Three points (!!!) is that all separates teams 1-7 in the NWSL table. That’s insane. We are a third of the way through the season, and nine teams are still in the playoff picture. 

Every point matters, and every game is up for grabs. Given the table hasn’t sorted itself out yet, odds are it won’t during the Olympics break, as clubs will be without their star international players. 

At this point in the season, I’m mostly just happy I haven’t been betting on games. Because I would have lost all of my money by now. 

But that doesn’t mean I still can’t rank ‘em. And as Tokyo nears, here’s how I see the NWSL table today. 

10. Kansas City —

KC headed to a struggling OL Reign looking for their first win and immediately gifted Bethany Balcer a goal in the first two minutes. It was pretty much over from there, and while I’m holding out hope for KC, they don’t seem to be making moves on or off the pitch. 

9. OL Reign —

The Reign finally got back in the win column after taking down the league’s worst side in Kansas City, even as they lost starting GK Sarah Bouhaddi to a since-rescinded red card. They play the Red Stars this weekend, which should prove a formidable task.

8. Racing Louisville (-1)

Louisville was sooooo close to shedding their youth/new team stigma, as they led Orlando in stoppage time. Then Sydney Leroux happened.

OH MY WORD 😱😱😱#ORLvLOU | https://t.co/iecT7II54a | #NWSL21 pic.twitter.com/k3kmURO3dP

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 10, 2021

That goal will certainly go down in NWSL lore, but Louisville has to be fuming to have so many players get that moment wrong. 

7. Houston Dash (-3)

To be honest, it’s a bit unlucky to lose a game on two own goals, but that’s the way it went for Houston on Sunday. It’s definitely harsh to drop them three spots on the Power Rankings for that, but these NWSL rankings are just that tight.

6. Chicago Red Stars (+2)

One of the more bizarre stat lines I’ve seen in an NWSL is winning 2-1 and registering no actual shots on net. The game wasn’t pretty to watch, but the Red Stars put the ball into dangerous areas, crashed the net, and saw a few bounces go their way in their second straight win.

5. Gotham FC —

Gotham probably didn’t deserve to win in Portland, but thanks to the heroics of DiDi Haracic and Estelle Johnson, they managed a 0-0 draw. If DiDi doesn’t end up as a No. 1 keeper next season (with two expansion sides in the fold), I will personally pitch a fit.

4. North Carolina Courage (-3)

I thought the Courage looked prime to hold it down in the Olympics window. I’m now unconvinced. The midfield just can’t seem to get it done without Debinha or Sam Mewis. They play the Dash on Saturday and will quickly want to move on from that loss to the Spirit.

3. Portland Thorns — 

They dominated the game in front of a full capacity crowd but only came away with a draw, which, per social media, isn’t leaving a good taste in players’ mouths. They have a chance to make amends when they host Orlando on Sunday, who they lost to earlier this season.

2. Orlando Pride —

They played their worst game of the season… and still managed the miraculous with a Sydney Leroux stoppage-time winner (off an Ashlyn Harris Hail Mary). Amy Turner may prove to be their biggest signing of the season, because when she entered at half, the game changed completely. 

1. Washington Spirit (+5)

This is certainly not a convincing No. 1 ranking, but I’m giving it to them. They looked like the best team this weekend and fully rebounded from their loss to Chicago with a convincing 2-0 win over North Carolina. They have a chance to prove me right by beating Gotham this Sunday. In a season as chaotic as this one, I’m going with the eye test. And last weekend, my eyes told me the Spirit are the best team in the NWSL right now.

In today’s episode, Claire ponders another Sun postseason exit, and the risks and rewards of blowing things up in the pursuit of playoff glory.

She then previews the finals between the Lynx and the Liberty, with one key element she believes will earn one of the teams a title. She closes with some of the NWSL news of the midweek, which feels destined to shape the postseason and beyond.

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.

Subscribe to The Late Sub to never miss an episode.

With the 2024 NWSL Shield firmly in Orlando's hands, attention turns to the final three available playoff spots up for grabs as the regular season turns into the home stretch. The Chicago Red Stars, currently in sixth, could become the next team to clinch a postseason berth with a win against the surging Gotham on Saturday at 4pm ET (Paramount+).
 
Only Houston has been eliminated from postseason contention thus far, but Portland (7th) and Bay FC (8th) will try to hold off those below the playoff line to better their odds at a quarterfinal appearance. Racing Louisville appears poised to challenge for their own spot, sitting only three points below eighth place.

Both Portland and Bay FC will have their work cut out for them, as the Thorns take on first-place Orlando on Friday at 10pm ET (Prime), and Bay FC battles fourth-place Kansas City on Saturday at 10pm ET (ION). Amidst a losing skid, Portland is already looking toward the future after announcing this week that general manager Karina Leblanc will be transitioning out of her role at the end of the 2024 season.

Standings stragglers look to ward off elimination

With only three regular season matches left, Seattle, Angel City, San Diego, and Utah will all face elimination scenarios this weekend.

LA's playoff hopes hang by a thread after a three-point deduction due to a salary cap violation, but forward Alyssa Thompson is keeping the dream of the postseason alive. Thompson has scored five goals and registered two assists in her last seven NWSL games, including a crucial assist in a win against the Seattle Reign last weekend.

Six points off the playoff pace with three games to go in the regular season, Angel City will need Thompson at the height of her powers in their matchup against North Carolina on Saturday at 7:30pm ET (ION).

