When San Diego's home match against the Washington Spirit ended in a 0-0 draw on June 22nd, the NWSL officially pressed pause on the regular season, entering an extended summer break as international tournaments kicked off around the world.
And while the US club league has dimmed its lights before — most recently during the 2024 Paris Olympics — this is the first year it's ever stopped play to accommodate major regional competitions like Copa América, WAFCON, and UEFA Women's Euro 2025.
Why the new approach? The league's global presence has never been stronger. And that's not just because high-profile players like Naomi Girma and Crystal Dunn swapped their NWSL jerseys for European kits earlier this year. It goes the other way, too. Once an assumed stronghold for homegrown talent, the NWSL has diversified its ranks, with top players heading overseas this window.
US broadcasters buy into growing Euros interest
No event has showcased this shift greater than the European Championship. The tournament was once siloed away from the average Stateside soccer fan. But this year, 18 NWSL players representing 12 countries are Switzerland-bound — three-times the number playing in England just three years ago.
And fans are ready to dig in. The 2025 Euros will be the most accessible in history, with FOX Sports recently doubling down on broadcasting the competition in the US.
The network has committed to 31 matches, including 19 games on linear TV and every knockout round match. It will also provide pre- and post-game analysis, aiming to develop a major market player while riding out the sport's popularity boom.
With increased visibility and plenty of familiar faces, NWSL fans are set to become Euro 2025's prime audience. And for players, showcasing the league's impact shapes the perception of football in the US, allowing the NWSL the opportunity to strengthen its reputation despite never taking the pitch this July.
Euros stars say perceptions of the NWSL are shifting
Only one NWSL player featured on England's 2022 Euros-winning roster. That was Houston forward-turned-defender Rachel Daly, before she returned to the WSL and retired from international play.
That number tripled in 2025, after Gotham FC defender Jess Carter, Spirit defender Esme Morgan, and Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse were called up to the Lionesses's title defense in Switzerland.
It's not Carter's first Euros, but this will be the first year she joins from an NWSL team. An England mainstay since her 2017 senior debut, she said she never felt like a move to the US would jeopardize her national team standing. Just so long as her performance stayed consistent.
"People were probably apprehensive about coming here before, because it's so far away from your family and friends," Carter told Just Women's Sports. "But also because the NWSL was traditionally known as just a transitional league. And to a lot of people in Europe, it wasn't technical enough."
Carter isn't alone in her assessment. Both Morgan and Moorhouse told JWS they were familiar with the NWSL's reputation as a "kick and run" league. Though that stereotype didn't match their experiences on the ground.
"Most [NWSL] teams are trying to play possession-based football, albeit a little more direct than Europe," Morgan said. "I think that's far more exciting to be a part of, and also more challenging as a defender because there are such fast transitions."
"The league is changing here in the US," echoed Carter, who departed Chelsea for Gotham in 2024. "It's becoming more technical."
NWSL play helped Morgan secure her spot with England
That hybrid style — plus more starting opportunities — have bolstered Morgan's status with England. Coach Sarina Wiegman already knew the Manchester City product as a powerful line-breaker on the ball. And her ability to wear down the low block while holding the lion's share of possession has only improved.
"I felt confident coming here," she continued. "As long as I continued to work on the things that I wanted to improve, and every weekend was putting in good performances for the Spirit, that would be enough to put me in the running for selection."
The NWSL's speed has also elevated her play. "[Wiegman] has spoken to me the last couple of times about being really pleased with what I've been able to do, in terms of being a little bit more aggressive, proactive, physical in my duels, and winning aerial balls," she said. "I've developed so much in that space since playing in America."
Both Morgan and Carter competed with England at the 2023 World Cup, 30-year-old Moorehouse is gearing up for her first major tournament with the national team. And coming from an Orlando side stacked with international talent — namely Brazil legend Marta and Zambia superstar Barbra Banda, among others — the goalie credited her NWSL team for keeping her on her toes every day.
"Marta humbles me on a daily basis, I'm not gonna lie," she laughed. "To see that day in-day out, it's only for the better. It's only going to improve my game."
Summer NWSL schedule benefits Euros-bound players
As coveted national team roster spots reflect both consistency and form, NWSL players have a quiet advantage. Thanks to the summer NWSL schedule, they're guaranteed to be completely match-fit going into any major tournament.
That the NWSL runs opposite to the more traditional fall-to-spring European setup has sometimes been a point of tension overseas. This was especially true in past years, when the league did not suspend regular-season play for more than a weekend or two during longer international windows. That practice forced previous Euros competitors to choose between club and country.
This year, however, players view the cross-conditioning to be as much of an asset as an anticipated challenge when they return to finish out the season.
"I spoke to quite a few of the US girls in the past about the fact that the summer schedule might have helped their performance in international tournaments," said Morgan, pointing out the NWSL-heavy USWNT's major tournament success.
"I feel like I'm peaking at the right time, going into the tournament in midseason," echoed Moorhouse, who is set to serve as backup to Chelsea goalkeeper and presumptive England starter Hannah Hampton.
