Wolves Women enter fully professional era after WSL2 promotion

Wolves Women have entered the first fully professional season in their history following promotion to Women's Super League Two. The Guardian reported that the club made the step up after beating Plymouth in the third-tier promotion playoff in May, completing a long effort to reach the second tier under head coach Dan McNamara.

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The transition has changed the team's daily working environment. Wolves have added private changing facilities, a meeting and analysis room, and areas where players can spend time together at the Sir Jack Hayward training ground. Further training pitches are also planned as the women's operation becomes more integrated into the club's professional setup.

Wolves also appointed Russ Fraser as head of women's and girls' football during the summer. Fraser previously worked with Reading, West Ham, Leicester and Liverpool in the Women's Super League before a spell at Al-Qadsiah in Saudi Arabia. The recruitment drive has brought in players with top-flight experience, including Mel Lawley, Jasmine Matthews, Yana Daniels and Mel Filis. England youth goalkeeper Emily Orman has joined on loan from London City Lionesses.

Several members of last season's squad have left other employment to become full-time players. Captain Anna Morphet, who had worked as a physiotherapist, handed in her notice one week after promotion. Her journey reflects the scale of the change for a team that previously relied heavily on volunteer support and operated with far fewer resources.

Promotion followed several setbacks. Wolves won the northern section of the third tier in 2022 but lost a promotion playoff against Southampton under the rules then in place. They finished second in 2025, when the club had not applied for a promotion licence. Across the two seasons before finally going up, McNamara's side lost only two league matches, according to The Guardian.

The new campaign began with a 2-0 defeat away to Newcastle, one of the teams expected to challenge for promotion. Wolves' first WSL2 home fixture is against Sheffield United on Sunday. Club officials have made clear that their immediate task is to establish Wolves at the higher level rather than allow the breakthrough season to end in an immediate return to the third tier.