NWSL teams are closing in on one month left to solidify a playoff spot. The fight to the finish has already intensified the level of competition, with last-minute goals, snapped unbeaten streaks and unexpected results playing out over the last two weeks.

In the third and final power rankings of August, the top six teams haven’t changed since the beginning of the month. But they’ve shuffled, a lot. Kansas City is making the biggest jump, rising from sixth to second over the course of the month. Meanwhile, the Portland Thorns fall to their lowest ranking of the year.

For the previous installment of JWS’ NWSL power rankings, click here.

12. NJ/NY Gotham FC (4-12-0) –

Five straight losses in August didn’t do Gotham any favors. Neither did the officials in their most recent game, as they failed to award Gotham a clear goal in the 12th minute and were later penalized for it by the Professional Referee Organization. Gotham would have taken a 1-0 early lead over Angel City FC if the goal had counted. Instead, they lost momentum and lost 3-1 on Sunday, a week after falling 2-1 to the Orlando Pride.

Ifeoma Onumonu sends a ball over the line for a Gotham goal BUT the referee calls a corner instead. 😱🤔 pic.twitter.com/U2i0CWaC5B

— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) August 28, 2022

11. Racing Louisville FC (2-7-8) -2

Racing Louisville played just one game since our last power rankings, a 4-0 loss to the Chicago Red Stars on Saturday. Giving up three scores in the first 23 minutes, Louisville conceded the most goals they have all season in their worst loss of the year. They haven’t won a game in three months.

10. Washington Spirit (1-6-10) –

In the last two weeks, the Washington Spirit played just one game, a 2-2 draw with the Houston Dash that brought their number of ties this season to 10. The Spirit didn’t dominate possession or shots on goal like they have in other draws, playing for the first time after the firing of head coach Kris Ward, whose relationships with players had reportedly been deteriorating. Washington capitalized on its strengths for a short, two-minute burst in the second half, when the attacking trio took charge. Ashley Hatch scored first off a Trinity Rodman cross, and again after a free kick from Ashley Sanchez.

9. North Carolina Courage (4-7-4) +2

The Courage were busy but productive in the last two weeks, earning six points across three games to jump from last to ninth place in the NWSL standings. On Aug. 24, they shattered the Thorns’ 11-game unbeaten streak in a 3-1 win. Four days earlier, they shut out the Chicago Red Stars 4-0. In their most recent match, the Kansas City Current took the 3-2 win, but the Courage controlled 51 percent of the possession and delivered 24 crosses.

Kero on a roll 😤@kerolinnicolii | #CourageUnitesUs pic.twitter.com/FlkAAJFjmV

— NC Courage (@TheNCCourage) August 29, 2022

8. Orlando Pride (5-6-6) –

Before a 2-1 loss to OL Reign on Friday, the Pride hadn’t lost since the beginning of July. The week prior, they recorded an 84.7 percent passing accuracy and had eight shots on goal in a 2-1 win over Gotham FC. Neither performance was particularly strong, but based on their recent consistency, the playoffs aren’t out of the question for Orlando.

7. Angel City FC (7-5-4) –

Sitting in seventh place in the NWSL standings, Angel City remains in the running for the playoffs. A draw and a win in the last two weeks definitely helped their case. Beyond the results, Angel City would benefit from better passing — their accuracy was below 70 percent in both of those games — and more possession. Against Gotham, they had the ball just 38 percent of the time.

6. Chicago Red Stars (7-5-5) -1

The Red Stars have been a little all over the place lately. A week after losing to the Courage 4-0, they defeated Racing Louisville by the same scoreline on Saturday. The Red Stars had a hard time finding the net against the Courage, with only three of their 19 shots coming on goal. Against Louisville, they improved their possession to 54 percent with an 82 percent passing accuracy.

5. OL Reign (7-4-6) +1

In their only match since our last power rankings, OL Reign gained three points with a 2-1 win that snapped the Pride’s seven-game unbeaten streak. The Reign recorded a passing accuracy of 82 percent and outshot their opponents 15-8.

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT??? 😱@mPinoe with a stoppage time stunner for @OLReign!#ORLvRGN | #BoldTogether pic.twitter.com/cVp1s0CJnd

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 27, 2022

4. Portland Thorns FC (7-3-7) -3

The Thorns failed to keep their 11-game unbeaten streak alive as they fell 3-1 to the Courage last Wednesday and were outperformed in almost every area, including passing accuracy, shots, crosses, blocks and tackles. Against San Diego on Saturday, the Thorns pressed in the second half and forced the Wave to defend, but it wasn’t enough in the 2-0 loss. As a result, Portland came out of the last two weeks with zero points.

3. Houston Dash (8-5-5) -1

A loss and a draw have Houston moving down a spot in this week’s power rankings. Despite scoring just seven minutes into their match against San Diego last week and creating chances in a scrappy performance, the Dash couldn’t hold onto their lead in the 3-1 loss. A week later against the Washington Spirit, the Dash narrowly managed a 2-2 draw, scoring their second goal in stoppage time.

2. Kansas City Current (8-4-5) +1

The Current refused to let the Courage snap their 12-game unbeaten streak, now tied for the second-longest in the league. They outshot North Carolina 12-8 with nine shots on goal in the 3-2 win. In their game before that, Kansas City took control, managing 53 percent of the possession and doubling up Angel City with 16 total shots in a 1-1 draw.

1. San Diego Wave FC (9-5-4) +3

The Wave closed out their last game at Torero Stadium on Aug. 20 in front of a sold-out crowd with a 3-1 over the Dash. They proceeded to defeat the Thorns 2-0 and showcase their improved possession and defending. The two victories served as redemption from two losses at the beginning of the month and launched the team back into first place, where they’ve been for most of the season.

