It's officially rivalry weekend in the NWSL, as teams lean on regional proximity, competitive history, and plain old bad blood to add an edge to each of the upcoming matchups.
Owing to a full 10-point lead, the No. 1 Kansas City Current are still untouchable at the top of the NWSL standings, but this weekend's games could significantly reshape the rest of the table.
Both old feuds and recent rivalries will be on display across the NWSL — though a few key battles stand out as must-watch showcases of the league's parity:
- No. 8 Gotham FC vs. No. 3 Washington Spirit, Saturday at 12 PM ET (ESPN): The gap in the standings doesn't matter when these title contenders meet, so expect fireworks when stars like Gotham's Rose Lavelle, Esther, and Midge Purce face off against Trinity Rodman and the Spirit.
- No. 4 San Diego Wave vs. No. 11 Angel City FC, Saturday at 10 PM ET (ION): Despite sitting at No. 4 on the table, San Diego has struggled to beat Angel City since 2023 — a trend the LA side hopes to continue in Saturday's battle for SoCal bragging rights.
- No. 6 Portland Thorns vs. No. 5 Seattle Reign, Sunday at 4 PM ET (CBS): The Cascadia Clash is the oldest and most hallowed rivalry in the NWSL, and this season's edition also sees the Pacific Northwest pair locked in a tight playoff race, with the Thorns ready to overtake the Reign with three weekend points.
NWSL star Trinity Rodman made a fairytale return from injury on Sunday, scoring the game-winning goal off the bench to lift the Washington Spirit over the Portland Thorns 2-1.
Suiting up for the first time since seeking treatment for a lingering back issue in April, Rodman entered the match in the 76th minute before breaking through the 1-1 deadlock in second-half stoppage time off a volley from midfielder Croix Bethune.
"That was just the hardest thing I've had to go through with injury and everything," an emotional Rodman told reporters following the NWSL match. "I'm just really happy to be back. I missed the team, I missed doing what I love."
The result has the Thorns now at No. 6 in the NWSL standings while launching the Spirit into third place, leapfrogging now-No. 4 San Diego after the Wave picked up just one point in Saturday's 0-0 draw with the No. 9 North Carolina Courage.
At the top of the table, No. 1 Kansas City widened their lead, claiming a 10-point advantage over the No. 2 Orlando Pride following the Current's 2-0 Friday victory over No. 7 Racing Louisville.
The No. 5 Seattle Reign proved to be the weekend's other big winner, earning one of the league's three wins by topping No. 11 Angel City 2-0 on Friday.
All in all, the NWSL's regular-season summer break gave teams time to regroup — but time is ticking as the 2025 play inches closer to the postseason finish line.
2025 NWSL standings: Week 14
1. Kansas City Current (12-2-0)
2. Orlando Pride (8-4-2)
3. Washington Spirit (8-4-2)
4. San Diego Wave FC (7-3-4)
5. Seattle Reign FC (7-4-3)
6. Portland Thorns FC (6-4-4)
7. Racing Louisville FC (6-6-2)
8. Gotham FC (5-5-4)
9. North Carolina Courage (5-5-4)
10. Bay FC (4-6-4)
11. Angel City FC (4-7-3)
12. Houston Dash (3-8-3)
13. Chicago Stars FC (1-9-4)
14. Utah Royals (1-10-3)
The NWSL is back in session beginning on Friday night, as 2025 season play returns with athletes shifting their focus from summer international tournaments back to the league's home stretch.
While WAFCON and Women's Euro participants are likely to be available this weekend, NWSL stars featuring in Saturday's Copa América final remain out of market.
The NWSL standings dominate this weekend's narrative, as No. 1 Kansas City towers over the league while lower-table teams embrace their shot at a reset after a month off the pitch:
- No. 7 Racing Louisville vs. No. 1 Kansas City Current, Friday at 8 PM ET (Prime): Though Racing currently sits in playoff position, they'll face a tough test when the high-flying Current storm through Louisville.
- No. 6 Seattle Reign vs. No. 11 Angel City, Friday at 10:30 PM ET (Paramount+): Reign fans will snag their first glimpse of new signee Mia Fishel on Friday, though Angel City will aim to ruin the welcome party as the LA club pushes toward playoff contention.
