see what private ownership groups can do. And with a good public-private partnership, where basically, we just helped on the infrastructure … you can have great venues like this."

He added, "Ultimately, there has to be a talk in professional sports about this being the model, rather than the alternative."

An inside look at Kansas City's CPKC Stadium

The championship game will be held at Kansas City's CPKC Stadium, the first privately funded stadium built specifically for a professional women's soccer team. 

The stadium, which cost about $125 million, opened in March and sold out its inaugural season. While the Kansas City Current didn't make it to this year's championship game, co-owners Chris and Angie Long say their focus was always on creating a world-class facility for the team.

"We see it as baseline table stakes if you want to be competitive in professional sports," said Angie Long. 

"The retention of coaches, the ability to recruit technical staff, the ability to recruit and retain players—everything revolves around a proper environment," said Chris Long.

The 11,500-seat stadium was built to bring fans closer to the action. 

"The furthest seat from the touchline is 94 feet," Chris Long said. "If you look, everything's been highly curated to have that level of connectivity."

Inside, the design focuses on teamwork and inclusion. The oval-shaped locker room avoids corners so every player feels part of the group. 

"If somebody's in a corner, they're not part of the group. But this is such a team sport, and everybody is even in this, you know, sort of circle or oval space," Angie Long said.

The hallway leading to the pitch also has a special touch, featuring the words of Title IX to honor progress in women's sports. 

The stadium celebrates inclusivity throughout. Local female artists' work decorates the walls, and a display pays tribute to the first U.S. women's national team to play international matches. A pink seat at midfield honors Olivia Bloomfield, a 10-year-old fan who passed away but left a lasting impact.

"We felt incredibly compelled to honor her," Chris Long said. "And really create a place where you can honor others that are driving inclusiveness." Angie Long added, "I think so many sporting events are maybe accidentally not inclusive, whether it's cultural or history. You think of being a female athlete in a lot of ways, you're not included. And so we wanted it to be inclusive, representative of our community. And you want everyone to have a home here."

CPKC Stadium isn't just a sports venue—it shows what can happen when women's sports get real support. 

"For so long, women's sports haven't been invested in," said Angie Long. "This changes that."

Who is performing the national anthem?

Grammy-winning artist Melissa Etheridge will perform the national anthem at the 2024 NWSL Championship in Kansas City. Etheridge grew up near Kansas City, making her performance at the game even more meaningful.

"I am so thrilled how Kansas City has embraced women's sports," Etheridge said. "This is known as a great sports city. It's so exciting because I lived those years when it was not."

Performing the national anthem is no small task, but Etheridge is ready. 

"It's one of those things that if you mess it up, it will ruin your career," she said. "So I sing it in the shower a lot. It's about starting low enough. I sing it a cappella. I don't do anything but just—so it's about starting on the right note."

When asked how she makes the performance her own while honoring tradition, Etheridge gave a hint.

"Maybe throw a little bluesy note in the end, just to, you know, make it fun, but it's about just delivering. It's a gorgeous song," she said.

Etheridge also spoke about the parallels between women's sports and music, saying, "I was actually just talking to Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird, and we were talking about what's available and how they, you know, they used to play in little holes in the wall and stuff. And I said, 'Well, that's the same in the music business.'"

"There's a lot of women supporting women in music, in sports, and it makes a difference. And when people believe that, it's exciting."

While Etheridge is a Kansas City Current fan, she's leaning toward the Washington Spirit for the championship game. 

"I got to say the Spirit," she said. "Marta is the GOAT. We would all love to see that, I would be okay if that happened. But I know some friends that are, that are investors in the Spirit, and I think seeing the results on the field, you know, investing in players, investing in buildings, I hope the Spirit."

NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman on record growth 

NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman told "CBS Mornings Plus" that the league has had a record-setting season. With more than 2 million fans attending games this year, the NWSL has seen unprecedented surge in visibility.

"We have our ownership group catalyzing an investment in the NWSL that's unprecedented in history, and it's buoyed by the incredible talent of our players," Berman said. "We have the best players in the world playing here."

Berman said that women's sports should be treated as a viable business rather than a charitable endeavor. She highlighted the league's recently negotiated collective bargaining agreement, which includes revenue-sharing with players. Berman said the model ensures that investments from sponsors and media partners are distributed across the league. A central focus, she said, is to increase revenue.

"We got to grow our revenues, and we got to grow the compensation of our players so that the whole system can rise," she said.

Berman pointed to the championship match as a showcase of top-tier talent. 

"Saturday night is almost like a rematch of the gold medal match."