Andi Sullivan suffers season-ending ACL tear

The Washington Spirit announced on Wednesday that captain Andi Sullivan suffered an ACL tear in the team's loss to the Orlando Pride on Sunday, and will miss the rest of the 2024 season. A Spirit stalwart, Sullivan started all 21 regular season matches she appeared in for the club in 2024, tallying two goals.

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A post shared by Andi Sullivan (@sunnysulli)

Sulivan joins a growing number of injured Spirit contributors, including Croix Bethune (out for the season), Trinity Rodman, Casey Krueger, and Ouleye Sarr. The Spirit will take on Racing Louisville on Sunday at 5pm ET.

The MVP race heats up

With KC Current forward Temwa Chawinga running away with the 2024 NWSL golden boot, is there still intrigue to be found in this year's MVP race? Chawinga won NWSL Player of the Month for September, while forward Barbra Banda continued to excel with the unbeaten, Shield-winning Orlando Pride.

Banda's goal contributions are slightly off Chawinga's pace, with 13 goals and six assists to Chawinga's 18 goals and six assists. Chawinga leads the league in goals per 90 minutes, but Banda holds the title in goals and assists per 90 minutes, while both players comfortably lead the league in xG and npxG per 90.

It's been a year for blazing offense in the NWSL, personified by Chawinga and Banda's excellence. But voters will have to decide if individual contributions, playmaking, and total team success are a bigger part of the picture when deciding who will walk away with 2024 NWSL MVP.

Welcome back to Fast Friends with Kelley O'Hara and Lisa Leslie!

In today's episode, our hosts preview Game 1 of the WNBA Finals between the Minnesota Lynx and the New York Liberty, and how Liberty center Jonquel Jones could be the final piece to her team's title hopes.

"Jonquel Jones, for the Liberty to walk away holding that trophy, she's got to show up bigger and better," says Leslie. "She's got to be dominant in the paint, she's got to get those boards, and she's got to block some shots. She's got to play out of her mind."

In the world of soccer, Kelley discusses the special importance of winning an NWSL shield, and makes a few bold postseason predictions (sorry Orlando and Kansas City!)

Coming off the success of JWS's Olympic commentary show The Gold Standard, Fast Friends features two legendary athletes serving up insider insights and unique takes on the biggest stories in women's sports every week.

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

In a battle between the top two regular-season finishers, the Minnesota Lynx will travel to Brooklyn to play the New York Liberty in the first game of the best-of-five 2024 WNBA Finals on Thursday.

Former UConn teammates and 2024 Olympic gold medalists Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier headline the matchup. Stewart's top-seeded Liberty will look to earn their first-ever WNBA title in their sixth Finals appearance.

Collier and the new-look Lynx are bringing a former dynasty back to the biggest stage, in the team's first finals appearance since their 2017 championship.

The road to the 2024 WNBA Finals

After topping the league in the regular season with a 32-8 record, New York put the No. 8-seed Atlanta Dream's season to bed in the first playoff round. To reach the 2024 Finals, the Liberty avenged their 2023 championship series, ousting Las Vegas and ending the two-time defending champs' three-peat chase in four semifinal games.

As for the Lynx, Minnesota claimed second in the regular season standings, just two wins shy of matching New York's record. They sent the Phoenix Mercury packing by sweeping the first round, but needed all five semifinal games to outlast the Connecticut Sun and book their seventh trip to Finals.

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Liberty's title mission meets Lynx's underdogs

The Liberty and Lynx aren't just the league's top teams. They led the East and West Conferences, respectively, and boast the WNBA's top offense (New York) and second-best defense (Minnesota).

That said, the 2024 WNBA Finals will pit a superstar-laden Liberty squad against a Minnesota team that few thought would even make the postseason when play began this year.

Alongside two-time MVP Stewart, New York's squad includes 2021 MVP Jonquel Jones, sharpshooter Sabrina Ionescu, and a frighteningly deep bench.

On the other hand, only five players, including 2024 Defensive Player of the Year Collier, returned from Minnesota's 2023 team. Lynx boss Cheryl Reeve, the 2024 Coach of the Year, added key athletes to Minnesota's originally slim roster, including three — Courtney Williams, Bridget Carleton, and Alanna Smith — who were cut from various other WNBA teams in 2021 or 2022. All have made significant contributions as the Lynx proved early season expectations wrong.

"We didn't scare anybody," Reeve said after winning Tuesday's Game 5. "I'm not sure that anybody at any point in the season was like, 'Yeah, they have a real shot at winning a championship' other than the people that are in our corner. And I think we're continuing to have to make believers."

An historic WNBA Finals on deck

Entering the Finals, sports books heavily favor the Liberty, but the Lynx actually hold a 3-1 record against New York in 2024. That edge includes Minnesota's 94-89 victory over the Liberty in June 25th's Commissioners Cup final.

No matter who walks away with the 2024 championship, WNBA history will be made. Either the Liberty will claim their first title, or Minnesota will become the first franchise to win five championships. The Lynx are currently tied at four titles with the Seattle Storm and the folded Houston Comets.

How to watch the Lynx vs. the Liberty in Game 1 of the 2024 WNBA Finals

The Lynx and Liberty will tip off at Brooklyn's Barclays Center at 8 PM ET on Thursday, with live broadcast and streaming coverage on ESPN.