The NWSL Challenge Cup was first announced in 2020 as a one-off, league-wide tournament to mark the league's return to action from the COVID-19 pandemic.

[2] It was the first top-tier professional sports league in the United States to restart after COVID-19 lockdowns began.

[4] Before the 2024 season, the NWSL announced that the Challenge Cup would change from a tournament to a single-game supercup.

[5] For the first four years of the tournament, all NWSL teams began a group stage where they played four to six games, usually split geographically.

[8] In 2023, the format remained the same but the tournament was moved to run concurrently with the season due to player concerns about injuries.