Like nearly all sports leagues around the world, the league had been in limbo since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Training was paused in March while the 2020 NWSL season's April 18 start date was delayed indefinitely.

The season was to be a regular 24 game schedule for each of the league's nine teams followed by a semi-final and final.

But after two months of uncertainty, the league announced the 2020 NWSL season will be replaced by a one-time, one-month long competition named the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup.

The format for the Challenge Cup will follow a format similar to the World Cup, with a group phase followed by a knockout phase.  The league's teams will play four group games in the preliminary round before the top eight teams progress to the quarter-finals.  

A draw last Monday set the preliminary round's schedule, with the Challenge Cup will start on June 27 with the final on July 26. The  preliminary round schedule is as follows:

The entire tournament will be held in the greater Salt Lake City area.  While no fans will be allowed to be in attendance, the cup will be broadcast on CBS in the US and Canada, and on Twitch worldwide.

Three Australians are currently signed to NWSL teams. Ellie Carpenter plays for Portland Thorns while Alanna Kennedy and Emily van Egmond are with Orlando Pride. At present only van Egmond is confirmed to have returned to the US.

The league allowed clubs to resume small group training two weeks ago with full team training allowed last Saturday. Clubs were required to fulfill certain health and safety requirements as well as follow individual state and local COVID-19 restrictions.  This latter requirement resulted in several teams needing to relocate their squads to other grounds or even states in order to resume training.

 

This has not been the case for van Egmond.  The Orlando Pride was able to remain in Orlando and train at their facility until they relocate to Utah for the Cup.  They have been been in full team training for a week.

 

Van Egmond spoke to the Orlando Sentinel about the return to training:

 

“I think everyone’s just excited now that we have something to look forward to and to play for,” van Egmond said. “We’re working really hard every single day. We don’t have a lot of time to prepare, so we’ve just got to use that time smartly, which we are.”

 

Prior to the beginning of the tournament, squads will be tested for COVID-19.  Upon the return of those results, COVID-19 negative members will relocate to Utah where they will remain in quarantine in a so-described "NWSL village", with housing and amenities included for the entirety of the cup.

 

The league will allow individual players the option of participating in the upcoming tournament.  Players who chose not to play for health and safety concerns will still be given guaranteed pay, housing, and benefits through the end of 2020.

 

While it has been rumoured that several players may choose this option, including several prominent USWNT players, the only player to reportedly have pulled out of the Cup is 2019 Ballon D'Or winner Megan Rapinoe.  Her club OL Reign's coach Farid Benstiti stated her intention not to attend.

 

Clubs have until June 21 to finalize their squads.  Twenty-eight players will be allowed for each team.  While Ellie Carpenter and Alanna Kennedy have yet to confirm their participation, Emily Van Egmond will be there.  In the same Orlando Sentinal interview she went on to say:

 

"Just to be able to help the team in this Cup we’re about to play in Utah, and just enjoy it and have fun. It’s gonna be a good thing that we’re able to go out and play.”