The genesis of elite Oregon women's soccer started before the creation of the NWSL in 2012. An elite women's travelling team started in Portland after the 1996 Summer Olympics and 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup excitement along with teams owned by the Seattle Sounders, Vancouver Whitecaps and a team in Spokane.[3] The four teams were to be entered into the USL W-League's W-1 division for the 2001 season, the same year as the first Women's United Soccer Association season.[4] In Portland the team was christened the Portland Rain and played the 2000 season in the Pacific Coast Soccer League (PCSL). The team played the 2001 season in the W-League before returning to the PCSL until 2003 when the team folded.[5] Women's soccer was also well supported via the University of Portland Pilots.