The NWSL Championship is finally here. The No. 3 Washington Spirit and No. 4 Chicago Red Stars will kick off at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, Ky.

The parallels between the teams are plentiful. Washington and Chicago haven’t met since Aug. 1, and yet their seasons have followed a similar pattern to get to this point. Each team lost seven of their first 18 games and then dominated the last six weeks of the regular season, winning 11 games apiece. Then, they each came out on top of semifinal upsets to reach the championship game.

There’s a lot to unpack with this matchup, so let’s dive in.

Season overviews

We’ll start with Washington. The Spirit won just six of their first 18 matches, most coming under former coach Richie Burke, who was fired in August after multiple players accused him of emotional abuse. Shortly after his departure, the Spirit had to forfeit two games for violating COVID-19 protocols.

In the first two weeks of September, Kelley O’Hara led a change in the team’s mindset and, under interim head coach Kris Ward, the Spirit didn’t lose a single game over the next six weeks.

Washington finished the season with nine of their 11 victories as clean sheets. They proceeded to defeat the North Carolina Courage 1-0 in the quarterfinals and claim a 2-1 upset win over No. 2 OL Reign in the semis.

Now, the Spirit are back in the final for the first time since 2016 and the second time in franchise history. Tori Huster is the only remaining player from that 2016 squad, but she will sit out Saturday with an injury sustained during the quarterfinal.

The Best! Congrats @ash_hatch33 and @trinity_rodman on making the Best XI First Team Presented by MasterCard

— Washington Spirit (@WashSpirit) November 17, 2021

Similar to the Spirit, the Red Stars won seven of their first 18 matches before going unbeaten in five of their last six games. They didn’t have nearly the same level of off-field turmoil that Washington did, but they had obstacles of their own, coming primarily in the form of injuries to key players.

They lost star midfielder Julie Ertz to a season-ending injury in their first game of the season, a 5-0 loss to the Portland Thorns. A couple of months later, starting goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher went down in the United State’s women’s national team’s Olympic semifinal loss to Canada and was sidelined for the rest of the season. Naeher’s USWNT teammate, Casey Krueger, has also been out for weeks due to illness. Mallory Pugh and Kayla Sharples missed the Red Stars’ semifinal game due to the NWSL’s COVID-19 protocol, but will return for the final after clearing protocol. Kealia Watt exited the semifinal early with a knee injury and was also ruled out for Saturday.

Despite the string of injuries, the Red Stars defeated No. 5 NJ/NY Gotham FC 1-0 in the quarterfinal sand then shut out the No. 1 Thorns 2-0 to reach their second-ever league championship game.

Rolling into Championship Week with 2️⃣ of the best around!

Congrats to @sarahlgorden on making the @nwsl Best XI First Team and @malpugh making the Best XI Second Team, both presented by @mastercard!

🔗 https://t.co/zdSuBpXDAo pic.twitter.com/JqvnnQcETI

— Chicago Red Stars (@chicagoredstars) November 17, 2021

Regular season matchups

The Spirit and Red Stars have met three times this season, with Chicago getting the better of Washington 2-0-1.

The first meeting was a 1-1 draw on June 19. Both teams were quiet in the first half. The Spirit were without 2021 Golden Boot winner Ashley Hatch after she went down with an injury in the 35th minute.

Each team switched into gear for the second half, generating multiple chances until Spirit forward Trinity Rodman (named Rookie of the Year on Thursday) broke the scoreless tie when she found the back of the net in the 85th minute off an assist from Andi Sullivan. The Red Stars responded in added time when they were awarded a penalty kick that Morgan Gautrat converted.

Their second matchup was a 1-0 Chicago victory on July 2. Washington’s Julia Roddar got credit for an own goal after deflecting Sharples’ header off of a Pugh corner kick.

And then came the Red Stars’ 3-1 win on Aug. 1. Pugh opened the scoring in the 19th minute after stealing the ball in the midfield, carrying it up the field to the outside of the box and firing a shot past keeper Cassie Miller. Rachel Hill added Chicago’s second goal off a corner in the 39th minute.

Rodman put the Spirit on the board in the 71st minute before Gautrat scored from the spot to seal the win for Chicago.

The Red Stars are 8-1-3 in their last 12 matches against the Spirit.

Team strengths

Chicago

The Red Stars’ biggest strength is their depth, especially considering how many key players they’ve lost along the way.

“The belief of the group that the next one is going to step up and do the job has been huge for us, and tactically we didn’t change anything,” said coach Rory Dames.

Their depth was put to the test last Sunday, when they played most of their semifinal against the top-ranked Thorns without leading scorers Pugh and Watt. Katie Johnson subbed in for Watt and scored the game’s first goal minutes later.

“I thought her work rate defensively was outstanding,” Dames said after the game. “Tatumn [Milazzo] certainly didn’t play like a rookie tonight. Cassie Miller — can’t say enough about Cass.”

