The league was founded in 2015 as a response to the dual problems of disorganization in the WPSL and of the folding of the original USL W-League.

[4][5] This, combined with a general lack of competitiveness due to rapid expansion, led to frustration from many long-time WPSL teams.

Between founding and the beginning of the inaugural season, hints of the desired second Western conference came to light in late January and was made official on February 5, with the first five revealed teams being Real Salt Lake Women and Houston Aces (both previously of WPSL), and the Santa Clarita Blue Heat, the Colorado Storm, and the Colorado Pride (all previously of the W-League).

[21] While UWS would see continued stability in the East and Midwest conferences, attempts to establish teams in the west would prove less successful.

Ahead of the 2020 season, four more UWS teams - Houston Aces, Colorado Pride, LAG OC, and the El Paso Surf - also left for WPSL,[22] bringing the total back down to five.

In the 2020 off-season, UWS continued to add more clubs to the league and expanding their reach, including the creation of the Southeast Conference.