- No. 9 North Carolina Courage vs. No. 3 San Diego Wave, Saturday at 7:30 PM ET (ION): Courage forward Jaedyn Shaw takes on her former team as the Wave looks to keep the NWSL's surprise success story of the season going strong.
- No. 4 Washington Spirit vs. No. 5 Portland Thorns, Sunday at 12:30 PM ET (ABC): While Spirit fans cross their fingers for the return of injured stars Trinity Rodman and Croix Bethune, the Thorns will try to keep their steady momentum afloat in DC.
Angel City FC's Savy King opened up for the first time about her on-field collapse at a May NWSL match, with the defender stating this week that she's targeting a full recovery and return to play.
Speaking to Good Morning America on Wednesday, King admitted that she doesn't remember much about the May 9th incident.
"I remember that I wasn't feeling right, and I grabbed my leg because I was trying to distract myself from the fact that I was going to pass out," the 20-year-old said.
Team medical staff ended up resuscitating King on the pitch, with the Angel City trainers quickly stabilizing her before transporting her to a local hospital.
Suffering what was essentially a heart attack, despite "never [having] any medical history of anything with [her] heart," King later discovered she'd been born with an anomalous left coronary artery.
Surgeons corrected the congenital abnormality, putting King on the road to recovery — and an eventual return to the Angel City pitch.
"Every time I see soccer, I want to play. It's obviously so hard to just watch and not be able to play," said King. "I was just so happy that I was going to be able to recover and be as normal, almost be like a Savy 2.0 now."
"I'll be back, and I'll be better than ever," she promised.
While King didn't lay out a timeline for her return, she credited ACFC's medical team for their prompt response after she lost consciousness.
"They saved my life," the young Angel City star stated. "That will stay with me forever in my heart...they [are] a huge reason why I'm here. I play for them now, too."
Incoming 2026 NWSL expansion team Boston Legacy FC is making big moves, with two key Monday announcements shoring up the club's place in the larger New England sports ecosystem.
Buying into the Legacy on Monday was Indiana Fever center Aliyah Boston, with the 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year investing in the club after playing high school ball at Massachusetts's Worcester Academy.
"I'm proud to join the ownership group of the Boston Legacy. This city helped raise me, and the support I felt here shaped so much of who I am," the three-time WNBA All-Star said in a club statement. "And yes... Boston repping Boston just felt right!"
With her investment, Boston joins a growing roster of current and former WNBA stars buying into the NWSL, including Angel City investor Candace Parker, Bay FC advisor Sabrina Ionescu, and Gotham FC minority owner Sue Bird.
Along with their famous new investor, the Legacy also revealed plans on Monday to construct a privately funded, $27 million purpose-built team performance center in nearby Brockton, Massachusetts.
Slated to open prior to the 2026 preseason, the center boasts a fully outfitted 30,000 square-foot training building, a bubble dome for year-round practice, and six fields of various surfaces — some of which will be available to youth teams in the community.
"Competing at the highest level demands an environment that elevates every aspect of performance — and this new facility is a major step forward in how we support our players every single day," said Legacy controlling owner Jennifer Epstein.
A couple of those incoming players were announced earlier this month, as the Legacy welcomed Bundesliga free agent and midfielder Annie Karich as the team's first signee before inking French Première Ligue forward Aïssata Traoré — the first-ever NWSL player from Mali — late last week.
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 and WNBA Players Associations teamed up to release a joint statement on Thursday, with the unions expressing their solidarity with "all people seeking safety, dignity, and opportunity" after the recent ICE raids and ensuing protests in Los Angeles.
The move comes after Angel City published their own social media post addressing the ICE raids last Saturday, with the Los Angeles NWSL club noting "We know that our city is stronger because of its diversity and the people and families who shape it, love it, and call it home."
ACFC also directed immigrants in need of assistance in the wake of the ICE raids to two community organizations: the Coalition of Humane Immigrant Rights and the LA County Office of Immigrant Affairs.
Calling the WNBA Players Association "leaders in this space," NWSL Players Association executive director Meghann Burke told The Athletic that the basketball union initiated their joint statement.
