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.
Women's teams are big business, with global sports business conference SPOBIS International reporting this week that average WNBA franchise valuations rose to $90 million in 2024, while NWSL clubs weighed in at $104 million — doubling their 2023 mark.
In May, the reigning WNBA champion New York Liberty sold shares at a $450 million valuation, qualifying them as the world's most valuable women's sports team.
SPOBIS's top five includes the WSL's Chelsea FC ($326 million) alongside NWSL side Angel City FC ($250 million), the WNBA's Dallas Wings ($208 million), the Kansas City Current ($182 million), and the Las Vegas Aces ($140 million).
US women's sports teams hold a key advantage in the race to the top of the valuations table, with WNBA and NWSL squads able operate independently from men's systems.
Having separated from their men's side last year, Chelsea FC was the only non-US team to make the list, bolstered by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian's $26.6 million purchase of a 10% stake in the 2024/25 WSL champs last month.
Other European teams in line for similar value boosts include OL Lyonnes and the London City Lionesses, both independently owned and operated by Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang.
With many factors contributing to a team's overall value — namely capital, media deals, viewership, ownership structures, and popularity — it's tough to predict the next big thing in women's sports, but these numbers point to a red-hot market across major pro leagues.
According to a Thursday report from The Athletic, shares of the New York Liberty were recently sold at a $450 million valuation, making the reigning WNBA champions the most valuable franchise in women's sports.
Valued at $130 million just last year, the Liberty's new record-breaking worth is over 30 times what majority owners Joe and Clara Wu Tsai paid for the team in January 2019.
The shares in the multi-investor purchase account for an ownership percentage in the "mid-teens," with the capital intended to help fund an $80 million state-of-the-art training facility near the team's Barclays Center home in Brooklyn.
Growing investment in women's sports fuel high valuations
New York's valuation more than doubles the last-known WNBA capital raise, when the Dallas Wings sold 1% of their franchise at a $208 million valuation last August.
The NWSL's Angel City FC previously held the top mark in women's sports, valued at $250 million in last summer's sale to USC dean Willow Bay and her Disney CEO husband, Bob Iger.
Earlier this month, however, WSL champs Chelsea FC surpassed the LA club behind a $26.6 million investment from Reddit co-founder and tennis icon Serena Williams's husband, Alexis Ohanian.
With varied sources placing Ohanian's stake between 8% and 10%, the Blues valuation in that transaction lands in the $265 million to $331 million range — still trailing the Liberty by a hefty margin.
According to Wu Tsai, this is just the beginning, with the business leader boldly predicting blockbuster growth for her Brooklyn team — and the WNBA at-large — at a May 2024 event.
"I believe that in 10 years — or less — I'll be able to come back here to tell you how we turned the New York Liberty into the world's first billion-dollar women's sports franchise," she said.
In this week's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins examines the individual standouts of the first third of the 2025 NWSL season, offering her early shortlist of players making strong cases in the league's MVP race.
As defenses continue to find their stride, league scoring is paving the way in the 2025 season so far, leading Watkins to put forth four top attackers, calling them "the most established, the most consistent" MVP candidates.
First, Watkins digs into Kansas City's Debinha, who sits second in the NWSL Golden Boot race with five goals and an assist through eight 2025 matches.
A two-time league champion and three-time Shield-winner with her previous club, the North Carolina Courage, Debinha already owns the 2019 MVP title in addition to two Challenge Cup MVP trophies.
Calling her "the big glitzy comeback story on what is right now the best team in the league," Watkins notes that Debinha is "a killer playmaker [with] a talent for exploiting space [and] finishing her own chances, while also making her teammates better."
Joining Debinha as an early MVP frontrunner is Gotham FC's Esther. With seven goals in nine games, the 2023 NWSL champ and 2023 World Cup winner tops the 2025 Golden Boot leaderboard thanks to her ability "to score with her head and with her feet."
"Where Esther goes, so goes Gotham," says Watkins. "They haven't won a single game this season in which she did not score. That's team impact."
