The Washington Spirit jumped four spots to No. 1 in ESPN's latest NWSL power rankings after coming from behind to beat the Portland Thorns on Saturday. The win marked the club's first-ever victory at Providence Park, capping a week that reshuffled the top of the NWSL table.
Washington Spirit Tops Power Rankings with Thorns Win
Trinity Rodman played a central role in the Spirit's final scoreline, threading an assist to Algerian international Mélissa Bethi for the go-ahead goal. Before that, Tara Rudd had pulled Washington level from the penalty spot in the 56th minute. The second-half turnaround was enough to vault the Spirit past three teams in one week.
It helped that the teams above them stumbled, too.
NWSL Standings Shuffle Sees Gotham FC Still in the Lead
Gotham FC dropped from No. 1 to No. 2 after the Denver Summit snapped their 10-match unbeaten run with a 3-0 shutout.
Despite the result, Gotham still leads the NWSL standings, but Washington is now close on their heels. The San Diego Wave fell one spot to No. 3 after a 1-0 home loss to Seattle. That match tilted early when Mimi van Zanten received a red card in the 13th minute.
Further down, North Carolina jumped status behind a 6-0 rout of Chicago, with Ashley Sanchez recording a trio of goals that put her firmly in the lead of the NWSL's Golden Boot race.
ESPN's NWSL Power Rankings: Matchweek 20
1. Washington Spirit
2. Gotham FC
3. San Diego Wave
4. Utah Royals
5. Seattle Reign FC
6. Portland Thorns
7. Kansas City Current
8. Denver Summit FC
9. North Carolina Courage
10. Angel City FC
11. Orlando Pride
12. Bay FC
13. Racing Louisville FC
14. Boston Legacy FC
15. Houston Dash
16. Chicago Stars FC