Washington

The Spirit’s strength has been adaptability. Through a coaching change mid-season that brought with it tactical changes and new training structures, Washington has not only responded positively but thrived.

Under Ward, the Spirit often adjust their formation and strategies multiple times mid-match, and the team loves to use their subs.

“Regardless of what’s being thrown at them, they’ve been able to take it on and say, ‘OK, we can adjust to this, we can play a different formation, we can play a little higher, we could play a little lower,” Ward said. “They’re very malleable in that way.”

Four players to keep an eye on

Aubrey Bledsoe: This 2021 NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year is a big reason the Spirit are here, after she made eight saves to keep her team in the quarterfinal game, which the Spirit eventually won in overtime. With a brick wall like Bledsoe as the last line of Washington’s defense, the Red Stars’ attackers have their work cut out for them.

Ashley Sanchez: An underrated player who doesn’t get enough credit while playing next to Hatch and Rodman on offense, Sanchez makes an impact all over the field. Since joining the team in 2020, the 22-year-old has secured a starting role in the attacking midfield, refined her decision-making skills and become a game-changer for the Spirit, as evidenced by her crafty goal in the semifinal.

Morgan Gautrat: The veteran has hurt Washington with two successful penalty kicks this season, but besides being a threat from the spot, Gautrat rules the center of the pitch. The semifinal Player of the Match leads an experienced midfield, which will be critical to the Red Stars’ success in a high-stakes game against a young Spirit team.

Sarah Gorden: A nominee for 2021 Defender of the Year, Gorden is versatile on defense, moving from outside back to center back when Ertz left with her injury. Most defenders don’t even think about carrying the ball in their own third of the pitch, but Gorden, Chicago’s Iron Woman, isn’t afraid to use the space when it’s in front of her.

The Spirit win if …

They get numbers into Chicago’s box. The Spirit have success when they can place accurate balls into the 18 because they’re lethal on rebounds. Hatch, in particular, always seems to be in the right place at the right time. The Red Stars’ defense has few holes, which is why long lobs over them and into the box, where Washington has some of the top goal scorers in the league, could be the tactic that turns the game in the Spirit’s favor.

The Red Stars win if …

They capitalize in the first half and play a low block in the second. The Spirit have thrived as a second-half team this season, so if the Red Stars can get an early goal or two and their defense can enter lockdown mode, the Spirit will have a hard time catching them.

Saturday’s game will be historic no matter the outcome, with the Spirit and Red Stars each looking to win their first title in franchise history. The match will be broadcast on CBS at 12 p.m. ET for the U.S. and Canada, and internationally on Twitch.

Jessa Braun is an editorial intern for Just Women’s Sports. She is also the Head of North American Content for the Women’s Sports Alliance. You can find her on Twitter @jessabraun.

Welcome to another episode of Sports Are Fun! presented by TurboTax.

Every week on Sports Are Fun!, co-hosts soccer legend Kelley O'Hara, sports journalist Greydy Diaz, and JWS intern BJ serve up their hottest takes on the biggest women's sports headlines.

This week, Sports Are Fun! talks all things NWSL with Gotham FC goalkeeper — and O'Hara's fellow Stanford alum — Ryan Campbell.

"We're five games in at this point and now I feel like things are starting to take shape — we can talk about them," O'Hara opens, referencing the start to the 2025 NWSL season. "I'm excited... the settling's happened, now we can get into season."

"So we're going to talk about what happened this weekend," she continues. "First on the list: Gotham FC. Thankfully we have our very own Gotham FC player in the house."

"I feel like what you're saying is like totally correct — the first three games, I think we scored not very much — a bit of a drought," says Campbell. "But, I mean, I practice with these girls every day. I know Ella Stevens can hit it upper-90, I know Esther's chipping me at practice. I know we have scoring power."

"We all had the sentiment and didn't really get discouraged and I don't think the staff was discouraged at all," she adds. "The resounding sentiment was, 'The rain's going to fall, like it's going to drop for us.' And I think you saw that against Angel City."

In addition to this weekend's NWSL action, Sports Are Fun! also tackles the WNBA Draft's viewership, the NCAA Gymnastics Championship, and so much more.

'Sports Are Fun!' reflects on former USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski

Then, Sports Are Fun turned to coaching. The headline? Angel City bringing on new manager Alexander Straus from Germany's Bayern Munich.

What makes a good coach? What do players look for in a coach? O'Hara knows one thing — playing under USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski wasn't exactly a learning experience.

"Hollywood's got a new hitman you guys," Campbell quips about Straus. "He has piercing blue eyes. They rival Leo DiCaprio."

"But can he coach a soccer team to a championship?" asks O'Hara.

"I've always wondered this," says BJ. "You played at the college level. You play now professionally, you played for the national team — how are you listening to a coach?"

