The NWSL announced the framework for the league’s 12th season on Monday, officially kicking off the 2025 campaign on March 14th, with a new champion crowned on November 22nd.

Similar to the 2024 season, the league’s 14 teams will each play 26 matches — 13 home, 13 away —across 25 weeks, ending on November 2nd. A league total of 190 games will determine the eight contenders set to battle their way through November's playoffs.

The 2025 NWSL Challenge Cup will precede the regular season by one week. The match typically pits the reigning Shield winners against the current champion, but since Orlando earned both those 2024 honors, the Pride will instead host 2024 runners-up Washington in the March 7th contest.

Before any athlete takes the pitch, however, they must report to preseason training camps. Instead of a specific date, the NWSL mandates a kick-off window beginning January 15th and ending February 5th.

There are no official preseason matches, but considering six teams — Angel City, Bay FC, Houston, Portland, San Diego, and Seattle — have already committed to participating in mid-Februrary's 2025 Coachella Valley Invitational, expect those clubs to recall their rosters sooner rather than later.

International play extends NWSL summer schedule

Though 2025 lacks a major international contest like the Olympics or a FIFA World Cup, several confederations do have competitions on this summer's docket. The list includes UEFA's 2025 Euro and Conmebol's Copa América tournament.

As such, immediately after the league's CBA-mandated week-long pause at the end of June, the NWSL will suspend play for the month of July. This window will subsequently allow international players to compete for their respective countries without significantly impacting their NWSL club's season.

Within that break, however, clubs will be free to schedule friendlies against other professional teams, both domestic and abroad. This will follow a similar format as Chelsea and Arsenal's 2024 US tour, where the WSL sides went up against Gotham FC and the Washington Spirit, respectively.

New CBA affects 2025 season

Due to last August's newly inked CBA, both the waiver wire and trade windows have been eliminated. This means player contracts are now guaranteed, and trades can occur anytime before the October 9th roster freeze, so long as the athlete consents to the trade.

Two eight-week transfer windows dot the 2025 schedule. The first opens on January 28th, with the second set to start alongside the 2026 free agency period on July 1st.

Where to watch the NWSL in 2025

The complete 2025 match schedule, including full broadcast details, is yet to come. However, the NWSL’s 2023 landmark media deal means over 120 matches have already been claimed by various domestic broadcasters.

Friday games will again air on Prime Video, and Saturday double-headers will remain on ION. Both CBS and ESPN platforms will have significant match packages spanning the regular season, and all remaining games will be available on the league's direct-to-consumer streamer, NWSL+.

All broadcasters except ION have picked up various match rights to November's playoffs, with CBS scoring rights to the title match for the fourth year in a row.

Additionally, the NWSL is currently in international distribution rights negotiations, with the league taking aim at growing its audience outside the US.

Key 2025 calendar dates

• January 15th: Preseason camps may begin
• January 28th: Primary transfer window opens
• February 5th: Final day for clubs to begin preseason camps
• March 7th: 2025 NWSL Challenge Cup
• March 14th: 2025 NWSL regular season kick-off
• March 24th: Primary transfer window closes
• June 23rd-29th: CBA-mandated break
• July 1st: Secondary transfer window opens; 2026 free agency period begins
• July: League-wide pause for international competitions
• August 25th: Secondary transfer window closes
• October 9th: NWSL roster freeze
• November 2nd: Final day of the 2025 NWSL regular season
• November 7th-9th: 2025 NWSL quarterfinals
• November 14th-16th: 2025 NWSL semifinals
• November 22nd: 2025 NWSL Championship

After a dramatic 3-0 win over crosstown rival Manchester United on Saturday, Manchester City is now leading the WSL, sitting three points clear atop the 2025/26 league table while notably extending their advantage over second-place powerhouse Chelsea FC.

The home side scored all three of their goals in the first half, with defender Rebecca Knaak putting City ahead in the 26th minute before attacker Khadija "Bunny" Shaw added to the lead in the 43rd minute.

Returning from injury with a vengeance, forward Lauren Hemp sealed the deal for the Citizens with the final goal in first-half stoppage time.

"It's so nice to be back," Hemp said postgame. "Today we showed the mentality that I said at the start we needed to show."

