With just one month remaining until the National Women’s Soccer League postseason kicks off, the dividing line between the league’s true championship contenders and the rest of the field has rapidly crystallized. Matchweek 24 offered high drama, historical milestones, and crucial shift points in the table as seven of the top eight teams managed to pick up valuable results. Every club in the upper echelon is now fighting tooth and nail for a top-four seed and the coveted luxury of a home playoff match. As the regular season enters its final stretch, the hierarchy of the league continues to shift under the weight of injuries, tactical adjustments, and soaring individual performances.
NWSL Power Rankings Matchweek 24
1. Gotham FC
Recent Result: 1-1 draw vs. Angel City FC
Gotham FC star Jaedyn Shaw continues to author a career-defining season, having officially reached double-digit goals for the first time in her professional career. Yet, despite Shaw’s brilliance, the reigning champions were left frustrated after failing to protect a lead against Angel City FC in what served as a likely playoff preview. A victory would have all but slammed the door shut on the NWSL Shield race, but Gotham instead conceded a late equalizer during second-half stoppage time. Beyond dropped points, a growing defensive vulnerability is beginning to trouble the coaching staff. Gotham FC has now allowed at least one goal in six consecutive matches, failing to record a single clean sheet since August 23.
2. San Diego Wave
Recent Result: 2-1 win at Orlando Pride
The San Diego Wave are officially red-hot, peaking at precisely the right moment as they extend their winning streak to four matches. During their hard-fought 2-1 road victory over the Orlando Pride, the visitors saw stellar performances from Lia Godfrey and Gia Corley, both of whom found the back of the net in the first half. Armed with the league’s second-ranked attack and stingiest defense, San Diego has established itself as arguably the most dangerous side in the competition. The truly frightening aspect for the rest of the league is that the Wave still leave goals on the table. They currently lead the NWSL in big chances missed with 50 and boast the lowest expected goals against, outperforming the nearest competitor by an astonishing 5.8. If San Diego sharpens its finishing ahead of the postseason, they will undoubtedly be the team to beat.
3. Washington Spirit
Recent Result: 3-2 win at Houston Dash
Clara Luvanga etched her name into the history books by scoring her first NWSL goal, and the timing could not have been more dramatic for the Washington Spirit. Locked in a tense 2-2 deadlock in the 84th minute against the Houston Dash, Luvanga provided a clinical finish to secure the game-winner and three vital points. In doing so, the dynamic forward also made history as the first Tanzanian player to score a goal in the league. The visitors thoroughly deserved their victory, dominating the metrics with superior expected goals, a 25-13 advantage in total shots, and 43 touches inside the opponent’s box compared to just 20 for Houston. The only remaining question mark for Washington is consistency; the team has strangely alternated wins and losses over their last five outings.
4. Angel City FC
Recent Result: 1-1 draw at Gotham FC
Angel City FC has extended its impressive unbeaten run to seven matches, proving difficult to beat under any circumstances. Taylor Suarez emerged as the hero of the week, netting the crucial equalizer against Gotham FC deep into second-half stoppage time. During this remarkable stretch of form, Angel City has outscored opponents 20-7 while locking down defensively, surrendering just two goals over their last four fixtures. Boasting the league’s third-ranked defense and fourth-ranked attack, interim head coach Leif Smerud has transformed the squad into a team that every opponent will dread facing in the postseason. With momentum firmly on their side, ACFC is positioning itself for only the second playoff appearance in club history.
5. Kansas City Current
Recent Result: 5-1 win vs. Bay FC
Brazilian legend Debinha turned back the clock with a masterclass performance, netting a second-half hat trick to lead the Kansas City Current to a resounding 5-1 victory over Bay FC on home turf. With this dominant display, the Current have now outscored their opponents 9-2 over their last two matches, confirming that they are hitting peak form just as the postseason approaches. Statistically, Kansas City remains an offensive juggernaut, leading the NWSL in generated expected goals at 58.7, expected goals differential at 21.8, and big chances created with 85. The lingering query for the squad involves their away form; the Current will look to prove they can replicate this dominance on the road when they travel to face the Utah Royals following the international break.
6. Utah Royals
Recent Result: 1-1 draw at Racing Louisville
It required a remarkable 97 minutes of play for the Utah Royals to salvage a point away against Racing Louisville, courtesy of a spectacular long-range blast from Brecken Mozingo. Although the club is on the verge of booking its first-ever trip to the postseason, URFC has struggled to establish steady momentum down the stretch. The team has bizarrely alternated wins and losses across its past 11 fixtures, making this draw their first tied result since May 30.
7. North Carolina Courage
Recent Result: 1-0 win at Seattle Reign
In a fixture carrying the heaviest playoff implications of Matchweek 24, newly acquired Gianna Paul delivered the decisive game-winner for the North Carolina Courage. Having previously suffered three consecutive 1-2 defeats, North Carolina bounced back in a major way by securing a gritty 1-0 road win over the Seattle Reign, effectively leapfrogging them in the NWSL table. The path forward remains challenging, however, as the Courage close out their regular-season campaign against San Diego, Portland, and Denver. While they boast the most prolific attack in the league, questions linger over whether a defense that has conceded the sixth-most goals in the competition can hold firm through the final three matches.
