Crystal Palace Women achieve the unexpected as WSL set for closest season yet thanks to Premier League symmetry
Crystal Palace have been confirmed as the WSL's newest additions ahead of the 2024/25 season.
The Eagles secured promotion to the WSL after a 0-0 draw on the final day of the Women's Championship season.
It is a remarkable achievement considering that, at the beginning of the season, no one expected Palace to even be in contention for promotion.
They had finished a respectable, but not overwhelming, fifth in the table the season before.
Manager Laura Kaminski told talkSPORT's Women's Football Show it had been something of a blessing in disguise.
She said: "I think that's helped us because there's clubs that are coming to the end of three or two year projects where their ambitions are now set, and everyone's eyes are on there in terms of going up to the WSL."
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She added: "When I first came in the door, for me, it was all about just getting good people in - staff and players. So that really was the foundation of my work. And that's how it started. And I knew I had to move quickly. But there was no pressure to do what we've done. But it's just happened. It's amazing."
Palace have been involved in an extremely close race for promotion in the Women's Championship which at one point saw Sunderland, Charlton and Southampton all in with a chance of reaching the WSL.
But with all four of the competing sides having slipped up at various points in the season, the final few games became more crucial than ever and it is Palace who have best been able to hold their nerve.
When asked when she started to believe that promotion to the WSL might be a realistic possibility for Palace, Kaminski replied: "I'm gonna be honest and say never.
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"I think everyone was was saying it more than I was. I'll tell you one thing: I've not once looked at the table all year. Because the tables are irrelevant, until you get to the sharp end of things. So there was no point in me looking at the table, it would just get me into a twist."
She added: "I've focused on us all year, on our camp, our players rather than opposition, which I think has taken a lot of pressure off the group. And I've said to the group over and over again, the only pressure week after week is to perform - not points. There's a difference."
Her approach has undoubtedly paid off with Palace taking their place in the WSL next season.
Their promotion means that - providing Everton avoid relegation this season and Leicester secure promotion back to the Premier League - every time in the WSL next season will have a counterpart team in the Premier League.
It is likely to make the relegation battle in the WSL more competitive than ever given that for the last four seasons, the team that has been relegated has not had an equivalent men's team in the Premier League.
It is a factor that has often been a heavy contributor in their eventual WSL demotion.
Last season, former Reading manager Kelly Chambers explained that the consequent lack of spending power it gave sides meant they were often unable to put up any kind of fight against teams who could fall back on financial resources.
Chambers spoke about how other clubs that struggled, such as Tottenham and Leicester, were able to buy players such as Bethany England and Janina Leitzig to rescue themselves in a way that Reading’s budget simply did not allow.
But Palace Women will have the support of their Premier League side - something which Kaminski said was of huge benefit to the women's side.
She said: "I think ours looks a little bit different to other clubs, because some Premier League clubs are in a great place and they build facilities specifically for women. Great, you know, that's the direction of travel, that the game is destined to be.
"But at Palace, we're all integrated. And actually, that's been great this year, because there's a real sort of buzz around a hive of workplace for the Under-8s, for the Under-14s, you know, boys into the women's first team. It's all collectively together and I think that's created a great sort of balance and work ethos around the building.
"It's all very integrated. - I watch the boys train, we're all in the office together with the under-21 staff, with the Academy, the Boys Academy. And now the Girls Academy has been developed."
It bodes well for Palace - particularly after Bristol City Women were relegated from the WSL after just one season, failing to pick up any kind of momentum.
Kaminski added: "I just think that integration has actually really helped with the club culture and environment because it's helped me absorb the club, whereas if I'd been segregated, it might not have worked so well. So maybe I've capitalized off of that, and being sort of chucked in all in amongst each other.
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"It's actually a great working environment. And it helps me share learning and share thoughts. We're all invested in each other's performances and results. I think it helps like broaden the club philosophy and bleed it down across departments."
You can tune into talkSPORT's Women's Football Show on Mondays from 7pm on talkSPORT 2.