The addition of USL W League to the women’s soccer landscape in 2022 was pure magic, with fantastic levels of competition, incredible new clubs, and the magical Minnesota Aurora. We wanted to know the secret to their success - so we reached out to find out who’s big idea it was, how they managed their WeFunder announcement, and to ask about the brilliance behind their stunning brand launch. Marketing and Communications Coordinator, Brenna Keeler and Sporting Director & Head Coach Nicole Lukic perfectly paired up top to take a strike at our questions.

2022 was your debut year in the USL W, but what is the club's origin story? When was it conceived and who laid the foundation?
This team was started by a small group of community members who believe in the growth of women’s soccer in Minnesota. They bring a diverse set of experiences as players, fans, and members of the community. We were originally named Minnesota Women's Soccer, or MN Woso. Minnesota Women's Soccer was legally incorporated on March 17, 2021.

Aurora’s custom kits with Hummel came in as the number one shirt in our annual Top Tops article.

Was it always going to be Aurora? I seem to remember a couple other logo options, but this badge, name and color combo is a goalazo - did you know it as soon as you saw it too?
The winning name emerged after a four-month process which started with the team’s Community Owners submitting more than 100 names. Team founders narrowed the list to 16 names, before Community Owners voted to cut the options to seven, and then to select the three finalists: Arctic Minnesota, Minnesota Foxfire FC and Minnesota Aurora FC. Minnesota Aurora FC emerged the strong favorite with a name and crest that evokes the striking beauty of the northern skies of Minnesota. The crest depicts the three swooshes of an aurora over a Minnesota forest with the bright North Star beneath representing Minnesota, the North Star State.

Who is behind the badge and are they the same person or group who designed your amazing kits? Who are the folks responsible for your aesthetic?
We have a super talented group of female designers we have consulted with in the past to create the brand as you see it today. The overall brand is managed by co-founders Allie Schmidt & Wes Burdine to keep consistency & lead the team's vision. Nicole Meyer & Carla Zetina-Yglesias were tasked with helping us create the Aurora badge, and Cassidy Sepnieski has been our amazing kit designer for the past two seasons. We are so grateful to have such talent as part of our team!

For many clubs, merch and design are a game-changer; they help to keep the lights on. Certainly you've done well with your shirts and scarves - but tell us about the WeFunder too. Some clubs have done okay with that process, and others have fallen flat - how much research went into preparing for a WeFunder campaign like yours and did you meet or exceed your goal?
Building a successful crowdfunding investment campaign was at the heart of launching this club, but it was less about the money--seed money is important--and more about building the kind of club we imagined. We view those community owners as the path to long-term viability, because they're durable fans, they're literally "bought in." And we can build our clubs values around that. Years before the club was even launched, some of the founders had been discussing the logistics of a community owned club. And the campaign to make it successful was part us catching a bit of lightning in a bottle, but also building a group of founders who were from different parts of the community and who had different expertise, including crucially lots of media expertise.

Minnesota Aurora did extremely well in their first season - how does the club prepare for year two? Have you made any significant changes in the offseason? Have you lost any players to the NWSL or other leagues? Nicole Lukic (Sporting Director and Head Coach) and Jenista Clark (First Assistant Coach) have been working hard in the off season to bring in new players for the 2023 season. We will return players as well which we are equally excited about as the 2022 team laid a great foundation for the team to be built off of. We may have a player or two who will not compete with us due to joining overseas professional leagues but it is a little too early to put specifics on that right now. And if they do go pro, we will be excited for them as we strongly believe in helping our players get to the next level!

In the global game, especially in established footballing countries, the system of promotion and relegation exists - is that something our leagues are prepared for yet? Would an ambitious club like Aurora benefit from meritorious promotions rather than buying a stake in a new league every couple of years once you've grown?
It would be fun to have that system within the USL W but the league is only in its 2nd year. The league is growing so maybe that is something they could consider for the future!

Lastly, and similarly, the men's clubs - from MLS all the way down to the most amateur sides in the US - have access to the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Some states have Open Cups or similar competitions, but there's no national women's tournament. How do we get there with great teams like your own involved? Who leads that charge?
A lot of things would need to happen in order to make that possible. One of the biggest hurdles with the current soccer ecosystem would be the schedule. It would be an exciting event if someone could figure it out! Maybe it starts with the USL Super League and the NWSL Challenge Cup. The USL W schedule is compact as is. It would be nearly impossible to add a cup to the current USL W schedule.

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