Top 2024 candidates keep pace with 2025 frontrunners
Last year's leaders round out Watkins' MVP favorites, including "a player that gets better when the job gets harder," Orlando's Barbra Banda.
"[Teams are] doing a better job of putting a lot of bodies on Banda to try to slow her down," causing her scoring to take a hit, but Watkins argues that Banda is still "one of the best out-and-out strikers of the ball in the entire league."
Finally, though "there's never been a back-to-back MVP in league history," Watkins says that reigning NWSL MVP and Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga is making a major case for running it back, led by the Kansas City star's "superpower of opening space where there is none."
Angel City striker Alyssa Thompson is an NWSL MVP dark horse
Finally, Watkins gives Angel City's Alyssa Thompson a unique nod, calling her the league's most improved player — an award that does not exist in the NWSL.
Remarking on Thompson's growth, Watkins points out the 20-year-old forward's leaps in consistency, poise, and her response to coaching at both the club and USWNT level.
"Her glimpses of brilliance are turning into something more consistent," describes Watkins. "She's fast.... She's a really good dribbler. She can take players on 1v1 and make them look silly, get in behind on goal, shoot, score. But she has widened her ability to connect with teammates.... She's just become a well-rounded winger in a way that we were not seeing before."
With four goals on the season, Thompson currently sits tied for fourth place in the 2025 Golden Boot race with the likes of Banda, Chawinga, Washington's Ashley Hatch, and Louisville's Emma Sears.
"Is [Thompson] in that space to to kind of overtake these really well established, consistent, dominant players [in the MVP race]?" wonders Watkins. "Maybe not. But the fact that she has made this leap to this stature in the league is huge."
About 'The Late Sub' with Claire Watkins
The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes on the USWNT, NWSL, and all things women's soccer. Special guest appearances featuring the biggest names in women’s sports make TLS a must-listen for every soccer fan.
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Kansas City, Orlando, and Washington are back on top of the NWSL table, restoring their dominance with key weekend results after a series of shaky matchdays.
Anchored by a brace from Debinha, the No. 1 Current halted a two-game losing streak with a 4-1 drubbing of Bay FC on Sunday. Meanwhile, the No. 3 Spirit stopped their two-match skid with a 3-2 Saturday win over No. 14 Chicago.
The No. 2 Pride narrowly avoided their own second straight loss on Saturday, securing a 1-1 draw with No. 11 North Carolina behind Prisca Chilufya's last-gasp second-half stoppage time goal.
No. 5 Angel City's 2-0 win over No. 13 Utah captured the weekend's headlines, however, after the Friday match played to completion despite 20-year-old LA defender Savy King collapsing on the pitch in the 85th minute.
"Savy left the field in stable condition, and currently remains stable and will be undergoing further evaluation," the NWSL posted after the match.
In response to criticism about the game resuming at all, the NWSL added that the match followed "league protocols...from both a medical and game operations perspective."
"I'm not sure if we should have continued the game," Royals head coach Jimmy Coenraets told reporters after the match. "Not only [Angel City's athletes], but also our players were just scared, and I think that's not the right position, not the right situation to be in."
While the on-pitch NWSL results this weekend appeared to steady upheaval in the standings, the spotlight shown brightest on concerns over league policy clashing with player safety.
Bay FC released renderings for the 2024 NWSL expansion team’s first-ever dedicated training facility on Wednesday, with award-winning design firm Olson Kundig overseeing the state-of-the-art complex’s development.
"In order to be a global sports franchise, the team needs its own home and dedicated facility," said Bay FC CEO Brady Stewart in the club's statement. "Tom Kundig and the Olson Kundig team understand our priority of player-centricity and also designed an inspirational and stunning space which reflects a sense of home for our players and staff."
"Olson Kundig are true innovators and are helping us future proof the facility and create something uniquely designed for our athletes that will nurture the whole person and unlock maximum potential."
