The 2021 NWSL season, which begins this weekend, already looks a lot different than in years past — and it’s not just fresh kits that are giving the league a new look.

As the season gets underway, NWSL teams have begun to harness the power of social media to change the face of the game. Social has provided clubs with a unique opportunity to grow their brands and engage their communities on their own terms.

NJ/NY Gotham FC, the club formally known as Sky Blue, started 2021 off with a social media campaign to announce its rebrand.

📍HOME. pic.twitter.com/pHq4MDn5mY

— NJ/NY Gotham FC (@GothamFC) April 6, 2021

After the initial unveiling, social drove much of the team’s continued rebranding efforts, helping the club introduce itself to its expanded market. Gotham needed to find a way to appeal to both New Jersey and New York fans ahead of the 2021 Challenge Cup. This is where social media really came in handy.

Posting a photo of Jon Bon Jovi in Gotham FC gear to Twitter proved to be New Jersey content gold.

Some teams send their merch to space, we send ours to New Jersey legend @jonbonjovi 👍 pic.twitter.com/cVFqpM2D57

— NJ/NY Gotham FC (@GothamFC) April 30, 2021

On the New York side of the social media campaign, Gotham engaged with Bronx legend, The Kid Mero, one half of Showtime’s comedy duo Desus & Mero. (Having Midge Purce be the face of their squad doesn’t hurt, either.)

@NWSL CHAMPS BOOK IT JUHUURDDDD https://t.co/eAAODtdDgN

— THE KID MERO 🇩🇴 (@THEKIDMERO) May 3, 2021

It’s not just anecdotal evidence that underscores Gotham’s success. There are numbers to back up the team’s online strategy, as well.

Data gathered by Zoomph shows that Gotham FC had 12 million Twitter impressions during the 2021 Challenge Cup, the most of any team in the league. This type of engagement underscores an eager fan base and potential for growth, bolstering current sponsorships and attracting future partnerships.

The team’s online victory also transferred to the field, with Gotham narrowly losing to Portland in the Challenge Cup final.

"I'm really trying to buy into this whole good girl gone bad theme that I did, is like the Sky Blue to Gotham thing... We are not the same team that we used to be." - Midge Purce postgame tonight#NWSL

— Steph Yang | Horrible Soccer Goose (@thrace) April 21, 2021

The Orlando Pride are another NWSL squad operating at the forefront of social media. The team currently has the most Twitter followers of any club in the league at 125,000 and counting.

The 2020 Challenge Cup was a turning point for the team both on and off the field. When the Pride were ruled out of the tournament due to COVID-19 protocols, the social team decided it was an opportunity for them to try something new.

Even though they weren’t physically in the bubble, they made their presence known online. The team continued to put out creative content that struck a conversational tone and resonated with fans. As a result, Orlando led the league in Twitter engagements during a tournament it didn’t even attend.

The Pride’s social strategy has lived on since their time as Challenge Cup outsiders, evolving into one of the most successful campaigns in the NWSL. Zoomph estimates that Orlando’s Twitter impressions during the 2021 Challenge Cup alone were worth a quarter-million dollars.

Our @NWSL Challenge Cup #PrideStan has been nominated for the Best in Sports Social Media Award by the @sbjsbd: https://t.co/xkAdocX34e

We're honored by the nomination and big thanks to everybody that joined the stan! pic.twitter.com/ZJilDqSUKn

— Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) May 3, 2021

New clubs are getting in on the online action, too. In their debut season, Racing Louisville ranks third on Twitter and Facebook for social value, according to Zoomph. Angel City has yet to field a team and already boasts 82,000 Twitter followers.

All of this creative energy going into social campaigns is translating to dollars, which ultimately benefits league sponsors.

Data shows that Budweiser’s NWSL sponsorship has affected consumer behavior. According to a Zoomph report in September, NWSL fans, when compared to the average sports fan in the United States, are 1.7 times more likely to have an affinity for beer, and especially for Budweiser.

NEWS: @budweiser becomes the first official beer sponsor of the #NWSL.

Details ➡️ https://t.co/jzYdmdUVvY pic.twitter.com/oIlkvoDLsW

— National Women's Soccer League (@NWSL) July 7, 2019

To Just Women’s Sports CEO & Founder Haley Rosen, social media numbers show just how undeniable women’s sports are. When players like Alex Morgan have 9.2 million followers on Instagram, the conversation advances beyond interest toward investment.

Shout it from the rooftops. 👏 https://t.co/wf6qrKzCgp

— AlexisOhanian.eth 7️⃣7️⃣6️⃣ (@alexisohanian) May 6, 2021

Players and teams are becoming increasingly savvy in the ways they engage with fans and communities directly through social media, cultivating trusted relationships and distinct brands.

As the NWSL moves into the regular season, the teams’ growing online platforms provide a new lane for audience growth, engagement, entertainment and investment.

In this week's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins breaks down the newly reported indefinite absence of NWSL star Trinity Rodman from the Washington Spirit, with the 22-year-old attacker rehabbing an ongoing back injury that could reshape the prospects of both the Spirit and the USWNT.

Calling her "the face of the NWSL," Watkins details the Spirit star's long-term back injury, which has led Rodman to seek treatment with a team doctor in London — all while acknowledging that she doesn't think her "back will ever be 100%."

