Gotham FC NWSL Shield celebrations are underway after the club secured the regular-season title for the first time, capping a campaign in which they led the table for the final 12 weeks. A 2-0 home victory over Utah on Decision Day delivered the hardware, adding another trophy to a cabinet that already includes last season’s championship.
Midge Purce was central to the clinching performance, setting up both goals. One of those assists teed up Jaedyn Shaw for her club-leading 11th goal of the year, which came in her 100th NWSL appearance. Shaw and Rose Lavelle both returned from injury layoffs in the win, and Gotham recorded its league-best 14th clean sheet of the season.
The club’s path to the top has been unconventional. Gotham entered last year’s postseason by claiming the final playoff berth before going on to win the title. This season, they never relinquished the top spot once they claimed it, holding first place for 12 consecutive weeks.
Angel City Builds Momentum Entering Postseason
Angel City sits second in the power rankings after closing the regular season on a 10-match unbeaten run, becoming just the second team in NWSL history to enter the playoffs with such a streak. A 4-1 victory over Boston featured a second-half offensive surge and pulled Angel City level with Kansas City for the most goals in the league this season at 54. Rookie Taylor Suarez has now contributed six goals or assists across her last seven games.
Despite not securing a home playoff berth, Angel City may be comfortable on the road, where they have lost only twice since May.
San Diego Wave Fall Just Short of Shield
San Diego missed out on what would have been their second NWSL Shield despite a 1-0 win over Bay FC on Decision Day. Mimi Van Zanten’s ninth-minute strike proved decisive, and teenagers Kimmi Ascanio and Melanie Barcenas nearly combined for a second goal after halftime. The Wave carry a club-record seven-game unbeaten streak into the postseason.
Kansas City Locks Up Final Home Quarterfinal
Kansas City enters the playoffs having lost just one of its last 10 matches, a run that includes a 2-0 road win at Racing Louisville that secured the final home quarterfinal slot. The Current own a 32-match home regular-season unbeaten streak, though that mark does not include their surprise first-round home playoff loss as the top seed a year ago.
Washington Spirit Clinch Third Straight Home Quarterfinal
Washington secured a home quarterfinal for the third consecutive year with a 2-0 win over Chicago. Trinity Rodman provided the insurance goal and acknowledged afterward that the performance was far from the team’s best. The Spirit managed the result despite losing defensive midfielder Hal Hershfelt to a season-ending ACL injury earlier in the week.
Portland Thorns Ride Sophia Wilson’s Brace
Portland did not secure a home playoff berth but locked up the sixth seed. Sophia Wilson scored both goals in a 2-0 win at Houston, converting a re-taken penalty in the 70th minute. Wilson is now perfect on 10 career NWSL penalty attempts and finished the regular season third in the Golden Boot race with a single-season career-best 15 goals.
Seattle Reign Qualify for Ninth Postseason
Jordyn Bugg’s left-footed finish off a corner in the 68th minute gave Seattle a 1-0 win over Orlando and officially booked the Reign’s playoff place. The match drew 16,095 fans, the third-largest crowd in Reign history. Seattle’s ninth postseason appearance ranks second in NWSL history behind Portland.
Utah Royals Enter Playoffs in Scoring Drought
Utah had already clinched its first-ever playoff spot but fell 2-0 at Gotham and has now gone 305 minutes without a goal, failing to score in its last three matches. The continued absence of leading scorer Mina Tanaka due to a hamstring injury looms large. Miyabi Moriya came closest to ending the drought with a first-half effort.
North Carolina Misses Playoffs Despite Sanchez’s Golden Boot
North Carolina won 1-0 over Denver on an own goal from former Courage player Kaleigh Kurtz, but Seattle’s victory eliminated the Courage from postseason contention. Ashley Sanchez leads the Golden Boot race and has tied Temwa Chawinga’s single-season record of 20 goals. Sanchez nearly broke the record, but a goal was overturned for offside. It is only the second time the Golden Boot winner has missed the playoffs, the first being Sam Kerr with Sky Blue FC in 2017.
Denver’s Expansion Season Ends Just Short
Denver remained in playoff contention until the final day, but a 1-0 loss on an own goal combined with Seattle’s win ended the expansion side’s hopes. Nick Cushing’s team failed to score for the first time in nine matches. An inconsistent late stretch, alternating wins and losses over their final six games, arguably cost Denver a playoff spot, though the foundation appears solid.
Boston Closes Expansion Campaign
Boston finished its inaugural season with a 4-1 loss at Angel City, managing just two shots on target. Amanda Gutierres scored her team-leading 11th goal of the year. After opening the season with five straight losses, the Legacy earned 13 points from a possible 24 over their final eight matches.
Houston Finds Hope in Rookies, Campbell’s Saves
Houston’s playoff hopes ended two weeks ago, and the Dash closed the season with a 2-0 home loss to Portland. The rookie class of Kat Rader, Leah Klenke and Linda Ullmark delivered promising performances, and goalkeeper Jane Campbell led the league with 131 saves. Campbell initially stopped Wilson’s penalty before it was ordered re-taken for encroachment, and Wilson converted the second attempt.
Orlando’s Difficult Season Ends
Orlando fell 1-0 at Seattle in the match that clinched the Reign’s playoff berth. The Pride failed to record a shot on target and were already eliminated from contention. The September dismissal of
Bay FC’s Winless Streak When Conceding First Continues
Bay FC produced a more resilient performance at home against San Diego but could not find an equalizer. Keira Barry had one of Bay’s best chances with a strong effort from distance in the second half. Bay has now failed to win any of its last 38 matches when conceding the first goal, dating back to its expansion season. The club finished one position lower than last year at 14th.
Racing Louisville’s Season Ends Amid Uncertainty
Racing Louisville closed a difficult campaign with a 2-0 home loss to Kansas City and has not won since August 19. Star winger Emma Sears requested a trade last summer, coach Bev Yanez is in the final year of her contract, and relocation rumors persist around the club.
Chicago Sets Unwanted Records
Chicago made Washington work before falling 2-0 and finished the longest NWSL season with just 17 points, a new low for the club. The Stars scored the fewest goals in the league this year at 17 while conceding the most at 71. New chief soccer officer Vlatko Andonovski faces a significant rebuild.
