Nwsl Playoffs Power Rankings: It’s Kc Current Vs. The Rest Of The Field

The 2025 National Women’s Soccer League regular play is successful nan books. For 8 teams, now comes nan playoffs. The large dance. Crunch time.

In a single-elimination quarterfinals, semifinals and final, location is plentifulness of room for upsets on nan way. After all, only doubly successful nan past 5 years has a No. 1 seed lifted nan Shield trophy and past gone connected to triumph nan title trophy arsenic good (North Carolina Courage successful 2019 and Orlando Pride successful 2024).

When evaluating nan 8 teams, location is simply a clear favorite, a presumed No. 2 and past it really feels for illustration it is anyone’s conjecture really to rank those last six teams. While 19 points abstracted nan No. 1 seed from nan No. 2 seed, conscionable 4 points abstracted nan No. 3 seed from nan No. 8 seed. Outside of nan favorites, this is simply a very jumbled field.

Here are your NWSL power rankings up of nan 2025 playoffs.

This 1 is easy. No contest. The Kansas City Current person been acold and distant nan champion squad successful nan NWSL this season, boasting nan champion statistic for goals scored and goals conceded. They will beryllium primed to expanse nan playoffs, particularly pinch location advantage successful nan quarterfinals and nan semifinals (should they advance).

Of course, location is immoderate uncertainty surrounding this squad because of nan fittingness of Golden Boot victor Temwa Chawinga, who suffered a hep wounded against nan Houston Dash a small complete 2 weeks ago. If Chawinga isn't fresh for nan playoffs, past who will people nan goals and lead nan protect press?

Making matters worse is Bia Zaneratto limping retired of nan Current’s last regular play crippled of nan season, too. General head Caitlin Carducci has done an admirable occupation of assembling a heavy roster, but now Kansas City will beryllium tested pinch attacking starters missing.

It will surely please head Vlatko Andonovski to spot Nichelle Prince and Haley Hopkins travel disconnected nan chair and make an effect arsenic they did past weekend.

2. Washington Spirit (12-8-6, No. 2 Seed)

Despite clinching nan No. 2 seed pinch 2 weeks to spare, it hasn’t been nan astir straightforward play for nan Washington Spirit. A changeless watercourse of injuries, some large and small, to cardinal players has meant that head Adrian González has named an unchanged XI conscionable erstwhile this season. The only point changeless successful Washington has been rotation.

But again, for illustration nan Current, nan Spirit boast 1 of nan highest-quality rosters successful nan NWSL and has weathered nan large wind of absences passim 2025. A knee wounded will almost surely support Trinity Rodman retired of nan quarterfinals, but the emergence of Sofia Cantore arsenic an world star has helped to limit nan loss.

The Spirit will besides use greatly from playing astatine location astatine “Rowdy” Audi Field. This squad has plentifulness of information aft losing nan NWSL title last past year. And those fans will beryllium cardinal to igniting that other thrust to spell heavy into nan playoffs.

Another squad without its biggest prima heading into nan playoffs. Barbra Banda has been ruled retired of nan playoffs already, and nan Orlando Pride’s goals person declined from 1.4 per crippled pinch Banda to 1.1 without.

One solution was head Haley Carter acting swiftly to break nan transportation grounds and bring successful Lizbeth Jacqueline Ovalle from UANL Tigres for $1.5 million. Ovalle has adjusted somewhat good to nan NWSL and has notched 1 extremity and 2 assists successful her first 8 games.

Even pinch a regression from last year's record-breaking shield and championship-winning season, nan Pride stay 1 of nan astir organized and accordant off-ball teams successful nan NWSL. There whitethorn not beryllium rather arsenic overmuch flair, but nan acquisition successful this group is unmatched.

Orlando made Lizbeth Jacqueline Ovalle nan astir costly transportation successful women’s shot history this year. / Mike Watters-Imagn Images

4. Portland Thorns (11-8-7, No. 3 Seed)

Probably 1 of nan hardest teams successful nan NWSL to fig out. In 2025, nan Portland Thorns had awesome readiness issues and leaned connected a young halfway of players to make a astonishing climb up nan standings to 3rd place.

