# FA WSL Spring Series

The FA WSL Spring Series was an interim edition of the FA WSL between the sixth and seventh full seasons. The Spring Series ran from February to May 2017 to bridge the gap from the 2016 FA WSL season which ran from March to September as a summer tournament, and the 2017–18 season which started in September 2017.
While the 2017–18 season planned to feature 21 clubs, the Spring Series contained 20. Notts County Ladies F.C. folded two days before they were due to play their first Spring Series game, leaving 19 teams in total. Teams played each other once, with no promotion or relegation before the full 2017–18 season. WSL 2 began in February, while WSL 1 started in April.

## Teams
### WSL 1

| Team | Location | Ground | Capacity | 2016 season |
| Arsenal | Canons Park | The Hive Stadium | 5,176 | 3rd |
| Birmingham City | Solihull | Damson Park | 3,050 | 4th |
| Bristol City | Filton | Stoke Gifford Stadium | 1,500 | 2nd, WSL 2 |
| Chelsea | Staines | Wheatsheaf Park | 3,009 | 2nd |
| Liverpool | Widnes | Select Security Stadium | 13,350 | 5th |
| Manchester City | Manchester | Academy Stadium | 7,000 | 1st |
| Reading | High Wycombe | Adams Park | 9,617 | 8th |
| Sunderland | Hetton-le-Hole | Eppleton Colliery Welfare Ground | 2,500 | 7th |
| Yeovil Town | Yeovil | Huish Park | 9,565 | 1st, WSL 2 |

### WSL 2

| Team | Location | Ground | Capacity | 2016 season |
| Aston Villa | Tamworth | The Lamb Ground | 4,000 | 7th |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | Lancing | Culver Road | 2,000 | 1st, 2015–16 WPL |
| Doncaster Rovers Belles | Doncaster | Keepmoat Stadium | 15,231 | 9th, WSL 1 |
| Durham | Durham | New Ferens Park | 3,000 | 4th |
| Everton | Widnes | Select Security Stadium | 13,350 | 3rd |
| London Bees | Canons Park | The Hive Stadium | 5,176 | 6th |
| Millwall Lionesses | Bermondsey | St. Paul's Sports Ground | 2,500 | 8th |
| Oxford United | Abingdon | Northcourt Road | 2,000 | 9th |
| Sheffield | Dronfield | Coach and Horses | 2,000 | 5th |
| Watford | Kings Langley | Global Metcorp Stadium | 1,000 | 10th |

## WSL 1

Ten teams were due to compete in this season. Notts County Ladies announced it was folding and withdrew from the league two days before their first scheduled fixture.

### Table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Chelsea | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 32 | 3 | +29 | 19 |
| 2 | Manchester City | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 6 | +11 | 19 |
| 3 | Arsenal | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 9 | +13 | 18 |
| 4 | Liverpool | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 20 | 18 | +2 | 14 |
| 5 | Sunderland | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 14 | −10 | 9 |
| 6 | Reading | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 15 | −5 | 8 |
| 7 | Birmingham City | 8 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 10 | −4 | 7 |
| 8 | Bristol City | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 21 | −16 | 4 |
| 9 | Yeovil Town | 8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 26 | −20 | 1 |

### Results

| Home \ Away | ARS | BIR | BRI | CHE | LIV | MCI | REA | SUN | YEO |
| Arsenal | | 4–2 | | | 4–4 | | 1–0 | | |
| Birmingham City | | | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | | | 0–0 | 0–0 |
| Bristol City | 0–5 | | | 0–4 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 1–3 | | |
| Chelsea | 2–2 | | | | 7–0 | | | | 6–0 |
| Liverpool | | | | | | 1–3 | 4–2 | 4–0 | |
| Manchester City | 0–1 | 1–1 | | 1–0 | | | | | 5–1 |
| Reading | | 1–1 | | 0–4 | | 2–3 | | | |
| Sunderland | 0–0 | | 1–0 | 0–7 | | 0–1 | 1–1 | | |
| Yeovil Town | 1–5 | | 2–3 | | 1–4 | | 0–1 | 1–2 | |

### Top goalscorers

| Rank | Player | Team | Goals |
| 1 | Fran Kirby | Chelsea | 6 |
| 2 | Caroline Weir | Liverpool | 5 |
| 3 | Karen Carney | Chelsea | 4 |
| 3 | Danielle Carter | Arsenal | 4 |
| 3 | Erin Cuthbert | Chelsea | 4 |
| 3 | Toni Duggan | Manchester City | 4 |
| 3 | Natasha Harding | Liverpool | 4 |
| 3 | Ji So-yun | Chelsea | 4 |
| 3 | Jordan Nobbs | Arsenal | 4 |
| 3 | Drew Spence | Chelsea | 4 |

## WSL 2

Ten teams competed in this season. Brighton & Hove Albion was promoted after beating Sporting Club Albion in the 2015–16 FA Women's Premier League Championship play-off. Following the closure of Notts County Ladies in April 2017, one team was promoted at the end of the Spring Series to the WSL1 for the 2017–18 season, based on an evaluation by the FA of applicant clubs' business plans, budget, youth development, facilities and on-pitch performance.

### Table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
| 1 | Everton | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 7 | +18 | 22 | Applied for promotion to the 2017–18 FA WSL. Promotion approved. |
| 2 | Doncaster Rovers Belles | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 19 | 9 | +10 | 18 | Applied for promotion to the 2017–18 FA WSL. |
| 3 | Millwall Lionesses | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 8 | +4 | 17 | |
| 4 | Aston Villa | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 16 | +3 | 17 | |
| 5 | Durham | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 10 | +4 | 16 | |
| 6 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 9 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 13 | −5 | 10 | |
| 7 | London Bees | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 21 | −8 | 10 | |
| 8 | Watford | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 17 | −5 | 8 | |
| 9 | Sheffield | 9 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 18 | −9 | 6 | |
| 10 | Oxford United | 9 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 19 | −12 | 2 | |

### Results

| Home \ Away | AST | BRH | DON | DUR | EVE | LON | MIL | OXF | SHE | WAT |
| Aston Villa | | 3–1 | | 5–4 | | 3–2 | 1–1 | | | 3–2 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | | | 0–0 | | | | | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 |
| Doncaster Rovers Belles | 2–1 | | | 2–1 | 3–3 | 4–1 | | | | |
| Durham | | 1–0 | | | | 3–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | |
| Everton | 3–0 | 5–0 | | 1–0 | | | | | | 4–0 |
| London Bees | | 1–1 | | | 0–4 | | 1–2 | 3–1 | 2–1 | |
| Millwall Lionesses | | 0–0 | 2–1 | | 2–1 | | | 2–0 | 1–2 | |
| Oxford United | 0–0 | | 0–4 | | 1–2 | | | | | 1–2 |
| Sheffield | 1–3 | | 0–2 | | 1–2 | | | 3–2 | | |
| Watford | | | 1–1 | 1–1 | | 2–3 | 1–2 | | 2–0 | |

### Top goalscorers

| Rank | Player | Team | Goals |
| 1 | Courtney Sweetman-Kirk | Doncaster Rovers Belles | 9 |
| 2 | Claudia Walker | Everton | 7 |
| 3 | Simone Magill | Everton | 5 |
| 3 | Zoe Ness | Durham | 5 |
| 5 | Natasha Baptiste | Aston Villa | 4 |
| 5 | Ashleigh Goddard | London Bees | 4 |
| 5 | Ini-Abasi Umotong | Oxford United | 4 |
| 5 | Jo Wilson | London Bees | 4 |