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after taking down the league’s worst side in Kansas City, even as they lost starting GK Sarah Bouhaddi to a since-rescinded red card.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.

Two key upsets headlined Thursday's WNBA bill, sending the Phoenix Mercury soaring into third place in the league standings while the No. 6 Golden State Valkyries continued to outwit opponents.

The red-hot Mercury snagged their fourth straight win by taking down the No. 2 New York Liberty 89-81 on Thursday night, overcoming an 35-point performance from two-time MVP Breanna Stewart with five double-digit Phoenix scorers.

Meanwhile out West, the Valkyries stifled a surging No. 7 Fever, downing Indiana 88-77 in part by holding star guard Caitlin Clark to just 3-for-14 from the field — and 0-for-7 from behind the arc.

"We were being disruptive, we know that she doesn't like physicality, we know that she wants to get to that left step-back," Golden State head coach Natalie Nakase said about the Valkyries' strategy to effectively contain Clark.

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Though the No. 1 Minnesota Lynx and 2024 WNBA champions New York still hold court atop the table, Thursday's actions proves that other squads are making some unexpected in-roads.

Putting together an impressive road record are the Mercury, who will ride a 4-2 away record into their Saturday matchup against the No. 11 Chicago Sky — the last stop on a four-game road trip that's been perfect for Phoenix thus far.

Already flipping the script on expectations is Golden State, with the 2025 expansion team rising despite relying on a hodgepodge roster as several players compete at EuroBasket 2025. The Valkyries will aim to keep their winning momentum in their Sunday clash with the No. 12 Connecticut Sun.

How to watch the Mercury, Valkyries this weekend

Both of Thursday's victors will be back in action this weekend, with Phoenix facing Chicago at 1 PM ET on Saturday, airing live on ABC.

Then on Sunday, Golden State will host Connecticut at 8:30 PM ET, with live coverage on WNBA League Pass.

In another weekend full of WNBA action, all eyes are on Las Vegas, as the No. 8 Aces will try to curb a two-game losing streak against two formidable opponents.

A successful weekend for Las Vegas could hinge on three-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson's potential return from injury, with the star forward recently upgraded to "questionable" after landing in concussion protocol last week.

Overall, the margin for error has narrowed in the middle of the WNBA pack, as talented teams continue to translate quality performances into consistency.

• No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 8 Las Vegas Aces, Friday at 10 PM ET (ION): The Aces will try to end their free fall in Friday's head-to-head battle with a Seattle side that can beat anybody at their best.

• No. 7 Indiana Fever vs. No. 8 Las Vegas Aces, Sunday at 3 PM ET (ESPN): Las Vegas next faces a Fever team still smarting from Thursday's away loss to the Golden State Valkyries, with both teams narrowly clinging to positions above the playoff line.

• No. 2 New York Liberty vs. No. 5 Seattle Storm, Sunday at 7 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The Liberty have a comfortable hold on second place, but with two losses in their last three games, New York is flirting with danger entering their Sunday game with Seattle — particularly if star big Jonquel Jones is out after suffering a knock to the ankle on Thursday.

Ultimately, there's no rest for the weary in the WNBA, as a series of difficult matchups can see a single error quickly slide into a losing streak.

The final NWSL weekend heading into the league's six-week summer break has arrived, giving teams one more chance to prove themselves before regular-season play pauses to make way for major international tournaments.

With a five-point gap separating No. 1 Kansas City from No. 2 Orlando in the NWSL standings, the Current will enter the break as the 2025 Shield frontrunners regardless of this weekend's results.

Despite Kansas City's grip atop the table, there's still plenty of room for movement both above and below the postseason cutoff line, as clubs across the NWSL look to wrap their midseason finales on a high note:

• No. 1 Kansas City Current vs. No. 10 Angel City FC, Friday at 8 PM ET (Prime): Angel City has a shot at launching themselves above the cutoff line on Friday, but they'll have to snap the Current's five-game winning streak to make it happen.

• No. 8 Gotham FC vs. No. 9 Bay FC, Saturday at 7:30 PM ET (ION): Gotham and Bay FC enter the weekend tied on points while staring at each other from on opposite sides of the playoff line — meaning a Saturday win for either club could set the tone for the rest of the 2025 season.

• No. 3 San Diego Wave FC vs. No. 4 Washington Spirit, Sunday at 10 PM ET (CBS Sports): The weekend's only top-table clash could see San Diego sprint back into second place — unless Washington leapfrogs the upstart Wave to claim the third-place spot.

The LPGA Tour has turned its attention to Texas, with the 2025 KPMG Women's PGA Championship — the third major of the pro golf season — teeing off in Frisco to a flurry of first-round action on Thursday.

All of the sport's Top 100 athletes are participating in this week's event, including No. 1 Nelly Korda, who sits in a 14th-place tie with an even-par first-round performance, and surging US dark horse No. 50 Lexi Thompson, who tied for 10th in her Thursday return from a brief retirement.

However, leading the pack heading into Friday's second round is Thailand's world No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul, who finished the first day of competition atop the leaderboard with a score of 4-under-par.

Australia's No. 24 Minjee Lee also posted a strong start, capping Thursday at 3-under to sit in second place.

While the sport's best chase victory on the links, the 2025 KPMG Women's PGA Championship is already making history off the green.

Not only is it the first-ever women's major to tee off at Frisco's Fields Ranch East, the tournament also increased its purse to $12 million on Tuesday — nearly tripling the $4.5 million prize pool from just four years ago and tying the US Women's Open for the LPGA Tour's highest payout in the process.

How to watch the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

The third LPGA Grand Slam of 2025 continues through Sunday.

Friday's second round will air live on the Golf Channel, while coverage of Saturday and Sunday's final rounds will air across NBC and Peacock.