The Washington Spirit looks to get back in the win column, Angel City continues without Christen Press and more in a full slate of  NWSL weekend action.

Washington Spirit looks to snap winless streak

The Washington Spirit finally received some much-needed rest, with the club getting a week off between games after a jam-packed start to the season.

Between injuries and a heavy schedule, the Spirit have struggled this year, riding an eight-game winless streak as they head into Friday’s matchup against Racing Louisville.

Week 8, however, could be the Spirit’s chance to get back into the win column, with Washington hosting Racing Louisville at Segra Field with fresh legs.

Washington has a proven ability to finish, especially at home, with 1.41 expected goals on the season as the club’s attack continues to crystalize. If the hosts can shore up their defensive holes, which have allowed the fourth-most goals in the league with 10, the Spirit may just be able to blunt their regular-season slide against Louisville.

How will Angel City fare without Christen Press?

Angel City returns to the pitch Saturday for the first time without Christen Press after the star forward tore her ACL in the club’s game against Racing Louisville.

The team’s attack is built around Press as the club’s marquee player, forcing the squad to step up without the veteran up top. Simone Charley and Tyler Lussi have shown flashes of attacking brilliance but will need to find the back of the net with consistency to make up for the loss of the team’s leading goal scorer.

ACFC will take on OL Reign on Saturday at Lumen Field, with the Seattle-based team hoping to find offensive consistency. The squad have a slew of new names joining the team, including Tobin Heath and Kim Little, with OL Reign now boasting a stacked attack. Notching the second-least number of goals in the NWSL, OL Reign will look to finish in the final third ahead of the club’s new additions.

Gotham FC is out for redemption

Gotham FC will host the San Diego Wave at Red Bull Arena on Sunday, with the matchup airing on CBS.

The NJ/NY club enters the contest with a point to prove after San Diego thumped Gotham FC 4-0 during their May 7 game. Eager to erase the stunning shutout, Gotham FC will need to jumpstart their floundering attack. With five goals on the season, Gotham FC ranks last in the NWSL. In a promising sign, however, Gotham also has the least amount goals against at six, with four of those coming in the infamous San Diego game.

Gotham’s defensive-minded approach will once again be tested by San Diego. Alex Morgan is on a tear, tallying nine goals in nine matches played.

As hosts of the weekend’s marquee match on CBS, Gotham FC has an opportunity to turn the tides of their inconsistent season with a major win against the NWSL’s top team at Red Bull Arena.

Week 8 Schedule

• Washington Spirit vs. Racing Louisville FC, Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET on Paramount+
• Kansas City Current vs. Chicago Red Stars, Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET on Paramount+
• OL Reign vs. Angel City FC, Saturday at 10 p.m. ET on Twitch
• Portland Thorns FC vs. Orlando Pride, Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on Paramount+
• NJ/NY Gotham FC vs. San Diego Wave FC, Sunday at 4 p.m. ET on CBS
• North Carolina Courage vs. Houston Dash, Sunday at 5 p.m. ET on Paramount+

The first round of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs ends on Friday night, when the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury and No. 5 New York Liberty return to Arizona for a winner-take-all Game 3 — with a trip to the semifinals on the line.

"The message is, 'Everybody keep our heads up. This is a series, and Phoenix is a tough team,'" Liberty star Breanna Stewart said ahead of Friday's matchup.

Still battling an MCL sprain in her left knee, Stewart hopes for more quality time on the court to help New York bounce back from the Mercury's Game 2 blowout win.

While neither team has successfully defended at home so far, Phoenix will look for a boost from the Mercury fans as they try to oust the defending WNBA champs.

"It's just nice for everyone to get a home game," said Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas. "[But] in order to win a series, you got to win on the road."

"You see how competitive, how balanced this is," said Stewart, commenting on the league's new home-away-home first-round format. "How important it is for these kind of series to be going back and forth."

How to watch the New York Liberty vs. Phoenix Mercury in Game 3

It's win-or-go-home for both the No. 5 New York Liberty and No. 4 Phoenix Mercury in Game 3 of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs on Friday.