Bay FC’s training facility, which is expected to open before the 2027 NWSL season, prioritizes a seamless experience for athletes, balancing private and communal spaces with an emphasis on wholistic player care.
Located at the center of the Bay on Treasure Island, a man-made island constructed in 1937, the complex will include three training fields and boasts sweeping views of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, North Bay, the Bay Bridge, and East Bay.
Even more, the center will provide resources to support long-term off-pitch success, including career development, education, and business training resources.
"Players commit to training together, building relationships, and working as a team every day," remarked Kundig. "The design acknowledges the complexity of that commitment — to the sport, the team, and the place that supports them both."
Bay FC joins expanding roster of teams with top training centers
As rising professionalization continues to shape women’s sports, top-of-the-line training centers have become a key way for clubs to stand out — even across the West Coast's crowded real estate market.
Bay FC's new 2025 WNBA neighbor Golden State and the NWSL's LA club Angel City have both recently embraced the dedicated facilities trend, while Portland’s 2026 WNBA expansion team announced last month that it will share a new $150 million sports performance complex with the NWSL’s Portland Thorns.
Dedicated facilities are increasingly becoming the status quo in the NWSL and WNBA, and Bay FC’s thoughtful design should be a selling point for top talent for years to come.
The NWSL officially sealed the deal with Denver early Thursday, granting the league's 16th expansion team to the Mile High City for a planned 2026 debut.
To welcome the city's first-ever major league women's team, NWSL Denver is finalizing plans for a new purpose-built stadium and dedicated performance facility designed specifically for women athletes.
Controlled by Denver Sports Commission founder Rob Cohen, the ownership group behind Denver's $110 million expansion fee — the largest in US women's sports history — includes prominent Vail snow sports advocates the Borgen family as well as David and Molly Coors of brewing giant Molson Coors.
"As the NWSL continues its rapid growth, we knew it was critical to launch our 16th team in a city with a passionate sports culture and vibrant fan base," said NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman in a league statement. "With this ownership group's vision and dedication, we are confident that Denver NWSL will set new standards for excellence on and off the pitch."
NWSL stars double down
Existing NWSL teams also flexed their investment prowess this week, with multiple top athletes signing contract extensions across the league on Wednesday.
KC Current striker Temwa Chawinga, who record-breaking 2024 debut spanned 20 goals, the 2024 Golden Boot, and the NWSL MVP award, inked a deal that will keep her in Kansas City for the next three years.
"This year, we hope to bring the trophy home for the fans, for KC," Chawinga said in the club's statement. "My KC community has been incredible. All the support, it feels like home here."
On the West Coast, Angel City sister duo of 20-year-old forward Alyssa and 19-year-old defender Gisele Thompson also put pen to paper, with the young LA-born stars committing to ACFC through 2028.
With European clubs drawing top players away from the US, there's never been a more important time for the NWSL to put its money where its mouth is when it comes to player development and on-field success.
Some of the NWSL's brightest stars made headlines this week, as the league's free agency transfer window continues to turn heads both at home and abroad.
Brazil forward Kerolin is officially departing North Carolina after spending all three of her NWSL seasons with the Courage, the club confirmed on Wednesday. The 2023 NWSL MVP will reportedly head to the WSL's Manchester City in a deal extending through 2028.
Sources are also linking two-time NWSL Defender of the Year Naomi Girma to the first $1 million transfer offer in women's soccer history, courtesy of French side Lyon and UK titans Chelsea and Arsenal. The 24-year-old USWNT star's current contract with the San Diego Wave runs through 2026, making a transfer fee a necessary part of any earlier deal.
The current record for a women's soccer transfer fee is $860,000, which Bay FC shelled out to receive Zambian forward Rachael Kundananji from Spain's Madrid CFF in February 2024.
More NWSL teams make moves to lock down contracts
NWSL preseason has already started for select clubs, with teams putting the final touches on solidifying both their rosters and front offices.
