TAMPA — In Tampa Bay, a championship means one thing: time for a boat parade.
The Bucs and Lightning were the last professional teams to celebrate their championship runs along the Hillsborough River. And on Wednesday, a new team followed suit.
Welcome to the club, Tampa Bay Sun.
“I went to the Lightning parade in 2021 with my family and thought, ‘This is incredible.’ But there was no professional women’s team then,” said Sun captain Jordyn Listro, whose soccer team beat Fort Lauderdale United 1-0 on Saturday to claim the inaugural USL Super League title.
“Now, to be part of the first one to win it all? It’s still surreal. I’ve never been a part of a team that has such incredible women on and off the field.”
For midfielder Jade Moore, it felt like destiny.
“I knew the potential of the club and the league,” Moore said. “It almost feels like it was written in the stars. If we hadn’t been successful, it would’ve felt like a real waste — because this group was too special not to achieve something.”
Moore, who is now officially retired, said the championship felt like the perfect way to conclude her career.
“I’ve never won a league (title) and that was always the box I hadn’t ticked. If I hadn’t achieved that, would I have looked back in 10 years and thought, ‘Did I miss an opportunity?’ ” she said.
And now she doesn’t have to question it.
“You don’t realize when you’re in the game that you’re building a legacy,” Moore said. “But you come out the other side and see that you’ve impacted a city, a generation.”
The parade began on Harbour Island, before proceeding down the Hillsborough River to Armature Works, where Sun fans were waiting to see their champions lift the trophy.
Eric Turner and Chris Crumbley, both members of the Heatwave — the Sun’s boisterous fan group — said they have been waiting all season for this.
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“We are so excited to be here and just happy for the team,” Turner said. “We are season ticket holders and have been in the stands all year, playing the drums.”
The pair were even joined on those drums by league president Amanda Vandervort on multiple occasions.
“The environment this club has created is second to none. What a turnout,” said Vandervort, referencing the crowd that lined the pier at Armature Works. “This is awesome. I just want to say a big thank you. Thank you to all the supporters, all the fans here in Tampa Bay and the Heatwave. They’ve been there through thick and thin this whole season.”
The support of the city was felt by the team all year round and this parade felt like the best way to celebrate that to Sun head coach Denise Schilte-Brown.
“We are a championship city, so to be a part of that was absolutely surreal,” she said.