"It's important to stand together as workers' unions," she noted.
NWSL and WNBA unions speak to families impacted by ICE raids
"It's not lost on us that this country and the world are in turmoil right now," wrote the NWSLPA and WNBPA. "Across the country, families are facing fear, hardship, and uncertainty tied to immigration."
The athlete unions then crystallized their position, saying, "We stand with all people seeking safety, dignity, and opportunity, no matter where they come from or where they hope to go."
"Every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect," they continued. "We know not every situation is simple. But offering compassion should never be up for debate."
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.
Racing Louisville FC's Kayla Fischer saw two games added to her original one-match red card suspension on Thursday, after NWSL match officials sent the midfielder off for unsportsmanlike conduct in Saturday's 3-2 win over Angel City.
Fischer — the No. 16 overall pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft — earned a straight red in the match's 67th minute, with a referee spotting her pulling Angel City midfielder Madison Hammond’s hair and forcing her to the ground.
"After further review of the altercation, the Disciplinary Committee determined that Fischer's conduct violated Section 12.4.10, 'Major Game Misconduct,' of the League Operations Manual," the NWSL said in a release.
Fischer, who has contributed two goals and two assists to Racing's 12-goal season tally, will miss Louisville's upcoming June matches against the No. 13 Utah Royals, No. 3 Orlando Pride, and No. 1 Kansas City Current.
Due to the NWSL's midsummer break, Fischer will not be back in regular-season play until her squad's August 1st rematch against the league-leading Current, leaving No. 8 Louisville competing to remain above the playoff line with her.
Following the additional NWSL suspension announcement, Fischer apologized to both Hammond and Angel City in a statement to ESPN on Thursday, adding "I sincerely regret my behavior and letting my teammates down. I accept and understand the league's decision."
"When I return to the field later this season, I plan to show that I have learned from my actions and that this moment doesn't define me as a player or the respect I have for my opponents and the game," said Fischer.
Angel City forward Alyssa Thompson has been a goal-scoring machine this season, leading the charge for a young team fighting its way up the NWSL table. But in May 2nd's end-to-end battle with 2024 NWSL runners-up Washington, the 20-year-old winger's most important play was a pass.
The California club had gotten off to a fast start in DC, scoring early as they worked their way into the match. The team was coming off a late-game collapse against 2024 champions Orlando the week prior. They hope to ward off another loss by generating as much offense as possible.
In the 22nd minute, Thompson, the ball at her feet, saw her teammate — and sister — right-back Gisele Thompson move out of ACFC's defensive end and dart into the Spirit's penalty area. Alyssa quickly served her sister the ball on a platter. The 19-year-old defender netted her first-ever NWSL goal a split-second later.
"My heart was pounding so hard," Alyssa told Just Women's Sports a few days after the match. "I was so excited for her."
"I always thought it was going to be me that scored, and she assisted me," she continued, given their respective positions. But Gisele's special moment also underlines Thompson's growth as a player. She's matured into a legitimate MVP candidate, while fifth-place ACFC enters the title conversation for the first time in franchise history.
Thompson on coping with USWNT growing pains
Thompson didn't give up on her Olympic dream for weeks after USWNT head coach Emma Hayes released her roster for the 2024 Summer Games. After all, she'd already featured in the 2023 World Cup at the age of 18, going on to receive regular call-ups through the rest of that year.
But even as her name slipped off the USWNT roster in 2024, Thompson remained hopeful for a surprise selection. It wasn't until the team landed in Europe that the then-19-year-old began the process of accepting whatever came next.
"I think that helped me a lot, just letting go of that sadness I felt, knowing that I wasn't playing how I wanted to play," she said.
"During that time, I learned how to be a better professional, and took what we were doing more seriously," Thompson continued. She doubled up on training sessions, and spent extra time in the film room, laser-focused on her next opportunity to audition for US consideration.
All that work resulted in a newfound confidence, one that's fueled an attacking explosion continuing well into this season. Thompson scored five goals in the 2024 NWSL regular season after the Olympic break. It put her in prime position as the US set off down the long road to the 2027 World Cup.
