New Pro Team Starts Up In Softball-Crazed Oklahoma City  

Professional softball is coming to Oklahoma City.

A brand-new league called Women’s Professional Fastpitch is expanding. In 2023, the Oklahoma City Spark will join the league.

The team’s origins can be traced back to a local entrepreneur and former Sooner standout Lauren Chamberlain.

Chamberlain was once the NCAA softball home run record holder. Now, she serves as commissioner for WPF.

“It’s really taking those ‘top of the top’ players, and telling them they are worth investing in,” Chamberlain said.  

Chamberlain said she knew Oklahoma was an ideal fit to expand the league. She did so with the help of her friend Tina Floyd.

“Knowing she was going to move this sport forward, I knew I wanted to be involved in some way,” Floyd said.

Floyd is one of only a few female team owners. She hopes to inspire other young women who want to do the same.

Chamberlain, hoping to have a strong woman in her corner as commissioner, developed a friendship with Floyd. A conversation between the two about where the league could go eventually turned into much more.

“When things came to fruition, just looking for an Oklahoma City owner, Tina (Floyd) was right there and was ready to go,” Chamberlain said.

The two not only share a love of the game but a vision for its future. It’s a chance for those at the top of the game to continue their careers.

“There should be no endpoint,” Floyd said. “If you're still passionate and you want to play, let’s try to provide that for these women.”

Chamberlain and Floyd said it’s also an opportunity for young girls to dream big.

The Spark doesn’t have a place to call home yet, but Chamberlain and Floyd are both confident -- no matter where they play the inaugural season – it will be successful right off the bat.