While reigning six-time WSL champions Chelsea have yet to lose a match this WSL season, a trio of 2025/26 draws has the Blues now trailing the current eight-win, one-loss record held by Manchester City.

As for United, the WSL third-place Red Devils were without star goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce in Saturday's loss, after the USWNT net-minder suffered a fractured eye socket in November 8th's 1-0 loss to Aston Villa.

"She should be fine, it's just trying to make sure she doesn't get another knock in that area," said United manager Marc Skinner, noting that Tullis-Joyce could return as soon as the club's 2025/26 Champions League match against VfL Wolfsburg on Wednesday.

One of this season's NWSL Coach of the Year finalists is moving on up, with Kansas City manager Vlatko Andonovski leaving his position as the Current's head coach to become the club's full-time global sporting director.

Andonovski has been juggling both jobs since joining the Current in October 2023, with the 49-year-old coming off what was arguably his most successful managerial season, leading Kansas City to a first-ever NWSL Shield amidst a record-shattering 2025 campaign.

In his new role, Andonovski will "implement the long-term vision for the club's technical and athletic success, as well as be responsible for player recruitment, roster strategy and scouting."

"It's vital to move into this role to keep growing this club with the aim of being a perennial contender on the global stage and a top developer of talent," Andonovski said in Friday's club announcement.

With the administrative switch in the works prior to last weekend's playoff upset, Andonovski will now join the hiring committee tasked with appointing his successor, while continuing his head coaching duties until Kansas City secures its new manager.

In another front office shift, the Current's head of soccer operations Ryan Dell will immediately take over as the club's GM, with former GM Caitlin Carducci departing the club after one year at the helm.

Michigan women's basketball is on the rise, as the then-No. 14 Wolverines avenged their early 2025 NCAA tournament exit with a stunning 93-54 blowout win over then-No. 18 Notre Dame on Saturday.

Michigan sophomore guard Olivia Olson led the game in scoring with 20 points as the Wolverines put together a true team effort, with six bench players combining for 38 points in the win.

The Big Ten team also dominated defensively, limiting the Fighting Irish bench to just two points while keeping Notre Dame star guard Hannah Hidalgo to a mere 12-point performance.

"We knew exactly what Michigan was going to do," said Notre Dame basketball head coach Niele Ivey afterwards. "We did not have any type of fight defensively, and that's where we have to start."

The Wolverines' victory was especially sweet after Notre Dame ousted Michigan from last season's national tournament with a 76-55 second-round Irish win.

Saturday's fallout also affected this week's AP Top 25 poll, with Notre Dame falling six ranks to No. 24 while Michigan earned an eight-spot bump to No. 6.

After quietly recruiting five-star talents like Olson and Syla Swords in 2024, Michigan — a program that has yet to earn a title at the NCAA or conference level — proved over the weekend that they are entering the 2025/26 season with added depth and experience.

"That's why I committed to Michigan," Swords told JWS at October's Big Ten Media Day. "That's why so many of us came there, because we wanted to be part of something new, part of something that's never been done."

Washington Spirit star Trinity Rodman is back in action, subbing into her team's 2025 NWSL semifinal win in Saturday's 90th minute as she continues to rehab a sprained MCL — with questions still remaining surrounding her future with the club.

"It felt amazing," she said afterwards. "If I get 30 seconds, or if I get 90 minutes, it feels great to be out there."

Rodman will hope for more involvement in next weekend's NWSL Championship game, taking the pitch for the Spirit in her final match under contact before becoming an unrestricted free agent.

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The USWNT standout's extension negotiations have apparently made it all the way up to the NWSL commissioner, with Rodman garnering interest from multiple UK clubs willing to outspend the US league's salary cap restrictions.

The NWSL's most recent collective bargaining agreement sets each club's current salary cap at $3.3 million, which will titrate up to $5.1 million by 2030.

"Right now, my head's completely down. It's been so distracting being injured, and that's all I can really think about," Rodman said on Saturday, addressing the reports. "Once we get this championship, then I can start making decisions and figuring out what next year looks like for me."

With rumors swirling around Rodman and her future with the Spirit, NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman defended the salary cap this week, telling CBS Sports that the parity the cap fosters is "the reason our league is the most competitive league in the world."