The high-stakes matchup will tip off at 9 PM ET, with live coverage on ESPN2.

The 2025 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year race ended in a tie on Thursday, as dominant seasons at both ends of the court saw Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson and Minnesota Lynx forward Alanna Smith each receive 29 of the media panel's 72 total votes.

After finishing first this season in blocks per game (2.3), total rebounds (407), defensive rebounds (316), and combined steals and blocks (156), Wilson became just the fourth player in WNBA history named Defensive Player of the Year at least three times — adding this year's title to her previous 2022 and 2023 honors.

As for Smith, who picked up the award for the first time this year, the Lynx star ranked second overall in combined steals and blocks (135), third in both blocks per game (1.9) and total blocks (80), and tied for 10th in total steals (55) on the season.

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Also snagging votes were Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams, who came in second with nine votes, as well as Phoenix Mercury triple-double phenom Alyssa Thomas and fellow Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier, who received three and two votes, respectively.

The win by both Wilson and Smith marks the first time in history that the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year honor has ended in a tie, reflecting both the top-notch level of talent on display across the league as well as the hyper-competitive nature of the 2025 end-of-year awards race on display across multiple categories.

Next up on the league's awards docket is Saturday's Sixth Player of the Year announcement, followed by the highly anticipated reveal of the 2025 WNBA MVP on Sunday.

The NWSL promises a tense mid-table battle this weekend, as the No. 4 Portland Thorns take on the No. 5 San Diego Wave with both teams looking to keep late-season lags at bay.

After strong starts, the Thorns and Wave each have just one win in their last five games, with San Diego aiming to snap a two-game losing streak after falling to Gotham last weekend.

Even more, both clubs currently sit in a four-way tie for points on the NWSL table, giving Saturday's match extra weight in potentially shifting the standings this weekend.

"It's a really important moment for us as a team," said San Diego head coach Jonas Eidevall. "Because adversity will happen to people or teams at various points, and everything about now is how we respond."

Portland will also look to regain ground, perhaps drawing inspiration from the past after announcing Wednesday that the club plans to retire legendary forward Christine Sinclair's jersey in an October 4th ceremony.

Sinclair established herself as the Portland Thorns' all-time leading scorer, retiring last year with 79 goals across all NWSL competitions — the second-most ever scored by an NWSL player.

How to watch the Portland Thorns vs. San Diego Wave

The No. 4 Portland Thorns will host the No. 5 San Diego Wave at 10 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage of the NWSL match airing on ION.

No. 2 Las Vegas narrowly avoided a 2025 first-round postseason series upset on Thursday night, defeating the No. 7 Seattle Storm 74-73 in a deciding Game 3 to advance to the Aces' seventh-straight WNBA semifinals.

Aces star A'ja Wilson put her team on her back with another dominant performance, posting 38 points — including 25 in the second half — to outscore the rest of the Las Vegas lineup entirely.

"I am so proud of my team, we were resilient, that's what we need to be in these playoffs and I love each and every last one of them," Wilson said postgame.

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Las Vegas got off to a slow start this year, but a late-season surge fueled by a renewed focus on depth saw the 2023 WNBA champs take the No. 2 playoff seed — and book yet another trip to the WNBA semifinals.

"I remember Chelsea [Gray] saying in a timeout, 'There's no time for my-bads anymore,'" said Wilson. "We have to play perfect basketball."

How to watch the Las Vegas Aces in the 2025 WNBA semifinals

Up next for No. 2 Las Vegas is a No. 6 Indiana side punching above their weight.

That said, the Fever did score a 2-1 record against the Aces in the 2025 regular season — and Las Vegas's lone win over Indiana came back in June.

"They haven't seen the real Aces yet," Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon said of the Fever. "They caught us when we were a bit in turmoil."

The Aces will take aim at Indiana in Sunday's 3 PM ET semifinals opener, airing live on ABC.