Watkins digs into the potential contributing factors to Rodman's current injury status, including the USWNT's heavy use of the forward during the 2024 Olympic gold medal-winning run in Paris — and whether the team will make different decisions going forward due to the fallout on players like Rodman.

"I'm really curious if [USWNT manager Emma] Hayes and her coaching staff will adjust the way they approach strikers in the future, or forwards in the future, or rotation — or if this is just one of those many stories of a player giving it all for the United States and living with the consequences," says Watkins.

As for Washington, Watkins note that — in the wake of copious injuries — the Spirit is still finding ways to win, with club owner Michele Kang and the coaching staff shrewdly managing the depleted roster.

"I think they would be a juggernaut if they were healthy, but they can win pretty, they can win ugly," notes Watkins.

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'An NWSL breaking point'

Watkins also points out that she thinks Rodman's choice to seek treatment in London could be significant, as the forward is currently in a contract year.

With multiple NWSL standouts recently defecting to European clubs, Watkins argues that the US league is hitting a "breaking point" when it comes to retaining top players.

"I am just really, really curious if, by the end of this season, this situation has led Rodman back to the Spirit or if this is the beginning of a player having to progress forward in a different environment," Watkins sums up.

About 'The Late Sub' with Claire Watkins

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes on the USWNT, NWSL, and all things women's soccer. Special guest appearances featuring the biggest names in women’s sports make TLS a must-listen for every soccer fan.

Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.

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There's a traffic jam in the middle of the NWSL standings, with this weekend's slate bound to create some distance among mid-table teams jockeying to break free from the pack.

Between rising underdogs and top-dog rivalries, expect the 2025 NWSL season's sixth matchday to leave it all on the field:

• No. 2 Orlando Pride vs. No. 6 Angel City, Friday at 8 PM ET (Prime): With both teams coming off demoralizing losses last weekend, the 2024 NWSL champs will fight to bounce back against the LA upstarts in Friday's marquee matchup.

• No. 10 Houston Dash vs. No. 11 Utah Royals, Friday at 8 PM ET (NWSL+): Tied up at four points apiece, the pair of struggling teams just below playoff contention on the NWSL table will battle for a boost above the cutoff line as the recently sold Royals take a trip to Texas on Friday.

• No. 3 Washington Spirit vs. No. 4 Gotham FC, Saturday at 1 PM ET (CBS): This week's top-table showdown features two injury-struck East Coast rivals getting rowdy at Audi — can Gotham turn things around or will Washington keep persevering?

• No. 9 Bay FC vs. No. 8 Seattle Reign, Saturday at 10 PM ET (ION): Seattle holds a slim tie-break over Bay FC as both teams hug the playoff line, with the Reign looking to build on last week’s Cascadia Clash victory over Portland.

This weekend has the potential to divide the contenders from the pretenders, while the league's top three clubs continue to hold court over the rest of the field.

Saturday's soccer lineup underlines a brewing East Coast rivalry, as the Washington Spirit hosts Gotham FC for the first time since knocking the Bats out of the 2024 NWSL semifinals.

"Just playing against them, you feel that fire," Spirit forward Makenna Morris told JWS this week, with Washington's Audi Field anticipating a large crowd for Saturday's match.

Both clubs know each other well, with 2021 NWSL champions Washington and 2023 trophy-winners Gotham seeing a number of big-name players migrating between New York and DC in recent years.

After finishing 2024 in the league's top four, both teams continue to lurk near the top of NWSL table this season, cementing the idea that the best rivalries blossom between winning sides.

"The [team] that poses the most challenge to you, it just makes you want to beat them so bad," said Washington midfielder Gabby Carle.

"You hate to play them because they're good, but you also love it because it's so competitive," echoed Morris.

Ultimately, familiarity is breeding healthy resentment between two of the NWSL's winningest sides, providing a little extra incentive to secure all three points in this weekend’s matchup.

How to watch NWSL rivals Washington vs. Gotham this weekend

The Spirit will host East Coast rival Gotham at 1 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage of the 2024 NWSL semifinals rematch airing on CBS.

As the 2024/25 UEFA Women's Champions League (UWCL) wraps up its two-leg semifinals on Sunday, the English teams still in the running find themselves on the brink of elimination from Europe's most prestigious club competition.

Facing a 4-1 deficit against reigning champs Barcelona, Chelsea will aim to close the gap — and keep their historic quadruple hopes alive — at home this weekend.

Meanwhile, Arsenal will try to overcome a more manageable 2-1 deficit against eight-time Champions League winners Lyon, traveling to France to keep their UWCL campaign alive.

An English side hasn't won the UWCL since 2007, when Arsenal took home the WSL's lone European championship trophy.

"Huge respect for their history and what they have been doing and producing in the Champions League, in Europe," Arsenal manager Renée Slegers said of Lyon. "I think they're still a very strong side."

"Subconsciously, you always have that thing when you fall short, like last year," said Lyon midfielder and USWNT captain Lindsey Heaps, reflecting back on last season’s title loss to Barcelona. "You lose a game, you lose a tournament – the feeling is there until you're back in the the games that can fix that feeling."

How to watch the 2024/25 Champions League semifinals

Sunday's second leg of the 2024/25 Champions League semifinals kicks off with Chelsea vs. Barcelona at 9 AM ET, before Arsenal faces Lyon at 12 PM ET.

Both matches will air live on DAZN.