Jessa Braun is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering the NWSL and USWNT. Follow her on Twitter @jessabraun.

The WNBA is taking a weekend road trip, as the No. 2 Atlanta Dream and No. 8 Seattle Storm head across the border to Vancouver, British Columbia, for the league's first-ever in-season Canada Game on Friday night.

The game features a rematch of Atlanta's 85-75 win over the Storm on Wednesday, with the win propelling the Dream up the WNBA standings — and threatening to drop Seattle out of postseason contention entirely.

"Time is running out, and the team knows it," Seattle head coach Noelle Quinn said earlier this week. "I didn't want to put so much pressure on them, but they know the situation, and they understand the urgency."

While Friday marks the first regular-season WNBA matchup played outside the US, the league has previously staged two preseason games in Canada, tipping off in Toronto in 2023 and Edmonton in 2024 — both in front of sold-out crowds.

Toronto's 2023 exhibition appeared to serve as a trial run for expansion, with the league awarding the Canadian city its first franchise — the 2026-incoming Toronto Tempo — earlier this year.

While plans for a formal move to Vancouver hasn't yet surfaced, the WNBA's explosive popularity and rapid growth outlook provide plenty of room for new markets to enter the conversation.

How to watch the 2025 WNBA Canada Game

The No. 8 Seattle Storm and No. 2 Atlanta Dream will square off inside Vancouver's Rogers Arena at 10 PM ET on Friday night.

Live coverage of the WNBA Canada Game clash will air on ION.

Coming off a series of strategic transactions, the No. 10 Washington Mystics will forge ahead on Friday night, taking on the short-staffed No. 6 Indiana Fever with a chance to play spoiler as they reshape their 2025 expectations from below the postseason cutoff line.

"There's just so many different success stories with this group," Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson said following Washington's 88-83 loss to the No. 7 Golden State Valkyries on Wednesday.

The Mystics have lost five of their last six games, and will take the court on Friday without injured new addition Jacy Sheldon and starting center Shakira Austin.

While Washington exceeded this year's early-season projections — skyrocketing above the playoff line behind leading scorer Brittney Sykes and the dynamic rookie duo of Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron — the now-fading Mystics chose to shift gears at the trade deadline, sending Sykes to the No. 8 Seattle Storm and shipping second-year forward Aaliyah Edwards off to the No. 13 Connecticut Sun.

With their natural 2026 draft pick secured, Washington has a shot at adding a top first-round prospect should they play out the rest of the regular season at the bottom of the WNBA standings — in other words, by strategically tanking the final weeks of 2025 play.

On the other hand, the injury-laden Indiana enters Friday's action eyeing a win after falling to the No. 11 Dallas Wings by just one point on Tuesday.

How to watch the Washington Mystics vs. Indiana Fever on Friday

The No. 10 Mystics will take on the No. 6 Fever in Indianapolis at 7:30 PM ET on Friday, with live coverage airing on ION.

A top-table battle headlines the NWSL this weekend, as the No. 1 Kansas City Current hosts the No. 2 Orlando Pride for a possible postseason rehearsal on Saturday.

Led by Golden Boot frontrunner Temwa Chawinga, the Current enter the weekend with a full 12-point lead over the rest of the league, as reigning NWSL Shield and Championship winners Orlando push to make a statement.

"We are resilient. That is part of our identity. We never give up and we are always playing to win, and we always believe in ourselves," Pride defender Kylie Nadaner said following last Saturday's 1-1 draw with Racing Louisville.

More than just a clash between the top two teams in the NWSL standings, history shows very little love lost between these perennial heavy-hitters.

Last season, Orlando snapped KC's NWSL-record 17-game unbeaten streak on the Current's home turf, then took Kansas City down again in the pair's 2024 semifinal playoff match.

"We will remember the way they acted after the cameras were off," Current forward Michelle Cooper posted to social media after their July 2024 loss.

Kansas City has already issued some regular-season revenge on their way up the table this year, defeating the Pride 1-0 back in May.

How to watch Kansas City vs. Orlando this NWSL weekend

The No. 1 Current will kick off against the No. 2 Pride at 4 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage airing on CBS.

NBA 2K is going all in on the WNBA, with the popular video game expanding its MyTEAM mode this week to allow athletes from both leagues to star on the same team when the 2K26 edition drops next month.

"MyTEAM is where competition meets a basketball fan's wildest imagination," explained Visual Concepts VP of NBA development Erick Boenisch. "By integrating the WNBA into one of our most popular modes, we're not only giving players the opportunity to customize their all-time dream rosters but shining a spotlight on some of the game's most iconic hoopers. We're looking forward to giving our players a new and deeper way to engage with the WNBA."

"Players can now mix and match current superstars and legends from both leagues, and compete with more dream lineup combinations than ever before," NBA 2K said in Thursday's release.

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"Pair Paige Bueckers with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, throw a lob from Sheryl Swoopes to Shaquille O'Neal, or run a pick-and-roll with Angel Reese and Carmelo Anthony," the franchise continued.

NBA 2K has ramped up its WNBA integration significantly since the league's debut in the 2K20 edition, expanding from Play Now and Season modes to the upcoming 2K26 version's virtual press conferences, pre-draft interviews, social media refreshes, and Top-10 player ratings.

How to buy the WNBA Edition of NBA 2K26

With Chicago Sky sophomore Angel Reese playing cover star, the WNBA Edition of NBA 2K26 will be sold exclusively in physical form at GameStop, dropping along with the other versions of the popular video game on September 5th.

Fans can purchase the WNBA version through the gaming retailer's presale now.