The NWSL returned from its summer break with a bang this weekend as the Washington Spirit continue to climb the table.
A tight 2-1 win over the Houston Dash on Friday pushed them even higher in the league standings. Star Spirit forward Trinity Rodman played hero for her side, scoring the opener in the 50th minute before overcoming Houston forward Kate Faasse’s equalizer with a stoppage time game winner.
"Honestly, in the actual box, I don't even know what happened for it to get through," Rodman said of her winning goal. "I just know that once we got scored on, I was just like, 'we've gotta go.'"
NWSL Standings Shake Up After June Regular Season Break
The win launched Washington into third place in the NWSL standings. That shift reflects a momentum reset league-wide after the NWSL took the entirety of June off from regular season play due to the 2026 World Cup.
No. 4 Utah suffered their first loss in 10 games on Sunday in a 3-2 thriller against No. 14 Chicago, while No. 7 Gotham couldn’t back up their Challenge Cup win in a 2-0 loss to No. 1 San Diego.
"It's a long [season]," said Gotham manager Juan Carlos Amoros. "Today we lost a battle, but we are ready for the war."
