96 Hours In San Jose For The NWSL Championship

Women’s sports is finally getting the recognition it deserves. Alongside the massive rise of the WNBA, the National Women’s Soccer League saw a record-breaking rise in viewership, attendance, and digital engagement in the 2025 season. The proof? Championship weekend, when a sold-out crowd filled the stands at PayPal Park in San Jose, California, to watch the highly anticipated finals between the Washington Spirit and Gotham FC.

With an invite from Ally, the NWSL’s official banking partner — and one of the main reasons the NWSL championship game has a primetime spot on CBS Sports — I packed my bags and flew six hours across the country to get a firsthand look at the headline-making event.

Over the weekend, I was able to visit the Ally House, a pop-up that invited soccer legends like Abby Wambach, Julie Foudy, Christen Press, and Tobin Heath to host intimate chats with local fans, and talk with the CMO of Ally, Andrea Brimmer, about how the financial institution is supporting their commitment of 50/50 advertising spend across men’s and women’s sports.

Below, see the behind-the-scenes of my jam-packed weekend surrounded by people who are as passionate about the future of women in sports as I am.

Wednesday, Nov. 19

5 a.m.: I am, unfortunately, chronically early to almost everything I do — and arriving at the airport is no exception. Despite living in Lower Manhattan, I make it to JFK in record time, easily making my way through security in a matter of minutes thanks to TSA Precheck (it’s paid for itself a dozen times over by now). I tuck myself in a quiet corner and start reading Chloe Gong’s latest novel, Coldwire, before snagging a breakfast sandwich at Shake Shack and boarding.

10 a.m.: I love flights to the West Coast because it’s as close to time travel as I’m ever going to get. I spent most of the six-and-a-half-hour flight listening to music, reading, and sleeping. I did try to get a little work done on the plane, but I hate people being able to see my screen, so I gave up on that mission pretty quickly in favor of another nap.

12 p.m.: After dropping off my luggage at the Hilton San Jose, I take an Uber to the Winchester Mystery House, arguably the one thing everyone should do when visiting the Bay Area. As someone who loves watching ghost hunting shows and Victorian architecture, this one-hour tour was utterly fascinating. Built by Sarah Winchester, the home saw 30 years of nonstop construction. By the time of her death in 1922, the maze-like house features over 150 rooms, stairs, and doors leading to nowhere, and over 10,000 window panes. It’s also notoriously haunted.

2 p.m.: After kindly telling the rumored Winchester ghosts not to follow me home (you can never be too careful), I make my way to Voltaire Coffee, where I get a Mexican mocha latte and do some final interview prep. On my way to the coffee shop, I spot a few Gotham FC players on their way to the NWSL Awards at the San Jose Civic Center and start to get excited for the weekend ahead.

3 p.m.: I finally checked into the hotel and ended up doing more work until I met up with a friend for dinner.

5:30 p.m.: My friend Jasmin, who I’ve known since 2007 (!!), meets me at the hotel. We walked together to the San Pedro Market Square for drinks and dinner. We haven’t seen each other in a few years, so it was nice to catch up and reminisce on our younger selves. She also gave me a ton of good restaurant recommendations if I had extra time in my jam-packed weekend schedule.

9 p.m.: My favorite part of traveling for work is watching movies in the hotel room before bed. Tonight’s showing: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.

Thursday, Nov. 20

9 a.m.: After spending the morning catching up on emails, I make my way down to the hotel restaurant for breakfast with the Ally team to prep for the weekend ahead, including what I can expect to see at Ally House, the first-of-its-kind activation to celebrate NWSL championship weekend.

10 a.m.: I pick up my official media credentials from the Civic Center and finish up interview prep for the day ahead. It’s not the most glamorous work behind the scenes (mostly a lot of Googling), but the coffee I had at breakfast is finally kicking in, and I made some good progress.

12:30 p.m.: It’s time for the Washington Spirit portion of Media Day. I make a beeline for Trinity Rodman to make sure I secure my interview. Because her NWSL contract is up after the finals on Saturday, it seems everyone is clamoring to talk to her about the championship game and assess her future in the league.

1:30 p.m.: I find my way back to Voltaire coffee for another Mexican mocha. A fellow journalist joins me, and we end up spending an hour talking about soccer and the future of sports media.

4:30 p.m.: I head back to the Civic Center for the Gotham FC interviews. I ended up speaking with Lilly Reale, who won the Rookie of the Year award the day prior, about the upcoming game and how she recovers after intense practices for Elite Daily’s Cool Down series.

6:30 p.m.: I hop in an Uber and head across town to Zona Rosa for dinner with the Ally folks, where we discuss various sports over exceptionally large plates of Mexican food. I end up leaving with a belly full of tortilla chips and a renewed excitement for the championship game.

Friday, Nov. 21

8 a.m.: I love being on the West Coast because it’s the only time I’ll ever be a morning person. I end up taking San Jose’s public transportation to Japantown. I saw Tōno Coffee Project on my maps when I was researching good coffee spots in the city and had to try it. I ended up getting the brand’s “White” drink, which is espresso with oat milk. It was incredibly smooth, well worth the 20-minute trip. As an aside, literally everyone I passed walking to and from this café said good morning to me, which was extremely jarring as someone who’s used to the hustle and bustle of New York. Shout out to the San Jose residents for reminding me that kindness towards strangers still exists.

