No. 2-seed Washington have booked their second straight NWSL semifinals berth, after a short-staffed Spirit bested a resilient No. 7 Racing Louisville side in penalty kicks following Saturday's 1-1 quarterfinal draw.
Washington forward Gift Monday first broke the 0-0 stalemate in the 73rd minute after VAR called back an early Spirit goal, while Racing forward Kayla Fischer managed to keep Louisville's hopes alive with a second-half stoppage time equalizer.
Washington goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury then played penalty shootout hero for a second straight year, blocking two sharply hit strikes to allow the Spirit to advance 3-1.
"At the end of the day, there was no chance that we could lose this game," said Spirit head coach Adrián González postgame. "It was a matter of just keep insisting — that's the mentality we have."
The Spirit had more than Racing's tenacity to contend with this weekend, however, as an MCL strain continues to sideline star forward Trinity Rodman.
Washington defenders Gabby Carle and Tara McKeown both exited Saturday's match with injuries, as well, as players pile up on the Spirit's availability report.
How to watch the Washington Spirit in the 2025 NWSL semifinals
No. 2 Washington will next face No. 3 Portland in the 2025 NWSL semis, with the Thorns punching their record-10th semifinal ticket by downing the No. 6 San Diego Wave 1-0 in their own extra-time showdown on Sunday.
The Spirit take on the Thorns for a shot at competing for the 2025 NWSL title at 12 PM ET on Saturday, airing live on CBS.
Reigning NWSL champs Orlando kicked off their repeat title bid in style, with the No. 4-seed Pride topping a tough No. 5 Seattle Reign 2-0 to punch their ticket to the 2025 semifinals on Friday.
Orlando midfielder Haley McCutcheon opened scoring in the 21st minute, giving the Pride a slim lead well into the second half before captain Marta broke out into a 100-yard solo dash through Seattle's backline, earning the second-half stoppage-time penalty kick that ultimately put the match out of the Reign's reach.
"We have talked so much about this season and compared it to last season," Marta said postgame. "Of course, we don't do the same things we did last year, but we have the same players and the same mentality. We still work so hard and still believe."
After Marta put on the burners to earn that kick from the spot, the Brazil legend chose to cede the spotlight to a beloved teammate.
Marta gave the ball to fellow Pride and Brazil star Luana, a midfielder who recently returned to the pitch after successfully battling Hodgkin's Lymphoma — with Luana going on to sink the penalty to mark her first goal in an Orlando jersey.
"Handing the ball over to Luana optimizes Marta as an individual," said Orlando manager Seb Hines. "She never puts herself above the team and gave the ball to Luana to have her moment."
How to watch the Orlando Pride in the 2025 NWSL semifinals
The No. 4 Orlando Pride will next host No. 8 Gotham FC in the 2025 NWSL semifinals.
The pair will kick off their clash at 3 PM ET on Sunday, with live coverage airing on ABC.
No. 8-seed Gotham FC pulled off an historic upset on Sunday, downing the No. 1 Kansas City Current 2-1 in extra time to oust the winningest team in league history from the 2025 NWSL Playoffs.
Million-dollar midseason signing Jaedyn Shaw put the Bats on the board in the 68th minute, before Kansas City secured a second-half stoppage-time equalizer via defender Ellie Wheeler.
The match initially appeared destined for a penalty kick shootout, until late Gotham substitute Katie Stengel found the back of the net in the 121st minute — the latest game-winning goal in NWSL history.
"Underdog, my ass — we are not an underdog," Shaw exclaimed postmatch. "We came into this game knowing people thought that we were just the last seed that barely made it into the playoffs. That's not who we are."
The bid for the double never took flight for the 2025 Shield-winning Current, with key starting forwards 2024 MVP Temwa Chawinga and USWNT prospect Michelle Cooper ruled out with injury ahead of Sunday's quarterfinal clash.
In their stead, Kansas City forward Bia Zaneratto started the match despite dealing with an MCL sprain, gutting out 114 minutes before Bayley Fiest came in as relief.
"As much as we're disappointed in the final result today, we're not going to allow this result to define our season," said KC manager Vlatko Andonovski. "I think that our players, even today, can walk with their heads up."
How to watch Gotham in the 2025 NWSL semifinals
No. 8 Gotham now faces the defending champion No. 4 Orlando Pride in the 2025 NWSL semifinals — a club with whom the Bats split 2-0 regular-season results.
The match will kick of at 3 PM ET on Sunday, with live coverage airing on ABC.
NWSL teams are extending key player contracts, with the Current announcing the re-signing of captain Lo'eau LaBonta on a contract extension through the 2028 NWSL season this week.
"From baseball field to NWSL Shield, I've seen how far we've come and I'm hyped to see how far we can go," the 32-year-old said in the club's contract extension announcement on Thursday. "I've grown with this club and this city, and I've seen how belief turns into history. This new contract is about more than just soccer — it's about building a legacy, one celly at a time."
The top-seeded Current weren't the only team locking down their locker room ahead of this week's 2025 NWSL Playoffs kick off, with Kansas City's quarterfinals foe No. 8-seed Gotham FC also getting in on the deal-making action.
The Bats inked rising star midfielder Jaedyn Shaw to a new multi-year contract extension on Thursday, signing the 20-year-old phenom through the 2029 season less than two months after securing her from the North Carolina Courage in a record-breaking $1.25 million midseason transfer deal.
"Whether we're winning games or losing games, just being around the girls and stuff, I feel like everyone has been so welcoming to me and has made this place feel like home," Shaw told JWS after Thursday's news.
