The Shield will have to wait, after No. 3 Washington took down No. 1 Gotham 1-0 on Saturday behind defender Lucia Di Guglielmo’s first NWSL goal — derailing the Bats’ title-clinching hopes.
The win — the Spirit’s first over New York/New Jersey since 2024 — saw No. 2 San Diego pull within one point of Gotham in a tightly contested race.
“We didn't perform the way we wanted to, but we know the quality that we have on this team,” said Gotham midfielder Jaelin Howell. “The mentality, the experience, and the culture we’ve got to lean on going forward.”
The win secured Washington’s postseason berth, as the battle to finish above the cutoff line gained steam further down the NWSL standings.
No. 8 Seattle’s 3-1 victory over No. 16 Chicago ended No. 11 Orlando’s NWSL playoff hopes, while No. 5 Angel City’s 3-2 win over No. 10 Denver has the 2026 expansion side on the brink of elimination.
“We’re still at the table, fighting,” said Summit coach Nick Cushing. “But in the short term, I’m also impatient, and I also want to fix those things really quickly.”
