The 2002 Women's United Soccer Association season was the second season for WUSA, the top level professional women's soccer league in the United States.[1] The regular season began on April 13 and ended on August 11. The playoffs began on August 17, with the championship match between played on August 24 between the Carolina Courage and the Washington Freedom.
| Season | 2002 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Carolina Courage |
| Top goalscorer | Kátia (15) |
← 2001 2003 → | |
Changes from 2001
Prior to the season the Bay Area CyberRays, the champions in the previous season, changed their name to the San Jose CyberRays
All-Star Game
The WUSA All-Star game was played for the first time after the completion of the 2002 season, with the South squad defeating the North 6–1 in front of 14,208 spectators at PGE Park in Portland, Oregon. Rookie Abby Wambach of the Washington Freedom was awarded the game MVP after scoring twice.[2]
Competition format
- The regular season began on April 13 and ended on August 11.
- Each team played a total of 21 games, three against each opponent (either twice at home and once away or vice versa). This caused an uneven schedule with teams hosting either 10 or 11 home games each.
- The four teams with the most points from the regular season qualified for the playoffs. The regular season champions and runners-up hosted the fourth- and third-placed teams, respectively, in the single-game semifinals on August 17. The winners of the semifinals met at Herndon Stadium for the final on August 24.
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carolina Courage | 21 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 40 | 30 | +10 | 40 | Regular Season Championship |
| 2 | Philadelphia Charge | 21 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 36 | 22 | +14 | 39 | Qualification to play-offs |
| 3 | Washington Freedom | 21 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 40 | 29 | +11 | 38 | |
| 4 | Atlanta Beat | 21 | 11 | 1 | 9 | 34 | 29 | +5 | 34 | |
| 5 | San Jose CyberRays | 21 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 34 | 30 | +4 | 29 | |
| 6 | Boston Breakers | 21 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 36 | 35 | +1 | 25 | |
| 7 | San Diego Spirit | 21 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 28 | 42 | −14 | 20 | |
| 8 | New York Power | 21 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 31 | 62 | −31 | 10 |
Playoffs
| Semi-Finals | Founders Cup | ||||||||
| 2 | Philadelphia Charge | 0 | |||||||
| 3 | Washington Freedom | 1 | |||||||
| 1 | Carolina Courage | 3 | |||||||
| 3 | Washington Freedom | 2 | |||||||
| 1 | Carolina Courage | 2 | |||||||
| 4 | Atlanta Beat | 1 | |||||||
Semi-finals
| August 17, 2002 Semi-Finals | Carolina Courage | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Atlanta Beat | Cary, North Carolina |
Fotopoulos  89' (pen.)Overbeck  92' | Report | Serlenga 28' (pen.) | Stadium: SAS Stadium Attendance: 5,583 Referee: Misail Tsapos |
| August 17, 2002 Semi-Finals | Philadelphia Charge | 0–1 | Washington Freedom | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Report | Gerardo 80' | Stadium: Villanova Stadium Attendance: 6,547 Referee: Sandra Hunt |
Founders Cup II
| August 24, 2002 Founders Cup | Carolina Courage | 3–2 | Washington Freedom | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Riise 20' Fotopoulos 53' Prinz 58' | Report | Fotopoulos 31' (o.g.) Hamm 64' | Stadium: Herndon Stadium Attendance: 15,321 Referee: Ricardo Salazar |
Awards
| Award | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player |  Marinette Pichon | Philadelphia Charge |
| Offensive Player of the Year | Marinette Pichon | Philadelphia Charge |
| Defensive Player of the Year |  Danielle Slaton | Carolina Courage |
| Goalkeeper of the Year | Kristin Luckenbill | Carolina Courage |
| Rookie of the Year | Abby Wambach | Washington Freedom |
| Coach of the Year | Mark Krikorian | Philadelphia Charge |
| Humanitarian Award |  Sissi | San Jose CyberRays |
| Team Community Service Award | Boston Breakers | |
| Team Fair Play Award | Boston Breakers | |
| Referee of the Year | Kari Seitz |
Source:[4]
Statistical leaders
Top assists
