Formed in 2014, the Houston Dash made history on Sunday by claiming their first National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) title in the championship game of the NWSL Challenge Cup.
Houston’s 2-0 victory over the Chicago Red Stars culminated NWSL’s month-long tournament, which was organized in a “bubble” environment in Utah after the league’s COVID-19 shutdown. In its seventh year in the league, the Dash had previously never made the playoffs.
Just over one year ago, Houston Rockets star James Harden acquired a minority stake in the ownership group of the Dash and Houston Dynamo (MLS). As such, “The Beard” was quite proud of their triumph.
“Beautiful sight,” Harden said when asked what he thought about Sunday’s accomplishment. “The adversity, with the coronavirus and everything else going on in the world… for them to win a championship, it’s amazing. It’s the beginning stages of our winning ways. I’m proud of them. We’ll continue to keep those winning ways going.”
Now 30 years old and in his eighth season with the Rockets, Harden has increasingly taken on a more active role of supporting the city and its other sports teams. Given his ownership stake with the Dash and Dynamo, that trend should only continue in the years ahead.