Angel City hired former Portland Thorns FC and Washington Spirit head coach Mark Parsons as the club's new sporting director on Wednesday. The franchise is still searching for a permanent head coach after parting with boss Becki Tweed in December.
The 2022 expansion team also signed veteran forward Christen Press to a new one-year contract, per a Friday morning press release.
Meanwhile, with Girma's possible departure dominating the rumor mill, the Wave announced the addition of 17-year-old UNC defender and 2024 College Cup champion Trinity Armstrong to the club's ranks on Thursday.
Though Girma's fate is yet to be confirmed, San Diego's decision to pick up a talented young center back — on a three-year contract, no less — supports the theory that the USWNT standout is on the move.
This week, the Houston Dash and Portland Thorns — two NWSL teams on opposite sides of the postseason cutoff line — earned results that snapped skids.
On Saturday, Houston defeated 11th-place Seattle 1-0 to claim their first victory since May 24th, ending a nine-game winless streak. While the win didn’t exactly launch the 13th-place Dash into postseason contention, it did provide a glimmer of hope in an otherwise destabilizing season.
The hero of the match was 2011 World Cup champ Yuki Nagasato, whose 50th-minute volley from the top of the box had such velocity that Reign keeper Claudia Dickey couldn’t even react before it crashed into the back of the net.
With the ongoing absence of head coach Fran Alonso, Saturday's result handed Houston interim coach Ricky Clarke his first NWSL victory.
Draw with ACFC ends Portland's losing streak
Notching their first point since July 5th, the seventh-place Thorns snapped a four-game losing streak with Monday’s 2-2 draw with 10th-place Angel City.
After Portland’s Morgan Weaver and Olivia Moultrie answered Alyssa Thompson's opening goal for a 2-1 lead, ACFC defender Jasmyne Spencer's hard-earned cross allowed Claire Emslie to secure the draw with a chaotic 76th-minute equalizer.
The result keeps both teams in the NWSL postseason race, each within three points of the cutoff line.
How to watch Portland and Angel City in NWSL action this week
Both Angel City and Portland will look to gain a crucial postseason advantage this weekend. No. 10 Angel City faces the tougher task in hosting No. 2 Washington on Friday, September 27th, at 10 PM ET, with live coverage on Prime Video.
Then on Saturday, September 28th at 10 PM ET, No. 7 Portland will take on No. 12 San Diego, airing live on ION.
NWSL chaos reigned supreme this weekend, as lower-table teams walked away victorious in five out of seven matches.
Even Sunday’s 1-1 draw between second-place Washington and 12th-place San Diego was a lopsided affair, as Wave defender Kristen McNabb received credit for both goals.
The only expected result was Orlando’s 2-0 win over fourth-place Gotham on Sunday. With the victory, the Pride remains atop the standings while extending their record winning streak to 19.
Courage adds to Kansas City's loss count
On a streak of their own, now-fifth-place North Carolina added an 18th match to their home unbeaten stretch — one that dates back to 2023 — with Sunday’s 2-1 win over third-place Kansas City. The loss is KC’s third in a row, a marked departure after going undefeated through their first 15 games.
The Current's goal was unsurprisingly notched by Golden Boot race-leader Temwa Chawinga, who now sits two goals ahead of Orlando’s Barbra Banda with 14 on the season — four shy of tying ex-NWSL star Sam Kerr’s single-season record.
Mid-table movement heats up NWSL playoff race
This weekend’s upsets shook the mid-table, proving that securing a playoff berth won't be an easy task.
On Friday, Bay FC beat Portland 3-1, lifting the now-eighth-place expansion team over the postseason cutoff line while stalling the sixth-place Thorns at 27 points for the third straight week.
Extending their unbeaten streak to six matches, 11th-place Seattle defeated a restructured Louisville 3-2 on Saturday. Then on Sunday, striker Sydney Leroux’s stoppage-time winner delivered ninth-place Angel City a 2-1 win over Chicago.
With just eight regular-season matches to go, a slim four points now separate the seventh-place Red Stars from 10th-place Louisville.