How to watch LaBonta, Shaw in the 2025 NWSL Playoffs
While Thursday saw their respective clubs go all in on their NWSL futures on Thursday, both LaBonta and Shaw will be battling against each other for their team's 2025 success this weekend, as the No. 1 Kansas City Current hosts No. 8 Gotham FC in a win-or-go-home clash on Sunday.
The pair's quarterfinal kicks off at 12:30 PM ET, with live coverage airing on ABC.
On a mission to avenge their 13th-place finish last year, No. 5 Seattle will visit the No. 4 Orlando to open the quarterfinals of the 2025 NWSL Playoffs on Friday night, with the Reign laser-focused on ending the 2024 NWSL champions' title defense.
"Everyone wants to go back-to-back, everyone wants to double down on what they've done, and to become a winning club you have to do it multiple times," Orlando defender Carson Pickett said ahead of Friday's quarterfinal.
"In big games, big players step up," said Seattle head coach Laura Harvey. "One thing we know with our squad — and we've shown it all season — is what we look like at the start of the game, we're probably not going to look like that at the end of the game."
Both teams will have room for adjustments, after playing each other to a 1-1 stalemate last Sunday — with Friday's face-off becoming just the fourth regular-season finale rematch in NWSL playoff history.
The Reign will likely continue their defensive-minded five-back approach, while the Pride tries to overcome the absence of injured superstar Barbra Banda.
"The league is getting harder and harder every single year that I've played," said nine-season NWSL veteran Pickett. "It's hard to break a deadlock sometimes, especially in a moment when you absolutely have to win."
How to watch Orlando vs. Seattle in the 2025 NWSL Playoffs
The No. 4 Orlando Pride will host the No. 5 Seattle Reign in the first quarterfinals clash of the 2025 NWSL Playoffs at 7 PM ET on Friday, with live coverage airing on Prime.
The 2025 NWSL Playoffs have finally arrived, with the league's Top 8 teams duking it out in quarterfinals all weekend — each hunting a ticket to November 22nd's championship match in San Jose, California.
Gearing up for the toughest quarterfinal battle is arguably No. 8 Gotham FC, with the NJ/NY club traveling to take on the No. 1 Kansas City Current on Sunday in an attempt to claim an historic upset to extend their season.
"I don't think there's an underdog mindset at all," a confident Gotham midfielder Jaedyn Shaw told JWS this week. "We know that we can come into this game, bring our style of play, and win this game."
Winning the 2025 NWSL Shield in record fashion, the Current haven't suffered a home loss all year — though that could change if an adductor strain continues to sideline Kansas City's back-to-back Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga.
The team has yet to provide an update on Chawinga, though the striker did sit out last Sunday's 2-1 win over the No. 6 San Diego Wave.
"Obviously Temwa's an amazing player, but our bench is is incredible," Kansas City defender Elizabeth Ball said ahead of the team's 2025 NWSL regular-season finale. "Our whole squad is always ready for whatever's thrown at us."
The Current hold a 2-0 winning record over the Bats this season, with Gotham managing just one regular-season win in their last five matches.
"We're not performing terrible — we're actually playing well," Shaw said. "We have moments in the games where we're doing really well. It's just the last touch to score goal, or the last block, or being in the right positioning to prevent a goal."
How to watch Kansas City vs. Gotham in the 2025 NWSL Playoffs
The No. 1 Kansas City Current will host No. 8 Gotham FC for their 2025 NWSL quarterfinals clash at 12:30 PM ET on Sunday, airing live on ABC.
The 2025 NWSL Playoffs are set, with Sunday's Decision Day mayhem finalizing the postseason bracket prior to next weekend's quarterfinals.
The No. 3 Portland Thorns took all three points while the No. 4 Orlando Pride eked out a draw to claim the remaining home-field advantage positions available, joining the No. 1 Kansas City Current and No. 2 Washington Spirit in securing hosting rights.
Hitting the road in next weekend's quarterfinals are the No. 5 Seattle Reign, No. 6 San Diego Wave, and No. 7 Racing Louisville, with Gotham also slipping in despite a tumble down to No. 8 — just above the postseason cutoff line.
Gotham falters while Louisville claims club history
Gotham and No. 9 North Carolina took Sunday's simultaneous kickoff down to the wire, with the Courage ultimately prevailing 3-2 to send the Bats skidding down the standings — though North Carolina ultimately fell short of their own postseason push.
"Going into the playoffs, we can't afford those kinds of lapses," Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amorós said postgame. "We need to deliver consistent, top performances, and I honestly believe this group is ready to do that."
Meanwhile in Kentucky, Racing Louisville made franchise history, securing a club-first playoff berth with a 1-0 Decision Day win over No. 13 Bay FC.
Louisville winger Ella Hase notched the game-winner early in the second half — the NWSL rookie's first-ever professional goal — propelling Racing up the table and avoiding a fifth consecutive ninth-place finish for the 2021 expansion team.
"I'm so proud of this group, they deserve it so much," said Louisville manager Bev Yanez. "As a club, as a whole, and all the staff, all the work that they've put in all season, all the work that the players have put in, they bought into it."
How to watch the 2025 NWSL Playoffs
The 2025 NWSL Playoffs will kick off its quarterfinal round on Friday, when No. 4 Orlando hosts No. 5 Seattle at 8 PM ET, airing on Prime.
No. 2 Washington will then take on No. 7 Louisville at 12 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage on CBS.
The quarterfinals will conclude with a Sunday doubleheader on ABC, as No. 1 Kansas City hosts No. 8 Gotham at 12:30 PM ET before No. 3 Portland welcomes No. 6 San Diego at 3 PM ET.