Wisconsin Soccer Central

When Oak Creek referee Margaret Domka (Stevens Point/UW-Stevens Point) blows her whistle shortly after 6 p.m. Saturday to start the game between the host Washington Spirit and the Boston Breakers, the National Women's Soccer League will become the longest-running women's professional league in American history.

As the NWSL kicks off its fourth season, one more than both the Women's United Soccer Association (2001 to '03) and Women's Professional Soccer (2009 to '11) managed during their runs, there are four players with state ties in the league.

Three of those players are with the Chicago Red Stars: goalkeeper Michele Dalton (UW), midfielder Mary Luba (Shorewood/Marquette) and forward Cara Walls (Wauwatosa East/UW).

Dalton returned from Europe and led the NWSL with a 0.917 goals-against average last season, but the Red Stars acquired U.S. women's national team backup keeper Alyssa Naeher in an offseason trade with Boston. Walls, 22, had one goal in 10 appearances for Chicago as a rookie in 2015, while the 22-year-old Luba signed with the Red Stars in September after a strong summer with the club's reserve team.

Meanwhile, Sarah Hagen (Appleton North/UW-Milwaukee) is looking to form a partnership with national team star Alex Morgan up top for the expansion Orlando Pride, the league's 10th team. Hagen, 26, had four goals and two assists last year for FC Kansas City and eight goals and three assists in 25 appearances (19 starts) in two seasons with the club, which won the past two NWSL titles.

On Twitter: @sarahapplehagen @Caarraaa @MicheleDalton18

• Three other state players who were in camp with NWSL teams this spring didn't make opening-day rosters. Veteran defender Lauren Sesselmann (Green Bay Notre Dame) went on trial with with her former club, FC Kansas City, after being released by the Houston Dash. And midfielders Rosie Malone-Povolny (Marquette) and Rebekah Roller (Brookfield East) were in camp with the Red Stars after playing in Europe. On Twitter: @lsesselmann @RebekahRoller3
• After serving as an assistant for coach Rory Dames for the past three seasons, Milwaukee's Christian Lavers isn't on the Red Stars' coaching staff this year. Lavers is the director of coaching for FC Wisconsin, president of the Elite Clubs National League and an executive vice president of U.S. Club Soccer. On Twitter: @clavers1
• Vitalis "Digital" Takawira, a former Milwaukee Rampage and Wave United striker who now coaches at SC Waukesha, was an honorable mention selection on the Sporting Kansas City 20th Anniversary Best XI announced Wednesday. The former Zimbabwe international had 28 goals and 19 assists in 103 regular-season appearances and was a two-time Major League Soccer All-Star in his three seasons with the team, which was known as the Kansas City Wiz in 1996 and then the Wizards until being re-branded in 2011. Takawira, who scored the first goal in club history on April 13, 1996, and added the final goal in a 3-0 win over the Colorado Rapids, played for the Rampage from 2000 to '02 and Wave United in 2002 and '03.