In 20-year-old Olivia Moultrie’s profession season, pinch 8 goals and nan astir cardinal passes successful nan NWSL (55), she has exploded backmost into nan U.S. women’s nationalist team. Meanwhile, 24-year-old Reyna Reyes has softly go a unit successful nan aerial astatine some ends of nan transportation and successful one-on-one protect situations.

Earlier this season, nan Thorns went 10 matches undefeated astatine home, and location advantage will beryllium a large prize successful nan quarterfinals. However, nan deficiency of objective finishing could clasp nan Thorns backmost from taking retired elite teams successful high-pressure knockout games.

It's each astir momentum for Racing Louisville. The Kentucky nine is tied for nan longest progressive undefeated streak successful nan NWSL (five games, tied pinch nan Orlando Pride) and will caput into nan postseason pinch morale astatine an all-time high. Especially arsenic this is nan first playoff tally successful squad history.

By nary intends nan astir talented roster successful nan NWSL, Racing precocious to nan playoffs done grit, difficult activity and a very clear personality created by head Bev Yanez. Louisville will hustle and grind nan guidance down, pressing precocious and looking to capitalize connected group pieces.

6. Gotham FC (9-8-9, No. 8 Seed)

A period aliases truthful ago, Gotham were 1 of nan astir breathtaking teams successful nan NWSL. After 4 wins successful 5 matches, the blockbuster presence of Jaedyn Shaw was mixed pinch nan return of Rose Lavelle. The midfield was singing. Finally, Gotham looked for illustration nan squad they were meant to be.

But now, Gotham person closed retired nan regular play pinch 4 winless games and are struggling pinch nan nonaccomplishment of top scorer Esther González to injury. One of nan astir inconsistent teams successful nan league, Gotham person a precocious ceiling but a debased floor. Fans will beryllium hoping that nan errors that led to 7 goals being conceded successful nan past 3 games person been cleaned up travel nan quarterfinals.

Gotham will beryllium their accustomed unpredictable selves and look to origin an upset connected nan road. Just nan measurement they for illustration it.

It feels for illustration a agelong clip agone that nan San Diego Wave were riding precocious arsenic 1 of nan champion teams successful nan NWSL. Since nan summertime break, nan Wave has won conscionable 3 of 13 matches, having won 7 of 13 successful nan first half of nan year.

The Wave had nan highest expected goals (xG) minus goals scored (+6.2) of immoderate squad successful nan NWSL, which either shows their shooting has been incredibly bully aliases they person been alternatively lucky. As nan luck has tally out, nan mirage of conscionable really bully nan Wave are has dissolved.

San Diego snuck into nan playoffs arsenic nan No. 6 seed. / Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

It will beryllium absorbing to spot really teams group up against Wave and their possession-heavy style. No squad averaged much possession successful 2025 than nan Wave (59.5%). But, successful nan NWSL, counter-attacking and thriving successful modulation is often what rules nan day.

8. Seattle Reign (10-7-9, No. 5 Seed)

The Seattle Reign participate nan playoffs arsenic nan weakest attacking squad connected paper. The Reign rank past of nan 8 playoff teams for goals (32), xG (24.3), progressive passes (762), shots (222) aliases xG against (39.3).

Laura Harvey has group her squad up to sorb unit and return distant nan champion components of nan force without nan volition of creating large chances of their own. Can this maneuver beryllium successful successful nan playoffs? Well, it's worked before, pinch Harvey having astir precocious gone to nan NWSL title last successful 2023, wherever nan Reign narrowly mislaid to Gotham.

This playoff tally feels premature for a squad successful flux. A group that is bedding successful a slew of agleam young players, while besides having 1 past serenade for a halfway of legends that are astatine nan extremity of their careers.

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