Washington, D.C.'s two biggest women's professional sports franchises are sharing the spotlight this week. The Washington Spirit and Washington Mystics have joined forces for Capital Queens, a crossover campaign for D.C. Women's Sports Week, running from September 20 through September 26.
The weeklong initiative, presented by Giant Food, kicked off on September 20 with a joint watch party scheduled at Hook Hall, according to the Washington Spirit. The Mystics were scheduled to face the Indiana Fever and the Spirit to take on Chicago Stars FC. The club's announcement said the planned event would include local DJs, giveaways, and themed food and drink specials. As WJLA reports, the campaign offers fans a chance to support and engage with both teams through special events and activations across the DMV.
A Campaign for Two Sports
The campaign brought the Mystics and Spirit together during the final stretch of both regular seasons.
Kim Bolt, representing the Spirit, and Dana Campbell, representing the Mystics, discussed the inspiration behind Capital Queens and the importance of growing visibility and support for women's sports, per the same WJLA report.
Chessboard Merch and a Sports Bra Drive
The campaign also has a retail and community-service angle. The Spirit and Mystics partnered with D.C.-based brand Round21 and local artist Clarke Imani on a special-edition Capital Queens apparel collection built around a chessboard motif, where a pawn transforms into a queen. The line debuted at Hook Hall before going on sale at both teams' arena stores.
During the September 20 watch party, the teams also partnered with The Sports Bra Project to collect sports bra donations and raise funds for young female athletes in need, according to the event listing on GoFevo. Attendees who donated bras or made monetary contributions received complimentary drink tickets as a thank-you for pitching in.
Two Teams, One Playoff Push
The timing isn't incidental. The Spirit is competing near the top of the NWSL standings, while the Mystics have returned to WNBA playoff contention. Axios reported Wednesday that the playoff-bound Mystics and high-ranking Spirit could end up as D.C.'s only major professional sports franchises to reach postseason play this year, noting that the city's men's teams faced competitive struggles during the same stretch of the calendar.
On the field during Women's Sports Week, the Spirit faced Chicago Stars FC on September 20.
A Partnership Years in the Making
Capital Queens builds on a history of cooperation between D.C.'s women's sports organizations. Formal alignment dates back to March 2022, when the Spirit, Mystics, DC Divas, and DC Shadow established the Washington Coalition of Women's Professional Sports alongside the non-profit Leveling the Playing Field, a coalition created around Title IX's 50th anniversary to pool community service resources across the region, according to the Washington Mystics.
The Spirit and Mystics continue to share a regional fan base and a growing list of joint community initiatives. Capital Queens runs through Saturday, closing out D.C.'s Women's Sports Week with the Mystics and Spirit still both very much alive in their respective playoff races.