8. Portland Thorns
Recent Result: 2-4 loss vs. Boston Legacy
Questions loom in Rose City after a turbulent week that saw the Portland Thorns fall 4-2 at home to the Boston Legacy. Compounding the defeat, USWNT forward Sophia Wilson is set to face a suspension of at least one game—and likely two—following an early red card. The team’s struggles at Providence Park have become a glaring issue, with PTFC picking up a paltry two points from recent matchups against the Washington Spirit, Chicago Stars, Houston Dash, and Boston. Head coach Robert Vilahamn and his squad possessed one of the league’s most favorable schedules following the international break but ultimately failed to capitalize. The Thorns must quickly right the ship to secure their playoff status as the pressure mounts.
9. Seattle Reign
Recent Result: 0-1 loss to NC Courage
Playing in arguably their most critical match of the year, the Seattle Reign saw their attack fall flat once again in a disappointing loss to the North Carolina Courage. The defeat highlights an alarming offensive trend for Seattle, which has generated less than 1.0 expected goals in four consecutive matches. To compound their worries, the team ranks 12th in total expected goals generated and boasts the third-fewest goals scored in the entire league. The Reign must urgently find a spark in the final weeks of the season, or risk being shut out of the postseason entirely.
10. Denver Summit
Recent Result: 3-0 win at Chicago Stars
Expansion side Denver Summit has looked entirely transformed with the return of Lindsey Heaps to the lineup. Heaps delivered her finest performance for her hometown club, scoring a brace to lead a dominant 3-0 road victory over the Chicago Stars. The Summit boast an impressive 5-2-3 record when she is on the pitch. While a late-season playoff push will require maximum points from their remaining fixtures alongside some favorable results from teams higher in the standings, the future for the expansion franchise is exceptionally bright, positioning them as early favorites looking ahead to 2027.
11. Boston Legacy
Recent Result: 4-2 win at Portland Thorns
The Boston Legacy capitalized on an early red card issued to Portland, punishing the Thorns en route to a comprehensive 4-2 victory on the road. Head coach Filipa Patão has successfully engineered a specialized role for forward Amanda Gutierres, who notched another milestone by scoring six of her nine total goals this season after coming off the bench. As the club builds for the future, observers are already speculating on how the former Ballon d’Or Féminin nominee can effectively be integrated alongside Aïssata Traoré in the coming seasons.
12. Orlando Pride
Recent Result: 1-2 loss vs. San Diego Wave
The Orlando Pride’s difficult campaign has confirmed their status as the next team mathematically eliminated from the postseason picture, placing them far off the pace set by the league’s elite. With star forward Barbra Banda secured on a lucrative contract extension, Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Caitlin Carducci faces a busy offseason centered on retooling the roster and constructing a competitive squad around their marquee player. The magical aura that defined the Pride’s historic 2024 season has officially faded, leaving the club to look toward a rebuilding phase.
13. Houston Dash
Recent Result: 2-3 loss vs. Washington Spirit
Forward Miljana Ivanović celebrated her first two career NWSL goals, yet her individual milestone proved insufficient to help the Houston Dash secure a result against a resilient Washington Spirit side. Despite possessing one of the youngest and most promising core groups of talent in the NWSL, persistent structural questions remain for General Manager Angela Hucles Mangano and the Dash front office. As the season winds down, the organization faces critical decisions regarding the direction of the club.
14. Bay FC
Recent Result: 1-5 loss at KC Current
Bay FC experienced a nightmare afternoon in Kansas City, collapsing after forward Karlie Lema opened the scoring with the match’s first goal. The visitors surrendered five unanswered goals, marking their third consecutive multi-goal defeat. With a young roster currently ranking in the bottom four for both offensive and defensive metrics, Chief Football Officer Paul Green is expected to aggressively pursue reinforcements during the upcoming offseason.
15. Racing Louisville
Recent Result: 1-1 draw vs. Utah Royals
Matchweek 24 brought a deeply emotional moment off the pitch for Racing Louisville as Savannah DeMelo made her long-awaited return to NWSL action, appearing as a substitute during stoppage time. It marked her first appearance since suffering a medical emergency on September 14, 2025, which she later revealed was caused by an undiagnosed cardiac arrhythmia. "It’s probably the greatest accomplishment I’ll ever have in my soccer career," DeMelo shared following the match. On the field, Racing Louisville delivered one of their most cohesive and energetic performances of the season, though they ultimately could not preserve their lead against the visiting Utah Royals.
16. Chicago Stars
Recent Result: 0-3 loss vs. Denver Summit
The Vlatko Andonovski era has officially begun in Chicago, and sweeping changes are already underway. Following the team’s comprehensive 3-0 defeat against the Denver Summit, defender Leila Ouahabi departed the club for Gotham FC after spending four seasons with Manchester City. This high-profile transfer is widely expected to be merely the opening salvo in a flurry of roster moves orchestrated by the club’s new Chief Soccer Officer, as the organization attempts to overhaul a squad that currently ranks 16th across both offensive and defensive metrics.