The 2013 season was Western New York Flash's sixth season of existence, and the first in which they competed in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the new top division of women's soccer in the United States. The Flash began play in 2009 in the USL W-League and moved to the top-division league, Women's Professional Soccer (WPS), in 2011. After WPS folded in 2012, the team played for one season in Women's Premier Soccer League Elite before their acceptance into NWSL for the league's inaugural season.
The Flash played their home matches at Sahlen's Stadium in Rochester, New York. The team won the NWSL Shield with the best record in the league during the regular season. It was their fourth consecutive year with a league title, across four different leagues. The Flash advanced to the 2013 NWSL Championship, which they hosted against Portland Thorns FC; the Thorns won the inaugural championship in front of 9,129 spectators at Sahlen's Stadium.