9 a.m.: I make it back to the hotel to get some of my interviews transcribed, but ultimately find myself back in bed binge-watching HGTV. Sometimes you have to know when to rest, and my body quite literally demanded it at this moment.

1:30 p.m.: It’s finally time to experience the Ally House! I make my way over to the activation, which included exclusive merch from Domo Wells, a coffee cart by Kickoff Coffee, and hundreds of fans celebrating soccer culture together.

2 p.m.: It’s time for the main event of the day: a live taping of the Welcome to the Party podcast with Hall of Famer and two-time Olympic gold medalist Abby Wambach and two-time FIFA World Cup champion and Olympic gold medalist Julie Foudy. The duo ended up talking with Ally CMO Andrea Brimmer about her contributions to the NWSL before bringing out two-time World Cup champ and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brandi Chastain and Olympic silver medalist Danielle Slaton for a quick discussion, followed by a series of party games.

3 p.m.: It’s back to the hotel for a quick lunch and mental reset. For some reason, I really can’t focus on work, so I turn HGTV back on and lose myself in yet another home renovation. (I, for one, am grateful shiplap is no longer en vogue.)

5 p.m.: I make my way over to the NWSL Skills Challenge at the Spartan Soccer Complex at San Jose State University. As someone who went to NYU, it’s always so strange to me to walk around a real college campus. I feel right at home as I camp out along the sidelines for a close-up view of the competition. It’s Team Grey, coached by two-time World Cup champion and Olympic gold medalist Kelley O'Hara, versus Team Black, led by World Cup champ and bronze medalist Sam Mewis. The teams, composed of current NWSL stars, compete in three skills to win a $30,000 prize. While I was absolutely beside myself watching how talented these players are, I couldn’t help but find my attention on the mini Carmax robot car that lugged around a massive camera throughout the event. The little blue car that could definitely deserved MVP for capturing some of the best shots of the night.

Saturday, Nov. 22

8 a.m.: What better way to start Championship Day than with a brisk walk through downtown San Jose? As a proud Chicana, I love to support local Mexican-owned businesses, so I made my way over to Con Azucar for iced Café de Olla and a concha (the perfect breakfast combo, in my opinion).

12:30 p.m.: After a few hours working, I head back to Ally House to watch RE-INC’s live podcast featuring two-time NWSL champion, two-time World Cup champion, and Olympic gold medalist Tobin Heath and her wife, two-time World Cup winner Christen Press. The duo, who host The RE-CAP show together, brought out four-time WNBA champion and five-time Olympic gold medalist Sue Bird, her partner, two-time World Cup winner and Olympic gold medalist Megan Rapinoe, and the equally decorated Alyssa Naeher to discuss the state of the NWSL today, the state of women’s sports, and their hopes for the next generation of soccer stars.

1:30 p.m.: After the live podcast, I make my way to the press room to interview Brimmer about her career. I’m always so inspired talking to women in power. They’re so certain of who they are and never seem to shy away from pioneering new opportunities for themselves or the generations who come after them. I’m reminded that, no matter what, I should strive to be the best and never let anyone tell me who I am or what rooms I deserve to be in.

2:30 p.m.: After their meet-and-greet with fans, I sit down for a quick interview with Heath and Press to discuss their mission to change the way women are seen and experienced in sports, how starting a company together has strengthened their relationship, and what they hope the future of women’s sports looks like.

4 p.m.: I head over to PayPal Park to get ready for the big game. It’s a sold-out stadium, which means there’s a massive line for merch. By the time I make it into the gift shop, I’m forced to buy a Youth Small in the shirt I want to commemorate my time at the 2025 Championships. (Spoiler: It doesn’t fit me and will be framed instead.) After collecting my souvenir, I make my way over to my seat, which is only three rows away from the field. This is not only my first championship game, but my first professional soccer match and the closest I’ve ever sat at any game in my life. I’m suddenly very nervous, especially after spotting tennis player Ben Shelton in the suite.

5:15 p.m.: It’s kickoff time! After being nearly scared to death by the fireworks on the field, it’s time to lock in. As a member of the press, I try to remain unbiased, but as a New York sports fan, I’m proud to see the Bats doing their best to earn the title.

6:40 p.m.: Rose Lavelle scores the only goal of the game. My attempt to remain unbiased fails as I instinctively cheer for the not-so-underdogs. I nearly missed the goal, having run to the bathroom only moments earlier. As a sports girly who is extremely superstitious, goals almost always happen when I’m not in my seat, so, basically, Gotham won because I couldn’t wait to go to the bathroom and not because these elite athletes played their hearts out. You’re welcome, everyone.

7:30 p.m.: It’s official: Gotham FC has defeated the Washington Spirit to earn its second NWSL championship. I make my way on the field to capture some content and watch the trophy and medals being presented to the players. The energy is truly unmatched, with friends and family rushing the field to celebrate the achievement.

8 p.m.: In an effort to avoid expensive Uber prices and massive crowds, a fellow journalist and I make our way over to In-N-Out for a post-game meal and debrief. We analyze the game, talk about what it means to be able to cover sports as women in a traditionally male-dominated industry, and our favorite moments from the weekend. By the time I make it back to the hotel, I force myself to pack before calling it a night.