"I think a good coach is going to go in and take a player as experienced as Christen Press, Sydney Leroux, and say, 'This is what I see. This is what I think you can bring to the team. This is how I'm going to utilize you in the system that I want to play,'" O'Hara answers.

"What is funny is — this is going to sound bad. I feel like I shouldn't say this. I don't feel like I learned anything new from Vlatko," she says, subsequently referencing the former USWNT coach. "And, actually, post-having him as a coach, I was like, 'Wow, is that on me? Did I stop learning or did he not coach me?"

"I had conversations with other other players about it. They were like, 'No, no, no, that was on him.' Because I feel like I was always open. I was like, 'I want to be coached, tell me how I can.' Because as a player, yes, you become the type of player you are, but you're never perfect."

About 'Sports Are Fun!' with Kelley O'Hara

'Sports Are Fun!' is a show that’ll remind you why you fell in love with women's sports in the first place.

Join World Cup champ, Olympic gold medalist, and aspiring barista Kelley O'Hara as she sits down with sports journalist Greydy Diaz and a revolving cast of co-hosts and friends. Together, they're talking the biggest, funnest, and most need-to-know stories in the world of women’s sports.

From on-court drama to off-field shenanigans, to candid (and silly) chats with the most important personalities in the space, this show screams "Sports Are Fun!"

Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.

The Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) announced a plan to launch a Division II pro arm in 2026, providing a domestic stepping stone for players aspiring to top-flight leagues like the NWSL and USL Super League.

The same Cleveland ownership group that recently fell short of securing an NWSL expansion team is backing the venture, making good on their promise to bring professional women's soccer to Northeast Ohio.

The league will launch with a shortened season following the 2026 men's World Cup, before beginning its first full-fledged campaign in April 2027.

With 15 teams already confirmed, WPSL Pro intends to field clubs in an initial 16 to 20 markets.

Along with Cleveland, the inaugural WPSL Pro season will include teams in Austin, Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Fargo, Houston, Oklahoma City, Sioux Falls, Wichita, and the Bay Area, among others. Each franchise will pay a $1 million fee to enter the league.

The WPSL has a history of fostering high-level amateur competition, currently housing over 100 clubs and boasting a roster of former players that includes USWNT icons Brandi Chastain, Alex Morgan, and Rose Lavelle. WPSL Pro, however, will become the US soccer pyramid's first-ever second-tier league.

"WPSL Pro is the bridge that's been missing — not just for players, but for the communities, investors, and brands ready to be part of the next chapter in women's sports," league co-founder Sean Jones said in a statement.

The No. 22 kit of Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark weighed in as last fall's second best-selling basketball jersey in the US according to sports outfitter Fanatics, with the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year trailing only NBA superstar Steph Curry on the top sales list.

Clark's merch dominance is nothing new, however. Her Indiana jersey sold out less than an hour after the Fever drafted her as the overall No. 1 pick in April 2024, making Clark the top seller of any draft night pick in the company's history.

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Even more, Clark's merchandise led last season's record-shattering WNBA sales, with Fanatics reporting that 2024 sales of player-specific gear earned a jaw-dropping 1,000% year-over-year increase by last summer's All-Star break — in large part thanks to the 2024 WNBA rookie class.

Fellow 2024 WNBA debutants Chicago Sky standout Angel Reese and then-Las Vegas Aces guard Kate Martin — Clark's NCAA teammate at Iowa — trailed the Fever star with the league's second- and fourth-most merchandise sales, respectively.

This year, a new WNBA rookie could give Clark a run for her money, as the No. 5 Dallas Wings jersey for 2025's No. 1 draft pick, Paige Bueckers, is already doing numbers at retailers across the country.

Already a brand mogul in her own right, Bueckers topped the 2024 NIL list as college basketball’s biggest earner via endorsement deals and merchandise sales prior to going pro.

Kenyan runner Sharon Lokedi shattered the women’s course record at the 2025 Boston Marathon on Monday, finishing the 129th edition of the race in 2:17:22 — more than two and a half minutes faster than the previous record set by Ethiopia's Buzunesh Deba in 2014.

The victory marked the 31-year-old runner's second major marathon championship following her 2022 New York City Marathon win.

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After finishing second in the 2024 Boston Marathon behind fellow Kenyan Hellen Obiri, Lokedi avenged her runner-up status by overtaking the back-to-back defending champion in the final kilometer of Monday’s race.

"I'm always second to her and today I was like, 'There’s no way,'" Lokedi said of her rivalry with Obiri. "I just have to put it out there and fight 'til the end and see how it goes. I'm so glad I ran that fast and she was right behind me. We all fought and wanted this so bad."

All of this year’s top three finishers broke through the course record pace, with Obiri and Ethiopia's Yalemzerf Yehualaw joining Lokedi both at the finish line and in the Boston Marathon's record book.

Along with her $150,000 winner's check, Lokedi will pocket an additional $50,000 for claiming the fastest women's time in Boston Marathon history.