Learning to balance club and country
Still, there are downsides. It's not always easy to travel in and out of market ahead of a big international opportunity, but each player finds their own way to stay on top of whichever task is in front of them, whether at home or abroad.
Sometimes that divide between club and country is literal. "We have a [NWSL] team app where we have communication," Gotham and Germany goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger told media after her Euros call-up. "I was like, 'Look, if you need something, you have to text me on WhatsApp. Because this app is not working for me when I'm at the international break, and the same way around.'"
For Carter, the NWSL's schedule helps her compartmentalize, keeping her laser-focused on both individual and team goals.
"I'm someone that either is all in or all off," she explained. "I've got to make sure that I'm still eating right, training right, when all I want to do is sit by the beach and have an ice cream."
"I want fans to fall in love with women's football even more"
Carter and Berger aren't the only Gotham standouts packing their passports this month. Star forward Esther González is also committed to play for the always-dangerous Spanish national team. Fellow forward Jéssica Silva will represent Portugal and recent signing Josefine Hasbo is set to join Denmark. And the excitement is palpable, both on and off the pitch.
"It's really great to see that our fans get to support us even whilst we're not at Gotham. Because they're invested in us as people, not just Gotham," says Carter. "I want fans to fall in love with women's football even more, regardless of where it's being played."
As for Morgan, she could be battling against the Spirit's newest signing, Italy's Sofia Cantore. The rest of their teammates will definitely be watching from home — along with a very special guest.
Before Morgan left, her teammates assured her they would be up in the morning cheering her on. "And mak[ing] my kitten watch too, which is very cute," she added.
She said she likes imagining NWSL fans following their favorite club players through the tournament, staying engaged in the game even as the league takes a break.
Encouraging NWSL fans to watch the 2025 Euros
Moorhouse echoed Morgan's hope that the Euros will allow US fans to continue weaving women's football into their lives during the downtime.
"In the US, when I get up on a Saturday morning, all the games are on," she said, referencing the time change. "To me, that's so cool. I'm eating my breakfast, drinking my coffee, and I've just got football on the telly."
"Go and get your breakfast," she urged. "Get your pancakes. And watch some good football."
The NWSL is officially taking a breather, with the league kicking off the 2025 extended summer break after a roller-coaster weekend slate.
With half the of the 26-match regular season in the books, the No. 1 Kansas City Current extended their lead on the NWSL table to a towering eight points after defeating No. 11 Angel City 1-0 on Friday.
Helping balloon Kansas City's lead was No. 7 Racing Louisville, who kept No. 2 Orlando from claiming any points by securing a 2-0 upset win over the Pride on Friday.
With wins in five of their last seven matches, Louisville's refreshed roster has Racing entering the 2025 summer break with a 6-5-2 NWSL record, as the 2021 expansion side zeros in on a franchise-first playoff run.
"It's all about us. We're not really focused on the other team like we did a little last year," said midfielder Taylor Flint. "What are we going to do — what's our identity? I think that's a huge part of how we've been winning all these games."
On the other end of the table, the bottom four NWSL teams — Angel City, the No. 12 Houston Dash, No. 13 Chicago Stars, and No. 14 Utah Royals — will be looking for a major midseason reboot, after none managed to register a single win in the last five matchdays.
"We go from here, we break now, recharge, and we will be a very difficult opponent for a lot of teams in the second part of the season. That is our target now," said Angel City head coach Alexander Straus after Friday's loss.
There's still a lot left in 2025 NWSL play, with skidding teams banking on fresh starts while surging squads prepare to hit the ground running as soon as the season picks back up in August.
The NWSL is locking in its summer calendar, as teams across the league announce special July friendlies ahead of the regular-season break for major global tournaments.
Without a planned league-wide tournament like 2024's NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, its up to individual clubs to fill their schedules until NWSL play resumes in August.
While there might not be a trophy at the end, the gap does provide an opportunity for some fresh friendly competition beyond the confines of the league.
The North Carolina Courage will welcome Liga MX titans and Concacaf W Champions Cup contenders Tigres UANL back to the States for a one-off exhibition match on July 9th.
Then on July 12th, Kansas City will kick off its Teal Rising Cup, a four-team friendly tournament pitting the NWSL's Current and Chicago Stars against Brazil's Série A1 clubs Corinthians and Palmeiras.
Late July will see both the Seattle Reign and Bay FC square off against Japan's WE League champions the Urawa Red Diamonds, with Bay tacking on an additional July 19th friendly against Angel City.
The USL Super League is also getting in on the summer interleague action, with the NWSL's Angel City facing the Carolina Ascent on July 26th after Racing Louisville hosts crosstown USL squad Lexington SC on July 13th — giving fans a glimpse at how the two US systems stack up against one another.
As teams juggle lineups in the wake of summer international departures, these July friendlies may feature decidedly different rosters than regular-season play — though hungry NWSL fans likely won't mind.