Rising up the ranks — for both club and country
The USWNT eventually came calling once again. Hayes invited Thompson to rejoin the team for a series of friendlies in October 2024. And while she took full advantage of that chance — scoring her first senior national team goal against Iceland — it was her club career that really benefited from the long-awaited return.
These days, Thompson is considered one of the best wingers in the NWSL. Dribbling past defenders with ease, she connects with teammates as well as she shoots. She slots home strikes with a remarkable sense of calm. She's registered four goals and two assists over eight matches for Angel City this season. And she's shown a veteran savvyness far beyond her years.
"In the first three games, Alyssa's been the best player in the league," Angel City sporting director Mark Parsons told ESPN in early April.
USWNT manager Hayes echoed Parsons's sentiment. "The development in the last six months for her, I've been talking about it a lot this week," she said of Thompson's improvement last month. "You can really see how much she's closed that gap."
Thompson finds her footing in the NWSL
Selected No. 1 overall in the 2023 NWSL Draft at the age of 18, Thompson remembers having no idea what to expect in her rookie year. And, subsequently, having to build up the nerve to even ask for help.
"I thought it was like [high school] club," she said. "You come to training, you practice, and you leave, and then that's it. But being a professional is so much more than that. Taking care of your body, doing extras, looking at film, just putting in the extra work knowing that you want to get better."
A self-described introvert, Thompson didn't always know how to speak up. But that didn't stop her Angel City teammates from seeing her potential. She remembers NWSL mainstays like Ali Riley taking the time to talk to her, coaching her through becoming a professional athlete while simultaneously finishing her senior year of high school.
"It was really helpful having those people on the team knowing me and knowing that I did want the help," she says. "I just didn't know how to really ask — it was outside of my comfort zone to do that."
And it didn't stop there. When Thompson finally let go of playing in the 2024 Olympics, she turned to her teammate and locker buddy Christen Press, a two-time World Cup champion and USWNT legend in her own right.
Over the season, Press talked Thompson through striking the ball, positioning herself in front of goal, choosing where to shoot, and other mechanics. But she also helped Thompson regain her confidence after the professional setback. She reminded the young forward over and over again of her ability to become a world-class player, and promising that she'd get another shot.
"I've always looked up to her," Thompson said of Press. "As an older sister, I feel like I crave some advice. Because I feel like I've always done everything first for my sisters. It's just been really nice getting to know her as a person. And I feel like I've just learned so much from her."
"Knowing that she was [saying], 'You can score. I believe in you,' really gave me a lot of confidence," she continued. "Like, 'Yeah, I can. If you believe in me, what can I not do?"
The sisterly bond driving Angel City
Despite still being just 20 years old, Thompson has transitioned to imparting wisdom onto her even-younger teammates. Of course, that includes her little sister Gisele, who signed with Angel City ahead of the 2024 NWSL season.
"I love playing with Alyssa," Gisele told JWS in January. "She makes me so comfortable in any situation, no matter where we're at. Having her by myself on the field and off the field, it makes me a better player and a better person."
Far from stoking sibling rivalry, the Thompson sisters are more than happy to share the field. In fact, the Los Angeles natives shared everything growing up, including a room. And according to Alyssa, their close upbringing makes working together easier.
"We talk about things that annoy us. And then we talk about things that make us happy. And then we're bickering, and then it's fine, and then we go to eat," she said. "It's just how sisters are."
The pair currently live together in an apartment in LA. And they lean on each other for advice about soccer and more — even if things occasionally get heated.
"We're so competitive, we don't want to lose against each other," Gisele laughed. "It's really hard going against each other [in training]. But we love it."
The sisterly connection appears to be paying off. When Alyssa set Gisele up for that goal against the Spirit, the Thompsons became the first sister duo to combine for a goal in NWSL history.
Looking toward the future, together
Thompson's aims for the rest of the year are simple: score goals, win games, make the playoffs, and take Angel City on their deepest postseason run yet. And if she can accomplish all of that with her sister by her side, it'll be even sweeter.
"I definitely feel more a part of the team as the years go on," she said. "It feels really nice to see people that were in my shoes once, and treat them how the veterans treated me when I came in."
"My teammates really believe in me, and that belief drives me to want to be a better player."